The Lords: The Talbots and Ormonde

A new English family now comes into Irish history—that of the Talbots. In 1414 Sir John Talbot, afterwards Lord Furnival and Earl of Shrewsbury, came to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant for six years, and on two other occasions (1423 and 1446-9) he occupied the same position.

He was a famous soldier, and won great distinction in the French wars, but in Ireland his achievements were not remarkable. He got his brother, Richard Talbot, appointed as Archbishop of Dublin, and made him Lord Deputy. But the Earl of Ormonde, the chief supporter in Ireland of the House of Lancaster, resented the appointment, and a bitter hostility developed between the two.

Constant quarrels took place, and for thirty years those two principal supporters of the Crown thwarted, opposed, and intrigued against each other. During that period (1419-49), Richard Talbot was Deputy four times, and Ormonde was five times Lord Lieutenant, Lord Justice, or Deputy; but the activities of both were mostly absorbed in their personal struggle for power.

The Talbots succeeded in developing yet another generation of ” new English ” officials, whose interests were opposed to those of the powerful lords.