"The bar. of Ballyntobber consisteth of 430 quarters; whereof inhabited, four score and 10 q"; free, 45 quarters; waste, 301 quarters.

"The bar. of Boyle, alias Moylurg, consisteth of 341 quarters; whereof inhabited, 89 andq"; free, 44 q"; waste, 210 q".

"The half bar. of Beallamoe consisteth of 28 q"; whereof inhabited, 9 q".; free, 13 qrs.; waste, The number of quarters in the sa countie inhabited free and waste are 1,400; whereof they find to be the of the inhabited, at this moment 427 qrs.; free in all, 145 qrs.; waste in all, 827 qrs."

The boundaries of the county having been settled, further inquisitions were ordered as to the lands claimed by the different chieftains and principal Before these inquiries extended to Sir Hugh O'Conor Don's possessions, he was reported as dying; and, at one time, the Lord Deputy thought that the three great lordships of the O'Conors would be vacant at the same moment. The deaths of O'Conor Sligo and O'Conor Roe have been already alluded to, and Sir A. Chichester, the Lord Deputy, writing to Lord Salisbury on 17th August, 1609, says :

"Sir Donough O'Connor Sligo is lately dead. A letter from his brother, who is his heir, has just arrived. He is an unstaid man, and in the queen's days, long served the Spaniards. This happened since the Earl of Clanricarde came from Connaught, so did the death of O'Conor Roe, and the sickness of Sir Hugh O'Connor Dune, who (as the judges of assize write) is thought past recovery. The accident is the more remarkable, the deaths happening within two days one of another.""

Sir Hugh O'Conor Don, however, recovered, and in 1610 executed a deed making over to his second son, Hugh, the town and lands of Castlereagh, and a number of other lands. This deed, which will be more particularly referred to when treating of the affairs of the younger Hugh, was made without the leave of the king, and consequently we find the lands subsequently treated as if they still belonged to Sir Hugh O'Conor Don himself.

About this time, many of the Irish chieftains thought it better to relinquish the patents of their lands which they held from the late queen, and to enter into new arrangements with the existing government.

Amongst others, Sir Hugh O'Conor Don adopted this course, and received a fiant for letters patent dated the 9th July, in the fifteenth year of the reign of James I., and on Nov. 17th, 1617, an order was made that the surrender of the patent formerly made to Sir Hugh O'Conor Don be accepted, and a new grant made of his estates.

This fiant,' addressed to Oliver St. John, Lord Deputy, and to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, set forth that" Sir Hugh O'Connor Don, Knight," desired to take advantage of a Commission to inquire into titles in Ireland, that he hath received a patent from "our late dear sister, Queen Elizabeth," granting to him several manors, lands, rents, and hereditaments in the county of Roscommon, at one hundred pounds sterling per annum, and that he paid out of each quarter of land Ios. composition rent, whereby he was to be freed from the said one hundred pounds; that he had ever since paid the composition rent, and desired to be freed from the one or the other, as it was never intended that both should be levied, and that he had offered to surrender all his castles, manors, &c., to the Crown for the purposes of a re-grant. The Lord Deputy and Chancellor were directed to accept this surrender, and to make a new patent under the Great Seal of the realm to Sir Hugh O'Conor, his heirs and assigns, of all such manors, castles, lands, and hereditaments as he had surrendered, to be held by knight's service in capite; and that his allegations as to the rent being found to be true, the Lord Deputy and Chancellor should determine whether he was to pay the one hundred pounds or the composition rent of 10s. for each quarter. It was further declared to be the king's pleasure that Sir Hugh O'Conor Don should have power to hold court leet and court baron, with fairs and markets to be granted as should seem fit; and lastly, that there should be inserted in said grant a pardon for all intrusions, alienations, and liveries, and ousterlimains.

The patent itself, which followed this decree, and which was signed on 30th December, 1617, granted and confirmed

"To our beloved subject, Hugh O'Connor Don, knight, his heirs and assigns, the manor and castle, or stone fortilice, of Ballintubber, with its appurtenances, in the county of Roscommon, and also one caracute of land called Rossmeen, upon a certain quarter of which land the said castle is situated and built; also another quarter of land called Clooneykearney, and another called Behagh, and another called Cloonyvindin, and two quarters of land called Ardnamullagh, and two others called Ballynageiher; and also one quarter called Gortnamaddy, alias Ballyinagen, also one quarter called Ratheverinkeile, one called Moyne, and one called Ratheverinmore, also one quarter called Brackloon, and one called Rathymige, also one other quarter of land called Carrowreagh, also one other quarter of land with a castle called Knockalaghta and Firbregge; also one quarter called Carrowbane, and three quarters called Castleteine; also one quarter called Rathagarrow, one called

'The fiant and the patent are both enrolled in the Rolls Office, Dublin; but a duplicate of each was given to Sir Hugh O'Conor Don, and the originals are in the possession of the present O'Conor Don. The Fiant is in English, and the Patent in the very verbose law Latin of the period. Copies of both are given in Appendix G.

Lisgobbin, one called Knockanirrey, and one called Knockroe; also one quarter of land called Cloonsellagh,' one called Lisboy, and one called Carrowmore; also one quarter called Carrowkeel, and two quarters of land called Larragh; also half a quarter of land called Cleyboybegg, and also four quarters of land called Ballymaglinn, and one quarter called Carrowntobber; also one other quarter called Rathnanaloge, and one called Carrowgarrow; also one called Slevin, one called Lismorierty, and one called Carrowgarry; also one other, with a castle called Carrowvealy; all and singular the which are or were lately considered as parcels of the manor of Ballintobber aforesaid, and lying and being in the said county of Roscommon.

"Also thirty quarters of land, with their appurtenances, lying and being in the territory of Cloonkearne,3 in the said county, except the two quarters of Rathlagge, which were possessed by one Gilleboy O'Flanagan, and also the patronage of the rectory and vicarage of Ballintobber, alias Templebredagh, in the same county.

"Moreover, we do give, grant, and confirm to the said Hugh O'Connor Don, knight, his heirs, &c., the head-rents or services of whatsoever kind or nature by right due or payable to said Hugh O'Connor Don, out of the several territories following, viz., the territory of Clanconnor, in the said county; the territory called O'Flynn's country and O'Hanly's country; also the territory called Laggan O'Hanly; and the territory called Tirbreineighter; and also all and singular the castles, messuages, lofts, mills, houses, edifices, structures, barns, stables, dove-houses, fields, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, feedings, commons, wastes, plains, heaths, turbaries, marshes, as well woods, underwoods, waters, watercourses, fisheries, fishings, pools, lakes, fish-ponds, mines, &c., with the right to levy the customary rents, and fines, and services, and to hold all the perquisites and profits arising out of court-leet or frank-pledge, with the right to seize the cattle and goods and chattels of felons, fugitives, and suicides, so that he may be able to reduce to obedience all villains, with their followers."

All fairs, markets, tolls, and customs appertaining to the above-mentioned castles or townships were also secured by the patent, as well as such reversionary rights as would arise on the expiration of existing leases or agreements. All these lands and rights were granted in as full and complete a manner as the Crown could grant them, to Sir Hugh O'Conor Don, Knight, and his heirs in perpetuity, to be held in capite by knight's service, paying therefor yearly the sum of thirty-five pounds sterling, which was to cover all rents and compositions, and charges. All arrears, rents, or compositions previously due or payable were cancelled. There was also granted to Sir Hugh O'Conor Don and his heirs the right to hold a court leet or view of frankpledge every year within the manor of Ballintober, and to hold a court baron every three weeks in the

'Cloonsellagh, now called Harristown.

* This in a subsequent inquisition is called "Carrownvally, alias Ballinegarre."

The territory of Cloonkearne or Clann Caitherney originally belonged to the M'Kearneys, who paid a head rent to O'Conor Don, their chief. It included the site of the present town of Castlerea, and the lands to the west of it. In 1585 Sir Hugh acquired full possession of the territory by purchasing all the rights of the M'Kearneys. This appears from a deed dated 18th September, 1585.

same manner as was required by the laws and customs of the kingdom of Ireland. A free market in Ballintober every Tuesday, and a fair once a year on the fifteenth day of August and the next following day, were also granted, with a court of" pie powder," and all and singular the tolls, customs, issues, profits, and emoluments arising out of the said market, fair, and court. It was further provided that all the grants made in the patent should be free from all and every description of payment to the Crown, except what was provided by the patent itself; and that no fine should be paid to the Hanaper Office on the taking out of the patent for the use of the Crown.

Under this patent Sir Hugh O'Conor Don received a direct recognition of ownership over an immense tract of country, comprising the richest land in the county of Roscommon, and corresponding very much to the barony of Ballintober, which, no doubt, was originally bounded and defined by the limits to which his authority as chief lord extended. From this date until the time of his death in 1632, Sir Hugh took very little part in public affairs, but remained at his ancestral castle, quietly assisting his co-religionists in all their difficulties by advice and protection.

The Catholic religion, though not as fiercely persecuted as in the time of the late queen, was still under a ban. It being impossible to coerce the whole Catholic nation to abandon their faith, the clergy were singled out for special persecution, and the young sons of the nobility and chief men for special education. Whenever a Catholic chieftain died, if his sons were under age, they were claimed as wards of the king, were in many cases taken over to England and educated in the Protestant faith, and when grown up to manhood were sent back to govern their estates, and to spread the Reformed religion. The clergy, on the other hand, were denied all opportunity of education at home, and young men who desired to join the ministry were obliged to proceed to foreign countries for their studies, and on their return were treated as enemies of the Crown, to harbour whom was a crime. Notwithstanding this, the Irish people became, if possible, more devoted and attached to them, and considered them their spiritual fathers. Referring to one of these hunted priests who had landed in the south of Ireland from the Continent, the Lord Deputy, writing to Sir R. Wingood, in 1613, says: "Now every house is his sanctuary, such is the affection of this people for men of his profession."

In this willingness to shield and protect their clergy the O'Conors were conspicuous; and the castle of Ballintober became, in the time of Sir Hugh, a favourite and comparatively safe retreat for Catholic ecclesiastics; so much so, that the Government became uneasy; and exaggerated reports were circulated not alone of the number but of the menacing conduct of these individuals.

Writing in 1624 to the Lord Deputy, the President of Connaught says :— "Upon Wednesday last there was an assembly of between three and four score fathers and other priests at Sir Hugh O'Connor's at Ballintobber, besides divers over gentlemen of the country, every one of those priests being armed with swords, daggers, and pistols, each of them having besides two serving-men, all armed like their masters. Some of these priests are divers times at that town. Surely there must needs be some bad intent in these great meetings. One Donnell M'Swyne is the head of them, who comes out of Ulster, a very dangerous man and a vicar-general over them. He sent to Galway for a barrel of wine, and drunk it out there amongst his company, and paid for all himself."

"P.S.-Since writing hereof has heard that at this assembly there was M'Davye, O'Beirne, and O'Connor Don, with their children. This advertiser requires his name to be kept secret for a while."

Notwithstanding this advertisement, no notice was taken of this meeting, and none of the evils predicted arose out of it, such meetings being really due to the persecution which followed the clergy, except when under the protection of some such chief man as O'Conor.

Sir Hugh O'Conor Don died at an advanced age in 1632, having, on the marriage of his different sons, settled by deeds portions of his estates on each of them. He left by his wife Mary O'Rourke four sons1:-1. Calvach, or Charles; 2. Huge Oge, or Hugh the younger; 3. Cathal; 4. Brian. Each of these sons married and left descendants, whose history we shall have now to trace, dealing with each son and his descendants separately.

1 According to all the recorded pedigrees of the O'Conor family, Sir Hugh O'Conor Don had but these four legitimate sons. It appears, however, from an inquisition and other documents in the Record Office that he had another son named Dermot, to whom he made over certain lands in 1620. These lands he retained until his death. He appears to have died without issue, as neither his name nor that of any of his children is mentioned in any document later than 1641.