Above : Picture Of King Edward III

The original location of Geraldines and Butlers in the lordship of Leinster, and the development of their influence have been already indicated. Although the Geraldines had lost their possessions in Connacht, they were powerful elsewhere. In Leinster, the Earl of Kildare ruled the plains from the Liffey to the Barrow, and across Munster the territories of the Earl of Desmond stretched from the mouth of the Shannon to beyond the mouth of the Blackwater. Between the two Geraldine families lay the Earl of Ormonde, occupying the coast from Arklow to Waterford, and the country around the lower waters of the Nore and the Suir.* In those wide territories the great earls were obeyed and acknowledged as protectors not only by the Norman lords, but also by many isolated Irish chiefs given ” Palatine ” powers* over their respective territories. The Palatine Earls were for all purposes independent princes. They raised armies and levied war, appointed sheriffs, judges and other officers, created lords and knights, collected and administered taxes, granted lands, and had full power of life and death in their palatinates, without reference to, or interference from, the representatives of the King. The English Government, in fact, abdicated its functions, and allowed its authority to be ousted in two-thirds of the lands which were still occupied by its nominal subjects.

* “Palatine ” powers wire occasionally conferred on feudal nobles. In our modern history the ” Palatines ” were natives of the German Palatinate who were planted in Munster in the eighteenth century

One of the earliest results of the creation of the Palatine Earls was the introduction of a new burden upon the unfortunate settlers. This was the impost which figures largely in later history as ” coyne and livery.” In the year 1330, the Viceroy called for the help of the Earl of Desmond against the Irish of the south. The Munster Geraldine came with an army of 10,000 men, and this large force he quartered upon the settlers. In this, Desmond professed to follow a custom recognised by the Irish by which the chief was entitled to maintenance for himself and his followers (called ” coinmed”<= ” coiney,” or ” coyne “) from his under-tenants. Desmond’s example was soon followed by the other earls and lords. But, while the Irish laws carefully regulated and limited the amount of this tax, the system was adopted by the Normans without any check or safeguard to protect the unhappy tenants. It became, therefore, an arbitrary and crushing burden to harass still more the inhabitants of the ” English land,” and to drive them out of the country, leaving their lands to be re-taken by the Irish. The evils of the system were soon seen, and many laws were directed against it, but they were all merely futile proclamations.

Below : Lord Justice Uffort Logo

The English Government quickly realised its weakness in the establishment of these almost sovereign princes, and attempted spasmodically to correct its mistake. But its efforts to curb the power of the nobles were lacking in both strength and consistency. Indeed, the relations between the Crown and its nominal subjects in Ireland were henceforward even more capricious and uncertain than they had hitherto been. In 1331, Desmond and many of the other leading nobles were taken prisoners because they refused to attend the Parliament summoned by the Lord Lieutenant, but in a year and a half the policy was changed, and they were released. A sterner measure was taken in 1341, when the King of England (Edward III) ordered the Viceroy to revoke all grants and patents made by the King or his father, and to remove from office every one but Englishmen by birth who had possessions in England. The Anglo-Irish lords were filled with anger and resentment, and when the Lord Deputy called them to a Parliament in Dublin they refused to attend, but summoned an opposition Parliament, at Kilkenny, at which they drew up a protest, impeaching in strong terms the English officials for their incompetence and corruption (fH2). Then the King changed his policy, revoked his directions, and redressed some of the grievances of the lords. But when the Anglo-Irish failed to respond adequately to his demand for help in his war against France he again reverted to coercion. A new Lord Justice (Ufford) was sent across with instructions to repress the lords (1344). Desmond again refused to attend Parliament, and tried to convene another opposition one. But Ufford suddenly marched into the territories of Desmond, captured by trickery some of his strongest castles, hanged three of his knights who were their ” constables,” and took possession of a great part of his lands. Next he captured the Earl of Kildare by stratagem. But again the policy changed on the death of Ufford in 1346. The lords were confirmed in their grants by the King, and in return they aided him in his French wars, the Earl of Kildare distinguishing himself at the siege of Calais ; and soon afterwards the rebellious Desmond appears as the King’s representative (1355), and is succeeded in that capacity by both Ormond (1359) and Kildare (1360).