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Within the colonial community of medieval Ireland, factionalism is a theme traditionally associated with the later Middle Ages. Factionalism was, however, endemic from the outset of English involvement in Ireland. The 1169 invasion was essentially an initiative of an acquisitive Anglo-Norman nobility, and lust for land immediately caused rivalries to develop within the new colonial baronage. In this scramble for power, the Anglo-Normans manipulated the factious Gaelic political system, supporting competing Gaelic lords in an attempt to undermine their own Anglo-Norman rivals. These struggles at times amounted to civil war. What is interesting is that, far from attempting to assuage such violence, it was unofficial royal policy to promote rivalries in Ireland. An example presents itself at the first instance of royal intervention in Ireland, the expedition of Henry II in 1171−1172. Concerned by the independence afforded by Strongbow’s Leinster power base, the king counterbalanced him with a grant of Mide (Meath) to Hugh I de Lacy. Such practices inevitably caused friction and ultimately violence within the Anglo-Norman community in Ireland.