While the Talbots and Butlers were thus rivals for official power, the Geraldines of both Desmond and Kildare were excluded from the favour of the House of Lancaster.

Eventually, however, the struggle forced Ormonde to cultivate the friendship of one of his traditional rivals. James, Seventh Earl of Desmond, had succeeded to the Earldom by expelling his nephew, Thomas, on the nominal ground that he had broken the ” Statute of Kilkenny ” by marrying an Irish wife.

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.

Above: War of the Roses

Henry V, who ascended the throne in 1413, was so engrossed with France that he gave hardly any attention to Ireland ; so that there was little or no change in Irish affairs during his reign; and there was strife everywhere. Matters at last looked so serious that in 1414 the king sent over an able and active military man as lord lieutenant, Sir John Talbot Lord Furnival, subse- quently earl of Shrewsbury, who became greatly dis- tinguished in the French wars. He made a vigorous circuit round the Pale, and reduced O’Moore, Mac Mahon, O’Hanlon, and O’Neill. But this brought the Palesmen more evil than good ; for the relief was only temporary; and when the brilliant exploits were all over he subjected them, in violation of the Statute of Kil- kenny, to coyne and livery, having no other way of paying his soldiers. No sooner had he left than the Irish resumed then- attacks, and for years incessantly harried and worried the miserable Palesmen, except indeed when kept quiet in some small degree by the payment of black rent.