attended by the chiefs of the English and Irish of Leinster. He erected a castle at Carrig-Cital, now Carrick-Kettle, in the Barony of Small County, county of Limerick, in despite of the Irish. O'Donnell followed with a small number of troops to assist him, through Meath, and went westward into Munster until he joined him at that place. Then they passed into Ealla, (Duhallow, county Cork), and they took the castle of Caen-tuire (the head or perhaps hill of the boar-now Kanturk-see Smith's history of Cork, vol. II. c. 6) and plundered the country. Then proceeding into great Desmond, they took the castle of Pailis (a castle on an eminence near Laune Bridge, Killarney-Windel's Historical and Descriptive Notes of Cork, 2nd Ed. pp. 386, 387), and another castle on the banks of the Noer Mang (Maine, near the Bay of Castlemaine, county of Kerry), after which they returned into Limerick. They then mustered additional forces; and the Geraldines of Munster, under the conduct of James, son of the Earl of Desmond, and all the English of Munster, and also McCarthy Reagh (Donald, son of Dermott, who was son of Fineen), Cormac Oge, who was the son of Cormac, son of Teige, and the English and Irish of Leinster, proceeded into Limerick. Turlough, the son of Teige O'Brien, Lord of Thomond, with all his forces, and M'Namara, the son of Silaedha, and the Clanrickarde, mustered another numerous army to oppose them. The Earl, i.e. the Lord Justice, marched with his army through Bealach-na-Fadbaighe, and Bealach-na-nghamn, the old names of the roads to Portcroise, until he arrived at a wooden bridge, i.e. the bridge of Portcroise already referred to, which O'Brien had constructed over the Shannon; and he broke down the bridge, and encamped for the night in the country.-O'Brien had encamped so near them, that they used to hear each other's voices during the night. On the morrow, the Lord Justice mustered his army, placing the English and Irish of Munster in the van, and the English of Meath and Dublin in the rere. O'Donnell, and his small body of troops, joined the English of Meath and Dublin in the rere; and they all took the short cut through Mor-na-in-brather [Monabraher near Limerick] to Limerick. O'Brien attacked the English, and slew the Baron Kent and Barnwall at Kirwickstown [now Cookstown, in Meath], and many other men of distinction not enumerated. The English army escaped by flight, and the army of O'Brien returned in triumph with great spoils. There was not, in either army, that day, a man who won more fame than O'Donnell.' The Four Masters, says O'Donovan, always praise an O'Donnell, at which we cannot be surprised, as founders of their monastery."

It is not our business to follow the fighting Earl through his successive campaigns against the Irish in Connaught and Leinster-through his crossings and re-crossings of the Shannon-the annals for many years teeming with relations of his warlike excursions; suffice it to say that he worked with a vengeance in the interest of his Royal master. In the year 1516, a war broke out among the Fitzgeralds, and James, the son of Maurice, laid siege to Loch Gur, in the barony of Small County, near Bruff, where the ruins of a great castle, and other military works, erected by the Earls of Desmond, may yet be seen. The O'Briens of Thomond, joined by Pierce 1 Annals of the Four Masters, vol. v. pp. 304-5-6.

2 Ware gives another account of this battle; but all the annalists agree in stating that the victory over the Earl was decisive-that night having decided the battle, he withdrew, the army (says Ware) still retaining their ranks, and the energy displayed by the Dalgais on the occasion inspired the Lord Justice with so much respect for the military genius of their prince, that he turned his arms to another quarter, and laid siege to the castle of Leim-ui-bhanain (the Leap) in Ely O'Carroll, belonging to the prince of that territory.

Butler, and others of his Confederates, advanced to meet the Geraldine army, and "when the son of the Earl perceived the nobles of the army of the great race of Brian approaching, the resolution he arrived at was, not to come to an engagement with them, but to leave the town unharmed, and thus they parted with each other." It was immediately after this that the Earl took the Leap Castle, which still exists under its old name, and is situated between Roscrea and Tullamore.

CHAPTER XI.

END OF THE KINGDOM OF THOMOND.-RIVALRY BETWEEN LIMERICK AND GALWAY.

ONE reason of the constant hostilities of the princes of Thomond from this period down to the extinction of that Kingdom, is to be sought in the alliances formed by Conor na-Srona for his daughters, three of whom intermarried with members of the O'Donnell, De Burgh, and O'Ruarc families;3 and to these alliances are also attributable many of the disastrous consequences of the fatal battle of Knocktow. The limits prescribed by the space which we propose to occupy with the sequel of the History of Thomond for the term of the next thirty-five or thirty six years, will admit of only short notices of the principal events which occur in that interval; while, for several contemporary occurrences in the local history we must refer to our Annals of Limerick.

In the year 1522 a feud having arisen between O'Neill and O'Donnell, the sons of the King of Thomond, namely, Donogh and Teige, together with their kinsman Torlogh O'Brien, Bishop of Killaloe, proceeded to the North to the aid of O'Neill; but the latter prince having been defeated before they could join him, the prince of Thomond and his troops were compelled to make a precipitate retreat, not halting until they reached the Curlew mountains, where the allies separated."

In the year 1523 this Teige O'Brien was killed at the battle of the ford of Camus. while attacking Piers Roe, Earl of Ormond, who was then at war with the neighbouring dynast O'Carroll; and his dead body was carried by his soldiers to the monastery of Ennis, where several of his race have. found a resting place.

In 1528 Torlogh Donn, the father of this prince died after a reign of 29 years. He is highly lauded by the Four Masters for "maintaining war against the English." He must have been regarded as a person of considerable consequence, for his name is included in a treaty entered into with the Earl of Desmond by Francis I. of France, to divert the attention of Henry VIII. of England, who was then leagued with the Emperor Charles

1 Annals of the Four Masters.

The great war between O'Donnell and O'Neill, in which the former was victorious, occupies several pages of the Annals, in 1522, and is interesting, chiefly as indicating the existence of the fiercest and most implacable feuds among the Irish. The O'Briens, Burkes, O'Connor Roe, O'Connor Don, M'Dermots, &c., joined O'Neill, whilst O'Donnell was supported by the forces in Kinnell Connell, viz., O'Boyle, O'Dogherty, the MacSweenys, O'Gallaghers, &c. &c. But between the English in Ireland there were also fierce and implacable disputes.

3 Historical Memoir of the O'Briens.

Annals of the Four Masters, who, as usual, favor the O'Donnells, the founder of their monastery.

On the Suir a little north of Cashel.

against the French monarch. Torlogh Donn was succeeded by his eldest son Connor, his brother Donogh being nominated tanist, who died in 1531, and was succeeded by Murrough, who surrendered the Royalty to Henry VIII.

The hatreds, jealousies and wars between the Butlers and the Fitzgeralds -the English in Ireland-the latter, however, "more Irish than Irish themselves," are written on a dark and dreary page of our national annals. To dwell on the state of affairs between the English in Ireland at this period would be merely, mutatis mutandis, giving a picture of the wars that prevailed among the Irish themselves. We proceed, therefore, to develope the progress of domestic affairs at this time. In the year 1524 a remarkable occurrence took place, which shows that Galway at this time was in a position superior to ours, commercially and financially. We are told by the Historian of Galway that the city of Limerick was from an early period of our history jealous of the growing trade and prosperity of Galway, although the latter long had retained its superiority. This jealousy was shown on many occasions; but latterly broke out violently in consequence of a mercantile dispute which happened some time previously to 1524, between David Comyn, a citizen of Limerick and some merchants of Galway. Comyn complained that he could have no justice administered to him in Galway; and waiting for an opportunity he seized the person of Ambrose Lynch Fitzjames, one of the inhabitants of the town, and kept him close prisoner, until he was ransomed for a large sum of money. In consequence of this outrage hostilities commenced between the city and town, and great depredations were committed both by sea and land; until the people of Limerick, weary of the contest, dispatched two of their citizens, Christopher Arthur and Nicholas Arthur, to Galway, to conclude a peace; or as the record of this transaction expresses it, "to pacyficat and put awaye all manner of adversitye, rancour and inconveniences that have rysen or insurged between the city and town and habitantes of the same." Upon their arrival in Galway the Mayor, bailiffs and commonalty assembled in the town-house, and with one assent elected Walter and Anthony Lynch FitzThomas, to conclude a “perpetual peace and concorde" with the deputies of Limerick. The terms being agreed upon, a public meeting was convened on the 7th of May, 1524, and articles were ratified on both sides; and apparently to the mutual satisfaction of all parties; but as treaties are more frequently entered into than inviolably observed, so the people of Galway complained that those of Limerick still indulged their resentment, although every matter in dispute was supposed to have been peaceably settled; and charged them with having again involved the town in fresh troubles, by insidiously instigating Pierce, Earl of Ormond, to make a demand for prisage wines, an impost which had never been theretofore paid or demanded in Galway.

Limerick, in the end, owing to political causes, gained the ascendancy, which it holds to this day.

These rivalries between Galway and Limerick prevailed for many years. The "tribes" of the one were jealous of the sturdy Anglo-Irish of the other; but though at this time Galway was one of the finest towns in Irelandspacious, well built, and well walled, with a great trade with the south of Europe, and particularly with Spain, and sustained by the spirit and energy of its early settlers, who were always a terror to the Irish of West Connaught, it fell away, whilst Limerick increased in importance, and rapidly progressed, became superior, and retained its superiority. 1521-1522 (13

Henry 8) David Comyn was for the second time Mayor of Limerick ; Nicholas, son of Thomas Fitzwilliam Arthur, was Mayor for the second time in this year also: William Fanning and Andrew Harold were Bailiffs. David Comyn died during his Mayoralty of a terrible pestilence, which prevailed all over the city; and on the 4th of September he was succeeded by Nicholas Arthur. Dr. Arthur does not fail to remark that it was now the supreme Pontiff conferred on Henry 8th the title of "Defender of the Faith," in consequence of "the book he published against Luther ;" and that "the Turks invaded the island of Rhodes." ""1

It was in this reign (28th Henry 8th, cap. 15) it was enacted that none of the king's subjects shall be shaven above the ears, or wear the hair on their heads like long locks called Glibbes, or have any hair on their upper lips called a Crommeal, or wear any shirt, smock or kercher, Bendel Neckerchour, Mocket or Linnen cap coulr'd with saffron, nor wear above seven yards of cloth in their shirt or smock, and no woman to wear any coat or kirtle tuck'd up, or embroider'd with silk or laid with Usker, after the Irish fashion; and none to wear any mantles, coat or hood, made after the Irish fashion; a forfeiture of the thing so worn (to be seized by any of the king's true subjects) and also the penalties following:

Every Lord Spiritual and Temporal,

Every Knight and Esquire,

Every Gentleman or Merchant,

Every Freeholder and Yeoman,

Every husbandman,

And every other person,

£6 13 4

2 0 0

1 0 0

0 10 0

0 6 8

0 3 4

To be recovered in any of the king's courts and to be divided between the King and Prosecutor, Proviso, not to extend to any woman, herds or horseboys wearing a mantle, nor any persons on their journey, or upon Hue and Cry,2

In the rapid progress of events we see how Henry changed not only his policy but his faith, how those religious institutions, which flourished so vigorously when he was fulminating against Luther, soon afterwards were doomed by him to suffer spoliation and ruin, and how the properties which went to the alleviation of human misery and woe, under the care of the monks and friars, and in support of the old faith, were handed over to those who submitted to his will and changed their principles at his pleasure.

Henry proceeded in his active courses strengthening his power in Ireland. On the 19th of November, 1534, Thomas Butler was made Baron of Cahir, and in the beginning of the next year Maurice O'Brien and Ulick Bourke, induced by the example and success of the Earl of Tyrone, went to England to wait upon the king, having made their submissions, and surrendered their estates. O'Brien obtained a grant of all his lands in Thomond, and all the Abbeys and patronage in the king's gift within his precincts to him and his heirs male; and he was made Baron of Inchiquin, to him and his heirs, and created Earl of Thomond for life, with a remainder to Donough O'Brien and his heirs for ever, who for the present was made Baron of Ibricane but whether this Donough were nephew or natural son of the Earl's is not very plain. This Lord of Ibricane had also an annuity of twenty pounds per

1 Arthur MSS.

2 Irish Acts of Parliament.

annum granted to him in tail, and the Abbey of Insula Canonicorum, and half the Abbey of Clare; and the king bore the Earl of Thomond's charges and gave him an order to be of the Privy Council. As for Ulick Bourke, he had his charges borne, and was created Earl of Clanricarde, and his estates were regranted to him, and the Abbeys and patronage of all benefices within his precincts.

Thus ended the kingdom of Thomond under Murrough O'Brien, the fifteenth and last of its princes who had been elected chief, by Tanistry to the prejudice of his nephew Donough, to whom in compensation he resigned the Lordship of Ibricane. Murrough is at present represented by his lineal descendant Lord Inchiquin.

CHAPTER XII.

LIMERICK UNDER THE TUDORS CONTINUED.-HENRY VIII.-LORD LEONARD GRAY.-EDMOND SEXTON, ETC.

THE English convocation and the English Parliaments having acknowleged the supremacy of Henry VIII., with a ready servility, the new head of the Church expected to find in Ireland an equal subserviency, but in this he was grievously disappointed. A most unexpected and decided resistance arose in the opposition of the Catholic Bishops, of whom, a few only were induced to submit to the new orders of things. We give the events in the original words of our authorities.1

Ap. Parry, who had been in the service of Lord Leonard Gray, writes in 1535, respecting his journey from Cork to Limerick, to secretary Cromwell, after he had visited Callan, Clonmel, &c., stating that they had removed from Cork to Mallow, and there encamped by a river side, and on the following day went to Kilmallock, and lay there that night-he describes it as a very "poore towne;" and the next day came to Limerick, "and of treuthe O'Breyn was cum downe, and lay within three myl of Lemeryk, and as the saying was with a great ost; and hurlyd down the wodes in this way, as we schold have gone into hys counterey, and had forsakyn two of hys castels, herd by Lemeryk; and herd that we were so ny, he went into the mountayns from us, for fere of ordynance: and when that he herd tell that we had no ordynance, then he restored his men into hys castels agayn, with such ordynance as he had of his own. And without ordynance to bett the one pyll we cowld never enter well into hys cunterey. Therefore my Lorde Jamys thought best to recoyll bake agayn, and to bring the Desemontes, and Cormack Oge with his cumpany, to a say, ore that hee wold pase eny further." He adds, that in Limerick they had "very good cher, but nat nothing lyke the cher we had in Corke." They parted eight miles off to a place (Monasternenagh), "the wyche is after the order of Grenwyche," and my Lorde of Kyldare was the founder of it, for he hath a castel and

1 State Papers of Henry VIII.