which would then be surveyed and regranted to them, no doubt for a substantial payment.[1]
There was, in fact, in the centre of the island, an almost unbroken stretch of territory, along the eastern bank of the Shannon from Leitrim to close to the city of Limerick, occupied by various old Irish clans of no very great individual strength. A large part of this district had formed part of the old kingdom of Meath, and so had formed part of De Lacy's lordship; other portions had been parts of the Leinster sub-kingdoms of Offaly and Ossory; others again were in Munster.[2]
Common to all this tract was that it had been granted to, and to a certain extent occupied by the early invaders; that the Irish clans had expelled the settlers in the 14th century[3]; that the chiefs had submitted to Henry VIII. and had thus been, at least, implicitly, recognised as subjects; that most of the chiefs had made surrenders to the Crown under Elizabeth and James, and had obtained, as they thought, a valid title to their lands; and, finally, that these surrenders and regrants had only affected the demesne lands and private
- ↑ Car. Cal., 1611, p. 104.Some of the chiefs of these districts already had obtained grants from the King of the demesne lands and rents and services attached to the chieftainship. Davies probably referred to the smaller landowners.
- ↑ The clans were O'Rourkes and their subject clans in Leitrim; O'Ferralls in Longford; O'Melaghlins and MacGeoghegans in West Meath; O'Shinnaghs or Foxes, O'Molloys, MacCoghlans and O'Carrolls in the modern King's County; O'Dunnes and MacGillapatricks in Queen's County; O'Kennedys, O'Meaghers, Mac I Briens, O'Mulrians, O'Dwyers in Tipperary.
- ↑ Friar Clyn under date 1346 tells us that Thadeus son of Roderic, princeps of Elycarwyl, i.e., Ely O'Carroll, had slain, exiled and cast out from his lands of Ely those of the "nations" of Barry, Milleborne, Dc Bret and other English, And held and occupied their lands and castles.
