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Click or Tap Comments immediately above here Posted to de Lacy Chronicles Facebook 22nd Sept  Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, held a strategic position at a ford on the River Boyne. A fort had been on the site since the fifth century. In 1172, following the arrival of the English King. Henry II granted Baron Hugh de Lacy Lord of Weobley and Ludlow the Kingdom of Meath, along with the custody of Dublin. To ensure Strongbow (Lord Richard de Clare) who was becoming too powerful and may try to set up a rival Anglo-Norman Kingdom in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy took possession of the site and built a vast ringwork defended by a double palisade and external ditch. Hugh de Lacy left the castle under the control of Hugh Tyrrel, baron of Castleknock but it was attacked and burnt in 1174 by the army of Ruairí O Conchúir, Hugh Tyrrel was forced to flee. Following the destruction, de Lacy started to rebuild the castle and replaced the earlier wooden buildings with a unique twenty-sided cruciform design tower with three-metre thick walls. Over the following decades, Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter constructed the curtain walls. 1220 completed most of the castle that is still visible today.
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Click or Tap Comments immediately above here Posted to de Lacy Chronicles Facebook 17th Sept 21  King John called upon Baron Roger de Lacy, Lord of Pontefract. The King, considering Roger, his best front line military leader, appointed him to take command of Château Gaillard to defend it at all cost against the advances made by the much larger French army of King Philip. For five weeks, despite repeatedly trying to storm the defences and failing. King Philip ordered his military leaders to now lay siege on the Château. Roger de Lacy continued to defend the Château until every scrap of food had gone. In the end, all who remained alive were so weakened that the fortress was easy to overrun. Roger de Lacy had succeeded in delaying the advance of a large part of King Philip's army. By holding Château Gaillard from September 1203 till the end of March 1204. King John never returned with his army, and with the fall of Chateau Gaillard, Normandy, Brittany, Maine, Anjou, Touraine, and Aquitaine were all lost within the next few months. Within only one year, all the French territories that each of the Kings of William the Conqueror through to John's brother King Richard the Lionheart had built over two centuries had now been lost by King John. Roger de Lacy was imprisoned by King Philip but treated well as he was admired by the King, who soon released him when King John paid a ransom. Re-confirming to him that the honour of Pontefract was Roger’s and bestowed upon him the additional offices of both Sheriffs of York and Chester. He held both until he died in 1210. The consequence of King Johns failure was the loss of all the Plantagenet French holdings in 1204 was highly significant to French/English history. Many of the English noble families including the de Lacy’s, lost family estates in Normandy and France.
Click or Tap Comments immediately above here Posted to de Lacy Chronicles Facebook 13th Sept  By the second half of the 14th century, Ireland suffered from in-fighting, the aftermath of the plague, lack of interest by the English throne and a resurgence of power from the Irish chiefs. All led to a loss of control by the Anglo-Normans loyal to the throne, forcing them to retreat to a twenty-mile strip in the Dublin area. This well-defended area became known as ‘The Pale’. Anglo-Norman families outside of this area have now gone native and assimilated themselves into the Irish establishment. They were now known as 'Old English' by the English still loyal to the Crown. In 1367 The authorities of the Pale became more concerned. Successive kings of England had left their constitutional authority not just to the English of the Pale. But also to the powerful Fitzgerald earls as well. In Kilkenny, the Pale authorities passed special legislation (known as the Statutes of Kilkenny) banning all English descendants from speaking the Irish language, wearing Irish clothes or inter-marrying with Irish families. However, Dublin’s English controlled government had little absolute authority, so the statutes had little effect on the de Lacys of Limerick. The de Lacy's in Ireland now lived beyond the Pale. Click or Tap Comments immediately above here  Posted to Facebook on the 9th of Sept 2021
On his death 9 September 1087 William the Conquer made his oldest son Robert the fifth Duke of Normandy and considering it the lesser honour, his third son William Rufus the King of England. Robert as the heir considers he should hold both titles. Baron Roger de Lacy Lord of Weobley and Ludlow, agreed with Robert and raised a revolt from the Welsh Marchers to usurp King William II. Follow the story in de Lacy Chronicles book. Click or Tap Comments immediately above here.  Posted to Facebook as three entries on the 1st,2nd and 3rd of Sept 2021
Baron Henry de Lacy petitioned King Henry II for a license to hold a six-day fair starting on the feast day of St Giles September 1st, 1171. At Pontefract Yorkshire. Having listened to Henry ideas, the King agreed, and the license was granted. Henry de Lacy believed there had to be a better way to grow wealth than just taking it by plunder from battle or taxation. Both of which destroyed the common man. A one or two-day fair was not new, but Henry de Lacy was thinking much bigger. Properly planned, the fair would bring him a significant amount of money from granting licenses and concessions as Lord of Pontefract. Proclamations were sent out through Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire. They promised fun & revelry over the six days. All the Inns in the area of Pontefract, having let all available sleeping places, were now fully engaged in serving food and ale. All the Inns in the area of Pontefract, having let all available sleeping places, were now fully engaged in serving food and drink. So Henry sold licences for roast meats & ale stalls. Many lovely young maidens were serving much more than food and ale. Entertainers paid Henry for their licences and made rich pickings from street collections. Some traders did so well that they had to hire guards to escort their carts back home. Every activity had required a paid license or royalty payment. There is no record of the actual income that went to Henry's coffers, but it was huge. Had Henry de Lacy, at his Pontefract fair, held the forerunner of today's County Shows? Pontefract six-day fair had all types of sporting contests for men. Best Archer, champion wrestler, etc. Cookery and winemaking competitions for the Ladies. From far and wide, the response was enormous. Ironmongers, Blacksmiths, Basketmakers, Harness makers and other merchants came to sell their services or wares. Many others bought licences and traded at the fair; all could see rich pickings from a large crowd each day. The response far exceeded Henry de Lacy's wildest expectations people came from all invited county's and beyond. For six days, Pontefract was packed. |