Thomas de Clare sold the wardship of Maurice Fitz-Gerald’s heirs and the guardianship of Lea Castle to Sir William de Valence in 1270 for 3,500 marks. The wardship had been granted to De Clare by the King’s eldest son. At this time, the Book of Howth states, it was the only fortress held by the English in Offaly. In 1274, however, an order was issued to restore the custody of FitzGerald’s heirs to Roger and Matilda de Mortimer, who had, it seems, inherited the privilege, and De Valence only having paid 2,300 marks was not held liable for the rest of the money in consequence. The castle was burnt by the O’Dempseys, O’Dunnes, and O’Carrols in 1284, and Theobald Verdon going to avenge the outrage was entirely routed. It was shortly afterwards restored by De Vesey, the Lord Justice of Ireland. Here, with the assistance of Baron Offaly, he imprisoned the Red Earl of Ulster and his brother in 1294, but they were liberated the following year by order of the Parliament at Kilkenny, and the Pearl’s sons were surrendered as hostages instead. It is said De Vesey then quarrelled with John FitzThomas FitzGerald, Baron Offaly, and fled to France to avoid meeting him in single combat, and by this means Lea Castle lapsed again to the Geraldines. John FitzThomas was ordered to repair to the King abroad in 1297, and £40 was granted to him to fortify his Castle of Ley. The castle was besieged and the town burnt in 1307 by the “tories” of Offaly, but the former was relieved by John FitzThomas and Sir Edmund Butler, afterwards Earl of Carrick. Baron Offaly restored the fortress and erected a church with steeple and bells, but in 1316 Robert Bruce burnt the castle and town, and carried off the bells. Sir Walter Eustis is said to have been stabbed to death in the castle by his wife’s sister, daughter of the O’More, who had formerly rejected his addresses, but upon the birth of her sister’s child, she murdered Sir Walter in a fit of jealousy, and retired to the convent at Kildare, where she confessed her crime and died penitent. The O’Dempseys’ seized the fortress in 1329, but the next year it was surrendered to Sir John Darcy, Lord Justice, who restored it to the Earl of Kildare to keep for the King. The O’Dempseys again laid siege to the castle in 1339, but were driven off by the Earl. O’More, Chief of Leix, burnt Lea in the spring of 1346, but in the following November he was defeated by the Earl of Kildare, who rebuilt the town, castle, and church, but not the steeple. The fortress was again taken by O’More and O’Dempsey in 1414. Seven years later they were defeated near Kilkea Castle by the 6th Earl of Kildare, nicknamed “Shaun Cam,” or Hump-backed John. Lea Castle was restored to the Earl after the battle of the Red-bog of Athy. The Four Masters mention the castle in 1452.