He strongly advocated colonising the north of Ireland with Englishmen as the best means of preventing the growth of a Scottish power in those parts (State Papers, Ireland, Eliz. xxiii. 37), and on 5 Oct. 1571 he obtained a grant of MacCartan's country, corresponding to the modern barony of Kinelarty in county Down, on condition that he planted it with civil and loyal subjects before 28 March 1579. On his way back to Ireland in February 1572 he captured a Spanish ship in the Channel (ib. xxxv. 22, 23). On 10 April he received a commission to execute martial law in MacCartan's country, but the indiscretion of Thomas Smith in publishing his scheme for the plantation of the Ardes and Upper Clandeboye, by putting the Irish on their guard, placed insuperable obstacles in the way of realising his plan. He succeeded in reducing Sir Brian O'Neill to temporary submission in October 1572, and in the following month captured that chieftain's youngest daughter; but, notwithstanding his utmost exertions in conjunction with Smith, and at a later period with Walter Devereux, earl of Essex [q. v.] , he failed to establish himself permanently in the country assigned to him (ib. xxxviii. 26, 38, xxxix. 45, xlii. 58, xlviii. 57, i.). His efforts were, however, warmly appreciated by Essex, and though, as Waterhouse said, a man of few words and an ill courtier, but of great reputation among soldiers (ib. xlix. 1), he was chosen by him to report to the privy council on the situation of affairs in the north in December 1574 (ib. xlviii. 66). He returned to Ireland on 5 May 1575 with special instructions for the Earl of Essex, and with an order for his own admission to the privy council (Cal. Carew MSS. ii. 4–7). He had made a good impression on Leicester and Walsingham, who recommended him to the queen for the government of Connaught, but several months elapsed before their recommendation took effect (Collins, Sidney Papers, i. 70). During the summer of that year he took part in Essex's expedition against Sorley Boy, and may possibly have assisted at the massacre of the MacDonnells on the island of Rathlin (Devereux, Lives of the Earls of Essex, i. 108–17).
He accompanied Sir Henry Sidney into Connaught in September 1576, and having been knighted by him on 7 Oct. (cf. Cal. Carew MSS. ii. 149, where 1578 is evidently a mistake for 1576), was appointed colonel, or military governor, of that province (Collins, Sidney Papers, i. 129). As soon as he had established himself firmly in his government, Malby proceeded against John and Ulick Burke, sons of the Earl of Clanricarde. It was the dead of winter, but for twenty-one days he harried their countries with fire and sword, sparing neither young nor old (State Papers, Ireland, Eliz. lvii. 40). The vigour he displayed, and the success that attended his efforts, drew from Sidney, who was at first doubtful of his qualifications for the post, unstinted praise (Collins, Sidney Papers, i. 151, 166). His strict observance of military discipline and his impartial administration of justice gained for him the respect of the soldiers and natives alike (Bagwell, Ireland under the Tudors, ii. 339). On 19 May 1577 he was placed on the commission for ecclesiastical causes (Cal. Fiants, Eliz. No. 3047). In October, after arranging a feud between O'Conor Don and MacDonough, he, at O'Conor Sligo's request, attacked the castle of Bundrowes, and having captured it from O'Donnell, restored it to O'Conor Sligo. But not having much confidence in the loyalty of the latter, he appointed Richard MacSwine sheriff of the county of Sligo. He had hardly turned his back when O'Donnell invaded the county, slew the sheriff, and besieged Bundrowes, compelling him to retrace his steps. He drove O'Donnell out of the county, but was unable to overtake him (Annals of Loch Cé, ii. 415–19). At Sligo, on his way back to Roscommon, he came to terms with Brian O'Rourke, but the arrangement did not last long, owing to O'Rourke's refusal to expel certain coiners he maintained. In April 1578 Malby invaded his country, captured his chief castle, and put the entire garrison to the sword (Collins, Sidney Papers, i. 249). In connection with this episode, and considering his own antecedents, it is curious to find Malby about this time interceding with Walsingham for his friend Thomas Bavand of Liverpool, suspected of coining (State Papers, Ireland, Eliz. lix. 48).
In the autumn of 1578 he repaired to England, returning to Ireland in May 1579, with the higher title of president of Connaught (Cal. Carew MSS. ii. 154). After the failure of Essex's colonisation project, his grant of MacCartan's country had been, by Sidney's advice, revoked (Collins, Sidney Papers, i. 76); but in consideration of his recent services, and the losses he had formerly sustained, he, on 12 April 1579, received a grant of the manor and lordship of Roscommon, together with an annual rent of 200l. out of the composition paid by the O'Farrells, and certain lands in Longford (Morrin, Cal. Pat. Rolls, ii. 17). During his absence in England his officers and soldiers behaved badly, but Connaught remained tranquil (State Papers, Ireland, Eliz. lxvi. 67, 68). So firmly
