Irish administration – Emerald Archives

Offerlane Inquest

Archived: 16 October 2026

Abstract

In 1621, Ireland remained unsettled despite the absence of war, as Crown policies on land, religion, revenue and loyalty generated grievances. Parliamentary criticism of Deputy Oliver St John, together with the Pale gentry’s petition, prompted investigations leading towards the Commission of 1622. Plantation patents and the Crown inquest asserting title to Upper Ossory, including Offerlane, extended ambitions beyond Ulster. Preparations to inspect the Ulster Plantation exposed doubts about settlement and administration. James Ussher’s advancement to Meath symbolised strengthened Protestant authority amid Catholicism. Galway’s detention of a privateering vessel revealed Atlantic diplomatic entanglements, while reports of starlings reflected contemporary providential anxieties.

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1323 CE

Darcy Appointment

Archived: 24 October 2026

Abstract

In 1323, Ireland’s importance lay in its connections with wider Plantagenet politics rather than a single decisive event. A Scottish truce cancelled planned paid military service by leading Anglo-Irish magnates, leaving local rivalries intact. Roger Mortimer’s escape from the Tower raised fears for his Irish estates and supporters, prompting Chancellor Roger Outlaw’s warning mission to Edward II. The king appointed John Darcy justiciar in November, although John de Bermingham remained in office until Darcy’s arrival in 1324. Legislation addressed official abuses, requisitioning, trade, fees and pardons. Meanwhile, Cistercian authorities condemned national exclusion in Irish monasteries, revealing ethnic and institutional tensions.

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Related Archive: Irish administration

Offerlane Inquest

Darcy Appointment