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landes evyn ther fast by, and ther met with my Lorde Jamys, hys brotherilaw, whyche is O'Bren's sone," (Donough, nephew of Murrough O'Brien.) The account of the interview between Donough and his brother-in-law, Lord James, describes the latter as telling the former that he had married his sister, forsaken his father, his uncle, and all his friends and country, to come to him to help to do the king a service. He had been sore unrewarded, had no gains-had nothing to live upon. If it pleased the king to take him into his service, he would come into the country and bring with him a piece of ordnance, to take the Castle of Carrigogunnel,' and that the king would give to him that which never had belonged to an Englishman for two hundred years, he said he desired no aid but the English captain and a hundred Englishmen, to pursue his father and his uncle, who were His Majesty's enemies, and the Irish who were ever the enemies of the English. H. pledged himself he would hurt no Englishman, but do all he could against the Irish and the king's opponents. And in all such land as he should conquer, it was his wish that the king should plant Englishmen, the land to be holden of the king, according to his pleasure; and he further promised to discard all "Yrsyche Faschyons," and to order himself after the "Ynglysche laws," and all he could make or subdue. He besought a reply.

1 CARRIGOGUNNEL CASTLE.-This Castle is four miles distant from Limerick, to the S.W., bordering on the demesne of Tervoe, the residence of the Right Hon. Wm. Monsell, M.P. Mr. Crofton Croker, in his Antiquarian Researches in the South of Ireland, says it is one of the largest castles he remembers to have seen in Ireland. It stands on an abrupt limestone rock,* and commands an extensive view, across the Shannon, of the County Clare, and the low grounds termed "Corcass Land," which form the banks of the river. Its building is ascribed to the O'Brien family. Through stipulation and treachery it was lost more than once by the followers of the Earl of Desmond, and those sent to reduce him and the country. At the Siege of Limerick, in 1690, it was garrisoned by 150 men, adherents of James II., but surrendered without resistance to Major General Scravenmore, "the leaving these detachments in such places," observes Dean Story, in his History of the Civil Wars, "being very unaccountable, since they had a mind to defend them no better." The castle was deemed so tenable a position that it was considered expedient to destroy it, and it was accordingly blown up, together with Castle Connell. Dean Story received the very large sum of £160 for the purchase of gunpowder to ruin those fortresses. The dilapidated ruins tell the effects of the explosion. Immense fragments of the walls and towers lie scattered around in picturesque confusion. "It is a matter of difficulty," adds Mr. Croker," to trace the original plan." Near this Castle Charles Johnson, the author of Chrysal, or the Adventures of a Guinea, and other works, was born in 1719, and received his education from the excellent teacher, the Rev. R. Cashin, who was superior of the Limerick Protestant Diocesan School in the early part of the last century.

The Vol. 1425 of the Harleian MSS. contains the following pedigree of "O'Brien of CarryConnell, in the Countie of Limericke."

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Parry adds, that old Sir John of Desmond, "who cane spek very good Ynglysche" arrived on the same day; and the parley was postponed for that day fortnight at "Yowgholl."

In a letter dated from Limerick on the 9th of August, 15361 The Council of Ireland write to Cromwell, that Donough O'Brien, O'Brien's eldest son, who had married the daughter of the Earl of Ossory, told what had been stated in the letter of Stephen Ap. Parry, of his desire to serve the English and possess Carrigogunnel, and set to the reformation in those quarters the Deputy put an English ward of soldiers in the castle, and being there they consulted together as to the winning and breaking of O'Brien's Bridge-" wherein we thought the said O'Brene's sonnes ayede and conducte so necessary, as we supposed, that, havynge the same, we shud with the les difficultie achyve our purposes." In order to attain this dignity the council states, that the Castle of Carrigogunnel, "which had been inhabited by the O'Briens for 200 years before," was given by indenture to Donough O'Brien, "to be kept under us during the king's highness pleasure."—" After which conclusion takyn the said castell by tradyment, was takyn again by the persons which had possession thereof before-but we trust shall lytel prevayl them, but that the Deputies conclusion and army, and the promises thereon shall take effect." The letter proceeds to state, that on Friday they marched with all the army, with demiculverins, and such other ordnance as they had towards the bridge, and by the conduct of the said Donough and his friends, they were brought to it in a secret and unknown way, on this side of the water, where never English used nor carts went before, whereby they achieved the progress with less danger than they could have done on the other side. On Saturday they reached the bridge, and after the army was encamped, the Deputy and gunners made a reconnoissance. On this side was a strong castle, "builded all of hewen marbell," and at the other side a castle, but not of such force, both built within the water, but not much distant from the land. At this end the O'Briens had broken four arches of the Bridge at the end next the land. The gunners fired all day at the castle, but with no effect, "for the wal was at lest 12 or 13 fote thick," and both the castles were well warded with the gunners, gallowglas and horsemen, "having made such fortifications of timber and hoggsheades of earthe, as the lyke have not been seen in this lande." They had a great piece of iron, "which shot buylees as great in maner as a mannes hede." They had also a ship piece, a "Portingall piece," "certayne hagbushesses," and hand-guns. The Deputy seeing the ship-piece no avail, ordered that each man should make a faggot a fathom in length, to fill that part of the water between the land and the castle, and desired ladders to be made; which done, he appointed certain of his own retinue and a company of "Mauster Saynclows" to give the assault; by which they carried the castle, the defenders escaping at the other side; and having done so they broke down the bridge. A letter of William Body to Cromwell gives the credit of the capture to Ossory.] Two of the army were slain, several were wounded; while the timber of the bridge was loosing, the Mayor of Limerick, Edmond Sexten, with about 30 others who were standing on it at the time fell, but were not injured. Gray also gives a long account of the above achievements to Cromwell.

Henry VIII. in a letter to the town of Galway, in which letter the Irish

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customs of clothing, &c., are forbidden, and in which he takes from malefactors the sanctuary of the Friars Minors, &c., in and near that town, and calls upon the justice to bring them to punishment-proceeds to say, "Moreover, yf O'Brene, or any other Irysheman, be at war with our deputie, or our subgietes of our Cittie of Lymerycke, that in no wyse, by any coloure, practyse, or covyne, ye suffer no vytals, iron, sault, or other commoditie, to passe from you to theym, dureing the tyme of their contencion till they shall be perfectly reconcyled, upon payne of your allegeannces; and alwayes that ye obsarve the artycles before written, specially concernyng the keepeing of markettes, and that none of you resorte with anny merchandyce amongynst Iryshemen at anny tyme. And where we be informed that at such seasons as strangers refrayne within the havyn of Lymerycke, certayne of you foresttale the market of our said cittie, alurying and procuryng the stranger merchauntes to repayre oute of the havyn of Lymerycke to you, offering theym avauntage above the profere of the sayd citie, to ther gret disadvanytage and commoditie, and ynhaunsing the pryce of foren and alyen merchaundyses, to the profit of alyens : we therefor woll and commaunde you, that you do not provoke anny merchaundise aryving in theyr havyn from you to theym." He commanded that he should hear no further complaint on this behalf, or in any of the premises if they intended his favors.

In the same year Cowley, writing to Cromwell on the establishment of the king's dominion in Ireland, says :

"Then a thousand to arive at Lymyrik, and the Erl of Ossery, and his son, and power to joyne with them, and first to wyn the pyles and Casteles from O'Dwyer (chief of Kilnemanna, west of Owney), and next that to wyn the Castele and towne of the Enagh (Nenagh, in Tipperary), and to builde and enhabite the towne, and so to pursue all the Irishry at this side of the water of the Sheynan, and to wyn O'Bryn's Bridge that standeth upon the same water. Then to peruse all Clancullen (the ancient barony of Clancullen was situated between Limerick and Killaloe, now forming part of the barony of Tullagh) in O'Ibryne's countree, and to win the pyles and holdes, and specelly the strong castele called Bon Raytte (Bunratty), eight myles from Lymerick, on the river of Lymerick-consequently to make a strongholde of Clare, and to enhabit accordingly; and to make two other baronies in the midst of O'Brien's countreey. There are piles enough in that counteray already, so that there needeth no more than to enhabite."

Thomas Allen, in the same year, writes a long letter to Cromwell on the subject of the Lord Deputy's expedition for the fortifying and re-edifying of Woodstock and the bridge of Athy. After giving an account of the expedition,

he

says, "And his Lordship went to Kilkenny, where he met the Erl of Ossorye and MacGilphatrick, where he and Omore were contendid to remayne, and goo to Dublin with my Lord, and ther to abide his and his counsaile's order, and to put in pledgis for performance thereof, and to attend upon my Lord in this journaie. And from thens departed the Chief Justice, and the Maiour of Limerick (Edmond Sexten) to speke with O'Brene and the Erle of Desmonde, who have confethered togeder."

In a long letter from the Lord Deputy and Council to Cromwell, written from Dublin the 23rd day of November, the journey of Munster is said to have taken fruit and success, &c. &c. "For undoubtedly the pretended Earl of Desmonde, after diverse communications had betwixt him, the Maior of Lymerick, the Chief Justice, and the Master of the Rolles, at severall tymes, condescended as well to delyver his too sonnes in hostage, and to fynde the

Vicount Barry, the Lord Rooche, Thomas Butler Fitz Edmond, John Butler, broder to the Baron of Dunboyne, Gerald M'Shane of Drommanaugh, and dyverse others, to be bound for him in a 1200 marcks, that he shoold not oonly obey the Kinge's lawes, and cause thaym to be obeyd everywher under his rule, but also as well to suffer the Kinge's revenues to be levied there, as upon the title and claim of James Fitz Morice to the Earldome, to abide thorder and judgement of the Deputie and Counsaill; and percase the same James Fitz Morice were adjudged Erle, he to suffer him to enjoy the Earldome accordinglie; with diverse other articles, comprised in a prayor of indentors concluded thereupon, &c. &c."

In 1537 a letter from the Lord Deputy and Council to Henry VIII. they state "for asmuch of your revenues as appertained to the Earl of Kildare in the countie of Lymerick, your Grace hath nothing of it, nor shall nat have untill the pretended Earl of Desmond be at some poynte; of whose offers, I your Graces Deputy, have at severale tymes advertized your Highness, and your Counsaile, to the intente I mought know your pleasure therein, whereof hitherto I have not been advertized." And after speaking of the burying act, the expulsion and the destruction of the tenants, the writer goes on to state, "trustin there wol be few wastes after this year, if your Grace ensure our devises in too poynts. One is, no man in this countrie woll manure and enhabite your, ne other mans landes, especiallie to any fruitful purpose, onles he may have a securitie of continuance therein, so as, when he hath edified the same he shall not be expelled from it." This letter is dated from Dublin the 20th of April, 1537, and to those landlords who do not acknowledge tenant-right, we earnestly recommend its perusal, as an important fact in favor of fixity of tenure.

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On the 28th of June, 1537, Lord Leonard Grey arrived in Limerick, where he remained a week, and of his doings here he gives a detailed account to his royal master. He had already received the submission of O'Carroll of Ely, of O'Kennedy of Ormond, of MacIbrien of Arra, of O'Mulryan of Owney, as well as of MacWilliam of Clanrickarde. summoned the Mayor and his "brothern" before him, and acting in the spirit of the instructions which he had received from the Council of Dublin, he had the Mayor and members of the Corporation sworn, according to the tenor of the act of supremacy, and further to abjure the power of the Pope. He moreover commanded the Mayor to have all the commonalty of the city likewise sworn and to certify the fact to the Court of Chancery. He states that "without stopp or gruge the confirmed them sylves." After this he adds, he called before him the Bishop of Limerick, not Bishop William Casey, who was, after apostatising, appointed Bishop of Limerick, but John Coyní or Quin, and had him sworn in like manner, a fact which appears the more singular, and of which very grave doubt exists, because Quin had been promoted to the see against the wishes of King Henry, who laboured earnestly in favor of Walter Wallesley who was afterwards appointed to Kildare. Coyn or Quin had assisted at a synod which was held in Limerick by Edmund Butler, Archbishop of Cashel, in 1524, and his zeal for the interests of his religion had been manifested on various important occasions. Gray further states that he commanded him to have all his clergy sworn. On this occasion Connor O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, was present, and promised to serve against Morrough, the Tanist, who owned the country around O'Brien's

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Bridge. This Connor O'Brien died in 1539, and was the last of the race of Brian Boroimhe who up to the hour of his death exercised regal functions in the ancient kingdom of Thomond. During his stay in Limerick, Gray impeached certain of the merchants of the city of treason for victualling and maintaining Morogh O'Brien and other "Iryshe Rebels." Stephen Harold, Treasurer of the city; Pierce, Walter Edmund and James Harold, merchants, Thomas and Bartholomew Strytch, merchants, and Robert Lewis, merchant, were among the number. The property of the treasurer (Stephen Harold) was confiscated, the others named were imprisoned, for the Lord Deputy resolved to carry things with a high hand in his dealings with the citizens.2

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On the next day, James of Desmond, and O'Brien with their retinue came to him, and on the 8th of July, he removed with them into Morrogh O'Brien's country, and there took his castle of Ballyconnel,3 and Clare [Clare More], invaded, burnt and destroyed Morrogh's country that day. On the morrow, because he would not conform to good order or reformation towards the king, Gray encamped that night at Clare castle, and upon the next day James of Desmonde and O'Brien departed; and then he proceeded to Clanrickarde, where he encamped that night, and the 10th of July, repaired to a castle called Bally Clare, which he rifled and not chalice or cross left in it belonging to Richard Oge Burgh, which "did much hurt to your towne of Galway, ""and the same dyd take and deliver to Ullyck Oborgh, now lately made Capitayn of that countre" [and knighted by Gray]. He remained eight days in Galway, where he was entertained by the Mayor, and Ulick Burke gave all the "Iryshe retinue," that was with him in his countrey, "frelye mete, drynk, and lodging. Lyck order, as I toke with the Mayor of Lymyryck, hys brothern, and the Busshop as touching theyr othes to your Majestie, and the refusall of the usurped power of the Busshopp of Rome, lyck order toke with the Mayor of Galway, and his brothern and the Busshop." About this time, it would appear a serious dispute arose between the Deputy and Edmond Sexten, who had hitherto been very good friends. We take from the Arthur MSS. an important item of intelligence, which goes to show how matters stood in this instance, and which gives an account of the achievements of Sexten on a very memorable occasion:

In the 27th and 28th Henry 8th: Edmond Sexten being Mayor, O'Brien's Bridge was destroyed, by which the robbers of Thomond rushed into the rest of the Province of Munster and safely returned with their preys. This Edmond Sexten was born in Limerick, but descended from the family of the Sesnans in Thomond. He passed over into England where he became sewer of the king's chamber from whom he obtained in the late catastrophes of religion two monasteries in Limerick, one of the Holy Cross, and the other of St. Francis with all its funds and profits. At length the citizens being offended, having obtained the royal letters, he was admitted into the Mayoralty 2 State Papers.

1 O'Donoughue's History of the O'Briens.

3 The Castle is called by Gormanstowne Ballycongle, and by Ap. Parry, Bally connell. According to his narrative, the garrisons both of it and of Clare Castle fled at the sight of ordnance.

The "Confession" states that they remained at Clare two nights, and that at their removing from thence there began a great schism, and a dangerous fray, between Desmond and the Lord Deputy, for O'Mulryan's hostage; in so much that the former put himself in array to have given battle, were it not that Sir Thomas Butler, being familiar and bold with Desmond, with great address and difficulty, took up the matter with them. And Desmond, being pacified with Butler, returned home.

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