OF THE COUNTY OF LIMERICK. IN CHAP. I. THE ANCIENT STATE THEREOF. N the preceding pages the Author has frequently touched on the military History of the County of Limerick, and has given a full account of the religious houfes. He has brought into one view, and added to his own, the hiftoric traits of various writers. This makes the history of a 'county or city defirable, for all the rays which are feebly difperfed in a general work, fhould here be concentrated. In compliance with the public with, he has prefixed to this page a map of the county, and will attempt a description of it, hoping that fome perfon of more leifure and ability, will be encouraged to write the general History. As the kingdom increafes in commerce and wealth, the fine arts find friends and patrons. Industry will fooner or later banith floth, luxury and extravagance Scale's map is the best he could find, if the Grand Jury of the County, following the laudable example of Louth. Kildare, Kerry and Clare, had got a large map, he would have had it reduced for this Work. ̈ extravagance; and when the gentry, with manly pride, and laudable tafte, will give views and defcriptions of their feats, then we fhall have good Hiftories of the Counties of Ireland. PTOLEMY afferts, but we know not on what authority, that the county of Limerick was formerly inhabited by the Coriondi, other parts of Ireland by the Brigantes, Cauci, &c. | We know, however, that the entire kingdom was inhabited by the children of Milefius, and their followers, and that the Romans had very little knowledge of the different parts of the country they poffeffed. Having the ancient Irifh hiftories for our authority, we can affert, that in the year of our Lord 125, OLIOL OLLUM, king of Munster, when dying, divided his kingdom between his two fons. To his elder, Eogan ór Eugene, he left South Munfter, to his younger fon, Cormac Cas, he bequeathed North Munfter; confequently, what we call the County of Limerick, formed a part of his dominions. The crown of Munfter was alfo, by his will, to be enjoyed alternately by the iffue of these two fons, which was ftrictly obferved until the time of BRIEN BORU, monarch of Ireland, who was of the race of Cormac Cas.I In the year 959, MAHON, the active and enterprifing king of North Muñfter, with his brother Brien, were perpetually in arms against the Danes, conftantly harraffing them, but, at the fame time, never attacking them but where they had the advantage of fituation; fo that far from repeating their depredations on the public, Dublin Magazine, for 1764. page 325. At public, they durft not now venture from their ftrong holds, but in large bodies. Alarmed at the fuccefs of Mahon in this kind of partizan war, the Danes of Cork, Waterford, and Limerick, agreed to raise a body of men, to cruth for ever this rifing fpirit. Three thoufand picked men were raised for this purpose, commanded by Muiris, chief of the Danes of Limerick, under whom were four colonels of great military experience, and other officers of ap proved valour. Mahon's troops, in flying parties, conftantly hovered round them, in their march from Cafhell to Limerick, fometimes fkirmishing in front, fometimes in the rere, of wherever they found them expofed! length at Sulchoid, a noted pafs, they attacked them with fuch fpirit and impetuofity, and with fuch vifible advantage, that the front ranks fell in upon the center, and all was foon in confufion. In vain did their chiefs exert all their courage and skill, and oppose themselves to the greatest dangers to reanimate the troops. Two thousand of them were cut to pieces on the spot, with their general and principal offi cers, and the remainder fled towards Limerick, whither they were fo clofely and eargerly purfued, that the victors entered the town with them, putting to the fword all opponents, breaking down the walls in feveral places, and fetting fire to all the gates of the city. THE Eugenians, who had fo long governed Munfter, but particularly Maolmuadh, the fon of Brain, could not bear to fee Mahon fo ftrongly rivetted in the throne of that province. He This place ftill bears the name, and is fituated near Catle Lloyd in the County of Limerick. He leagued with the common enemy, but Mahon defeated their whole combined forces in two different battles. Maolmuadh, defpairing.to fucceed by open force, had recourfe to treachery. The bishop of Cork, and other clergy of Munster, interpofing their good offices, it was agreed that both princes fhould meet, with a few friends on each fide, in order to fettle their differences amicably. The houfe of O'Donovan, chief of Carbre-Aobhdhda or Kenry, in the county of Limerick, was the appointed place of meeting; and thither Mahon repaired with only twelve noblemen and their fuite in his train. In the interim Maolmuadh tampered with O'Donovan, and he was bafe enough to promife to fecure the body of his prince. The fon of Brain, attended with a ftrong party of horse, at fome diftance, and the gallant Mahon was carried off to the county of Cork, and bafely murdered at a place called Leacht-Mathuin, near Macroom, in that county BRIEN BORU, the son of Cineidi, fucceeded his brother in the crown of North Munfter, in the year 965; and, after fecuring internal peace and good order, his next objects were to be revenged on the betrayer and the murderer of his brother. O'Donovan was too well acquainted with the fpirit and refolution of Brien, not to apprehend every thing from him, and therefore took into his pay, befides his own troops, fifteen hundred heavy-armed Danes, commanded by Avlavus, a foldier of great experience. Brien, as was expected, in the fpring of the year 966, entered his territories in Kenry, and was oppofed by the combined forces. A battle || O'Halloran's Hiftory of Ireland, vol. 2. page 233. was |