Drogheda’s Northern Synod
Archived: 19 October 2026
In 1486 Ireland remained politically fragmented, with Kildare dominating the English lordship around Dublin while Gaelic and Anglo-Irish powers contested local authority. Ulster saw raids, killings, captures and burnings among Maguire, MacMahon, Ó Néill and allied groups, including the capture of a castle at Belfast. Connacht experienced disputed kingship, lordship successions and a significant battle involving Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill and Mac William. Archbishop Octavian de Palatio convened a northern synod at Drogheda, while Roland FitzEustace founded an Observant Franciscan friary near Kilcullen. Abundant apples contrasted with severe salt scarcity and high horse prices, linking conflict, markets and everyday life.