Co. of Sligo or nigh adjoining. . . I therefore, my good lord, presumed to signify the same to the Lord Deputy and Council, in the presence of the said commissioners; and finding that the jury and verdict taken in Sligo did not answer either Her Majesty's service or the very truth of the legitimacy, I then made known to his lordship and the Council that, notwithstanding the same verdict of the mere followers of the said Donnough, I would hold the castle of Sligo to Her Highnes's use, as being so commanded by Her Highness, until her full pleasure might be further made known in that behalf."

Having thus, for the time being, set at defiance the decision arrived at by the tribunal appointed by Her Majesty's Deputy, Sir Richard Bingham proceeded to Athlone, and thence he again wrote, on 14th May, to Lord Burghley :

"It is not unknown to your Honour how partially the commissioners sent down to Sligo for the inquiry of the lands of Sir Donnell O'Connor Sligo after his death, proceeded in favour of Donnough M'Cahil Oge against the title of Her Majesty to these lands. I assure your lordship the heir is base born and illegitimate, and the lands, especially Sligo itself, by descent and lawful inheritance, is now, by God's providence, thrown into the lap of Her Majesty-a thing which heretofore Her Highnes's predecessors held as parcel of this crown; and therefore, being so happily to be had, and the haven and castle of so great importance as it is for the defence of these borders, I hope your lordship will not suffer it to be conveyed from Her Majesty. It may be some will inform-that the taking of this from Donnough O'Connor may breed a suspicion in the Irishry that we seek all from them, and so not only make them unwilling to surrender any lands to Her Majesty, but also incite them to stirs and disquietness; but, God be thanked, the people of this province are so dejected, and made subject to the sword, as there is no doubt or fear to be conceived in the one or the other. And yet I could wish that the young man should be considered with part or all of his uncle's lands (the castle and town of Sligo, with the demesnes thereunto annexed only excepted), but yet to hold the same not as his rightful inheritance, but as a free gift from Her Majesty in respect of his uncle's loyalty."

Perrot, however, was not to be deterred by these protests from carrying out even-handed justice; and in his capacity of representative of the queen, he commanded Bingham to surrender Sligo to its lawful owner. The would-be autocrat of Connaught most unwillingly obeyed; and, writing on the 28th May, gives the following account of his forced submission:

"Since the writing of my last letter to you, bearing date this month, wherein I gave your Honour to understand in what sort certain commissioners had proceeded, to the prejudice of Her Majesty, in favour of Donnough O'Connor, I have, notwithstanding all the reasons and causes by me alleged to the contrary, received express commandment from this Lord Deputy to deliver possession of the castle, town, and lands of Sligo, together with all lands Sir Donnell O'Connor died seized of, to the said Cahil's supposed heir. I stand herein hardly bestead; for in delivering the possession thereof, I shall do that which shall much prejudice Her Majesty's

title, and not a little hinder the service of this province, if occasions shall be offered. If I deliver it not, I shall be touched with contempt, for so my Lord Deputy hath given it forth. Therefore the case standing as it doth, I give your Honour now to understand that, by compulsion, I do deliver up into the hands of an Irishman one of the best places of importance for Her Majesty's service that is now out of Her Majesty's hands in all this realm, both in respect of the house, as also of the strait whereupon the same standeth, and a thing whereunto, for aught I can yet see to the contrary, Her Highness hath great right, as well by ancient inheritance as late escheat, and because the importance and benefit of that castle for the behoof of the State hath been heretofore made known to your Honours there, by reason whereof it may be your lordship will hereafter think some remissness in me for the delivery thereof. I have therefore now written the cause why I delivered the same, and how unwillingly I have been urged thereto."

Having thus upheld the grant made under the royal patent, and done justice to the man whose father lost his life in Her Majesty's service, Perrot shortly after retired from the government of Ireland, and was succeeded by Fitzwilliam. This change was one full of evil for the Irish of Connaught, many of the principal men amongst whom had been induced by the fairness and leniency of Perrot to submit to the queen, and to accept English rule.

Shortly after Fitzwilliam's arrival, in July, 1588, a "book of instructions," compiled by Sir Richard Bingham, and purporting to be instructions for the chief commissioner of Connaught, was signed, and approved by the new Lord Deputy. These instructions, drawn out very much in the form of an Act of Parliament, revived, and directed to be enforced, some of the most galling and tyrannical provisions of the famous Statutes of Kilkenny, and gave to the chief commissioner full powers of martial law. He was authorized to levy soldiers, to prosecute rebellions, and to have under his command the nobility and council; the Brehon laws were prohibited; the Kilkenny statutes against Irish manners and habit were directed to be enforced; all persons were to wear English attire and apparel, and all such as appeared in mantles and rolls were punishable with fine and imprisonment. It was declared to be lawful for the commissioner, and one other member of the council, to put all witnesses, in cases of felony, to "such torture as they shall think convenient, to urge the said person or persons to a declaration of the truth." In a word, the chief commissioner was, by this code, invested with that absolute dictatorship he had so long aimed at attaining.

Armed with these almost irresponsible powers, Sir Richard was not slow in exercising them. He had no wish to keep the Irish from entering on rebellion; on the contrary, he desired to goad them into it, in order that he

might crush them, and gain their estates for himself and his followers.

Pro

voked by his tyrannical government, the son of O'Rourke and O'Conor Roe, in 1588, rose in rebellion, and the then sheriff of Roscommon, Richard Mapother, was sent with a force against them. A conflict arose, in which the sheriff and the English were beaten. This gave to Bingham the pretext which he desired, and how he then acted is thus graphically described by the ancient chronicler in the Annals of Loch Cè :—

4

"The governor of the queen in Connaught at this time was Sir Richard Bingham, and all the Clann William1 that he did not hang he set at war with the queen, and the Clan Donnell2 in like manner; and he set the posterity of Turlough O'Conor,3 and the posterity of Hugh, the son of Felim, and O'Flanagan and O'Rourke, and M'Dermot, at war with himself and the queen; and he made a bare polished garment of the province of Connaught." "When the justiciary of Erin heard of the evils being inflicted in Connaught by the Binghams, he came with great anger and terrible fury, until he arrived at Galway, and the governor remained at Athlone, studying how he might ruin that portion of the province which he had not already ruined; but the justiciary made peace with M'William and O'Rourke, and the other Irish chiefs. There never came into Connaught such wicked people as those that were in the army of the governor, commanded by his brother, John Bingham; for there was not a man in the world to whom they were faithful in church or territory."5

Writing to Walsingham, in June, 1589, Bingham complains that he, the governor of the province, is restrained from opposing the rebels "who have preyed and burned the greater part of Connaught;"6 that the Lord Deputy and the commissioners have treated him "in a most unfair and disgraceful manner;" and he declares that the "rebels will never be drawn by fair means into a loyal peace." "That arch-traitor, O'Rourke," he says, "is the cause of all mischief, and the most arrantish beggar." "Whilst this man is suffered to hold out, there will be no peace in Connaught."

On the other hand, the Lord Deputy, Fitzwilliam, who soon found out that Bingham's policy was disastrous to the tranquillity of the country, writing to Lord Burghley, in September of the same year, declares that "there never will be peace in Connaught under Sir Richard." "The Burkes and the O'Flaherties," he says, "are the most rudest, wildest, and barbarous sort of people. They are afraid of their lives, and never will trust themselves where Sir Richard and his ministers are. They are not likely to be brought to Dublin to make any proof against him, and Sir Richard knows this."

'Clann William-The Burkes.

Clann Donnell-O'Conor Sligo.

3 O'Conor Don sept. 'O'Conor Roe sept. 'Annals of Loch Cè, 1588.

The statements which follow are taken from the Calendar of State Papers, Ireland, 1588-1592.

About this time, Hugh O'Conor Don was again made prisoner, and was confined in Galway. His clansmen in his absence determined to make his kinsman, Dualtagh O'Conor of Brackloon,' their chief; and information of this was sent by Dillon to Bingham, with a request that Hugh O'Conor should be set at liberty.

Similar information was given by the clerk of the council, Ed. Whyte, to the Master of the Rolls. Shortly after Hugh was released, as Dualtagh O'Conor was considered, in Bingham's eyes, even more objectionable than Hugh. Writing to Lord Burghley in 1590, he thus refers to him :

"There was one Dualtagh O'Conor, a notorious traitor, that of all the rest continued longest to do mischief. He had fortified himself very strongly after their manner in an island or crannoge within Lough Lane, standing within the county Roscommon, and on the borders of that countrye called Costelloghe. A few days ago I drew a force on a sudden one night, and laid siege to the island before day, and so continued seven days restraining them from sending forth or receiving any in. And in the meantime I had caused divers boats from Athlone, and a couple of great iron pieces, to be brought against the island, and on the seventh day we took the island; some report that Dualtagh was drowned, but the truth is not known. The Irish held that place as invincible."

From subsequent events, it would appear that Dualtagh O'Conor, by some unknown means, escaped on this occasion.

Shortly before this, Bingham wrote to Walsingham in the following

terms:

"We spent sixteen days in Tyrawly spoiling the country, and putting the people to the sword. The blind abbot's leg was clean cut off with the blow of a sword, and buried. The Burkes reckon him now but as a dead man. We took 200 cows and 300 head of great cattle, and burned twelve ricks of corn, besides the havoc of all things else. O'Rourke is so impoverished every way, and his country so wasted, as he will not be able to rise again in haste. There is a report that he is fled to Scotland; but some suppose that he is hid in some fortress or wood upon the borders of his own country. He is accompanied more like a beggar than a king; for above a king he esteemed himself, and assuredly he proved beggar. He held that opinion of his own greatness, as he thought all the force Her Majesty had durst not meddle with him.”

The report here referred to, that Brian O'Rourke had fled to Scotland, turned out to be true; and an event soon occurred which sorely tried the fidelity of Hugh O'Conor Don, who, after his release from captivity, had remained faithful to the allegiance which he had pledged to the English Crown. He

1 Dualtagh O'Conor was the son of Toole O'Conor, son of Carbry; consequently, Hugh O'Conor and Dualtagh were first cousins.

"Lough Lane," now called Lough Glynn, the seat of Lord Dillon.

was married, as before mentioned, to Mary, the daughter of O'Rourke ; and his brother-in-law, O'Rourke's son, had risen against the Binghams, and even defeated the English. O'Rourke himself was particularly obnoxious on account of the protection which he had afforded to some Spaniards, wrecked from the Armada, as well as for the reasons stated in Bingham's despatches. After various successes and reverses, he and his ally, M'Sweeny of Donegal, were defeated. Unable to maintain his position in Ireland, O'Rourke fled for protection to King James of Scotland, who, more anxious to gain the favour of the English queen than to respect the rights of hospitality, ordered him. to be seized, and delivered to Queen Elizabeth. He was taken to London, confined for some time in the Tower, tried in Westminster in 1591, convicted of high treason, and hanged and beheaded at Tyburn, displaying at his execution the most undaunted courage.

The execution of O'Rourke was not the only act which at this time tried the patience of the Irish chiefs, and tended to undo all that had been accomplished by Perrot. Young O'Conor Roe had been taken prisoner by Bingham, and was held as a captive, under the pretence that he was a hostage for the fidelity of his people. Having attempted to make his escape, his execution was immediately ordered by the governor, and he was hanged in Galway.

Numerous other atrocities committed by Sir Richard Bingham will be found fully set out in a "Book of Complaint" sent to the Lord Deputy, from one of the Burkes, and dated May, 1589. Amongst these the following is mentioned :

"About three years ago, certain of the Burkes being upon their guard against John Browne, Sir Richard being at Ballinrobe, sent for Ulick Burke, son to the blind abbot; Richard Burke, son to Shane Burke; and for William Burke, son to Meyler Oge Burke; then infants. The eldest of them being but of the age fourteen years or thereabouts, having learned the English tongue, and somewhat could read and write; and the other two, the one of them being of the age of nine, and the other of seven, all of them scholars, and brought up according to their years in good manners and learning; being come to the camp from the gaol of the Neal, where they continued pledges for their father's good demeanours, some of them that were present having moved the Chief Commissioner whether they ought to be executed without further consideration and trial, they being such young children. The Justice of the province being then present, told Sir Richard plainly that they ought not to be executed for the offence of their parents, for they were innocent; and also, for they were not of sufficient age to consent to pawn their lives for the good demeanour of their parents. Notwithstanding this advice given by the Chief Justice of the province, and other motion made to the like effect by divers of the company, the said three children, whilst Sir Richard, the said justice, and the Bishop of Kilmore, and the Earl of Clanricard were at supper, most devilishly and Turkishly were executed. One of them at his going to the place of execution, giving out these speeches,