king, to whom the whole base plot was soon afterwards revealed; and his son, who had espoused his cause, having been captured, was executed.

In these Leinster counties there was at this time a mixed population of English settlers and native Irish, most of them quiet people, who wished for nothing more than to be permitted to till their farms, herd their cattle, and live with their families in peace. But these everlasting feuds of the barons stopped all industry, and brought death and desolation everywhere.

While this warfare was going on in Leinster, Connaught was in a state of strife which lasted for many years; and the struggles among the several claimants of the O'Conor family for the throne of Connaught went on unceasingly: battles, skirmishes, and raids without number. The English, under William Marshal, De Burgo, or others, were mixed up in most of these contests, now siding with one of the parties, now with another; but always keeping an eye to their own interests. And thus the havoc and ruin went on unchecked. The Irish annalists who have recorded the history of those evil times, mention one pathetic incident which will give some idea of the miseries suffered by the people who were here, it should be observed, all Irish. During one terrible raid by Marshal and one of the O'Conors, a frightened crowd of peasants—men, women, and children-fleeing from the pursuing army, perished by scores on the way. In their headlong flight they attempted to cross a wide and deep river, midway between Ballina and Foxford, in Mayo, where great numbers were drowned; and next day the baskets set at the weirs to catch fish were found full of the bodies. of little children that had been swept down by the stream. This state of horror lasted in Connaught for

many years. Meantime the wretched hunted people were unable to attend to their tillage: famine and pestilence followed; and the inhabitants of whole towns and districts were swept away.

At length one of the O'Conors-Felim, nephew of the old Ard-ri Roderick-established himself in 1249, by sheer force of energy and bravery, on the throne of Connaught, in spite of all enemies, both English and

Tomb of Felim O'Conor, King of Connaught, in Roscommon Abbey.*
From "Kilkenny Archæological Journal."

Irish, and reigned without interruption till his death in 1265.

The condition of Leinster and Connaught has been sketched the state of things in Ulster and Munster was almost as bad.

:

A full page engraving of the whole tomb, with the eight galloglasses full length (the rubbish having recently been cleared away), may be seen in "The O'Conors of Connaught," by the Right Hon. The O'Conor Don. Two of these fine figures are given at the end of this chapter.

-he who had conspired with the others against Richard

rule.

Marshal-marched with his army north

A.D. 1257 wards through Connaught, resolved to bring Ulster completely under English But he was intercepted by Godfrey O'Donnell, chief of Tirconnell, at Credran, beside Rosses, near Sligo, where a furious battle was fought. The two leaders, Fitzgerald and O'Donnell, met in single combat and wounded each other severely; the English were routed; and Fitzgerald retired to the Franciscan monastery of Youghal, in which he died the same year, probably of his wounds.

As for O'Donnell, he had himself conveyed to an island in Lough Beagh in Donegal, where he lay in bed for a whole year sinking daily under his wounds; and all this time the Tirconnellians had no chief to lead them. There had been, for some time before, much dissension between this O'Donnell and Brian O'Neill, prince of Tyrone; and now O'Neill, taking advantage of his rival's misfortune, invaded Tirconnell. O'Donnell, still lying ill, ordered a muster of his army, and as he was quite helpless and unable to lead them, expecting death daily, he had himself borne on a bier at their head to meet the enemy. And while the bier was held aloft in full view of the Kinel Connell, the armies attacked each other near the river Swilly, and the Tyrone men were routed. Immediately afterwards the heroic chief died and the same bier from which he had witnessed his last victory, was made use of to bear him to his grave.

Some of the Irish chiefs now attempted to unite against the common enemy, choosing Brien O'Neill for leader (A.D. 1260): but they were defeated by the English in a bloody battle at Downpatrick; and O'Neill and a large number of chiefs were slain.

In the south, the Mac Carthys of Desmond, seeing their ancient principality continually encroached upon by the Geraldines, became exasperated, and attacked and defeated them in 1261 at Callan, near Kenmare; after which they demolished numbers of the English castles. But they soon quarrelled among themselves, and the Geraldines gradually recovered all they had lost. While this universal strife was raging in Ireland, Henry III. died, and was succeeded by Edward I. in 1272. During Edward's reign, as will be related further on (p. 166), the Irish chiefs petitioned to be placed under English law; but though this great king was himself willing to grant the petition, the AngloIrish lords persuaded him to reject it.

Two of the eight Galloglasses on King Felim O'Conor's Tomb in Roscommon Abbey

(see p. 153). From Kilkenny Archæological Journal," 1870-1, p. 252.

Ornament on leather case of Book of Armagh. From Petrie's "Round Towers.

CHAPTER XXII.

and a

EDWARD BRUCE.

A.D. 1315-1318.-Edward II.

ATTERS were, as we have seen, in a very disturbed state during the preceding century; but we might almost say that it was peace itself compared with the three half years of Bruce's expedition to Ireland. The Irish people, especially those of the north, viewed with great interest and sympathy the struggles of their kindred in Scotland for independence; and Robert Bruce's glorious victory over Edward II. at Bannockburn (in 1314) filled them with joy and hope. Soon after the battle the native chiefs of Ulster, headed by Donall O'Neill, prince of Tyrone, with the Anglo-Irish De Lacys and Bissetts, who then owned Glenarm and Rathlin, despatched messengers praying Bruce to send

his brother Edward to be king over them. A.D. 1315 He eagerly accepted the proposal; and on the 25th of May, Edward Bruce, accompanied by many of the Scottish nobles, landed at Larne with an army of 6000 of the best soldiers of Scotland. He was immediately joined by Donall O'Neill, and by numbers of the northern Irish; and the combined forces overran a great part of Ulster,