 He was born in County Meath, to a family which derived its name from the village of Skryne, or Skreen, in that county.By his own account he endeavoured for several years to study law, but was hampered by the fact that Ireland, until the sixteenth century, had no formal law school, and students could not travel abroad without leave.In 1380 he obtained the necessary permission to go to England to study law at Clifford's Inn.