An inquisition was held at Kildare in 1282 upon the estate of the late John FitzThomas, when his heir, Thomas FitzMaurice, came of age. It was shown that the former had held lands from Maurice FitzGerald “for a moiety of the service of one knight whenever royal service should be summoned, rendering suit nevertheless at the court of the said Maurice FitzGerald at Geashill.” Lord Leonard Gray and the chieftain O’Mulmoy seized the castle, and abbey of Killeigh in 1538. In both they found great stores of corn, part of which they burnt and part carried off. On an ancient map of Leix, dated about 1563, both the castles of Lea and Geashill are marked as ruins, but in Sir Henry Sydney’s account of Ireland shortly afterwards he writes: “Geshell, in the King’s County, is very necessary to be had of the Earl of Kildare; it is a matter of consequence for her Majesty’s service in that county.” James I. granted the barony of Geashill in 1619 and 1629 to Lady Lettice Digby, widow of Sir Robert Digby, of Warwickshire, as compensation for not inheriting as heir-general of the house of Kildare, she being the only child of the eldest son of the 11th Earl of Kildare. At the same time he created her Baroness of Offaly, and she lived quietly at Geashill from that date until 1642, when the great rebellion broke out and the Confederate Catholics laid siege to her stronghold. A kinsman of hers named Henry Dempsy, brother of Lord Clanmalier, was in command, and despatched a letter “To the Honourable and thrice virtuous Lady, the Lady Digby,” demanding that she should surrender the castle to his Majesty and offering her and her household a free pass to wherever they wished, threatening at the same time if she did not comply to murder every Protestant in the town. To this demand the Baroness sent the following answer: “I received your letter, wherein you threaten to sack this my castle, by his Majesty’s authority. I have ever been a loyal subject and good neighbour among you, and, therefore, cannot but wonder at such an assault. I thank you for your offer of a convoy, wherein I hold little safety; and, therefore, my resolution is, that being free of offending his Majesty, or doing wrong to any of you, I will live and die innocently, and will do the best to defend my own, leaving the issue to God. And though I have been, and still am desirous to avoid the shedding of Christian blood, yet, being provoked, your threats shall no wit dismay me.--LETTICE OFFALY.” The castle was surrounded by bog and wood, and was, in consequence, somewhat difficult of access, so that upon receiving her letter the enemy retired to make more elaborate preparations for attack. They collected a number of pots and pans, with which a man from Athboy constructed a cannon. It had to be cast three times before it was successful.