hanged. Felim, notwithstanding his previous quarrel with his relative, could not put up with this outrage, and declared war on O'Reilly. During the progress of this war the soldiers and followers of Felim encamped one night at the Abbey of Fenagh, in Leitrim, when the following events, as recorded in the quaint language of the Annals, occurred :— "The abbot was not at home on that night, and a party of the soldiers, the church of Fenagh being unroofed, without the permission of their leaders, burned the tents and huts that were erected inside, and smothered the alumnus of the abbot. The abbot came himself the next day, being very much enraged and incensed at the death of his alumnus, and demanded his 'eric' from O'Conor, who answered that he would grant him his own demand. 'My demand,' said the abbot, 'is that the best man among you be given as an eric for my alumnus.' 'That person,' said O'Conor,' is Manus, son of Murtough Muimneach.' 'I am not, indeed,' replied Manus, 'but the chief commander is.' 'I shall not part with you,' said the abbot, 'till the eric is paid.' The party after that marched out of the town, and proceeded to cross the river Geirctheach, but the flood was so great they could not cross it, and in order to pass over, they broke open the chapel house of St. John the Baptist, which was adjacent to the ford, and placed the timber across the river. While Manus, son of Murtough, was giving directions to a man who was stripping the roof, a beam fell on his head, which smashed it and killed him on the spot. He was buried on the outside of the church of Fenagh, and three times the full of the king's bell of money was given as an offering for his soul, and also thirty steeds, and thus it was that the comarb of St. Cuillen obtained an eric for his alumnus. A monument of cut stone and a handsome carved cross were raised over the body of Manus; but after some time they were broken by the people of O'Rourke." About this time Felim, being still harassed by De Burgh, determined to wait upon the King of England, and to make known his grievances in person. Letters of safe-conduct were granted to him, dated 13th December, 1243, and shortly after he started for England. He was most warmly received, with all the honours due to him as King of Connaught, and returned safely home, well satisfied with his interview. "So successfully did Felim plead his cause, and expose the injustice of De Burgh, that the king wrote to Maurice Fitzgerald, then Lord Deputy, desiring him that he should pluck up by the root that fruitless sycamore, De Burgh, which the Earl of Kent, in the insolence of his power, had planted in those parts, nor suffer it to pullulate or bud forth any longer." The king also wrote to the nobility of Ireland that they should Annals of the Four Masters, A.D. 1244. 2A.D. 1243. Fedlimus Ocancanir, filius Regis Conactiæ, qui venturus est in Angliam ad loquendum cum rege, habet litteras de conductu, duraturas à Natale Domini anno, &c., xxviii usque in unum annum completum. (Pat. 28 Hen. III., m. 13, in Turr. Lond.) Rymer's Fœdera, Vol. I., p. 254. 'This extract is given by O'Donovan in his MS. as taken from Rymer. The quotation may also be found in Cox's History of Ireland, but under the year 1235, which is clearly a mistake. banish the said De Burgh, and establish the King of Connaught in his kingdom. Notwithstanding this expression of the King of England's wish, no really effective steps were taken to carry out his orders, the fact being that neither Henry nor his vassals in Ireland had the power to molest De Burgh; and the fruitless sycamore sent its roots so deeply into the soil of Connaught, and pullulated so widely over the entire province, that when it became the policy of the Government to tear it up by the roots, it was found impossible to do so. Henry being about to march against the King of the Scots, in 1244, appealed for assistance to his Irish subjects and the native tributary kings, with whom he was then in amity. On the 7th July of that year, he issued a proclamation addressed to "Donald, King of Tirconnell," " Felim, son of the late king (of Connaught)," O'Reilly, and others, urging them to join with the justiciary, and "in person and with forces," to attach themselves to the king's army, which was about to start for Scotland. For their protection, letters of safe-conduct were granted, and, amongst others, to Felim O'Conor,3 who is styled "King of Connaught." It does not appear that Felim, or the other Irish kings or magnates, responded favourably to this appeal; but another opportunity was soon afforded for testing their friendliness. In 1245 King Henry, finding himself involved in difficulties with Llewellyn, King of Wales, over whom he claimed feudal superiority, again sought Irish aid, and wrote a letter to the justiciary and Irish magnates asking their assistance.* On this occasion his appeal was not unheeded. Felim, calling his army together, joined the justiciary, and set sail for Wales. A letter, written at the time by a nobleman at King Henry's court," gives the following interesting account of the state of the English army previous to the arrival of their Irish allies: "The king with his army lyeth at Gannock fortifying that strong castle, and we live in our tents thereby, watching, praying, and freezing with cold. We watch for fear of the Welchmen, who are wont to come upon us in the night-time; we fast for want of meat, for 'Richard de Burgh, commonly called "the great Richard," died in France in this year, and was succeeded by his son, also named Richard. Rymer's Fadera, Vol. I., p. 256. Calendar of State Papers. 3" Fethel rex Conatiæ habet litteras de protectione duraturas usque ad proximum adventum Regis in Hibernia. Teste Rege apud Gounack in castris, vicesimo primo die Octobris, 1244.-Rymer's Fadera, Vol. I., p. 257. This letter is preserved in Rymer, and is addressed to the justiciary. It will be found in Rymer's Fadera, last edition, Vol. I., p. 258. This letter given in O'Donovan MS. is stated to be taken from Rymer and Matthew Paris. P the halfpenny loaf is worth fivepence; we pray to God to send us home speedily; we starve with cold, wanting our winter garments, having no more than a thin linen cloth between us and the wind. There is an arm of the sea under the castle where we lie, whereto the tide cometh, and many ships come up to the haven, which bring victuals to the camp from Ireland and Chester." "All this time," says Matthew Paris, "the king was looking out impatiently for his Irish forces. At length their sails were descried, the fleet reached the shore, and Maurice Fitzgerald and the King of Connaught presented themselves in battle array before the king." The war in Wales having terminated, O'Conor and Maurice Fitzgerald returned to Ireland, and in the following year, 1246, Fitzgerald collected a large force, and marched into Tirconnell, where he attacked O'Donnell, defeated him, and gave half of the principality to Cormac, son of Dermod, and grandson of Rodéric O'Conor, and took hostages from O'Donnell for the other half. O'Donnell was not allowed to remain long in quiet possession even of this half. In 1247 the justiciary again marched into Tirconnell, and, on this occasion, ended the war by the death of O'Donnell, and then handed over the government of the territory to O'Kane, another chieftain. In the same year Turlough, son of Hugh, and nephew of Felim, escaped from prison, and attacked the English in Connaught, and having collected together the sons of the chiefs of Connaught, marched through the country, seizing and destroying all the property of the English on which he could lay hands, whilst they, on the other hand, burned Ardcarne and Roscommon. Taking advantage of these disturbances, Richard de Burgh, or, as he was designated by the Irish chroniclers, M'William Burke, approached the King of England, and prayed that the custody of Connaught might be confided to him," as well for the K.'s benefit as for his own ;" and a mandate was issued to the justiciary that this prayer should be granted, if such could be done "without disadvantage to the K." The year 1248 opened with more troubles in Connaught. The English settlers and the Irish natives had recourse to arms against each other, and Felim, in 1249, defeated the English at an engagement near Sligo, in which the English leaders, Piers Poer and David Drew, were slain." After this, the son of Felim proceeded to Tyreragh, and through the territory of Birmingham, which he overran from the Moy to Ballisodare. As soon as the knowledge of this attack on his countrymen reached the ears of 'Mandate dated September, 1247. Close, Hen. III., m. 3. Fitzgerald, he collected his forces, and entered Connaught. Felim, not being ready to meet him in the field, sent all his movable property across the Shannon to Breifny and to the north, and retired thither himself, whereupon the English ravaged Connaught, and set up Turlough, son of Hugh, as king in his place.1 Felim, however, was not long absent. In the following year, 1250, he set out with a large force from Tyrone, and marched to Breifny, and thence into Roscommon, whence he expelled his rival Turlough, and shortly after made peace with the English, on his being again recognised as King of Connaught.2 Between this and the year 1255 Henry tried to reassert his authority in Connaught, and claimed the right of disposing of its lands and dignities. In 1252 he ordered a new coinage,3 and withdrew what had been previously in circulation. In May, 1255, he issued a decree, announcing that he would not dispose of the lands of the King of Connaught to anyone "until further orders," and, in July of the same year, he promised four cantreds to his cousin Stephen Longespee, "in case he would give for them as much as another." Subsequently, in June, 1255, he granted" 500 librates" of land in Connaught to Godfrey de Luzignac, and Felim, having remonstrated against this, he wrote to him on 29th July, 1255, informing him that he intended to do him no harm, and that some of Felim's own relatives acknowledged the king's right to these lands." 6 Felim's remonstrances were not, however, without effect. Henry, in 1256, withdrew the grant made to Godfrey, gave him in lieu thereof grants of land in England and in other parts of Ireland, and an interview, having taken place between the new justiciary, Allen de la Zouch, and Hugh, the son of Felim, the terms of an agreement were drawn up,' by which Felim undertook not to molest the English in their possessions, whilst, on the other hand, the integrity of the King of Connaught's territory was guaranteed by the justiciary: About the same time a reconciliation took place between Felim and De Burgh, 'Annals of the Four Masters. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 5" 29th July, 1255. The K. to Feidhlim O'Cchonor. Has done him no injury by giving to Godfrey de Luzignac two cantreds of land in Conac. Some of Feidhlim's relatives, who would not derogate from his right, if any, to these lands, have offered the K. large sums of money for a grant of them. Edward, the K.'s eldest son and heir, and the said Godfrey, the K's brother, are shortly going to these parts. The K. has empowered them to provide that no injury arise to Feidhlim." (Nottingham. Close, 39 Hen. III., m. 8. State Papers.) State Papers. Chart, 41 Hen. III., m. 13, Windsor. 'Annals of the Four Masters, A.D. 1256. and peace was made on terms most satisfactory to the former. In 1257 the agreement between Hugh O'Conor and the justiciary was ratified at a conference held in Athlone, between Felim himself and De la Zouch, and the grant by charter of the five cantreds of the king to Felim was renewed.2 Peace being restored, the attention of the King of Connaught was directed to works of munificence and devotion. Amongst other such works he founded a monastery at Tumona, and another at Roscommon, for the friars of St. Dominic, and the church in connection with the latter, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, was, in 1257, consecrated by Tumultogh O'Conor, then Bishop of Elphin, and one of Felim's royal house. The ruins of this ancient abbey, with the beautiful tomb of its founder, attest to the present day his munificence and power. Unfortunately for Connaught and Ireland, the blessings of peace were not of long duration. The treaty concluded between Felim and the English was in 1258 destined to meet a severe trial. O'Neill, whose ancestors had, for a long time before the English invasion, possessed the sovereignty of Ireland, now claimed his hereditary rights. Hugh O'Conor, the son of Felim, who had already distinguished himself in the field as an active warrior, joined the standard of O'Neill; and a conference was held near Newry, at which O'Brien, O'Conor, and O'Neill attended, and the sovereignty of Ireland was acknowledged as vesting in O'Neill, and hostages were given to him in pledge of this acknowledgment. Shortly after this, Hugh O'Conor proceeded to Derry Columbkille to espouse the daughter of Dugald M'Sorly, Lord of the Hebrides. The proclamation and recognition of O'Neill as sovereign of Ireland was of course a direct challenge to the English, and was intended as the commencement of a concerted movement amongst the Irish princes to regain independence for their country. As such it was taken up by the justiciary, who at once despatched troops against O'Neill. Hugh O'Conor immediately joined his recognised chief, and a battle was fought at Drumderg, near Downpatrick, in which the Irish were defeated, and O'Neill was killed. In this battle a great number of the Irish chieftains perished, but the death Annals of the Four Masters, A.D. 1255. "A meeting took place between O'Conor and M'William. Peace was concluded between them, and all his conditions were granted to Felim." Annals of the Four Masters, A. D. 1257. Annals of Cloonmacnoise, A.D. 1257. This Tumultogh O'Conor was, in the following year, appointed Archbishop of Tuam, and went to Rome, where he was consecrated in the pope's palace, and received the pallium. |