Henry VIII. was the first English monarch who assumed the title of
_king of Ireland_; and his daughter Mary set about the conquest of the
country in earnest, by reducing the countries of _Ive Faily and Leix_,
which were formed into the King's and Queen's Counties, so called in
compliment to the queen, and her husband, Philip of Spain. Her lord deputy,
Sir Anthony Bellingham, writing on this occasion to her highness, says that
he "had made good progress in _civilizing_ the barbarous inhabitants of
those counties, having reduced their numbers to less than one hundred
fighting men."
The territory of Leitrim, though as yet uninvaded, was at the same time
declared a county; and the Magranals, who had probably no wish to be
"civilized" on Sir Anthony's plan, appear to have endeavoured to avert the
coming storm, by employing an agent in Dublin, at an immense expense,
considering the scarcity of money in Ireland in those days, "to advocate
their cause with the lords justices and council:" or, in plain English, to
crave permission to be allowed to remain in quiet. The person chosen was
one of their own sept, John Magranal, a soldier of fortune, who, having
served in the English army in the subjugation of the King's and Queen's
counties, had been rewarded with a grant of the forfeited lands of Claduff,
in the former county, and was supposed to stand well with the lords
justices.
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