491 



entirely alone, and are quite peculiar both in their origin and in their 

 nature. 



Mr. Hore describes these duties generally, as " tributes rendered to 

 the Earl of Kildare by various Gaelic clans, in consideration of the 

 protection afforded to them."* It will be plain, however, to any one 

 who considers closely the terms of the various entries, that the several 

 payments differed very notably from each other, and especially that the 

 " consideration of the payments," when it is expressed, is by no means 

 uniform. 



In the first place, indeed, the great majority of the entries in the 

 Rental express no consideration whatever. The entry in many cases 

 contains simply tbe name of the individual or family, together with 

 that of the lands on which the payment is charged, and the amount of 

 payment — whether in money, cattle, produce, or service — the times of 

 paying, and the receiver to whom the tribute is payable. 



Of those entries in which there is an allusion, expressed or implied, 

 to the consideration for which the payment is made, several classes may 

 be distinguished. 



First, there are several entries which, I think, plainly belong 

 to the ordinary proprietorial class, in which the rights of the Earl are 

 expressly declared to have been acquired by purchase, and in some of 

 which even the amount of the purchase-money is recorded. Instances 

 of this will be found in the sections on the 0' Regans' Country, on 

 Glanmalira, or the O'Dempsies', on Annaly, on the Mac Geoghegans', and 

 the O'Moores' ; and in the last of these the entry regarding the land of 

 Killen is of a mixed character, and recites that one-half the payment is 

 in consideration of purchase, and the other half of " defence," — a title to 

 which I shall refer specially hereafter. 



To the same category may be referred a number of cases in which 

 the claim seems to be in the nature of a mortgage, being assigned to 

 the Earl in pledge, either by the individual himself or by some other 

 by whom it had already been held in pledge from the proprietor. 



Perhaps I ought to refer to the same class certain very curious and 

 noteworthy entries in which the lands charged with the stipulated 

 payment are recited as having been assigned as compensation to the 

 Earl. Thus the M 'Edmonds give a plowland in the Keylef " in 

 amends for hurt done to the Earl. The sons of Moryartagh M'Geo- 

 ghegan transfer to the Earl a plowland in Ballyncornyn, which had 

 been assigned to them as amends of the slaying of Moriartagh Mac 

 Hue Mac Geoghegan," and the half-plowland of Ballynekonaghta is 

 given in pledge by Ferall M'Owyn M 'Geoghegan for 60 kyne, which 

 had been adjudged as eric "for breaking the said Earl's slainte, on the 

 guarantee of protection on the sept of Nele Mac Geoghegan." 



In a third and very numerous class, the payment is simply said to 

 be "granted" to the Earl, without any recital of title or consideration 

 on his part; and so far as the negative evidence of the Rental Book goes, 



* " Kilkenny Archaeological Journal," vol. ii., p. 309. f Page 132. 



