ABSTRACT
On 1 October 1394 Richard II with the royal portion of the 8,000-man army he had organized left Haverfordwest for Ireland. In fact, Richard appears to have been so comfortable with competent and efficient way that his uncle ran the government during his absence that he delayed his return from Ireland for several months despite entreaties from the duke and council that he return sooner rather than later. To demonstrate the efficacy of York's government during Richard's first Irish campaign, this discussion will address three points. First, it will consider the duke of York himself and why he was the perfect choice to serve as custodian in Richard's absence. Second, it explores the duke of York's role in the daily governance of the realm during his custodianship. The fact that a charter was issued at all during the king's absence is unusual, because Edward III never allowed royal charters to be issued when he was abroad during his long reign.
