the arrival of henry ii of england as lord of ireland in dublin on 11 november 1171 served a number of purposes: first, to rein in his erstwhile norman subjects before they established a rival norman kingdom of their own; second, to receive the submission of the irish kings and princes; third, to arrange a synod at cashel. this was to bring ireland in line with church observances as practised in henry's other domains in england and france. two of the statutes proclaimed concerned the marriage laws of the irish clergy and the granting of the rock of cashel to the church. it was also used to try to bring the church of ireland under the jurisdiction of canterbury and in the process pope alexander iii confirmed pope adrian iv's donation of ireland to henry in 1172. the implications of all this only seems to have sunk in after henry's departure in april 1172 and to this end ua conchobair sent ua tuathail – accompanied by catholicus, abbot of clonfert — to london to negotiate a settlement with henry.