▁fire ▁and ▁sword : ▁ ▁The ▁Ga id h il ▁in ▁this ▁context ▁are ▁the ▁G ael ic ▁Irish ▁of ▁Ul ster ▁and ▁perhaps ▁beyond . ▁Whether ▁he ▁purchased ▁his ▁lands ▁himself ▁( one ▁tradition ) ▁or ▁was ▁granted ▁them ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁Crown ▁( another ) ▁is ▁also ▁unknown , ▁and ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁leading ▁English ▁and ▁other ▁Scottish ▁magn ates ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁probably ▁complex . ▁The ▁first ▁Earl ▁of ▁Ul ster ▁( 1 st ▁creation ), ▁Hugh ▁de ▁L acy , ▁was ▁dead ▁by ▁ 1 2 4 2 / 3 ▁and ▁his ▁authority , ▁namely ▁the ▁Ear ld om ▁of ▁Ul ster , ▁over ▁the ▁eastern ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁province ▁of ▁Ul ster , ▁this ▁region ▁being ▁then ▁called ▁Ul idia , ▁was ▁incomplete . ▁It ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁B isset ts ▁a ided ▁de ▁L acy ▁against ▁his ▁Scottish ▁rival ▁D onn ch ad , ▁Earl ▁of ▁Car rick ▁and ▁received ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁lands ▁for ▁their ▁assistance , ▁but ▁while ▁attract ive ▁no ▁account ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁thing ▁is ▁preserved . ▁Following ▁de ▁L acy ' s ▁death , ▁Brian ▁U a ▁Né ill ▁rose ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁king ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Ireland ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 5 0 s ▁was ▁busy ▁sm ash ing ▁the ▁young ▁ear ld om ▁to ▁pieces , ▁killing ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁( pres umably ▁Sc ots ▁also ) ▁and ▁destroy ing ▁their ▁cast les , ▁and ▁the