6 7 



The English influence, however, continued sensibly to fail. In 

 1333 a large portion of Ireland was suddenly lost to them, many 

 of the chief Norman houses utterly renounced all allegiance to Eng- 

 land, and combined with the Irish clans. They adopted henceforward 

 the Irish language, apparel, and laws. On the banks of the Shannon, 

 for instance, in sight of the royal garrison of Athlone, the two great 

 de Burgos, ancestors respectively of the Earls of Clanrickarde and 

 Mayo, stripped themselves of their Norman dress and arms, and 

 assumed the saffron robes of Celtic chieftains ; Sir Edmund de 

 Burgo assuming the title of Mac William Iochtar {i.e., the upper), 

 and Sir William de Burgo that of Mac William Uachtar {i.e., the 

 lower). At the same time eastern Ulster was lost to the English 

 crown. The sept of the O'Neills, known as Clan Aedha Buidhe 

 (or Yellow Hugh's clan), crossed the Bann, expelled the settlers 

 spared in Bruce's invasion, and established for themselves a prin- 

 cipality known as Clannaboye. The only place still occupied by 

 English, even as late as the 16th century, was the castle and 

 neighbourhood of Carrickfergus ; all the rest of Antrim, formerly 

 the residence of the great Earls of Ulster, was occupied by a com- 

 pact Celtic population, which offered a protracted resistance to all 

 further attempts at English colonisation. The English influence 

 became, from the 14th century forward for some time, con- 

 fined to the Pale, stretching at this period not farther north of 

 Dublin than Dundalk ; and southwards, but a very little way ; it 

 was likewise of very meagre breadth. Even. here it was necessary 

 to restrain the English from forming connections with the native 

 Celts, and most stringent laws were passed for that purpose. Not 

 only was it forbidden for the English to use the Irish language, 

 mode of naming, and apparel, but an act was passed in the fifth 

 year of Edward IV. (1465), " That every Irishman that dwelleth 

 among Englishmen, shall take to him an English surname of one 

 town, as Sutton, Chester, Trym, Skryne, Corke, Kinsale; or colour, 

 as White, Blacke, Browne; ov art or science, as Smith, or Carpenter ; 

 or office, as Cooke, Butler ; that he and his issue shall use this 

 name." . Before this, a futile- attempt had been made by Richard 

 II. to subdue the country ; but, from the time his army was re- 



