Honour of Annaly - Feudal Principality & Seignory Est. 1172

The Crown deliberately used the Nugent family (Barons Delvin) as its primary Anglo-Norman anchor along the Irish Pale frontier. Through successive monarchs (Edward VI, Philip & Mary, Elizabeth I, and James I), Lord Delvin accumulated land, monastic property, and secular manors spanning all 6 historical baronies of County Longford (ancient Annaly).

1. Barony of Rathcline (Southwest Annaly)

• Monarch / Date: James I (1609 patent roll) & Elizabeth I.

• Key Properties Granted:

  • The Priory of Canons of Holy Island (Saints' Island) on Lough Ree.

  • The rectories, vicarages, and tithes of Rathcline and Cashel.

  • Surrounding townlands, including Darrenye , Dirrenegellagh , and land in Cashel .

2. Barony of Granard (Northeast Annaly)

• Monarch / Date: Philip & Mary (1556–1558) and James I (1620 Plantation).

• Key Properties Granted:

  • Abbeylara (Lerha / Granard Abbey): The Cistercian abbey site, church dependencies, and extensive demesne lands.

  • The Manor, Castle, and Town of Granard .

  • Plantation grants under James I covering Smear, Cleenrah, Crottea, and Birrenagh.

3. Barony of Longford (Central/West Annaly)

• Monarch / Date: Philip & Mary, Elizabeth I, and James I (1609 & 1620).

• Key Properties Granted:

  • Lisserdowling Castle & Bawn (Lios-ard-abhla): Granted to Richard, Lord Delvin, in 1609 with 8 cartrons of land (the historic inauguration seat of the O'Farrell princes).

  • Dominican Friary of Longford: Former friary site and urban town lands granted in fee-farm.

  • Castles and lands of Lissenoannagh , Clonedarramner , and Annaghguillen .

4. Barony of Granard / Northern Annaly — Inchybeg / Granard Border (Modern Barony of Ardagh)

• Monarch / Date: Elizabeth I (1565) & James I.

• Key Properties Granted:

  • Captaincy of Slewght William: A hereditary jurisdiction over the Ardagh region (lands of Clan Liam O'Farrell).

  • Monastic dependencies of Templeton Glebe and tithes in Killashee ( Killire ) and Shrule ( Sruhir ).

5. Barony of Moydow (Central-South Annaly)

• Monarch / Date: James I (1609 Patent Roll).

• Key Properties Granted:

  • Lands and tithes belonging to the ecclesiastical dependencies of Kilglass (Killnomer).

  • Monastic estate lands of Kerowbeg, Kerowmore, and Kerovantie (which extended across the Moydow/Rathcline boundary).

6. Barony of Abbeyrule / Shrule (Modern Barony of Shrule / South Annaly)

• Monarch / Date: Edward VI (1552) & James I (1609).

• Key Properties Granted:

  • The rectories, vicarages, and tithes of Shrule ( Sruhir ).

  • Priory of Inishmore (Inchmore Abbey) in Lough Gowna (with dependencies extending into southern and eastern borderlands).

Summary of How the Monarchy Secured Annaly

Beyond the Priory of Holy Island (Saints' Island) and its parish rectories, the Crown granted Baron Delvin (the Nugent family) a wide range of other monastic dependencies, secular estates, and official jurisdictions throughout Annaly (modern County Longford) across the 16th and early 17th centuries.

Because the Nugents were used by the Crown to anchor Tudor and Stuart authority over Gaelic Longford, their grants in Annaly fell into three distinct categories:

1. Other Dissolved Monastic Houses & Dependencies

In addition to Saints' Island on Lough Ree, the Delvin family acquired nearly all the key Augustinian and Cistercian dependencies within the territory of Annaly:

• The Priory of Inchmore (Inismore) in Lough Gowna:

  Granted to Lord Delvin under Edward VI and confirmed under James I. This Augustinian priory controlled significant temporalities, island holdings, and parish dependencies in northern Annaly (Colmcille parish).

• The Abbey of Abbeylara (Lerha / Granard Abbey):

  Granted under Philip and Mary (1556–57). Delvin received the site, lands, churches, and manorial rights of this major Cistercian abbey in northeastern Annaly.

• The Franciscan Friary of Longford (Dominican/Franciscan site rights):

  Portions of former friary dependencies and urban tenements in and around Longford town were folded into later grants.

2. Secular Castles, Manors & Gaelic Lands

Beyond church property, the Crown granted Delvin the native strongholds, manors, and mensal lands previously held by the O'Farrell chieftains of Annaly:

• The Manor & Castle of Granard: Granted with full manorial rights, market privileges, and knight-service obligations.

• Lisserdowling Castle & Bawn (Lios-ard-abhla): Granted to Richard Nugent, Baron Delvin, in 1609 along with 8 cartrons of land. This was the ancient inauguration seat of the O'Farrell lords of Annaly.

• The Plantation Grants of Northern Annaly (1620):

  A massive grant to Richard, Lord Delvin, totaling over 5,200 acres across northern Longford (including Smear, Cleenrah, Crottea, Dromard, and Cornea).

3. Official Jurisdictions & Civil Offices

In addition to physical real estate, the Crown issued non-land grants that gave Delvin pseudo-feudal governorship over the territory:

• The Captaincy of Slewght William (1565): Queen Elizabeth I granted Christopher, Lord Delvin, the hereditary "Captainship and Custody" over the Slewght William (Clan Liam O'Farrell), covering the Ardagh/Edgeworthstown region. This gave him civil, military, and judicial authority over the Gaelic clans.

• Market, Fair, and Court Rights (1605): King James I granted Lord Delvin the licence to hold weekly markets, annual fairs, and local baronial courts ( Curia ) within Annaly.

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