Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster (1176-26 December 1242) was Earl of Ulster from 1199 to 1242, preceding William Og de Burgh.
Biography[]
Hugh de Lacy was the son of Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, and he was made Viceroy of Ireland in 1189 at a young age. In 1199, he was authorized by King John of England to wage war on John de Courcy after John conquered much of Ulster without the king's permission, and he captured De Courcy in 1204. In 1205, John created Hugh "Earl of Ulster", and he granted Drogheda its charter as a city. An adulterer, he died in 1242 without any legitimate children, and William Og de Burgh was granted the Earldom.