Fearcall, where he remained nine days and the people submitted to him; and that he then "proceeded over the Sliebh Bloom mountains." On this occasion O'Neill sent three bands to plunder and harry the territory of Ely O'Carroll, and he then marched south to Roscrea. The next year, 1601, he returned, and with several other chiefs who "were expeditiously conveyed across the Shannon at Shannon Harbour; from thence they proceeded to Delvin MacCoghlan, to Fearcall, to the borders of Slieve Bloom, and into Ikerrin." By these raids Fearcall was greatly cut up, but the O'Mulloys continued to hold their own and to retain their property for a considerable time, one estate, Clonbella, being still in the hands of an O'Mulloy. The chief burial place of the sept was Kilcormack Monastery, which was found for White Friars by Odo O'Mulloy. Mr. Archdall informs us that as well as being the place for the interment of the chief, this monastery was the scene of an inhuman murder, for in 1525 Charles O'Mulloy and his followers drew Hugh and Constantine O'Mulloy out of the church and put them to death "before the gate of the convent." In 1548 it and Saighir Chiarain, Seir Keiran, were burned down by the English and O'Carroll. The principal fortresses of this sept were Broghill Castle near Frankford, Caislean-na-Hegailse or Eglish Castle, Kiltubrid Castle, Rathmackilduffe, the Castle of Dowris, Le Porte Castle and Ballindown. Broghill Castle, still a splendidly preserved keep, with high walls in places, ten feet thick, was the chief residence of the O'Mulloy. In 1537 it was, however, surprised by the Lord Deputy. In the great hall lavish hospitality was given to all, the O'Mulloys being said to have entertained 900 men at the close of the sixteenth century. The property passed into the hands of the Marquis of Lansdowne through Sir William Petty. It is now owned by Mr. Christopher Banon, D.L., whose ancestor, Frank MacAuley, of the tribe mentioned by O'Dugan— The Fair MacAuley rules over gave its name to Frankford. Kiltubrid Castle stood once on an island and was known as Island Castle, but the land has now been completely drained. It is not far from Kinnetty and Drumcullen. Shane O'Mnlloy lived at the Castle of Dowris in 1607, and Le Porte Castle stood on Lough Coura, since drained, near the present Whigsborough. These castles were on the frontiers of Fearcall facing Delvin (Dealbna Eathra), the county of the MacCoghlans, while Ballindown, "the town of the Dun or Earthen Fort," is nearer to Birr. This glimpse of the O'Carrolls neighbours may prove of interest. To return to this class, we find that the good and pious Thady O'Carroll, who wished to retire to the seclusion of a monastery from the world and lawless life of his time, was succeeded by a warlike O'Carroll, who was speedily involved in a war with the Butlers of Ormonde, who eventually entered Ely and burnt down two of his fortresses (1432). Fifteen years, enlivened by the usual border feuds between the Irish and their English neighbours passed, and another enemy of an even more pernicious nature appeared, sparing neither high nor low, priest nor peasant, Norman nor Celt. Hussey, Baron of Galtrim, and 700 priests are said to have died of the plague (1447). The O'Carrolls, however, seem to have come well out of it, for in 1460 we find them in power, and, according to Macgeoghegan, compelling the counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary to pay forty livres yearly. Great pressure, however, was brought to bear upon the Lord Deputy, the Earl of Kildare, by the English of the Pale to release them from the tyranny of the O'Carrolls, and he besieged them in the castle of Lemivanane, or Banan's leap, which he failed to take, and on his return for reinforcements fell sick at Athy and died 1514. So the Four Masters say. But his son, Gerald, assumed the reigns of government and marched against this castle, now known as Leap Castle, and took it, although "it was doubtful," say the Four Masters, "if there was in that time a castle better fortified and defended than that, until it was demolished on its guards." This happened in 1516. This fortress is as formidable as it is forbidding, being of great strength and of equal antiquity. It is still in splendid preservation and full of interesting points for the antiquarian, oubliettes, crenelles, machicolations, etc. A capital view of the surrounding country may be had from its grim parapets. Right opposite is a splendid specimen of a rath, with a raised platform of earth for the chieftain's residence, with which the castle, which is said to have been built by the Danes, was connected by a subterranean passage. Mr. and Mrs. Darby-the latter of whom is widely known under her nom de plume of Andrew Merrytake much pride in their fine old baronial residence, which has been for the last three centuries in the possession of the Darby family, which was connected by marriage with the O'Carrolls. CHAPTER XII. THE FALL OF THE O'CARROLLS. We now come to an unpleasant episode in the history of the sept, a family dispute, which did more to weaken its power than any foreign oppression could have done. To cut a long story short, when John, son of Maolroona O'Carroll, died in 1485, the chieftainship of the sept was claimed by another O'Carroll, who was elected on account of his splendid qualities. This was the famous Maolroona O'Carroll, who, according to the Four Masters, was "the most distinguished man of his tribe for valour, prosperity, and excellence, to whom poets, travellers, ecclesiastics, and literary men were most thankful, and who gave, and entertained, and bestowed more presents than any other who lived of his lineage." But though devoted to literature, the patronage of all that was excellent, and the dispenser of princely hospitality, this, the best of the O'Carrolls, was, like the British Prince Alfred, equally proficient in the arts of war. For, while he was "the anvil of knowledge, and the golden pillar of the Elyans," he was also "the supporting mainstay of all persons, the rightful victorious rudder of his race; the powerful young warrior in the march of tribes; the active triumphant champion of Munster. This Maolroona O'Carroll was as popular among the English as he was among his own people. For he wooed and won no less a bride than the Lady Fitzgerald, daughter of the Earl of Kildare. Her sister had been M previously wedded to Bryan O'Connor of Offaly. But Maolroona died, unlike most of the O'Connors, however, in his own castle on S. Matthew's Day (1532), after he had heard of the defeat of the Earl of Ormond by his sons, who took many horses, and some ordnance at a ford which was called Bel-atha-na-bh Fabcun, in memory of the achievement. His eldest son, Ferganainm, or the "man without a name," was chosen to succeed him. But the sons of John O'Carroll, the former chief, who had distressed the closing years of Maolroona by conspiring with his foes against him, at once took the field against Ferganainm, and, seizing the Castle of Birr, continued to harass the supporters of Ferganainm, who entreated the Lord Deputy, the Earl of Kildare, his uncle, to come to his aid. This the latter did without delay. And taking on his way the Castle of Killurin, in Geashill, the Castle of Eglish, and the Castle of Ballindooney, or Ballindown, where the sons of John had fortified themselves, he proceeded to storm the Castle of Birr. During the attempt on this fortress, which he assailed from the Monastery of Birr, the Earl was wounded in his side by a bullet, but still persisted in the attack until the place was stormed. The earl was recalled shortly afterwards to England to give an account of his stewardship, and to answer among other things why he, a person of English descent, had, in spite of the statute of Kilkenny, allowed his daughters to marry the Milesian Irish, and was committed to the Tower by Henry VIII. There he died shortly afterwards (1535). In the meantime he was succeeded by Lord Grey, whose presence was almost immediately required in the country of the O'Connors and O'Carrolls. For |