Brehon Law

Brehon Law, the law by which Ireland was governed at the time of its conquest by Henry II.; 'a rule of right, unwritten but delivered by tradition from one to another, in which often times there appeared great show of equity in determining the right between party and party, but in many things repugnant quite, both to God's laws and man's.' This law was formally abolished by 40 Edw. 3, it being unanimously declared to be indeed no law, but a lewd custom crept in of later times. See 1 Bl. Com. 100; Edm. Spenser's State of Ireland, 1513, edit. Hughes; Hale's Hist. 217.