Lionel of Clarence

Lionel of Clarence (1338–68), king's lieutenant 1361–6, the third son of Edward III, held large estates in Ireland through his marriage to the heiress of the earldom of Ulster. His appointment, after the conclusion of peace with France in 1360 had enabled Edward III to turn his attention to Ireland, marks the beginning of a half‐century of English military intervention in Ireland, financed primarily out of English revenues.

The army which Lionel brought to Ireland was supplemented with local forces and the tactics used were a combination of garrisons and attacks on specific objectives. Although Lionel's wife had estates in Ulster and Connacht, as well as in Kilkenny, the main areas of military activity were Leinster, the midlands, and the south‐west. After a promising start, the initial impetus faded. The size of the army declined and the military gains were reversed after Lionel's return to England in 1366.

The programme of reform concentrated on the financial administration, with the aim of maximizing the amount of money at the disposal of the lieutenant. However, the resulting increase in revenues depended on the maintenance of stable conditions and did not survive the departure of Lionel's army. The Statute of Kilkenny, enacted in 1366, was an attempt to promote greater social and political stability by preventing further causes of dispute and increasing central control over local warfare.

Philomena Connolly