feuds of which Tyrone was the theatre. At the instance of his nephew, Turlough O'Neill, and of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, an ally of Turlough's, he marched to the north in 1498, and took the castle of Dungannon by the aid of ordnance. The following year Hugh Roe came to the Pale to visit the earl, who gave him his son, Henry, in fosterage, notwithstanding the stringent laws against this kind of alliance with the Irish. This year (1499) the earl marched into Connaught, but only to take part in the quarrels of some of the Irish chieftains, for the castles which he took from one rival chief he delivered to another, and MacWilliam Burke soon after restored them to their former possessors. In 1500 Hugh Roe O'Donnell and the lord justice marched in concert into Tyrone to co-operate against John Boy O'Neill, from whom they took the castle of Kinard, or Caledon, which was then delivered up to the earl's nephew, Turlough O'Neill.

A.D. 1504.-For some time an inveterate warfare had been carried on between MacWilliam (Burke) of Clanrickard, styled Ulick III., and Melaghlin O'Kelly, the Irish chief of Hy-Many. Burke was the aggressor, and the more powerful. This year he captured and demolished O'Kelly's castles of Garbh-dhoire, now Garbally; Muine-anmheadha, or Monivea, and Gallach, now called Castleblakeny, in the county of Galway; and the Irish chief, then on the brink of ruin, had recourse to the earl of Kildare for protection. The latter, more desirous of curbing the growing power of Clanrickard, with whom he had a personal feud, than of restoring peace in Connaught, mustered a powerful army, and crossed the Shannon. He was joined by Hugh Roe O'Donnell and his son, and the other chiefs of Kinel-Connell; by O'Conor Roe of Northern Connaught; MacDermot of Moylurg; the warlike chiefs Magennis, MacMahon, and O'Hanlon; O'Reilly; the bishop of Ardagh, who was then the chief of the O'Farrells of Annaly; O'Conor Faly; the O'Kellys; the lower MacWilliams, or Burkes of Mayo; and, in fact, by the forces of nearly all Leath-Chuinn, or the northern half of Ireland, with the exception of O'Neill. Besides these he was attended by viscount Gormanstown, the barons of Slane, Delvin, Howth, Kileen, Trimleston, and Dunsaney, and by John Blake, mayor of Dublin, at the head of an armed force. Clanrickard, on his side, also assembled a very numerous army, his allies being Teige O'Brien, lord of Thomond, the MacNamaras and other north Munster chiefs; Mac-I-Brien of Ara; O'Kennedy of Ormond; and O'Carroll of Ely. One of Clanrickard's chief strongholds at this time was the castle of Claregalway, or Baile-an-chlair, and about two miles to the north-east of this

THE BATTLE OF KNOCKTOW.

343

place, on some elevated rocky land called Knoc-tuagh (Knocktow), or the Hill of Axes, his army was drawn up to await the enemy. The battle which ensued was one of the most sanguinary and decisive that had taken place in Ireland since the invasion; but there cannot be a greater perversion of the truth than to represent it, as English historians have done, as a battle between the English and Irish, or between the forces of the English government and the "Irish rebels." For some hours the issue seemed doubtful, but ultimately Clanrickard and his allies suffered a total overthrow. Their loss in the battle and flight, according to Ware, was 2,000 men; Cox makes it amount to 4,000; and that fabulous Anglo-Irish compilation, the book of Howth, raises the loss to 9,000! The white book of the Exchequer asserted, according to Ware, as a kind of miracle, that not one Englishman was even hurt. in the battle, a thing which is quite possible, as there were probably no Englishmen actually engaged on either side; but although nothing can be more silly than to boast of the victory as if won by Englishmen, it was in its results a most important one for English interests, by establishing the power of the Pale, and inflicting a blow on the Irish chieftains, from which they never recovered.* The book of Howth attributes an atrocious expression to viscount Gormanstown after the battle. "We have slaughtered our

enemies," said he to the earl of Kildare, according to this veracious authority; "but to complete the good deed we must do the like with all the Irish of our own party." As a contrast to which insolence of success, Leland candidly observes, that "in the remains of the old Irish annalists we do not find any considerable rancour expressed against the English; but they even speak of the actions and fortunes of great English lords with affection and sympathy."† Kildare, with his usual impetuosity, wished to push on to Galway, eight miles distant, the evening of the battle, but the veteran O'Donnell recommended him to encamp that night on the field, until the troops, scattered in pursuit of the enemy, should be collected. The battle was fought on the 19th of August, 1504, and the next day Galway and Athenry surrendered to

Sir John Davis admits that this battle arose out of a private quarrel of the earl of Kildare. Ware does not discredit the report that it owed its origin to "a private grudge between Kildare and Ulick;" Cox alludes to such an opinion in similar terms; and the Four Masters, who were not accessible to these writers, record the circumstances as we have related them, and in a way which leaves no doubt upon the matter. Dr. O'Donovan, who had every existing record of this transaction before him, says the conflict at Knocktow was, in fact, a battle between Leath-Chuinn and Leath-Mhogha, the northern and southern halves of Ireland, like the battles of Moy Lena, Moy Mucruimhe and Moy Alvy, where the southerns were as usual defeated. The name of the place is at present written either Knocktow or Knockdo

Hist. of Ireland, book iii., c. 5.

1

the earl without resistance. Kildare distributed thirty tuns of wine among his army, but whether he paid the merchants of Galway for it we are not told. He himself, as a reward for the victory, was made a knight of the garter. As to Ulick Burke, he escaped, but his two sons, and some say his two daughters also, were made prisoners.

The only event of interest recorded in the remainder of this reign is the death of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, which took place in 1505, in the 78th year of his age and the 44th of his reign over Tirconnell. He was the son of the celebrated Niall Garv O'Donnell, and was one of & long line of heroes. "In his time," say the annalists, "there was no need of defence for the houses in Tirconnell, except to close the doors against the wind." He was succeeded by his son, Hugh Oge. During the reign of Henry VII. the country was frequently visited by pestilence, and the fearful visitation called the sweating sickness raged for several years.

Accession of Henry VIII-Gerald, Earl of Kildare, still Lord Deputy.-His last Transactions and Death.-Hugh O'Donnell visits Scotland and prevents an Invasion of Ireland.-Wars of the Kinel-Connell and Kinel-Owen.-Proceedings of the new Earl of Kildare.-The Earl of Surrey Lord Lieutenant.-His Opinion of Irish Warfare.-His Advice to the King about Ireland. His Return.-The Earl of Ormond succeeds and is made Earl of Ossory.-Wars in Ulster.-Battle of Knockavoe.-Triumph of Kildare.-Vain attempts to reconcile O'Neill and O'Donnell.-Treasonable Correspondence of Desmond.-Kildare again in Difficulties.-Effect of his Irish Popularity. Sir William Skeffington Lord Deputy.-Discord between him and Kildare. New Irish Alliances of Kildare.-His Fall.-Reports of the Council to the King.-The Schism in England.-Rebellion of Silken Thomas.-Murder of Archbishop Allen.-Siege of Maynooth.-Surrender of Silken Thomas and Arrest of his Uncles.-Their Crue! Fate.-Lord Leonard Gray in Ireland.-Destruction of O'Brien's Bridge.-Interesting Events in Offaly.Desolating War against the Irish.-Confederation of Ii ish Chiefs.-Fidelity of the Irish to their Faith. Rescue of young Gerald Fitzgerald.-Extension of the Geraldine League.-Desecration of Sacred Things-Battle of Belahoe.-Submission of Southern Chiefs.-Escape of Young Gerald to France.-Effects of the "Reformation" on Ireland.-Servility of Parliament.-Henry's Insidious Policy in Ireland.-George Brown, first Protestant Archbishop of Dublin.-His Character. Failure of the New Creed in Ireland.-Terrible spoliation of the Irish by the Lord Justice.-Submission of Irish Princes.-Their Acceptance of English Titles and Surrender of Irish ones. Henry VIII. made King of Ireland.-Submission of Desmond.-First Native Irish Lords in Parliament.-Execution of Lord Leonard Gray.-O'Neill Surrenders his Territory and is made Earl of Tyrone.-Murrough O'Brien made Earl of Thomond.-Confiscation of Convent Lands.-Effect of the Policy of Concession and Corruption.

COTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS AND EVENTS.

Popes: Julius II., Leo X., Adrian VI., Clement VII., Paul III.-Kings of France: Louis XII., Francis I.-Emperors of Germany: Maximilian I., Charles V.-Sovereigns of Scotland: James IV., James V.. Queen Mary.-The "Reformation" preached in Germany, 1517.-Foundation of the Society of Jesus, 1534.-Opening of the Council of Trent, 1515.-Death of Luther, 1546.

(A.D. 1509 TO A.D. 1547).

O change was made in the Irish government on the accession of Henry VIII. Gerald, the veteran earl of Kildare, was confirmed in his office as lord deputy, and still carried on his forays against various Irish septs. In 1510 he proceeded with a numerous army into south Munster against the MacCarthys, and was joined by James, son of the earl of Desmond. In Ealla, now Duhallow, he took the castle of Kanturk, and in Kerry the castle of Pailis, near Laune Bridge, and Castlemaine. Returning to the county of Limerick he was joined by Hugh, lord of Tirconnell, the son of his old ally, Hugh Roe O'Donnell, with a small but efficient body of troops. He crossed the Shannon and destroyed a wooden bridge which stood over that river at Portcrusha, probably somewhere near Castleconnell, but here his progress was checked. Turlough O'Brien had collected a large army composed of

*

the septs of north Munster and Clanrickard, and at this point approached so close that the men's voices could be heard from the opposite camps during the night; but the morning after this bold advance of O'Brien found Kildare preparing to retreat. The Leinster and Meath troops, with O'Donnell's small contingent, were placed in the rear, and James of Desmond, with the Munster forces, led the van. While retiring in this order he was attacked by O'Brien, who took large spoils and slew several of the English, among others Barnwell, of Crickstown, in Meath, and a baron Kent; but the earl succeeded, with the main body of his army, in reaching Limerick through Monabraher, on the north side of the Shannon, and soon after he left Munster.

A.D. 1512.—The earl once more crossed the Shannon into Connaught, and took the castle of Roscommon and that of Cavetown, in Moylurg. O'Donnell, who had spent the year 1511 on a pilgrimage to Rome, and was engaged since his return in making reprisals on O'Neill for depre dations committed by the latter in Tirconnell during his absence, came to the Curlieu mountains to meet Kildare, and renewed the friendly relations which must have been disturbed by O'Donnell's hostilities in Ulster. Apparently as one of the consequences of this conference the earl soon after marched to the north, entered Clannaboy, and took the castle of Belfast, and other strongholds. In the course of the following year O'Donnell appears to have rendered an important service to the English interest. He visited Scotland on the invitation of James IV., who treated him with great honor, during three months which he stayed there, and as we are told that "he changed the king's resolution of coming to Ireland as he intended," we may conclude that James meditated an invasion, from which he was deterred by O'Donnell's advice, and by the recollection, probably, of the fate of Edward Bruce.

The earl of Kildare made his last campaign in Ely O'Carroll, where he laid siege to the castle of O'Banan's-leap; but failing to take this stronghold, he retired to Athy, where he died; his death, as some say, being caused by a wound which he had received long before in O'More's country. The Irish annalists style him the Great Earl, and describe him as "valorous, princely, and religious." He was interred in Christ Church, and his son, Garrett Oge, or Gerald the younger, was chosen by the privy council to succeed him as lord justice, and soon after was created lord deputy by letters patent. The new earl rivalled his father's zeal against the border Irish, and inaugurated his administration by defeat

* Ware says that James of Desmond was with O'Brien on this occasion, but the context shew the Four Masters, whom we have followed, to be correct.