county · British Isles
Lordship of Meath
Origins
In 1172 Henry II granted the former Kingdom of Mide to Hugh de Lacy to balance Strongbow's power in Leinster. De Lacy built motte castles across the territory and began the great stone castle at Trim, which became the largest Norman castle in Ireland.
Rule and society
Meath was a liberty with its own courts and officials. De Lacy settled English tenants, founded towns and abbeys and married a daughter of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, the high king. He was killed at Durrow in 1186. His son Walter de Lacy recovered the lordship after a conflict with King John and held it until 1241.
Decline and legacy
After Walter's death in 1241 the lordship was divided between his granddaughters, creating the liberties of Trim and Meath. Meath later formed the heart of the English Pale.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Lordship of Meath was a vassal of Lordship of Ireland1172 CE – 1241 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lordship of Meath. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-meath
- MLA
- “Lordship of Meath.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-meath. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Lordship of Meath.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-meath.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lordship of Meath’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-meath (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻