Falkiner — The Counties of Ireland. 175 



on the "Welsh and Durham on the Scottish or Northumbrian borders. 

 In the case of Ireland, the Crown having practically no authority, the 

 policy of Henry II. was to hand over the country to Strongbow and 

 his followers, with powers practically co-extensive with the powers 

 of the Crown, but subject to and excepting any grants of Chui'ch 

 lands. Only the sea-coast towns and the territories immediately 

 adjacent were reserved to the Sovereign. And, in fact, it was in these 

 latter districts, and in these only, that for a long period the authority 

 of the English Kings had any direct force in Ireland. 



Accordingly, as Sii' John Davies, with his usual insight, observes, 

 all Ireland was " cantonised" by Henry II. among the persons of the 

 English nation, who, " though they had not gained the possession of 

 one-third part of the whole kingdom, yet in title they were owners 

 and lords of all, so as nothing was left to be granted to the natives." 

 Of these grants at least three — those of Leinster to Strongbow, of 

 Meath to De Lacy, and of Ulster to De Courcy — were grants of royal 

 jurisdiction equivalent to palatinates ; and most probably all were 

 intended to be such. It is clear at all events that the liberty of 

 Leinster was confirmed in right of Strongbow's daughter to "William 

 Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, by Eang John, and that, on the division 

 of Leinster among the five co-heiresses of the latter, the five divisions 

 of Carlow, Kilkenny, "Wexford, Kildare, and Leix were regarded as 

 separately enjoying, within their respective territories, the same 

 palatine privileges which had pertained to the undivided liberty of 

 Leinster. That Leinster was long regarded as preserving its palatine 

 privileges may be seen by the Statute 25 Ed. I., in which "the whole 

 community of Leinster" is referred to as "lately but one liberty." 



Of the remaining palatinates or liberties, Meath was divided 

 between the sisters of "Walter de Lacy, of whom Matilda married 

 "Walter de Greenville, and Margaret, John de Yerdon. The half known 

 as the liberty of Trim passed to the Crown thi'ough the marriage of a 

 descendant of Matilda de Lacy with Mortimer, Earl of March ; while 

 the second half, descending to the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, was 

 resumed by Henry YIIL under the Statute of Absentees.^ Ulster, 

 originally granted to De Courcy, was re-granted by John to the 

 De Lacys, and descending thi'ough a daughter to the De Burghs, and 

 thence to the Mortimers, ultimately became vested in the Crown in the 

 person of Edward IV., as the descendant of Lionel Duke of Clarence. 

 Connaught, granted to the De Burghs, also technically passed with 



1 Stat. 28 Henry VIII., cap. iii. 



