on. After an appeal in person to King
Richard and Prince John, he was placed in confinement in Normandy, and
was only released by the interference of the Holy See; Innocent III.,
who had probably by this time discovered that the English monarchs were
not exactly the persons to reform the Irish nation, having addressed a
letter from Perugia to the Earl of Montague (Prince John), reprimanding
him for detaining "his venerable brother, the Archbishop of Dublin," in
exile, and requiring him to repair the injuries done by his Viceroy,
Hamon de Valois, on the clergy of Leighlin. The said Hamon appears to
have meddled with other property besides that belonging to the Church--a
more unpardonable offence, it is to be feared, in the eyes of his
master. On returning from office after two years viceroyalty, he was
obliged to pay a thousand marks to obtain an acquittance from his
accounts.[316]

John ascended the English throne in 1199. He appointed Meiller
FitzHenri[317] Governor of Ireland. It has been conjectured that if John
had not obtained the sovereignty, he and his descendants might have
claimed the "Lordship of Ireland." There can be no doubt that he and
they might have claimed it; but whether they could have held it is quite
another consideration. It is generally worse than useless to speculate
on what might have been. In this case, however, we may decide with
positive certainty, that no such condition of things could have
continued long. The English kings would have looked with jealousy even
on the descendants of their ancestors, if they kept possession of the
island; and the descendants would have become, as invariably happened,
_Hibernicis ipsis Hibernior_, and therefore would have shared the fate
of the "common enemy."

Meanwhile the O'Connors were fighting in Kerry. Cathal Carragh obtained
the services of FitzAldelm, and expelled Cathal Crovderg. He, in his
turn, sought the assistance of Hugh O'Neill, who had been distinguishing
himself by his valour against De Courcy and the English. They marched
into Connaught, but were obliged to retreat with great loss. The exiled
Prince now sought English assistance, and easily prevailed on De Courcy
and young De Lacy to help him. But misfortune still followed him. His
army was again defeated; and as they fled to the peninsula of Rindown,
on Lough Ree, they were so closely hemmed in, that no way of escape
remained, except to cross the lake in boats. In attempting to do this a
gr