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f
l!4<U£TRATED
HI^TO^Y OF INLAND
M. F. CUSACK,
AUTHOR OF "THE STUDENT'S MANUAL OF IRISH HISTORY," ETC. ETC.
SHiib historical $ltostrali<ms bg jgtnrg ^oiilc.
SIXTH EDITION — THIRTEENTH THOUSAND.
» " Lege totum, si vis scire totum. "
LONDON:
LONGMANS, GRfiEN, <fe CO., PATERNOSTER ROW.
DUBLIN : ELWOOD, 9 CAPEL STREET.
BOSTON, U.S. : P. DONOHOE.
AUSTRALIA: G. ROBERTSON, MELBOURNE.
1873.
/if iff
{The right of Translation and Reproduction is reserved.]
157610
TO THE
RIGHT HONORABLE LORD O'HAGAN,
Jorb Chancellor of frtiano.
»
HIS SISTER MARY,
FOUNDRESS AKD ABBESS OF SAINT CLARE'S CONVENT,
KENMARE,
THIS VOLUME
a AFFECTIONATELY AND RESPECTFULLY
DEDICATED
ffte &«%:.
DIRECTIONS TO BINDER FOR PLACING FULL-PAGE
ILLUSTRATIONS, &c.
Coloured Title-Page.
The Emigrants' Farewell,
Specimens of Ancient Irish Manuscripts,
St Patrick going to Tara,
King Brian Boroimhe killed by the Viking, .
Marriage of Eva and Strongbow,
Interview between MacMurrough and the Officers of
Richard II., ....
Interview between Eusex and O'Neill, .
Massacre at Drogheda, ....
Ireton condemning the Bishop of Limerick, .
Grattan's demand for Irish Independence,
O'Connell refusing to take the Oath, .
Ireland and America, ....
Map showing the localities of the Principal Old Irish
Families, .....
Educational Map, ,
Statistical Map,
to fact page 82
44
„ 120
217
264
367
456
* Ml
507
590
647
654
to face TitU.
end of book.
fist rf Illustrations, Paps, tit.
Coloured Title Paoi.
The Emigrants* Farewell, ....
Site of Tara, ... . .
Specimens of Ancient Irish Manuscripts,
Doorway of Glonmaonois, ...
Clonmacnois, - . ... .
Bebehaven, . . .
Flint Spear-head, from the Collection of the R.IJL,
Cavity containing Oval Basin, New Grange,
The Seven Castles of Clonmines,
Cross at Glendalough, Co. .Wicklow, .
Cromlech at Dunmore, Waterford,
Ancient Flint Axe, ....
From Sculptures at Devenkh,
Rouni> Tower of Dysart, near Crook, Limerick,
Flint Spear-head, from the Collection of the R.I.A.
Lough- Hyne, .....
Oratory at Gallarus, Co. Kerry,
Gap of Dunloe, Killarney,
Armagh, ...
Ancient Sword, from the Collection of the R.LA.,
Sculptures at Devenish,
St Patrick going to Tara,
St Patrick's Bell, ....
Cromlech, at Castle Mary, Cloyne, .
Runes from the Runic Cross at Ruthwell, •
Cuneiform Characters,
The Quipus,
Ogham Writing, .....
Urn and its Contents found in Cromlech in Phcenix Park,
Cinerary Urn, .....
Gold Head-Dress, R.I. A., . . .
Cromlech in the Phcekix Park, • .
Clondalkin Round Tower,
Ancient Adze, from the Collection of the R.IJL,
Cross at Finolas, ....
Rock of Cashel, . . • • •
Grey Man's Path, Giant's Causeway, .
Rath at Leighlin, Carlow,
Kino Brian Boroimhe killed ry the Viking, .
Cover of St Patrick's Bell, . .
Desmond Castle and Rath, Limerick, .
Bangor Castle, . . . . •
Ardmore Round Tower, ....
Celt; Stone Axe, • •
Stone Drinking-Cup -r Palstave Celt, • •
Mould for casting Bronze Celts, • •
Ancient Boot, . . . .
Ancient Shoe, . . . ♦
Head of Ox, , .
Heads of Irish Wolf Dogs, . . .
Dublin.
faob
82
41
44
4T
48
57
62
66
67
74
75
78
87
88
93
100
101
107
108
118
119
120
136
137
148
149
150
151
154
156
157
161
162
188
184
193
199
200
217
219
220
230
236
239
244
246
251
252
254
255
ii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Ferriter's Castle, . . . . .
Bargy Castle, • . . . .
Marriage of Eva and Strongbow, • . •
The Logan Stone, Khxabney, . . • .
Ancient Irish Brooch, • • • • •
Ram's Island, Armagh, . . . . , *
Kedc-an-Eigh, ......
Wioexow Mountains, . . • . . . • ' .
Stalactite Cave, Tipferart, . . • •
King John's Castle, Limerick, ....
Athlome Castle, . ... • •
Curtain Cave, Tipperart, . . • •
Bermingham Tower, Dublin. Castle, ... •
Butler's Tomb, Friary Church, Clonmel, . •
Carrioxfergur, ......
Ibtertiew between MacMurrouoh and the Officers of Richard II,
Butt's Cross, Kilkenny, . . . .
Round Tower, Donaohmorb, Co. Meath, • .
Ruins of Selsker Abbey, Wexford, . • •
Sculptures at Devenish, ....
Ross Island, . . . • . .
Gold Ear-rino, found at Castlerea, Co. Roscommon,
Kilcolman Castle, .... . . .
Carbio-a-Hooly — Grace O'Malley's Castle, . •
The House where Sir Walter Raleigh lived,
SaLTEB ISLAND8, WEXFORD, . .
Interview between Essex and O'Neill, • •
Ruin— Blaokwater, . . ! . • .
Tully Castle, Co. Fermanagh, . . . .
Castle Monea, Co. Fermanagh, .
Ancient Drinking Vessel or Mether, .
Table and Chair used at the Confederation of Kilkenny,
Parliament House, Kilkenny, ...
Thomas Flemyng's Tomb, Collegiate Church, Youghal,
St Lawrence Gate, Drogheda, ....
Massacre at Drogheda, .....
Cromwell's Fort, Drogheda, .... •
Ireton condemning the Bishop of Limerick, • •
Sculptures of Devenish, ....
Ancient Pitcher, . ...
Olderfleet Castle, Larne, ....
Tubrid Churchyard — Bdrial-Place of the Historian Keating,
Inscription in honour of Keating, . . •
"Danes' Pipes," from the Collection of the R.LA.,
Irish Peasant of about the. Fifteenth Century,
Castle Caulfield, Co. Tyrone, . . .
Scene of the Battle of the Boyne, . • •
The Castle of Trim, ....
The Treaty Stone, Limerick, • •
Site of the Battle of Aughrim, . . .
Grattan demanding Irish Independence, . •
Goldsmith's Well, .....
Gosdsmith's Mill at Auburn, ... . » ,
Bantry Bay— Scene of the Landing of the French, •
Lynch's House, Galway, ....
Swords' Castle, Co. Durum, ... . •
0' Conn ell refusing to take the Oath,
Ireland and America, .....
Map SHOWING the Localities of the Principal Old Irish Families.
Educational Map and Statistical Map.
PAOB
257
260
265
269
270
282
234
285
299
300
314
328
329
853
354
367
368
885
386
405
406
422
423
435
440
441
456
462
463
470
480
481
486
497
498
501
501
507
515
528
529
532
533
541
552
558
554
560
572
573
590
592
610
611
634
635
646
654
X
fel^
PREFACE
TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
MKP
m
DEMAND for a Fifth Edition of the "Illus-
trated History of Ireland," within three years
from the date of the publication of other Editions,
consisting of 11,000 copies, is a matter of no
little gratification to the writer, both perso-
nally and relatively* It is a triumphant proof
that Irishmen are not indifferent to Irish his-
tory— a fault of which they have been too fre-
quently accused ; and as many of the clergy
have been moat earnest and generous in their
efforts to promote the circulation of the work, it is gratifying
to be able to adduce this fact also in reply to the imputations,
even lately cast upon the ecclesiastics of Ireland, of deficiency
in cultivated tastes, and of utter neglect of literature.
Nor, as a Catholic and a religious, can I fail to express my
respectful gratitude and thankfulness for the warm appro-
bation which the work has received from so many dis-
tinguifthed prelates* A few of these approbations will be
found at the commencement of the volume — it was impossible
to find space for all It maybe, however, well to observe, that
ral of the English Catholic bishops have not been less
kind and earnest in their commendations, though I have not
asked their permission to publish their conimnnieatiuus.
ae extracts are given from the reviews, which also are
■ssarily condensed and limited; and, as the Most Kev. I)r.
Derry has observed, the press has been most favorable in its
criticisms. It certainly is not a little strange that Ireland, which
was once esteemed the home of literature, as well as the home of
saints, should now have the reputation of being almost indiffer-
ent, if not absolutely so, to her men of letters, her artists, and
her bards. The consequence of this is self-evident The ablest
Irish writers of the day are engaged <&n English publications.
More than one leading London paper has been edited by an Irish-
man ; wiiile several have Irishmen on their staff, and recognised
as their most effective contributors.
It cannot be altogether want of money which has caused this
singular state of things, The sums of money contributed for
various charitable purposes, for electioneering funds, but above
all, of late years for the erection of statues to departed her.
is sufficient evidence that where there is the inclination, the
pecuniary resources are not wanting. It seems unaccountable
why li\es of such men — an infinitely better tribute to their memory
than any artistic erection — should not be at least equally valuable.
The cajuse may be neglect of intellectual culture ; if it be so, the
only i^aaedy will be the vigorous exertions of those who are
gifted with literary taste to develop and cultivate it in others —
anything which w«Ud tend to the general elevation of the mass
of the people, should be a subject of attention and interest to the
statesman, as well as to the patriot
It is curious, but true, that there is a more general interest in
Irish history, from a literary point of view, in England than in
Ireland* I should not, however, omit to acknowledge the en-
couragement which so many gentlemen, both English and Irish,
have given to the work, and the assistance they have afforded in
promoting its circulation, In a circular, quite recently published
in London, and addressed to the members of a society for the
republication of English mediaeval literature, gentlemen are called
on by the eecretary, even at the risk, as he himself admits, of
" boring them, by asking them to canvass for orders, like a book-
seller's traveller/* to assist in obtaining additional subscribers to
the series, and he requests every subscriber '* to get another at
once/' I am happy to say that, without such solicitation on
our part, many Irish gentlemen have done us this kindni
and have obtained not one, but many orders from their frien
I confidently hope that many MOW will ex-rt themselves in a
similar manner* for the still wider dissemination of this Edition.
PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION,
It is a time, beyond all others, when Irish history should be
thoroughly known and carefully studied. It is a disgrace to
Irishmen not to know their history perfectly, and this with no
mere outline view, but completely and in detaiL It is very
much to be regretted that Irish history is not made a distinct
study in schools and colleges, both in England and Ireland.
What should be thought of a school where English history was
not taught ? and is Irish history of less importance ?
There are some few Irish Catholics who appear to think that
Irishmen should not study their history — some, because they
imagine that our history is a painful subject ; others, because
they imagine that its record of wrongs cannot fail to excite
violent feelings, which may lead to violent deeds. I cannot
for one moment admit that our history is either so very sorrow*
fill, or that we have cause to do anything but rejoice in it.
If we consider temporal prosperity to be the sumntum bonum
of our existence, no doubt we may say with truth, like the
Apostle, that of all peoples we are " most miserable ; " but we
have again and again renounced temporal advantages, and dis-
carded temporal^ prosperity, to secure eternal gain ; and we
have the promise of the Eternal Truth that we shall attain all
that we have desired. Our history, then, far from being a
history of failures, has been a history of the most triumphant
success — of the most brillant victories. I believe the Irish
are the only nation on earth of whom it can be truly said
that they have never apostatized nationally. Even the most
Catholic countries of the Continent have had their periods of
religious revolution, however temporary. Ireland has been
deluged with blood again and again ; she has been defeated in
a temporal point of view again and again ; but spiritually —
NEVER 1 Is this a history to be ashamed of? Is this a history
to regret? Is this a history to lament? Is it not rather a
history over which the angels in heaven rejoice, and of which
the best, the holiest, and the noblest of the human race may
justly be proud ?
On the second count, I shall briefly say that if Irish history
were taught in our Irish colleges and schools to children while
still young, and while the teacher could impress on his charge
the duty of forgiveness of enemies, of patient endurance, of
6 PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
the mighty power of moral force, which has effected even for
Ireland at times what more violent measures have failed to
accomplish, then there could be no danger in the study. Per-
haps the greatest human preservative of the faith, for those
whose lot may be cast hereafter in other lands, would be to
inculcate a great reverence for our history, and a true appre-
ciation of its value. The taunt of belonging to a despised
nation, has led many a youth of brilliant promise to feel
ashamed of his country, and almost inevitably to feel ashamed
of his faith. A properly directed study of Irish history would
tend much to remove this danger. During the debate on the
Irish Church question, Mr. Maguire, M.P. for Cork, significantly
remarked on the effect produced by the " deliberate exclusion"
of any instruction in Irish history from National schools,. It
does seem curious that national history should be a forbidden
subject in National schools, and this fact makes the appellation
of " National " seem rather a misnomer. The result of this
deliberate exclusion was graphically described by the honor-
able member. The youth comes forth educated, and at a
most impressible < age he reads for the first time the history
of his country, and burns with indignant desire to avenge
her many wrongs. The consequences are patent to all. It is,
then, for the advantage of England, as well as of Ireland, that
Irish history should be made the earliest study of Irish youth ;
nor is it of less importance that Irish history should be
thoroughly known by Englishmen. It is the duty of every
Englishman who has a vote to give, to make himself acquainted
with the subjects on which his representative will give, in his
name, that final decision which makes his political opinion the
law of the land. I suppose no one will deny that the Irish
Question is the question of the day. The prosperity of Eng-
land, as well as the prosperity of Ireland, is involved in it
No educated man, however humble his station, has a right to
assist in returning a member to Parliament without clearly
comprehending the principles of his representative. But unless
he has some comprehension of the principles themselves, it is of
little use for him to record his vote. I do not say that every
English voter is bound to study Irish history in detail, but I
do say that, at the present day, he is bound to know what the
PREFACE TO THK FIFTH EDITION.
Irish themselves demand from England ; and if he considers
their demands reasonable, he should record his vote only for
those who will do their utmost to obtain the concessions de-
manded. A man is unworthy of the privilege of voting, if he
is deficient either in the intellect or the inclination to under-
stand the subject on which he votes. .
But it is of still more importance that members of Parlia-
ment should read — and not only read, but carefully study — the
history of Ireland. Irishmen have a right to demand that
they shall do so. If they undertake to legislate for us, they
are bound in conscience and in honour to know what we re-
quire, to . know our past and our present state. Englishmen
pride themselves on their honour ; but it is neither honorable
to undertake to govern without a thorough knowledge of the
governed, or to misrepresent their circumstances to others
whose influence may decide their future.
It was manifest from the speech of her Majesty's minister,
on the night of the all-important division on the Irish Church
question, that he either had not studied Irish history, or that
he had forgotten its details. If his statements are correctly
reported by the press, they are inconceivably wild. It may be
said that the circumstances in which he found himself obliged
him to speak as he did, but is this an excuse worthy of such an
honorable position ? The Normans, he is reported to have
said, conquered the land in Ireland, but in England they
conquered completely. The most cursory acquaintance with
Irish history would have informed the right honorable
gentleman, that the Normans did not conquer the land in
Ireland — no man has as yet been rash enough to assert that
they conquered the people. The Normans obtained possession
of a small portion, a very small portion of Irish land ; and if
the reader will glance at the map of the Pale, which will be
appended to this edition, at the proper place, he will see
precisely what extent of country the English held for a few
hundred years. Even that portion they could scarcely have
been said to have conquered, for they barely held it from day to
day at the point of the sword. Morally Ireland was never con-
quered, for he would be a bold man who dared to say that the
Irish people ever submitted nationally to the English Church
established by law. In fact, so rash does the attempt s«
even to those who most desire to make it, that they are fain
to find refuge and consolation in the supposed introduction of
Protestantism into Ireland by St Patrick, a thousand years
and more before that modern phase of religious thought
appeared to divide the Christian world.
But I deny that Ireland has over been really conquered ; and
even should the most sanguinary suggestions proposed in a nine-
teenth-century serial be carried out, I am certain she could not
ba Ireland has never been permanently subdued by Dane or
Norman, Dutchman or Saxon ; nor has she ever been really
united to England. A man is surely not united to a jailer be-
cause he is bound to him by an iron chain which his jailer has
forged for his safe keeping. This is not union ; and the term
"United Kingdom" is in fact a most miserable misnomer. Unity
requires something more than a mere material approximation.
I believe it to be possible that England and Ireland may become
united ; and if ever this should be accomplished, let no man for-
get that the first link in the golden chain issued from the hands
of the right honorable member for South Lancashire, when he
proposed equality of government on religious questions — the
first step towards that equality of government which alone can
effect a moral union of the two countries. It might be trea-
sonable to hint that some noble-hearted men, who loved their
country not wisely but too well, and who are paying in lifelong
anguish the penalty of their patriotism, had anything to do
with the formation of this golden chain — so I shall not hint it.
I believe the Fenian movement, at one time scouted as a
mere ebullition, at another time treated as a dangerous and
terrible rebellion, has done at least this one good to England —
it has compelled honest and honorable men to inquire each
for himself what are the grievances of Ireland, and why she
continues disaffected to English rule. For men who are
honest and honorable to make such inquiries, is the first step*
and a certain step, towards their remedy; and as I glanced down
the list of the ayes in the division, I could see the names of men
who, in England, have been distinguished during years for their
private and public virtues, and who have been lavish in their cha-
nties whenever their own countrymen required their assistance.
PBEFAC8 TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
There can be little doubt that a new era has dawned upon old
Erinn's shores.. It remains to be proved if her sons shall be as
faithful in prosperity as they have been in adversity. It remains
to be proved, if opportunities are afforded us of obtaining higher
intellectual culture without the danger of the moral deteriora-
tion which might have attended that culture under other cir-
cumstances, whether we shall avail ourselves of them to the
full. May we not hope that Ireland will become once more
famous both for learning and sanctity. The future of our
nation is in tjie hands of the Irish hierarchy. No government
dare refuse anything which they may demand perseveringly
and unitedly. The people who have been guided by them,
and saved by them for so many centuries, will follow as they
lead. If their tone of intellectual culture is elevated, the
people will become elevated also ; and we shall hear no more
of those reproaches, which are a disgrace to those who utter them,
rather than to those of whom they are uttered. Let our
people be taught to appreciate something higher than a mere
ephemeral literature ; let them be taught to take an interest
in the antiquities and the glorious past of their nation ; and
then let them learn the history of other peoples and of other
races. A high ecclesiastical authority has declared recently
that " ecclesiastics do not cease to be citizens/' and that they
do not consider anythingwhich affects the common weal of their
country is remote from their duty. The clergy of the diocese
of Limerick, headed by their Dean, and, it must be presumed,
with the sanction of their Bishop, have given a tangible proof
that they coincide in opinion with his Grace the Archbishop of
Westminster. The letter addressed to Earl Grey by that pre-
late, should be in the hands of every Irishman; and it is with
no ordinary gratification that we acknowledge the kindness
and condescension of his Grace in favouring us with an early
copy of it
This letter treats of the two great questions of the day with
admirable discretion. As I hope that every one who reads
these pages possesses a copy of the pamphlet, I shall merely draw
attention to two paragraphs in it : one in which Fenianism is
treated of in that rational spirit which appears to have been
completely lost sight of in the storm of angry discussion which
10 PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
it has excite A On this subject his Grace writes: "It would be
blindness not to see, and madness to deny, that we have
entered into another crisis in the relation of England and Ire-
land, of which '98, '28, and '48 were precursors;" and he argues
with clearness and authority, that when Englishmen once
have granted justice to Ireland, Ireland will cease to accuse
England of injustice.
To one other paragraph in this remarkable letter, I shall
briefly allude : " I do not think Englishmen are enough aware
of the harm some among us do by a contemptuous, satirical,
disrespectful, defiant, language in speaking of Ireland and the
Irish people." From peculiar circumstances, the present
writer has had more than ordinary opportunities of verifying
the truth of this statement The wound caused by a sarcastic
expression may often fester far longer than the wound caused
by a hasty blow. The evil caused by such language is by no
means confined entirely to Protestants. There are, indeed,
but few English Catholics who speak contemptuously of Ire-
land, of its people, or of its history ; but, if I am to credit
statements which have been made to me on unquestionable
authority, there are some who are not free from this injustice.
A half-commiserating tone of patronage is quite as offensive
as open contempt ; and yet there have been instances where
English Catholic writers, while obliged to show some deference
to Ireland and the Irish, in order to secure the patronage and
support of that country for their publications, have at the same
time, when they dared, thrown out insinuations against pecu-
liarities of Irish character, and made efforts to discredit Irish
historical documents.
I had intended, in preparing the Second Edition of the
"Illustrated History of Ireland," to omit the original Preface,
in order to leave more space for the historical portion of the
work. When this intention was mentioned, several laymen
and ecclesiastics expostulated so earnestly against it, that I
have been obliged to yield to their request I am aware
that some few persons objected to my remarks on the state
of land laws in Ireland, or rather on the want of proper
land laws ; but the opinion of those interested in maintain-
ing an evil, will always be averse to its exposure; and I
EBEFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. H
cannot conoeive bow any one who desires an injustice to
be removed, can object to a fair and impartial discussion
of tbe subject An English writer, also, bas made some
childish remarks about the materials for Irish history not
being yet complete, and inferred that in consequence an
Irish history could not yet be written. His observations are
too puerile to need refutation. I have been informed also
that some objection has been made to a " political preface ;"
and that one gentleman, whose name I have not had the
honour of hearing, has designated the work as a "political
pamphlet" Even were not Irish history exceptional, I con-
fess myself perplexed to understand how history and politics
can be severed. An author may certainly write a perfectly
colourless history, but he must state the opinions of different
parties, and the acts consequent on those opinions, even should
he do so without any observation of his own. I never for a
moment entertained the intention of writing such a history,
though I freely confess I have exercised considerable self-
restraint as to the expression of my own opinion when writing
some portions of the present work. You might as well attempt
to write an ecclesiastical history without the slightest refer-
ence to different religious opinions, as attempt to write the
history of any nation, and, above all, of Ireland, without
special and distinct reference to the present and past political
opinions of the different sections of which the nation is com-
posed. Such suggestions are only worthy of those who, when
facte are painful, try to avert the wound they cause by
turning on the frauier of the weapon which has driven
these facts a little deeper than usual into their intellectual •
conception; or of those uneducated, or low-minded, even if
educated persons, who consider that a woman cannot write a
history, and would confine her literary efforts to sensation
novels and childish tales. I am thankful, and I hope I am not
unduly proud, that men of the highest intellectual culture,
both in England and Ireland, on the Continent of Europe,
and in America, have pronounced a very different judgment
on the present work, and on the desire of the writer to raise
her countrywomen to higher mental efforts than are required by
the almost exclusive perusal of works of fiction. If women
may excel as painters and sculptors, why may not a woman
attempt to excel as an historian? Men of cultivated in*
tellect, far from wishing to depreciate such efforts, will be the
first to encourage them with more than ordinary warmth; the
opinions of other persons, whatever may be their position, are
of little value-
On the Irish Church question I feel it unnecessary to say
more than a "word of congratulation to my countrymen, and of
hearty thanks for the noble conduct of so many Englishmen
at this important crisis. Irish Protestants have been quite
as national as Irish Catholics ; and now that the fatal bane
of religious dissension has been removed, we may hope that
Irishmen, of all ct&OM and creeds, will work together harmo-
niously for the good of their common country: and thus one
great means of Irish prosperity wiU be opened. The Irish are
eminently a justice-loving people. Let justice once be granted
to them, and there is that in their national character which
will n iake them accept as a boon what others might accept
as a right.
In concluding the Preface to this Edition, I cannot omit to
express my grateful thanks to Sir William Wilde, and other
members of the Royal Irish Academy, through whose kind-
ness I obtained the special favour of being permitted to copy
some of the most valuable illustrations of Irish antiquities
contained in their Catalogue, and which has enabled the
reader, for the first time, to have an Irish history iHustr;i;
with Irish antiquities — a favour which it is hoped an inert
of cultivated taste amongst our people wjll enable them to
appreciate more and more. To John O'Hagan, Esq., QC , I
owe a debt of gratitude which cannot easily be repaid, for
the time he bestowed on the correction of the proofs of the
First Edition, and for many kind suggestions, and much valu-
able advice, I am indebted, alio, to M. J. Rhodes, Esq., of
Hoddersfield, for a liberal use of his library, perhaps one of
the most valuable private libraries in Ireland, and for permit-
ting me to retain, for a year and more, some of its most costly
treasures. The same kindness was also granted by the Rev,
D. McCarthy, Professor of Sacred Scripture and Hebrew at
ataynooth, who is himself doing so much for its ecclesiastical
PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. 13
students by his valuable literary labours, and who was one of
the first to urge me to undertake this work. In preparing the
Second Edition, I am not a little indebted to the Rev. James
Gaffney, C.C., M.R.I.A., of Clontarf, who, even during the
heavy pressure of Lenten parochial duties, has found time to
give me the benefit of many important suggestions, and to
•how his love of Ireland by deeming no effort too great to
further a knowledge of her glorious history. • I am also
indebted to the Rev. John Shearman, C.C., M.R.I.A., of Howth,
for the valuable paper read before the R.I.A., on the "In-
scribed Stones at Killeen Cormac;" and to many other
authors who have presented me with their works ; amongst
the number, none were more acceptable than the poems of
Dr. Ferguson, and the beautiful and gracefully written Irish
before the Conquest, of Mrs. Ferguson, whose gifts are all the
more treasured for the peculiar kindness with which they were
presented.
To my old friend, Denis Florence MacCarthy, Esq., M.R.I.A.,
who should be the laureate of Ireland — and why should not
Ireland, that land of song, have her laureate ? — I can only offer
my affectionate thanks, for his kindnesses are too numerous
to record, and are so frequent that they would scarcely
bear enumeration. At this moment, Roderick OTlana-
gan, Esq., M.R.I.A., has found, or rather made, leisure, amongst
his many professional and literary occupations, to prepare the
valuable and important map of Irish families, and to which
W. H. Hennessy, Esq., M.RI.A., at present employed by
Government on the important work of publishing ancient. Irish
MS., has also given his assistance.
To many of the gentlemen in Cork, and principally to
Nicholas Murphy, Esq., of Norwood, and Eugene M'Swpeny,
Esq., I cannot fail to offer my best thanks for the generous help
they have given in promoting the circulation of the First
Edition. M F. Cusack.
Kbnmaeb, Co. Kebrt,
Nov,. 10th, 1870
able
Hoddt
'he most *
?meton
»ires. TL
Earthy, .
th, who *.
PREFACE
TO THE FIR8T EDITION.
■&
*>-fl
'flj [#HE history of the different races who form an
^W'4 i^^^S^3^ portion of the British Empire, should
X<tsfel? ^e one °^ ^e most carefully cultivated studies
of every member of that nation. To be igno-
rant of our own history, is a disgrace; to be
ignorant of the history of those whom we
govern, is an injustice. We can neither govern
ourselves nor others without a thorough know-
ledge of peculiarities of disposition which may
require restraint, and of peculiarities of temperament which
may require development We must know that water can
extinguish fire, before it occurs to us to put out a fire by the
use of water* We must know that fire, when properly used,
is & beneficent element of nature, and one which can be used
to our advantage when properly controlled, before we shall
attempt to avail ourselves of it for a general or a particular
benefit I believe a time has come when the Irish are more
than ever anxious to study their national history, I believe
a time has come when the English nation, or at least a
majority of the English nation, are willing to read that history
without prejudice, and to consider it with impartiality.
When first I proposed to write a History of Ireland, at the
earnest request of persons to whose opinion I felt bound to
defer, I was assured by many that it was useless ; that Irish-
men did not support Irish literature ; above all# that the Irish
16 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
clergy were indifferent to it, and to literature in general. ]
have since ascertained, by personal experience, that this charg<
is utterly unfounded, though I am free to admit it was mad<
on what appeared to be good authority. It is certainly to b
wished that there was a more general love of reading culti
vated amongst the Catholics of Ireland, but the deficiency ii
on a fair way to amendment. As a body, the Irish priest
hood may not be devoted to literature ; but as a body, un
questionably they are devoted — nobly devoted — to the spreac
of education amongst their people.
With regard to Englishmen, I cannot do better than quot<
the speech of an English member of Parliament, Aldermai
Salomons, who has just addressed his constituents at Green
wich in these words : —
" The state of Ireland will, doubtless, be a prominent sub
ject of discussion next session. Any one who sympathizes witl
distressed nationalities in their struggles, must, when he hear
of the existence of a conspiracy in Ireland, similar to thosi
combinations which used to be instituted in Poland in oppo
sition to Russian oppression, be deeply humiliated. Le
the grievances of the Irish people be probed, and let them h
remedied when their true nature is discovered. Fenianism i
rife, not only in Ireland, but also in England, and an armec
police required, which is an insult to our liberty. I did no
know much of the Irish land question, but I know that mea
sures have been over and over again brought into the Hous<
of Commons with a view to its settlement, and over and ove
again they have been cushioned or silently withdrawn. If th<
question can be satisfactorily settled, why let it be so, and le
us conciliate the people of Ireland by wise and honorabl
means. The subject of the Irish Church must also be consi
dered. I hold in my hand an extract from the report of th
commissioner of the Dublin Freeman's Journal, who is not
examining the question. It stated what will be to yoi
almost incredible — namely, that the population of the unitei
dioceses of Cashel, Emly, Waterford, and Lismore is 370,97?
and that of those only 13,000 are members of the Estal
lished Church, while 340,000 are Roman Catholics. If yo
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 17
had read of this state of things existing in any other
country, you would call out loudly against it Such a condi-
tion of things, in which large revenues are devoted, not for the
good of the many, but the few, if it does not justify Fenianism
certainly does justify a large measure of discontent. I am
aware of the difficulties in the way of settling the question,
owing to the fear of a collision between Protestants and Catho-
lics ; but I think Parliament ought to have the power to make
the Irish people contented."
This speech, I believe, affords a fair idea of the opinion of
educated and unprejudiced Englishmen on the Irish question.
They do not know much about Irish history ; they have heard
a great deal about Irish grievances, and they have a vague
idea that there is something wrong about the landlords, and
something wrong about the ecclesiastical arr&ngements of the
country. I believe" a careful study of Irish history is essential
to the comprehension of the Irish question ; and it is obviously
the moral duty of every man who has a voice in the govern-
ment of the nation, to make himself master of the subject. I
believe there are bonest and honorable men in England, who
would stand aghast with horror if they thoroughly understood
the injustices to which Ireland has beeft and still is subject.
The English, as a nation, profess the most ardent veneration
for liberty. To be a patriot, to desire to free one's country,
unless, indeed, that country happen to have some very close
connexion with their own, is the surest way to obtain ovation*
and applause. It is said that circumstances alter cases ; they
certainly alter opinions, but they do not alter facts. An
Englishman applauds and assists insurrection in countries
where they profess to have for their object the freedom of the
individual or of the nation ; he imprisons and stifles it at
home, where the motive is precisely similar, and the cause,
in the eyes of the insurgents at least, incomparably more valid.
But I do not wish to raise a vexed question, or to enter on
political discussions ; my object in this Preface is simply to
bring before the minds of Englishmen that they have a duty
to perform towards Ireland — a duty which they cannot cast
aside on others — a duty which it may be for their interest*
B
18 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
as well as for their honour, to fulfil. I wish to draw the
attention of Englishmen to those Irish grievances which are
generally admitted to exist, and which can only be fully
understood by a careful and unprejudiced perusal of Irish
history, past and present Until grievances are thoroughly
understood, they are not likely to be thoroughly remedied.
While they continue to exist, there can be no real peace in
Ireland, and English prosperity must suffer in a degree from
Irish disaffection.
It is generally admitted by all; except those who are specially
interested in the denial, that the Land question and the Church
question are the two great subjects which lie at the bottom of
the Irish difficulty. The difficulties of the Land question com-
menced in the reign of Henry II. ; the difficulties of the Church
question commenced in the reign of Henry VIII. I shall re-
quest your attention briefly to the standpoints in Irish history
from which we may take a clear view of these subjects. I shall
commence with the Land question, because I believe it to be
the more important of the two, and because I hope to show
that the Church question is intimately connected with it.
In the reign of Henry II., certain Anglo-Norman nobles
came to Ireland, and, partly by force and partly by intermar-
riages, obtained estates in that country. Their tenure was
the tenure of the sword. By the sword they expelled persons
whose families had possessed those lands for centuries ; and by
the sword they compelled these persons, through poverty, con-
sequent on loss of property, to take the position of inferiors
where they had been masters. You will observe that this first
English settlement in Ireland was simply a colonization on a very
small scale. Under such circumstances, if the native popula-
tion are averse to the colonization, and if the new and the old
races do not amalgamate, a settled feeling of aversion, more or
less strong, is established on both sides. The natives hate the
colonist, because he has done them a grievous injury by taking
possession of their lands ; the colonist hates the natives, because
they are in his way ; and, if he be possessed of " land hunger/'
they are an impediment to the gratification of his desires. It
should be observed that there is a wide difference between
<»tion and conquest The Saxons conquered what we
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 19
may presume to have been the aboriginal inhabitants of Eng-
land ; the Normans conquered the Saxon : thd conquest in both
cases was sufficiently complete to amalgamate the races — the
interest of the different nationalities became one. The Norman
lord scorned the Saxon churl quite as contemptuously as he
scorned the Irish Celt; but there was this very important
difference — the interests of the noble and the churl soon be-
came one ; they worked for the prosperity of their common
country. In Ireland, on the contrary, the interests were oppo-
site. The Norman noble hated the Celt as a people whom he
could not subdue, but desired most ardently to dispossess ; the
Celt hated the invader as a man most naturally will hate the
individual who is just strong enough to keep a wound open by
his struggles, and not strong enough to end the suffering by
killing the victim.
The land question commenced when Strongbow set his foot
on Irish soil; the land question will remain a disgrace to Eng-
land, and a source of misery to Ireland, until the whole system
inaugurated by Strongbow has been reversed. " At the com-
mencement of the connexion between England and Ireland/'
says Mr. Goldwin Smith, " the foundation was inevitably laid
for the fatal system of ascendency — a system under which the
dominant party were paid for their services in keeping down
rebels by a monopoly of power and emolument, and thereby
strongly tempted to take care that there should always be
rebels to keep down." There is a fallacy or two in this state-
ment; but let it pass. The Irish were not rebels then, cer-
tainly, for they were not under English dominion; but it is
something to find English writers expatiating on Irish wrongs;
and if they would only act as generously and as boldly as they
speak, the Irish question would receive an early and a most
.happy settlement. c
For centuries Ireland was left to the mercy and the selfish-
ness of colonists. Thus, with each succeeding generation, the
feeling of hatred towards the English was intensified with each
new act of injustice, and such acts were part of the normal rule
of the invaders. A lord deputy was sent after a time to rule
the country. Perhaps a more unfortunate form of government
could not have been selected for Ireland. The lord deputy
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
knew that he was subject to recall at any moment ; he had
neither a personal nor a hereditary interest in the country.
He came to make his fortune there, or to increase it He
came to rule for his own benefit, or for the benefit of his nation.
The worst of kings has, at least, an hereditary interest in the
country which he governs ; the best of lord deputies might
say that, if he did not oppress and plunder for himself, other
men would do it for themselves : why, then, should he be the
loser, when the people would not be gainers by his loss ?
When parliaments began to be held, and when laws were
enacted, every possible arrangement was made to keep the two
nations at variance, and to intensify the hostility which already
existed. The clergy were set at variance. Irish priests were for-
bidden to enter certain monasteries, which were reserved for the
use of their English brethren ; Irish ecclesiastics were refused
admission to certain Church properties in Ireland, that English
ecclesiastics might have the benefit of them. Lionel, Duke of
Clarence, when Viceroy of Ireland, issued a proclamation, for-
bidding the "Irish by birth" even to come near his army, until
he found, that he could not do without soldiers, even should
they have the misfortune to be Irish. The Irish and English
were forbidden to intermarry several centuries before the same
bar was placed against the union of Catholics and Protestants.
The last and not the least of the fearful series of injustices
enacted, in the name of justice, at the Parliament of Kilkenny,
was the statute which denied, which positively refused, the
benefit of English law to Irishmen, and equally forbid them to
use the Brehon law, which is even now the admiration of
jurists, and which had been the law of the land for many
centuries.
If law could be said to enact that there should be no law,
this was precisely what was done at the memorable Parliament
of Kilkenny. If Irishmen had done this, it would have been
laughed at as a Hibernicism, or scorned as the basest villany ;
but it was the work of Englishmen, and the Irish nation were
treated as rebels if they attempted to resist The confiscation
of Church property in the reign of Henry VIII., added a new
sting to the land grievance, and introduced a new feature in
its injustice. Church property had been used for the benefit of
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 21
the poor far more than for the benefit of its possessors. It is
generally admitted that the monks of the middle ages were
the best and most considerate landlords. Thousands of families
were now cast upon the mercy of the new proprietors, whose
will was their only law ; and a considerable number of persons
were deprived of the alms which these religious so freely dis-
tributed to the sick and the aged. Poverty multiplied fearfully,
and discontent in proportion. You will see, by a careful perusal
of this history, that the descendants of the very men who had
driven out the original proprietors of Irish estates, were in turn
driven out themselves by the next set of colonists. It was a
just retribution, but it was none the less terrible. Banishments
and confiscations were the rule by which Irish property was
administered. Can you be surprised that the Irish looked on
English adventurers as little better than robbers, and treated
them as such? If the English Government had made just and
equitable land laws for Ireland at or immediately after the
Union, all the miseries which have occurred since then might
have been prevented. Unfortunately, the men who had to legis*
late for Ireland are interested in the maintenance of the unjust
system ; and there is an old proverb, as true as it is old, about
the blindness of those who do not wish to see. Irish landlords,
or at least a considerable number of Irish landlords, are quite
willing to admit that the existence of the Established Church
is a grievance. Irish Protestant clergymen, who are not
possessed by an anti-Popery crochet — and, thank God, there
are few afflicted with that unfortunate disease now — are quite
free to admit that it is a grievance for a tenant to be subject
to ejection by his landlord, even if he pays his rent punc-
Uvally.
I believe the majority of Englishmen have not the faintest
idea of the way in which the Irish tenant is oppressed, not by
individuals, for there are many landlords in Ireland devoted
to their tenantry, but by a system. There are, however, it
cannot be denied, cases of individual oppression, which, if they
occurred in any part of Great Britain, and were publicly known,
would raise a storm, from the Land's End to John o' Groat's
House, that would take something more than revolvers to settle.
As one of the great objects of studying the history, of our own
22 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
country, is to enable us to understand and to enact such regu-
lations as shall be best suited to the genius of each race and
their peculiar circumstances, I believe it to be my duty as an
historian, on however humble a scale, not only to show how
our present history is affected by the past, but also to give you
such a knowledge of our present history as may enable you to
judge how much the country is still suffering from present
grievances, occasioned by past maladministration. Englishmen
are quite aware that thousands of Irishmen leave their homes
every year for a foreign country ; but they have little idea of
the cause of this emigration. Englishmen are quite aware that
from time to time insurrections break out in Ireland, which
seem to them very absurd, if not very wicked; but they do not
know how much grave cause there is for discontent in Ireland.
The very able and valuable pamphlets which have been written
on these subjects by Mr. Butt and Mr. Levey, and on the Church
question by Mr. De Vere, do not reach the English middle
classes, or probably even the upper classes, unless their atten-
tion is directed to them individually. The details of the suffer-
ings and ejectments of the Irish peasantry, which are given
trom time to time in the Irish papers, and principally in the
Irish local papers, are never even known across the Channel.
How, then, can the condition of Ireland, or of the Irish people,
be estimated as it should ? I believe there is a love of fair
play and manly justice in the English nation, which only needs
to be excited in order to be brought to act. '
But ignorance on this subject is not wholly confined to the
English. I fear there are many persons, even in Ireland, who
are but imperfectly acquainted with the working of their own
land laws, if, indeed, what sanctions injustice deserves the name
of law. To avoid prolixity, I shalL state very briefly the posi-
tion of an Irish tenant at the present day, and I shall show
(1) how this position leads to misery, (2) how misery leads to
emigration, and (3) how this injustice recoils upon the heads
of the perpetrators by leading to rebellion. First, the position
of an Irish tenant is simply this : he is rather worse off than a
slave. I speak advisedly. In Russia, the proprietors of large
estates worked by slaves, are obliged to feed and clothe their
slaves ; in Ireland, it quite depends on the will of the pro-
r^
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 23
prietor whether he will let his lands to his tenants on terms
which will enable them to feed their families on the coarsest
food, and to clothe them in the coarsest raiment If a famine
occurs — and in some parts of Ireland famines are of annual
occurrence — the landlord is not obliged to do anything for his
tenant, but the tenant must pay his rent I admit there are
humane landlords in Ireland ; but these are questions of fact,
not of feeling. It is a most flagrant injustice that Irish land-
lords should have the power of dispossessing their tenants if they
pay their rents. But this is not all ; although the penal laws
have been repealed, the power of the landlord over the con-
science of his tenant is unlimited. It is true he cannot apply
bodily torture, except, indeed, the torture of starvation, but he
can apply mental torture. It is in the power of an Irish land-
lord to eject his tenant if he does not vote according to his
wishes. A man who has no conscience, has no moral right to
vote ; a man who tyrannizes over the conscience of another,
should have no legal right But there is yet a deeper depth.
I believe you will be lost in amazement at what is yet to come,
and will say, as Mr. Young said of penal laws in the last cen-
tury, that they were more "fitted for the meridian of Barbary."
You have heard, no doubt, of wholesale evictions ; they are
of frequent occurrence in Ireland — sometimes from political
motives, because the poor man will not vote with his landlord ;
sometimes from religious motives, because the poor man
will not worship God according to his landlord's conscience ;
sometimes from seifish motives, because his landlord wishes
to enlarge his domain, or to graze more cattle. The motive
does not matter much to the poor victim. He is flung
out upon the roadside ; if he is very poor, he may die there,
or he may go to the workhouse, but he must not be taken
in, even for a time, by any other family on the estate. The
Irish Celt, with his warm heart and generous impulses, would,
at all risks to himself, take in the poor outcasts, and share his
poverty with them ; but the landlord could not allow this. The
commission of one evil deed necessitates the commission of
another. An Irish gentleman, who has no personal interest in
land, and is therefore able to look calmly on the question, has
24 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
been at the pains to collect instances of this tyranny, in his
Plea for the Celtic Race.
I have shown how the serfdom of the Irish tenant leads to
misery. But the subject is one which would require a volume.
No one can understand the depth of Irish misery who has not
lived in Ireland, and taken pains to become acquainted with
the habits and manner of life of the lower orders. The tenant
who is kept at starvation point to pay his landlord's rent, has
no means of providing for his family. He cannot encourage
trade; his sons cannot get work to do, if they are taught
trades. Emigration or the workhouse is the only resource. I
think the efforts which are made by the poor in Ireland to get
work are absolutely unexampled, and it is a cruel thing that a
man who is willing to work should not be able to get it I
know an instance in which a girl belonging to a comparatively
respectable family was taken into service, and it was discovered
that for years her only food, and the only food of her family,
was diy bread, and, as an occasional luxury, weak tea. So
accustomed had she become to this wretched fare, that she
actually could not even eat an egg. She and her family have-
gone to America ; and I have no doubt, after a few years, that
the weakened organs will recover their proper tone, with the
gradual use of proper food.
There is another ingredient in Irish misery which has not
met with the consideration it deserves. If the landlord happens
to be humane, he may interest himself in the welfare of the
families of his tenantry. He may also send a few pounds to
them for coals at Christmas, or for clothing ; but such instances
are unhappily rare, and the alms given is comparatively
nothing. In England the case is precisely the reverse. On
this subject I speak from personal knowledge. There is
scarcely a little village in England, however poor, where there
is not a committee of ladies, assisted by the neighbouring
gentry, who distribute coals, blankets, and clothing in winter;
and at all times, where there is distress, give bread, tea, and
.meat Well may the poor Irish come home discontented after
they have been to work in England, and see how differently
the poor are treated there. I admit, and I repeat it again,
that there are instances in which the landlord takes an interest
FREFAOS TO THB FIRST EDITION. 25
in his tenantry, but those instances are exceptions. Many of
these gentlemen, who possess the largest tracts of land in Ire-
land, have also large estates in England, and they seldom,
sometimes never, visit their Irish estates. They leave it to
their agent Every application for relief is referred to the
agent The agent, however humane, cannot be expected to
have the same interest in the people as a landlord ought to
have. The agent is the instrument used to draw out the last
farthing from the poor ; he is constantly in collision with them.
They naturally dislike him ; and he, not unnaturally, dislikes
them.
The burden, therefore, of giving that relief to the poor, which
they always require in times of sickness, and when they cannot
get work, falls almost exclusively upon the priests and the con-
vents. Were it not for the exertions made by the priests and
nuns throughout Ireland for the support of the poor, and to
obtain work for them, and the immense sums of money sent
to Ireland by emigrants, for the support of aged fathers and
mothers, I believe the destitution would be something appal-
ling, and that landlords would find it even more difficult than
at present to get the high rents which they demand. Yet,
some of these samelandlords,getting perhaps £20,000or £40,000
a-year from their Irish estates, will not give the slightest help
to establish industrial schools in connexion with convents, or
to assist them when they are established, though they are the
means of helping their own tdnants to pay their rent. There
are in Ireland about two hundred conventual establishments.
Nearly all of these convents have poor schools, where the poor
are taught, either at a most trifling expense, or altogether with-
out charge. The majority of these convents feed and clothe
a considerable number of poor children, and many of them have
established industrial schools, where a few girls at least can
earn what will almost support a whole family in comfort. I
give the statistics of one convent as a sample of others. I
believe there are a few, but perhaps only a very few other
places, where the statistics would rise higher ; but there are
many convents where the children are fed and clothed, and
where work is done on a smaller scale. If such institutions were
encouraged by the landlords, much more could be done. The
26 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
convent to which I allude was founded at the close of the year
1861. There was a national school in the little town (in Eng-
land it would be called a village), with an attendance of about
forty children. The numbers rose rapidly year by year, after
the arrival'of the nuns, and at present the average daily atten-
dance is just 400. It would be very much higher, were it not
for the steady decrease in the population, caused by emigration.
The emigration would have been very much greater, had not
the parish priest given employment to a considerable number of
men, by building a new church, convent, and convent schools.
The poorest of the children, and, in Ireland, none but the very
poorest will accept such alms, get a breakfast of Indian meal and
milk all the year round. The comfort of this hot meal to them,
when they come in half-clad and starving of a winter morning,
can only be estimated by those who .have seen the children par-
take of it, and heard the cries of delight of the babies of a
year old, and the quiet expression of thankfulness of the elder
children. Before they go home they get a piece of dry bread,
and this is their dinner — a dinner the poorest English child
would almost refuse. The number of meals given at present
is 350 per diem. The totals of meals given per annum since
1862 are as follows : —
During the year 1862 36,400
„ 1863 45,800
„ 1864 46,700
„ 1865 49,000
„ 1866 70,000
„ 1867 73,000
Making a total of 320,900
There were also 1,035 suits of clothing given.
The Industrial School was established in 1863. It has been
principally supported by English ladies and Protestants. The
little town where the convent is situated, is visited by tourists
during the summer months ; and many who have visited the
convent have been so much struck by the good they saw done
there, that they have actually devoted themselves to selling
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 27
work amongst their English friends for the poor children.
The returns of work sold in the Industrial School are as
follows : —
£ 8. d.
Work sold in 1863 70 3 6|
„ „ 1864 109 18 5
„ „ 1865 276 1 3J
„ „ 1866 421 16 3
„ „ 1867 350 2 4£
Making a total of £1,228 1 10 J
The falling off in 1867 has been accounted for partly from
the Fenian panic, which prevented tourists visiting Ireland as
numerously as in other years, and partly from the attraction
of the French Exhibition having drawn tourists in that direc-
tion. I have been exact in giving these details, because they
form an important subject for consideration in regard to the
present history of Ireland. They show at once the poverty
of the people, their love of industry, and their eagerness to do
work when they can get it. In this, -and in other convent
schools throughout Ireland, the youngest children are trained
to habits of industry. They are paid even for their first im-
perfect attempts, to encourage them to go on; and they treasure
up the few weekly pence they earn as a lady would her jewels.
One child had in this way nearly saved up enough to buy herself
a pair of shoes — a luxury she had not as yet possessed ; but
before the whole amount was procured she went to her
eternal home, where there is no want, and her last words were
a message of love and gratitude to the nuns who had taught
her.
The causes of emigration, as one should think, are patent to
all. Landlords do not deny that they are anxious to see the
people leave the country. They give them every assistance to
do so. Their object is to get more land into their own hands,
but the policy will eventually prove suicidal. A revolutionary
spirit is spreading fast through Europe. Already the stand-
ing subject of public addresses to the people in England, is the
28 PREFACE TO THE TOtST EDITION.
injustice of certain individuals being allowed to hold such im-
mense tracts of country in their possession. We all know
what came of the selfish policy of the landowners in France
before the Revolution, which consigned them by hundreds to
the guillotine. A little self-sacrifice, which, in the end, would
have been for their,. own benefit, might have saved all this.
The attempt to depopulate Ireland has been tried over and
over again, and has failed signally. It is not more likely to
succeed , in the nineteenth century than at any preceding
period. Even were it possible that wholesale emigration could
benefit any country, it is quite clear that Irish emigration
cannot benefit England. It is a plan to get rid of a temporary
difficulty at a terrific future cost Emigration has ceased to be
confined to paupers. Respectable fanners are emigrating, and
taking with them to America bitter memories of the cruel
injustice which has compelled them to leave their native
land.
Second, How misery leads to emigration. The poor are
leaving the country, because they have no employment The
more respectable classes are leaving the country, because they
prefer living in a free land, where they can feel sure that their
hard earnings will be their own, and not their landlord's, and
where they are not subject to the miserable political and
religious tyranny which reigns supreme in Ireland. In the
evidence given before the Land Tenure Committee of 1864,
we find the following statements made by Dr. Keane, the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Cloyne. His Lordship is a man of
more than ordinary intelligence, and of more than ordinary
patriotism. He has made the subject of emigration his special
study, partly from a deep devotion to all that concerns the
welfare of his country, and partly from the circumstance of his
residence being at Queenstown, the port from which Irishmen
leave their native shores, and the place where wails of the
emigrants continually resound. I subjoin a few of his replies
to the questions proposed : —
" I attribute emigration principally to the want of employ-
ment"
* A man who has only ten or twelve acres, and who is a
tenant-at-will, finding that the land requires improvement, is
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 29
afraid to waste it [his money], and he goes away. I see many
of these poor people in Queenstown every day."
"I have made inquiries over and over again in Queens-
town and elsewhere, and I never yet heard that a single farmer
emigrated and left the country who had a lease."
Well might Mr. Heron say, in a paper read before the Irish
Statistical Society, in May, 1864: "Under the present laws,
no Irish peasant able to read and write ought to remain in Ire-
land. If Ireland were an independent country, in the pre-
sent state of things there would be a bloody insurrection in
every county, and the peasantry would ultimately obtain the
property in land, as they have obtained it in Switzerland and
in France? That the Irish people will eventually become the
masters of the Irish property, from which every effort has been
made to dispossess them, by fair means and by foul, since the
Norman invasion of Ireland, I have not the slightest doubt. The
only doubt is whether the matter will be settled by the law or
by the sword. But I have hope that the settlement will be
peaceful, when I find English members of Parliament treating
thus of the subject, and ministers declaring, at least when
they are out of office, that something should be done for
Ireland.
Mr. Stuart Mill writes : " The land of Ireland, the land of
every country, belongs to the people of that country. The in-
dividuals called landowners have no right, in morality or jus-
tice, to anything but the rent, or compensation for its saleable
value. When the inhabitants of a country quit the country
en masse, because the Government will not make it a place fit
for them to live in, the Government is judged and condemned.
It is the duty of Parliament to reform the landed tenure of
Ireland."
More than twenty years ago Mr. Disraeli said : " He wished
to see a public man come forward and say what the Irish ques-
tion was. Let them consider Ireland as they would any other
country similarly circumstanced. They had a starving popu-
lation, an absentee aristocracy, an alien Church, and, in addi-
tion, the weakest executive in the world. This was the Irish
question. What would gentlemen say on hearing of a country
in such a position ? They would say at once, in such case, the
32 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
From the 1st of May, 1851, to the 31st of December, 1865,
1,630,722 persons emigrated As the emigrants generally
leave their young children after them for a time, and as aged
and imbecile persons do not emigrate, the consequence is, that,
from 1851 to 1861, the number of deaf and dumb increased
from 5,180 to 5,653 ; the number of blind, from 5,787 to 6,879 ;
and the number of lunatics and idiots, from 9,980 to 14,098. In
1841, the estimated value of crops in Ireland was £50,000,000;
in 1851, it was reduced to £43,000,000; and in 1861, to
£35,000,000. The number of gentlemen engaged in the
learned professions is steadily decreasing ; the traffic on Irish
railways and the returns are steadily decreasing ; the live
stock in cattle, which was to have supplied and compensated
for the live stock in men, is fearfully decreasing ; the imports
and exports are steadily decreasing. The decrease in cultivated
lands, from 1862 to 1863, amounted to 138,841 acres.
While the Preface to the Second Edition was passing through
the press, my attention was called to an article, in the Pail
Mall Gazette, on the Right Rev. Dr. Manning's Letter to Earl
Grey. The writer of this article strongly recommends his
Grace to publish a new edition of his Letter, omitting the last
sixteen pages. We have been advised, also, to issue a new
edition of our HiSTOBY, to omit the Preface, and any remarks
or facts that might tend to show that the Irish tenant was not
the happiest and most contented being in God's creation.
The Pall Mall Gazette argues — if, indeed, mere assertion can
be called argument — first, "that Dr. Manning has obviously
never examined the subject for himself, but takes his ideas
and beliefs from the universal statements of angry and igno-
rant sufferers whom he has met in England, or from intem-
perate and utterly untrustworthy party speeches and pamphlets,
whose assertions he receives as gospel ;" yet Dr. Manning has
given statements of facts, and the writer has not attempted to
disprove them. Second, he says : " Dr. Manning echoes the
thoughtless complaints of those who cry out against emigration
as a great evil and a grievous wrong, when he might have
known, if he had thought or inquired at all about the matter,
not only that this emigration has been the greatest conceivable
blessing to the emigrants, but was an absolutely indispensable
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 33
step towards improving the condition of those who remained
at home ;" and then the old calumnies are resuscitated about
the Irish being " obstinately idle and wilfully improvident," as
if it had not been proved again and again that the only ground
on which such appellations can be applied to them in Ireland
is, that their obstinacy consists in objecting to work without
fair remuneration for their labour, and their improvidence in
declining to labour for the benefit of their masters. It is the
old story, "you are idle, you are idle," — it is the old demand,
" make bricks without straw," — and then, by way of climax,
we are assured that these "poor creatures" are assisted to
emigrate with the tendcrest consideration, and that, in fact,
emigration is a boon for which they are grateful.
It is quite true that many landlords pay their tenants to
emigrate, and send persons to see them safe out of the country;
but it is absolutely false that the people emigrate willingly.
No one who has witnessed the departure of emigrants dare
make such an assertion. They are offered their choice between
starvation and emigration, and they emigrate. If a man were
offered his choice between penal servitude and hanging, it is
probable he would prefer penal servitude, but that would not
make him appreciate the joys of prison life. The Irish parish
priest alone can tell what the Irish suffer at home, and how
unwillingly they go abroad. A pamphlet has just been pub-
lished on this very subject, by the Very Rev. P. Malone, P.P.,
V.F., of Belmullet, co. Mayo, and in this he says : " I have
seen the son, standing upon the deck of the emigrant ship,
divest himself of his only coat, and place it upon his father's
shoulders, saying, ' Father, take you this ; I will soon earn the
price of a coat in the land I am going to.' " Such instances,
which might be recorded by the hundred, and the amount of
money sent to Ireland by emigrants for the support of aged
parents, and to pay the passage out of younger members of the
family, are the best refutation of the old falsehood that
Irishmen are either idle or improvident
AH
Illustrated history of Ireland.
J8,
fMr <3Fj
*V
-C#>-
CHAPTEH I.
2/1
Celtic Literature — Antiquity of our Annals— Moore— How
ibotild estimate Tradition — The Materials fa Insh
History— list of the Lnst Books— The Cuilmecn^Th<?
Sultair of Tarn. &c— The Saltair of Curtiel— IwiartMit
MSSL preserved in Trinity College — By the Royal Irish
Academy — In Belgium,
PUE study of Celtic literature, which is daily be-
coming of increased importance to the philologist,
has proved a matter of no inconsiderable value to
the Irish historian. When Moore visited O'Curry,
and found him surrounded with such works as the
i he Bpeekkd Bookt
the a th c Four J h. t a ft h t a n d ot 1 ic r t reasu res
of Gaedhilic lore, he turned to Br. Petrie, and
exclaimed : M These large tomes could not have
been written by fools or for any foolish purpose.
I never knew anything about them before, and I
had no right to have undertaken the UUtoiy of
In! and" His publishers, who had less scruples,
or more utilitarian views, insisted on the comple-
tion of hie task. Whatever their motives may
e been, we may thank them for the result. Though Moore's
iiihtory cannot now be quoted as on authority, it accomplished its
38 TRADITION NOT NECESSARILY UNTRUE.
work for the time, and promoted an interest in the history of
one of the most ancient nations of the human race.
There are two sources from whence the early history of a nation
may be safely derived : the first internal — the self-consciousnesa
of the individual ; the second external — the knowledge of it*
existence by others — the ego sum and the tu es ; and our acceptance
of the statements of each on matters of fact, should depend on their
mutual agreement.
The first question, then, for the historian should be, What accounts
does this nation give of its early history 1 the second, What account
of this nation's early history can be obtained ab extra? By stating
and comparing these accounts with such critical acumen as the
writer may be able to command, we may obtain something ap-
proaching to authentic history. The history of ancient peoples
must have its basis on tradition. The name tradition unfortunately
gives an a priori impression of untruthfulness, and hence the diffi-
culty of accepting tradition as an element of truth in historic
research. But tradition is not necessarily either a pure myth or a
falsified account of facts. The traditions of a nation are like an
aged man's recollection of his childhood, and should be treated as
such. If we would know his early history, we let him tell the
tale in his own fashion. It may be he will dwell long upon
occurrences interesting to himself, and apart from the object of
our inquiries ; it may be he will equivocate unintentionally if cross-
examined in detail ; but truth will underlie his garrulous story, and
by patient analysis we may sift it out, and obtain the information
we desire.
A nation does not begin to write its history at the first moment
of its existence. Hence, when the chronicje is compiled which
first embodies its story, tradition forms the basis. None but an
inspired historian can commence In principio. The nation has passed
through several generations, the people already begin to talk of " old
times ;" but as they are nearer these " old times " by some thousands
of years than we are, they are only burdened with the traditions of
a ftw centuries at the most ; and unless there is evidence of a wilful
object or intent to falsify their chronicles, we may in the main
depend on their accuracy. Let us see how this applies to Gaedhilio
history. The labours of the late lamented Eugene O'Curry have
made this an easy task. He took to his work a critical acumen
not often attained by the self-educated, and a noble patriotism not
115. MATERIALS FOR IRISH HISTORY. 39
often maintained by the gifted scions of a country whose people
and whose literature have been alike trodden down and despised
for centuries. The result of his researches is embodied in a work1
which should be in the hands of every student of Irish history, and
of every Irishman who can afford to procure it. This volume
proves that the early history of Ireland has yet to be written ; that
it should be a work of magnitude, and undertaken by one gifted
with special qualifications, which the present writer certainly does
not possess; and that it will probably require many years of patient
labour from the "host of Erinn's sons," before the necessary
materials for such a history can be prepared.
The manuscript matenals for ancient Irish history may be
divided into two classes : the historical, which purports to be a
narrative of facts, in which we include books of laws, genealogies,
and pedigrees; and the legendary, comprising tales, poems, and
legends. The latter, though not necessarily true, are generally
founded on fact, and contain a mass of most important information
regarding the ancient customs and manner of life among our
ancestors. For the present we must devote our attention to the
historical documents. These, again, may be divided into two
classes — the lost books and those which still remain. Of the former
class the principal are the Cuilmenn, i.e., the great book written on
skins ; the Saltair of Tara ; the Book of the Uachongbhail
(pron. " ooa cong-wall ") ; the ClN Droma Snechta ; and the
Saltair of Cash el. Besides these, a host of works are lost, of
lesser importance as far as we can now judge, which, if preserved,
might have thrown a flood of light not only upon our annals, but
also on the social, historical, and ethnographic condition of other
countries. The principal works which have been preserved are :
the Annals of Tighernach (pron. " Teernagh ") ; the Annals
of Ulster; the Annals of Inis Mac Nerinn; the Annals of
Innisfallen ; the Annals of Boyle ; the Chronicum Scotorum,
Work. — Lectures on the MS. Materials of A ncient Irish History. This work
was published at the sole cost of the Catholic University of Ireland, and will
be an eternal monument of their patriotism and devotion to literature. A chair
of Irish History and Archaeology was also founded at the very commencement
of the University ; and yet the " Queen's Colleges " are discarding this study,
while an English professor in Oxford is warmly advocating its promotion. Is
the value of a chair to be estimated by the number of pupils who surround
it» or by the contributions to science of the professor who holds it 2
so ably edited by Mr. Hennessy ; the world-famous Ajctals of
the Four Masters ; the Book of Leinster ; the Book of L
(the Brehon Laws), now edited by Dr. Todd, and many books of
genealogies and pedigrees.
For the present it must suffice to say, that these documents
have been examined by the ordinary rules of literary criticism,
perhaps with more than ordinary care, and that the result has been
bo [►lace their authenticity and their antiquity beyond caviL
Let us see, then, what statements we can find which may throw
light on our early history, first in the fragments that remain of the
lost books, and then in those which are still preserved.
The Cuilmenn is the first of the lost books which we mentioned.
It is thus referred to in the Book of Leinster :2 ** The JIUs [bards]
of Erinn were now called together by Senchan Torp/ist [about A.0*
580 ]f to know if they remembered the TSn H Vhuaihjni in Hill ;
and they said that they knew of it but fragments only. Senehao
ipoke to his pupils to know which of them would go into the
countries <>f L'ika to learn the Tdin which the Sat had taken i eastr
wards p after the Cuilmeitn. Einine^ the grandson of Kinine, and
Mutrgen, Senehan's own son, set out to go to the East,"
Here we have simply an indication of the existence of this ancient
work, and of the tact that in the earliest, if not in pre-Christia
times, Irish manuscripts travelled to the Continent with Ir
scholars — Letha being the name by which Italy, and especially
what are now called the Papal States, was then
Irish writers-
The Saltair of Tara next claims our attention ; and we maj
safely affirm* merely judging from the fragments which remain
- a nation which could produce such a work had attained no
inary pitch of civilization and literary culture. The Book of
Ballymofce/ and the Yellow Book of Lecan,* attribute this work
to Comae Mac Art : M A noble work was performed by Cormac at
that time, namely, the compilation of Cormac's Saltair, which was
composed by him and the Seanchaidhe [Historians] of Erinn, in-
cluding Fin tan, son of Bochra, and Fithil, the poet and judge. And
their synchronisms and genealogies, the succession of their kings
designated
* Leimter.— Book of Leinater, H.2.1S, T.C.D. See O'Curry, p. &
* Bally mote* — Library R.LA*, at fol. 145, a, &,
* L&cw*— Trinity College, Dublin, clawed H.2.IG.
CORMAC'S SALTAIR.
and monarchs, their battles, their contests, and their antiquities,
from the world's beginning down to that time, were written ; and
- is the Saltair of Temair [pron, " Tara," almost as it is called
now], which is the origin and fountain of the Historians of Erinn
from that period down to this time. This is taken from the Eook
of the Uaehungbhail."5
As we shall speak of Cormac s reign and noble qualities in detail
at a later period, it is only necessary to record here that his pane-
gyric, as king, Warrior, judge, and philosopher, has been pronounced
by almost contemporary writers, as well as by those of later date.
The name Saltan baa been objected to as more likely to denote a
composition of Christian times. This objection, however, is easily
removed : first, the name was probably applied after the appellation
had been introduced in Christian times; second, we have no reason
to suppose that King Cormac designated his noble work by this
name j and third, even could this be proven, the much maligned
Keating removes any difficulty by the simple and obvious remark,
that "it is because of its having been written in poetic metre, the
riiief book which was in the custody of the Otf&mh of the King of
Erinn, was called the Saltair of Tcfuair; and the Chronicle of holy
Connac Mac Cullman, Saltair of Cashd; and the Chronicle of Aengus
M D4 [the Culdee], Saltair-im-Rann [that is, Saltair of the
Poems or Verses], because a Salm and a Poem are the same,
and e a SalUrium and a DuaiiaiH [book of poems] are the
same,"*
The oldest reference to this famous compilation is found in a
sire of taka.
poem on the site of ancient Tara, by Cuan O'Lochain, a distinguished
* Uathtmyhhail— O'Civrry'fr MS, Material*, p. M.
* &&me. — Ibid, p, 12. The Psalms derived their name from the maiqtial
42 POEM ON TARA— THE FEXE-HEN.
scholar, and native of Westmeath, who died in the year 1024. The
quotation given below is taken from the Book of Ballymote, a mag-
nificent volume, compiled in the year 1391, now in possession of the
Royal Irish Academy : —
Temair, choicest of hills,
For [possession of] which Erinn is now devastated,'
The noble city of Cormac, son of Art,
Who was the son of great Conn of the hundred battles :
Cormac, the prudent and good,
Was a sage, a file" [poet], a prince :
Was a righteous judge of the Fen^-men,8
Was a good friend and companion.
Cormac gained fifty battles :
He compiled the Saltair of Temur.
In that Saltair is contained
The best summary of history ;
It is that Saltair which assigns
Seven chief kings to Erinn of harbours ;
They consisted of the five kings of the provinces,—
The Monarch of Erinn and his Deputy.
In it are -(written) on either side,
What each provincial king is entitled to,
From the king of each great musical province.
The synchronisms and chronology of all,
The kings, with each other [one with another] all ;
The boundaries of each brave province,
From a cantred up to a great chieftaincy.
From this valuable extract we obtain a clear idea of the impor-
tance and the subject of the famous Saltair, and a not less clear
knowledge of the admirable legal and social institutions by which
Erinn was then governed.
The Cin of Drom Sxechta is quoted in the Book of Ballymote,
in support of the ancient legend of the antediluvian occupation of
instrument to which they were sung. This was called in Hebrew nebel. It
obtained the name from its resemblance to a bottle or flagon. Psaltery is the
Greek translation, and hence the name psalm.
7 Devastated.— This was probably written in tho year 1001, when Brian
Boroimhe had deposed Malachy.
8 Fene-men. — The farmers, who were not Fenians then certainly, for
" Cormac was a righteous judge of the Agraria Lex of the Gaels."
THE CIN OF DROM SNECHTA. 43
Erinn by the Lady Banbha, called in other books Cesair (pron.
** kesar "). The Book of Lecan quotes it for the same purpose, and
also for the genealogies of the chieftains of the ancient Kudrician
race .of Ulster. Keating gives the descent of the Milesian colonists
from Magog, the son of Japhet, on the authority of the Cin of Drom
Snechta, which, he states, was compiled before St. Patrick's
mission to Erinn.9 We must conclude this part of our subject with
a curious extract from the same work, taken from the Book of
Leinster : " From the Cin of Drom Snechta, this below. Historians
say that there were exiles of Hebrew women in Erinn at the coming
of the sons of Milesius, who had been driven by a sea tempest into
the ocean by the Tirren Sea. They were in Erinn before the sons of
Milesius. They said, however, to the sons of Milesius [who, it would
appear, pressed marriage on them], that they preferred their own
country, and that they would not abandon it without receiving
dowry for alliance with them. It is from this circumstance that it
is the men that purchase wives in Erinn for ever, whilst it is the
husbands that are purchased by the wives throughout the world
besides."1
9 Erinn. —Keating says: "We will set down here the branching off of the races
of Magog, according to the Book of Invasions (of Ireland), which was called
the Cm of Drom Snechta ; and it was before the coming of Patrick to Ireland
the author of that book existed." — See Keating, page 109, in O'Connor's trans-
lation. It is most unfortunate that this devoted priest and ardent lover of his
country did not bring the critical acumen to his work which would have made
its veracity unquestionable. He tells us that it is "the business of his history
to be particular," and speaks of having "faithfully collected and transcribed."
But until recent investigations manifested the real antiquity and value of the
MS. Materials of Ancient Irish History, his work was looked on as a mere
collection of legends. The quotation at present under consideration is a case
in point. He must have had a copy of the Cin of Drom Snechta in his posses-
lion, and he must have known who was the author of the original, as he states
so distinctly the time of its compilation. K eating's accuracy in matters of fact
and transcription, however, is daily becoming more apparent. This statement
might have been considered a mere conjecture of his own, had not Mr. O'Curry
discovered the name of the author in a partially effaced memorandum in the
Book of Leinster, which he reads thus : " [Ernin, son of] Duach [that is], son of
the King of Connacht, an Ollam/i, and a prophet, and a professor in history,
and a professor in wisdom : it was be that collected the Genealogies and
Histories of the men of Erinn in one book, that is, the Cin Drotna Snechta."
Duach was the son of Brian, son of the monarch Eochaidk, who died
▲.D. 365.
1 Besides.— O'Curry, page 16.
The Saltair of Cashel was compiled by Cormac Mac Cullman,
King of Munster* and Archbishop of Cashel. He was killed in the
year 903. This lose of the work is most painful to the student of
the early history of Erinn, It is believed that the ancient compi-
lation known as Cormac's Glossary, was compiled from the inter-
lined gloss to the Saltair \ and the references therein to our ancient
history, laws, mythology, and social customs, are such as to indicate
the richness of the mine of ancient lore. A copy was in existence
in 1454, as there is in the Bodleian Library in Oxford (Land,
610) a copy of such portions as could be deciphered at the
time* This copy was made by Shane CTClery for Mac Rid
Butler.
The subjoined list of the lost books is taken from O'CuTry'
Materials^ page 20. It may be useful t# the philologist and in-
teresting to our own people, as a proof of the devotion to learning
bo early manifested in Erinn :—
H In the first place must be enumerated again the Cuiimenn; thd
Saltair of Tara ; the Gin Dronxa Srwchta; the Book of Bt Mochta ;
the Book of Cuatut; the Book of Dubftdakithe; and the Saltair of
Cashel. Besides these we find mention of the Leabhar htidhe Sldine
or Yellow Book of Slane ; the original Ltahhar na h-Uidhre; tho
Books of Efxhaidh O'FIuniingam ; a certain book known as the Book
6*&en by the poor people in the desert ; the Book of Ints an Zfo
the Short Book of St B nit he's Monastery (or Monasterboice) ; the
Books of Flann of the same Monastery; the Book of Plana of
Dufujnmhin (Dungiven, co.Derry); the Book of Dun da Leth Ghla&(ar
Downpatrickj ; the Book of Doird (Deny) ; the Book of SahhaU PAo-
(or Stall, co, Down) -t the Book of the UwchongbhoAl (Navan,
probably); the Leahhar duhh Molaga, or Black Book of St. Mol&j
the Ltahhar buidht Moling, or Yellow Book of St, Moling ; the
Leabhat httidhi Mhk Murchadha, or Yellow Book of MacMurrach ;
th« beabka/r Anb* Madia, or Book of Armagh (quoted by Keatii
th« Lwhhar rttndh Mhk Aedhagain, or Bed Book of Mac Aegan *
the htabhar breac Mhie yiedhaoain^ or Speckled Book of Mac Aep
the Leahhar fada LdlhghUnne, or Long Book of Lei thgb linn, or
Leithlin; the Books of G'Scoba of Cluam Mk JVois (or Clonmae-
nois); the Dull Broma CWa, or Book of Drom Ceat; and the Book
of Clonsost (in Leix, in the Queen's Connty) "
Happily, however, a valuable collection of ancient MSS. are still
preserved, despite the *' drowning " of the Danes, and the u bum-
\aooh law
Torres ei^Pns^eRCOKgi
ahnnchiiiv) usy acfdcwicl
^erjenaxfoncs^cnii Gibsons*
(B) MS. in the "Cathaeh? (6th century MS. attributed to St Colum GUI)
MSS. STILL PRESERVED. 45
ing" of the Saxon. The researches of continental scholars are
adding daily to our store; and the hundreds of Celtic MSS., so long
entombed in the libraries of Belgium and Italy, will, when published,
throw additional light upon the brightness of the past, and, it may
be, enhance the glories of the future, which we must believe are
still in reserve for the island of saints and sages.2
The list of works given above are supposed by O'Curry to
have existed anterior to the year 1100. Of the books which
Keating refers to in his History, written about 1630, only one
is known to be extant — the Saltair-na-Ranny written by Aengus
Ceile De.
The principal Celtic MSS. which are still preserved to us, may be
consulted in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, and in the Library
of the Royal Irish Academy. The latter, though founded at a much
later period, is by far the more extensive, if not the more important,
collection. Perhaps, few countries have been so happy as to pos-
sess a body of men so devoted to its archaeology, so ardent in theii
preservation of all that can be found to illustrate it, and so capable of
elucidating its history by their erudition, which, severally and collec-
tively, they have brought to bear on every department of its ethno-
logy. The collection in Trinity College consists of more than 140
volumes, several of them are vellum,3 dating from the early part of the
twelfth to the middle of the last century. The collection of the Royal
Irish Academy also contains several works written on vellum, with
treatises of history, science, laws, and commerce; there are also
many theological and ecclesiastical compositions, which have been
pronounced by competent authorities to be written in the purest
style that the ancient Gaedhilic language ever attained. There are
also a considerable number of translations from Greek, Latin, and
other languages. These are of considerable importance, as they
enable the critical student of our language to determine the mean-
ing of many obscure or obsolete words or phrases, by reference to
1 Sages. — M. Nigra, the Italian Ambassador at Paris, is at this moment
engaged in publishing continental MSS.
3 Vellum, — The use of vellum is an indication that the MSS. must be of some
antiquity. The word " paper " is derived f rom papyrus, the most ancient mate-
rial for writing, if we except the rocks used for runes, or the wood for oghams.
Papyrus, the pith of a reed, was used until the discovery of parchment, about
190 b.c. A MS. of the Antiquities of Josephus on papyrus, was among the
treasures seized by Buona]>arte in Italy.
46 VALUABLE REMAINS OF CELTIC LITERATURE.
the originals ; nor are they of less value as indicating the high state
of literary culture which prevailed in Ireland duiing the early
Christian and the Middle Ages. Poetry, mythology, history, and
the classic literature of Greece and Borne, may be found amongst
these translations ; so that, as CCurry well remarks, " any one well
read in the comparatively few existing fragments of our Gaedhilic
literature, and whose education had been confined solely to this
source, would find that there are but very few, indeed, of the great
events in the history of the world with which he was not
acquainted."4 He then mentions, by way of illustration of classical
subjects, Celtic versions of the Argonautic Expedition, the Siege of
Troy, the life of Alexander the Great ; and of such subjects as
cannot be classed under this head, the Destruction of Jerusalem ;
the Wars of Charlemagne, including the History of Roland the
Brave ; the History of the Lombards, and the almost contemporary
translation of the Travels of Marco Polo.
There is also a large collection of MSS. in the British Museum,
a few volumes in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, besides the
well-known, though inaccessible, Stowe collection.6
The treasures of Celtic literature still preserved on the Continent,
can only be briefly mentioned here. It is probable that the active
researches of philologists will exhume many more of these long-
hidden volumes, and obtain for our race the place it has always
deserved in the history of nations.
The Louvain collection, formed chiefly by Fathers Hugh Ward,
John Colgan, and Michael O'Clery, between the years 1620 and
1G40, was widely scattered at the French Revolution. The most
valuable portion is in the College of St. Isidore in Rome. The Bur-
gundian Library at Brussels also possesses many of these treasures.
A valuable resum6 of the MSS. which are preserved there was
given by Mr. Bindon, and printed in the Proceedings of the Royal
Irish Academy in the year 1847.. There are also many Latin MSS.
with Irish glosses, which have been largely used by Zeuss in his
world-famed Grammatica Celtica. The date of one of these — a codex
4 Acquainted. — O'Curry's MS. Materials, page 24.
6 Collection. — A recent writer in the Cornhill says that Lord Ashburnham
refuses access to this collection, now in his possession, fearing that its contents
may be depreciated so as to lessen its value at a future sale. We should hope
this statement can scarcely be accurate. Unhappily, it is at least certain that
access to the MSS. is denied, from whatever motive.
VALUABLE REMAINS OF CELTIC LITERATURE.
47
containing some of Venerable Bede's works — is fixed by an entry
of the death of Aed, King of Ireland, in the year 817. This most
important work belonged to the Irish monastery of Keichenau,
and is now preserved at Garlsruhe. A codex is also preserved at
Cambray, which contains a fragment of an Irish sermon, and the
canons of an Irish council held A.D. 684.
DOORWAY OF OJLONHACNOIS.
<7LONMAC3f0ia«
CHAPTER II.
Tigljernacli nndhia Annals— Erudition and Resparoli of OUT Early Writers— The
Ckromcuiti Scotormu— Du»M Mao Firbls— Hmdafad, and his Murderer
is protected by the Pen al Lfuvs — T h i the ftmi Masters — M i chael
O'Clury— Hi* Devotion in his Country — Ward — Colifan — Dedication of
the Annate— The Book of Invasions— Proofs ul OUI EE uJy Colonization.
UR illustration can give but a faint idea of the
r magnificence and extent of the ancient abbey of
Clonmacnoia, the home of our famous annali
Tighemach. It has been well observed, that no
more ancient chronicler can be produced by the
northern nations. Nestor, the father of Russian ,
history, died in 1113; Snorro, the father of Ice-
Ian die history, did not appear until • century later;
Kndlubeck, the first historian of Poland, died in
■ ; and Stierman could not discover a scim
writing in all Sweden older than 1 1 59. Indeed,
he may be compared favourably even with the
British historians, who can by no means boast'
of such ancient pedigrees as the genealogists of
Erinu.* Tighemach was of the Murray-raco of
■ Etutfi — O'Curry, page 57. It has also been remarked, that there is no
nation in possession of such ancient nbron teles written m what is still the
language of its people*
EXTENSIVE LEARNING OF OUR EARLY WRITERS. 49
Connacht ; of his personal history little Is known. His death is
noted in the Chronicum Scotorum, where he is styled successor (com-
harba) of St. Ciaran and St. Coman. The Annals of Innisfallen
state that he was interred at Glonmacnois. Perhaps his body
was borne to its burial through the very doorway which still
remains, of which we gave an illustration at the end of the
last chapter.
The writers of history and genealogy in early ages, usually com-
menced with the sons of Noah, if not with the first man of the
human race. The Celtic historians are no exceptions to the general
rule ; and long before Tighernach wrote, the custom had obtained
in Erinn. His chronicle was necessarily compiled from more •
ancient sources, but its fame rests upon the extraordinary erudition
which he brought to bear upon every subject. Flann, who was
contemporary with Tighernach, and a professor of St. Buithtfs
monastery (Monasterboice), is also famous for his Synchronisms,
which] form an admirable abridgment of universal history. He
appears to have devoted himself specially to genealogies and
pedigrees, while Tighernach took a wider range of literary re-
search. His learning was undoubtedly most extensive. He
quotes Eusebius, Orosius, Africanus, Bede, Josephus, Saint Jerome,
and many other historical writers, and sometimes compares their
statements on points in which they exhibit discrepancies, and
afterwards endeavours to reconcile their conflicting testimony, and
to correct the chronological errors of the writers by comparison
with the dates given by others.. He also collates the Hebrew text
with the Septuagint version of the Scriptures. He uses the
common era, though we have no reason to believe that this was
done by the writers who immediately preceded him. He also
mentions the lunar cycle, and uses the dominical letter with the
kalends of several years.7
Another writer, Gilla Caemhain, was also contemporary with
Flann and Tighernach. He gives the " annals of all time," from
the beginning of the world to his own period ; and computes the
second period from the Creation to the Deluge ; from the Deluge
to Abraham ; from Abraham to David ; from David to the
Babylonian Captivity, &c. He also synchronizes the eastern
monarchs with each other, and afterwards with the Firbolgs and
7 Ytar8.-rS*Q O'Cuny, passim.
Tuatha De Danann, of Erinn,1 and subsequently with tlie Milesians.
Flann synchronizes the chiefs of the various lines of the children of
Adam in the East, and points out what monarch s of the Assyrians,
Medes, Persians, and Greeks, and what Roman emperors were cottr
temporary with the kings of Erinn, and the leaders of its various
early colonics, He begins with Ninus, son of Belus, and cornea
down to Julius Ccesar, who was contemporary with EochaUlh
UUschj an Irish Kin^% who died more than half a century before
the Christian era. The synchronism is then continued from Julius
Caesar and Eodtaidh to the Koman emperors Theodosius the Third
and Leo the Third; they were contemporaries with the Irish
monarch Ferghal, who was killed A.D. 718,
The Annals and MSS. which serve to illustrate our history, are
so numerous, that it would be impossible, with one or two excep-
tions, to do more than indicate their existence, and to draw attention
to the weight which such an accumulation of authority must _
to the authenticity of our early history. But there are two of
these works which wo i an not pass unnoticed : the Cheonicum
Scotorum and the Annals of the Four Masters,
The Chronicam Seotoium was compiled by Duald Mac Firbis
He was of royal race, and descended from Dalki, the last pa
monarch of Erinn, His family were professional and beretiitar
historians, genealogists, and poets, 1J and held an ancestral property
at Lecain Mac Firbis, in the County Sligo, until Cromwell and his
troopers desolated Celtic homes, and murdered the Celtic dweller
often in cold blood. The young Mac Firbis was educated for
profession in a school of law and history taught by the Mac Egans of
Lecain, in Ormonde. He also studied {about ajx 15D5) at Burreti, in
the County Clare* in the literary and legal school of the G'Davorens.
His pedigrees of the ancient Irish and the Anglo- Norman famiiie
* Erinn. — Eire is the correct form for the nominative. Erinn is the geni-
tive, but too long ia use tn admit of alteration, Toe ordinary name of
Ireland, in the oldest Irish MSS., ia (h) Erin, gen. (h) Erenn, dat (h) Erinn ;
Imt the initial h ia often omitted. Sec Max MuHer'a Lectures for an Intel
in£ note on this subject, to which we shall again refer.
u foe**,— The Book of Lecain was written in 1416, by an ancestor of Ma
Firbis, Usher bad it for some time in his possession ; James 11. carried it
to Paris, and deposited it in the Irish College in the presence of a notary and
witnesses. In 1767* the Chevalier O'EeiUy procured its restoration to Ireland ;
and it passed eventually from Vallancey to the Royal Irish Academy, where
it ia now carefully preserved-
THE ANNALS OF THE VOUR MASTERS. 51
i compiled at the College of St. Nicholas, in Galway, in the year
1650. It may interest some of our readers to peruse the title of
this work, although its length would certainly horrify a modern
publisher : —
"The Branches of Relationship and the Genealogical Ramifications
of every Colony that took possession of Erinn, traced from this time
up to Adam (excepting only those of the Fomorians, Lochlanns,
and Saxon-Gaels, of whom we, however, treat, as they have settled
in our country); together with a Sanctilogium, and a Catalogue of
the Monarchs of Erinn ; and, finally, an Index, which comprises, in
alphabetical order, the surnames and the remarkable places men-
tioned in this work, which was compiled by Dubhaltach Mac
Firbhisigh of Lecain, 1650." He also gives, as was then usual, the
" place, time, author, and cause of writing the work." The
" cause " was " to increase the glory of God, and for the information
of the people in general ;" a beautiful and most true epitome of
the motives which inspired the penmen of Erinn from the first
introduction of Christianity, and produced the " countless host " of
her noble historiographers.
Mac Firbis was murdered1 in the year 1670, at an advanced
age ; and thus departed the last and not the least distinguished of
our long line of poet-historians. Mac Firbis was a voluminous
writer. Unfortunately some of his treatises have been lost ;2 but
the Chronicum Scotorum is more than sufficient to establish his
literary reputation.
The Annals of the Four Masters demand a larger notice, as
unquestionably one of the most remarkable works on record. It
forms the last link between the ancient and modern history of
Ireland ; a link worthy of the past, and, we dare add, it shall be
1 Murdered. — The circumstance of the murder are unhappily characteristic
of the times. The Celtic race was under the ban of penal laws for adherence
to the faith of their fathers. The murderer was free. As the old historian
travelled to Dublin, he rested at a shop in Dunflin. A young man came in and
took liberties with the young woman who had care of the shop. She tried to
check him, by saying that he would be seen by the gentleman in the next
room. In a moment he seized a knife from the counter, and plunged it into
the breast of Mac Firbis. There was no " justice for Ireland " then, and, of
course, the miscreant escaped the punishment he too well deserved.
9 Lost — He was also employed by Sir James Ware to translate for him, and
appears to have resided in his house in Castle-street, Dublin, just before his
death.
52 THE FRIARS OP LOUVAIN.
also worthy of the future. It is a proof of what great and noble
deeds may be accomplished under the most adverse circumstances,
and one of the many, if not one of the most, triumphant denials of
the often-repeated charges of indolence made against the mendicant
orders, and of aversion to learning made against religious orders in
general. Nor is it a less brilliant proof that intellectual gifts may
be cultivated and are fostered in the cloister ; and that a patriot's
heart may burn as ardently, and love of country prove as powerful
a motive, beneath the cowl or the veil, as beneath the helmet
or the coif.
Michael O'Clery, the chief of the Four Masters, was a friar of the
order of St. Francis. He was born at Kilbarron, near Ballyshannon,
county Donegal, in the year 1580, and was educated principally in
the south of Ireland, which was then more celebrated for its
academies than the north. The date of his entrance into the Fran-
ciscan order is not known, neither is it known why he,
" Oncothe heir of bardic honours,"
became a simple lay-brother. In the year 1 627 he travelled through
Ireland collecting materials for Father Hugh Ward, also a Franciscan
friar, and Guardian of the convent of St. Antony at Louvain, who
was preparing a series of Lives of Irish Saints. When Father Ward
died, the project was taken up and partially carried out by Father
John Colgan; His first work, the Trias Thaumaturgus, contains the
lives of St. Patrick, St. Brigid, and St. Columba. The second
volume contains the lives of Irish saints whose festivals occur from
the 1st of January to the 31st of March ; and here, unfortunately
alike for the hagiographer and the antiquarian, the work ceased.
It is probable that the idea of saving —
" The old memorials
Of the noble and the holy,
Of the chiefs of ancient lineage,
Of the saints of wondrous virtues ;
Of the 011amli8 and the Brehons,
Of the bards and of the betaghs,"8
occurred to him while he was collecting materials for Father Ward.
His own account is grand in its simplicity, and beautiful as incli*
8 Betaphs.— Poems, by D. F. Mac Carthy.
DEDICATION OF THE ANNALS. 53
eating that the deep passion for country and for literature had but
enhanced the yet deeper passion which found its culminating point
in the dedication of his life to God in the poor order of St. Francis*
In the troubled and disturbed State of Ireland, he had some difficulty
in securing a patron. At last one was found who could appreciate
intellect, love of country, and true religion. Although it is almost
apart from our immediate subject, we cannot refrain giving an ex-
tract from the dedication to this prince, whose name should be
immortalized with that of the friar patriot and historian : —
"I, Michael O'Clerigh, a poor friar of the Order of St. Francis
(after having been for ten years transcribing every old material
that I found concerning the saints of Ireland, observing obedience
to each provincial that was in Ireland successively), have come before
you.O noble Fearghal O'Gara. I have calculated on your honour that
it seemed to you a cause of pity and regret, grief and sorrow (tor
the glory of God and the honour of Ireland), how much the race of
Gaedhil, the son of Niul, have passed under a cloud and darkness,
without a knowledge or record of the obit of saint or virgin, arch-
bishop, bishop, abbot, or other noble dignitary of the Church, of
king or of prince, of lord or of chieftain [or] of the synchronism of
connexion of the one with the other.1' He then explains how he
collected the materials for his work, adding, alas ! most truly, that
should it not be accomplished then, " they would not again be
found to be put on record to the end of the world.11 He thanks the
prince for giving " the reward of their labour to the chroniclers,"
and simply observes, that "it was the Mars of the convent of Donegal
who supplied them with food and attendance." With characteristic
humility he gives his patron the credit of all the " good which will
result from this book, in giving light to all in general;" and concludes
thus:—
" On the twenty-second day of the month of January, A.D. 1632,
this book was commenced in the convent of Dun-na-ngall, and it
was finished in the same convent on the tenth day of August, 1636,
the eleventh year of the reign of our king Charles over England,
France, Alba, and over Eir6."
There were "giants in those days;" and one scarcely knows
whether to admire most the liberality of the prince, the devotion of
the friars of Donegal, who " gave food and attendance " to their
literary brother, and thus had their share in perpetuating their
country's fame, or the gentle humility of the great Brother MichaeL
5*
THE BOOK OF INVASION'S — OUK FinST COLONISTS.
It is unnecessary to make any observation on the value and im-
portance of the Annals of the Four Masters, The work has been
edited with extraordinary care and erudition by Dr. G'Donovanf
and published by an Irish house. We must now return to the ot
ject for which this brief mention of the MS. materials of Irish Iiistor
has been made, by showing on what points other historians coincio1
in their accounts of our first colonists, of their language, customs, and
laws ; and secondly, how far the accounts which may be obtained ah
extra agree with the statements of our own annalists. The Book of
Invaswtm, winch was rewritten and " purified" by brother Michael
O'Clery, gives us in a few brief lines an epitome of our history as
recorded by the ancient chroniclers of Erinn : —
"The sum of the matters to be found in the following book, is
the taking of Erinn by [the Lady] Ceasatr ; the taking by Parthohm;
the taking by Ncmedh ; the taking by the Firbolgs ; the taking by
the Tmilia D4 Damnn; the taking by the sons of Milalh [or
MUetius] ; and their succession down to the monarch AfclshcncMrt
or Malachy the Great [who died in 1022]." Here we have six
distinct u takings," invasions, or colonizations of Ireland in pre-
Christian times.
It may startle some of our readers to find any mention of Irish
history H before the Flood," but we think the burden of proof, to use
a logical term, lies rather with those who doubt the possibility, than
with those who accept as tradition, and as possibly true, the state-
ments which have been transmitted for centuries by careful hands.
There can be no doubt that a high degree of cultivation, and con-
siderable advancement in science, had been attained by the more
immediate descendants of our first parents. Navigation and com-
merce existed, and Ireland may have been colonized. The sons of
Noah must have remembered and preserved the traditions of their
ancestors, and transmitted them to their descendants* Hence, it
depended on the relative anxiety of these descendants to preserve
the history of the world before the Flood, how much posterity should
know of it. MaeFirbis thus answers the objections of those who,
even in Ins day, questioned the possibility of preserving such
records i — " If there be any one who shall ask who preserved the
history [Stancltus], let him know that they were very ancient and long-
lived old men, recording elders of great age, whom God permitted to
preserve and band down the history of Erinn, in books, in succession*
one after another, from the Deluge to the time of St* Patrick."
PROBABILITIES OF EARLY COLONIZATION. 55
The artificial state of society in our own age, has probably acted
disadvantageously on our literary researches, if not on our moral
character. Civilization is a relative arbitrary term ; and the ances-
tors whom we are pleased to term uncivilized, may have possessed
as high a degree of mental culture as ourselves, though it unques-
tionably differed in kind. Job wrote his epic poem in a state of
society which we should probably term uncultivated ; and when
Lamech gave utterance to the most ancient and the saddest of
human lyrics, the world was in its infancy, and it would appear
as if the first artificer in " brass and iron " had only helped to make
homicide more easy. We can scarce deny that murder, cruel
injustice, and the worst forms of inhumanity, are but too common
in countries which boast of no ordinary refinement ; and we should
hesitate ere we condemn any state of society as uncivilized, simply
because we find such crimes in the pages of their history.
The question of the early, if not pre-Noahacian colonization of
Ireland, though distinctly asserted in our annals, has been met with
the ready scepticism which men so freely use to cover ignorance
or indifference. It has been taken for granted that the dispersion,
after the confusion of tongues at Babel, was the first dispersion of
the human race; but it has been overlooked that, on the lowest com*
putation, a number of centuries equal, if not exceeding, those of the
Christian era, elapsed between the Creation of man and the Flood ;
that men had " multiplied exceedingly upon the earth ;" and that
the age of stone had already given place to that of brass and iron,
which, no doubt, facilitated commerce and colonization, even at this
early period of the world's history. The discovery of works of art,
of however primitive a character, in the drifts of France and Eng-
land, indicates an early colonization. The rudely-fashioned harpoon
of deer's horn found beside the gigantic whale, in the alluvium of
the carse near the base of Dummyat, twenty feet above the highest
tide of the nearest estuary, and the tusk of the mastodon lying
alongside fragments of pottery in a deposit of the peat and sands of
the post-pliocene beds in South Carolina, are by no means solitary
examples. like the night torch of the gentle Guanahane savage,
which Columbus saw as he gazed wearily from his vessel, looking,
even after sunset, for the long hoped-for shore, and which told him
that his desire was at last consummated, those indications of man,
associated with the gigantic animals of a geological age, of whose
antiquity there can be no question, speak to our hearts strange tales
of the long past, and of the early dispersion and progressive diatribu*
tion of a race created to rt increase and multiply."
The question of transit haa also been raised as a difficulty by
those who doubt onr early colonization. But this would seem
easily removed. It is more than probable that, at the period of
which we write, Britain, if not Ireland, formed part of the European
continent ; but were it not so, we have proof, even in the present
day, that screw propellers and iron cast vessels are not necessary
for safety in distant voyages, since the present aboriginal vessels
of the Pacific will weather a storm in which a Gnat £asttn& or a
lanim might founder hopelessly.
Let us conclude an apology for our antiquity, if not a proof of iW
in the words of our last poet historian : —
" We believe that henceforth no wise person will be found who-
will not acknowledge that it is possible to bring the genealogies of
the Gaedhils to their origin, to Noah and to Adam ; and if he docs
not believe that, may he not believe that ho himself fa the son of
his own father. For there is no error in the genealogical history,
but as it was left from father to son in succession, one after another.
** Surely every one believes the Divine Scripture*, wliiohgive a
similar genealogy to the men of the world, from Adam down to
Noah f and the genealogy of Christ and of the holy fathers, as may
bo seen in the Church [writings], Let him believe this, or let him
deny God* And if he does believe this, why should he not believe
another history, of which there has been truthful preservation, like
the history of Erinn 1 I say truthful preservation, for it is not
only that they [the preservers of it] were very numerous, as w€
said, preserving the same, but there was an order and a lav
with them and upon them, out of which they could not, without
great injury, tell lies or falsehoods, as may be seen in the Books of
Fmeehas [Law], of Fod-hla [Erinn], and in the degrees of the poet
themselves, their order, and their laws."*
4 Koa-h. — Thin is a clear argument. The names of pre-Noahacian patriarchs
must have bee a preserved by tradition, with their date of raocenfaa and
history. Why should not other genealogies have been preserved in a limilxij
manner, and even tJie nttme* uf individual* transmitted to posterity t
• 2*au».— MaoFirbU. Apud O'Curiy, p, 219.
* T tut**.
CHAPTER IIL
First Colonists— The Lauding of Ceasan\ before the Flood— Landing of Par-
tholam after the Flood, at Inver Scene — Arrival of Nomedh — The Fomo-
rians— Emigration of the Nemenians — The Fir bolga — Division of Irelaud
by the Firbolg Chiefs— The Tw itha De Dananna — Their Skill aa Artificers^
Nuada of the Silver Hand—The Warriors Sreog and Ureas— The Satire of
Cairbrfe— Termination of the Fomonan Dynasty,
[AM. 1599.]
E shall, then, commence our history with such
accounts as we can find in our annals of the pre-
Christian colonization of Erinn. The legends of
tin' discovery and inhabitation of Ireland before
the Flood, are too purely mythical to demand se-
rious notice. But as the most ancient MBS. agree
in their account of this immigration, we may not
pass it over without brief mention.
The account in the ChronicUm Scotorum runs
thus :—
M KaL y, f. 1. 10, Anno mundi 1599.
41 In this year the daughter of one of the Greeks
came to Hibemia, whose name was h-Erui, or
Berba, or Cesar, and fifty maidens and three men
with her, Ladlira was their conductor, who was
the first that was buried in Hibemia."0 The Cin of Drom Snechta
h
• IIibcmiar—Chnmmm Seotorum, p« &
58 PARTHOLAN.
is quoted in the Book of Ballymote as authority for the same t:
dition.7 The Book of Invasions also mentions this account
derived from ancient sources. MacFirbis, in the Book of Genea
gies, says : " I shall devote the first book to Partholan, who ft
took possession of Erinn after the Deluge, devoting the beginni
of it to the coming of the Lady Ceasair," &c. And the Annals
the Four Masters : " Forty days before the Deluge, Ceasair came
Ireland with fifty girls and three men — Bith, Ladhra, and Finto
their names.1'8 All authorities agree that Partholan was the fi
who colonized Ireland after the Flood. His arrival is stated in 1
Chronicum Scotorum to have taken place " in the sixtieth year
the age of Abraham."9 The Four Masters say : " The age of 1
world, when Partholan came into Ireland, 2520 years."1
Partholan landed at Inver2 Scene, now the Kenmare river,
companied by his sons, their wives, and a thousand followers. 1
antecedents are by no means the most creditable; and we m
perhaps, feel some satisfaction, that a colony thus founded shoi
have been totally swept away by pestilence a few hundred ye
after its establishment.
The Chronicum Scotorum gives the date of his landing th
41 On a Monday, the 14th of May, he arrived, his companions be
eight in number, viz., four men and four women." If the kingd
of Desmond were as rich then as now in natural beauty, a so
of no ordinary splendour must have greeted the eyes and gl
dened the hearts of its first inhabitants. They had voyaged p
the fair and sunny isles of that " tideless sea," the home of
Phoenician race from the earliest ages. They had escaped the d
gers of the rough Spanish coast, and gazed upon the spot wh
the Pillars of Hercules were the beacons of the early marin<
For many days they had lost sight of land, and, we may .belie
* Tradition.— O'Curry, p. 13.
8 Names.— Four Masters, O'Donovan, p. 3.
9 AbraJiam.— Chronicum Scotorum, p. 5.
2 Years.— Four Masters, p. 5.
1 Inver. — Inver and Abcr have been used as test words in discriminal
between the Gaedhilic and Cymric Celts. The etymology and meaning is
same — a meeting of waters. Inver, the Erse and Gaedhilic form, is comi
in Ireland, and in those parts of Scotland where the Gael encroached on
Cymry. See Words and Places, p. 259, for interesting observations on
subject.
THE PLAGUE AT TALLAGHT. 59
had well-nigh despaired of finding a home in that far isle, to which
some strange impulse had attracted them, or some old tradition —
for the world even then was old enough for legends of the past —
had won their thoughts. But there was a cry of land. The
billows dashed in wildly, then as now, from the coasts of an undis-
covered world, and left the same line of white foam upon Eire's
western coast. The magnificent Inver rolled its tide of beauty
between gentle hills and sunny slopes, till it reached what now is
appropriately called Kenmare. The distant Eeeks showed their
clear summits in sharp outline, pointing to the summer sky. The
long-backed Mangerton and quaintly-crested Cam Tual were there
also ; and, perchance, the Roughty and the Finihe sent their little
streams to swell the noble river bay. But it was no time for
dreams, though the Celt in all ages has proved the sweetest of
dreamers, the truest of bards. These men have rough work to
do, and, it may be, gave but scant thought to the beauties of the
western isle, and scant thanks to their gods for escape from peril.
Plains were to be cleared, forests cut down, and the red deer and
giant elk driven to deeper recesses in the well- wooded country.
Several lakes are said to have sprung forth at that period ; but
it is more probable that they already existed, and were then for
the first time seen by human eye. The plains which Partholan's
people cleared are also mentioned, and then we find the ever-
returning obituary : —
"The age of the world 2550, Partholan died on Sean Mhagh-Ealta-
Edair in this year."3
The name of Tallaght still remains, like the peak of a submerged
world, to indicate this colonization, and its fatal termination.
Some very ancient tumuli may still be seen there. The name
signifies a place where a number of persons who died of the plague
were interred together ; and here the Annals of the Four Masters
tells us that nine thousand of Partholan's people died in one week,
after they had been three hundred years in Ireland.4
The third " taking " of Ireland was that of Nemedh. He came,
according to the Annals,5 A.M. 2859, and erected forts and cleared
plains, as his predecessors had done. His people were also
afflicted, by plague, and appeared to have had occupation enough to
bury their dead, and to fight with the " Fomorians in general," an
•
• Year.— Annals, p. 7. 4 Ireland.— lb. p. 9. • Annalt.— lb. L pi 9.
unpleasantly pugilistic race, who, according to the Annals of Clou-
raacnois, ■• were a sept descended from Cham, the sonne of Noeh>
and lived by pyracie and spoile of other nations, and were in those
days very troublesome to the whole world/'6 The few Xetuediaas
who escaped alive after their great battle with the Fomorians, fled
into the interior of the island, Three bands were said to have ei
grated with their respective captains. One party wandered into
the north of Europe* and are believed to have been the progenitors
of the Tuafcha D6 Dananns ; others made their way to Greece,
where they were enslaved, and obtained the name of Firbolgs, of
"bagmen, from the leathern bags which they were compelled to
carry ; and the? third section sought refuge in the north of England,
which is said to have obtained its name of Briton from their leader,
Briotan MaolJ
The fourth immigration is that of the Firbolgs ; and it is remark*
able how early the love of country is manifested in the Irish race
since we find those who once inhabited its green plains still anxious
to return^ whether their emigration proved prosperous, as to the
Tuatha De Dananns, or painful, as to the Firbolga.
According to the A finals of Glonmacnow, Keating, and the
Lcabhar-Gabhafa, the Firbolgs divided the island into five province
governed by five brothers, the sons of Dela Mac Lokh a — {* Shine
the eldest brother, had the province of Leynster for his part, whie
containeth from Inver Colpe, that is to say, where the river Boync
entereth into the sea, now called in Irish Drogheda, to the meeting
of the three waters, by Waterford, where the three rivers, Suyre,
Ffeor, and Barrow, do meet and run together into the sea.
Gann, the second brother's part, was South Minister, which is a
province extending from that place to Beakgh-Conglaissey. Se
gann, the third brothers part, was from Beakgh-Conglaissey
EossedahaUeagh, now called Limbricho, which is in the province of
North Munster. Geanaun, the fourth brother, had the province < "
Connacht, containing from Limerick to Easroe. Borye, the fiftl
* World,— See Condi MacGeo^hegan1! Translation of the Annate of Clou-
macnois quoted by O'Donovan, p. 11.
r Mttol.^-lhv Teutonic languages afford no explanation of the name
Britain, though it U inhabited by a Teutonic race. It is probable, therefor
that they adopted an ethnic appellation of the former inhabitant!. Thk I
hftTe been patronymic, or, perhape, a Celtic prefix with the Euskarian sufl
tiasm a district or country. See Words and Ptacest j>. GO*
ARRIVAL OF THE TUATHA DE DANANXS, A.M. 3303. 61
brother, and youngest, had from Easroe aforesaid to Inver Colpe,
which is in the province of Ulster :'8
The Firbolg chiefs had landed in different parts of the island,
but they soon met at the once famous Tara, where they united
% their forces. To this place they gave the name of Druim Cain,
or the Beautiful Eminence.
The fifth, or Tuatha D6 Danann "taking" of Ireland, occurred in
the reign of Eochaidh, son of Ere, A.M. 3303. The Firbolgian
dynasty was terminated at the battle of Magh Tuireadh. Eochaidh
fled from the battle, and was killed on the strand of Traigh Eothailg,
near Ballysadare, co. Sligo. The cave where he was interred still
exists, and there is a curious tradition that the tide can never
cover it.
The Tuatha De Danann king, Nuada, lost his hand in this
battle, and obtained the name of Nuada of the Silver Hand,9
his artificer, Gredne Cert, having made a silver hand for him with
joints. It is probable the latter acquisition was the work of Mioch,
the son of Diancecht, Nuada's physician, as there is a tradition
that he "took off the hand and infused feeling and motion into every
joint and finger of it, as if it were a natural hand." We may doubt
the "feeling," but it was probably suggested by the "motion," and the
fact that, in those ages, every act of more than ordinary skill was
attributed to supernatural causes, though effected through human
agents. Perhaps even, in the enlightened nineteenth century, we
might not be much the worse for the pious belief, less the pagan
<jause to which it was attributed. It should be observed here, that the
Brehon Laws were probably then in force ; for the "blemish" of the
monarch appears to have deprived him of his dignity, at least until
the silver hand could satisfy for the defective limb. The Four
Masters tell us briefly that the Tuatha De Dananns gave the
sovereignty to Breas, son of Ealathan, " while the hand of Nuada
was under cure," and mentions that Breas resigned the kingdom to
him in the seventh year after the cure of his hand.
A more detailed account of this affair may be found in one of our
ancient historic tales, of the class called. Catha or Battles, which
8 UUtcr. — Neither the Annals nor the Chronicum give these divisions;
the above is from the Annals of Clonmacnois. There is a poem in the Book of
Lecain, at folio 277, b., by MacLiag, on the Firbolg colonies, which is
quoted as having been taken from their own account of themselves ; and
another on the same subject at 278, a. 9 Hand.—Foxu Masters, p. 17.
62
THE WARRIORS SRKNG AND SHEAS.
fl
Professor O'Curry pronounces to be " almost the earliest event upon
tho record of which wo may place sure reliance.1'1 It would
appear that there were two battles between the Firbolgs and
Tuatha De Dananns, and that, in the last of these, Nuada wa*
slain. According to this ancient tract*
when the Firbolg king heard of the arrir
vat of the invaders, he sent a warrior
named Sreng to reconnoitre their camp.
The Tuatha Do Dananns were as skilled
in war as in magic ; they had sentinels
cartduily posted, and their vidtitet were
as much on the alert as a Wellington
or a Napier could desire, The champion
Breas was sent forward to meet the stran-
ger. As they approached, each raised
his shield, and cautiously surveyed his
opponent from above the protecting Jegia.
Breas was the first to speak. The mother-
i ■ >ngue was as dear then as now, ar
was charmed to bear himself addres
in his own language, which, equally dea
to the exiled Nemedian chiefs, had
preserved by them in their long wa
ings through northern Europe, An
mination of each others armour next tool
place. Sreng was armed with " two heavy,
thick, pointless, but sharply rounded
. j* while Breas carried " two beauti-
fully shaped, thin, slender, long, sharp-
pointed spears."2 Perhaps the one bore a
Bpeaaf of the same class of heavy flint
weapons of which we give an illustration,
and the other the lighter and more grace-
ful sword, of which many specimens may
be seen in the collection of the Royal Irish
Academy, Breas then proposed that they
ahould divide the island between the two parties; and after
changing spears and promises of mutual friendship, each returned
to his own camp.
.,.'.■. i
m
FLINT RPEAR-HEA1}, FROM
•TO* COLLECTION OV TH3B
1 J?dJ*once.— O'Ctirry, p. 2*a
1 ffpearA— CTCttrry, p. 24k
THE SATIRE OF CAIRBKS. 63
The Firbolg king, however, objected to this arrangement ; and it
decided, in a council of war, to give battle to the invaders.
The Tuatha D6 Dananns were prepared for this from the account
which Breas gave of the Firbolg warriors : they, therefore, aban-
doned their camp, and took up a strong position on Mount
Belgadan, at the west end of Magh Nia, a site near the present
village of Gong, co. Mayo.
The Firboigs marched from Tara to meet them ; but Nuada*
anxious for pacific arrangements, opened new negociations with.
King Eochaidh through the medium of his bards. The battle-
which has been mentioned before then followed. The warrior
Breas, who ruled during the disability of Nuada, was by no means-
popular. He was not hospitable, a sine qua nan for king or chief
from the earliest ages of Celtic being ; he did not love the bards,,
for the same race ever cherished and honoured learning; and he
attempted to enslave the nobles. Discontent came to a climax,
when the bard Cairbre, son of the poetess Etan, visited the royal
court, and was sent to a dark chamber, without fire or bed, and, for-
all royal fare, served with three small cakes of bread. If we wish
to know the true history of a people, to understand the causes of
its sorrows and its joys, to estimate its worth, and to know how to-
role it wisely and well, let us read such old-world tales carefully,.
and ponder them well. Even if prejudice or ignorance should
induce us to undervalue their worth as authentic records of its
ancient history, let us remember the undeniable fact, that they are
authentic records of its deepest national feelings, and let them, at
least, have their weight as such in our schemes of social economy,
for the present and the future.
The poet left the court next morning, but not until he pronounced
a bitter and withering satire on the long — the first satire that had
ever been pronounced in Erinn. It was enough. Strange effects are
attributed to the satire of a poet in those olden times ; but probably
they could, in all cases, bear the simple and obvious interpretation,
that he on whom the satire was pronounced was thereby disgraced
eternally before his people. For how slight a punishment would
bodily suffering or deformity be, in comparison to the mental
suffering of which a quick-souled people are eminently capable !
Breas was called on to resign. He did so with the worst possible
grace,, as might be expected from such a character. His father,
Elatha* was a Fomorian sea-king or pirate, and he repaired to
Ms court. His reception was not such as he had expected ; he
therefore went to Balor of the Evil Eye,3 a Fomorian chief. The
two warriors collected a vast army and navy, and formed a bridgo
of ships and hoats from the Hebrides to the north-west coast of
Eriim. Having landed their forces, they marched to a plain in the
barony of Tiremll (co. Sligo), where they waited an attack or
surrender of the Tuatha De" Danann army. But the magical skill,
or, more correctly, the superior abilities of this people, proved them
more than equal to the occasion. The chronicler gives a quaint
and most interesting account of the Tuatha D*± Danaim arrange-
ments. Probably the Crimean campaign, despite our nineteenth
century advancements in the art of war, was not prepared for more
carefully, or carried out more efficiently.
Nuada called a " privy council/1 if we may use the modern
term for the ancient act, and obtained the advice of the great
Daghda ; of Lug, the son of Cian, son of Dianeecht, the famous
physician; and of Ogma Grion*Aincach (of the sun-like face). But
Daghda and Lug were evidently secretaries of state for the home
and war departments, and arranged these intricate affairs with per-
haps more honour to their master, and more credit to the nation,
than many a modern and " civilised'1 statesman. They summoned
to their presence the heads of each department necessary for car-
rying on the war, Each department was therefore carefully pre-
organized, in such a manner as to make success almost certain, and
to obtain every possible succour and help from those engaged in the
combat, or tho«e who had suffered from it. The ^ smiths" were
prepared to make and to mend the swords, the surgeons to heal or
staunch the wounds, the bards and druids to praise or blame ; and
each knew his work, and what was expected from the department
which he headed before the battle, for the questions put to each*
and their replies, are on record.
Pardon me* You will say I have written a romance , a legend,
for the benefit of my country* — a history of what might have been,
3 Eye,— There is a curious note by Dr, UDonovan (Annate, p. 18) about
this Bakr, The tradition of his deeds and enchantments is stiU preserved in
Tory Island, one of the many evidences of the value of tradition, and of the
many proofs that it usually overlies a strata of facta,
1 CotLntry.—W&Btid the following passages in a work purporting to bea history
of Ireland, recently published j **It woidd be throwing away time to examine
critically /a Wr a like those contained in the present and following chapter." The
subjects of those chapters are the colonization of Parthol&n, of the Nemedkns,
AUTHENTICITY OF THESE ACCOUNTS.
of what should be, at least in modem warfare, and, alas ! often is
not. Pardon me. The copy of the tracts from which I have com-
piled this meagre narrative, is in existence, and in the British
j It was written on vellum, about the year 1 460, by GU1&-
Kiabhiich O'Cleiy ; but there is unquestionable authority for its
having existed at a much earlier period. It ia quoted by Cormae
Hag Cullinaii in hia Glossary, in illustration of the word Nest and
mac was King of Munster in the year of grace &&5t while hi*
was compiled to explain words which had then become
This narrative must, therefore, he of great antiquity.
If we cannot accept it as a picture of the period, is the main
authentic, let us give up all ancient history as a myth ; if we do
accept it, let us acknowledge that a people who possessed such
officials had attained a high state of intellectual culture, and that
memory demands at least the homage of our respi^L
The plain on which this battle was fought, retains the name of
the Plain of the Towers (or Pillars) of the FomariansP and some
vtrv curious sepulchral monuments may still be seen on the ancient
Fomoriani, Tuatha t>6 Dananna, and Milesians, the building of the palace of
Euiania, the reign of Cairbre. Tuathal, and last, not least, the death of
L And the ac are "fables"! The writer then calmly in forma as that
period at which they were "invented, extended probably from the tenth
1 twelfth century. ** Certainly, the "inventors1' were men of no ordinary
•lent, and deserve some commendation for their inventive faculties, But on
■abject we ahull say more hereafter. At last the writer arrives at the
ages of Christianity." We hoped that here at least he might have
ux a history ; but be writes s " The history of early Christianity iu
lb obscure and doubtful, precisely in projjortion as it is unusually
£0 i -J -ends enter largely into the civil history of the country, they
found their way tenfold into the history of the Church, because there the ten-
them was much greater, as well as the inducement to
Hi and adopt them," The "inventors" of the pre Christian history
of Ireland, who accomplished their teak "from the tenth to the twelfth
inly complimented at the expense of the saints who
7 reland. This writer seems to doubt the existence of St.
baa "many doubt*!*1 as to the authenticity of the life of St
ttba, We should not hii-e noticed this work had we not reason to know
that it b*i i largely amongst the middle and lower classes, who may
be grievously misled by its very insidious statements. It is obviously writtt-u
for the sake of making a book to sell ; and the writer has the honesty
to ma that he merely gives the early history of Ireland, pa^jan and
Christian, because he could not well write a history of Ireland and omit this
portion of it i
E
ee
IADY PHYSICIANS,
In those days, as in the so-called middle ages, ladies exercised
their skill in the healing ait ; and we find honorable mention
made of the Lady Oefotriuil, who assisted the chief physician (her
father) and his sons in healing the wounds of the Ttiatha D<§ J tanann
heroes. These warriors have also left many evidences of their
existence in raths and monumental pillars.5 It is prohable, also,
that much that has been attributed to the Danes, of right belongs
to the Dananns, and that a confusion of names has promoted a
confusion of appropriation. Before we turn to the Milesian immi-
gration, the last colonization of the old country, let us Enquire wfc
was known and said of it, and of its people, by foreign writers.
4 Pillars. — The monuments ascribed to the Tuatha De Dan nuns are prmci-
pally situated in Me&th, at Dngheda, Dowlet, Kuowth^ and New Grange*
There are othera at CnOO Aiiie and Cnoc^Grelae, co. Limerick, and oa the
fan Mountain*, go. Kerry*
OLiVTrr, CONTAIN IN (J OVAL
JTHW G RANG £,
m
n
KM CASTLKB OF CLGXiHflllB.
CHAPTER IV.
*Hi© Scythiam Co] on tats— Testimony of Josephs— Magog and bU Colony—
Btwtftmetita of <*ur Annuls confirmed by a Jewish Writer— By Herodotus —
Ketiwai rdstei what is told by the llMo«t Learned of the Bcoti"-*-
aician Circumnavigation of Africa — Phoenician Colonization of Spain
— Iberus and Him ertw— Traditions of Parting in— Early Geographical
Accounts of Ireland— Early Social Account* of Ireland.
p HE writer of the article1 on Ireland, in Rees' Cyclo-
pedia, says : ** It does not appear improbable, much
less absurd, to suppose that the Phoenicians might
have colonized Ireland at an early period, and in-
troduced their laws, customs, and knowledge, with
I comparatively high state of civilization ; and that
these might have been gradually lost amidst the
disturbances of the country, and, at last, completely
rayed by the irruptions of the Ostmen." Of
this assertion, which is now scarcely doubted, there
abundant proof; and it is remarkable that
r*
] ;
[diua6 attributes to the Phoenicians a special
care in preserving their annala above that of othai
civilized nations, and that this feeling has existed,
and still exists, more vividly in the Celtic race
than in any other European people*
* Jowphui* — Con, Apionem. lib. L
The Irish annalists claim a descent from the Scythians, who*
they say } are descended from Magog, the bgu of Japhet, the son of
Noah, Keating saye : M We will set down here the branching off
of the race of Magog, according to the Book of Invasions (of
Ireland), which was called the Cin of Drom SnechtaJ'7 It will be
remembered how curiously O'Curry verified Keating's statement
as to the authorship of this work* so that his testimony may be
received with respect. In the Scripture genealogy, the sons of
Magog are not enumerated ; but an historian, who cannot
suspected of any design of assisting the Celts to build up a
gree, has happily supplied the deficiency. Josephus writes i*
" Magog led out a colony, which from him were named Magoges,
but by the Greeks called Scythians/' But Keating specifies the
precise title of Scythians, from which the Irish Celts are descended*
He says they bad established themselves in remote ages on the
borders of the Red Sea, at the town of Chiroth ; that they were
expelled by the grandson of that Pharaoh who had been drowned
in the Red Sea; and that lie persecuted them because they had
supplied the Israelites with provisions.
This statement is singularly and most conclusively confirmed by
Rabbi Simon, who wrote two hundred years before the birth of
Christ. He says that certain Canaanites near the Red Sea gave
provisions to the Israelites; "and because these Canaan ships
gave Israel of their provisions, God would not destroy their ships,
but with an east wind carried them down the Red Sea.'*1 This
colony settled in what was subsequently called Phoenicia ; and
here again our traditions are confirmed ab extra, for Herodotus
says; "The Phteriidans anciently dwelt, as they allege, on the
borders of the Red Sea."3
It is not known at what time this ancient nation obtained the
7 Sfitchfa.— O'Curry, p. 14-
* Work.— See ante, p. 43,
tt Writes.— Josephns, lib. i o, 6. Most of the authorities in this chapter
are taken from the ttasay on the ancient history, religion, learning, arts, and
Ireland, by the Lite W. D' Alton. The Essay obtained a prize
of -£8(1 aod the Cunningham Gold Medal from the Royal Irish Academy.
h published in volume ivi. of the Transactions, and is a repertory of learn
of immense value to the student of Irish history.
1 Sea. — lib. Zoar, p. 87, as cited by Vallaaoey, and Parson1! Defence, fce
9 80S,
1 Sea. — Herodotus, L viL c. 8Q.
PHOENICIAN NAVIGATORS. 69
specific appellation of Phoenician. The word is not found in
Hebrew copies of the Scriptures, but is used in the Machabees, the
original of which is in Greek, and in the New Testament. Accord-
ing to Grecian historians, it was derived from Phoenix, one of their
kings, and brother of Cadmus, the inventor of letters. It is re-
markable that our annals mention a king named Phenius, who
devoted himself especially to the study of languages, and composed
an alphabet and the elements of grammar. Our historians describe
the wanderings of the Phoenicians, whom they still designate
Scythians, much as they are described by other writers. The
account of their route may differ in detail, but the main incidents
coincide. Nennius, an English chronicler, who wrote in the seventh
century, from the oral testimony of trustworthy Irish Celts, gives
corroborative testimony. He writes thus : " If any one would be
anxious to learn how long Ireland was uninhabited and deserted,
he shall hear it, as the most learned of the Scots have related it to
me.8 When the children of Israel came to the Red Sea, the
Egyptians pursued them and were drowned, as the Scripture
records. In the time of Moses there was a Scythian noble who
had been banished from his kingdom, and dwelt in Egypt with a
large family. He was there when the Egyptians were drowned, but
he did not join in the persecution of the Lord's people. Those
who survived laid plans to banish him, lest he should assume the
government, because their brethren were drowned in the Red Sea; so
he was expelled. He wandered through Africa for forty-two years,
and passed by the lake of Salin® to the altars of the Philistines,
and between Rusicada and the mountains Azure, and he came by
the river Mulon, and by sea to the Pillars of Hercules, and through
the Tuscan Sea, and he made for Spain, and dwelt there many
years, and he increased and multiplied, and his people were
multiplied."
Herodotus gives an account of the circumnavigation of Africa
by thtf Phoenicians, which may have some coincidence with this
narrative. His only reason for rejecting the tradition, which
he relates at length, is that he could not conceive how these
8 Me. — " Sic mihi peritissimi Scotorum nunciaverunt." The reader will re-
member that the Irish were called Scots, although the appellative of lerins
or lerne coiitinned to be given to the country from the days of Orpheus
to those of Claudius. By Roman writers Ireland was more usually termed
flihttmia, Juvenal calls it Juverna.
navigators could have seen the sun in a position contrary to that
in which it is seen in Europe, The expression of his doubt is a
strong confirmation of the truth of his narrative, which, however,
is generally believed by modern writers,4
This navigation was performed about seven centuries before the
Christian era, and is, at least, a proof that the maritime power of
the Phoenicians was established at an early period, and that it was
not impossible for them to have extended their enterprises to Ire-
land, The traditions of our people may also be confirmed from
other sources. So linns writes thus : u In the gulf of Boatica ttu
is an island, distant some hundred paces from the mainland, which
the Tyrians, who came from the Red Sea> called Erythrcea, and
the Carthaginians, in their language, denominate Gadir, i.e., the
enclosure."
Spanish historians add their testimony, and claim the Phoenicians
as their principal colonizers. The Hispania Illustrate, a rare and
valuable work, on wftich no less than sixty writers were engaged,
fixes the date of the colonization of Spain by the Phoenicians at
764 A,c, De Bellegarde says : 4i The first of whom mention is made
in history is Hercules, the Phoenician, by some called Mel ch tint." It
is alleged that he lived in the time of Moses, and that he retired
into Spain when the Israelites entered the land of promise. This
will be consistent with old accounts, if faith can he placed in the
inscription of two columns, which were found in the province tjf
Tingitane, at the time of the historian Procopius.6 A Portuguese
historian, Emanuel do Faria y Sousa, mentions the sailing of
Gatelus from Egypt* with his whole family, and names his two
sons, Iherus and Himerus, the first of whom, he says, ** some will
have to have sailed into Ireland, and given the name Hibernia to
it."
* Writers. — The dreumnavigation of Africa by a Phoenician *hip, in tho
reign of Neco, about GUI n.e,f is credited by Humboldt, Kennell, Efeeren,
fte, and EawEnHon. Of their voyages to Cornwall for tin there is no
question, and it in more than probable they sailed to the Baltic for amber. It
has been even supposed that they anticipated Columbus in the discovery of
America, Xtiebuhr connects the primitive astronomy of Europe with that of
America, and, therefore, must suppose the latter country to nave been dis-
covered,— Hixt, of Rmnt\ vol i. p. 281. Thin, however, is very vague ground
nf conjecture ; the tide of knowledge, as well as emigration, waa more probably
eastward,
* Procopius.—BUL Gtn, £Eepa$n€, ToL L a L p( 4
ENGLISH TRADITIONS OF PARTHOLYAN. 71
Indeed, so strong has been the concurrent testimony of a Phoe-
nician colonization of Ireland from Spain, and this by independent
authorities, who could not have had access to our bardic histories,
and who had no motive, even had they known of their existence,
to write in confirmation of them, that those who have maintained
the theory of a Gaulish colonization of Ireland, have been obliged
to make Spain the point of embarkation.
There is a curious treatise on the antiquities and origin of Cam-
bridge, in which it is stated, that, in the year of the world 4321,
a British prince, the son of Gulguntius, or Gurmund, having crossed
over to Denmark, to enforce tribute from a Danish king, was
returning victorious off the Orcades, when he encountered thirty
ships, full of men and women. On his inquiring into the object of
their voyage, their leader, Partholyan, made an appeal to his good-
nature, and entreated from the prince some small portion of land
in Britain, as his crew were weary of sailing over the ocean. Being
informed that he came from Spain, the British prince received him
under his protection, and assigned faithful guides to attend him
into Ireland, which was then wholly uninhabited ; and he granted
it to them, subject to an annual tribute, and confirmed the appoint-
ment of Partholyan as their chief.6
This account was so firmly believed in England, that it is specially
set forth in an Irish act (11th of Queen Elizabeth) among the
" auncient and sundry strong authentique tytles for the kings of
England to this land of Ireland.'1 The tradition may have been
obtained from. Irish sources, and was probably " improved " and
accommodated to fortify the Saxon claim, by the addition of the
pretended grant ; but it is certainly evidence of the early belief
in the Milesian colonization of Ireland, and the name of their
leader.
The earliest references to Ireland by foreign writers are, as might
be expected, of a contradictory character. Plutarch affirms that
Calypso was "an island five days' sail to the west of Britain,"
which, at least, indicates his knowledge of the existence of Erinn.
Orpheus is the first writer who definitely names Ireland. In the
imaginary route which he prescribes fos Jason and the Argonauts,
he names Ireland (Iernis), and describes its woody surface and its
• Chief.— Dt AtUiq. et Orig. Cantab. See D' Alton's Essay, p. 24, for other
authorities.
misty atmosphere* All authorities are agreed that this poem7 waa
written five hundred years before Christ ; and all doubt as to
whether lernis meant the present island of Ireland must be re-
moved, at leas! to an unprejudiced inquirer, by a careful examina-
tion of the route which is described, and the position of the island
III that route.
The early history of a country which has been so long and so
cruelly oppressed, both civilly and morally* has naturally fallen
into disrepute. We do not like to display the qualifications of one
whom we have deeply injured. It is* at least, less disgraceful to
have forbidden a literature to a people who had none, than
to have banned and barred the use of a most ancient Ian*
gQftge, — to have destroyed the , annals of a most ancient people.
In si* If- de fence, the conqueror who knows not how to ^riumph
nobly will triumph basely, and the victims may, in time, almost
forget what it has been the policy of centuries to conceal i
them. But ours is, in many respects, an age of historical justice,
and truth will triumph in the end It is no longer nece>
to England's present greatness to deny the facts of history ; and it
is one of its most patent facts that Albion was unknown, 01, at
least, that her existence was unrecorded, at a time when Ireland is
mentioned with respect as the SaCred isle, and the Ogygias of the
Greeks,
As might be expected, descriptions of the social state of ancient
Erinn are of the most contradictory character ; but there is a
remarkable coincidence in all accounts of the physical geography
of the island, The moist climate, the fertile soil, the ric
wooded plains, the navigable rivers, and the abundance o*'
fish,0 are each and all mentioned by the early geographers. The
7 Poem. — There has been question of the author, but none as to the authen-
ihl th«< probable date of compilation.
8 Ogygta. — Camden writes thus i M Nor can any one conceive why they
should call it Ogygia, unless, perhaps, from its antiquity ; for the Greeks
called nothing Ogygia unless what was extremely auv\
* Fish* — And it still continues to be a national article of consumption nod
export. In a recent debate on the ft Irish question,'1 an honorable member
observes, that he regrets to say " riaa" is the only tiling which appears to be
flourishing in Ireland* We fear, however, from the rejwrt of the Select Com-
mittee of the Mouse of Commons on the question of Irish sea-coast fisheries,
that the poor fishermen are not prospering as well as the fish. Mr. Hart
stated i ** Fish was as plenty as ever ; but numbers of the fishermen bad
during the famine, others emigrated, and many of those who remained were
SOCIAL STATE OF IRELAND. 73
description given by Diodorus Siculus of a " certain large island a
considerable distance out at 8ea, and in the direction of the west,
many days' sail from Lybia," if it applies to Ireland, would make
as suppose that the Erinn of pagan times was incomparably more
prosperous than Erinn under Christian rule. He also specially
mentions the fish, and adds: "The Phoenicians, from the very
remotest times, made repeated voyages thither for purposes of
commerce."1
The descriptions of our social state are by no means so flattering ;
bat it is remarkable, and, perhaps, explanatory, that the most
unfavourable accounts are the more modern ones. All without the
pale of Roman civilization were considered " barbarians," and the
epithet was freely applied. Indeed, it is well known that, when
Cicero had a special object in view, he could describe the Celtae
of Gaul as the vilest monsters, and the hereditary enemies of the
gods, for whose wickedness extermination was the only remedy.
As to the " gods " there is no doubt that the Druidic worship was
opposed to the more sensual paganism of Greece and Eome, and,
unable, from want of means, to follow the pursuit" And yet these men are
honest ; for it has been declared before the same committee, that they have
scrupulously repaid the loans which were given them formerly ; aud they are
willing to work, for when they can get boats and nets, they do work. These
are facts. Shakspeare has said that facts are "stubborn things ;" they are,
certainly, sometimes very unpleasant things. Yet, we are told, the Irish
have no real grievances. Of course, starvation from want of work is not a
grievance!
Within the few months which have elapsed since the publication of the first
edition of this History and the present moment, when I am engaged in pre-
paring a second edition, a fact has occurred within my own personal know-
ledge relative to this very subject, and of too great importance to the history
of Ireland in the present day to be omitted. A shoal of sprats arrived in the
hay of , and the poor people crowded to the shore to witness the arrival
and, alas ! the departure of the finny tribe. All their nets had been broken
or sold in the famine year ; they had, therefore, no means of securing what
would have been a valuable addition to their poor fare. The wealthy, whose
tables are furnished daily with every luxury, can have but little idea how
bitter such privations are to the poor. Had there been a resident landlord in
the place, to interest himself in the welfare of his tenants, a few pounds
would have procured all that was necessary, and the people, always grateful
for kindness, would long have remembered the boon and the bestower of it.
1 Commerce, — *' Phoenices a vetnstissimiB inde temporibus frequenter crebras
mercaturs gratift navigations lnstituerunt."— Diod. Sic. vers. Wesseling, t. i.
p. 344.
74
CHARGE OF CANNIBALISM REFUTED.
therefore, would be considered eminently irreligious by the vota^
ties of the latter.
The most serious social charge against the Irish Celts, is that of
being anthropophagi ; and the statement of St. Jerome, that he
bid seen two Scoti in Gaul feeding on a human carcass, has been
claimed as strong corroboration of the assertions of pagan writers.
As the good father was often vehement in his statements and impul-
sive in his opinions, he may possibly have been mistaken, or, perhaps,
purposely misled by thuse who wished to give him an unfavourable
itopresskm of the Irish* It is scarcely possible that they could
have been cannibal as a nation, since St. Patrick never even alludes
to such a custom in his ( where it would, undoubtedly,
have been mentioned and reproved, had it existence.
* Cavffssto* — Br, O'Donovan states, in an article in the Ulster ArchtrologimU
Journal, vol. viii. p. 249, that he had a letter from the late Dr, Pnchard, who
stated that it was kfo belief the ancient Irish were not anthropophagi. He
adds : M Whatever they may have been when their ialand was called Insula
no, there are no fwople in Europe who are more sqiieamiah in tbe use of meats
than tbe modem Irish peasantry, for they have a horror of every kind of
carrion ;* albeit he is obliged to confess that* though they abuse the French
for eating frogs, and the English for eating rooks, there is evidence to prove
that horaefleah was eaten in Ireland* even in tbe reign of Queen Elizabeth.
iJil
QBUflfl AT OLBIfOauOCOKj CO* wTL'KLOW*
■■
CHAPTER V.
Landing of the Milesian*— Traditions of the Ttintha t>£ Dananns in SL
Patrick's time^The Lia Fail, or Stone of Destiny— Toe Milesian* go
back to sea "nine waves" — They conquer ultimately— Reign of Eremon—
Landing of the Ficts— Bede's Account of Ireland— Fame of its Fi&h and
Goats — Difficulties of Irish Chronology — Importance and Authenticity of
Irish Pedigrees — Qualifications of an Oilnmh— Milesian Genealogies —
Historical Value of Pedigrees— National Feelings should be respected—
Historic Tale*— Poems.
[a.m. 3500.]
i HE last colonization of Ireland is thus related in the
Annals of the Four Masters : " The age of the
world 3500- The fleet of the sons of Milidh came
to Ireland at the end of this year, to take it from
the Tuatha De" Dananns, and they fought the
battle of Sliabh Mia with them on the third day
after landing, In this battle fell Seota, the daugh-
ter of Pharaoh, wift of Milidh; and the grave of
Scofca3 is [to he seen] between Sliabh Mis and the
sea. Therein also fell Fas, the wife of Un, son of
tJige, from whom is [earned] Gleann Faisi After
this the sons of Milidh fought a battle at Taill-
ten* against the three kings of the Tuatha D3
Dananns, MacCuill, MoeCeacht, and MacGrtone".
The battle lasted for a long time, until MacCeacht
fell by Eiremhon, MacCuill by Eimheur, and Mac
—The grave is still (Minted out in the vallsy of Gleann Scoithin,
»rry,
tea— Now Telltowu, conuty Meata.
«'
%f
Gridne* by Amllergen.,,5 Thus tlie Tuatha De Danann dynasty
passed away* bui. not without leaving many a quaint legend of
magic and mystery, and many an- impress of its more than
ordinary skill in such arts as were then indications of national
superiority. The real names of the last chiefs of this line, are
said to have been respectively Ethur, Cethur, and Fethur. The
first was called MacCuill, because he worshipped the hazel-tree,
and, more probably, because he was devoted to some branch of
literature which it symbolized ; the second MacCeacht, because
he worshipped the plough, i\e,, was devoted to agriculture ; and
the third obtained his appellation of MacGriune" because he wor-
shipped the sun,
It appears from a very curious and ancient tract, written in the
shape of a dialogue Between St, P&triok and Caoilte MacRonain, that
there were many places in Ireland where the Tuatha De Dananns
were then supposed to live as sprites and fairies, with corporeal
and material forms, but endued with immortality. The inference
naturally to be drawn from these stories is> that the Tuatha De
Drmanns lingered in the country for many centuries after their
subjugation by the Gaodhils, and that they lived in retired situations,
where they practised abstruse arts, from which they oh tamed the
reputation of being magicians.
The Tuatha De. Dananns are also said to have brought the famous
Lia Fail, or Stone of Destiny, to Ireland, It is said by some autho-
rities that this stone was carried to Scotland when an Irish colony
invaded North Britain, and that it was eventually brought to
En-land by Edward L, in the year 1300, and deposited in West-
minster Abbey* It is supposed to be identical with the large bt<
of stone which m:iv be seen there under the coronation chair. Dr.
Fetrie, however, controverts this statement, and believes it to be
the present pillar stone over the Croppies1 Grave in one of the raths
ofT;u;i.
A Danann prince, called Oghma, is said to have invented the
occult form of writing called the Ogham Craove, which, like the
round ton proved so fertile a source of doubt and discussion
to our antiquaries.
The Milesians, however, did not obtain a colonization in Ireland
without some difficulty. According to the ancient accounts, they
* A mktrgtn,— An uals of the Four Masters, vol I p. 2fi.
THE MILESIANS CONQUER. 77
landed at the mouth of the river Slainge\ or Slaney, in the present
county of Wexford, unperceived by the Tuatha T>6 Dananns. From
thence they marched to Tara, the seat of government, and sum-
moned the three kings to surrender. A curious legend is told of
this summons and its results, which is probably true in the more
important details. The Tuatha D6 Danann princes complained
that they had been taken by surprise, and proposed to the invaders
to re-embark, and to go out upon the sea " the distance of nine
waves," stating that the country should be surrendered to them if
they could then effect a landing by force. The Milesian chiefs
assented; but when the original inhabitants found them fairly
launched at sea, they raised a tempest by magical incantations,
which entirely dispersed the fleet. One part of it was driven
along the east coast of Erinn, to the north, under the command of
Eremon, the youngest of the Milesian brothers ; the remainder,
under the command of Donn, the elder brother, was driven to the
south-west of the island.
But the Milesians had druids also.0 As soon as they suspected
the agency which had caused the storm, they sent a man to the
topmast of the ship to know " if the wind was blowing at that
height over the surface of the sea." The man reported that
it was not The druids then commence practising counter arts of
magic, in which they soon succeeded, but not until five of the
eight brothers were lost Four, including Donn, were drowned in
the wild Atlantic, off the coast of Kerry. Colpa met his fate at
the mouth of the river Boyne, called from him Inbhear Colpa.
Eber Finn and Amergin, the survivors of the southern party, landed
in Kerry, and here the battle of Sliabh Mis was fought, which has
been already mentioned.*
The battle of Taillten followed ; and the Milesians having become
masters of the country, the brothers Eber Finn and Eremon divided
it between them ; the former taking all the southern part, from the
Boyne and the Shannon to Cape Clear, the latter taking all the
part lying to the north of these rivers.
This arrangement, however, was not of long continuance. Each
was desirous of unlimited sovereignty ; and they met to decide their
• Also. — This tale bean a simple and obvious interpretation. The druids
were the most learned and experienced in physical science of their respective
nations ; henoe the advice they gave appeared magical to those who were less
instructed.
78
BATTLE OF GELSILL.
claims by an appeal to arms at Geisill,7 a place near the present
Tullamore, in the King's county. Eber and his chief leaders fell
in this engagement, and Bremen assumed the sole government of
the island.1
^
<\
AKCIXNT FLIKT AXE.
He took up his residence in Leinster, and after a reign of fifteen
years died, and was buried at Bdilh Bdlhargh, in Argat Boss. This
T Q4UUL— The scene of the battle was at a place called Toehar tier tifd
/A, ar " the causeway between two plains, M and on the bank of the river
il.-t damhf which runs through the town of Tullamore. The name of the
uattk <-iit:Jd il rttill preserved in the name of the townland of BaHintogher, in
the pariah and barony of (it:t*ill. At the time of the composition of the
ancient topographical tract called the Dinnseaneluis, the mounds and grave©
pf the slain were still to be aeon.— See Gf Curry, page 449. The author
af this tract, A merlin Mac AmaJgaidh, wrote about the sixth century. A
copy of his work is preserved in the Book of Ballymote, which was compiled
in the year 13[>L There is certainly evidence enough to prove the fact of the
1 that this was not a " legend invented from the tenth to the twelfth
centuries," It is almost amusing to hear the criticisms of persona utterly
ignorant of onr literature, bo waver weU -educated in other respects. If the
treasures of ancient history which exist la Irish MSS. existed in Sanscrit, or
even in Greek or Latin, we should find scholars devoting their lives and Iwst
intellectual energies to understand and proclaim their value and importance,
dmi warmly defending them against all impugners of their authenticity.
h I Mind. — The axe figured above is a remarkable weapon, The copy is
taken i by permission, from the collection of the Hoy a) Irish Acadray, Sir
bede's account of ibeland. 79
ancient rath still exists, and is now called Eath Beagh. It is
situated on the right bank of the river Nore, near the present vil-
lage of Ballyragget, county Kilkenny. This is not narrated by the
' Pour Masters, neither do they mention the coming of the Cruith-
neans or Picts into Ireland. These occurrences, however, are
recorded in all the ancient copies of the Book of Invasions, and in
the Dinnseanchus. The Cruithneans or Picts are said to have fled
from the oppression of their king in Thrace, and to have passed
into GauL There they founded the city of Poictiers. From thence
they were again driven by an act of tyranny, and they proceeded
first to Britain, and then to Ireland. Crimhthann Sciath-b6l, one
• of King Eremon's leaders, was at Wexford when the new colony
landed. He was occupied in extirpating a tribe of Britons who
had settled in Fotharta,9 and were unpleasantly distinguished for
fighting with poisoned weapons. The Irish chieftain asked the
assistance of the new comers. A battle was fought, and the Britons
were defeated principally by the skill of the Pictish druid, who
found an antidote for the poison of their weapons. According to
the quaint account of Bede,1 the Celtic chiefs gave good advice to
their foreign allies in return for their good deeds, and recommended
them to settle in North Britain, adding that they would come to
their assistance should they find any difficulty or opposition from
the inhabitants. The Picts took the advice, but soon found them-
selves in want of helpmates. They applied again to their neigh-
bours, and were obligingly supplied with wives on the condition
" that, when any difficulty should arise, they should choose a king
from the female royal race rather than from the male." The Picts
accepted the terms and the ladies ; " and the custom," says Bede,
" as is well known, is observed among the Picts to this day."
Bede then continues to give a description of Ireland. His
account, although of some length, and not in all points reliable, is
too interesting to be omitted, being the opinion of an Englishman,
and an author of reputation, as to the state of Ireland, socially and
W. Wilde describes the original thus in the Catalogue : "It is 3 J inches in
its longest diameter, and at its thickest part measures about half-an-inch. It
has been chipped all over with groat care, and has a sharp edge all round.
This peculiar style of tool or weapon reached perfection in this specimen,
which, whether used as a knife, arrow, spike, or axe, was an implement of sin-
gular beauty of design, and exhibits great skill in the manufacture."
• Fotharta.— Now the barony of Forth, in Wexford.
1 Bede.—Ecde$ia*tkcU History, Bonn's edition, p. 0.
80
IRISH CHRONOLOGY.
physically, in the seventh century : u Ireland, in breadth and for
Wholesomeness and serenity of climate, far surpasses Britain ; for
the snow scarcely ever lies there above three days ; no man
makes hay in summer for winter's provision* or builds stabiet
for his beasts of burden, No reptiles are found there; for,
though often earned thither out of Britain, as soon as the ship
comes near the shore, and the scent of the air reaches them, t]
diet. On the contrary, almost all things in the island are good
against poison. In short, we have known that when some per -<
have been bitten by serpents, the scrapings of leaves of books tl
were brought out of Ireland, being put into water and given them
to drink, have immediately expelled the spreading poison, and
assuaged the swelling* The island abounds in milk and honey ;s
nor is there any want of vines, 6sh,3 and fowl ; and it is remarkable
for deer and goats."
The chronology of Irish pagan history is unquestionably one of its
greatest difficulties. But the chronology of all ancient peoples is
equally unmanageable. When Bunsen lias settled Egyptian chrono-
logy to the satisfaction of other literati as well as to his own, and
when Hindoo and Chinese accounts of their postdiluvian or ante-
diluvian ancestors have been reconciled and synchronized, we may*
1 Honty,— Honey was an important edible to the ancients, and, therefore,
likely to obtain special mention. Keating tin pugns the veracity of Sol inns, who
stated that there were no bees in Ireland, on the authority of Camden, who says:
"Such is the quantity of bees, that they are found not only in hives, but even
in the trunks of trees, and in holes in the ground. " There is a curious legend
aneut the same useful insect, that may interest apiarians as well as hagiologista.
It is eaid in the life of St. David, that when Modomnoc (or Dominic) was
with St, David at Menevia. in Wales, he was charged with the care of the
beehives, and that the bees became so attached to him that they followed him
to Ireland. BotroW, the Rule of St Albans, who lived in the time of
Patrick (in the early part of the fifth century), may be quoted to prove that
bees existed in Ireland at an earlier period* although the saint may have been
eo devoted to his favourites as to have brought a special colony by miracle or
otherwise to Ireland, The Rule oj Sk A loan says : " When they [the monks]
sit down at table, let them be brought [served] beets or routs, washed with
irnter, in clean baskets, also apples, beer, and honey frnm the hive," Cer-
tainly, habits of regularity and cleanliness are here plainly indicated as well
as the existence of the bee.
a /%/*. — It is to be presumed that fifdi are destined to prosper in Hibernia :
of the ancient deer, more hereafter. The goats still flourish also, as visitors
to Killarney can testify ; though they wiU probably soon be relies of the past,
at the goatherds are emigrating to more prosperous regions at a rapid rate*
IRISH CHRONOLOGY COMPARED WITH ROMAN. 81
hear some objections to " Irish pedigrees/' and listen to a new " Irish
question.9
Pre-Christian Irish chronology has been arranged, like most
ancient national chronologies, on the basis of the length of reign of
certain kings. As we do not trace our descent from the " sun and
moon," we are not necessitated to give our kings " a gross of cen-
turies apiece," or to divide the assumed period of a reign between
half-a-dozen monarchs;4 and the difficulties are merely such as might
be expected before chronology had become a science. The Four
Masters have adopted the chronology of the Septuagint ; but
O'Flaherty took the system of Scaliger, and thus reduced the dates
by many hundred years. The objection of hostile critics has been
to the history rather than to the chronology of the history ; but
these objections are a mere pelitio principii. They cannot under-
stand how Ireland could have had a succession of kings and com-
parative civilization, — in fact, a national existence, — from 260
years before the building of Eome, when the Milesian colony
arrived, according to the author of the Ogygia, at least a thousand
years before the arrival of Caesar in Britain, and his discovery that
its inhabitants were half-naked savages. The real question is not
-what Caesar said of the Britons, nor whether they had an ancient
history before their subjugation by the victorious cohorts of Eome ;
but whether the annals which contained the pre-Christian history
of Ireland may be accepted as, in the main, authentic.
We have already given some account of the principal works
from which our annals may be compiled. Before we proceed
to that portion of our history the authenticity of which cannot be
questioned, it may, perhaps, be useful to give an idea of the autho-
rities for the minor details of social life, the individual incidents of
a nation's being, which, in fact, make up the harmonious whole.
We shall find a remarkable coincidence between the materials for
early Eoman history, and those for the early history of that portion
of the Celtic race which colonized Ireland.
We have no trace of any historical account of Eoman history by
a contemporary writer, native or foreign, before the war with
Pyrrhus; yet we have a history of Eome for more than four
hundred years previous offered to us by classical writers,5 as a
4 Monarchs. — See Bnnseu's Egypt, passim.
6 Writers, — The first ten l»ooks of Livy are extant, and bring Roman historj
to the consulship of Julius Maximus Gurges and Junius Brutus Sccene, in
JP
82 AUTHENTICITY OF IRISH PEDIGREES.
trustworthy narrative of events. From whence did they derive
their reliable information % Unquestionably from works such as the
Origines of Cato the Censor, and other writers, which were then
extant, but which have since perished. And these writers, whence
did they obtain their historical narratives % If wo may credit the
theory of Niebuhr,6 they were transmitted simply by bardic legends,
composed in verse. Even Sir G. G. Lewis admits that " comme-
morative festivals and other periodical observances, may, in certain
cases, have served to perpetuate a true tradition of some national
event."7 And how much more surely would the memory of such
events be perpetuated by a people, to whom they had brought im-
portant political revolutions, who are eminently tenacious of their
traditions, and who have preserved the memory of them intact for
centuries in local names and monumental sites ! The sources from
whence the first annalists, or writers of Irish history, may have
compiled their narratives, would, therefore, be — 1. The Books of
Genealogies and Pedigrees. 2. The Historic Tales. 3. The Books
of Laws. 4. The Imaginative Tales and Poems. 5. National Monu-
ments^ such as cromlechs and pillar stones, &c, which supplied the
place of the brazen tablets of Roman history, the libri Unlet,8 or the
chronological nail.9
The Books of Genealogies and Pedigrees form a most important
element in Irish pagan history. For social and political reasons,
the Irish Celt preserved his genealogical tree with scrupulous
precision. The rights of property and the governing power were
transmitted with patriarchal exactitude on strict claims of pri-
mogeniture, which claims could only be refused under certain
conditions defined by law. Thus, pedigrees and genealogies
292 B.C. Dionysius published his history seven years before Christ. Five of
Plutarch's Lives fall within the period before the war with Pyrrhus. There
are many sources besides those of the works of historians from which general
information is obtained.
6 Niebuhr. — " Genuine or oral tradition has kept the story of Tarpeia for/ftw-
and-txoenty hundred years in the mouths of the common people, who for many
centuries have been total strangers to the names of Clcelia and Cornelia." —
Hist. vol. i. p. 230.
7 Event. — Credibility of Early Roman History, vol. i. p. 101.
8 Libri lintei. — Registers written on linen, mentioned by Livy, under the
year 444 B.C.
0 Kail. — Livy quotes Cincius for the fact that a series of nails were extant
in the temple of Hostia, at Volainii, as a register of successive years. Quite as
primitive an arrangement as the North American quipus.
QUALIFICATION OF AN OLLAMH. 83
became a family necessity; but since private claims might be
doubted, and the question of authenticity involved such important
results, a responsible public officer was appointed to keep the
records, by which all claims were decided. Each king had his
own recorder, who was obliged to keep a true account of his
pedigree, and also of the pedigrees of the provincial kings and of
their principal chieftains. The provincial kings had also their
recorders (OUamhs or Seanchaidhe^) ; and in obedience to an ancient
law, established long before the introduction of Christianity, all
the provincial records, as well as those of the various chieftains,
were required to be furnished every third year to the convocation
at Tara, where they were compared and corrected.
The compilers of these genealogies were persons who had been
educated as Ollamhs — none others were admissible; and their
" diplomas n were obtained after a collegiate course, which might
well deter many a modern aspirant to professorial chairs. The
education of the Ollamh lasted for twelve years ; and in the course
of these twelve years of "hard work," as the early books say,
certain regular courses were completed, each of which gave the
student an additional degree, with corresponding title, rank, and
privileges.2
" In the Book ofLeeain (fol. 168) there is an ancient tract, describ-
ing the laws upon this subject, and referring, with quotations, to
the body of the BretMbh Ninihedh, or ' Brehon Laws/ According
to this authority, the perfect Poet or Ollamh should know and
practise the Teimm Laegha, the Imas Forosnadh, and the Dichedal
do ehennaibh. The first appears to have been, a peculiar druidical
verse, or incantation, believed to confer upon the druid or poet the
power of understanding everything that it was proper for him to
say or speak. The second .is explained or translated, ' the illumi-
nation of much knowledge, as from the teacher to the pupil/ that
is, that he should be able to explain and teach the four divisions of
poetry or philosophy, ' and each division of them/ continues the
authority quoted, 'is the chief teaching of three years of hard
• 1 Scanchaidhe (pronounced "8hanachy,,).— It means, in this case, strictly a
historian ; bat the ancient historian was also a bard or poet.
* Privileges. — We can scarcely help requesting the special attention of the
reader to these well-authenticated facts. A nation which had so high an
appreciation of its annate, must have been many degrees removed from bar-
barism for centuries.
work/ The third qualification, or Dicliedal, is explained, * that he
begins at once the head of his poem.* in short, to improvise ex-
tempore in correct verse. *To the QUamh/ says the ancient
authority quoted in this passage in the Book of Lecain, ' belong
tynchromsms, together with the taeglia lahdhihh, or aimaiiiatiflg
poems [incantations], and to him belong the pedigrees and etymo-
logies of names, that is, he has the pedigrees of the men of Erinn
with certainty, and the branching off of their various relation-
ships/ Lastly, ■ here are the four divisions of the knowledge of
poetry (or philosophy}/ says the tract I have referred to ; 4 ge
logies, synchronisms, and the reciting of (historic) tales form the
first division \ knowledge of the seven kinds of verse, and how to
measure them by letters and syllables, form another of them ;
judgment of the seven kinds of poetry, another of them ; lastly,
Jjichedtd [or improvisation], that is> to contemplate and recite the
verses without ever thinking of them beiore/ "3
The pedigrees were collected and written into a single book,
called the Cin or Book of Drom Sneehta, by the son of Duach
Galacb, King of Connacht, an Qllamh in history and genealo-
gies, &c,f shortly before 4 the arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland, whic
happened about a.d. 432. It is obvious, therefore, that these
genealogies must have existed for centuries prior to this perie
Even if they were then committed to writing for the first time
they could have been handed down for many centuries orallj
by the Ollainhs j for no amount of literary eftort could he su
too great for a class of men so exclusively and laboriously devoted
to learning.
As the Milesians were the last of the ancient colonists, and
had subdued the races previously existing in Ireland, only the
genealogies, with a few exceptions, have been preserved. The
genealogical tree begins, therefore, with the brothers Eher and
Eremon, the two surviving leaders of the expedition, whose ancestors
are traced back to Magog, the son of Japhet. The great southern
chieftains, such as the MacCarthys and O'Briens, claim descent
from Ebtif ; the northern families of O'Connor, O'Donnell, and
O'Neill, claim Eremon as their head. There are also other families
* Before.— O'Curry, p. 240.
* Br/orc. — This, ol course, open* «p the question &b to whether the Irish
Celts had i written Eterature before the arrival oi St. Patrick. Thit subject
will be fully eutcrUititd later on.
HISTORICAL VALUE OF GENEALOGIES. 85
claiming descent from Emer, the son of Ir, brother to Eber arid
Eremon ; as also from their cousin Lugaidh, the son of Ith. From
these four sources the principal Celtic families of Ireland have
sprung; and though they do not quite trace up the line to
" The grand old gardener and his wife,"
they have a pedigree which cannot be gainsaid, and which might
be claimed with pride by many a monarch. MacFirbis' Book of
Genealogies,5 compiled in the year 1650, from lost records, is the
most perfect work of this kind extant. But there are tracts in
the Book of Leinster (compiled A.D. 1130), and in the Book of
Ballymote (compiled A.D. 1391), which are of the highest authority.
O'Curry is of opinion, that those in the Book of Leinster were
copied from the Saltair of Gashel and other contemporaneous
-works.
The historical use of these genealogies is very great, not only
because they give an authentic pedigree and approximate data for
•chronological calculation, but from the immense amount of correla-
tive information which they contain. Every free-born man of the
tribe was entitled by blood, should it come to his turn, to succeed
to the chieftaincy: hence the exactitude with which each pedi-
gree was kept ; hence their importance in the estimation of each
individual ; hence the incidental matter they contain, by the men-
tion of 6uch historical events0 as may have acted on different
tribes and families, by which they lost their inheritance or in-
dependence, and consequently their claim, however remote, to the
chieftaincy.
The ancient history of a people should always be studied with
6 Genealogies.— There is a "distinction and a difference" between a genealogy
and a pedigree. A genealogy embraces the descent of a family, and its relation
to all the other families that descended from the samo remote parent stock,
and took a distinct tribe-name, as the Dalcassians. A pedigree traces up the
line of descent to the individual from whom the name was derived.
• Events. — Arnold mentions "the family traditions aud funeral orations
out of which the oldest annalists [of Roman history] compiled their narra-
tives."— vol i. p. 371. SirG. C. Lewis, however, thinks that the composition
of national annals would precede the composition of any private history ;
but he adds that he judges from the "example of modern times." With
all respect to such an authority, it seems rather an unphilosophical conclusion.
Family pedigrees would depend on family pride, in which the Romans were
by no means deficient ; and on political considerations, which were all-impor*
tent to the Irish Celt.
86 NATIONAL FEELINGS SHOULD BE RESPECTED.
care and candour by those who, as a matter of interest or duty,
wish to understand their social state, and the government best
suited to that state. Many of the poorest families in Ireland are
descendants of its ancient chiefs. The old habit — the habit which
deepened and intensified itself during centuries — cannot be eradi-
cated, though it may be ridiculed, and the peasant will still boast
of his " blood :" it is all that he has left to him of the proud in-
heritance of his ancestors.
The second source of historical information may be found in
the Historic Tales. The reciting of historic tales was one of
the principal duties of the Ollamh, and he was bound to pre*
serve the truth of history "pure and unbroken to succeeding
generations."
" According to several of the most ancient authorities, the Ollamh,
or perfect Doctor, was bound to have (for recital at the public
feasts and assemblies) at least Seven Fifties of these Historic narra-
tives ; and there appear to have been various degrees in the ranks-
of the poets, as they . progressed in education towards the final:
degree, each of which was bound to be supplied with at least
a certain number. Thus the Anroth, next in rank to an Ottamli,
should have half the number of an Ollamh ; the Cli, one-third the
number, according to some authorities, and eighty according to*
others ; and so on down to the Fochlog, who should have thirty ;
and the Driseg (the lowest of all), who should have twenty of these
tales."'
The Ollamhs, like the druids or learned men of other nations,
were in the habit of teaching the facts of history to their pupils
in verse,s probably that they might be more easily remembered.
t Talcs.— O'Curry, p. 241.
• Verse.— See Niebuhr, Hist. voL i. pp. 254*261. Arnold has adopted hi*
theory, and Macaulay has acted on it. But the Roman poems were merely
recited at public entertainments, and were by no means a national arrange-
ment for the preservation of history, such as existed anciently in Ireland.
These verses were sung by boys more palrum (Od. iv. 15), for the entertainment
of guests. Ennius, who composed his Annales in hexameter verse, intro-
ducing, for the first time, the Greek metre into lloman literature, mentions
the verses which the Fauns, or religious poets, used to chant. Scaliger
thinks that the Fauns were a class of men who exercised in Latium, at a very
remote period, the same functions as the Magi an s in Persia and the Bards in
Oaul. Niebuhr supposes that the entire history of the Human kings wan
formed from poems into a prose narrative.
HISTORIC TALES.
87
A few of these tales have been published lately, such as the Battle
of Magh Rath, the Battle of Muiglti Leana, and the Tochmarc Mo-
mtra. Besides the tales of Battles (Catha), there are the tales
of Longasa, or Voyages ; the tales of Toghla, or Destructions , of
Slaughters, of Sieges, of Tragedies, of Voyages, and, not least me-
morable, of the Tana, or Cattle Spoils, and the Tochmarca, or Court-
ships. It should be remembered that numbers of these tales are
in existence, offering historical materials of the highest value.
The Books of Laws demand a special and more detailed notice, as
well as the Historical Monuments. With a brief mention of the
Imaginative Tales and Poems, we must conclude this portion of ouf
subject.
Ancient writings, even of pure fiction, must always form an im-
portant historical element to the nation by which they have been
produced. Unless they are founded on fact, so far as customs,
localities, and mode of life are concerned, they would possess no
interest; and their principal object is to interest. Without. some
degree of poetic improbabilities as to events, they could scarcely
amuse ; and their object is also to amuse. Hence, the element of truth
is easily separated from the element of fiction, and each is available
in its measure for historic research. The most ancient of this
class of writings are the Fenian Poems and Tales, ascribed to Finn
Mac Cumhaill, to his sons, Oisin and Fergus Finnbheoill (the
Eloquent), and to his kinsman, Caeilite. There are also many
tales and poems of more recent date. Mr. O'Curry estimates,
that if all MSS. known to be in existence, and composed before
the year 1000, were published, they would form at least 8,000
printed pages of the same size as O'Donovan's Annals of the Four
Masters,
PROM SOULPTUBES XX DKVXNIflH.
-WHS
pprr?
HOUND TO WEE OF DYSAflT, NEAJt CROCX, XI U BRICK.
i
CHAPTER VI.
Tighcamnias— His Death— Introduces Colours as a Distinction of Rank — Silver
Shield* and Chariots first used— Reign of UguittG M6r— Tbc Treachery of
Cobb thach— Romantic Tales— Queen Mali— Di spot© which Jed to tho
I .rated Cattle Spoil— The Story of the Tdin b& ChuailgmS— The
Romans finivd to invade Ireland— Tacitus— Rtvolt of the Attacotti —
Keign of Tuathal — Origin of the Boromean Tribute
fc
|>a 170O0
UR annals afford but brief details from the time of
Eremon to that ot H6r. One hundred and
eighteen sovereigns are enumerated from the Mile-
sian conquest of Ireland (according to the Four
Masters, B.C« 1700) to the time of St. Patrick,
A.D. 432. The principal events recorded are inter-
national deeds of arms, the clearing of woods, the
enactment of laws, and the erection of palaces.
TighearamaSj one of these monarchs, is said to
have introduced the worship of idols into Ireland*
From this it would appear, that the more refined
.in, or Sun-worship, had prevailed previously.
He died, with u three-fourths " of the men of Ire-
land about him, on the night of Samhain,* while
worshipping the idol called Crom Craach, at
* S&mhain* — Now All Hallows Eve, The peasantry still use the pagan
»me, It is a compound word, signifying rt summer" and M end-'*
15
OLLAMH FODHLA. 89
Magh Slacht, in Breifne1.1 Tighearnmas reigned seventy-five years.
He is said ta have been the first who attempted the smelting of
gold in Ireland ; and the use of different colours,2 as an indication
of rank, is also attributed to him.
Silver shields were now made (B.C. 1383) at Airget-Ros, by
Enna Airgtheach, and four-horse chariots were first used in the
time of Boitheachtaigh, who was killed by lightning near the
Giant's Causeway. Ollamh Fodhla (the wise or learned man)
distinguished himself still more by instituting triennial assemblies
at Tara. Even should the date given by the Four Masters (1317
B.C.) be called in question, there is no doubt of the fact, which
must have occurred some centuries before the Christian era ; and
this would appear to be the earliest instance of a national convo-
cation or parliament in any country. Ollamh Fodhla also ap-
pointed chieftains over every cantred or hundred, he constructed a
rath at Tara, and died there in the fortieth year of his reign.
At the reign of Cimbaoth (B.C. 716) we come to that period
which Tighernach considers the commencement of indisputably
authentic history. It is strange that he should have selected a
provincial chief, and a period in no way remarkable except for
the building of the palace of Emania.3 But the student of Irish
pre-Christian annals may be content to commence with solid
foundation as early as seven centuries before Christ. The era was
an important one in universal history. The Greeks had then
counted sixteen Olympiads, and crowned Pythagoras the victor.
Hippomenes was archon at Athens. Bomulus had been succeeded
by Numa Pompilius, and the foundations of imperial Borne were
laid in blood by barbarian hordes. The Chaldeans had just
taken the palm in astronomical observations, and recorded for the
first time a lunar eclipse ; while the baffled Assyrian hosts relin-
1 Brttfni. — In the present county Cavan. We shall refer again to this
subject, when mentioning St Patrick's destruction of the idols.
* Colourt. — Keating says that a slave was permitted only one colour, a
peasant two, a soldier three, a public victualler five. The Ollamh ranked.
vriih royalty, and was permitted six — another of the many proofs of extraor-
dinary veneration for learning in pre-Christian Erinn. The Four Masters,
however, ascribe the origin of this distinction to Eochaidh Eadghadhach. It
is supposed that this is the origin of the Scotch plaid. The ancient Britons
dyed their bodies blue. The Cymric Celts were famous for their colours.
* Emania. — The legend of the building of this palace will be given in a
future chapter.
quished the siege of Tyre, unhappily reserved for the cruel de-
struction accomplished by Alexander, a few centuries later. The
prophecies of Isaiah were still resounding in the ears of an ungrateful
people. He had spoken of the coming Christ and His all-peaceful
mission in mystic imagery, and had given miraculous evidences of his
predictions. But suffering should be the precursor of that mar-
vellous advent. The Assyrian dashed in resistless torrent upon the
fold* Israel was led captive. Hosea was in chains, Samaria and
the kingdom of Israel wero added to the conquers of Sennachi
and the kingdom of Judah, harassed but not destroyed, waited
the accomplishment of prophecy, and the measure of her crimes*
gig the most ancient of peoples should for ever cease to be a nation.
Ugaine M6r is the next monarch who demands notice- His
obituary record is thus given by the Four Masters :— " At the end
of tins year, a.m. 4 GOG, Ugain£ MAr, after he had been full forty
years King of Ireland, and of the whole of the west of Europe, as
far as Muir-Toirrian, was slain by Badhbhchad at Tealach-an«
Choisgair, in Brcgia. This Ugaine was he who exacted oaths by
all the elements, visible and invisible, from the men of Ireland
in generalj that they would -never contend for the sovereignty of
Ireland with his children or his race."
Ugaine was succeeded by his son, Laeghaixe1 Lore, who was
cruelly and treacherously killed by his brother, Cobhthach Gael
Indeed, few monarehs lived out their time in peace during this and
the succeeding centuries. The day is darkest before the dawn, in
the social and political as well as in the physical world* The Eternal
Light was already at hand ; the powers of darkness were aroused
for the coming conflict; and deeds of evil were being accom-
plished, which make men shudder as they read* The assassi-
nation of Laeghaire was another manifestation of the old-world
story of envy. The treacherous Cobhthach feigned sickness* which
he knew would obtain a visit from his brother. When the monarch
stooped to embrace him* he plunged a dagger into his heart. His
next act was to kill his nephew, Ailill Aine ; and his ill-treatment
of Aine's son, Maen, was the consummation of his cruelty. The
fratricide was at last slain by this very youth, who had now ob-
tained the appellation of Labhraidh-Loingseach, or Lowry of the
Ships, We have special evidence here of the importance of our
Historic Tales, and also that the blending of Action and fact by
no means deteriorates from their value*
THE HISTOEY OF THE EXILE. 92
Xove affairs form a staple ground for fiction, with a very sub-
stantial understrata of facts, even in the nineteenth century; and the
annals of pre-Christian Erinn are by no means deficient in the same
fertile source of human interest. The History of the Exile is still
preserved in the Leabhar Buidhe Lecain, now in the Library of
Trinity College, Dublin. It is a highly romantic story, but evidently
founded on fact, and full of interest as descriptive of public and
private life in the fifth century before Christ. It tells how Maen,
though supposed to be deaf and dumb, was, nevertheless, given in
charge of two officers of the court to be educated; that he recovered
or rather obtained speech suddenly, in a quarrel with another youth ;
and that he was as symmetrical of form and noble of bearing as all
heroes of romance are bound to be. His uncle expelled him from
the kingdom, and he took refuge at the court of King Scoriath.
King Scoriath had a daughter, who was beautiful ; and Maen, of
course, acted as a knight was bound to do under such circum-
stances, and fell desperately in love with the princess. The Lady
Moriath's beauty had bewildered more heads than that of the
knight-errant ; but the Lady Moriath's father and mother were
determined their daughter should not marry.
The harper Craftine came to the rescue, and at last, by his all-
entrancing skill, so ravished the whole party of knights and nobles,
that the lovers were able to enjoy a t€te-a-t£te, and pledged mutual
vows. As usual, the parents yielded when they found it was useless
to resist ;# and, no doubt, the poet Crafting, who, poet and all
as he was, nearly lost his head in the adventure, was the most
welcome of all welcome guests at the nuptial feast. Indeed,
he appears to have been retained as comptroller of the house
and confidential adviser long after; for when Labhraidh Maen
was obliged to fly the country, he confided his wife to the care
of Craftine. On his return from France,4 he obtained possession
of the kingdom, to which he was the rightful heir, and reigned over
the men of Erinn for eighteen years.
Another Historic Tale gives an account of the destruction of the
court of Da Derga, but we have not space for details. The Four
Masters merely relate the fact in the following entry : —
* France. — It is said that foreigners who came with him from Gaul were
armed with broad-headed lances (called in Irish, laighne), whence the province-
of Leinster has derived its name. Another derivation of the name, from coig%
a fifth parti is attributed to the Firbols.
11 Conaire^ the aon of Ederscel, after having been seventy years in
the sovereignty of Erinu, was slain at Bruighean Da Dhearga by
insurgents " Another prince, Eochaidh Feidhleeh, was famous
for sighing. He rescinded the division of Ireland into twenty-five
parts, which had been made by Ugaine Mdr, and divided the
island into Eve provinces, over each of which ho appointed a pro-
vincial king, under his obedience. The famous Meadhbh, or Mab,
was his daughter; and though unquestionably a lady of rather
strong physical and mental capabilities, the lapse of ages has thrown
an obscuring halo of romance ronnd her belligerent qualifi cat ions,
and metamorphosed her into the gentle " Faery Queen " ol
the poet Spenser. One of Meav'e exploits is recorded in the
famous Tain bo Chuailgn£, which is to Celtic history what the
Argonautic Expedition, or the Seven against Thebes, is to
Grecian. Meav was married first to Conor, the celebrated pro-
vincial king of Ulster ; but the marriage was not a happy one,
and was dissolved, in modern parlance, *>n the ground of incompa-
tibility, In the meanwhile, Menv's three brothers had rebelled
against their father; and though his arms were victorious, th*
victory did not secure peace. The men of Connacht revolted
against him, and to retain their allegiance he made his daughter
Queen of Connacht, and gave her in marriage to Ailill, a powerful
chief of that province. This prince, however, died soon after j and
Meav, determined for once, at least, to choose a husband for her-
self, made a royal progress to Leinster, where Ross Kuadb
held his court at Nans. She selected the younger son of this
monarch, who bore the same name as her former husband, and
they lived together happily as queen and king consort for many
years. On one occasion, however, a dispute arose about t
respective treasures, and this dispute led to a comparison of their
property, The account of this, and the subsequent comparison u
given at length in the Tdiii, and is a valuable repertory of arc J
logical information. They counted their vessels, metal and
wooden; they counted their finger rings, their clasps, their thumb
rings, their diadems, and their gorgets of gold. They examined
their many-coloured garments of crimson and blue, of black
green, yellow and mottled, white and streaked. AH were
They then inspected their flocks and herds, swine from the
forests, sheep from the pasture lands, and cows — here the first differ-
ence arose. Jt was one to excite Meav's haughty temper. Therw
THS TAIN BO GHUAILGNE.
m
was & young bull found among AililFs bovine wealth : it had been
calved by one of Me&v's cows; but "not deeming it honorable to b«
under a woman's control " it had attached itself to AililTs herds.
JMeav was not a lady who could remain quiet under such provoca-
tion* She summoned Iter chief courier, and asked Mm could ha
find a match for Finnbheannach
(the white-homed)* The courier
declared that he could find even a
superior animal ; and at once set
forth on bis mission, suitably at-
tended* Meav had offered the
most liberal rewards for the prize
she so much coveted ; and the
courier soon arranged with Dare,
a noble of large estates, who
possessed one of the valuable
■ t, A drunken quarrel, how-
ever, disarranged hifl plans. One
of the men boasted that if Dare
badnot given the bull for pay meat,
-been compelled to
give it by fi -rce. Dare's steward
heard the ill-timed and uncour-
- boast. He flung down the
meat and drink which he had
brought for their entertainment,
and went to tell his master the
contemptuous speech. Tin- result
may he ed. Dar^ re-
fused the much coveted animal,
and Meav proceeded to make
good her claim by force of arms. But this is only the prologue of
the drama ; the details would nil a volume. It must suffic
aay bulls bad a battle of their own. Finnbheannach and
Donn i t bull) engaged in deadly combat,
whi nbed with the wildest flights of poetic diction/' The
* Dirtho, —TUi ft tract e<>tihun3 a description of arms anil ornaments whioh
nig):' i for a poetic flight of Ennev, had we not articles of audi exqui-
■iU> worktnatwhip in tlie Royal Irish Academy, which prove ineunfcruvertibly
the ttkill ot the ancient artists of Erinn. This is the description of * chaui-
i\\?
m*>
J-
TLIKT BPEAH.HEAB, FROM Tl
COLLECTION OF THK K.I. A.
$4 THE AGK OF CHRIST.
poor "white horn" was killed, and Donn Chuailgn6, who had
lashed himself to madness, dashed out his brains.6
Meav lived to the venerable age of a hundred. According to
Tighernach, she died A.D. 70, but the chronology of the Four
Masters places her demise a hundred years earlier. This difference
of calculation also makes it questionable what monarch reigned in
Ireland at the birth of Christ. The following passage is from
the Book of Ballymote, and is supposed to be taken from the
synchronisms of Flann of Monasterboice : " In the fourteenth year
of the reign of Conair6 and of Conchobar,. Mary was born ; and
in the fourth year after the birth of Mary, the expedition of the
Tain b6 Chuailgn6 took place. Eight years after the expedition of
the Tain, Christ was born."
The Four Masters have the following entry after the age of the
world 5194 :—
THE AGE OP CHRIST.
" The first year of the age of Christ, and the eighth year of the
reign of Crimhthann Niadhnair." Under the heading of the age
pion's attire : — " A red and white cloak flutters about him ; a golden brooch,
in that cloak, at his breast; a shirt of white, kingly linen, with gold
embroidery at his skin ; a white shield, with gold fastenings at his shoulder ;
a gold-hilted long sword at his left side ; a long, sharp, dark green spear,
together with a short, sharp spear, with a rich band and carved silver rivets
in his hand."— O'Curry, p. 38. We give an illustration on previous page of a
flint weapon of a ruder kind.
6 Braim. —My friend, Denis Florence MacCarthy, Esq., M.R.LA., our poet
par excellence, is occupied at this moment in versifying some portions of this
romantic story. I believe he has some intention of publishing the work in
America, as American publishers are urgent in their applications to him for
a complete and uniform edition of his poems, including his exquisite trans-
lations from the dramatic and ballad literature of Spain. We hope Irish pub-
lishers and the Irish people will not disgrace their country by allowing such a
work to be published abroad. We are too often and too justly accused of
deficiency in cultivated taste, which unfortunately makes trashy poems,
and verbose and weakly •written prose, more acceptable to the majority than
works produced by highly-educated minds. Irishmen are by no means in-
ferior to Englishmen in natural gifts, yet, in many instances, unquestionably
they have not or do not cultivate the same taste for reading, and have not
the same appreciation of works of a higher class than the lightest literature.
Much of the fault, no doubt, lies in the present system of education : however,
as some of the professors in our schools and colleges appear to be aware of the
deficiency, we may hope for better things.
TACITUS. y>
of Christ 9, there is an account of a wonderful expedition of this
monarch, and of all the treasures he acquired thereby. His
u adventures" is among the list of Historic Tales in the Book or
Leinster, but unfortunately there is no copy of this tract in exis-
tence. It was probably about this time that a recreant Irish chief-
tain tried to induce Agricola to invade Ireland. But the Irish
Celts had extended the fame of their military prowess even to
•distant lands,7 and the Eoman general thought it better policy to
keep what he had than to risk its loss, and, perhaps, obtain no
compensation. Previous to Caesar's conquest of Britain, the Irish
had fitted out several expeditions for the plunder of that country,
and they do not appear to have suffered from retaliation until the
reign of Egbert. It is evident, however, that the Britons did not
consider them their worst enemies, for we find mention of several
colonies flying to the Irish shores to escape Roman tyranny, and
these colonies were hospitably received.8 The passage in Tacitus
which refers to the proposed invasion of Ireland by the Roman
forces, is too full of interest to be omitted : — " In the fifth year of
these expeditions, Agricola, passing over in the first ship, subdued
in frequent victories nations hitherto unknown. He stationed
troops along that part of Britain which looks to Ireland, more on
account of hope than fear,9 since Ireland, from its situation between
Britain and Spain, and opening to the Gallic Sea, might well
-connect the most powerful parts of the empire with reciprocal
advantage. Its extent, compared with Britain, is narrower, but
exceeds that of any islands of our sea. The genius and habits of
the people, and the soil and climate, "do not differ much from those
of Britain. Its channels and ports are better known to com-
merce and to merchants.1 Agricola gave his protection to one of
its petty kings, who had been expelled by faction ; and with a show
of friendship, he retained him for his own purposes. I often heard
7 Lands.— Lhuid asserts that the names of the principal commanders in
Gaul and Britain who opposed Caesar, arc Irish Latinized.
8 Received. — " They are said to havo fled into Ireland, some for the sake oJ
ease and quietness, others to keep their eyes untainted by Roman insolence."
— See Harris' Ware. The Brigantes of Waterford, Tipperary, and Kilkenny,
«re supposed to have been emigrants, and to have come from the colony of that
name in Yorkshire,
9 Fear. — " In spem magis quam ob formidinem."
1 MercJiatUs.— " Melius aditus portusque per commercia et ncgotiatorea
^ognitis."
96 INSURRECTION OF THE ATTACfOTTI.
him say, that Ireland could be conquered and taken with one
legion and a small reserve ; and such a measure would have its
advantages even as regards Britain, if Roman power were extended
on every side, and liberty taken away as it were from the view of
the latter island."2
We request special attention to the observation, that the Irish
ports were better known to commerce and merchants. Such a state-
ment by such an authority must go far to remove any doubt as to
the accounts given on this subject by our own annalists. The
proper name of the recreant " regulus " has not been discovered,
so that his infamy is transmitted anonymously to posterity. Sir
John Davies has well observed, with regard to the boast of sub-
duing Ireland so easily, "that if Agricola had attempted the
conquest thereof with a far greater army, he would have found
himself deceived in his conjecture.,, William of Neuburg has
also remarked, that though the Romans harassed the Britons for
three centuries after this event, Ireland never was invaded by
them, even when they held dominion of the Orkney Islands, and
that it yielded to no foreign power until the year3 1171. Indeed,
the Scots and Picts gave their legions quite sufficient occupation
defending the ramparts of Adrian and Antoninus, to deter them
from attempting to obtain more, when they could so hardly hold
what they already possessed.
The insurrection of the Aitheach Tuatha,4 or Attacotti, is the
next event of importance in Irish history. Their plans
were deeply and wisely laid, and promised the success they
obtained. It is one of the lessons of history which rulers in
all ages would do well to study. There is a degree of oppres-
sion which even the most degraded will refuse to endure ; there
is a time when the injured will seek revenge, even should they
know that this revenge may bring on themselves yet deeper
wrongs. The leaders of the revolt were surely men of some
8 Island. — Vita Julii Agric. c. 24.
3 Year.— Hist. Her. Angl. lib. ii. c. 26.
4 AWieach Tuatha. — The word means rsntpayers, or rentpaying tribes or
people. It is probably used as a term of reproach, and in contradiction to the
free men. It has been said that this people were the remnants of the inhabi-
tants of Ireland before the Milesians colonized it Mr. O'Curry denies this
statement, and maintains that they were Milesians, but of the lower classes,
who had been cruelly oppressed by the magnates of the land.
RESULTS OP THIS INSURRECTION. 97
judgment ; and both they and those who acted under them pos-
sessed the two great qualities needed for such an enterprise. They
were silent, for their plans were not even suspected until they were
accomplished ; they were patient, for these plans were three years
in preparation. During three years the helots saved their scanty
earnings to prepare a sumptuous death-feast for their unsuspecting
victims. This feast was held at a place since called Magh Cru, in
Connaught. The monarch, >Fiacha Finnolaidh, the provincial
kings and chiefs, were all invited, and accepted the invitation.
But while the enjoyment was at its height, when men had drank
deeply, and were soothed by the sweet strains of the harp, the in-
surgents did their bloody work. Three ladies alone escaped. They
fled to Britain, and there each gave birth to a son — heirs to their
respective husbands who had been slain.
After the massacre, the Attacotti elected their leader, Cairbr6
Cinn-Cait (or the Cat-head), to the royal dignity, for they still
desired to live under a " limited monarchy." But revolutions, even
when successful, and we had almost said necessary, are eminently
productive of evil The social state of a people when once disor-
ganized, does not admit of a speedy or safe return to its former
condition. The mass of mankind, who think more of present evils,
however trifling, than of past grievances, however oppressive, begin
to connect present evils with present rule, and having lost, in
«ome degree, the memory of their ancient wrongs, desire to recall a
dynasty which, thus viewed, bears a not unfavourable comparison
with their present state.5
Cairbre died after five years of most unprosperous royalty,
and his son, the wise and prudent Morann,6 showed his wisdom
and prudence by refusing to succeed him. He advised that the
rightful heirs should be recalled. His advice was accepted. Fear*
* State, — " Evil was the state of Ireland during his reign : fruitless the corn,
for there used to be but one grain on the stalk ; fruitless her rivers ; milkless
her cattle ; plentiless her fruit, for there used to be but one acorn on the oak."
«-Four Masters, p. 97.
6 Morann, — Morann was the inventor of the famous ''collar of gold."
The new monarch appointed him his chief Brehon or judge, and it is said
that this collar closed round the necks of those who were guilty, but expanded
to the ground when the wearer was innocent. This collar or chain is men-
tioned in several of the commentaries on the Brehon Laws, as one of the
ordeals of the ancient Irish. The Four Masters style him * • the very intelligent
adhach Finnfeacbteach was invited to assume the reins of govern-
ment ■ i£ Good was Ireland during this his time. The seasons were
right tranquil ; the earth brought forth its fruit ; fishful its ri
mouths j mllkful the kine ; heavy-headed the woods.1'7
Another revolt of the Attacotti took place in the reign of Fiacha
of the White Cattle. He was killed by the provincial kings, at the
slaughter of Magh Bolg,8 Elim, one of the perpetrators of
outrage, obtained the crown, but his reign was singularly unpros-
perous ; and Ireland was without corn, without iniik, without frail*
without fish, and without any other great advantage, since the
Aitheach Tuatha had killed Fiacha Finnolaidh in the ahuight
Magh Bolg, till the time of Ttmthal Teachtmar/'*
Tuathul was tin- son of a former legitimate ^monarch, and had been
invited to Ireland by a powerful party. He was perpetually at war
with the Attacotti, but at last established himself firmly on the
throne, by exacting an oath from the people, u by the sun, moon,
and elements/' that his posterity should not be deprived of the
sovereignty* This oath was taken at Tara, where he had conv :
a general assembly, as had been customary with his predecessors at
the commencement of each reign ; but it was held by him wit
more than usual state. His next act was to take a small portio
of land from each of the four provinces, forming what is now the
present county of Meath, and retaining it as the mensal portion of
the Ard-Righ, or supreme monarch. On each of these portions he
erected a palace for the king of ever}* province, details of which will
be given when we come to that period of our history which refers
to the destruction of Tarn, Tuathal had at this time two beautiful
and marriageable daughters, named Fithir and Bairine, Eochaidk
Aincheanrij King of Leinster, sought and obtained the hand of the
younger daughter, Dairine, and after her nuptials carried her to his
palace at Naas, in Leinster. Some time after, his people pursuaded
him that he had made a bad selection, and that the elder was the
better of the two sisters ^ upon which Eochaidh determined by
7 Woods,— Four Masters, p. 97.
B Magh Bohj,— Now Moybolgue, & parish in the county Cavan.
0 TcacMmar, i.e.* the legitimate, Four Masters, pt 09. — The history of
revolt of the Attacotti is contained in one of the ancient tracts called J
It ia termed *4 The Origin of the Boroxnean Tribute,1' There is a copy of i
most valuable work in the Book of Leinster, which, it will be remembered,
was compiled in the twelfth century. The details which follow above con-
cerning the Boxomean Tribute, are taken from the same source.
ORIGIN OP THE BOROMEAN tRIBUTE. 99
stratagem to obtain the other daughter also. For this purpose he
shut the young queen up in a secret apartment of his palace, and gave
out a report that she was dead. He then repaired, apparently in great
grief, to Tara, informed the monarch that his daughter was dead,
and demanded her sister in marriage. Tuathal gave his consent,
and the false king returned home with his new bride. Soon after
her arrival at Naas, her sister escaped from her confinement, and
suddenly and unexpectedly encountered the prince and Fithir. In
a moment she divined the truth, and had the additional anguish of
seeing her sister, who was struck with horror and shame, fall dead
before her face. The death of the unhappy princess, and the
treachery of her husband, was too much for the young queen ; she
returned to her solitary chamber, and in a very short time died of
a broken heart.
The insult offered to his daughters, and their untimely death,
roused the indignation of the pagan monarch, and was soon bitterly
avenged. At the head of a powerful force, he burned and ravaged
Leinster to its utmost boundary, and then compelled its humbled
and terror-stricken people to bind themselves and their descendants
for ever to the payment of a triennial tribute to the monarch of
Erinn, which, from the great number of cows exacted by it,
obtained the name of the "Boromean Tribute" — bo being the
Gaedhilic for a cow.
The tribute is thus described in the old annals :
" The men of Leinster were obliged to pay
To Tuathal, and all the monarchs after him,
Three-score hundred of the fairest cows,
And three-score hundred ounces of pure silver,
And three-score hundred mantles richly woven,
And three-score hundred of the fattest hogs,
And three-score hundred of the largest sheep,
And three-score hundred cauldrons strong and polished. M1
It is elsewhere described as consisting of five thousand ounces of
silver, five thousand mantles, five thousand fat cows, five thousand
fat hogs, five thousand wethers, and five thousand vessels of brass
or bronze for the king's laving, with men and maidens for his
service.
The levying of the tribute was the cause of periodical and
1 Polished.— Keating, p. 264.
100
ORIGIN OF THE BOROMEAN TRIBUTE
sanguinary wars, from the time of Tuathal until the reign of
Finnachta the Festive, About the year C80 it was abolished by
Mm, at the entreaty of St, Moling, of Tigh Moling (now St.
Mullen's, in the county Carlo w). It is said by Keating, that ho
availed himself of a pious ruse for this purpose, — asking the king
to pledge himself not to exact the tribute until after Monday* and
then, when hk request was complied with, declaring that the
Monday he intended was the Monday after Doomsday. The tribute
was again revived and levied by Brian , the son of Cinneidigh, at
the beginning of the eleventh century, as a punishment on the
Leinster men for their adherence to the Danish cause. It wa*
from this circumstance that Brian obtained the surname otBorcinM*
Ibjm
ORATORY AT GALLAKLS, CO* KAfcBX
CHAPTER VII,
Tuathal— CoDa " of the Hundred Battles "—The Five Great Roadaof Aneienfc
JErinn— ConnTa Half— Oonairu IL— The Three Cairbr&— Comae Mac Airt
— His Wise Deeiaion— Collects Laws— His Personal Appearance— The
SalUir of Tara written in Connac's Reign — Finn Mao Gurnhadl— Hia
Courtship with t\e Pnaoess Ailbhe— The Pursuit of Diarmaid lad
Grainnfc— Nial *' ct tke 5Lnb Hostages "—DathL
rl
%
\
UATHAL reigned for thirtyyears, and is said to
have fought no less than *fiJ8 battles with the
Attacotti. He was at lost slaoir haiisslf by his
successor, Nial, who, in bis turn, w-as" killed
TiiathaFa son. Conn <£ of the Hundred B&ttX
the next Iri^h monarch who claims more than a
passing notice* His exploits are a famous theme
b the bards, and a poem on his " Birth" forms
part of the Liber Flumts Fergus&rum, a MS.
volume of the fifteenth century. His reign is also
remarkable for the mention of five great roads1*
which were then discovered or completed. One
of these highways, the Eiscir Riadn, extended from
the declivity on which Dublin Castle now stands, to
the peninsula of Marey, at the head of Gal way Bay,
* Boads, — Those roads were Slighe Afiail, *Sligho Midhluachra, SH^he Cua-
Uno, Slighe DalaT and Slighe Mot. Slighe Mdr was the Eiscir Eiada, and
division line of Erinn into two parts, between Conn and Eogban Mflr. These
trtfc I I nrt of Teamair (Tara), and it is said that they were * ' dia«-
covered " on the birthnight of the former monarch. We shall refer to the
iject ajjaiu in a chapter on the civilization of the early Irish. There is no
don! uatcnee of these roads, and thia fact, combined with the care
with whiob they were kept, is significant.
It divided Conn's half of Ireland from the half possessed by
Etighan Mor, with whom he lived in the usual state of internecine
feud which characterized the reigns of this early period. One of
the principal quarrels between these monarchs, was caused by a
complaint which Eoghan made of the shipping arrangements in
Publim Conn's half (the northern side) was preferred, and Eoghan
demanded a fair division, Tkey had to decide their claims at the
battle of Magh Lena,** Eoghan was assisted by a Spanish chief*
whose sister he had married* But the Iberian and his Celtic
brother-in-law were toth slain, and the mounds are still shown
which cover their remains*
Conn was succeeded by Conaire II, the father of the three
Cairhres, who were progenitors of important tribes* Cairbre" Muse
gave his name to six districts in Munster; the territory of Corca-
baiscinn, in Clare, was named after Cairbre Baseain; and the
Dalriada of Antrim were descended from C'urkre Riada, He is also
mentioned by Bede under the name j^f Reuda,* as the leader of the
Scots who came from Hibemi^to, Alba. Three centuries later, a
fresh colony of DalpadjyiViai'd the foundation of the Scottish
monarchy under tfergtisj'Qie son of Ere. Mac Con was the next
A rd-Bigh o/jyUef ^monarch of Ireland. He obtained the royal power
r fej^lfflft* at Magh Mucruimhe, Dear Athenry, where Art the
Me&krcholy, son of Con of the Hundred Battles, and the seven
sons of OilioU Oluim, were slain.
The reign of Cormac Mac Airt is unquestionably the most cele-
brated of all our pagan monarchs. During his early years he had
been compiled to conceal himself among his mother's friends in
Connaught ; but the severe rule of the usurper Mac Con excited a
desire for his removal, and the friends of the young prince were
not slow to avail themselves of the popular feeling. He, therefore,
appeared unexpectedly at Tara, and happened to arrive when tho
monarch was giving judgment in an important case, which is thus
related ; Some sheep, the property of a widow, residing at Tara,
had strayed into the queen's private lawn, and eaten the grass.
They were captured, and the case was brought before the king.
He decided that the trespassers should be forfeited ; but Cormac
3 Magh Lena. — The present parish of MaylamL, or Kilbride^ TulJjuuom,
King's county*
* £euda.—Be&B> £cel Hiat & 7*
"THE JUDGMENT OP A KING." 103
exclaimed. that his sentence was unjust, and declared that as the
sheep had only eaten the fleece of the land, they should only forfeit
their own fleece. The vox popvli applauded the decision. Mac
Con started from his seat, and exclaimed : " That is the judgment
of a king." At the same moment he recognized the prince, and
commanded that he should be seized ; but he had already escaped.
The people now recognized their rightful king, and revolted against
the usurper, who was driven into Munster. Cormac assumed the
reins of government at Tara, and thus entered upon his brilliant
and important career, A.D. 227.
Cormac commenced his government with acts of severity, which
were, perhaps, necessary to consolidate his power. This being once
firmly established, he devoted himself ardently to literary pursuits,
and to regulate and civilize his dominions. He collected the
national laws, and formed a code which remained in force until the
English invasion, and was observed for manycenturies after outside
the Pale. The bards dwell with manifest unction on the " fruit and
fatness " of the land in his tune, and describe him as the noblest
and most bountiful of all princes. Indeed, we can scarcely omit
their account, since it cannot be denied that it pictures the costume
of royalty in Jreland at that period, however poetically the details
may be given. This, then, is the bardic photograph : —
" His hair was slightly curled, and of golden colour : a scarlet
shield with engraved devices, and golden hooks, and clasps of
silver : a wide-folding purple cloak on him, with a gem-set gold
brooch over his breast ; a gold torque around his neck ; a white-
collared shirt, embroidered with gold, upon him ; a girdle with
golden buckles, and studded with precious stones, around him ; two
golden net-work sandals with golden buckles upon him ; two spears
with golden sockets, and many red bronze rivets in his hand;
while he stood in the full glow of beauty, without defect or blemish.
You would think it was a shower of pearls that were set in his
mouth ; his lips were rubies ; his symmetrical body was as white as
snow ; his cheek was like the mountain ash-berry ; his eyes were
like the sloe ; his brows and eye-lashes were like the sheen of a blue-
black lance."5
• Zance.— O'Curry, p. 45. This quotation is translated by Mr. O'Cnrry, and
is taken from the Book of Ballymote. This book, however, quotes it from
the UachongbhaU, a muoh older authority.
104
COBMAO COMPILES THE SALTAIR OF TARA,
The compilation of the Saltsrir of Tara, a& we mentioned pre-
viously* is attributed to this monarch. Even in Christian times his
praises are loudly proclaimed. The poet Maelmura, who lived ia
the eighth century, styles him Ceolachj or the Musical, and Kenneth
O'Hartig&n, who died A.D. 973, gives a glowing account of Ms
magnificence and of his royal palace at Tara, O'Flaherty quot
poem, which lie says contains an account of three schools, instituted
by Cormac at Tan* ; one for military discipline, one for history,
and the third for jurisprudence. The Four Masters say : " It waa
this Cormac, son of Art, also, that collected the chronicles of In-
land to Teamhair [Tara], and ordered them to write€ the chronicles
of Ireland in one hook, which was named the Saltair of Teamhair.
In that book were [entered] the coeval exploits and synchronisms
of the lungs of Ireland with the kings and emperors of the worlds
and of the kings of the provinces with the monarchs of Ireland*
In it was also written what the monarchs of Ireland were entitled
to [receive] from the provincial kings, and the rents and dues of the
provincial kings from their subjects, from the noble to the sub*
altera. In it, also, were [described] the boundaries and inears of
Ireland from shore to shore, from the provinces to the cantred, from
the cantrcd to the townland, from the townland to the traighedh
of laud/'7 Although the Saltair of Tara has disappeared from our
national records, a law tract, called the Book of Acaill, is still in
existence, which is attributed to this king. It is always found
annexed to a Law Treatise by Cennfaelad the Learned, who died
A.D. 677* In an ancient MS. in Trinity College, Dublin (Class I L L.
15, p. 149), it is stated that it was the custom, at the inauguration
€ Write, — Professor 0*Curry well observes, that l* such a man could scarcely
have carried out the numerous provisions of his comprehensive enactments
without some written medium. Audit is no unwarrantable presumption ti>
suppose, that, either by his own hand, orf at least, in his own time, by hia
command, his laws were committed to writing ; and when we possets very
ancient testimony to this effect* 1 can see no reason for rejecting it* on
casting a doubt upon the statement1'— MS. Material^ pf 47« Mr, Petri*
writes, if possible, more strongly. He says t ** It is difficult, if not impossible,
to conceive bow the minute and apparently accurate accounts found ill the
various MSS. of the names and localities of the Attacotfcic tribes of Ireland in
the first century, could have been preserved, without coming to the conclusion
that they had been preserve d in writing in some work/1— Essay on Tata J
p, 4o\ Else wh ere, however, be speaks more doubtfully.
T Land. — Fonr Masters, p. 117»
JINN MAG CUMHAILL AND THE FENIANS. lOfr
of Irish chiefs, to read the Instructions of the Kings (a work ascribed
to Cormac) and his Laws.
There is a tradition that Cormac became a Christian before hi*
death. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, one of his eyes was.
thrust out by a spear, and he retired in consequence to one of those
peaceful abodes of learning which were so carefully fostered in
ancient Erinn. The high-minded nobility of this people is manifest
notably in the law which required that the king should have no
personal blemish ; and in obedience to this law, Cormac vacated the
throne. He died A.D. 266, at Cleiteach, near Stackallen Bridge,
on the south bank of the Boyne. It is said that he was choked by
a salmon bone, and that this happened through the contrivances of
the druids, who wished to avenge themselves on him for his rejec-
tion of their superstitions.
This reign was made more remarkable by the exploits of his
son-in-law, the famous Finn Mac Cumhaill (pronounced " coole").
Finn was famous both as a poet and warrior. Indeed, poetical qualifi-
cations were considered essential to obtain a place in the select militia
of which he was the last commander. The courtship of the poet*
warrior with the Princess Ailbhe, Cormac's daughter, is related in
one of the ancient historic tales called Tochmarca, or Courtships.
The lady is said to have been the wisest woman of her time, and
the wooing is described in the form of conversations, which savour
more of a trial of skill in ability and knowledge, than, of the soft
utterances which distinguish such narratives in modern days. It
is supposed that the Fenian corps which he commanded was
modelled after the fashion of the Roman legions ; but its loyalty is
more questionable, for it was eventually disbanded for insubordina-
tion, although the exploits of its heroes are a favourite topic with
the bards. The Fenian poems, on which Macpherson founded his
celebrated forgery, are ascribed to Finn's sons, Ofsin and Fergus tho
Eloquent, and to his kinsman Caeilt6, as well as to himself. Five
poems only are ascribed to him, but these are found in MSS. of
considerable antiquity. The poems of Olsin were selected by tho
Scotch writer for his grand experiment. He gave a highly poetical
translation of what purported to be some ancient and genuine com-
position, but, unfortunately for his veracity, he could not produce
the original. Some of the real compositions of the Fenian hero are,
however, still extant in the Book of Leinster, as well as other valu-
able Fenian poems. There are also some Fenian tales in prose, of
Tffhicli the most remarkable is that of the Pursuit of Diarmaid and
Graiiine" — a legend which has left its impress in every portion ofc
tin* island to the present day. Finn, in his old age, asked the hand
of Grainne^ the daughter of Cormac Mac Airt ; but the lady being
young, preferred a younger lover.' To effect her purpose, she drugged
tie guest-cup so effectually, that Finn, and all the guests invited
with him, were plunged into a profound slumber after they had par-
taken of it. Oisin and Diarmaid alone escaped, and to them the
Lady Graiiine" confided her grief. As true knights they were bound
to rescue her from the dilemma. Oisin could scarcely dare to brave
bis father's vengeance, but Diarmaid at once fled with the lady.
A pursuit followed, which extended all over Ireland, during which
the young couple always escaped* So deeply is the tradition en-
graven in the popular mind, that the cromlechs are still called the
"Beds of Diarmaid and GrainneV' and shown as the resting-places
of the fugitive lovers.
There are many other tales of a purely imaginative character^
which, for interest, might well rival the world-famous Arabian
Nights1 Enteilainments; and, for importance of details, illustrative
of manners, customs, dress, weapons, and localities, are, peril
unequalled,
Mkl of the Nine Hostages and Dathi are the last pagan monarchs
who demand special notice- In the year 32 29 Fiacha Sraibhtme was
slain by the three Co II as ,s and a few short-lived monarchs suc-
ceeded. In 378, Crimhthann was poisoned by his sister, who hoped
that her eldest son, Brian, might obtain the royal power. Her
Attempt failed, although she sacrificed herself for its accomplish-
ment, by taking the poisoned cup to remove her brother's suspicions;
and Nial of the Nine Hostages, the son of her husband by a former
wife, succeeded to the coveted dignity. This monarch
guished himself by predatory warfare against Albion and Gaul
The " groans "■ of the Britons testify to Ins success in that quarter,
which eventually obliged them to become an Anglo-Saxon nation ;
and the Latin poet, Claudian, gives evidence that troops were sent
by Stilicho, the general of Theodosiug the Great, to repel Ids suo-
• CoUa±— They were bodsoE Eocbmdh Domkn, who made themselves famous
by their warlike exploits, and infamous by their destruction of the palace of
Emanifl.
■ 0r<www,— Bed©, EtcL HUt. e. 12.
UfAfflli
CHAPTER VIII.
St. Patrick— How Ireland was first Christianized— Pagan Rome used provi-
dentially to promote the Faith— The fttiatitti of St Palladium— Innocent L
claims authority to found Churches and condemn Heresy— Disputes concern-
ing St. Patrick's Birthplace — Ireland receives the Faith generously — -
Victorious— St. Patrick's Virion — Ilia Roman Mission clearly proved
terfugca of those who deny it— Ancient Lives of the Saint— St. Patrick**
Cauona— His Devotion and Submission to the Holy See.
r^I*^ tA-Dt 37S— 432,i
T has been conjectured that the great Apostle of Ire-
Ian d, St, Patrick, was carried captive to the land of
his adoption, in one of the plundering expeditions of
the monarch Nial— an eminent instance of the over*
ruling power of Providence, and of the mighty effects
produced by causes the most insignificant and uncon-
scious. As we are not writing an ecclesiastical
history of Ireland, and as we have a work of that
nature in contemplation, we shall only make brief
mention of the events connected with the life and
mission of the saint at present ; but the Christian-
wing of any country must always form an important
epoch, politically and socially, and, as such, demands
the careful consideration of the historian. How and
when the seed of faith was sown in ancient Erinn
before the time of the great Apostle, cannot now ba
ascertained. We know the silent rapidity with which that faith spread*
from Ra mat promulgation by the shores of the Galilean lake, until
THE MISSION OF ST. PALLADIUM 109
it became the recognized religion of earth's mightiest empire. We
know, also, that, by a noticeable providence, Borne was chosen
from the beginning as the source from whence the light should
emanate. We know how pagan Borne, which had subdued and
crushed material empires, and scattered nations and national
customs as chaff before the wind, failed utterly to subdue or crush
this religion, though promulgated by the feeblest of its plebeians.
We know how the material prosperity of that' mighty people was
overruled for the furtherance of eternal designs ; and as the invin-
cible legions continually added to the geographical extent of the
empire, they also added to the number of those to whom the gospel
of peace should be proclaimed.
The first Christian mission to Ireland, for which we have definite
and reliable data, was that of St. Palladius. St. Prosper, who held
a high position in the Roman Church, published a chronicle in the
year 433, in which we find the following register: "Palladius
was consecrated by Pope Celestine, and, sent as the first Bishop to
the Irish believing in Christ/12 This mission was unsuccessful.
Palladius was repulsed by the inhabitants of Wicklow,3 where he
landed. He then sailed northward, and was at last driven by
stress of weather towards the Orkneys, finding harbour, even-
tually, on the shores of Kincardineshire. Several ancient tracts
give the details of his mission, its failure, and his subsequent career.
The first of those authorities is the life of St. Patrick in the Book
4>f Armagh ; and in this it is stated that he died in the " land of
ihe Britons." The second life of St. Patrick, in Colgan's collection,
lias changed Britons into "Picts." In the "Annotations off
Tierchan," also preserved in the Book of Armagh,4 it is said that
Palladius was also called Patricius,5 and that he suffered martyr-1
dom among the Scots, " as ancient saints relate." '
1 Christ. — "Ad Scotos in Christum credentes ordinatur a papa C&lestino
Palladius et primus episcopuamittitur."— Vet. Lat. Scrip. Chron. Roncallius,
Padua, 1787.
8 JfteHw.-cProbably on the spot where the town of Wicklow now stands.
It was then called the region of Hy-Garchon. It is also designated
JFortrtatha Laighen by the Scholiast on Fiacc's Hymn. The district, probably,
received this name from the family of EoicJiaidh Finn Fotkart, a brother of
-Conn of the Hundred Battles.
4 Armagh.— FoL 16, a. a.
J PofriauA— This name was but an indication of rank. In the later years of
110
BIRTHPLACE OF ST. TATETCK.
Prosper also informs es, that Palladius was a deacon* of the
Roman Church, and that he received a commission from the Holy
See to send Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, to root out heresy*7 and
convert the Britons to the Catholic faith, ffhus we find the
Church, even in the earliest ages, occupied in her twofold mission,
of converting the heathen, and preserving the faithful from error,
St, Innocent LT writing to Decentius, in the year 402, refers thus to
this important fact : " Is it not known to all that the things which
have been delivered to the Roman Church by Peter, the Prince of
the Apostles, and preserved ever since, should be observed by all }
and that nothing is to be introduced devoid of authority, or borrowed
elsewhere 1 Especially, as it is manifest that no one has founded
churches for all Italy, the Gauls, Spain, Africa, and the interjacent
islands, except such as were appointed priests by the venerable
Peter and his successors/1
Palladius was accompanied by four companions: Sylvester and
Solinus, who remained after him in Ireland ; and Augustinus and
BenedictuSj who followed him8 to Britain, but returned to their
own country after his death. The Vita Seauida mentions that ho
brought relics of the blessed Peter and Paul, and other saints, to
Ireland, as well as copies of the Old and New Testament, all of
which were given to him by Pope C destine.
The birthplace of the great Apostle of Ireland has long been, and
still continues, a subject of controversy, St- Fiacc states that he
was bora at Nemthur/ and the Scholiast on St. Fiacc's Hymn
identifies this with Alcuitb, now Dumbarton, on the Firth of Clyde.
The most reliable authority unquestionably is St, Patrick's own state-
ments, hi his Cotoftssio. He there says (1) that his father had &
farm or villa at Bonavem Tabernue, from whence he was taken
the Roman Empire, Gibbon says* " the meanest subjects of the Roman Em pin?
[5th century] assumed the illustrious name of Patricius."— Dcdim and Fad,
vol viii. p. 300. Hence the conf usion that arose amongst Celtic hagiograpliej%.
and the interchanging of tbo acts of several saints who bore the same name,
fl Deacon, —This was an important office in the early Roman Church.
7 Heresy.— The Pelagian.
8 Followed him. — The Four Masters imply, however, that they remained in
Ireland. They also name the three wooden churches which he erected, Gels-
fine, which has not been identified ; Teach -na-Eomhan, House of the Romany
probably Tigroni ; and Domhnaeh-Arfca, probably the present DuuartL— An-
nals, p. 1 211
* ifcmJAur;— The n is merely a prefix ; it should read Ein-tur.
IRELAND RECEIVED THE FAITH QENJEKOUSLY. Ill
captive. It does not follow necessarily from this, that St Patrick
was born there ; but it would appear probable that this was a pater-
nal estate. (2) The saint speaks of Britanniae as his country. The
difficulty lies in the identification of these places. In the Vita
Secwnda, Nemthur and Campus Taberniae are identified. Probus
writes, that he had ascertained as a matter of certainty, that the
VicusBannave Taburnia regionis was situated in Neustria. The life
supposed to be by St. Eleran, states that the parents of the saint
were of Strats-Cludi (Strath-Clyde), but that he was born in Nem*
thur — " Quod oppidum in Campo Taburnisd est ;" thus indicating
an early belief that France was the land of his nativity. St.
Patrick's mention of Britannite, however, appears to be conclusive.
There was a tribe called Brittani in northern France, mentioned by
Pliny, and the Welsh Triads distinctly declare that the Britons of
Great Britain came from thence.
There can be no doubt, however, that St. Patrick was inti-
mately connected with Gaul. His mother, Conchessa, was either a*
sister or niece of the great St. Martin of Tours ; and it was un-
doubtedly from Gaul that the saint was carried captive to Ireland.
Patrick was not the baptismal name of the saint ; it was given
him by St. Celestine1 as indicative of rank, or it may be with some
prophetic intimation of his future greatness. He was baptized
by the no less significant appellation of Succat — "brave in
battle." Bat his warfare was not with a material foe. Erinn re-
ceived the faith at his hands, with noble and unexampled generosity j
and one martyr, and only one, was sacrificed in preference of ancient
pagan rites ; while we know that thousands have shed their bloodr
and it may be hundreds even in our own times have sacrificed their
lives, to preserve the treasure so gladly accepted, so faithfully pre-
served2
Moore, in his History of Ireland, exclaims, with the force of
truth, and the eloquence of poetry : " While in all other countries*
the introduction of Christianity has been the slow work of time,
lias been resisted by either government or people, and seldom
1 CeUttine.—8ee the Scholiast on Race's Hymn.
9 Preserved.— It is much to be regretted that almost every circumstance in
the life of St. Patrick has been made a field for polemic*. Dr. Todd, of whom
one might hare hoped better things, has almost destroyed the interest of hi*
otherwise valuable work by this fault. He cannot allow that St.. Patrick's
as a relative of St. Martin of Tours, obviously because St. Martin's-
effected without lavish effusion of blood* in Ireland, on the contrary,
by the influence of one zealous missionary, and with but little pre-
vious preparation of the soil by other hands, Christianity bo
forth at the first ray of apostolic light, and, with the sudden ripe*
cess of a northern summer, at once covered the whole land. K i
and princes, when not themselves amongst the ranks of the con-
verted, saw their sons and daughters joining in the train without a
murmur. Chiefs, at variance in all else, agreed in meeting beneath
the Christian banner; and the proud druid and bard laid their
superstitions meekly at the foot of the cross ; nor, by a singular
blessing of Providence — unexampled, indeed, in the whole history
of the Church— was there a single drop of blood shed on account
of religion through the entire course of this mild Christian revolu-
tion, by whioht in the space of a few years, all Ireland was brought
tranquilly under the dominion of the Gospel/1
It is probable that St. Patrick was born in 387, and that in 403
he was made captive and carried into Ireland, Those who believe
Alcuith or Dumbarton to have been his birthplace, are obliged to
account for his capture in Gaul — -which has never been questioned
— by supposing that he and liis family had gone thither to visit
the friends of his mother, Concbessa, He was sold as a slave, in
that part of Dalriada comprised in the county of Antrim, to four
men, one of whom, Milcho, bought up their right from the other
three, and employed him in feeding sheep or swine. Exposed to
the severity of the weather day and night, a lonely slave in a
strange land, and probably as ignorant of the language as of the
customs of his master, his captivity, would, indeed, have been a
bitter one, had he not brought with him, from a holy home, the
elements of most fervent piety. A hundred times in the day, and
a hundred times in the night, he lifted up the voice of prayer and
supplication to the Lord of the bondman and the free, and faith-
fully served the harsh, and at times cruel, master to whom Provi-
dence had assigned him. Perhaps he may have offered his suffer-
ings for those who were serving a master even more harsh and cruel
Catholicity is incontrovertible* He wastes pages m a vain attempt to disprove
St Patrick's Koman mission, for similar reasons ; and he cannot even admit
that the Irish received the faith as a nation, all despite the clearest evidence ;
yet so strong is the power of prejudice, tbat he accepts for less proof for other
qoeekona.
ST. PATRICK'S CAPTTVITT 113
After six years he was miraculously delivered. A voice, that
was not of earth, addressed him in the stillness of the night,
and commanded him to hasten to a certain port, where he would
find a ship ready to take him to his own country. " And I came/'
says the saint, " in the power of the Lord, who directed my course
towards a good end ; and I was under no apprehension until I
arrived where the ship was. It was then clearing out, and I called
for a passage. But the master of the vessel got angry, and said to
me, ' Do not attempt to come with us.' On hearing this I retired,
for the purpose of going to the cabin where I had been received as
a guest. And, on my way thither, I began to pray ; but before I
had finished my prayer, I heard one of the men crying out with a
loud voice after me, ' Come, quickly; for they are calling you,' and
immediately I returned. And they said to me, * Come, we receive
thee on trust. Be our friend, just as it may be agreeable to you.*
We then set sail, and after three days reached land." The two
Breviaries of Rheims and Fiacc's Hymn agree in stating that the
men with whom Patrick embarked were merchants from Gaul, and
that they landed in a place called Treguir, in Brittany, some dis-
tance from his native place. Their charity, however, was amply
repaid. Travelling through a desert country, they had surely
perished with hunger, had not the prayers of the saint obtained
them a miraculous supply of food.
It is said that St. Patrick suffered a second captivity, which, how-
ever, only lasted sixty days ; but of this little is known. Neither
is the precise time certain, with respect to these captivities, at which
the events occurred which we are about to relate. After a short
residence at the famous monastery of St. Martin, near Tours,
founded by his saintly relative, he placed himself (probably in his
thirtieth year) under the direction of St. Germain of Auxerre.
It was about this period that he was favoured with the remark-
able vision or dream relating to his Irish apostolate. He thus
describes it in his Confessio : —
" I saw, in a nocturnal vision, a man named Victorious3 coming as
8 Victoria**. — There were two saints, either of whom might have been the
. mysterious visitant who invited St. Patrick to Ireland. St Victorious wa&
the great missionary of the Morini, at the end of the fourth century. There
was also a St Victorious who suffered martyrdom at Amiens, a.d. 286. Those
who do not believe that the saints were and are favoured with supernatural
H
114 THE VISION OF ST. PATRICK.
if from Ireland, with a large parcel of letters, one of which he
handed to me. On reading the beginning of it, I found it contained
these words : ' The voice of the Irish ;' and while reading it I
thought I heard, at the same moment, the voice of a multitude of
persons near the Wood of Foclut, which is near the western sea ;
and they cried out, as if with one voice, 'We entreat thee. My youth,
to come and henceforth walk amongst us.* And I was greatly affected
in my heart, and could read no longer ; and then I awoke."
St. Patrick retired to Italy after this vision, and there spent
many years. During this period he visited Lerins,4 and other
islands in the Mediterranean. Lerins was distinguished for its
religious and learned establishments ; and probably St. Germain,5
under whose direction the saint still continued, had recommended
him to study there. It was at this time that he received the cele-
brated staff, called the Baclwll Isu, or Staff of Jesus.
St. Bernard mentions this Bacliall Isu, in his life of St. Malachy,
as one of those insignia of the see of Armagh, which were popularly
believed to confer upon the possessor a title to be regarded and
obeyed as the successor of St. Patrick. Indeed, the great antiquity
of this long-treasured relic has never been questioned ; nor is there
any reason to suppose that it was not in some way a miraculous gift.
Frequent notices of this pastoral staff are found in ancient Irish
history. St. Fiacc speaks of it as having been richly adorned by
an ecclesiastic contemporary with the saint.
A curious MS. is still preserved in the Chapter House of
Westminster Abbey, containing an examination of " Sir Gerald
communications, and whose honesty compels them to admit the genuineness of
such documents as the Confession of St. Patrick, are put to sad straits to
explain away what he writes.
4 Lerins.— See Monks of the West, v. i. p. 463. It was then styled insula
beata.
6 St. Germain.— St. Fiacc, who, it will be remembered, was contemporary
with St. Patrick, write thus in his Hymn :
44 The angel, Victor, sent Patrick over the Alps ;
Admirable was his journey—
Until he took his abode with Gcrmanus,
Far away in the south of Letha.
In the isles of the Tyrrhene sea he remained ;
In them he meditated ;
He read the canon with Germanus—
This, histories make known."
THE BACHALL ISU. 115
Machahayne, knight, sworn 19th March, 1529, upon the Holie
Mase-booke and the great relicfy of Erlonde, called Baculum Christi,
in the presence of the Kynge's Deputie, Chancellour, Tresoror, and
Justice."
* Perhaps it may be well to conclude the account of this interesting
relic by a notice of its wanton destruction, as translated from the
Annals of Loch Ce by Professor O'Curry : —
" The most miraculous image of Mary, which was at Baili Alha
Truim (Trim), and which the Irish people had all honoured for a
long time before that, which used to heal the blind, the deaf, the
lame, and every disease in like manner, was burned by the Saxons.
And the Staff of Jesus, which was in Dublin, and which wrought
many wonders and miracles in Erinn since the time of Patrick down
to that time, and which was in the hand of Christ Himself, was
burned by the Saxons in like manner. And not only that, but
there was not a holy cross, nor an image of Mary, nor other cele-
brated image in Erinn over which their power reached, that they
did not burn. Nor Was there one of the seven Orders which came
under their power that they did not ruin. And the Pope and the
Church in the East and at home were excommunicating the Saxons
on that account, and they did not pay any attention or heed unto
that, &c. And I am not certain whether it was not in the year
preceding the above [a.d. 1537] that these relics were burned."
St. Patrick visited Rome about the year 431, accompanied by a
priest named Segetius, who was sent with him by St. Germanus to
vouch for the sanctity of his character, and his fitness for the Irish
mission. Celestine received him favourably, and dismissed him
with his benediction and approbation. St. Patrick then returned
once more to his master, who was residing at Auxerre. From thence
he went into the north of Gaul, and there receiving intelligence of
the death of St. Palladius, and the failure of his mission, he was
immediately consecrated bishpp by the venerable Amato, a prelate
of great sanctity, then residing in the neighbourhood of Ebovia.
Auxilius, Isserninus, and other disciples of the saint, received holy
orders at the same time. They were subsequently promoted to the
episcopacy in the land of their adoption.
In the year 432 St. Patrick landed in Ireland. It was the first
year of the pontificate of St. Sixtus III., the successor of Celestine ;
the fourth year of the reign of Laeghaire, son of Nial of the Kine
Hostages, King of Ireland. It is generally supposed that the saint
landed first at a place called Inbher De, believed to he the mouth
of the Bray river, in Wicklow. Here he was repulsed by the in-
habitants,— a circumstance which can be easily accounted for from
its proximity to the territory of King Nathi, who had so lately
driven away his predecessor, Palladium
St. Patrick returned to his ship, and sailing towards the north,
landed at the little island of Holm Patrick, near Skerries, off the
north coast of Dublin, After a brief stay he proceeded still farther
northward, and finally entering Straugford Lough, landed with
his companions in the district of Magh Inis, in the present barony
of Lecale, Having penetrated some distance into the interior, they
were encountered by Dicho, the lord of the soil, who, hearing of
their embarkation, and supposing them to be pirates, had assembled
a formidable body of retainers to expel Uiem from his shores. But
it is said that the moment he perceived Patrick, his apprehensions
vanished. After some brief converse, Dicho in vited the saint and hia
companions to his house, and soon after received himself the grace
of holy baptism, Dicho was St. Patrick's first convert, and the
first who erected a Christian church under his direction, The
memory of this event is still preserved in the name Saull, the
modem contraction of Sahhall Padtnk, or Patrick's Barn, Th#
saint was especially attached bo the scene of hie first missionary
success, and frequently retired to the monastery which wa
lished there later.
After a bri«f reeidfiOM with the new converts, Patrick set out for
the habitation of his old master, Milcho, who lived near Slieve Mi*,
in the present county of An trim , then part of the territory
called Dalriada. It is said that when Mileho heard of the approach
of his former slave, he became so indignant, that, in a violent Jit oi
passion, he set fire to his house, and perished himself in the tiamee.
The saint returned to Saull, and from thence journeyed by water to
the mouth of the Boyne, where he landed at a small port called
Colp. Tara was his destination ; but on Ids way thither he stayed
a night at the house of a man of property named Seschnan. This
man and his whole family were baptised, and one of his sona
received the name of Benigmie fram St. Patrick, on account of the*
gentleness of his manner. The holy youth attached himself from
this moment to his master, and was Ms successor in the primatial
see of Armagh,
Those who are anxious, for obvious reasons, to deny the fact of
ST. PATRICKS ROMAN MISSION. 117
St. Patrick's mission from Rome, do so on two grounds : first, the
absence of a distinct statement of this mission in one or two of
the earliest lives of the saints ; and his not having mentioned it
himself in his genuine writings. Second, by underrating the value
of those documents which do mention this Roman mission. With
regard to the first objection, it is obvious that a hymn which was
written merely as a panegyric (the Hymn of St. Fiacc) was not the
place for such details. But St. Fiacc doe» mention that Germanus
was the saint's instructor, and that "he read his canons," i.e., studied
theology under him.
St. Patrick's Canons,9 which even Usher admits to be genuine,
contain the following passage. We give Usher's own translation,
as beyond all controversy for correctness : — " Whenever any cause
that is very difficult, and unknown unto all the judges of the Scot-
tish nation, shall arise, it is rightly to be referred to the See of the
Archbishop of the Irish (that is, of Patrick), and to the examination
of the prelate thereof. But if there, by him and his wise men, a
cause of this nature cannot easily be made up, we have decreed
it shall be sent to the See Apostolic, that is to say, to the chair of
the Apostle Peter, which hath the authority of the city of Rome."
Usher's translation of St. Patrick's Canon is sufficiently plain,
and evidently he found it inconveniently explicit, for he gives a
" gloss " thereon, in which he apologizes for St. Patrick's Eoman
predilections, by suggesting that the saint was influenced by a
" special regard for the Church of Rome-."* No doubt this was true ;
it is the feeling of all good Catholics; but it requires something more
than a " special regard " to inculcate such absolute submission ; and
we can scarcely think even Usher himself could have gravely sup-
posed, that a canon written to bind the whole Irish Church, should
have inculcated a practice of such importance, merely because St.
Patrick had a regard for the Holy See. This Canon was acted upon
in the Synod of Magh-Lene, in 630, and St. Cummian attests the
fact thus : — " In accordance with the canonical decree, that if ques-
tions of grave moment arise, they shall be referred to the head of
* Canons. — This Canon is found in the Book of Armagh, and in that part of
that Book which was copied from St. Patrick's own manuscript. Even could
it be proved that St. Patrick never wrote these Canons, the fact that they
.are in the Book of Armagh, which was compiled, according to O' Curry, before
the year 727, and even at the latest before the year 807, is sufficient to prow
the practice of the early Irish Church on this important subject
118 ST. PATRICK'S CANONS.
cities, we sent such as we knew were wise and humble men to
Rome." But there is yet another authority for St. Patrick's
Roman mission. There is an important tract by Macutenins, in the
Book of Armagh. The authenticity of the tract has not, and indeed
could not, be questioned ; but a leaf is missing : happily, how-
ever, the titles of the chapters are preserved, so there can be no
doubt as to what they contained In these headings we find the
following : —
" 5. De aetate ejus quando iens videre Sedem Apostolicam voluit
discere sapientiam."
" 6. De inventione Sancti Germani in Galiis et ideo non exivit
ultra."
Dr. Todd, by joining these two separate titles, with more ingenuity
than fairness, has made it appear that "St Patrick desired to
visit the Apostolic See, and there to learn wisdom, but that meeting
with St. Germanus in Gaul he went no further."7 Even could
the headings of two separate chapters be thus joined together, the
real meaning of et ideo non exivit ultra would be, that St. Patrick
never again left Germanus, — a meaning too obviously inadmissible
to require further comment. But it is well known that the life of
St. Patrick which bears the name of Probus, is founded almost ver-
bally on the text of Macutenius, and this work supplies the missing
chapters. They clearly relate not only the Roman mission of the
saint, but also the saint's love of Rome, and his desire to obtain
from thence " due authority " that he might " preach with con-
fidence."
1 FurtJier.—Life of St. Patrick, p. 315.
ANCIENT SWORD, FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE R.I.A.,
FOUND AT UILLSWOOD, CO. G AX WAY.
.
CHAPTER IX.
Patfi ■ ■ ■ t n y — Sk Pn trick 's Hy nm— Dnhtaeh sal nt e
elit-The Princesses Ethuta and
1Jj.ii < ', in version — Bittern of Aencus-Sl Patrick travels
— Hi* ^access in MtlBSftef — Hi !te whole country
Patrick— The Firat Irish Martyr-— St. Patrick's Death— Pagan
—Conor Mae Ncs^n — Death of King Laeghaire— The Chm<
• I does not countenance Pagan Superstition— Oilioll Molt— Df*
lion of th uf Scotland — St. Brigui — Snrioea
of ti.e Thuea S-iinU-St. Patricks Prayer for Ireland, and its Fulfilment,
*a*k
[A.D. 432—543.]
N Holy Saturday St. Patrick arrived at Slane, where
be canted a tent to be erected, and lighted the
pasftha] tire at nightfall, preparatory to the cele-
bration of tin? Ea&ter festival The princes and
of Meath were, at the same times assem-
bled at Tara, where King Laegitairi was holding
sat pagan festival The object of this meeting
has b ited, some authorities saying that it
ODToked to celebrate the Beltinne, or fire of
Bal or Baal ; others, that the king was commemo-
rating his own birthday. On the festival of Bel-
tinne it was forbidden to light any fire until a
flame was visible from the top of Tara Hill.
Lafighairti was indignant that this reflation should
have been infringed ; and probably the represen-
f his droidfl regarding the mission of the great apostle,
did to allay bis wrath. Determined to examine himself
H»
into the intention of these bold strangers, he set forth, accompanied
by his hards and attendants, to the place where the sacred tire had
been kindled, and ordered the apostle to be brought before him,
strictly commanding, at the same time, that no respect should be
shown to him.
Notwithstanding the king's command, Ere, the son of Dego, rose
up to salute him, obtained the grace of conversion, and was BO
quently promoted to the episcopate. The result of this interview
was the appointment of a public discussion, to take place the next
day at Tarn, between St. Patrick and the pagan bards,
It was Easter Sunday — a day ever memorable for this event in
the annals of Erinn, Laeghaird and his court sat in state to receive
the ambassador of the Eternal King. Treacherous preparations had
been made, and it was anticipated that Patrick and his compas
would scarcely reach Tara alive. The saint was aware of the
machinations of his enemies ; but life was of no value to him, save
as a means of performing the great work assigned him, and the suc-
cess of that work was in tjie safe keeping of Another, The old
writers love to dwell on the meek dignity of the apostle during this
day of trial and triumph. He set forth with his companions, from
where he had encamped, in solemn procession, singing a hymn of
invocation which he had composed, in the Irish tongue* for the
occasion, and which is still preserved, and well authenticated.8 He
• Authenticated. — A copy of thift ancient hymn, with a Latin and English
translation, may he fount! in PetrieTs E#wy trn Tara> p. 57, in Dr. Todd**
of SL Patrick, audio Mr* Whitley Stokes' Goidilica. We regret exceedingly
that our limited space will not permit us to give this and other most valtiab
and interesting documents.. There is a remarkable coincidence of thought j
expression between gome portions of this hymn and the well-known prayer i
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Corpus GhriM't, uahv me. Such coincidences are j
iriarkahle and beautiful evidences of the oneness of faith, which manifests it
«i> frequently in similarity of language as well a* in unity of belief. The
Hymn of St. Patrick, written in the fifth century, is as purely Catholic as the
Prayer of $t> f gnatius, written in the sixteenth. St> 'Patrick places the v» •
Of power of the saints between him and e^il, and declares his hope of merit
for his good work with the same simple trust which all the saints have mani-
fested from the earliest age* Thw hymn is written in the Bearla
most ancient Gaodhilic dialect. Dr. 0f Donovan well observes, that it
ternal evidence of its authenticity in its allusion to pagan customs, Tirech&n,
who wrote in the seventh century, my& that there were four ho m hie* paid to
St. Patrick in all monatUritA and churches throughout t?te whole of ly.
First, the festival of St Patrick was honoured for three days and nights with alJ
DESTRUCTION OF THE IDOLS. • 121
was clothed, as usual, in white robes ; but he wore his mitre, and
carried in his hand the Staff of Jesus. Eight priests attended him,
robed also in white, and his youthful convert, Benignus, the son of
Seschnan.
Thus, great in the arms of meekness and prayer, did the Christian
hosts calmly face the array of pagan pomp and pride. Again the
monarch had commanded that no honour should be paid to the
saint, and again he was disobeyed. His own chief poet and druid,
Dubtach, rose up instantly on the entrance of the strangers, and
saluted the venerable apostle with affection and respect. The
Christian doctrine was then explained by St. Patrick to his wonder-
ing audience, and such impression made, that although Laeghaire
lived and died an obstinate pagan, he nevertheless permitted the
saint to preach where and wben he would, and to receive all who
might come to him for instruction or holy baptism.
On the following day St. Patrick repaired to Taillten, where the
public games were commencing ; and there he remained for a week,
preaching to an immense concourse of people. Here his life was
threatened by Cairbr6, a% brother of King Laeghaire* ; but the saint
was defended by another of the royal brothers, named Conall
Creevan, who was shortly after converted. The church of Donough
Patrick, in Meath, was founded by his desire. It is said that all
the Irish churches which begin with the name Donough were
founded by the saint, the foundation being always marked out by
him on a Sunday, for which Domhnach is the Gaedhilic term.
Having preached for some time in the western part of the terri-
tory of Meath, the saint proceeded as far as Magh Slecht, where the
great idol of the nation, Ceann [or Crom] Cruach was solemnly
worshipped. The legend of its destruction, as given in the oldest
annals, is singularly interesting. We give a brief extract from
Professor O'Curry's translation : " When Patrick saw the idol from
the water, which is named G-uthard [loud voice] (i.e., he elevated his
voice) ; and when he approached near the idol, he raised his arm to
lay the Staff of Jesus on him, and it did not reach him ; he bent
good cheer, except flesh meat [which the Church did not allow then to be used
in Lent]. Second, there was a proper preface for him in the Mass. Third,
his hymn was sung for the whole time. Fourth, his Scotic hymn was sung
always. As we intend publishing a metrical translation of his hymn suitable
for general use, we ho]>e it will be " said and sung " by thousands of his own
faithful people on his festival for all time to come.
122 • THE PRINCESSES ETHNEA AND FETHUMIA.
back from the attempt upon his right side, for it was to the south
his face was ; and the mark of the staff lies in his left side still,
although the staff did not leave Patrick's hand ; and the earth
swallowed the other twelve idols to their heads ; and they are in
that condition in commemoration of the miracle. And he called
upon all the people cum rege Laeghuire; they it was that adored the
idol. And all the people saw hira (*.«., the demon), and they
dreaded their dying if Patrick had not sent him to helL"9
After this glorious termination of Easter week, the saint made
two other important converts. He set out for Connaught ; and
when near Rath Cruaghan, met the daughters of King Laeghair6,
the princesses Ethnea and Fethlimfa, who were coming, in patri-
archal fashion, to bathe in a neighbouring well. These ladies were
under the tuition of certain druids, or magi; but they willingly
listened to the instruction of the saint, and were converted and
baptized.
The interview took place at daybreak. The royal sisters heard
the distant chant of the priests, who were reciting matins as they
walked along ; and when they approached and beheld them in their
white garments, singing, with books in their hands, it was naturally
supposed that they were not beings of earth.
" Who are ye V they inquired of the saint and his companions.
" Are ye of the sea, the heavens, or the earth V
St. Patrick explained to them such of the Christian mysteries as
were most necessary at the moment, and spoke of the one only true
God.
" But where," they asked, " does your God dwell % Is it in the
sun or on earth, in mountains or in valleys, in the sea or in
rivers V
Then the apostle told them of his God, — the Eternal, the Invi-
sible,— and how He had indeed dwelt on earth as man, but only
to suffer and die for their salvation. And as the maidens listened
to his words, their hearts were kindled with heavenly love, and they
inquired further what they could do to show their gratitude to this
great King. In that same hour they were baptized ; and in a short
time they consecrated themselves to Him, the story of whose sur-
passing charity had so moved their young hearts.
9 HelL— O'Curry, p. 539. This is translated from the Tripartite Life of
St. Patrick.
THE BAPTISM OF AENGUS. 123
Their brother also obtained the grace of conversion ; and an old
Irish custom of killing a sheep on St. Michael's Day, and distribut-
ing it amongst the poor, is said to date from a miracle performed by
St. Patrick for this royal convert.
Nor is the story of Aengus, another royal convert, less interesting.
About the year 445, the saint, after passing through Ossory, and
converting a great number of people, entered the kingdom of
Munster. His destination was Cash el, from whence King Aengus,
the son of Natfraech, came forth to meet him with the utmost
reverence.
This prince had already obtained some knowledge of Christianity,
and demanded the grace of holy baptism.
The saint willingly complied with his request. His courtiers as-
sembled with royal state to assist at the ceremony. St. Patrick
carried in his hand, as usual, the Bachall Isu ; at the end of this
crozier there was a sharp iron bpike, by which he could plant it
firmly in the ground beside him while preaching, or exercising his
episcopal functions. On this occasion, however, he stuck it down
into the king's foot, and did not perceive his mistake until —
"The royal foot transfixed, the gushing blood
Enrich'd the pavement with a noble flood."
The ceremony had concluded, and the prince had neither moved
nor complained of the severe suffering he had endured. When the
saint expressed his deep regret for such an occurrence, Aengus
merely replied that he believed it to be a part of the ceremony, and
did not appear to consider any suffering of consequence at such a
moment.1
When such was the spirit of the old kings of Erinn who received
the faith of Christ from Patrick, we can scarcely marvel that their
descendants have adhered to it with such unexampled fidelity.
After the conversion of the princesses Ethnea and Fethlimia, the
daughters of King Laeghaire\ St. Patrick traversed almost every
part of Connaught, and, as our divine Lord promised to those whom
He commissioned to teach all nations, proved his mission by the
exercise of miraculous powers. Some of his early biographers have
been charged with an excess of credulity on this point. But were
this the place or time for such a discussion, it might easily be shown
1 Moment — Keating, voL ii. p. 15.
124
THE SAINT VISITS ULKTKR AND LKTNSTER.
that miracles were to be expected when a nation was first evange-
lised, and that their absence should be rather a matter of surprise
than their frequency or marvellousness. He who alone could give
the commission to preach* had promised that "greater things" than
He Himself did should be done by those thus commissioned. And,
after all, what greater miracle could there be than that one who
had been enslaved, and harshly, if not cruelly tr< tottH
become the deliverer of his enslavers from spiritual bondage, and
should sacrifice all earthly pleasures for their eternal gain 1 Nor is
the conversion of the vast multitude who listened to the preaching
of the saint, less marvellous than those events which we usually term
the most supernatural.
The saints greatest success was in the land* of Tirawley, near the
town of Foclut, from whence he had heard the voice of the ] i
even in his native land. As he approaehed this district, he
learned that the seven sons of King Amalg&idh were celebrating ft
iiretLt festival. Their father had but lately died, and it was said
these youths exceeded all the princes of the land in martial courage
und skill in combat. St* Patrick advanced in solemn procession
even into the very midst of the assembly, and for his reward ob-
tained the conversion of the seven princes and twelve thousand
their followers* It is said that his life was at this period in some
danger, but that Endeus, one of the converted princes, and his son
Conail, protected Mm.1 After seven yearm spent in Con naught, he
passed into Ulster ; there many received the grace of holy baptism,
especially in that district now comprised in the county Monaghan.
It was pTobably about this time that the saint returned to
Heath, and appointed his nephew, St. Secundinus or Sechnal, who
was bishop of the place already mentioned as Domhiiacli Stchnail
to preside over the northern churches during his own absence in
the southern part of Ireland*
The saint then visited those parts of Leinster which had been
already evangelized by Palladius, and laid the foundation of many
new churches, He placed oric of his companions, Bishop Auxilius,
at Killossy, near N&aa, and another, Isserninus, at Kilculleu, both
ID the present county of Kildare. At Leix, in the Queen's county,
he obtained a great many disciples, and from thence he proceeded
■ Land. — Near the present town of Killala, eo. Mayo,
* Protected Aim, — Book of Armagh and Vit« Tnp.
^H
SUCCESS OF HIS MISSION IN MUNSTER. 125
to visit his friend, the poet Dubtach, who, it will be remembered,
paid him special honour at Tara, despite the royal prohibition to
the contrary. Dubtach lived in that part of the country called
Hy-Kinsallagh, now the county Carlow. It was here the poet
Fiacc was first introduced to the saint, whom he afterwards so
faithfully followed. Fiacc had been a disciple of Dubtach, and was
by profession a bard, and a member of an illustrious house. He
was the first Leinster man raised to episcopal dignity. It was
probably at this period that St.. Patrick visited Munster, and the
touching incident already related occurred at the baptism of Aengus.
This prince was singularly devoted to religion, as indeed his conduct
during the administration of the sacrament of regeneration could
not fail to indicate.
The saint's mission in Munster was eminently successful. Lonan,
the chief of the district of Ormonde, entertained him with great
hospitality, and thousands embraced the faith. Many of the in-
habitants of Corca Baiscin crossed the Shannon in their hide-
covered boats (curaghs) when the saint was on the southern side,
in Hy-Figeinte, and were baptized by him in the waters of their
magnificent river. At their earnest entreaty, St. Patrick ascended
a hill which commanded a view of the country of the Dalcassians,
and gave his benediction to the whole territory. This hill is called
Findine in the ancient lives of the saint ; but this name is now
obsplete. Local tradition and antiquarian investigation make it
probable that the favoured spot is that now called Gnoc Patrick,
near Fdynes Island.
The saint's next journey was in the direction of Kerry, where he
prophesied that " St. Brendan, of the race of Hua Alta, the great
patriarch of monks and star of the western world, would be born,
and that his birth would take place some years after his own
death."*
We have now to record the obituary of the only Irish martyr
who suffered for the faith while Ireland was being evangelized.
While the saint was visiting Ui-Failghe, a territory now comprised
in the King's county, a pagan chieftain, named Berraidhe, formed
a plan for murdering the apostle. His wicked design came in some
way to the knowledge of Odran, the saint's charioteer, who so
« Death.— Vit. Trip. It was probably at this time St. Patrick wrote hfe
celebrated letter to Caroticua.
126 THE SEE OF ARMAGH FOUNDED.
arranged matters as to take his master's place, and thus received
the fatal blow intended for him.
The See of Armagh was founded about the year 455, towards the
close of the great apostle's life. The royal palace of Km^ni^ in the
immediate neighbourhood, was then the residence of the kings of
Ulster. A wealthy chief, by name Daire,5 gave the saint a portion
of land for the erection of his cathedral, on an eminence called
Druim-Sailech, the Hill of Sallows. This high ground is now
occupied by the city of Armagh (Ard-Macha). Keligious houses for
both sexes were established near the church, and soon were filled
with ardent and devoted subjects.
The saint's labours were now drawing to a close, and the time of
eternal rest was at hand. He retired to his favourite retreat at
Saull, and there probably wrote his Confession It is said that
lie wished to die in the ecclesiastical metropolis of Ireland, and for
this purpose, when he felt his end approaching, desired to be
conveyed thither ; but even as he was on his journey an angel
appeared to him, and desired him to return to Saull. Here he
breathed his last, on Wednesday, the 17th of March, in the year
of our Lord 492. The holy viaticum and last anointing were
administered to him by St. Tussach.7
The saint's age at the time of his death, as also the length of his
mission in Ireland, has been put at a much longer period by some
authors, but modern research and correction of chronology have all
but verified the statement given above.
The intelligence of the death of St. Patrick spread rapidly through
the country ; prelates and priests flocked from all parts to honour
the mortal remains of their glorious father. As each arrived at
Saull, he proceeded to offer the adorable sacrifice according to his
rank. At night the plain resounded with the chanting of psalms ;
and the darkness was banished by the light of such innumerable
torches, that it seemed even as if day had hastened to dawn brightly
on the beloved remains. St. Fiacc, in his often-quoted Hymn,
6 Daire. — Book of Armagh, fol. 6, b.a.
e Confessio. — This most remarkable and interesting document will be trans-
lated and noticed at length in the Life of St. Patrick, which we are now
preparing for the press.
? St. Tutuack— All this Dr. Todd omits. The Four Masters enter the
obituary of St Patrick under, the year 457. It is obvious that some
uncertainty must exist in the chronology of this early period.
PAGAN PROPHECIES.
compares it to the long day caused by the standing of the sun at
the command of Joshua, when he fought against the Gabaonites.
It is said that the pagan Irish were not without some intimation
of the coming of their great apostle. Whether these prophecies
were* true or false is a question we cannot pretend to determine j
but their existence and undoubted antiquity demand that they
should have at least a passing notice. Might not the Gaedhilic
druid, as well as the Pythian priestess, have received even from
the powers of darkness, though despite their will, an oracle8 which
prophesied truth )
There is a strange, wild old legend preserved in the Book of
Leinster, which indicates that even in ancient Erinn the awful
throes of nature were felt which were manifested in so many
places, and in such various ways, during those dark hours when
the Son of God hung upon the accursed tree for the redemption of
His guilty creatures.
This tale or legend is called the Aideadh Chonchobair. It is one
of that class of narratives known under the generic title of His-
torical Tragedies, or Deaths. The hero, Conor Mac Nessa, was
King of Ulster at the period of the Incarnation of our Lord. His
succession to the throne was rather a fortuity than the result of
hereditary claim. Fergus Mac Nessa was rightfully king at the
time ; but Conor's father having died while he was yet an infant,
Fergus, then the reigning monarch, proposed marriage to his mother
when the youth was about fifteen, and only obtained the consent
of the celebrated beauty on the strange condition that he should
hand over the sovereignty of Ulster to her son for a year. The
8 Oracle. — It is said that, three years before St. Patrick's apostolic visit to
Ireland, the druids of King Laeghaire* predicted the event to their master as
an impending calamity. The names of the druids were Lochra and Luch&t
Mael ; their prophecy runs thus : —
" A Tailcenn will come over the raging sea,
With his perforated garmeut, his crook-headed stafl^
With his table at the east end of his house,
And all his people will answer ' Amen, Amen.' "
The allusions to the priestly vestments, the altar at the east end of the
church, and the pastoral staff, are sufficiently obvious, and easily explained.
The prophecy is quoted by Macutenius, and quoted again from him by Probus ;
bat the original is in one of the most ancient and authentic Irish MS 3., the
Book of Armagh.
monarch complied , glad to secure the object of his affections on any
terms, Conor, young as he was, governed with such wisdom and
discretion as to win all hearts ; and when the assigned period had
arrived, the Ulster men positively refused to permit Fergus to re-
sume his rightful dignity. After much contention the matter wm
settled definitely in favour of the youug monarch, <tud Foi
satisfied himself with still retaining the wife for whose
had willingly made such sacrifices, Conor continued to _
ample proofs of the wisdom of his people's decision. Under
government the noble Knjghtfl of the Royal Branch sprang up in
Ulster, and made themselves famous both in field and court.
It was usual in those barbarous times, whenever a distinguished
enemy was killed in battle, to cleave open his head, ami to make a
ball of the brains by mixing them with lime, which was tin
and i a 'served ifl a trophy of the warrior's valour. Some of i:
balls were preserved hi the royal palace atEmania. One, that was
specially priecd, passed accidentally into the hands of a fan
Con naught champion, who found a treacherous opportunity of
throwing it at Conor, while he was displaying himself, according
to the custom of the times, to the ladies of an opposing army, who
had followed their lords to the scene of action. The ball lod
in the king's skull, and his physicians declared that an attempt
to extract it would prove fatal. Conor waa carried home ; lie
soon recovered, but he was strictly forbidden to use any violent
exercise, and required to avoid all excitement or anger. The king
enjoyed his usual health by observing those directions, until thr
v.i\ day of the Cracitijdon. But the fearful phenomena which
then occurred diverted his attention, and he inquired if Bacrach,
his druid, could divine the cause.
The druid consulted his oracles, and informed the Icing that
Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, was, even at that moxn>
suffering death at the hands of the Jews* *' What crime has He
committed 1" said Conor. ,4N<me,M replied the druid, "The*
are they slaying Him innocently 1" said Conor, " They are,1
plied the druid,
It was too great a sorrow for the noble prince ; lie could not
bear that his God should die unmourned ; and rushitjg wildly from
where he sat to a neighbouring forest, he began to hew the young
i down, exclaiming : * Thus would I destroy those who were
around my King at putting Him to death/1 The excitement
THE CHURCH DOES NOT ENCOURAGE SUPERSTITION. 189
proved fatal ; and the brave and good King Conor Mac Nessa died9
nging, in his own wild pagan fashion, the death of his
i or.
The secular history of Ireland, during the mission of St. Patrick,
affords but few events of interest or importance. King Laeghaire
died, according to the Four Masters, a.d, 458. The popular
opinion attributed his demise to the violation of his oath to the
Lfiinster men. It is doubtful whether he died a Christian, but the
account of his burial1 has been taken to prove the contrary. It is
much to be regretted that persons entirely ignorant of the Catholic
faith, whether that ignorance be wilful or invincible, should attempt
to write lives of Catholic saints, or histories of Catholic countries.
Such persons, no doubt unintentionally, make the most serious
mistakes, which a well-educated Catholic child could easily rectify*
We find a remarkable instance of this in the following passage,
taken from a work already mentioned: u Perhaps this [King
laegbaire's oath] may not be considered an absolute proof of the
kin^s paganism* To swear by the sun and moon was apparently, no
doubt, paganism. But is it not also paganism to represent the rain
and wind as taking vengeance % .... for this is the language copied
by all the monastic annalists, and even by the Four Masters, Fran-
.m friar?, wTiting in the seventeenth century." The passage is
improved by a " note," in which the author mentions this as a proof
that such superstitions would not have been necessarily regarded
centuries ago as inconsistent with orthodoxy. Now, in the
first place, the Catholic Church has always5 condemned superstition
of every kind, It is true that as there are good as well as bad
na in her fold, theTe are also superstitious as well as believing
Christians; but the Church is not answerable for the sins of her
children. She is answerable for the doctrine which she teaches;
•jDied-O'Curry, p. 273.
1 Burint, — u Tbo tody of Laeghaire was brought afterwards from the south,
and interred with his armour of championship in the south -east of the outer
rampart of the royal rath of Laeghairf, at Tara, with his face turned south-
wards upon the men of Leinstor, as fighting with them, for he was the enemy
of the Lcin&ter men in his lifetime," — Translated from the Lmbhar iia Nuidhrt*
'■ Tar at, p. 170,
1 jf/ottjr*.— National customs and prejudices have always been respected
by the Church : hence she has frequently been supposed to sanction what
ilie was obliged to tolerate. A long residence in Devonshire, and an intimate
ttPflttlintWftOS With it* peasantry, baa convinced us that there it incalculably
I
130
DEATH OF THB GOOD KINO AENGUS.
and no one can point to any place or time in which the Church
taught such superstitions. Secondly, the writers of history are
obliged to relate facts as they are. The Franciscan fathers do this,
and had. they not done it carefully , and with an amount of labour
which few indeed have equalled, their admirable Annals would have
been utterly useless, They do mention the pagan opinion that
it was " the sue and wind that killed him [Laegh&ire], because
he had violated them f but they do not say that they belii
this pagan superstition, and no one could infer it who read the
passage with ordinary candour.
It is probable that Oilioll Molt, who succeeded King Laeghaire,
A,D. 459, Jived and died a pagan. He was slain, after a reign of
twenty years, by Laeghair^'s son, Lu^haidh, who reigned next. Hie
good king Aengusa died about this time. He was the first Christian
King of Minister, and is the common ancestor of the MacGarthys,
0*SulIivans, G'Keeffes, and O'Call&hans, The foundation of the
kingdom of Scotland by an Irish colony, is generally referred to
the year 50 3.4 It ha* already been mentioned that Cairbre Riada
was the leader of an expedition thither in the reign of ConaW 11.
The Irish held their ground without assistance from the mother
country until this period, when the Picts obtained a decisive victory,
and drove them from the country, A new colony of the Dalriada
I
more superstitions believed and pradued there of the grouted kind, than in
any county in Ireland, Yut we flhould be sorry to charge the Established
Church or its clergy, some of whum are most earnest and bard -working men,
with the sins of their parishioners* The following el tract from St. Coltunba's
inagnihccnt 1-fymn, will show what the early I nan saints thought of
superstition! :
tft adore not the tfoiofl of bird:*,
Nor sneezing, tior lote in this world,
Nor a boy, nor chance, nor woman :
My Druid is Ihri-t, the Son of God j
Christ, Son of Maty, the great Abbot,
The Father, the Sun, and the Holy Ghost"
8 Aengu* —
M DM the branch, the spreading tree of gold,
A en g hug the laudable/1
—Four Masters, p. 153. The branches of tab tree have indeed spread
far and wide, and the four great families mentioned above nave increased and
multiplied in all parts of the world.
* Ytar 603,— The Four Masters give the date 498, which (/Donovan cor-
rects both in the text and in a note.
■
ST. BRIGID. 131
now went out under the leadership of Loam, Aengns, and Fergus,
the sons of Ere. They were encouraged and assisted in their under-
taking by their relative Mortagh, the then King of Ireland. It is
said they took the celebrated Ida Fail to Scotland, that Fergus might
be crowned thereon. The present royal family of England have
their claim to the crown through the Stuarts, who were descendants
of the Irish Dalriada. Scotland now obtained the name of Scotia,
from the colony of Scots. Hence, for some time, Ireland was desig-
nated Scotia Magna, to distinguish it from the country which so
obtained, and has since preserved, the name of the old race.
Muircheartach, A.D. 504, was the first Christian King of Ireland ;
but he was constantly engaged in war with the Leinster men about
the most unjust Boromean tribute. He belonged to the northern
race of Hy-Nial, being descended from Nial of the Nine Hostages.
On his death, the crown reverted to the southern Hy-Nials in the
person of their representative, Tuathal Maelgarbh.
It would appear from a stanza in the Four Masters, that St. Brigid
had some prophetic intimation or knowledge of one of the battles
fought by Muircheartach. Her name is scarcely less famous for
miracles than that of the great apostle. Broccan's Hymn5 con-
tains allusions to a very great number of these supernatural favours.
Many of these marvels are of a similar nature to those which the
saints have been permitted to perform in all ages of the Church's
history.
Brigid belonged to an illustrious family, who were lineally
descended from Eochad, a brother of Conn of the Hundred Battles.
She was born at Fochard, near Dundalk, about the year 453, where
her parents happened to be staying at the time ; but Kildare was
their usual place of residence, and there the holy virgin began her
saintly career. In her sixteenth year she received the white cloak
and religious veil, which was then the distinctive garment of those
who were specially dedicated to Christ, from the hands of St.
Macaille, the Bishop of Usneach, in Westmeath. Eight young
maidens of noble birth took the veil with her. Their first residence
was at a place in the King's county, still called Brigidstown. The
fame of her sanctity now extended far and wide, and she was
earnestly solicited from vaiious parts of the country to found similar
* Broccan's Hymn. — This Hymn was written about a.d. 510. See the trans-
lation in Mr. Whitley Stokes1 Goidilica, Calcutta, 1866. Privately printed.
establishments. Her first mission was to Minister, at the request
of Ere, the holy Bishop of Slane, who had a singular respect for her
virtue. Soon after, aha founded a house of her order in the plain
of Cliach, near Limerick ; but the people of Leinster at last became
fearful of losing their treasure, and sent a deputation requesting
her return, and offering land for the foundation of a large nunnery.
Thus was established, in 483, the famous Monastery of Kildare, or
the Church of the Oak.
At the request of the saint, a bishop was appointed to take
charge of this important work ; and under the guidance of Con-
laeth, who heretofore had been a humble anchorite, it soon became
distinguished for its sanctity and usefulness. The concourse of
strangers and pilgrims was immense; and in the once solitary
plain one of the largest cities of the time soon made its appear-
ance. It is singular and interesting to remark, how the call to a
life of virginity was felt and corresponded with in the newly
Christianized country, even as it had been in the Roman Empi
when it also received the faith, Nor is it less noticeable how the
same safeguards and episcopal rule preserved the foundations of
each land in purity and peace, and have transmitted even to our
own days, in the same Church, and in it only, that pri%rileged life*
The Four Masters give her obituary under the year 523, Ac-
cording to Cogitoeus, one of her biographers, her remains were
interred in her own church. Some authorities assert that her
relics were removed to Down, when Kildare was ravaged by the
Danes, about the year 824,
It has been doubted whether Downpatrick could lay claim to the
honour of being the burial-place of Ireland's three great saints/*
but there are good arguments in its favour. An old prophecy
of St, Columba regarding his interment runs thus ; —
' ' My prosjxn-ity in guiltless Hy,
And my soul in Deny,
And my body under the flag
Beneath which we Patrick and Brijjid,"
The relics of the three saints escaped the fury of the Danes, who
burned the town and pillaged the cathedral six or seven time?,
between the years 940 and 1111. In 1177, John de Courcy
* Siiintt. — St. Patrick, St, Coliimfca, and St. Brigid, Soe Reeves* Etc* Anti.
Of Down and Connor, p. 225, and Giraldiifl Catiibremis. q\ 3, cap* 18.
SHRINES OF THK THREE SAINTS. 133
took possession of the town, and founded a church attached to a
house of Secular Canons, under the invocation of the Blessed
Trinity. In 1183 they were replaced by a community of Bene-
dictine monks, from St. Wirburgh's Abbey, at Chester. Malachy,
who was then bishop, granted the church to the English monks
and prior, and changed the name to that of the Church of St.
Patrick. This prelate was extremely anxious to discover the relics
of the saints, which a constant tradition averred were there con-
cealed. ' It is said, that one day, as he prayed in the church, his
attention was directed miraculously to an obscure part of it ; or,
according to another and more probable account, to a particular
spot in the abbey-yard, where, when the earth was removed, their
remains were found in a triple cave, — Patrick in the middle, Columba
and Brigid on either side.
At the request of De Courcy, delegates were despatched to Rome
by the bishop to acquaint Urban III. of the discovery of the
bodies. His Holiness immediately sent Cardinal Vivian to preside
at the translation of the relics. The ceremony took place on the
9th of June, 1186, that day being the feast of St. Columba. The
relics of the three saints were deposited in the same monument at
the right side of the high altar. The right hand of St. Patrick was
enshrined and placed on the high altar. In 1315, Edward Bruce
invaded Ulster, marched to Downpatrick, destroyed the abbey, and
carried off the enshrined hand. In 1538, Lord Grey, who marched
into Lecale to establish the supremacy of his master, Henry VIII.,
by fire and sword, " effaced the statues of the three patron saints,
and burned the cathedral, for which act, along with many others
equally laudable, he was beheaded three years afterwards." The
restoration of the old abbey-church was undertaken of late years,
and preceded by an act of desecration, which is still remembered
with horror. The church had been surrounded by a burying-
ground, where many had wished to repose, that they might, even
in death, be near the relics of the three great patron saints of Erinn.
But the graves were exhumed without mercy, and many were
obliged to carry away the bones of their relatives, and deposit them
where they could. " The " great tomb," in which it was believed
that " Patrick, Brigid, and Columkille " had slept for more than six
centuries, was not spared ; the remains were flung out into the
churchyard, and only saved from further desecration by the piety
of a faithful people.
134 THE SHRINES OF THE SAINTS.
The shrine of St. Patrick's hand was in possession of the late
Catholic Bishop of Belfast. The relic itself has long disappeared ;
but the shrine, after it was carried off by Bruce, passed from one
trustworthy guardian to another, until it came into his hands.
One of these was a Protestant, who, with noble generosity, handed
it over to a Catholic as a more fitting custodian. One Catholic
family, into whose care it passed at a later period, refused the most
tempting offers for it, though pressed by poverty, lest it should fall
into the hands of those who might value it rather as a curiosity
than as an object of devotion.
This beautiful reliquary consists of a silver case in the shape of
the hand and arm, cut off a little below the elbow. It is conside-
rably thicker than the hand and arm of an ordinary man, as if it
were intended to enclose these members without pressing upon
them too closely. The fingers are bent, so as to represent the hand
in the attitude of benediction.
But there is another relic of St. Patrick and his times of scarcely
less interest. The Domhnach Airgid1 contains a copy of the Four
Gospels, which, there is every reason to believe^were used by the
great apostle of Ireland. The relic consists of two parts — the
shrine or case and the manuscript. The shrine is an oblong box,
nine inches by seven, and five inches in height. It is composed of
three distinct covers, in the ages of which there is obviously a great
difference. The inner or first cover is of wood, apparently yew, and
may be coeval with the manuscript it is intended to preserve. The
second, which is of copper plated with silver, is assigned to a period
between the sixth and twelfth centuries, from the style of its scroll
or interlaced ornaments. The figures in relief, and letters on the
third cover, which is of silver plated with gold, leave no doubt of
its being the work of the fourteenth century.
The last or external cover is of great interest as a specimen of the
skill and taste in art of its time in Ireland, and also for the highly
finished representations of ancient costume which it preserves. The
ornaments on the top consist principally of a large figure of the
7 Domhnach Airgid. — See O'Curry, JUS. Materials, p. 321, for a complete
verification of the authenticity of this relic. The Tripartite Life of St Patrick
mentions the gift of this relic by the saint to St. MacCarihainn. Dr. Petri*
concludes that the copy of the Gospels contained therein, was undoubtedly the
one which was used by our apostle. We give a fac-simile of the first page,
which cannot fail to interest the antiquarian.
ST. PATRICK'S PRAYER FOR IRELAND. 136
Saviour in aUo-relievo in the centre, and eleven figures of saints in
basso-relievo on each side in four oblong compartments. There is a
small square reliquary over the head of our divine Lord, covered
with a crystal, which probably contained a piece of the holy cross.
The smaller figures in relief are, Columba, Brigid, and Patrick ;
those in the second compartment, the Apostles James, Peter, and
Paul ; in the third, the Archangel Michael, and the Virgin and
Child ; in the fourth compartment a bishop presents a cumdach, or
cover, to an ecclesiastic. This, probably, has a historical relation
to the reliquary itself.
One prayer uttered by St. Patrick has been singularly fulfilled,
" May my Lord grant," he exclaims, " that I may never lose His
people, which He has acquired in the ends of the earth !" From
hill and dale, from camp and cottage, from plebeian and noble,
there rang out a grand "Amen." The strain was caught by
Secnndinus and Benignus, by Columba and Columbanus, by
Brigid and Brendan. It floated away from Lindisfarne and Iona,
to Iceland and Tarentum. It was heard on the sunny banks
of the Rhine, at Antwerp and Cologne, in Oxford, in Pavia,
and in Paris. And still the old echo is breathing its holy prayer.
By the priest, who toils in cold and storm to the " station " on
the mountain side, far from his humble home. By the confessor,
who spends hour after hour, in the heat of summer and the cold of
winter, absolving the penitent children of Patrick. By the monk in
his cloister. By noble and true-hearted men, faithful through cen-
turies of persecution. And loudly and nobly, though it be but faint
to human ears, is. that echo uttered also by the aged woman who
lies down by the wayside to die in the famine years,8 because she
prefers the bread of heaven to the bread of earth, and the faith
taught by Patrick to the tempter's gold. By the emigrant, who, with
8 Famine year*.— During the famous, or rather infamous, Partry evictions,
an old man of eighty and a woman of seventy -four were amongst the number
of those who suffered for their ancient faith. They were driven from the
home which their parents and grandfathers had occupied, in a pitiless storm of
aleet and snow. The aged woman utters some slight complaint ; but her noble-
hearted aged husband consoles her with this answer : " The sufferings and death
of Jesus Christ were bitterer still. " Sixty -nine souls were cast out of doors that
day. Well might the Times say : " These evictions are a hideous scandal ; and
the bishop should rather die than be guilty of such a crime." Yet, who can
count up all the evictions, massacres, tortures, and punishments which this
people has endured ?
CROMJ.ECB, AT OASTLR MARV, CLOYHE,
CHAPTER X.
C1)C Kfliflfon of 3nrt>nt Bttirn— The Druids and their Teaching— The Irwb
were probably Fire- woralii filers— r I) c «: >i atoms of Ancient IZriim— Simi*
l&rity between Eastern and Jrish Custom*— Beal Fires— Hunting the Wren
— 4'.l.n:k*r" a Grecian game— *• Keen," an Eastern Cns torn— Superstitions—
The Meaning of the Word — What Customs are SurusrstitiGua and what are
not— Holy Wells— Etje Eatae of Slncicnt iErinn— Different kinds of Laws
— Tins Lex non Scripts and the Lex Script*— Christianity necessitated the
Revision of Ancient Codes — The Compilation of the Brehon Laws— Fronts
that BL Patrick agisted thereat— Law of Distress— Law of Sncce*sion—
C% Eamjuase of dim cut isrinn — Writing in pre-Christian Erinn—
Ogham Writiiiii^ntiquttifs of pre* € JjrisUan l&nnn— Eoimd Towere—
Cromlechs «— Hatha — Cran 1 1
ASTERN customs and eastern superstitions, which
undoubtedly are a strong confirmatory proof of
our eastern origin, abounded in ancient Erinn,
DmiiHsm was the religion of the <
druidUm was probably one of the least corrupt
forms of paganism. The purity of the divinely-
taught patriarchal worship, became more and more
corrupted as at passed through defiled channels,
, in all pagan mythologies, we find traces of the
eternal verity in an ohvious prominence of cultus
to one god above the rest ; and obvious^
though grossly misapplied, glimpses of divine attri-
butes, in the many deified objects which seemed
to symbolize his power and his omnipotence.
The Okie druids probably taught the same
doctrine m the Greek philosophers. The metempsychosis, a
prominent article of this creed , may have been derived from the
Pythagoreans, but more probably it was one of the many relics of
patriarchal belief which were engrafted on all pagan religions.
They also taught that the universe would never be entirelydestroyed)
supposing that it would he purified by fire and water from time u>
time. This opinion may have been derived from the same source.
The druids had a pontiff? , to whom they yielded entire
obedience, — an obvious imitation of the Jewish custom, The nation
was entirely governed by its priests, though after a time, when the
kingly power developed itself, the priestly power gave place to the
regal, Gaul was the head-quarters of druidism j and thither we
find the Britons, and even the Romans, sending their children for
instruction. Eventually, Mona became a chief centre for Britain.
The Gaedhilic druids, though probably quite as learned as their
continental brethren, were more isolated ; and hence we cannot learn
so much of their customs from external sources. There is no doubt
that the druids of Gaul and Britain offered human sacrifices ; it
appears almost certain the Irish druids did not
Our principal and most reliable information about this religion, is
derived from Caesar. His account of the learning of its druida, of
their knowledge of astronomy » physical science, mechanics, arithmetic,
and medicine, however highly coloured, is amply corroborated by the
casual statements of other authors*0 He expressly states that they
used the Greek character in their writings, and mentions tables
found in the camp of the Helvetii written in these characters, con*
taining an account of all the men capable of bearing arms.
It is probable that Irish ctrindieal rites manifested themselves
principally in Sun-worship* The name of Bel, still retained in the
Celtic Beltinne, indicates its Phoenician origin ; Baal being the name
under which they adored that luminary. It is also remarkable that
Grian, which signifies the sun in Irish, resembles an epithet of Apollo
given by Virgil .,l who sometimes styles him Grynaeus. St. Pat i
also confirms this conjecture, by condemning Bun- worship in his
Confession, when he says : M All those who adore it shall descend
into misery and punishment/' If the well-known passage of
Diodorus Siculus may be referred to Ireland, it affords another
*Avtkvr* — Strftbo, 1, it. p. 197; Saetrmitu, V* CUu ; Pliny, J7«f, Nmt
I *jnr. e. 9. Pliny mentions having seen the ierpent'a eggf and describes it
i riVjp'/.— fc.6, it, 73.
■
8UN-W0RSHIP. 139
confirmation. Indeed, it appears difficult to conceive how any other
place but Ireland could be intended by the " island in the ocean
over against Gaul, to the north, and not inferior in size to Sicily,
the soil of which is so fruitful that they mow there twice in the
year."2 In this most remarkable passage, he mentions the skill of
their harpers, their sacred groves and singular temple of round form,
their attachment to the Greeks by a singular affection from old times,
and their tradition of having been visited by the Greeks, who left
offerings which were noted in Greek letters.
Toland and Carte assume that this passage refers to the Hebrides
Rowlands applies it to the island of Anglesea ; but these conjee*
tures are not worth regarding. We can scarcely imagine an un-
prejudiced person deciding against Ireland ; but where prejudice
exists, no amount of proof will satisfy. It has been suggested that
the Irish pagan priests were not druids properly so called, but
magi f and that the Irish word which is taken to mean druid, is
only used to denote persons specially gifted with wisdom. Druid-
ism probably sprung from magism, which was a purer kind of
worship, though it would be difficult now to define the precise limits
which separated these forms of paganism. If the original pagan
religion of ancient Erinn was magism, introduced by its Phoenician
colonizers, it is probable that it had gradually degenerated to the
comparatively grosser rites of the druid before the advent of St.
Patrick. His destruction of the idols at Magh Slecht is unques-
tionable evidence that idol worship4 was then practised, though
probably in a very limited degree.
The folklore of a people is perhaps, next to their language, the
best guide to their origin. The editor of Bonn's edition of the
Chronicle of Richard of Cirencester remarks, that " many points of
coincidence have been remarked in comparing the religion of the
Hindoos with that of the ancient Britons ; and in the language of
these two people some striking similarities occur in those proverbs
* Tear. — Bio. Sic. torn. I p. 158:
* Magi. — Magi is always used in Latin as the equivalent for the Irish word
which signifies druid. See the Vitas 8. Colum}>a\ p. 73 ; see also Reeves' note
to this word.
* Worship. — In the Chronicle of Richard of Cirencester, ch. 4, certain
Soman deities are mentioned as worshipped by the British druids ; but it is
probabki the account is merely borrowed from Caesar's description of the
Gauds.
140
EASTERN CUSTOMS IN ANCIENT KR1NN.
and modes of expression which are derived from national customs
and religious ceremonies * We are not aware of any British cus-
toms or proverbs which bear upon this subject, nor does the writer
mention any in proof of his assertion: if, however, for Britons wfc
read Irish, his observations may be amply verified.
The kindly u God save you I" and " God bless all here I" of the
Irish peasant, finds its counterpart in the eastern M God be gracious
to thee, my son P The partiality, if not reverence, for the number
seven, is indicated in our churches. The warm-hearted hospitality
of the very poorest peasant, is a practical and never-failing illustra-
tion of the Hindoo proverb, w The tree does not withdraw its shade
even from the woodcutter*'1
The celebration of St. John's Eve by watchfirea, is undoubtedly
a remnant of paganism, still practised in many parts of Ireland, as
we can aver from personal knowledge ; but the custom of passing
cattle through the fire has been long discontinued, and those
who kindle the fires have little idea of its origin, and merely
continur it as an amusement. Kelly mentions, in his Folklore,
that a calf was sacrificed in Northamptonshire during the pre-
sent century, in one of these fires, to "stop the murrain.1' The
superstitious use of fire still continues in England and Scotland,
though we believe the Belfciune on St John's Eve is peculiar to
Ireland. The hunting of the wren0 on St Stephen's Day, in :
country, ia said, by Yallancey, to have been originated by the first
Christian missionaries, to counteract the superstitious reverence
with which this bird was regarded by the drtiids. Classic readers
will remember the origin of the respect paid to this bird in pa
times. The peasantry in Ireland, who have never read either Pliny
tie, are equally conversant with the legend.
The common and undignified game of "jacks n also lays claim to
5 Ceremonies — Bonn's edition, p. 431.
* Wren. — Id Scotland the wren is on object of reverence; hence
rhyme—
11 Malisons, mnlisons, more thin ten,
That harry the Ladye of Heaven's herL"
But it is probable the idea and the verse were originally imported from
France, where the bird is treated with special respect There i» a very inter
eating paper in the Ulster ArcfuMol&gicol Journal, vol, viL p. 334, on the re*
markable correspondence of Irish, Greek, and Oriental legends, where th.
of Labh radii Loioseach is compared with that of Midas. Both had asses' ears,
and both were victims to the loquacious proximities of their barbers.
SUPERSTITIONS CHRISTIANIZED. 141
a noble ancestry. In Mr. St. John's work on The Manners and
Customs of Ancient Greece, he informs us that the game was a
classical one, and called pentalitha. It was played with five
astragals — knuckle-bones, pebbles, or little balls — which were thrown
up into the air, and then attempted to be caught when falling on
the back of the hand. Another Irish game, " pricking the loop," in
Greece is called himantffiginos, pricking the garter. Hemestertius
supposes the Gordian Knot to have been nothing but a variety of the
himantiligino8. The game consists in winding a thong in such an
intricate manner, that when a peg is inserted in the right ring, it is
caught, and the game is won ; if the mark is missed, the thong un-
winds without entangling the peg.
The Irish keen [caoine] may still be heard in Algeria and Upper
Egypt, even as Herodotus heard it chanted by Lybian women. This
wailing for the deceased is a most ancient custom ; and if antiquity
imparts dignity, it can hardly be termed barbarous. The Romans
employed keeners at their funerals, an idea which they probably
borrowed from the Etruscans,7 with many others incomparably more
valuable, but carefully self-appropriated. Our wakes also may have
had an identity of origin with the funeral feasts of the Greeks,
Etruscans, and Romans, whose customs were all probably derived
from a common source.
The fasting of the creditor on the debtor is still practised in
India, and will be noticed in connexion with the Brehon Laws.
There is, however, a class of customs which have obtained the
generic term of superstitions, which may not quite be omitted, and
which' are, for many reasons, difficult to estimate rightly. In treating
of this subject, we • encounter, primd facie, the difficulty of giving
a definition of superstition. The Irish are supposed to be pre-
eminently a superstitious people. Those who make this an accusa-
tion, understand by superstition the belief in anything supernatural;
and they consider as equally superstitious, veneration of a relic,
belief in a miracle, a story of a banshee, or a legend of Finn Mac
Cumhaill. Probably, if the Celts did not venerate relics, and
believe in the possibility of miracles, we should hear far less of
their superstitions. Superstition of the grossest kind is prevalent
7 Etruscans. — See Cities and Cemeteries o/Etruria, voL I p. 295, where the
bas-reliefs are described which represent the pra^ficoBy or hired mourners, wail-
in/; over the corpse.
142 CHRISTIANIZED SUPERSTITIONS.
among the lower orders in every part of England, and yet the nation
prides itself on its rejection of this weakness. But according to
another acceptation of the term, only such heathen customs as refer
to the worship of false gods, are superstitions. These customs re-
main, unfortunately, in many countries, but in some they have been
Christianized. Those who use the term superstition generically, still
call the custom superstitious, from a latent and, perhaps, in some
cases, unconscious impression that there is no supernatural. Such
persons commence with denying all miraculous interventions except
those which are recorded in holy Scripture; and unhappily, in
some cases, end by denying the miracles of Scripture.
To salute a person who sneezed with some form of benediction,
was a pagan custom. It is said to have originated through an
opinion of the danger attending it ; and the exclamation used was :
" Jupiter help me !" In Ireland, the pagan custom still remains, but
it has been Christianized, and " God bless you !" is substituted for
the pagan form. Yet we have known persons who considered the
use of this aspiration superstitious, and are pleased to assert that
the Irish use the exclamation as a protection against evil spirits,
meaning thereby fairies. When a motive is persistently attributed
which does not exist, argument is useless.
Devotion to certain places, pilgrimages, even fasting and other
bodily macerations, were pagan customs. These, also, have been
Christianized. Buildings once consecrated to the worship of
pagan gods, are now used as Christian temples : what should we
think of the person who should assert that because pagan gods
were once adored in these churches, therefore the worship now
offered in them was offered to pagan deities 1. The temples, like
the customs, are Christianized.
The author of a very interesting article in the Ulster ArcJuBO-
logical Journal (vol. ix. p. 256), brings forward a number of Irish
customs for which he finds counterparts in India. But he forgets
that in Ireland the customs are Christianized, while in India they
remain pagan ; and like most persons who consider the Irish pre-
eminently superstitious, he appears ignorant of the teaching of
that Church which Christianized the world. The special " super-
stition " of this article is the devotion to holy wells. The custom
still exists in Hindostan ; people flock to them for cure of
their diseases, and leave " rags " on the bushes as " scapegoats,"
ex votos, so to say, of cures, or prayers for cures. In India, the
HOLY WELLS NOT SUPERSTITIONS. ' 143
prayer is made to a heathen deity ; in Ireland, the people happen
to believe that God hears the prayers of saints more readily than
their own ; and acting on the principle which induced persons, in
apostolic times, to use " handkerchiefs and aprons " which had
touched the person of St. Paul as mediums of cure, because of his
virgin sanctity, in preference to "handkerchiefs and aprons" of
their own, they apply to the saints and obtain cures. But they
do not believe the saints can give what God refuses, or that the
saints are more merciful than God. They know that the saints
are His special friends, and we give to a friend what we might
refuse to one less dear. Lege totum, si vis scire totum, is a motto
which writers on national customs should not forget.
Customs were probably the origin of laws. Law, in its most
comprehensive sense, signifies a rule of action laid down8 by a
superior. Divine law is manifested (1) by the law of nature, and
(2) by revelation. The law of nations is an arbitrary arrangement,
founded on the law of nature and the law of revelation : its per-
fection depends obviously on its correspondence with the divine
law. Hence, by common consent, the greatest praise is given to
those laws of ancient nations which approximate most closely to
the law of nature, though when such laws came to be revised by
those who had received the law of revelation, they were necessarily
amended or altered in conformity therewith. No government can
exist without law; but as hereditary succession preceded the law of
hereditary succession, which was at first established by custom, so
the lex non scripta, or national custom, preceded the lex scripta, or
statute law. The intellectual condition of a nation may be well and
safely estimated by its laws. A code of laws that were ob-
served for centuries before the Christian era, and for centuries
after the Christian era, and which can bear the most critical
tests of forensic acumen in the nineteenth century, evidence
that the framers of the code were possessed of no slight degree of
mental culture. Such are the Brehon laws, by which pagan and
Christian Erinn was governed for centuries.
The sixth century was a marked period of -legal reform. The
Emperor Justinian, by closing the schools of Athens, gave a death-
* Laid down. — Law, Saxon, lagu, lah ; from leegan = Goth, lagjan, to lay,
to place ; Gael lagh, a law ; Uag, to lie down ; Latin, lex, from Gr. lego,
to lay.
blow to Grecian philosophy and juris prudence. But Grecian
influence had already acted on the formation of Roman law, and
probably much of the Athenian code was embodied therein. The
origin of Roman law is involved in the same obscurity as
origin of the Brehon code. In both cases, the mist of ages lies like
a light, but impenetrable veil, over all that could give certainty to
conjecture. Before the era of the Twelve Tables, mention is made
of laws enacted by Romulus respecting what we should now call
civil liabilities. Laws concerning religion are ascribed to Numa,
and laws of contract to Servius Tullius, who is supposed to have
collected the regulations made by his predecessors. The Tw-
Tables were notably formed on the legal enactments of
Greece, The cruel severity of the law for insolvent debtors, forms
a marked contrast to the milder and more equitable arrangements
of the Brehon code. By the Roman enactments, the person of
debtor was at the mercy of his creditor, who might sell him for a
re beyond the Tiber, The Celt allowed only the seizure
goods, and even this was under regulations most favourable to the
debtor. The legal establishment of Christianity by Con stan tine,
or we should rather say the existence of Christianity, necessitated
a complete revision of all ancient laws : hence we find the compi-
lation of the Theodosian code almost synchronizing with th*
vision of the Brehon laws. The spread of Christianity, and
the new modes of thought and action which obtained thereby,
necessitated the reconstruction of ancient jurisprudence in lands as
widely distant geographically, and as entirely separated politically,
as Italy and Ireland.
Those who have studied the subject most carefully, and who are
refore most competent to give an opinion, accept the popular
account, of the revision of our laws.
The Four Masters thus record this important event :—tf The age
of Christ 438, The tenth year of Laeghaire. The Feinchi^
Ireland were purified and writteu, the writings and old works
of Ireland having been collected [and brought] to one place at
the request of St. Patrick. Those were the nine supporting props
by whom this was done: Laeghaire, L&} King of Ireland, <
and Dai re, the three kings ; Patrick, Benen, and Ca the
three saints j Ross, Dubhthach, and Fearghus, the three anti-
quaries." Dr* P1 Donovan j in his note, shelters himself under an
extract from Petrie's Tata ; but it is to be supposed that he coin-
HOW THE BREHON CODE WAS COMPILED. 145
rides in the opinion of that gentleman, Dr. Petrie thinks that
** little doubt can be entertained that such a work was compiled
within a short period after the introduction of Christianity in the
country, and that St. Patrick may have laid the foundations of it ;"9
though he gives no satisfactory reason why that saint should not
have assisted at the compilation, and why the statements of our
annalists should be refused on this subject, when they are accepted
on others. A list of the "family" [household] of Patrick is given
immediately after, which Dr. O'Donovan has taken great pains to
verify, and with which he appears satisfied. If the one statement
is true, why should the other be false? Mr. O'Curry, whose
opinion oh such subjects is admittedly worthy of the highest con-
sideration, expresses himself strongly in favour of receiving the
statements of our annalists, and thinks that both Dr. Petrie and
Dr. Lanigan are mistaken in supposing that the compilation was
not effected by those to whom it has been attributed. As to the
antiquity of these laws, he observes that Cormac Mac Gullinan
quotes passages from them in his Glossary, which was written not
later than the ninth century, and then the language of the Sean-
chus1 Mor was so ancient that it had become obsolete. To these
laws, he well observes, the language of Moore, on the MSS. in the
Royal Irish Academy, may be applied : " They were not written by
a foolish people, nor for any foolish purpose ;" and these were the
"laws and institutions which regulated the political and social system
of a people the most remarkable in Europe, from a period almost
lost in the dark mazes of antiquity, down to about within two
hundred years of our own time, and whose spirit and traditions
influence the feelings and actions of the native Irish even to this
day."8
But we can adduce further testimony. The. able editor and
translator of the Seanchus Mor, which forms so important a portion
of our ancient code, has, in his admirable Preface, fully removed all
doubt on this question. He shows the groundlessness of the objec-
9 It— Four Masters, vol. i. p. 133. The Seanchus Mor was sometimes
called Cain Phadruig, or Patrick's Law.
1 Seanchus.— From the old Celtic root sen, old, which has direct cognates,
not merely in the Indo-European, but also in tho Semitic ; Arabic, «en, old,
ancient — tunnah, institution, regulation; Persian, san, law, right; sanna,
Phcenicibus idem fuit quod Arabibus summa, lex, doctrina jux canonicum.—
Bochart, Gto. Ste. L iL c. 17. See Petrie's Tara, p. 79.
■ Day,— (yCurry, page 201.
K
tlons (principally chronological) which had "been made regarding
those who are asserted to have been its compilers. He also makes
it evident that it was a work in which St Patrick should have
been expected to engage : (1) because, being a Roman jcitizen, and
one who had travelled much, he was probably well aware of th©
Christian modifications which had already been introduced into the
Soman code. (2) That he was eminently a judicious missionary,
and such a revision of national laws would obviously be no slight
support to the advancement of ■ national Christianity. It is also
remarked T that St* Patrick may not necessarily have assisted per-
sonally in writing the MS, ; his confirmation of what was compiled
by others would be sufficient St, Eenigous, who is known to be
the author of other works,3 probably acted as his amanuensis.
The subject-matter of the portion! of the Seanchus Mor which
have been translated, is the law of distress. Two points are nor
able in this: First, the careful and accurate administration of
justice which is indicated by the details of these legal enactments;
second, the custom therein sanctioned of the creditor fasting upon
the debtor, a custom which still exists hi Hindoetan. Hence, in
some cases, the creditor fasts on the debtor until he is compelled to>
pay his debt, lest his creditor should die at the door ; in other
cases, the creditor not only fasts himself, but also compels his
debtor to fast, by stopping his supplies* Elphinstone describes this
as used even against princes, and especially by troops to procure
payment of arrears.4
One of the most noticeable peculiarities of the Brehon law is the
compensation for murder, called eric This, however, was commoa
to other nations* Its origin is ascribed to the Germans, but the
institution was probably far more ancient, We find it forbidden*
in the oldest code of laws in existence ; and hence the eric must
have been in being at an early period of the world's civil history.
The law of succession, called tajtaisteacht, or tanistry, ia one of
the most peculiar of the Brehon laws. The eldest son succeeded
the father to the exclusion of all collateral claimants, unless he '
* Work**— He appears to have been the anther of the original Bi>ok
Rights, and " commenced and composed the Psalter of Caiseal, in which ,
described the acta, laws" &a— See Preface to Seanchna Mor, p. 17*
* Arrears, — Elphmato lie's India, vol. i. p. 372.
* Forbidden.—** You ahall not take money of him that ia guilty of blood, 1
he ahall die forthwith.1*— Numbers, xxxv. 3L
^H
THE LANGUAGE OF ANCIENT EKINN,
disqualified by deformity, imbecility, or crime. In after ages, by a
compact between parents or mutual agreement, the succession
was sometimes made alternate in two or more families. The eldest
son, being recognized as presumptive heir, was denominated ianaiste,
that is, minor or second; while the other sons, or persons eligible
in case of failure, were termed righdhamhua, which literally means
king-material, or king -makings. The iantiiste had a separate estab-
lishment and distinct privileges. The primitive intention was,
that the l#best man" should reign; but practically it ended in might
tag taken for right, and often for less important qualifications.
The possession and inheritance of landed property was regulated
by the law called gavelkind (gavail-kinne), an ancient Celtic insbttu-
Af but common to Britons, Anglo-Saxons, and others. By this
law, inherited or other property was divided equally between the
eons, to the exclusion of the daughters (unless, indeed* in default of
heirs male, when females were permitted a life interest). The ta*
naiste, however, was allotted the dwelling-house and other privileges.
The tenure of land was a tribe or family right ; and, indeed, the
whole system of government and legislation was far more patri-
archal than Teutonic — another indication of an eastern origin. All
the members of a tribe or family had an equal right to their pro-
portionate share of the land occupied by the whole. This system
created a mutual independence and self-consciousness of personal
right and importance, strongly at variance with the subjugation of
the Germanic and Anglo-Norman vassal
The compilation of the Brehon laws originated in a question that
arose as to how the murderer of Odran, Patrick's charioteer, should
be punished. The saint was allowed to select whatever Brehon ho
pleased to give judgment. He chose Dubhthach -} and the result of
his decision was the compilation of these laws, as it was at once
seen that a purely pagan code would not suit Christian teaching.
The Celtic language is now admittedly one of the most ancient
in existence Its affinity with Sanscrit, the eldest daughter of the
undiseoverable mother-tongue, has been amply proved,0 and the
■tody of the once utterly despised Irish promises to be one which
• Proved.— See Fictet's Origin®! Indo- Eur opeenne*. He mentions his aur-
prise at finding a genuine Sanscrit word in Irish, which, like a geological
boulder , had been transported from one extremity of the Aryan world to the
other* Pi cut considers that the first wave of Aryan emigration occurred
$000 year* before the Christian Era.
MS
WRITING Dl PRE-CHRISTIAN BRINN*
will abundantly repay the philologist It h to be regretted that we
are indebted to German students for the verification of these state-
ments ; but the Germans are manifestly born philologists, and they
have opportunities of leisure, and encouragement for the prosecution
of such studies* denied to the poorer Celt, It is probable that CV-ltio
will yet be found to have been one of the most important of the
Indo-European tongues, Its influence on the formation of the
Romance languages has yet to bo studied in the li^ht of our con*
tinually increasing knowledge of its more ancient forma ; mid
perhaps the conjectures of Betham will, by the clofie of this cen-
tury, receive as much respect as the once equally ridiculed history
of Keating,
It is almost impossible to doubt that the Irish nation had letters
and some form of writing before the arrival of St, Patrick. There
are so many references to the existence of writings in the most
ancient MSS., that it appears more rash to deny their statements
than to accept them.
The three principal arguments ftgainit a pre-Christian alphabet
appears to be; (1) The absence of n.ny MS.
of such writing. (2) The use of the Roman
character in all MSS, extant, (3) The uni-
versal opinion, scarcely yet exploded, that
the Irish Celts were barbarians. In reply
to the first objection, we may observe that
St. Patrick is said to have destroyed all the
remnants of pagan writing J Caesar men*
tions that the druids of Gaul used Greek
characters- It appears impossible that the
Irish di-uids, who were at least their
equals in culture, should have been destitute
of any kind of written character. The an-
cient form of Welsh letters were somewhat
similar to the runes of which we give &
specimen, and this alphabet was called the
"alphabet of the bards,*' in contradistinction to which is placed
' WrUtng. — "Finally, Dudley Firbisae, hereditary professor of the antiquities
of his country, mention* in a letter [to me] a fact collected from the m
meats of hia ancestors, that on© hundred and eighty tracts [tractataftj of the
doctrine of the druids or magi, were condemned to the flameB in the time of
St Pakkk,w— Ogygia, £iL 30, p. 219, A writer in the UUter Arch. Joumt
umrmn
rll~
RUXE3 FROM THE RUNTC
CROSS AT IU7THWEU*
0GHA5T WTCmHG»
149
the u alphabet of the monks," or Roman alphabet, The alphabet
of the Irish bard may have been the Beith-luis-mon, represented by
the Ogham character, of which more hereafter.
The difficulty arising from the fact of St. Patrick's having given
abgiimittm. or alphabets, to his converts, appears to us purely chime-
rical. Latin was from the first the language of the Church, and
being such, whether the Irish converts had or had not a form of
writing, one of the earliest duties of a Christian missionary was to
teach those preparing for the priesthood the language in which they
were to administer the sacraments. The alphabet given by the
saint was simply the common Roman letter then in use. The Celtic
cimraeteri t-Mu veneration for antiquity and religion, has still preserved
it; and strange to say, the Irish of the nineteenth century alone use
the letters which were common to the entire Roman Empire iti the
fifth. The early influence of ecclesiastical authority^ and the cir-
cumstance that the priests of the Catholic Church were at once the
instructors in and the preservers of letters, will aceount for the
iromedi of whatever alphabet the druids may have had,
The third objection is a mere argummium ad ign&rantiam.
It is to be regretted that t! I of Ogham writing has not-
been taken up by a careful and competent hand,8 There are few
people who have not found out some method of recording their
history, and there are few sub-
jects of deeper interest than
itttdy "t fchfl efforts of the
m mind to perpetuate
itself in I haracters*
The Easterns had their cnnii-
fam or arrow-headed sym-
b&h and the Western world
**« even yet its quipus, and tells its history by the number of its
faota.
CraEOTJRM CHARACTERS.
5***1 tioBH a • 4 Cosmography, " printed at ,J Lipsia?, 1854 w It appeare to be a
****** veraion or epitome of a Greek "work. The writer of this Cosmography
lr** born in 103, He mentions having u examined the volume* " of the Irish,
^hom he visited. If this authority is reliable, it would at once utile the
^1le*fciiiii,— Sen UUterAreh Journal, voL ii. p. 281.
* -if and.— A work on thin subject has long been promised by Dr. Graven,
*** U uixinuftly expected by paleograpbists. We regret to leara that there Is
*** Uumediate proapoot of its pttbunatiOtt.
150
OGHJLM WRITING.
The peasant girl still knots her handkerchief as her memorU
kchmca, and the lady changes her ring from its accustomed finger.
Each practice is quite as
primitive an effort of
nature as the Ogham
of the Celtic bard, He
■ stone pillar or a
wooden stick for his
notches, — a more per-
manent record than the
knot or the Indian qui*
pus.9 The use of a
as a vehicle for record-
ing ideas by conven-
tional marks, appears
very ancient; and this
in itself forms a good
argument for the anti-
quity of Ogham wn
Mr.O'Curry Jwaghn
expressly as his opinion,
*< that the pre-Chris-
tian Gacdhils pos*.
and practised a system
of writing and keeping
records quite different
from and independent
of the Greek and Roman
form and c ha racterst
which gained currency
the Qurrua. * jn the country after the
introduction of Christianity*" He then gives in evidence passages
from our ancient writings which are preserved, in which the use of
the Ogham character is distinctly mentioned. One instance id the
B Q«ijt?iw+ — QuipuB signifies a knot The cords were of different colours.
Yellow denoted gold and all the allied ideas ■ white, silver, or peace ; red, war, or
•old ten. Each quipua was in the care of a quiper* earn syce, or keeper. Acorta
mentions that he saw a woman with a handful of these strings, which she said
contained a confession of her life, See Wibon's Pre-HUtoric Man for most
interesting details on the subject of symbolic characters and early writing.
OGHAM WRITING.
151
**Uonin the Tdin W ChuaUgrU of directions having been left
<Ij? Panels or hoops written in Ogham by Cuohulainn for Meav.
**«n these were found, they were read for her by Fergus, who
r^eistood the character. We have not space for further details,
**fc Professor O'Curry devotes some pages to the subject, where
^*fer information may be found. In conclusion, he expresses an
opinion that the original copies of
the ancient books, such as the
Cuilmenn and the Saltair of Tara,
were not written in Ogham. He
supposes that the druids or poets,
who, it is well known, constantly
travelled for educational purposes, \
brought home an alphabet, probably —
the Roman then in use. " It is, at
all events, quite certain that the Irish
druids had written books before the
coming of St. Patrick, in 432 ; since
we find the statement in theTripartite
life of the saint, as well as in the !ZZ
Annotations of Tirechan, preserved ^^
in the Book of Armagh, which were
taken by him from the lips and books
of his tutor, St. Mochta, who was
the pupil and disciple of St. Patrick •
himself."
Wegivetwoillustrationsof Ogham
writing. The pillar-stone is from
the collection of the Royal Irish
Academy. It is about four and a-
half feet high, and averages eleven
inches across. It was found, with
three others similarly inscribed, built
into the walls of a dwelling-house in
the county Kerry, to which it is be-
lieved they had been removed from
the interior of a neighbouring rath.
The bilingual Ogham was found at
0t Dogmael's, near Cardiganshire. The Ogham alphabet is called
^^tuOTtcm»fix>mthename of its two first letters, beith, which signifies
\
i
a birch-tree, and hu$f the mountain-ash. If this kind of writing
had been introduced in Christian times, it is quite unlikely that
such names would have been chosen, They are manifestly refer-
able to a time when a tree had some significance beyond the useful
or the ornamental. It has been supposed that the names of the
letters were given to the trees, and nob the names of the tree* to
the letters. It is at least certain that the names of the trees and
the letters coincide, and that the trees are all indigenous to Ireland,
The names of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet are also significaniv
but appear to be chosen indiscriminately, while there is a man
and evidently arbitrary selection in the Celtic appellations. The
number of letters also indicate antiquity. The ancient Irish alpha-
bet had but sixteen characters, thus numerically correspond
with the alphabet brought into Greece by Cadmus. This number
was gradually increased with the introduction of the Roman ft
and the arrangement was also altered to harmonize with it. The
Ogham alphabet consists of lines, which represent letters. They
are arranged in an arbitrary manner to the right or left of a stem*
line, or on the edge of the material on which they are traced. Even
the name? of those letters, jkmg {a tree), seem an indication ol
their origin. A cross has been found, sculptured more or less rudely*
upon many of these ancient monuments ; and this has been sup-
posed by some antiquarians to indicate their Christian origin.
Doubtless the practice of erecting pillar-stones, and writing Oghams
thereon, was continued after the introduction of Christianity ; hot
this by no means indicates their origin. Like many other pagan
monuments, they may have been consecrated by having the sign of
the cross engraven on them hundreds of years after their erection.
During the few months which have elapsed between the appear-
ance of the first edition and the preparation of the second edition,
my attention lias been called to this portion of the history
or five eminent members of the Royal Irish Academy, who expi
their regret that I should appear to have adopted, or at h
favoured, Mr. D' Alton's view of the Christian origin of the round
towers. I cannot but feel gratified at the interest which thejr
manifested, and not less so at their kind anxiety that my own
views should accord with those of the majority. I am quite aware
that my opinion on euch a subject could have little weight* To
form a decided opinion on this subject, would require many years*
study; but when one of these gentlemen, the Earl of Dunra\
THE BOUND TOWER CONTROVERSY. 153
j. ^uguished for his devotion to archaeology, writes to# me that
j^^ Irish, English, and Continental scholars are all but unanimous
c^ Scribing a Christian origin to these remarkable buildings, I
pT/^ot but feel that I am bound to accept this opinion, thus sup-
^^d by an overwhelming weight of authority. It may, how-
ODivT* *° "ltere8^ng *° some persons to retain an account of the
Orj?**11^ theories, and for this reason I still insert page 115 of the
OD •*?*** edition," only making such modifications as my change of
^rjtorx make necessary.
^-Oe theories which have been advanced on this subject may be
~Sai**^<i under seven heads —
/ ^J^!*at ^e Phoenicians erected them for fire temples,
J-*-*^ *he Christians built them for bell towers.
^5^*at *^e ^S**08 U8eo^ them for astronomical purposes.
\f) ^-fhat they were for Christian anchorites to shut themselves
tip in.
(&) ^-CTiat they were penitentiaries.
(6) ~~K?hat the Druids used them to proclaim their festivals.
(0 "^Xhat the Christians used them to keep their church plate
l^d tP" *& <asures.
C°r:^tradictory as these statements appear, they may easily be
f&PiP*^. into two separate theories of pagan or Christian origin. Dr
-pei**^ has been the great supporter of the latter opinion, now
jjjp0^t» generally received. He founds his opinion : (1) On the
^ggQ^ption that the Irish did not know the use of lime mortar
^e$or^ the time of St. Patrick. For this assumption, however,
\& gives no evidence. (2) On the presence of certain Christian
ggxVlems on some of these towers, notably at Donaghmore and
j^ntrim. But the presence of Christian emblems, like the cross on
4he Ogham stones, may merely indicate that Christians wished to
consecrate them to Christian use. (3) On the assumption that
they were used as keeps or monastic castles, in which church
plate was concealed, or wherein the clergy could shelter them-
selves from the Airy of Danes, or other invaders. But it is obvious
that towers would have been built in a different fashion had such
been the object of those who erected them. The late Mr. D' Alton
has been the most moderate and judicious advocate of their pagan
origin. He rests his theory (1) on certain statements in our annals,
which, if true, must at once decide the dispute. The Annals of
Ulster mention the destruction of fifty-seven of them in consequence
1
CROMLECHS. 155
<*f & severe earthquake, A.D. 448. He adduces the testimony of
Griraldus Cambrensis, who confirms the account of the origin of
XjOtigh Neagh by an inundation, A.D. 65, and adds : " It is no im-
pi'obable testimony to this event, that the fishermen beheld the
*"»ligiou8 towers (turres ecclesiasticas), which, according to the custom
of the country, are narrow, lofty, and round, immersed under the
***T2Lt*is; and they frequently show them to strangers passing over
then, and wondering at their purposes " (reique causas admirantibus).
"J/lxia is all the better evidence of their then acknowledged antiquity,
l>ecause the subject of the writer was the formation of the lough,
and not the origin of the towers. Mr. D' Alton's (2) second argu-
meiit is, that it was improbable the Christians would have erected
Churches of wood and bell towers of stone, or have bestowed incom-
X^^rably more care and skill on the erection of these towers, no
zazvtter for what use they may have been intended, than on the
oiaixrches, which should surely be their first care.1
"The cromlechs next claim our notice. There has been no ques-
taoxi of their pagan origin ; and, indeed, this method of honouring
or* interring the dead, seems an almost universal custom of ancient
peoples.3 Cremation does not appear to have been the rule as to
th.e mode of interment in ancient Erinn, as many remains of skele-
tons have been found; and even those antiquarians who are pleased
entirely to deny the truth of the historical accounts of our early
Annalists, accept their statements as to customs of the most ancient
date. When the dead were interred without cremation, the body
*^*y placed either in a horizontal, sitting, or recumbent posture.
When the remains were burned, a fictile vessel was used to contain
***e ashes. These urns are of various forms and sizes. The style
°* decoration also differs widely, some being but rudely ornamented,
^ant- Annals of Boyle, voL ii. p. 22. Essay, p. 82.
. **eoptcs. — See Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria, voi ii. p. 314, where the
^nt«r describes tombs rank beneath a tumulus, about twenty-five or thirty
***t Ui diameter, and also tombs exactly resembling the Irish cromlech, the
^°^**ing alab of enormous size, being inclined " apparently to carry off the
***&-w In hie account of the geographical sites of these remains, he precisely,
*«*»gh moat unconsciously, marks out the line of route which has been assigned
by Irish annalists as that which led our early colonizers to Ireland. He says
&*J are found in the presidency of Madras, among the mountains of the
Canoasus, on the steppes of Tartary, in northern Africa, " on (he shores of the
Mt&krrcmean they are particularly abundant," and in Spain.
15G
URNS.
while others bear indications of artistic skill which could not have
been exercised by a rude or uncultivated people.
We give a full-page illustration of an urn and its contents, at
present in the collection of the Koyal Irish Academy. This urn
was found in a tumulus, which was opened in the Phoenix Park,
near Dublin, in the year 1S3S. The tumulus was about 120
feet in diameter it the base, and fifteen feet high. Four sepulchral
vases, containing burnt ashes, were found within the tomb. It also
enclosed two perfect male skeletons, the tops of the femora of
another, and a boiie of some animal. A number of shell s* were
found under the head of each skeleton, of the kind known to>
conchologists as i ta littoralh. The urn which we Have
figured is the largest and most perfect, and manifestly the earliest of
jflimm^^
tha set. It is six inches high, rudely carved, yet not without some
attempt at ornament. The bone pin was probably used for the
hair, and the shells are obviously strung for a necklace. We give
above a specimen of the highest class of cinerary urns. It i
unrivalled, both in design and execution, among all the speck
found in the British isles. This valuable remain was discovered
in the cutting of a railway, in a small stone chamber, at Knockne-
conra, near Bagnalsto wn, county Carlow. Burned bones of an
infant, or very young child, were found in it, and it was inclosed
in a much larger and ruder urn, containing the bones of an adult.
3 Shells.— Cat. Ant. RLl; Stone Mat. p, ISO. The ethnographic pham
of eonchology might form a study In itself. Sheila appear to be the earliest
form of ornament in use, The North American Indiana have their shell neck-
laces bnried with them also. See Wilson's Pre-llistoric Man.
GOLD ORNAMENTS.
1ST
Possibly, suggests Sir TV\ Wilde, they may have been the remains
of mother and child.4
The collection of antiquities in the Royal Irish Academy, fur-
bishes abundant evidence that the pagan Irbh were well skilled in
^n© higher arts of working in metals. If the arbitrary division of
ttte ages of stone, bronze, and iron, can be made to hold good, we
^urt either suppose that the Irish Celt was possessed of extra-
ordinary mental powers, by which he developed the mechanical
>0O UQ9&t,
Soi»®°*«*
*>*€
^ «\
cooooooo04
W
S\
rocT
COLD H£AJ>*DBES5, B.L-A-
gr&du&Uy, or that, with successive immigrations, he obtained
^ ^frreaae of knowledge from exterior sources, The bardic annals
waic&te the latter theory. We have already given several illustra-
l —Mr. Wilson gives a most interesting description of an Interment of
t and child in an ancient Penman grave. The mother had an unlinished
P*°* of weaving beside her, with its colours still bright The infant waa ten-
***ly wrapped in soft black woollen cloth, to which waa fastened a pair of
™*U* (utid*ls, 2 \ inches Ion it ; around ita neck waa a green cord, attached ton
***ll ihell— Frt'Hktork Man, voL L p. 23*.
tiona of the ruder weapons. The illustration appended here u*
give some idea of the skill obtained by our pagan ancestors
working gold. This ornament, which is quite complete, thou,
fractured in two places, stands 11 J inches high* It weighs 16 m
10 dwts. 13 grs. The gold of which it is formed is very red-
was procured with the Sirr Collection, and is said to have been fOD
in the county Clare,* Our readers are indebted to the Itindni
the Council of the Eoyal Irish Academy, for the permission to dep»
these and the other rare articles from the collection which m
inserted in our pages.
The amount of gold ornaments which have been found in Irela^
at various times, has occasioned much conjecture as to whet!
the material was found in Ireland or imported. It is probable ttza.^
auriferous veins existed, which were worked out, or that some im
even now exist which are at present unknown. The discovery
gold ornaments is one of the many remarkable confirmations of bh
glowing accounts given by our bardic annalists of Erinn's ancie/ji
glories. O'Hartigan thus describes the wealth and splendour of ths
plate possessed by the ancient monarchs who held court at Tara *«-
" Three hundred cupbearers distributed
Three times iifty eboice goblril
Before each party of great numbers,
Which were of pure strong' carbuncle,4
Or gold or of silver all"
Br. Petrie observes that this statement is amply verified by
magnificent gold ornaments, found within a few yards of this yi
spot, now in the possession of the Royal Irish Academy. We shall
see, at a later period, when the cursing of Tara will demand a s;
notice of its ancient glories, how amply the same writer has
cated the veracity of Celtic annalists on this ground also.
A remarkable resemblance has been noticed between the pagan
military architecture of Ireland, and the early Pelasgian monu-
ments in Greece, They consist of enclosures, generally circular,
of massive clay walls, built of small loose stones, from six tor
sixteen feet thick. These forts or fortresses are usually entered by
* Clare. — la 1855, in digging for a rail way-cutting in the county Clare,
gold ornaments were found worth £2,000 as bullion,
* Carbuncle.— Tim word was used to denote any aaiolng stone of
colour, such its garnet, a production of the country.
CRANNOGEfl. 159
* narrow doorway, wider at the bottom than at the top, and are of
. Cyclopean architecture. Indeed, some of the remains in Ireland
can only be compared to the pyramids of Egypt, so massive are the
Mocks of stone used in their construction. As this stone is frequently
of a kind not to be found in the immediate neighbourhood, the
means used for their transportation are as much a matter of surprise
*nd conjecture, as those by which they were placed in the position
it* which they are found. The most remarkable of these forts may
still be seen in the Isles of Arran, on the west coast of Gal way;
*here are others in Donegal, Mayo, and in Kerry. Some of
^hese erections have chambers in their massive walls, and in others
stairs are found round the interior of the wall ; these lead to narrow
platforms, varying from eight to forty-three feet in length, on which
the warriors or defenders stood. The fort of Dunmohr, in the
i^cldle island of Arran, is supposed to be at least 2,000 years old.
besides these forts, there was the private house, a stone habitation,
c*Ueda clochann, in which an individual or family resided; the
*^**ge circular dome-roofed buildings, in which probably a commu*
^ty lived ; and the rath, intrenched and stockaded.
X3ut stone was not the only material used for places of defence
ot* domestic dwellings; the most curious and interesting of ancient
W^h habitations is the crannoge, a name whose precise etymology is
uncertain, though there is little doubt that it refers in some way to
^te peculiar nature of the structure.
The crannoges were formed on small islets or shallows of clay or
marl in the centre of a lake, which were probably dry in summer,
bat submerged in winter. These little islands, or mounds, were
used as a foundation for this singular habitation. Piles of wood,
or heaps of stone and bones driven into or heaped on the soilr
formed the support of the crannoge. They were used as places of
retreat or concealment, and are usually found near the ruins of such
old forts or castles as are in the vicinity of lakes or marshes.
Sometimes they are connected with the mainland by a causeway^
" but usually there is no appearance of any ; and a small canoe has
been, with but very few exceptions, discovered in or near each
crannoge.
Since the investigation of these erections in Ireland, others have
been discovered in the Swiss lakes of a similar kind, and containing,,
or lather formed on, the same extraordinary amount of bones heaped.
op between the wooden piles.
ICO
CELTS*
The peculiar objects called celts, and the weapons and domestic
utensils of this or an earlier period, are a subject of scarcely lesa
interest. The use of the celt has fairly perplexed all antiquarian
search* Its nama is derived not, as might be supposed, from the
nation to whom this distinctive appellation was given, but from
the Latin word edtis, a chisel It is not known whether these
celts, or the round, flat, sharp-edged chisels, wan culled Ida
MHedh, " warriors* stones." In the record of the battle of the
Ford of Comar, Westmeath, the use of this instrument is thus
described : —
" There came not a man of Lohar's people without a broad green
spear, nor without a dazzling shield, nor without a Littgh-Iamha-kiA
{a champion's band stone) , stowed away in the hollow cavity of his
shield . ♦ ♦ * And Lobar carried his stone like each of his men ; and
seeing the monarch his father standing in the ford with Ceat, son of
Magach, at one side, and Con nail Ceamaeh at the other, to guard
him, he grasped his battle-stone quickly and dexterously, and threw
it with all his strength, and with unerring aim, at the king his
father ; and the massive stone passed with a swift rotatory motion
towards the king, and despite the efforts of his two brave guardians,
it struck him on the breast, and laid him prostrate in the ford-
The king, however, recovered from the shock, arose, and placing
his foot upon the formidable stone, pressed it into the earth, wherf
it remains to this day, with a third part of it over ground, and
the print of the king's foot visible upon it,"
Flint proper, or chalk flint, is found but in few places in Ireland )
these are principally in the counties of Antrim, Down, and Deny,
In the absence of a knowledge of the harder metals, flint and such*
like substances were invaluable as the only material that could be
fashioned into weapons of defence, and used to shape such i
.clothing as was then employed. The scarcity of flint must have
rendered these weapons of great value in other districts. Splitting,
chipping, and polishing,, and this with tools as rude as the material
wwked on, were the only means of manufacturing such artii
and yet such was the perfection, and, if the expression be appli-
cable, the amount of artistic skill attained, that it seems probable
flint-chipping was a special trade, and doubtless a profitable one to
those engaged in it,
When flints were used as arrows, either in battle or in the chase,
.a bow was easily manufactured^from the oak and birch trees with
CROMLECH IN THE PHCENIX PARK.
161
^«ich. the island was thickly wooded. It was bent by a leathern
tuoug, or the twisted intestine of some animal. The handles of
**** lance or javelin — formidable weapons, if we may judge from
the specimens in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy — were
*tao formed of wood ; but these have perished in the lapse of ages,
*&d left only the strangely and skilfully formed implement of
destruction.
Among primitive nations, the tool and the weapon differed but
little. The hatchet which served to fell the tree, was as readily
used to cleave open the head of an enemy. The knife, whether of
stone or hard wood, carved the hunter's prey, or gave a death-
stroke to his enemy. Such weapons or implements have, however,
frequently been found with metal articles, under circumstances
which leave little doubt that the use of the former was continued
long after the discovery of the superior value of the latter. . Pro-
bably, even while the Tuatha T>6 Danann artificers were framing
their more refined weapons for the use of nobles and knights, the
rude fashioner of flint-arrows and spear-heads still continued to
exercise the craft he had learned from his forefathers, for the benefit
of $Dorer or less fastidious warriors.
CROMLECH IN THB PHCENIX PARK.
The urn and necklace, figured at page 154, were found in this tomb.
Pestilence of the Bkfed—The Cursing of Toft, by Si Rodanus— Extent and
Importance of Ancient Tara— The First Mill in Ireland— The Lia ft
Coraiac** House— The Rath of the Synods— The Banqueting Hall— Chariot*
and Swords— St. Ceiumha— St Brendan and his Voyages— Pre- Columbian
Discovery of America— The Hague again — St Columba and St. Columbanua
^Irish Saints and Irish Sehools— Aengue the Culdee.
[a.D. 643— 093,]
ROM time to time, in the world's history, tenible
and mysterious pestilences appear, which defy all
ciilc ulation as to their cause or probable reappear-
ance. Such was the £kfedf~ or Crom 0}ionmUt
which desolated Ireland in the year 543*
The plague, whatever its nature may have
been, appears to have been general throughout
Europe, It originated in the East; and in Ireland
was preceded by famine, and followed by leprosy*
St. Ecrchan of Glasnevin and St. Fmnen of Clo-
nard were amongst its iirst victims.
Diarmaid, son of Fergus Keval, of the southern
Hy-Nial race, was Ard-Righ during this period.
In his reign Tara was cursed by St, Rodanua of
Lothra, in Tipperary, in punishment for violation
of sanctuary;8 and so complete was its subse-
' Biefed. — The name Cram Chonaill indicates a sickness which produced a
yellow colour in the akin*
* Sanctuary* — This may appear a severe punishment, but the right of sanc-
tuary was in these ages the great means of protection against lawless fan*,
and its violation was regarded as one of the worst of aaerilegas.
ANCIENT TARA. 163
quent desertion, that in 975 it was described as a desert overgrown
with grass and weeds.
But enough still remains to give ample evidence of its former
magnificence. An inspection of the site must convince the beholder
of the vast extent* of its ancient palaces ; nor can we, for a moment,
coincide with those who are pleased to consider that these palaces
consisted merely of a few planks of wood, rudely plastered over, or
of hollow mounds x>f earth. It is true that, from an association of
ideas, the cause of so many fallacies, we naturally connect " halls'9
with marble pavements, magnificently carved pillars, and tesselated
floors ; but the harp that once resounded through Tara's hails, may
have had as appreciating, if not as critical, an audience as any
'which now exists, and the " hails " may have been none the less
stately, because their floor was strewn with sand, or the trophies
which adorned them fastened to walls of oak.9
According to Celtic tradition, as embodied in our annals, Tara
became the chief residence of the Irish kings on the first estab-
lishment of a monarchical government under Slainge : —
" Slaine of the Firbolgs was he by whom Temair was first raised."
One hundred and fifty monarchs reigned there from this period
until its destruction, in 563. The Fes, or triennial assembly, was in-
stituted by Ollamh Fodhla. The nature of these meetings is ex-
plained in a poem, which Keating ascribes to O'Flynn, who died
A.D. 984. It is clear that what was then considered crime was
punished in a very peremptory manner ; for —
" Gold was not received as retribution from him,
Bat his soul in one hour."1
In the reign of Tuathai a portion of land was separated from
each of the four provinces, which met together at a certain place :
this portion was considered a distinct part of the country from the
provinces. It was situated in the present county of Meath.
In the tract separated from Minister, Tuathai2 built the royal
seat of Tlachtga, where the fire of Tlachtga was ordained to be
9 Oak-^Dr. Petrie mentions that there were stones still at Tara which pro-
Tbably formed a portion of one of the original buildings. It was probably of
the Pelasgian or Cyclopean kind.
1 Hour .— Petrie's Tara, p. 31.
9 Tuathai.— Very ancient authorities are found for this in the Leabhar
Gabhala, or Book of Conquests.
kindled. On the night of All Smuts, the druids assembled here
to offer sacrifices, and it was established, under heavy penalties*
that no fire should be kindled on that night throughout th©
kingdom, so that the fire which was used afterwards might be pro-
cured from it. To obtain this privilege, the people wen
to pay a scraball, or about three-pence, yearly, to the lung of
Munster.
On the 1st of May a convocation was held in the royal palace
of the King of Cuii naught. He obtained subsidies in horses and
arms from those who came to this assembly. On this occasion
two fires were lit, between which cattle were driven as a preventa-
tive or charm against the murrain and other pestilential die terns
From this custom the feast of St. Philip and St. James was anciently
L BelLinne, or the Day of Bel's Fire,
The third palace, erected by TuathaJ, was on the portion of land
taken from the province of Ulster, Here the celebrated fair of
Tailtean was held, and contracts of marriage were frequently made.
The royal tribute was raised by exacting an ounce of silver from
every couple who were contracted and married at that time, The
fair of Tailtean had been instituted some years before, in honour of
Tailte, who was buried here. This fair, says Keating, was then
kept upon the day known in the Irish language as La Lughnasa, or
the day ordained by Lughaidh, and is called in English Laminae-
day,
The fourth and the most important of the royal seats was the
palace of Teraair, or Tara : here, with the greatest state and cere-
mony, the affairs of the nation were discussed and decided. Ou
these occasions, in order to preserve the deliberations from th©
public, the most strict secrecy was observed, and women were
entirely excluded*
The Dinnseanchus, a topographical work, compiled in the twelfth
century from ancient MSS., is the principal source of information
on this subject, Dr. Petrie, in his famous Essay, n both
the original and translation of this tract, and of other document*
on the same subject ; and he remarks how exactly the accounts .
given by the poet historians coincide with the remains which even
now exist* In fact, each site has been ascertained with precise
accuracy— an accuracy which should very much enhance our appre-
ciation of the value of our ancient histories,
The well Itfeamhmcli was first identified. Tradition asserts that
THE FIRST MILL IN IRELAND. . 165
the first mill3 erected in Ireland was turned by the stream which
flowed from it, and even at the present day a mill is still worked
there. The situation of the Eath-na-Biogh was then easily ascer-
tained. This is the most important of these ancient sites, but it
**now, unfortunately, nearly levelled to the ground. This rath is
°ral, and measures about 853 feet from north to south; it contains
tte rains of the Forradh and of Teach Cormac (the House of Cormac).
^ pillar-stone was removed in 1798 to the centre of the mound of
tte Forradh. It formerly stood by the side of a small mound lying
within the enclosure of Kath-Riogh. This stone Dr. Petrie con-
fers identical4 with the famous Lia Fail, or Stone of Destiny,
*iich other authorities suppose to have been removed to Scotland,
***<i subsequently to Westminster. The Eath-na-Biogh is identical
^itl Teamur, and is, in fact, the ancient Tara, or royal residence,
^To-cnd which other scarcely less important buildings were gradually
er>ected. It was also called Cathair Crqfinn, The name of Cathair
w^& exclusively applied to circular stone fortifications built without
ce*xient ; and stones still remain which probably formed a portion
°* *fche original building. In ancient Irish poems this fortification
18 sometimes called the Strong Tower of Teamur, an appellation
n^"Ver applied to a rath, but constantly to a Cathair, or circular stone
*3he Bath of the Synods obtained its name at a comparatively
Mitt. — " Cormac, the grandson of Con, brought a millwright over the great
™^-,> it is clear from the Brehon laws that mills were common in Ireland
*& early period. It is probable that Cormac brought the " miller and his
5?°** *' from Scotland. Whittaker shows that a water-mill was erected by the
"^°***attia at every stationary city in Roman Britain. The origin of mills is
**bnted to Mithridates, King of Cappadocia, about seventy years B.C. The
^"^©Ht miller claims to be a descendant of the original miller.
f<tentical. — First, " because the Lia Fail is spoken of by all ancient Irish
^T/^^rs in such a manner as to leave no doubt that it remained in its original
***^fcion at the time they wrote." Second, " because no Irish account of its
^**U*valto Scotland is found earlier than Keating, and he quotes Boetius, who
r^Omly wished to sustain the claims of the Stuarts." The pillar-stone is
T?****lH»ed of granular limestone, but no stone of this description is found in
;*** Aricinity. As may be supposed, there are aU kinds of curious traditions
^°**fc this stone. One of these asserts that it was the pillar on which Jacob
j?P°««d when he saw the vision of angels. Josephus states that the descen-
*^*fcss of Seth invented astronomy, and that they engraved their discoveries on
* P*Uar of brick and a pillar of stone. These pillars remained, in the historian's
tut*, in the land of Siris.— AnU Jud. 1. 2, § 3.
1GG
THE BANQXTETIflG HOUSE,
recent period- The situation is distinctly pointed out both in the
prose and verse accounts. Here was held the Synod of Patrick*
the Synod of Kuadhan and Brendan, and lastly, the Synod of
Adamnan, The next existing monument which has been identified
with certainty, is the TetLch-Mmdhchuariai or Banqueting Hall* so
famous in Irish history and bardic tradition, This was also the
great house of the thousand soldiers, and the place where the
Fes or triennial assemblies were held. It had fourteen doors —
seven to the oast and seven to the west. Its length, taken from
the road, is 759 feet, and its breadth was probably about 90 feet,
Kenneth O'flartigan is the great, and indeed almost the only,
authority for the magnificence and state with which the royal ban-
quets were held herein. As his descriptions are written in a strain
of eloquent and imaginative verse, his account has been too readily
supposed to be purely fictitious* But we have already shown that
his description of the gold vessels which were used, is amply corro-
borated by the discovery of similar articles. His account of the ex*
tent, if not of the exterior magnificence, of the building, has also
been fully verified ; and there remains no reason to doubt that a
" thousand soldiers n may have attended their lord at his feasts, or
that " three times fifty stout cooks" may have supplied the viands.
There was also the "House of the Women/1 a term savouring
strangely of eastern customs and ideas ; and the ** House of the
Fians," or commons soldiers.
Two poems are still preserved which contain ground-plans of the
different compartments of the house, showing the position allotted
to different ranks and occupations, and the special portion which
was to be assigned to each. The numerous distinctions of rank,
and the special honours paid to the learned, are subjects worthy
of particular notice. The " swi of literature1' and the "royal
chief" are classed in the same category, and were entitled to a prim-
chrockait, or steak ; nor was the Irish method of cooking barbarous,
for we find express mention of a spit for roasting meat, and of the
skill of an artificer who contrived a machine by which thirty spita
could be turned at once.s The five great Celtic roads* have already
been mentioned Indistinct traces of them are still found at Tarn,
MJttite— See Fetrie'fl Tara, p, 21&
a Roads, — See Napoleon's Julius Qamr, voL £i p. 22, for mention of the
Celtic j-oadg in GauL
ARCHITECTURE OF TARA. 167
The Slighe M6r struck off from the Slope of the Chariots,7 at the
northern head of the hill, and joined the Eiscir Riada, or great
Connaught road, from Dublin via Trim. Dr. Petrie concludes his
Essay on Tara thus : " But though the houses were unquestionably
of these materials [wood and clay, with the exception of the Tuatha
DeDanann Cathair],it must not be inferred that they were altogether
of a barbarous structure. It is not probable that they were unlike
or inferior to those of the ancient Germans, of which Tacitus speaks
in terms of praise, and which he describes as being overlaid with
an earth so pure and splendid, that they resembled painting." And
the historian Moore, writing on the same subject, observes : " That
these structures were in wood is by no means conclusive either
against the elegance of their structure, or the civilization, to a cer-
tain extent, of those who erected them. It was in wood that the
graceful forms of Grecian architecture first unfolded their beauties ;
and there is reason to believe that, at the time when Xerxes invaded
Greece, most of her temples were still of this perishable material."
But the cursing of Tara was by no means the only misfortune of
Diarmaid'8 reign. His unaccountable hostility to St. Columba in-
volved him in many troubles ; and, in addition to these, despite
famine and pestilence, the country was afflicted with domestic wars.
It is said that his war with Guaire, King of Connaught, was under-
taken as a chastisement for an injustice committed by that monarch,
who, according to an old chronicle, had deprived a woman, who had
vowe$L herself to a religious life, of a cow, which was her only
means of support It is more probable, however, that the motive
was not quite so chivalric, and that extortion of a tribute to which
lie had no right was the real cause. The high character for probity
unanimously attributed to Guaire, makes it extremely unlikely that
lie should have committed any deliberate act of injustice.
The first great convention of the Irish states, after the abandon-
ment of Tara, was held in Drumceat, in 573, in the reign of Hugh,
:Son of Ainmire. St. Columba and the leading members of the Irish
7 CJtariots. — §t. Patrick visited most parte of Ireland in a chariot, according
to the Tripartite Life. Carbad or chariots are mentioned in tho oldest Celtic
tales and romances, and it is distinctly stated in the life of St. Patrick pre-
served in the Book of Armagh, that the pagan Irish had chariots. Different
kinds of roads are expressly mentioned, and also the duty of road-mending,
and those upon whom this duty devolved. See Introduction to the Book of
Rights, p. 56.
168 ST. COLUMBA AND THE BARDS.
clergy attended. Precedence was given to the saint by the prelates
of North Britain, to honour his capacity of apostle or founder of the
Church in that country.
Two important subjects were discussed on this occasion, and on
each the opinion of St. Columba was accepted as definitive. The
first referred to the long-vexed question whether the Scottish colony
of Alba should still' be considered dependent on the mother country.
The saint, foreseeing the annoyances to which a continuance of this
dependence must give rise, advised that it should be henceforth re-
spected as an independent state. The second question was one of
less importance in the abstract, but far more difficult to settle satis-
factorily. The bards, or more probably persons who wished to
enjoy their immunities and privileges without submitting to the
ancient laws which obliged them to undergo a long and severe
course of study before becoming licentiates, if we may use the ex-
pression, of that honorable calling, had become so numerous and
troublesome, that loud demands were made for their entire suppres-
sion. The king, who probably suffered from their insolence as
much as any of his subjects, was inclined to comply with the popu-
lar wish, but yielded so far to the representations of St. Columba, as
merely to diminish their numbers, and place them under stricter
rules.
Hugh Ainmire was killed while endeavouring to exact the Boro-
mean Tribute. The place of his death was called Dunbolg, or the
Fort of the Bags. The Leinster king, Bran Dubh, had recourse to
a stratagem, from whence the name was derived. Finding him^lf
unable to cope with the powerful army of his opponent, he entered
his camp disguised as a leper, and spread a report that the Leinster
men were preparing to submit.
In the evening a number of bullocks, laden with leathern bags,
were seen approaching the royal camp. The drivers, when chal-
lenged by the sentinels, said that they were bringing provisions ;
and this so tallied with the leper's tale, that they were permitted
to deposit their burdens without further inquiry. In the night,
however, an armed man sprang from each bag, and headed by their
king, whose disguise was no longer needed, slaughtered the royal
army without mercy, Hugh himself falling a victim to the personal
bravery of Bran Dubh.
The deaths of several Irish saints, whose lives are of more than
ordinary interest, are recorded about this period. Amongst them,
ST. BRENDAN'S VOYAGE. 1G9
St. Brendan of Clonfert demands more than a passing notice. - His
early youth was passed under the care of St. Ita, a lady of the
princely family of the Desii. By divine command she established
the Convent of Cluain CredhuU, in the present county of Limerick,
and there, it would appear, she devoted herself specially to the care
of youth. When Brendan had attained his fifth year, he was placed
under the protection of Bishop Ercus, from whom he received such
instruction as befitted his advancing years. But Brendan's tenderest
affection clung to the gentle nurse of his infancy ; and to her, in
after years, he frequently returned, to give or receive counsel and
sympathy.
The legend of his western voyage, if not the most important, is
at least the most interesting part of his history. Kerry was the *
native home of the enterprising saint ; and as he stood on its bold
and beautiful shores, his naturally contemplative mind was led to
inquire what boundaries chained that vast ocean, whose grand
waters rolled in mighty waves beneath his feet. His thoughtful
piety suggested that where there might be a country there might
be life — human life and human souls dying day by day, and hour
by hour, and knowing of no other existence than that which at
best is full of sadness and decay.
Traditions of a far-away land had long existed on the western
coast of ancient Erinn. The brave Tuatha De Dananns were sin-
gularly expert in naval affairs, and their descendants were by no
means unwilling to impart information to the saint.
The venerable St Enda, the first Abbot of Arran, was then
living, and thither St Brendan journeyed for counsel. Probably
he was encouraged in his design by the holy abbot ; for he
proceeded along the. coast of Mayo, inquiring as he went for
traditions of the western continent. On his return to Kerry, he
decided to set out on the important expedition. St. Brendan's
Pill still bears his name ; and from the bay at the foot of this lofty
eminence he sailed for the " far west." Directing his course towards
the south-west, with a few faithful companions, in a well-provisioned
bark, he came, after some rough and dangerous navigation, to
calm seas, where, without aid of oar or sail, he was borne along for
many weeks. ' It is probable that he had entered the great Gulf
Stream, which brought his vessel ashore somewhere on the Vir-
ginian coasts. He landed with his companions, and penetrated
into the interior, until he came to a large river flowing from east to
ivest, supposed to be that now known as the Ohio. Here, accord-
ing to the legend, he was accosted by a man of venerable bearing,
who told him that he had gone far enough ; that further disco v<„
were reserved for other men, who would in due time come and
christianize that pleasant land.
After an absence of seven years, the saint returned once more to
Ireland, and lived not only to tell of the marvels he had seen* hut
even to found a college of three thousand monks at ClonferL This
voyage took place in the year 545, according to Colgan ; but as St*
Brendan must have been at that time at least sixty years old, an
earlier date has been suggested as more probable,8
The northern and southern Hy-Nials had long held rule ia
Ireland ; hut while the northern tribe were ever distinguished, not
only for their valour, but for their chivalry in field or court, the
southern race fell daily lower in the estimation of their countrymen.
Their disgrace was completed when two kings, who ruled Eriun
jointly, were treacherously data by Conali Guthvin. For this
crime the family were excluded from regal honours for several
generations.
Home dissensions led to fatal appeals for foreign aid, and this
frequently from the oppressing party. Thus, Oongal Cae
(rilled the reigning sovereign in 623, fled to Britain, and after
B Probable*— The legend of St Brendan was widely diffused ia the Millie
-Ages. In the fiihliatlwque, Imperial^ at Pans, there arn no less than eleven
MSS, of the original Latin legend, the dates of which vary from, the eleventh
to the fourteenth century. In the old French and Roman l there are
abundant copies in innst public libraries in France ; white versions in Irish,
Dutch, German, Italia u, Sjtamah, and Portuguese, abound in all part* d
■Continent. Traces of ante -Columbian voyages to America are continually
cropping up. But the appearance, in 1837, of the A ntiqukaU* Atttrirtttiim sir*
ita Scriptores SepteutrionaUa rerum anU^Columbktrnm, in America, edited Ivy
Professor Rafu, at Copenhagen, has given final and conclusive evidence on this
interesting subject, America owes its name to an accidental landing. Nor is-
it at all improbable that the Phoenicians, in their voyage across the stormy Bay
of Biscay, or the wild Gulf of Guinea, may have been driven far out of their
course to western lands. Even in 1S33 a Japanese junk was wrecked upon
the coast of Oregon, Humboldt believes that the Canary Isles were known, not
only to the Phoenicians, but ** perhaps even to the Etruscans.1* There is a man
in the Library of St. Mark, at Venice, made in the year 1436* where an island
is deli nea ted and named Antillia See Trans. U.I.A. vol. xiv. A distin-
guished modern poet of Ireland has made the voyage of St, Brendan the
subject of one of the most beautiful of Ms poems,
THE PLAQUE AGAIN. 171
remaining there nine years, returned with foreign troops, by whose
assistance he hoped to attain the honours unlawfully coveted. The
famous battle of Magh*Bath,* in which the auxiliaries were utterly
routed, and the false Gongal slain, unfortunately did not deter his
countrymen from again and again attempting the same suicidal
course.
In 656 the country was once more visited by the fatal Oram
ChonaiU, and again holy prelates and sainted religious were
foremost amongst its victims. Many orphans were of necessity
thrown on the mercy of those to whom charity was their only
claim. Nor was the call unheeded. The venerable Bishop of
Ardbraccan, St. Ultan, whom we may perhaps term the St. Vincent
of Ireland, gathered these hapless little ones into a safe asylum, and
there, with a thoughtfulness which in such an age could scarcely
have been expected, sought to supply by artificial means for the
natural nourishment of which they had been deprived.
. Venerable Bede mentions this pestilence, and gives honorable
testimony to the charity of the Irish, not only to their own people,
but even to strangers. He says : " This pestilence did no less harm
in the island of Ireland. Many of the nobility and of the lower
ranks of the English nation were there at that time, who, in the
days of Bishop Finan and Colman, forsaking their native land,
retired thither, either for the sake of divine studies, or for a more
continent life. The Scots willingly received them all, and took
care to supply them with food, as also to furnish them with books
to read and their teaching gratis."1
In 673 Finnachta Fleadhach, or the Hospitable, began his reign.
He yielded to the entreaties of St. Moling, and remitted the
Boromean Tribute, after he had forced it from the Leinster men in
a bloody battle. In 687 he abdicated, and showed his respect for
religion still further by embracing the monastic state himself. In
G84 the Irish coasts were devastated, and even the churches
pillaged, by the soldiers of Egfrid, the Saxon King of Northumbria.
Venerable Bede attributes his subsequent defeat and death, when
fighting against the Picts, to the judgment of God, justly merited
9 Jfagh.Rath.—TSow Moira, in the county Down. The Chronicum Scotorum
gives the date 636, and the Annals of Tighernach at 637, which Dr. O'Donovan
considers to be the true date.
1 QrtUU. — Ven. Bede, cap. xxviil
172 ST. ADAMNAN.
by these unprovoked outrages on a nation which had always been
most friendly to the English (naiioni Anglorum semper amicUsimam).
It has been supposed that revenge may have influenced Egfrid's
conduct : this, however, does not make it more justifiable in a
Christian king. Ireland was not merely the refuge of men of
learning in that age; it afforded shelter to more than one prince
driven unjustly from his paternal home. Alfred, the brother of the
Northumbrian monarch, had fled thither from his treachery, and
found a generous welcome on its ever-hospitable shores. He suc-
ceeded his brother in the royal dignity ; and when St. Adamnan
visited his court to obtain the release of the Irish captives whom
Egfrid's troops had torn from their native land, he received him
with the utmost kindness, and at once acceded to his request.
St. Adamnan, whose fame as the biographer of St. Columba has
added even more to the lustre of his name than his long and saintly
rule over the Monastery of Iona, was of the race of the northern
Hy-Nials. He was born in the territory of Tir-Connell, about the
year 627. Little is known of his early history ; it is generally
supposed that he was educated at Iona, and that, having embraced
the monastic rule, he returned to his own country to extend its
observance there. He presided over the great Abbey of Raphoe, of
which he was the founder, until the year G79, when he was raised
to the government of his order, and from that period he usually
resided at Iona. The fact of his having been chosen to such an
important office, is a sufficient testimony to his virtues, and of the
veneration and respect in which he was held by his contemporaries,
St. Adamnan paid more than one visit to his friend the Nor-
thumbrian monarch (regent Alfridem amicum). On the second
occasion he went with the Abbot Ceolfrid, and after some conver-
sation with him and other learned ecclesiastics, he adopted the
Roman paschal computation. Yet, with all his influence and
eloquence, he was unable to induce his monks to accept it ; and it
was not until the year 716 that they yielded to the persuasions of
Egbert, a Northumbrian monk. Adamnan was more successful in
his own country In 697 he visited Ireland, and took an important
part in a legislative council held at Tara. On this occasion he
procured the enactment of a law, which was called the Canon of
Adamnan, or the Law of the Innocents, and sometimes <c the law not
to kill women." We have already referred to the martial ten-
dencies of the ladies of ancient Erinn — a tendency, however, which
ST. COLUMBA AND ST. COLUMBANUS. 173
was by no means peculiar at that period of the world's history.
The propensity for military engagements was not confined to queens
and princesses — women of all ranks usually followed their lords to
the field of battle ; but as the former are generally represented as
having fallen victims to each other's prowess in the fight, it appears
probable that they had their own separate line of battle, or perhaps
fought out the field in a common m&Ue of feminine forces.
Had we not the abundant testimony of foreign writers to prove
the influence and importance of the missions undertaken by Irish
saints at this period of her history, it might be supposed that the
statements of her annalists were tinged with that poetic fancy in
which she has ever been so singularly prolific, and that they rather
wrote of what might have been than of what was. But the testi-
mony of Venerable Bede (to go no further) is most ample on this
subject.
Irish missionary zeal was inaugurated in the person of St. Columba,
although its extension to continental Europe was commenced by
another, who, from similarity of name, has been frequently con-
founded with the national apostle.
St. Columbanus was born about the year 539. The care of his
education was confided to the venerable Senile, who was eminent
for his sanctity and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. It was
probably through his influence that the young man resolved to
devote himself to the monastic life. For this purpose he placed
himself under the direction of St. Comgall, who then governed the
great Monastery of Bangor (Banchorr).
It was not until he entered his fiftieth year that he decided on
quitting his native land, so that there can be no reason to doubt
that his high intellectual attainments were acquired and perfected
in Ireland*
With the blessing of his superior, and the companionship of
twelve faithful monks, he set forth on his arduous mission ; and
arduous truly it proved to be. The half-barbarous Franks, then
ruled by Thierry or Theodoric, lived more a pagan than a Christian
life, and could ill brook the stern lessons of morality which they
heard from, and saw practised by, their new teacher. The saint
did not spare the demoralized court, and the Queen-Dowager
Brunehalt became his bitterest foe. He had already established
two monasteries : one at Luxovium, or Luxeuil, in a forest at the
foot of the Vosge8 ; the other, on account of its numerous springs,
was called Ad-foutanas (Fontaines). Here the strict discipline of
the Irish monks was rigidly observed, and the coarsest fare the
only refection permitted to the religions.
For a time they were allowed to continue their daily routine of
prayer and penance without molestation ; but the relentless
ISrunehalt, who, from the basest motives, had encouraged the young
king in every vice, could no longer brave either the silent preaching
of the cloister or the bold denunciations of the saint As Colum-
banus found that his distant remonstrances had no effect on the
misguided monarch, for whose eternal welfare he felt the deep
interest of true sanctity, he determined to try a personal interview.
For a brief space his admonitions were heard with respect, and
even the haughty queen seemed less bent on her career of impiety
and deceit ; but the apparent conversion passed away as a summer
breeze, and once more the saint denounced and threatened in
vain.
Strict enclosure had been established in the monasteries pic
the Co him banian rule f and this afforded a pretext fur the i
vengeance, Theodoric attempted to violate the sanctuary in
son ; but though he was sin rounded by soldiers, he had to encounter
one whose powers were of another and more invincible chann
The saint remained in the sanctuary, and when the Idngapp
addressed him sternly :
u If thou, sire,'1 he exclaimed, " art come hither to violate the
discipline already established, or to destroy the dwellings of
servants of God, know that in heaven there is a just and avengu
power; thy kingdom shall be taken from thee, and both thou
thy royal race shall be cut off and destroyed on the earth."
The undaunted bearing of Coluinbauus, and, perhaps, some lin-
gering light of conscience, not yet altogether extinguished, had its
eifect upon the angry monarch. He withdrew; but he Id
others the task he dared not attempt in person* The saint wa*
compelled by armed men to leave his monastery, and only Ms Irish
and British subjects were permitted to bear him company. They
J Ruin, — 1* The light which St Columbians disseminated, by hia knowledge
and doctrine, wherevur he presented himself, caused a contemporary writer i
compare him to the rq iiv his course from east to weat ; and ho contiru
after his death to shine forth in tnuuerotia disciples whom he had trained
learning and piety."— Benedictine Mist, LitL de fa France*
ST. COLUMBANUS. 175
departed in deep grief, not for the cruel treatment they suffered, bat
for their brethren from whom they were thus rudely torn. As the
monks who were left behind clung weeping to their father, he
consoled them with these memorable words : " God will be to you
a Father, and reward you with mansions where the workers of
sacrilege can never enter."
Nantes was the destination of the exiled religious. Here they
were put on board a vessel bound for Ireland ; but scarcely had
they reached the open sea, when a violent storm arose, by which
the vessel was driven back and stranded on the shore, where it lay-
all night. The captain attributed the misfortune to his travelling
companions, and refused to carry them any farther. Columbanus,
perceiving in this accident an indication of the will of heaven in
their regard, determined to seek a settlement in some other part
of the Continent. In the third year after his expulsion from Luxeuil,
he arrived at Milan, where he was hospitably received by the Lom-
bard king, A.D. 6 IS. On his journey thither he had evangelized
Austrasia, then governed by Theodebert. This prince, though a
brother of the monarch by whom he had been expelled, entertained
him with the utmost courtesy. At Mentz, the bishop vainly en-
deavoured to detain him. Zeal for the conversion of souls led the
saint to desire a less cultivated field of labour. As he passed along
the Lake of Zurich, and in the Canton of Zug, he reaped a rich
harvest ; from thence he directed his course to Bregentz, then in-
habited by an idolatrous people.
Here he was repulsed by those who most needed his apostolic
labours; but,undaanted,he retired to the neighbouring county, where
he secured a band of zealous converts. Surrounded by these, and
attended by his faithful monks, he once more entered the idolatrous
city, and proceeded boldly to the temple where their false gods
were enshrined. Here he invoked the Holy Name, and by its
power the idols were miraculously overthrown, and a multitude of
the people were converted, including in their number some of the
principal inhabitants of Bregentz.
The theological controversy, known as that of the " Three Chap-
ters," was now prevalent in northern Italy. A letter is still extant
which St Columbanus addressed to Pope Boniface on this subject,
in which, while he uses the privilege of free discussion on questions
not defined by the Church, he is remarkably, and perhaps for some
inconveniently, explicit as to his belief in papal supremacy. A brief
176 ST. COLUMBANUS ON PAPAL SUPREMACY.
extract from tliis important document will show that the faith for
which Ireland has suffered, and still suffers so much, was the same
in the " early ages" as it is now. He writes thus to the Holy
Father :—
" For we Irish [Scoti] are disciples of St. Peter and St. Paul, and
of all the divinely inspired canonical writers, adhering constantly
to the evangelical and apostolical doctrine. Amongst us neither
Jew, heretic, nor schismatic can be found ; but the Catholic faith,
entire and unshaken, precisely as we have received it from you,
who are the successors of the holy Apostles. For, as I have already
«aid, we are attached to the chair of St. Peter ; and although Rome
is great and renowned, yet with us it is great and distinguished
only on account of that apostolic chair. Through the two Apostles
of Christ you are almost celestial, and Rome is the head of the
churches of the world."3
In the year 613 St. Columbanus founded the world-famed Mo-
nastery of Bovium, or Bobbio,4 in a magnificently romantic site on
the Apennines. Near his church was an oratory dedicated to the
Mother of God, who, as we shall presently see, was as devoutly
worshipped in ancient as in modern Erinn.
Agilulph, the Lombardian monarch, was ever a warm patron of
-the monks. Clothaire had now ascended the French throne. He
earnestly pressed the saint to return to Luxeuil, but Columbanus
excused himself on the plea of age and infirmities. He did not fail,
3 World.— See Herring's Collectanea and the Bibliotheca Patrum, torn, xli
4 Bobbio. — My learned friend, the Rev. J.J*. Gaffney, of Clontarf, has in his
possession a printed copy of the celebrated Bobbio Missal. It is contained in a
work entitled '* Museum Italicum, sen collectio Vetorum Scriptorum ex Biblio-
theais Italicis," eruta a D. J. Mabillon et D. M. Germain, presbyteris et mona-
chis, Benedictimc, Cong. S. Maurc'. This work was published at Paris in 1687*
The original Missal was discovered by Mabillon two hundred years ago, and v
fit present preserved in the Ambrosian Library at Milan. It dates from the
•seventh century, and is no doubt the identical Missal or Mass-book used by the
saint. As my friend has allowed me to retain the treasure for a time, I intend
to give full details on the subject in my Ecclesiastical History. For farther
information at present, I refer the reader to the Rev. J. P. Gaffhey's Heli-
gion of the A ncient Irish Church p. 43, and to Dr. Moran's learned Essays,
p. 287. I es])ecially request the superiors of religious orders to afford me
any information in their j>osse8sion concerning the history of their respective
orders in Ireland, and also of their several houses. Details of re-erections of
religious houses on old sites are particularly desired. All books or documents
which may be forwarded to me shall be carefully returned.
ST. GALL, ST. FIACRE, AND ST. FURSEY. 177
however, to send advice for the government of the monasteries
which he had founded, where his rule had continued to be observed
with the utmost fervour.
St. Columbanus died at Bobbio, on the 21st of November, 615,
at the age of seventy-two years. His name is still preserved in the
town of St. Columbano. His memory has been ever venerated in
France and Italy.
While the saint was evangelizing in Switzerland, one of his dis-
ciples became seriously ill, and was unable to travel farther. It
was a providential sickness for the Helvetians. The monk was an
eloquent preacher, and well acquainted with their language, which
was a dialect of that of the Franks. He evangelized the country,
and the town of St. Grail still bears the name of the holy Irishman,
while his abbey contains many precious relics of the literature and
piety of his native land. St. Gall died on the 16th October, 645,
at a very advanced age. The monastery was not erected until after
his decease, and it was not till the year 1798 that the abbey lands
were aggregated to the Swiss Confederation as one of the cantons.
Another Irish saint, who evangelized in France, was St. Fiacre.
He erected a monastery to the Blessed Virgin in a forest near
Meatuc The fame of his sanctity became so great, and the pilgri-
mage to his tomb so popular, that the French hackney coaches
(fiacre) obtained their name from their constant employment in
journeys to his shrine.
About the same period, St. Fursey founded a monastery near
Burgh Castle, in Suffolk, where he was kindly received by Sigbert,
King of the East Angles. From thence he proceeded to Lagny, in
France, where his missionary zeal was long remembered. His
brothers, St. Foillan and St. Altan, were his constant companions.
JSfc. Fursey died on the 16th January, 650, at Macerius. His re-
mains were subsequently translated to Peronne, in Picardy. The
evangelic labours of many of his Irish disciples, are matter of history
in the Gallic Church. It is said that the fame of the Irish for their
skill in music, was so well known on the Continent at this period,
that St. Gertrude, daughter of King Pepin, and Abbess of Nivelle,
in Brabant, invited the brothers of St. Fursey to instruct her com-
munity in sacred music. They complied with her request, and soon
after erected a monastery at Fosse, near Nivelle. Nor were the
Scoti without their missionary martyrs, amongst whom the great
St. Eilian holds a distinguished place. The spirit of devotion to
M
178 IRISH MISSIONARY SAINTS.
the Holy See seems almost to be an heirloom in the little island
of the western sea. True to the instincts of his native land, the
martyr-saint would not undertake his mission in Franconia, great
as was its necessity, until he knelt at the feet of the Vicar of Christ
to obtain his permission and blessing. Thus fortified, he com-
menced his glorious race, so happily crowned with the martyr's
palm. His bold rebuke of the open scandal given by the conduct
of the ruling prince, was the immediate cause of his obtaining this
favour. St. Kilian was assassinated at midnight, while singing the
Divine Office, with two of his faitliful companions. Their remains
were interred in the church of Wurtzberg, where St. Kilian is still
revered as its patron and apostle.
We can but name St. Mailduf, from whom Malmsbury has been
named ; St. Livin, who converted the inhabitants of Flanders and
Brabant ; St. Cataldus and his brother, St Donatus, the former
patron of the metropolitan see of Tarentum, and whose name is
still preserved in the little town of San Cataldof the latter Bishop
of Lecce, in the kingdom of Naples, and both famous for miracles
and sanctity of life; St. Virgilius, called in the ancient annals
" Ferghil the Geometer," and by Latin writers Solivagus,6 or the
" solitary wanderer," who died Bishop of Saltzburg, distinguished
for literary fame ; St. Fridolin, " the traveller," son of an Irish
king, who evangelized Thuringia, and was appointed by the Pope
Bishop of Buraburgh, near Fritzlar, in the year 741 ; St. Sedulius
the younger, who wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture, and as-
sisted at a council held in Rome, in the year 721, under Gregory II.
It is noticeable that this saint was consecrated Bishop of Oreto,
in Spain, while in Rome. When he entered on the mission thus
confided to him, he wrote a treatise to prove that, being Irish,
he was of Spanish descent ; thus showing that at this period the
idea of a Milesian origin was common to men of learning in
Ireland.6
But if Ireland gave saints and martyrs to foreign lands, her
charity was in some measure repaid in kind. True, she needed not
the evangelic labours of other missionaries, for the gospel-seed had
taken deep root, and borne a rich harvest on her happy shores ;
5 Solivagus. — Four Masters, p. 391.
6 Inland. — The elder Sedulius, whose hymns aro even now used by the
Church, lived in the fifth century. The hymn, A solis orlis carding and
many others, are attributed to him.
AENGUS THE CULDEE. 179
4Btill, as the prayers of saints are the very life and joy of the Church,
she could not choose but rejoice in the hundreds of pure and saintly
soulsvrho gathered round her altars at home, who crowded her
monasteries, or listened devoutly to the teachers of her distinguished
schools. In the Litany of Aengus the Culdee7 we find hundreds of
foreign saints invoked, each grouped according to their nation.
" The oldest tract, or collection of the pedigrees of the saints of
Erinn," says Professor 0* Curry, " of which we have now any recog-
nizable copy remaining, is that which is ascribed to Aengus Ceile
De, commonly called Aengus the Culdee. The genuineness of this
composition is admitted by all writers of modern times, Protestant
and Catholic, by Usher and Ware as well as by Colgan."
Aengus wrote about the year 798. He was descended from the
illustrious chieftains of Dalriada, and completed his education in
the Monastery of Cluain Eidhneach, in the present Queen's county.
The remains of a church he founded at Disert Aengusa, near Ballin-
garry, in the county of Limerick, may still be seen.
TheMonastery of Tamhlacht (Tallaght), near Dublin, was founded
in the year 769, by St. Maelruain, on a site offered " to God, to
Michael the Archangel, and to Maelruain,1' by Donnach, the pious
and illustrious King of Leinster. St. Aengus presented himself at
this monastery as a poor man seeking for service, and was employed
for some time in charge of the mill or kiln, the ruins of which
have but lately yielded to "the improving hand of modern
progress." Here he remained hidden for many years, until, by
some happy accident, his humility and his learning were at once
discovered.
Aengus composed his " Festology " in the reign of Hugh Oird-
nidhe (the Legislator), who was Monarch of Ireland from the year
793 to the year 817. Hugh commenced his reign by attaching the
province of Leinster, and then marched to the confines of Meath.
7 Culdee. — There was much dispute at one time as to the origin and true
character of the Culdees. The question, however, has been quite set at rest
by the researches of recent Irish scholars. Professor O'Curry traces them up
to the time of St Patrick. He thinks they were originally mendicant monks,
and that they had no communities until the end of the eighth century, when
St. Maelruain of Tallaght drew up a rule for them. This rule is still extant.
Mr. Haverty {Irish HUtory, p. 110) has well observed, they probably resem-
bled the Ter tiaries, or Third Orders, which belong to the Orders of St. Doininio
and St Francis at the present day. See also Dr. Keevea' Life of St, Columba,
for some clear and valuable remarks ou this subject
180 AENGUS THE CULDEE.
The Archbishop of Armagh and all his clergy were commanded to
attend this expedition, for such had hitherto been the custom. The
ecclesiastics, however, protested against the summons, and com-
plained to the king of the injustice and inconsistency of demanding
their presence on such occasions. Hugh referred the matter to
Fothadh, his poet and adviser. The learning and piety of the bard
were well known ; and a decision favourable to the clergy was the
result. This decision was given in a short poem of four quatrains,
which is preserved in the preface to the " Martyrology" of Aengus.
The following is a literal translation : —
44 The Church of the living God,
Touch her not, nor waste ;
Let her rights be reserved,
As best ever they were.
44 Every true monk who ia
Possessed of a pious conscience,
To the church to which it is due
Let him act as any servant.
u Every faithful servant from that out,
Who is not bound by vows of obedience,
Has liberty to join in the battles
Of Aedh (Hugh) the Great, son of NiaL
41 This is the proper rule,
Certain it is not more, not less :
Let every one serve his lot,
Without defect, and without refusal.91
This decision obtained the name of a canon, and henceforth its
author was distinguished as Fothadh na Canoirrf, or Fothadh of the
Canons.
At the time of the promulgation of this canon, Aengus was re-
siding at his church of Disert Bethech, near the present town of
Monasterevan, not far from where the Irish monarch had pitched
his camp.
The poet visited Aengus, and showed him the canon before pre-
senting it to the king. An intimacy was thus commenced, which
must have proved one of singular pleasure to both parties. Aengus
had just finished his " Festology," and showed it for the first time
to his brother poet, who expressed the warmest approbation of the
work
AENGUS THE GULDKE. 18]
This composition consists of three parts. The first part is a poem
of five quatrains, invoking the grace and sanctification of Christ for
the poet and his undertaking : —
" Sanctify, 0 Christ ! my words :
O Lord of the seven heavens !
Grant me the gift of wisdom,
O Sovereign of the bright snn t
" 0 bright Sun, who dost illuminate
The heavens with all Thy holiness t
O King, who governest the angels- 1
O Lord of all the people !
"O Lord of the people!
0 King, all righteous and good f
May I receive the full benefit
Of praising Thy royal hosts.
'• Thy royal hosts I praise,
Because Thou art my sovereign ;
1 have disposed my mind
To be constantly beseeching Thee.
*' I beseech a favour from Thee,
That I be purified from my sins*
Through' the peaceful bright-shining flock,
The royal host whom I celebrate."
Then follows a metrical preface, consisting of eighty stanzas.
These verses are in the same measure8 as the invocation, Englished
by modern Gaedhilic scholars as " chain-verse ;" that is, an arrange-
ment of metre by which the first words of every succeeding quatrain
are identical with the last words of the preceding one.
8 Measure. — The subject of Irish poetical composition would demand a con-
siderable space if thoroughly entertained. Zeuss has done admirable justice to
the subject in his OrammcUica Celtica, where he shows that the word rhyme
[rimum] is of Irish origin. The Very Rev. U. Burke has also devoted some
pages to this interesting investigation, in his College Irish Grammar. He ob-
serves that the phonetic framework in which the poetry of a people is usually
fashioned, differs in each of the great national families, even as their language
and genius differ. He also shows that the earliest Latin ecclesiastical poets
were Irish, and formed their hymns upon the rules of Irish versification ; thus
quite controverting the theory that rhyme was introduced by the Saracens in
the ninth century.
182 THE CULDEES.
After the invocation follows a preface, the second part of this re-
markable poem. In this there is a glowing account of the tortures
and sufferings of the early Christian martyrs ; it tells " how the
names of the persecutors are forgotten, while the names of their
victims are remembered with honour, veneration, and affection;
how Pilate's wife is forgotten, while the Blessed Virgin Mary ia
remembered and honoured from the uttermost bounds of the earth
to its centre." The martyrology proper, or festology, comes next,
and consists of 365 quatrains, or a stanza for each day in the
year.
It commences with the feast of the Circumcision : —
" At the head of the congregated saints
Let the King take the front place ;
Unto the noble dispensation did submit
Christ — on the kalends of January."
St. Patrick is commemorated thus, on the 17th of March : —
" The blaze of a splendid sun,
The apostle of stainless Erinn,
Patrick, with his countless thousands,
May he shelter our wretchedness."
On the 13th of April, Bishop Tussach, one of the favourite com-
panions of the great saint, is also mentioned as —
"The kingly bishop Tussach,
Who administered, on his arrival,
The Body of Christ, the truly powerful King,
And the Communion to Patrick."
It will be remembered it was from this saint that the great
apostle received the holy viaticum. In the third division of his
great work, Aengus explains its use, and directs the people how to
read it.
It will be manifest from these poems that the religious principles
of the Culdees and of the Irish ecclesiastics generally, were those of
the Universal Church at this period! We find the rights of the
Church respected and advocated ; the monarchs submitting to the
decision of the clergy ; invocation of the saints ; the practice of
administering the holy viaticum ; and the commemoration of the
saints on the days devoted to their honour.
Usher observes, that the saints of this period might be grouped
Lv ■..
IRISH SCHOOLS AND SCHOLARS. 183
into a fourth order.9 Bede says : " That many pf the Scots [Irish]
came daily into Britain, and with great devotion preached the word
and administered baptism. The English, great and small
were by their Scottish [Irish] masters instructed in the rules and
observances of regular discipline. *u Eric of Auxerre writes thus
to Charles the Bald : " What shall I say of Ireland, which, de-
spising the dangers of the deep, is migrating with her whole train
of philosophers to our coast T Rency, after describing the poetry
and literature of ancient Erinn as perhaps the most cultivated of
all Western Europe, adds, that Irejand " counted a host of saints
and learned men, venerated in England2 and Gaul ; for no country
had furnished more Christian missionaries." It is said that three
thousand students, collected from all parts of Europe, attended the
schools of Armagh ; and, indeed, the regulations which were made
for preserving scholastic discipline, are almost sufficient evidence
on this subject.
The discussions of the Irish and English ecclesiastics on the
time of keeping of Easter, with their subsequent decision, and all
details concerning domestic regulations as to succession to office
and church lands, are more properly matters for elucidation in a
Church History, for which we reserve their consideration.
9 Order. — This refers to the vision in which St. Patrick is said to have seen
three orders of saints, who should succeed each other in Ireland.
1 Discipline. — Bede, lib. iii. cap. 3. We have used Bohn's translation, as
above all suspicion.
* England.— Camden says : " At that age the Anglo-Saxons repaired on all
sides to Ireland as to a general mart of learning, whence we read, in our
writers, of holy men, that they went to study iu Ireland" — Amandattu est ad
disciplinam in Hiberniam.
Ascnasr adzi, ntoM the collection ok the royal irish academy:
&
f/J
'A?
OBOM AT FINCitAS.
CHAPTER XII.
Christianity improves the Social State of tndand— A Saxon InrMion of Tr
laud— Domestic Warn— The English come to Ireland far lur-tri:
A Famine and Tempesfea— The First Danish Invasion— Cruel t
Dnneft— The Black and White Gentiles— King Cormac Mac
Cashel — Amlaff the Dane— Plunder of the To wuh — Arrival of Sitric — Death
of Nial Glundubh— The Circuit of Ireland— Malachy the Second— Eotriet
io the Annals.
J
[A.D. 693-926.]
V
ERY few events of any special interest occu I
tween the commencement of the seventh century
and the Danish invasion, The obituaries of ec<_
ftfitififi and details of foreign missions, which we have
already recorded, are its salient points. The wars
of the Saxon Heptarchy and the Celtic Pen tan
almost synchronize, though we find several I
kings influenced by the examples of sanctity with
which llu'v were surrounded, and distinguished for
piety, while Charlemagne pronounces their n*
hours a perfidious and perverse race, worse than
pagan* There can be no doubt that Charle-
magne*! high opinion of the Irish w I bj
the feet, that so many of the heads of his schools
were of that nation, which was then in the van*
guard of civilization and progress* The cloister,
alwavB the nursery of art. the religious, always the promoter* of
<t
A SAXON INVASION OF IRELAND. 185
leamingy were pre-eminent in this age for their devotion to literary
pursuits. In the present work it is impossible to give details of
their MSS. still preserved, of their wonderful skill in caligraphy,
still the admiration of the most gifted, and of the perfection to
which they brought the science of music ; but I turn from this-
attractive subject with less regret, from the hope of being soon able
to produce an Ecclesiastical 'History of Ireland, in which such
details will find their proper place, and will be amply expanded.3
The revolution of social feeling which was effected in Ireland by
the introduction of Christianity, is strongly marked. Before the
advent of St. Patrick, few Irish monarchs died a natural death —
ambition or treachery proved a sufficient motive for murder and
assassination ; while of six kings who reigned during the eighth
and ninth centuries, only one died a violent death, and that death
was an exception, which evidently proved the rule, for Nial was
drowned in a generous effort to save the life of one of his own
servants.
The fatal pestilence, already recorded, did not appear again after
its severe visitation, which terminated in 667. In 693 Finriachta
Fleadhach (the Hospitable) commenced his reign. He remitted the
Boromean Tribute at the request of St. Moling, and eventually
abdicated, and embraced a religious life. In the year 684, Egfrid,
the Saxon King of Northumberland, sent an army to Ireland,
which spared neither churches nor monasteries, and carried off a
great number of the inhabitants as slaves. Bede denounces and
laments this barbarous invasion, attributing the defeat and death
of King Egfrid, which took place in the following year, to the
vengeance of heaven.4 St. Adamnan was sent to Northumbria,
after the death of this prince, to obtain the release of the captives.
His mission was successful, and he was honoured there as the worker
of many miracles.
9 Expanded. — I take ibis opportunity of requesting from laymen or eccle-
siastics who may read this announcement, the favour of any information they
may consider valuable.
4 Heaven.— Ec. Hist. lib. iv. c. 26. " From that time the hopes and strength
of the English crown began to waver and retrograde, for the Picts recovered their
own lands," ka. The Annals of the Four Masters mention a mortality among
cattle throughout the whole world, and a severe frost, which followed this
Invasion : "The sea between Ireland and Scotland was frozen, so that there
was a communication between them on the ice."— vol. ii. p. 291. They alec
mention the mission of Adamnan to " Saxon land."
186 DOMESTIC WARS.
The generosity of Finnachta failed in settling the vexed question
of tribute. Comgal, who died in 708, ravaged Leinster as fiercely
as his predecessors, and Fearghal, his successor, invaded it " five
times in one year." Three wonderful showers are said to have
fallen in the eighth year of his reign (a.d. 716 according to the
Four Masters) — a shower of silver, a shower of honey, and a shower
of blood. These were, of course, considered portents of the awful
Danish invasions. Fearghal was killed at the battle of Almhain
(Allen, near Kildare), in 718. In this engagement, the Leinster
men only numbered nine thousand, while their opponents num-
bered twenty-one thousand. The Leinster men, however, made up
for numbers by their valour ; and it is said that the intervention
of a hermit, who reproached Fearghal with breaking the pacific
promise of his predecessor, contributed to the defeat of the north-
ern forces. Another battle took place in 733, when Hugh Allan,
King of Ireland, and Hugh, son of Colgan, King of Leinster, engaged
in single combat. The latter was slain, and the Leinster men
" were killed, slaughtered, cut off, and dreadfully exterminated"
In fact, the Leinster men endured so many " dreadful extermina-
tions," that one almost marvels how any of their brave fellows
were left for future feats of arms. The " northerns were joyous
after this victory, for they had wreaked their vengeance and their
animosity upon the Leinster men," nine thousand of whom were
slain. St. Samhthann, a holy nun, wha died in the following year,
is said to have predicted the fate of Aedh, Comgal's son, if the
two Aedhs (Hughs) met. Aedh Allan commemorated her virtues
in verse, and concludes thus : —
" In the bosom of the Lord, with a pure death, Samhthanu passed from her
sufferings."
Indeed, the Irish kings of this period manifested their admiration
of peaceful living, and their desire for holy deaths, in a more prac-
tical way than by poetic encomiums on others. In 704 Beg Boirche
" took a pilgrim's staff, and died on his pilgrimage." In 729 Fla-
hertach renounced his regal honours, and retired to Armagh,
where he died. In 758 Donal died on a pilgrimage at Iona, after
a reign of twenty years ; and in 765 his successor, Nial Frassagh,
abdicated the throne, and became a monk at Iona: Here he died
in 778, and was buried in the tomb of the Irish kings in that
island.
A FAMINE AND STORMS. 1ST
An Irish poet, who died in 742, is said to have played a clever
trick on the " foreigners" of Dublin. He composed a poem for them,
and then requested paymfent for his literary labours. The Galls,5
who were probably Saxons, refused to meet his demand, but
Rumrann said he would be content with two pinguins (pennies)
from every good man, and one from each bad one. The result may
be anticipated. Rumrann is described as " an adept in wisdom,
chronology, and poetry ;" we might perhaps add, and in knowledge
of human nature. In the Book of Ballymote he is called the Virgil
of Ireland. A considerable number of Saxons were now in the
country ; and it is said that a British king, named Constantine, who
had become a monk, was at that time Abbot of Eahen, in the King's
county, and that at Cell-Belaigh there were seven streets6 of those
foreigners. Gallen, in the King's county, was called Galin of the
Britons, and Mayo was called Mayo of the Saxons, from the number
of monasteries therein, founded by members of these nations.
The entries during the long reign of Domhnall contain little
save obituaries of abbots and saints. The first year of the reign of
Nial Frassagh is distinguished by a shower of silver, a shower of
wheat, and a shower of honey. The Annals of Clonmacnois say
that there was a most severe famine throughout the whole kingdom
during the early part of his reign, so much that the king himself
bad very little to live upon. Then the king prayed very fervently
to God, being in company with seven holy bishops , and he asked
that he might die rather than see so many of his faithful subjects
perishing, while he was helpless to relieve them. At the conclusion
of his prayer, the u three showers " fell from heaven ; and then the
king and the seven bishops gave great thanks to the Lord.
But a more terrible calamity than famine was even then impend-
ing, and, if we may believe the old chroniclers, not without mar-
vellous prognostications of its approach. In the year 7G7 there
occurred a most fearful storm of thunder and lightning, with "terrific
6 GcdU. — Gall was a generic name for foreigners. The Danes were Finn
Galin, or White Foreigners, and Dubh Galls, or Black Foreigners. The former
were supposed to have been the inhabitants of Norway; the latter, of Jutland.
In lri«h, gaill is the nom., and gall, gen.
* Streets. — In Armagh the buildings were formed into streets and wards, fur
Use better preservation of monastic discipline. Armagh was divided into three
parts — fridft-more, the town proper ; trian- Patrick, the cathedral close ; and
trian-Sasstnagh, the home of the foreign students.
rnnl horrible signs." It would appear that the storm took place while
a fair was going on, wlrich obtained the name of the M Fair of the
clapping of hands " Fear and horror seized Use men of Ireland,
so that their religious seniors ordered them to make two f
together with fervent prayer, and one meal between them, to
protect and save them from a pestilence, precisely at Michael-
mas,7
The first raid of the Danish pirates is recorded thus : ** The age
of Christ 790 [reck 705]. The twenty fifth year of Bonn <:},;
The burning of Eeachrainn8 by plunderers ; and its shrines v
broken and plundered." They had already attacked the Eng
coasts, " whilst the pious King Bertric was reigning over its we*
division." Their arrival was sudden and so unexpected, that the
king's officer took them for merchants, paying with his life for
the mistake.0 A Welsh chronicle, known by the name of End »
Ttjitt/sofjion, or the Chronicle of the Chieftains, has a corresponding
record sudor the year 790 : ** Ten years with fourscore and m
hundred was the age of Christ when the pagans went to Ireland."
Three MSS. add, "arid destroyed Reehren." Another ckror
bions, that the black pagans, who were the first of their nation
to land in Ireland, had previously been defeated in Glamorganshire,
and after their defeat they had invaded Ireland, and devastated
Rechru,
It by bravery we understand ntter recklessness of life, and utter
recklessness in intiieting cruelties on others, then the Vikings may be
termed brave. The heroism of patient endurance was a bravery
but little understood at that period. If the heathen Viking w»
brave when he plundered and burned monastic shrines — when he
massacred the defenceless with wanton cruelty — when he flung
* Mkhfirt-mn*. — Annals, p. 37L Another fearful thunderstorm in recorded ia
the AnnaN fnr 799. This happened on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, It is aid
that a thousand and tea pereoni Pen killed oti the coast of Clare. The i*tand
of Fitb-fL (now Mutton Island} wu partly anbmerged, and divide*! into thru*
parts. There was also a storm in 7S3— "thunder, lightning, and wind-atonne**—
by whieh the Monastery of Clonbroney was destroyed.
* ttztithrainn. — Rechru appears to be the correct form. It has not yet been
ascertained whether this refers to Lambay, near Dublin, or the island of
EatMinu. See note, p. 32, to the " Introduction H to the Wan of the GaedJkil
with the Gall
* MUtftkt*— Ethel Chra*, Pro. book iii.
PLUNDER OF THE MONASTERIES. 189
Utile children on the points of spears, and gloated over their dying
agonies; perhaps we may also admit those who endured such
torments, either in their own persons, or in the persons of those
who were dear to them, and yet returned again and again to restore
the shrine so rudely destroyed, have also their claim to be termed
brave, and may demand some commendation for that virtue from
posterity
As plunder was the sole object of these barbarians, they naturally
sought it first where it could be obtained most easily and surely.
The islands on the Irish coast were studded with monasteries.
Their position was chosen as one which seemed peculiarly suitable
for a life of retreat from worldly turmoil, and contemplation of
heavenly things. They were richly endowed, for ancient piety
deemed it could never give enough to God. The shrines were
adorned with jewels, purchased with the wealth which the monks
had renounced for their own use ; the sacred vessels were costly,
the gifts of generous hearts. The Danes commenced their work of
plunder and devastation in the year 795. Three years after, A.D.
798, they ravaged Inis-patrick of Man and the Hebrides. In 802
they burned " Hi-Coluim-Cille." In 806 they attacked the island
again, and killed sixty-eight of the laity and clergy. In 807 they
became emboldened by success, and for the first time marched in-
land $ and after burning Inishmurray, they attacked Roscommon.
During the years 812 and 813 they made raids in Connaught and
Munster, but not without encountering stout resistance from the
native forces. After this predatory and internecine warfare had
continued for about thirty years, Turgesius, a Norwegian prince,
established himself as sovereign of the Vikings, and made Armagh
his head-quarters, A.D. 830. If the Irish chieftains had united
their forces, and acted in concert, the result would have been the
expulsion of the intruders ; but, unhappily, this unity of purpose
in matters political has never existed. The Danes made and broke
alliances with the provincial kings at their own convenience, while
these princes gladly availed themselves of even temporary assistance
from their cruel foes, while engaged in domestic wars, which should
never have been undertaken. Still the Northmen were more than
once driven from the country by the bravery of the native com-
manders, and they often paid dearly for the cruel wrongs they
inflicted on their hapless victims. Sometimes the Danish chiefs
mustered all their forces, and left the island for a brief period, to
190 CRUELTIES OF THE DANES.
ravage the shores of England or Scotland ; but they soon returned
to inflict new barbarities on the unfortunate Irish.1
Burning churches or destroying monasteries was a favourite
pastime of these pirates, wherever they could obtain a landing
on Christian shores ; and the number of religious houses in Ireland
afforded them abundant means of gratifying their barbarous incli-
nations. But when they became so far masters as to have obtained
some permanent settlement, this mode of proceeding was considered
either more troublesome or less profitable than that of appropriating
to themselves the abbeys and churches. Turgesius, it is said,
placed an abbot of his own in every monastery ; and as he had
already conferred ecclesiastical offices on himself and on his lady,
we may presume he was not very particular in his selections. The
villages, too, were placed under the rule of a Danish captain ; and
each family was obliged to maintain a soldier of that nation, who
made himself master of the house, using and wasting the food for
lack of which the starving children of the lawful owner were often
dying of hunger.
All education was strictly forbidden; books and manuscript!
were burned and drowned; and the poets, historians, and musicians
imprisoned and driven to the woods and mountains. Martial sports
were interdicted, from the lowest to the highest rank. Even nobles
and princes were forbidden to wear their usual habiliments, the cast-
off clothes of the Danes being considered sufficiently good for slaves.
The clergy, who had been driven from their monasteries, con-
cealed themselves as best they could, continuing still their prayers
and fasts, and the fervent recital of the Divine Office. The Irish,
1 Irish.— The history of the two hundred years daring which these northern
pirates desolated the island, has been preserved in a MS. of venerable age and
undoubted authenticity. It is entitled Cogadh GaedhU re Qallaibh (the Wan
of the Gaedhil with the Gall). It was quoted by Keating, known to Colg&n, and
used by the Four Masters ; but for many years it was supposed to have been
completely lost, until it was discovered, in 1840, by Mr. O'Curry, among the
Seabright MSS. The work is now edited, with a translation and most valuable
notes, by Dr. Todd. Several other copies have been discovered since, notably
oue by the Franciscan Brother, Michael O'Clery, which is* at present in the
Burguudian Library at Brussels. From internal evidence, it is presumed that
the author was a contemporary of King Brian Boroimhd Dr. O'Connor refers
the authorship to Mac Liag, who was chief poet to that monarch, and died in
1016, two years after his master. Dr. Todd evidently inclines to this opinion,
though he distinctly states that there in no authority for it,
THK BLACK AND WHITE GENTILES. 101
true to their faith in every trial, were not slow to attribute their
deliverance to the prayers of these holy men.
In 831 Nial Caille led an army against them, and defeated them
at Deny ; but in the meanwhile, Felim, King of Cashel, with
contemptible selfishness, marched into Leinster to claim tribute,
and plundered every one, except the Danes, who should have been
alone considered as enemies at such a time. Even the churches
were not spared by him, for he laid waste the termon-lands of
Clonmacnois, " up to the church door/' After his death,2 A.D. 843,
a brave and good king came to the rescue of his unfortunate country.
While still King of Meath, Meloughlin had freed the nation from
Turgesius, one of its worst tyrants, by drowning him in Lough
Owel. His death was a signal for a general onslaught on the
Danes. The people rose simultaneously, and either massacred their
enemies, or drove them to their ships. In 846 Meloughlin met
their forces at Skreen, where they were defeated ; they also suffered
a reverse at Kildare.
The Danes themselves were now divided into two parties — the
Dubh Galls, or Black Gentiles ; and the Finn Galls, or White
Gentiles. A fierce conflict took place between them in the year
850, in which the Dubh Galls conquered.3 In the following year,
however, both parties submitted to Amlaff, son of the Norwegian
king ; and thus their power was once more consolidated. Amlaff
remained in Dublin ; his brothers, Sitric and Ivar, stationed them-
selves in Waterford and Limerick. A great meeting was now
convened by the ecclesiastics of Ireland at Rathugh, for the purpose
* Death. — It appears doubtful whether he really died at this time. It is
said that he repented of his sins of sacrilege, and ended his days in penance
and religious1 retirement. See Four Masters, p. 472.
3 Conquered, — Duald Mac Firbis gives a curious account of these contests
in his Fragments of Annals. The White Galls, or Norwegians, had long
been masters of the situation. The Black Galls fought with them for three
days and nights, and were finally victorious. They take the ships thoy have
captured to Dublin, and deprive the Lochlanns (Black Galls) of all the spoil
they had so cruelly and unjustly acquired from the " shrines and sanctuaries
of the saints of Erinn ;" which the annalist naturally considers a judgment on
them for their sins. They make another struggle, and gain the victory. But
the Danish general, Horm, .advises his men to put themselves under the protec-
tion of St Patrick, and to promise the saint "honorable alms for gaining
victory and triumph " over enemies who had plundered his churches. Thoy
comply with this advice ; and though greatly inferior in numbers, they gain th*»
victory, " on account of the tutelage of St Patrick."
of establishing peace and concord amongst the native princes, The
northern Hy-Nials alone remained belligerent ; and to defend
themselves, pursued the usual suicidal course of entering into an
alliance with the Danes, Upon the death of the Irish monarch,
the northern chief, Hugh Finnlaith, succeeded to the royal pow^r ;
broke his treaty with ArnlarT, which had been only one of
and turned his anus vigorously against M pm*. This prince
was married to a daughter of Kenneth M'AJpine, the first sole
Monarch of Scotland, After the death of the Irish prince, his wifc
married his successor, Flann, who, according to the alternate plan
of succession, came of the southern Hy-Nial family, and was a i
of Meloughlin, once the to rniidable opponent of the lady's for
husband. During the reign of Flann, Cormae Mac Cullinaii, a
prelate distinguished for his learning and sanctity, was obliged lu
unite the office of priest and king, This unusual combination,
however, was not altogether without precedent The arch I
of Cashel owes its origin remotely to this great man ; as from the
circumstance of the city of Cashel having been the seat of royal ( J
the south, and the residence of the kings of Munster, it was exal I
in the twelfth century, to tl y of an archiepiscopal see.
Of Cormae, however interesting his history, we can only give a
passing word. His reign commenced peaceably; and so wise —
perhaps we should rather say, so holy — was his rule, that his
kingdom once more enjoyed comparative tranquillity, and religion
and h iniing flourished again as it had done in happier times,
But the kingt loin which he had been compelled to rule, was
threatened by the very person who should have protected it most
carefully ; and Cormae, after every effort to procure peace, was
obliged to defend his people against the attacks of Flanii, E
then a treaty might have been made with the belligerent moiJai
but Cormae, unfortunately for his people and himself, was guided
by an abbot, named Flahertach, who was by no means so peace,
disposed as his good master. This unruly ecclesiastic urged w*ir
on those who were already too willing to undertake it ; and then
made such representations to the bishop-king, as to induce I
to yield a reluctant cunsent. It is said that Cormae had an intima-
tion of his approaching end. It is at least certain, that he made
.rations for death, as if he believed it to be immineot
On the eve of the fatal engagement he made his confession, and
added some articles to his will, in which he left large bounties to
ROCK OF CASHEL.
193
many of the religious houses throughout the kingdom* To Lis-
ra he bequeathed a golden chalice and Bouse rich vestments; to
Armagh, twenty-four ounces of gold and silver ; to his own church
of Cashel, a golden and a silver chalice, with the famous Saltair,
Then be retired to a private place for prayer, desiring the few
persous whom he had informed of his approaching fate to keep
r information secret, as he knew well the effect such intelligence
would have on his army, were it generally known.
Though the king had no doubt that he would perish on the
field, he still showed the utmost bravery, and made every effort
to cheer and encourage kb troops ; but the men lost spirit in
BOCK OF CASITKL.
th« very onset of the battle, and probably were terrified at the
numerical strength of their opponent*, Six thousand Munster
men were slain t with many of their princes and chieftains* Cormac
was killed by falling under his horse, which missed its footing on
a bank slippery with the blood of the slain. A common soldier,
who recognised the body, cut off his head, and brought it as
a trophy to Flann ; but the monarch bewailed the death of the
good and great prince, and reproved the indignity with which his
remains had been treated. This battle was fought at a place called
Bealagh Mughna, now Ballaghmoon, in the county of Kildare,
w miles from the town of Carlo w,*
• CbHotfv— The site of the battle h still shown there, and even the stone on
which the soldier decapitated Cormac Coriunofa death is thus described in a
194 CORMACS DEATH.
Flahertach survived the battle, and, after some years spent in
penance, became once more minister, and ultimately King of
Munster. As he advanced in years, he learned to love peace, and
his once irascible temper became calm and equable.
The Rock of Cashel, and the ruins of a small but once beautiful
chapel, still preserve the memory of the bishop-king. His literary
fame also has its memorials. His Rule is contained in a poem of
fourteen stanzas, written in the most pure and ancient style of
Gaedhilic, of which, as well as of many other languages, the illustrious
Gormac was so profound a master. This Rule is general in several
of its inculcations ; but it appears to have been written .particularly
as an instruction to a priest, for the moral and spiritual direction
of himself and his flock. He was also skilled in the Ogham writings,
as may be gathered from a poem written by a contemporary, who,
in paying compliments to many of the4 Irish kings and chiefs,
addresses the following stanza to Cormac : —
" Gormac of Cashel, with his champions,
Munster is his, — may he long enjoy it !
Around the King of Baitk-Bicli are cultivated
The letters and the trees."
The death of Cormac is thus pathetically deplored by Dalian,
son of Mdr : —
"The bishop, the soul's director, the renowned, illustrious doctor,
King of Caiseal, King of Farnumha : O God ! alas for Cormac ! "
Flann's last years were disturbed by domestic dissensions. His
sons, Donough and Conor, both rebelled against him ; but Nial
Glundubh (of the black knee), a northern Hy-Nial chief, led an army
against them, and compelled them to give hostages to their father.
Rann died the following year, A.D. 914, and was succeeded by the
prince who had so ably defended him. Meanwhile, the Danes
MS. in the Burgundian Library : "The hind feet of his horse slipped on the
slippery road in the track of that blood ; the horse fell backwards, and broke his
[Cormac's] back and his neck in twain ; and he said, when falling, In manus
tuas armmendo spiritum meum, and he give3 up his spirit ; and the impious
sons of malediction come and thrust spears into his body, and sever his head
from his body." Keating gives a curious account of this battle, from an
ancient tract not known at present.
DEATH OF NIAL BLACK KNEE. 195
1
were not idle. Amlaff6 has signalized his advent by drowning
Conchobhar, " heir apparent of Tara ;" by slaying all the chieftains
of the Deisi at Cluain-Daimh ; by killing the son of Clennfaeladh,
King of Muscraighe Breoghain ; by smothering Machdaighren in a
cave, and by the destruction of Gaitill Find (Ketill the White) and
his whole garrison. Oisill is the next chief of importance ; and he
"succeeded in plundering the greatest part of Ireland." It is not
recorded how long he was occupied in performing this exploit,
bat he was eventually slain, and his army cut off, by the men of
Erinn. The deaths of several Danish chieftains occured about this
period, and are referred to the vengeance of certain saints, whose
shrines they had desecrated. In A.D. 864 according to the Four
Masters, 867 according to O'Flaherty, the Danes were defeated at
Lough Foyle, by Hugh Finnliath, King of Ireland. Soon after,
Leuuter and Munster were plundered by a Scandinavian chief,named
Baraid, who advanced as far as Ciarraighe (Kerry) : "And they left
not a cave under ground that they did not explore ; afcd they left no-
thing, from Limerick to Cork, that they did not ravish." What trea-
sures the antiquarian of the nineteenth century must have lost by
this marauder ! How great must have been the wealth of the kings
and princes of ancient Erinn, when so much remains after so much
was taken! In 877 the Black Gentiles took refuge in Scotland, >
after suffering a defeat in an engagement with the White Gentiles.
They were, however, consoled by a victory over the men of Alba,
in which Constantino, son of Kenneth, was slain, and many others
with him. Their success proved beneficial to Ireland, for we are
told that a period of "rest to the men of Erinn" ensued. The
Danes still held their own in Dublin and at Limerick, occasionally
plundered the churches, and now and then had a skirmish with the
" men of Erinn ;" but for forty years the country was free from the
foreign fleets, and, therefore, enjoyed a time of comparative quiet.
In the year 913 new fleets arrived. They landed in the harbour
of Waterford, where they had a settlement formerly ; but though
they obtained assistance here, they were defeated by the native
Irish, both in Kerry and in Tipperary. Sitric came with another
* Amlaff.— Dr. Todd identifies Amlaff with Olaf Huita (the white), of Scan-
dinavian history, who was usually styled King of Dublin, and was the leader
of the Northmen in Ireland for many years. See "Introduction" to the Wars
iff the GaedhU, p. 69.
196 MURTOUGH OF THE LEATHERN CLOAKS.
fleet in 915, and settled at Cenn-Fuait.° Here he was attacked by
the Irish army, but they were repulsed with great slaughter. Two
years after they received another disastrous defeat at Cill-Mosanhog,
near Rathfarnham. A large cromlech, still in that neighbourhood,
probably marks the graves of the heroes slain in that engagement
Twelve kings fell in this battle. Their names are given in the
Wan of the Gaedhil, and by other authorities, though in some
places the number is increased. Nial Glundubh was amongst the
slain. He is celebrated in pathetic verse by the bards. Of the
battle was said : —
" Fierce and hard was the Wednesday
On which hosts were strewn under the fall of shield! ;
It shall be called, till judgment's day,
The destructive burning of Ath-cliath."
The lamentation of Nial was, moreover, said : —
" Sorrowful this day is sacred Ireland,
Without a valiant chief of hostage reign !
It is to see the heavens without a sun,
To view Magh-NeilF without a Nial."
" There is no cheerfulness in the happiness of men ;
There is no peace or joy among the hosts ;
No fair can be celebrated
Since the sorrow of sorrow died."
Donough, son of Flann Sinna, succeeded, and passed his reign in
obscurity, with the exception of a victory over the Danes at Bregia.
Two great chieftains, however, compensated by their prowess for
his indifference ; these were Muircheartach, son of the brave Nial
Glundubh, the next heir to the throne, and Callaghan of Cashel,
King of Munster. The northern prince was a true patriot, willing
to sacrifice every personal feeling for the good of his country: conse-
quently, he proved a most formidable foe to the Danish invader.
Callaghan of Cashel was, perhaps, as brave, but his name cannot
be held up to the admiration of posterity. The personal advance-
ment of the southern Hy-Nials was more to him than the political
advancement of his country ; and he disgraced his name and his
6 Cenn-FuaiL— Puat Head. The site has not been accurately identified.
* Magh-tfeUl, ie., the Plain of Nial, a bardic name for Ireland.— Four
Masters, voL ii. p. 595.
THE CIRCUIT OF IRELAND. 197
nation by leaguing with the invaders. In the year 934 he pillaged
Clonmacnois. Three years later he invaded Meath and Ossoxy, in
conjunction with the Danes. Muircheartach was several times on
the eve of engagements with the feeble monarch who nominally
ruled the country, but he yielded for the sake of peace, or, as the
chroniclers quaintly say, " God pacified them." After one of these
pacifications, they joined forces, and laid " siege to the foreigners of
Ath-cliath, so that they spoiled and plundered all that was under
the dominion of the foreigners, from Ath-cliath to Ath-Truisten."8
In the twenty-second year of Donough, Muircheartach determined
on a grand expedition for the subjugation of the Danes. He had
already conducted a flfeet to the Hebrides, from whence he returned
flushed with victory. His first care was to assemble a body of
troops of special valour ; and he soon found himself at the head of
a thousand heroes, and in a position to commence " his circuit of
Ireland." The Danish chief, Sitric, was first seized as a hostage. He
then carried off Lorcan, King of Leinster. He next went to the
Munster men, who were also prepared for battle ; but they too
yielded, and gave up their monarch also, " and a fetter was put on
him by Muircheartach." He afterwards proceeded into Connaught,
where Conchobhar, son of Tadhg, came to meet him, u but no gyve
or lock was put upon him." He then returned to Oileach, carrying
these kings with him as hostages. Here he feasted them for five
months with knightly courtesy, and then sent them to the Monarch
Donough.
After these exploits we cannot be surprised that Muircheartach
should be styled the Hector of the west of Europe. But he soon
finds his place in the never-ceasing obituary. In two years after
his justly famous exploit, he was slain by " Blacaire, son of Godfrey,
lord of the foreigners.v This event occurred on the 26th of March,
A J). 941, according to the chronology of the Four Masters. The
true year, however, is 943. The chroniclers briefly observe, that
" Ard-Macha was plundered by the same foreigners, on the day after
the killing of Muircheartach."9
Donough died in 942, after a reign of twenty-five years. He was
8 Ath-Truisten.— From Dublin to a ford on the river Green, near Mullagh-
mast, oo. Kildare.
9 Muircheartach. — This prince obtained the soubriquet of Muircheartach of
the Leathern Cloaks. The origin of this appellation has not been precisely
ascertained.
aueceeded by Congalkch, who was killed by the Danes, A.D. 954
Do nn ell O'Neill, a son of the brave Muireheartach, now obtained
the royal power, such as it was \ and at his death the throne re-
verted to Maelseachlainn, or Malachy II., the last of his race who
ever held the undisputed sovereignty of Ireland, But it must not
be supposed that murders and massacres are the staple commodi-
ties of our annals during tlus eventful period. Every noteworthy
event is briefly and succinctly recorded. We fiud, from time to
time, mention of strange portents, such as double suns, and other
celestial phenomena of a more or less remarkable character. Fearful
storms are also chronicled, which appear to have occurred at certain
intervals, and hard frosts, which proved almost as trying to the
" men of Erinn1* as the wars of the Gentiles, black or white. But
the obituaries of abbots or monks, with the quaint remarks ap-
pended thereto, and epitomes of a lifetime in a sentence, are by no
means the least interesting portion of those ancient tomes. In one
page we may find record of the Lord of Aileach, who takes a pil-
grim's staff ; in another, we have mention of the Abbot Mnireadhach
and others, who were '* destroyed in the refectory n of Druim-
Mesclainn by Congallach ; and we read in the lamentation of Mnir-
eadhach, that he was " the lamp of every choir/* Then we are told
simply how a nobleman " died in religion," as if that were praise
enough for him ; though another noble, DomhnaU, is said to ha?
" died in religion, after a good life." Of some abbots and bis
there is nothing more than the death record ; but in the age of
Christ 926, when Celedabhaill, son of Scanned, went to Rome on
his pilgrimage from the abbacy of Beannchair, we are given in full
the four quatrains which he composed at his departure, — a compo-
sition which speaks highly for the poetic powers and the true piety
of the author. He commences thus : —
Time for me to prepare to pass from the shelter of a habitation.
To journey aa a pilgrim over the surface of the noble lively «ea;
Time to depart from the snares of the fle*h, with aE its guilt ;
Time now to ruminate bow I may find the great Son of Mary j
Time to seek virtue, to trample upon the will with sorrow ;
Time to reject vices, and to renounce the dtimon*
Time to barter the transitory things for the country of the Ki»g of heaven %
Time to defy the ease of the little earthly world of a hundred pleasure*! ;
Time to work at prayer in adoration of the high King of angels/1
EXTRACTS FROM THE AJOJALS,
The obituary notices, however, were not always complimentary.
We find the following entry in the Annals of Clonmacnois :—
"Tomh&ir Mac Alchi, King of Denmark, is reported to go [to have
gone] to hell with his pains, as he deserved."
m
kAlll A I LKICHLIX, CAJ,
CHAPTER XIIL
The Battle of Dundalk— The Danea auppoaed to be Christianised— Brian
Boroimhe anil his Brother Malioun— The DalcassiaDB tight the Dane*—
Mahotm ia assassinated— Brian rerenges hia Brother's Murder— Malachy 'a
Exploit* against the Danes— M&kchy and Brian form a Treaty and I
the Danes— Malaehy wins " the Collar of Gold "—Brian's " Happy Family"
at Kmcora — He usurpa the Supreme Power, and becomes Monarch of Ire-
land—Xemote Causes of the Battle of Clontarf— Gormtiaith ia 4I grim" with
Brian — Blockade of Dublin^ The Danes prepare for a Fierce Conflict^ Brian
P rehires also— The Battle of Clontarf— Disposition of the Forces— Brian's
Death— Defeat of the Danes.
[A.D. 926—1022.]
ANY of the sea-coast towns were now in possession
of the Danes, They had founded Limerick, *ndt
indeed, Wexford and Waterford almost owe them
the debt of parentage. Obviously, the ports were
their grand securities — a ready refuge if driven
hy native valour to embark in their fleets ; conve-
nient head-quarters when marauding expeditious
to England or Scotland were in preparation. But
the Danes never obtained the same power in Ire-
land as in the sister country. The domestic
sensions of the men of Erinn, ruinous as they we
to the nation, gave it at least the advantage
having a brave and resolute body of men always
in arms, and ready to face the foe at a moment's
notice, when no selfish policy interfered. In 937
Atbclstane gained hia famous victory over the
^;
THE BATTLE OF DUNDALK. 201
Danes at Brunanbriegh in Northumberland, and came triumphantly
to reclaim the dagger1 which he had left at the shrine of St. John
of Beverley. After his death, in 941, Amlaff returned to Northum-
berland, and once more restored the Danish sway. From this time,
until the accession of the Danish King Canute, England was more
or less under the dominion of these ruthless tyrants.2
" The Danes of Ireland, at this period, were ruled by Sitric, son
of Turgesius, whose name was sufficient to inspire the Irish with
terror. Through policy he professed willingness to enter into a
treaty of peace with Callaghan, King of Munster ; and, as proof of
his sincerity, offered him his sister, the Princess Eoyal of Denmark,
in marriage. The Irish king had fallen in love with this amiable
and beautiful princess, and he readily consented to the fair and
liberal measures, proposed. He sent word to Sitric he would visit
him ; and, attended by a royal retinue, to be followed in a little
time by his guards, as escort for his future queen, proceeded to
meet his royal bride.
"Sitric's project of inveigling the King of Munster into his
district, in order to make him prisoner, under the expectation of
being married to the Princess of Denmark, having been disclosed to
his wife, who was of Irish birth, she determined to warn the intended
victim of the meditated treachery, and accordingly she disguised
herself, and placed herself in a pass which Callaghan should traverse,
and met him. Here she informed him who she was, the design of
Sitric against him, and warned him to return as fast as possible. This
was not practicable. Sitric had barred the way with armed men ;
and Callaghan and his escort, little prepared for an encounter, found
themselves hemmed in by an overwhelming Danish force. To sub-
mit without a struggle was never the way with the Momonians.
They formed a rampart round the person of their king, and cut
1 Dagger. — The king visited the shrine on his way to battlet and hanging
up his dagger, the then symbol of knightly valour, vowed to release it with a
kingly ransom if God gave him the victory. He obtained his desire, and
nobly fulfilled his vow.
* Tyrants.— J. Roderick O'Flanagan, Esq., M.R.1. A., has permitted me to
extract the account of the battle of Dundalk from his valuable and interesting
History of Dundalk and its Environs. Dublin : Hodges and Smith, 1864.
This gentleman has devoted himself specially to elucidating the subject, and
with a kindness which I cannot easily forget, permits me to avail myself, not
only of his literary labours, but even to transfer to the pages of this work
•everal complete pages from his own.
202
THE BATTLE OF DT7NDALK-
through the Danish ranks. Fresh foes met them on every side;
and, after a bloody struggle, the men of Minister were conquered
Callaghan, the king, and Prince Duncan, son of Kennedy, were
brought captives to Dublin, Then the royal prisoners were removed
to Armagh, and their safe keeping entrusted to nine Danish earls,
who had a strong military force at their orders to guard them.
tl The news of this insidious act rapidly fanned the ardour of the
Munster troops to be revenged for the imprisonment of their be-
loved king. Kennedy, the Prince of Munster, father of Dun
was appointed regent, with ample powers to govern the country in
the king's absence* *The first step was to collect an army to cope
with the Danes. To assemble a sufficient body of troops on laud
was easy j but the great strength of the northern rovers lay in their
switVsailing ships. 'It must strike the humblest comprehension
with astonishment,1 says Marmion, * that the Irish, although pos-
sessed of an island abounding with forests of the finest oak, and
other suitable materials for ship-building — enjoying also the most
splendid rivers, loughs, and harbours, so admirably adapted to the
accommodation of extensive fleets, should, notwithstanding, for so
many centuries, allow the piratical ravages of the Danes, and sub-
sequently the more dangerous subversion of their independence by
the Anglo-Normans, without an effort to build a navy that could
cope with those invaders on that element from which they could
alone expect invasion from a foreign foe.1 This neglect has also
been noticed by the distinguished Irish writer — Wilde — who, in
his admirably executed Catalogue of the Antiquities in Iht Royal Irisk
Academy, observes :■ — * little attention has been paid to the subject
of the early naval architecture of this country. So far as we ;
know, two kinds of boats appear to have been in use in very
times in the British Isles — the canoe and the corragh ; the one
formed of a single piece of wood, the other composed of wicker-
work, covered with hides/ Larger vessels there must have been ;
though, from the length of time which has since elapsed, we have no
traces of them now. Kennedy not only collected a formidable army
by land, but * he fitted out a fleet of ships, and manned it wifclt
able seamen, that he might make sure of his revenge, and at
the enemy by sea and land.' The command of the fleet w
ferred on an admiral perfectly skilled in maritime affairs, Failfc
Kon, King of Desmond.
** When the army of Munster arrived near Armagh, they learnt the
prisoners had been removed thence by Sitric, and placed on board
ship, Enraged at this disappointment, they gave no quarter to the
Danes, and advanced rapidly to Dundalk, where the fleet lay, with
the king and young prince on board. Sitric, unable to withstand
the opposing army on shore, ordered his troops to embark, and
resolved to avoid the encounter through means of his ships. While
the baffled Irish army were chafing at this unexpected delay to their
hoped for vengeance, ihey espied, from the shore of Dundalk,
where they encamped, a sail of ships, in regular order, steering with
a favourable gale towards the Danish fleet moored in Dundalk
bay. Joy instantly filled their hearts ; for they recognised the fleet
of Monster, with the admiral's vessel in the van, and the rest ranged
in line of battle. The Danes were taken by surprise; they beheld an
enemy approach from a side where they rather expected the raven
Hag of their country floating on the ships, The Munster admiral
gave them no time to form. He steered straight to Si trie's vessel,
and, with his hardy crew, sprang on board. Here a sight met his
gaze which filled his heart with rage ; he saw his beloved monarch,
Callaghan, and the young prince, tied with cords to the main-mast.
Having, with his men, fought through the Danish troops to the
side of the king and prince, he cut the cords and set them free. He
then put a sword into the hands of the rescued king, and they
fought side by side; Meanwhile Sitric, and his brothers, Tor and
Magnus, did all they could to retrieve the fortunes of the day. At
the head of a chosen band they attacked the Irish admiral, and he
fell, covered with wounds. His head, exposed by Sitric on a pole,
fired the Danes with hope — the Irish with tenfold rage. Fingal,
next in rank to Failbhe Fion, took the command, and determined
to avenge his admiral. Meeting the Danish ruler in the combat,
he seized Sitric round the neck, and flung himself with his foe into
the sea, where both perished* Seagdor and Con nail, two captains
of Irish ships, imitated this example— threw themselves upon Tor
and Magnus, Sitric's brothers, and jumped with them overboard,
when all were drowned. These desperate deeds paralysed the
rgy of the Danes, and the Irish gained a complete victory in
Dundalk bay,
**The Irish fleet having thus expelled the pirates from their coast,
came into harbour, where they were received with acclamations of
joy by all who witnessed their bravery. Such is a summary of
Keating' a poetic account of this day's achievements ; and there are
extant fuller accounts in various pieces of native poetry, especially
one entitled ■ The Pursuit after Callaghan of Cashel, by the Chief
of Munster, after he had been entrapped by the Danes/ "
The year 948 has generally been assigned as that of the conver-
sion of the Danes to Christianity ; but, whatever the precise period
may have been, the conversion was rather of a doubtful character,
as we hear of their burning churches, plundering shrines, and
slaughter ijilt eerli Nasties with apparently as little remorse as ».
In the very year in which the Danes of Dublin are said to bavt.
been converted, they burned the belfry of Slane while rilled with
religions who had sought refuge there. Meanwhile the Irish mo-
narchies were daily weakened by divisions and domestic wars.
Connaugbt was divided between two or Uiree independent prince*,
and Munster into two kingdoms.
The ancient division of the country into &?& provinces no longer
held good ; and tlte Ard-Righ? or chief monarch, was such only in
name. Even the great northern Hy-Nials, long the bravest and
most united of the Irish clans, were now divided into two portions,
the Cinel-Connaill and Cinel-Owen ; the former of whom had been
for some time excluded from the alternate accession of sovereignty,
which was still maintained between the two great families of the
race of Nial. But, though this arrangement was persevered 111
with tolerable regularity, it tended little to the promotion of peace,
as the northern princes were ever ready to take advantage of the
weakness of the Meath men, who were their inferiors both in num-
bers and in valour.
The sovereignty of Munster had also been settled on the alter-
nate principle, between the great tribe of Dalcassians, or north
Munster race, and the Eoghanists, or sou thenars. This plan of
succession, as may bo supposed, failed to work peaceably ; and,
in 942, Kennedy, the father of the famous Brian Boroimhe,
contested the sovereignty with the Eoghanist prince, Callaghan
Casliel, but yielded in a chivalrous spirit, not very common
under such circumstances, and joined his former opponent in his
contests with the Danes. The author of the Wan &f the, Gaedhit
with the Gull gives a glowing account of the genealogy of Brian
and his eldest brother, Mathgamhain. They are described as u two
fierce, magnificent heroes, the two stontj able, valiant pillars,"
who then governed the Dalcassian tribes ; Mathgamhain (Ma-
houn) being the actual eWeftain, Brian the heir apparent. A
BRIAN BOROIMHE. 205
guerilla wa* was carried on for some time in the woods of Thomond,
in which no quarter was given on either side, and wherein it was
41 woe to either party to meet the other." Mahoun at last proposed
a truce, but Brian refused to consent to this arrangement. He
continued the war until he found his army reduced to fifteen men.
Mahoun then sent for him. An interview took place, which is de-
scribed in the form of a poetic dialogue, between the two brothers.
Brian reproached Mahoun with cowardice ; Mahoun reproached
Brian with imprudence. Brian hints broadly that Mahoun had in-
terested motives in making this truce, and declares that neither
Kennedy, their father, nor Lorcan, their grandfather, would have
been so quiescent towards the foreigners for the sake of wealth, nor
would they have given them even as much time as would have
sufficed to play a game of chess3 on the green of Magh Adhair.
Mahoun kept his temper, and contented himself with reproaching
Brian for his recklessness, in sacrificing the lives of so many of his
faithful followers to no purpose. Brian replied that he would never
abandon his inheritance, without a contest, to " such foreigners as
Black Grim Gentiles."
The result was a conference of the tribe, who voted for war, and
inarched into the country of the Eoghanists (the present co. Kerry),
who at once joined the standard of the Dalcassians. The Danes suf-
fered severely in Munster. This aroused the Limerick Danes; and their
chieftain, Ivar, attacked the territory of Dal-Cais, an exploit in which
he was joined, to their eternal shame, by several native princes and
tribes, amongst whom were Maolmuadh (Molloy), son of Braun,
King of Desmond, and Donabhan (Donovan), son of Cathal, King
of Ui CairbhrL* The result was a fierce battle at Sulcoit, near
Tipperary, wherein the Danes were gloriously defeated. The action
-was commenced by the Northmen. It continued from sunrise
till mid-day, and terminated in the rout of the foreigners, who fled
4€ to the ditches, and to the valleys, and to the solitudes of the great
sweet flower plain," where they were followed by the conquerors,
and massacred without mercy.
The Dalcassians now obtained possession of Limerick, with im-
mense spoils of jewels, gold and silver, foreign saddles, "soft,
* Cheu. — Flann Sionna, Monarch of Ireland, had encamped on this plain,
and ostentatiously commenced a game of chess as a mark of contempt for the
chieftains whose oonntry he had invaded. His folly met its just punishment,
for he was ignominioualy defeated. See Wars of the Qaedhil, p. 113, note.
youthful, bright girls, blooming silk*clad women, and active,
well-formed boys," The active boys were soon disposed of, for we
find that they collected the prisoners on the hillocks of Saingel,
where *e every one that was fit for war was put to death, and every
one that was fit for a slave was enslaved.11 This event is dated
A.D. 96&
Mahouu was now firmly established on the throne, but his so*
cess procured him many enemies* A conspiracy was formed Against
him under the auspices of Ivar of Limerick and his son, Dubhcenu.
The Eoghanist clans basely withdrew their allegiance from their
lawful sovereign, allied themselves with the Banes, and became
principals in the plot of assassination. Their motive was as
simple as their conduct was vile- The two Eoghanist families were
represented by Donovan and Molloy. They were descendants of
Oilioll Oluim, from whom Mahoun was also descended, but his family
were Dalcassians* Hitherto the Eoghanists had succeeded in de-
priving the tribes of Dal-Cais of their fair share of alternate suc-
cession to the throne of Minister ; they became alarmed at and
jealous of the advancement of the younger tribe, and determined SO
do by treachery what they could not do by force. With the usual
headlong eagerness of traitors, they seem to have forgotten Brian,
and quite overlooked the retribution they might expect at his hands
for their crime* There #re two different accounts of the murder,
which do not coincide in detail* The main facts, however, are
reliable: Mahonn was entrapped in some way to the house of
Donovan, and there he was basely murdered, in violation of tho
rights of hospitality, and in defiance of the safe-conduct of th*
bishop, which he secured before his visit.
The traitors gained nothing by their treachery except the con*
tempt of posterity. Brian was not slow in avenging his brot:
" He was not a atone in place of an egg, nor a wisp of hay in place
of a club ; but he was a hero in place of a hero, and valour ti
valour."*
Public opinion was not mistaken in its estimate of his character.
Two years after the death of Mahoun, Brian invaded Donovan's
territory, drove off his cattle, took the fortress of Cathair Cuan*
and slew Donovan and his Danish ally, Harolt. He next pro-
ceeded to settle accounts with Molloy, Coganin is sent to the
* Valour — War* oj the Qatdhi\t ]>. 101.
BRIAN AVENGES THE DEATH OF MAHOUN. . 207
whole tribe of Ui Eachach, to know " the reason why" they killed
Mahoun, and to declare that no amkal or fine would be received,
either in the shape of hostages, gold, or cattle, but that Molloy
must himself be given up. Messages were also sent to Molloy, both
general and particular — the general message challenged him to
battle at Belach-Lechta ; the particular message, which in truth
he hardly deserved, was a challenge to meet Murrough, Brian's
son, in single combat. The result was the battle of Belach-Lechta,5
where Molloy was slain, with twelve hundred of his troops, both
native and foreign. Brian remained master of the field and of the
kingdom, A.D. 978.
Brian was now undisputed King of Munster. In 984 he was-
acknowledged Monarch of Leth Mogha, the southern half of Ire-
land. Meanwhile Malachy, who governed Leth Cuinn, or the
northern half of Ireland, had not been idle. He fought a battlo
with the Danes in 979, near Tara, in which he defeated their forcesr
and slew Baguall, son of Amlaibh, King of Dublin. Amlaibh
felt the defeat so severely, that he retired to Iona, where he died,
of a broken heart Donough O'Neill, son of Muircheartach, died
this year, and Malachy obtained the regal dignity. Emboldened
by his success at Tara, he resolved to attack the foreigners in Dub-
lin ; he therefore laid siege, to that city, and compelled it to sur-
render after three days, liberated two thousand prisoners, including.
the King of Leinster, and. took abundant spoils. At the same time
lie issued a proclamation, freeing every Irishman then in bondage-
to the Danes, and stipulating that the race of Nial should hence-
forth be free from tribute to the foreigners.
It is probable that Brian had already formed designs for obtain-
ing the royal power. The country resounded with the fame of his
exploits, and Malachy became aware at last that he should either
have him for an ally or an enemy. He prudently chose the former
alternative, and in the nineteenth year of his reign (997 according
to the Four Masters) he made arrangements with Brian for a great
campaign against the common enemy. Malachy surrendered all
hostages to Brian, and Brian agreed to recognize Malachy as sole
monarch of northern Erinn, " without war or trespass." This
treaty was absolutely necessary, in order to offer effective resistance
* Belach-Lechta, — The site has not been definitely ascertained. Some autho-
rities place it near Macroom, co. Cork.
to the Danes. The conduct of the two kings towards each other,
had not been of a conciliatory nature previously. In 981 Malnchy
had invaded the territory of the Dalcassians, and uprooted the
it oak-tree of Magh Adair, under which its kings were crowned
—an insult which could not fail to excite bitter feelings both in
prince and people. In 9S9 the monarch occupied himself fighting
the Danes* in Dublin, to whom he laid siege for twenty nk
reducing the garrison to such straits that they wer© obliged to
drink the salt water when the tide rose in the river, Brian then
le reprisals on Malachy, by sending boats up the Shannon,
burning the royal rath of Dun Sciath. Malachy, in his turn,
recrossed the Shan no nt burned Nenagh, plundered Ormonde* and
defeated Brian himself in battle. He then marched again to Dublin,
and once more attacked *Uhe proud invader/' It was on
occasion that he obtained the (i collar of gold/ which Moore lias
immortalized in his world-famous " Melodies."
When the kings had united their forces, they obtained another
important victory at Glen-Mama,6 Harolt, son of Olaf Cuaran,
the then Danish king, was slain, and four thousand of his followers
perished with him. The victorious army marched at once to
Dublin. Here they obtained spoils of great value, and made many
slaves and captives, According to some accounts, Brian remained
in Dublin until the feast of St. Brigid {February 1st); other
annalists say he only remained from Great Christmas to Little
Christmas. Meanwhile there can be but little doubt that Brian
had in view the acquisition of the right to be called sole monarch
of Ireland, It is a blot on an other wise noble character — an ugly
spot in a picture of more than ordinary interest. Sitrlc, another
son of Olaf s, fled for protection to Aedh and Eochaidh, two north
chieftains; but they gave him up? from motives of fear or policy
to Brian's soldiers, and after due submission he was restored to
his former position. Brian then gave his daughter in marriage
to Sitric, and completed the family alliance by espousing Si* i
mother, Gormflaith, a lady of rather remarkable character, who had
* Olm-Mama, —The Glen of thq Gap, near Ihmlavin, This was the i
stronghold of the kings of Leinster in Wicklow. There is a long and
interesting noto on the locality, by the Rev, J. P. Shearman, R.C.I
"Introduction " to the Wars of tftc QatdhiL He mention* that pits [
been discovered even recently, containing the remains of the slain*
BRIAN DEPOSES MALACHY. 209
been divorced from her second husband, Malachy. Brian now pro-
ceeded to depose Malachy. The account of this important trans-
action is given in so varied a manner by different writers, that
it seems almost impossible to ascertain the truth. The southern
annalists are loud in their assertions of the incapacity of the reign-
ing monarch, and would have it believed that Brian only yielded
to the urgent entreaties of his countrymen in accepting the prof-
fered crown. But the warlike exploits of Malachy have been too
faithfully recorded to leave any doubt as to his prowess in the
field ; and we may probably class the regret of his opponent in
accepting his position, with similar protestations made under
circumstances in which »such regret was as little likely to be
real.
The poet Moore, with evident partiality for the subject of his
song, declares that the magnanimous character of Malacjiy was the
real ground of peace under such provocation, and that be submitted
to the encroachments of his rival rather from motives of disinter-
ested desire for his country's welfare, than from any reluctance or
inability to fight his own battle.
But Brian had other chieftains to deal with, of less amiable or
more warlike propensities : the proud Hy-Nials of the north were
long in yielding to his claims ; but even these he at length sub-
dued, compelling the Cinel-Eoghain to give him hostages, and
carrying off the Lord of Cinel-Connaill bodily to his fortress at
Kincora. Here he had assembled a sort of " happy family," con-
sisting of refractory princes and knights, who, refusing hostages
to keep that peace with each other, were obliged to submit to
the royal will and pleasure, and at least to appear outwardly in
* harmony.
These precautionary measures, however summary, and the ener-
getic determination of Brian to have peace kept either by sword or
law, have given rise to the romantic ballad of the lady perambulat-
ing Erinn with a gold ring and white wand, and passing unmolested
through its once belligerent kingdoms.
Brian now turned his attention to the state of religion and lite-
rature, restoring the churches and monasteries which had been
plundered and burnt by the Danes. He is said also to have
founded the churches of Killaloe and Iniscealtra, and to have built
the round tower of Tomgrany, in the present county Clare. A
gift of twenty ounces of gold to the church of Armagh, — a large
O
donation for that period,— is also recorded amongst his good
deei
There is some question as to the precise year in which Brian
obtained or usurped the authority an*! position of Ard-Sigh:
A.D, 1002, however, is the date most usually accepted. He was
probably about sixty-one years of age, and Malachy was then about
fifty-three.8
It will be remembered that Brian had married the Lady Gorm-
flaith. Her brother, Maelmordha, was King of Leinster, and he
had obtained his throne through the assistance of the Danes,
a was Gormflaith's third husband. In the words of the
Annals, she had made three leaps— M jumps which a woman should
never jump n— a hint that her matrimonial arrangements had not
the sanction of canon law, She was remarkable for her beauty,
but her temper was proud and vindictive, This was probably
the reaaon why she was repudiated both by Maiachy and Brian,
There can be no doubt that she and her brother, Maelmordlia,
were the remote causes of the famous battle of Olontarf The
gtaj is told thus : Maelmordha came to Brian with an offering of
e large pine-trees to make masts for shipping. Th
probably a tribute which he was bound to pay to his liege lord,
The trees had been cut in the great forest of LeinsLer,
GttibUL8 Some other tribes were bringing their tree-tribute!
;it the same time; and as they all journeyed over the mountains
I ogother, there was a dispute for precedency* Maelmordha decided
the question by assisting to carry the tree of the Ui-Faelaiu. He
had on a tunic of silk which Brian had given1 him, with a border
f Deeds, — The origin of surnames is also attributed to Brian Boroirahc\ from
a fragment iu tbe Library of Trinity College Dublin, supposed to be a portion
uf a life of that monarch written by his poet Mac Liag+ Surname* were gene-
rally introduced throughout Europe iu the tenth aud twelfth ceutune&. The
Irish gave their name* to their lands, In uther countries yaUonynnca were
usually taken from the names of the hereditary possessions*
b Fijhf-f !<}££.— Sec Di\ O^Douovan'fl note to Anna!*, p. 747.
■ FitlhGa:hhti—}sow Feegile, near Portarliugtom
3 Uirtu. — ! The Book - mentions, that one of the rights to which the
King of Leiuster was entitled from the King of Ireland , was '* tine te^t
v.s uL T,u-.i," a* well aa " ftuvenaeure siuta of elothes of good colour > for
rlit use of the sous of the great chieftain.15— Book of Eights, jj* 25L From the
jouilaet of (.lortutiuth, as related above, it is evident that the tunic w«u «om*
token of v^aaal^gfc
GORMFLATTH IS "GRIM" AGAINST BRIAN. 211
of gold round it and silver buttons. One of the buttons came off
as he lifted the tree. On his arrival at Kincora, he asked his
sister, Gormflaith, to replace it for him ; but she at once flung the
garment into the fire, and then bitterly reproached her brother with
having accepted this token of vassalage. The Sagas say she was
" grim" against Brian, which was undoubtedly true. This excited
Maelmordha's temper. An opportunity soon offered for a quarrel.
Brian's eldest son, Murrough,2 was playing a game of chess with
his cousin, Gonoing ; Maelmordha was looking on, and suggested a
move by which Murrough lost the game. The young prince ex-
claimed : " That was like the advice you gave the Danes, which
lost them Glen-Mama." " I will givfc them advice now, and they
shall not be defeated," replied the otner. " Then you had better
remind them to prepare a yew-tree3 for your reception," answered
Murrough.
Early the next morning Maelmordha left the place, "without
permission and without taking leave." Brian sent a messenger
after him to pacify him, but the angry chief, for all reply, " broke
all the bones in his head." He now proceeded to organize a revolt
against Brian, and succeeded. Several of the Irish princes flocked
to his standard. An encounter took place in Meath, where they
slew Malachy's grandson, Domhnall, who should have been heir
if the usual rule of succession had been observed. Malachy
marched to the rescue, and defeated the assailants with great
slaughter, A.D. 1013. Fierce reprisals now took place on each
side. Sanctuary was disregarded, and Malachy called on Brian to
assist him. Brian at once complied. After successfully ravaging
Ossory he marched to Dublin, where he was joined by Murrough,
who had devastated Wicklow, burning, destroying, and carrying
off captives, until he reached CM Maighnenn (Kilmainham). They
now blockaded Dublin, where they remained from St. Ciaran's in
harvest (Sept. 9th) until Christmas Day. Brian was then obliged
to raise the siege and return home for want of provisions.
The storm was now gathering in earnest, and the most active pre-
parations were made on both sides for a mighty and decisive conflict.
1 Murrough. — He was eldest son by Briau's first wife, M6r. He had three
sons by this lady, who were all slain at Cloutarf .
3 Yew-tree.— This was a sharp insult. After the battle of Glen-Mama,
Maelmordha had hidden himself in a yew-tree, where he was discovered and
taken prisoner by Murrough.
212 PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.
The Danes had already obtained possession of England, a country
which had always been united in its resistance to their power,
a country numerically superior to Ireland : why should they not
hope to conquer, with at least equal facility, a people who had
so many opposing interests, and who rarely sacrificed these interests
to the common good 1 Still they must have had some fear of the
result, if we may judge by the magnitude of their preparations.
They despatched ambassadors in all directions to obtain rein-
forcements. Brodir, the earl, and Amlaibh, son of the King of
Lochlann, " the two Earls of Gair, and of all the north of Saxon
land,"4 came at the head of 2,000 men ; " and there was not one
villain of that 2,000 who h*yl not polished, strong, triple-plated
armour of refined iron, or of cooling, uncorroding brass, encasing
their sides and bodies from head to foot." Moreover, the said
villains " had no reverence, veneration, or respect, or mercy for God
or man, for church or for sanctuary; they were creel, ferocious,
plundering, hard-hearted, wonderful Dannarbrians, selling and
hiring themselves for gold and silver, and other treasure as well"
Gormflaith was evidently " head centre " on the occasion ; for we
find wonderful accounts of her zeal and efforts in collecting forces.
" Other treasure " may possibly be referred to that lady's heart
and hand, of which she appears to have been very liberal on this
occasion. She despatched her son, Sitric, to Siguard, Earl of the
Orkneys, who promised his assistance, but he required the hand of
Gormflaith as payment for his services, and that he should be
made King of Ireland. Sitric gave the required promise, and
found, on his return to Dublin, that it met with his mother's entire
approbation. She then despatched him to the Isle of Man, where
there were two Vikings, who had thirty ships, and 6he desired
him to obtain their co-operation " at any price." They were the
brothers Ospak and Brodir. The latter demanded the same condi-
tions as the Earl Siguard, which were promised quite as readily
by Sitric, only he charged the Viking to keep the agreement secret,
and above all not to mention it to Siguard.
Brodir,5 according to the Saga, was an apostate Christian, who
4 Land. — Wars of the Oaedhil, p. 151.
6 Broilir. — It has been suggested that this was not his real name. He was
Ospak's brother, and Brodir may have been mistaken for a proper name.
There was a Danish Viking named Gutring, who was an apostate deacon, and
who may have been the Brodir of Irish history.
PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE. 213
had " thrown off his faith, and become God's dastard." He was
both tall and strong, and had such long black halt that he tucked
it under his belt ; he had also the reputation of being a magician.
The Viking Ospak Refused to fight against " the good King Brian,"
and, touched by some prodigies, became a convert to Christianity,
joined the Irish monarch at Kincora, on the Shannon, and received
holy baptism.6 The author of the Wars of the Gaedhil gives a for-
midable list of the other auxiliaries who were invited by the Dublin
Danes. The Annals of Loch Ce* also give an account of the fleet
he assembled, and its " chosen braves." . Maelmordha had mus-
tered a large army also ; indeed, he was too near the restless and
revengeful Lady Gormflaith to have taken matters quietly, even
had he been so inclined.
Meanwhile Brian had been scarcely less successful, and probably
not less active. He now marched towards Dublin, " with all that
obeyed him of the men of Ireland." These were the provincial
troops of Munster and Connaught and the men of Meath. His march
is thus described in the Wars of the Gaedhil : — " Brian looked out
behind him, and beheld the battle phalanx — compact, huge, disci-
plined, moving in silence, mutely, bravely, haughtily, unitedly, with
one mind, traversing the plain towards them ; threescore and ten
banners over them — of red, and of yellow, and of green, and of all
kinds of colours ; together with the everlasting, variegated, lucky,
fortunate banner, that had gained the victory in every battle, and
in every conflict, and in every combat."7 The portion of the narra-
tive containing this account is believed to be an interpolation, but
the description may not be the less accurate. Brian plundered and
destroyed as usual on his way to Dublin. When he had encamped
near that city, the Danes came out to give him battle on the plain
of Magh-n-Ealta.8 The king then held a council of war, and the
result, apparently, was a determination to give battle in the morning.
It is said that the Northmen pretended flight in order to delay
the engagement. The Njal Saga says the Viking Brodir had found
out by his sorcery, " that if the fight were on Good Friday, King
Brian would fall, but win the day ; but if they fought before, they
would all fall who were against him." Some authorities also
• Baptism.— Burnt Njal, ii. 332.
1 Cmhat.—War8 of the Gaedhil, p. 157.
8 Magh-n-Ealta.— The Plain of the Flocks, lying between Howth and Tal-
Ught, so called from Edei, a chieftain who perished before the Christian era.
214 THE BATTLE OF CLONTARF.
mention a traitor in Brian's camp, who had informed the Danes that
his forces had been weakened by the absence of his son Donough,
whom he had sent to devastate Leinster. Malachv has the credit
of this piece of treachery, with other imputations scarcely less dis-
reputable.
The site of the battle has been accurately defined. It took place
on the plain of Clontarf,9 and is called the Battle of the Fishing
Weir of Clontarf. The weir was at the mouth of the river Tolka,
where the bridge of Ballybough now stands. The Danish line was
extended along the coast, and protected at sea by their fleets. It
was disposed in three divisions, and comprised about 21,000 men,
the Leinster forces being included in the number. The first divi-
sion or left wing was the nearest to Dublin. It was composed of
the Danes of Dublin, and headed by Sitric, who was supported by
the thousand mail-clad Norwegians, commanded by Carlus and
Anrud. In the centre were the Lagennians, under the command
of Maelmordha. The right wing comprised the foreign auxiliaries,
under the command of Brodir and Siguard.1
Brian's army was also disposed in three divisions. The first
was composed of his brave Dalcassians, and commanded by his son
Murrough, assisted by his four brothers, Teigue, Donough, Connor,
and Flann, and his youthful heir, Turlough, who perished on the
field. The second division or centre was composed of troops from
Munster, and was commanded by Moth la, grandson of the King of
the Deisi, of Waterford, assisted by many native princes. The
0 Clontarf. — There is curious evidence that the account of the battle of
Clontarf mast have been written by an eye-witness, or by one who bad ob-
tained his information from an eye-witness. The author states that "the
foreigners came out to fight the battle in the morning at the full tide," and
that the tide came in again in the evening at the same place. The Danes suf-
fered severely from this, '* for the tide had carried away their ships from
them. n Consequently, hundreds perished in the waves. — Wars of the GaedhiL,
]>. 191. Dr. Todd mentions that he asked the Rev. S. Haughton, of Trinity
College, Dublin, to calculate for him ** what was the hour of high water at
the shore of Clontarf, in Dublin Bay, on the 23rd of April, 1014." The
result was a full confmnation of the account given by the author of the War*
of the Gaedhil — the Rev. 8. Haughton having calculated that the morning tide
was full in at 5.30 a.m., the evening tide being full at 55.5 p.m.
1 Siguard. — Various accounts are given of the disposition of forces on each
side, so that it is impossible to speak with accuracy on the subject. We know
how difficult it is to obtain correct particulars on such occasions, even with the
assistance of "own correspondents" and electric telegraphs.
THE BATTLE-FIELD. 215
third battalion was commanded by Maelruanaidh (Mulrooney of the
Paternosters) and Teigue O'Kelly, with all the nobles of Con-
naught. Brian's army numbered about twenty thousand men. The
accounts which relate the position of Malachy, and his conduct on
this occasion,- are hopelessly conflicting. It appears quite impos-
sible to decide whether he was a victim to prejudice, or whether
Brian was a victim to his not unnatural hostility.
On the eve of the battle, one of the Danish chiefs, Plait, son of
King Lochlainn, sent a challenge to Domhnall, son of Emhin, High
Steward of Mar. The battle commenced at daybreak. Plait came
forth and exclaimed three times, " Faras Domhnall f (Where is
Domhnall T) Domhnall replied : " Here, thou reptile." A terrible
hand-to-hand combat ensued. They fell dead at the same moment,
the sword of each through the heart of the other, and the hair of
each in the clenched hand of the other. And the combat of those
Vwo was the first combat of the battle.
Before the engagement Brian harangued his troops, with the
crucifix in one hand and a sword in the other. He reminded them
of all they had suffered from their enemies, of their tyranny, their
sacrilege, their innumerable perfidies ; and then, holding the crucifix
aloft, he exclaimed : " The great God has at length looked down
upon our sufferings, and endued you with the power and the
courage this day to destroy for ever the tyranny of the Danes, and
thus to punish them for their innumerable crimes and sacrileges by
the avenging power of the sword. Was it not on this day that
Christ Himself suffered death for you V
He was then compelled to retire to the rear, and await the result
of the conflict ; but Murrough performed prodigies of valour. Even
the Danish historians admit that he fought his way to their
standard, and cut down two successive bearers of it.
The mailed armour of the Danes seems to have been a source of
no little dread to their opponents. But the Irish battle-axe might
well have set even more secure protection at defiance. It was
wielded with such skill and force, that frequently a limb was lopped
off with a single blow, despite the mail in which it was encased ;
while the short lances, darts, and slinging-stones proved a speedy
means of decapitating or stunning a fallen enemy.
T*he Dalcassians surpassed themselves in feats of arms. They
hastened from time to time to refresh their thirst and cool their
hands in a neighbouring brook ; but the Danes soon filled it up, and
216 THE BATTLE-FIELD.
deprived them of this resource. It was a conflict of heroes — a
hand-to-hand fight. Bravery was not wanting on either side, and
for a time the- result seemed doubtful. Towards the afternoon, as
many of the Danish leaders were cut down, their followers began
to give way, and the Irish forces prepared for a final effort. At
this moment the Norwegian prince, Anrud, encountered Murrough,
whose arms were paralyzed from fatigue ; he had still physical
strength enough to seize his enemy, fling him on the ground, and
plunge his sword into the body of his prostrate foe. But even as
he inflicted the death-wound, he received a mortal blow from the
dagger of the Dane, and the two chiefs fell together.
The meUc was too general for an individual incident, however
important in itself, to have much effect. The Northmen and their
allies were flying hard and fast, the one towards their ships, the
others towards the city. But as they fled across the Tolka, they
forgot that it was now swollen with the incoming tide, and thousands
perished by water who had escaped the sword. The body of
Brian's grandson, the boy Turlough, was found in the river after the
battle, with his hands entangled in the hair of two Danish warriors,
whom he had held down until they were drowned. Sitric and
his wife had watched the combat from the battlements of Dublin.
It will be remembered that this lady was the daughter of King
Brian, and her interests were naturally with the Irish troops.
Some rough words passed between her and her lord, which ended
in his giving her so rude a blow, that he knocked out one of her
teeth. But we have yet to record the crowning tragedy of the day.
Brian had retired to his tent to pray, at the commencement of the
conflict. When the forces met, he began his devotions, and said
to his attendant : "Watch thou the battle and the combats,
whilst I say the psalms." After he had recited fifty psalms, fifty
collects, and fifty paternosters, he desired the man to look out and
inform him how the battle went, and the position of Murrough's
standard. He replied the strife was close and vigorous, and the
noise was as if seven battalions were cutting down Tomar's wood ;
but the standard was safe. Brian then said fifty more psalms, and
made the same inquiry. The attendant replied that all was in con-
fusion, but that Murrough's standard still stood erect, and moved
westwards towards Dublin. " As long as that standard remains
erect," replied Brian, " it shall go well with the men of Erinn."
The aged king betook himself to his prayers once more, saying again
<iiBBJ
ji|M J- m"'
swV^ii^^^f?5
. ffi33rfflttB^tk
'
mm^K^BPL- * T^^Vwl^HHHttBH ID
HP^^Air *fet
1
IKS' y^^^iiL- t
Jfif • - JO? M
\ m ^^,fc^ jMufiSiliMlllrl II ilffilii
ft^j^^^^^^^^-^^^^^OT ^^SB^IBJWfet^ <4>
T&ing gritti foroimfrt Mlleir bii tfae fitting.
DEATH OF BRIAN BOROEMHE. 217
fifty psalms* and collects ; then, for the last time, he asked intel-
ligence of the field. Latean replied : " They appear as if Tomar/s
wood was on fire, and its brushwood all burned down ;" meaning
that the private soldiers of both armies were nearly all slain, and
only a few of the chiefs had escaped ; adding the most grievous
intelligence of all, that Murrough's standard had fallen. " Alas !"
replied Brian, " Erinn has fallen with it : why should I survive
such losses, even should I attain the sovereignty of the world P
His attendant then urged him to fly, but Brian replied that flight
was useless, for he had been warned of his fate by Aibinn (the
banshee of his family), and that he knew his death was at
hand. He then gave directions about his will and his funeral,
leaving 240 cows to the " successor of Patrick." Even at this mo-
ment the danger was impending. A party of Danes approached,
headed by Brodir. The king sprang up from the cushion where he
had been kneeling, and unsheathed his sword. At first Brodir did
not know him, and thought he was a priest from finding him at
prayer; but one of his followers informed him that it was the
Monarch of Ireland. In a moment the fierce Dane had opened his
head with his battle-axe. It is said that Brian had time to inflict
a wound on the Viking, but the details of this event are so varied
that it is impossible to decide which account is most reliable. The
Saga states that Brodir knew Brian,3 and, proud of his exploit,
held up the monarch's reeking head, exclaiming, " Let it be told
from man to man that Brodir felled Brian/' All accounts agree in
stating that the Viking was slain immediately, if not cruelly, by
Brian's guards, who thus revenged their own neglect of their
master. Had Brian survived this conflict, and had he been but a
few years younger, how different might have been the political and
social state of Ireland even at the present day ! The Danish power
was overthrown ; and never again obtained an ascendency in the
country. It needed but one strong will, one wise head, one brave
arm, to consolidate the nation, and to establish a regular mo-
narchy ; for there was mettle enough in the Celt, if only united, to
resist foreign invasion for all time to come.
On Easter Monday the survivors were employed in burying the
9 Psalms.— To recite the Psalter in this way was a special devotional practice
of the middle ages.
3 Brian.— Burnt Njal, ii. 337. If this account be reliable, Brian did not
live to receive the last sacraments, as other authorities state.
218 DALCASSIAN BliAVERY.
dead and attending to the wounded. The remains of more than
thirty chieftains were borne off to their respective territorial
churches for interment. But even on that very night dissension
arose in the camp. The chieftains of Desmond, seeing the broken
condition of the Dalcassian force, renewed their claim to the
alternate succession. When they had reached Bath Maisten
(Mullaghmast, near Athy) they claimed the sovereignty of Munster,
by demanding hostages. A battle ensued, in which even the
wounded Dalcassians joined. Their leader desired them to be
placed in the fort of Maisten, but they insisted on being fastened
to stakes, firmly planted in the ground to support them, and
stuffing their wounds with moss, they awaited the charge of the
enemy. The men of Ossory, intimidated by their bravery, feared
to give battle. But many of the wounded men perished from
exhaustion — a hundred and fifty swooned away, and never reco-
vered consciousness again. The majority were buried where they
stood ; a few of the more noble were carried to their ancestral
resting-places. "And thus far the wars of the Gall with the
Gaedhil, and the battle of Clontarf."
The Annals state that both Brian and his son, Murrough, lived
to receive the rites of the Church, and that their remains were
conveyed by the monks to Swords, and from thence, through
Duleek and Louth, to Armagh, by Archbishop Maelmuire, the
" successor of St. Patrick." Their obsequies were celebrated with
great splendour, for twelve days and nights, by the clergy ; after
which the body of Brian was deposited in a stone coffin, on the
north side of the high altar, in the cathedral. Murrough was
buried on the south side. Turlough was interred in the old church-
yard of Kilmainham, where the shaft of an ancient cross still marks
the site.
Malachy once more assumed the reins of government by common
consent, and proved himself fully equal to the task. A month
before his death he gained an important victory over the Danes
at Athboy, A.D. 1022. An interregnum of twenty years followed
his death, during which the country was governed by two wise
men, Cuan O'Lochlann, a poet, and Corcran Cleireach, an anchoret.
The circumstances attending Malachy's death are thus related by
the Four Masters :— " The age of Christ 1022. Maelseachlainn
Mdr, pillar of the dignity and nobility of the west of the world,
uied in Croinis Locha-Aininn, in the seventy-third year of his age,
r*^:*
DEATH OF MALACHY.
219
on the 4th of the nones of September, on Sunday precisely, after
intense penance for his sins and transgressions, after receiving the
body of Christ and His blood, after being anointed by the hands
of Amhalgaidh, successor of Patrick, for he and the successor of
Colum-Cille, and the successors of Ciaran, and most of the seniors
of Ireland were present [at his death], and they sung masses,
hymns, psalms, and canticles for the welfare of his soul."
COVKK OF ST. PATRICKS BK1A.
1 DlLSMuND OtUTLS AM- hild, LlilERlCK,
CHAPTER XIV.
Distinguished Irish Scholars and Religious — Domestic Feuds— O'Brien'* ]
caused by Fright— Pestilence and Severe Winters— Cob teutons between
Northerns and Southerns— Murtough's Circuit of Ireland — The Danes
attempt an Invasion — An Irish King sent to the Isle of Man — DeetrtK
of Kineora — St. Celsns makes Peace— The Synod of Fidh Aengussa— ^
jects considered by the Synod : (!) The Regulation of the Number of DlO-
ceses, (2) the Sacrament of Matrimony, (3) the Consecration of Bishops*
(4) Ceremonies at Baptism — St. Malachy — The Traitor Dermod — Synod at
Mellifont Abbey— St. Laurence Q Toole*
J [a.D. 102S— 1167.J
OMESTIC wars were, m usual, productive of the
worst consequences, as regards the social state
of the country. The schools and colleges, m
had been founded nnd richly endowed b;
converted Irish, were now, without exception,
plundered of their wealth, and, in many c
deprived of those who had dispensed that v.
for the common good. It has been already shown
that men lived holy lives, and died pea
deaths, during the two hundred years of 1>
oppression; we shall now find that schools were
revived, monasteries repeopled, and mi*
sent to convert and instruct in foreign lands, A
few monks from Ireland settled in Glastou*
f**^ bury early in the tenth century, where
devoted themselves to the instruction of y
St Dunstan, who was famous for his skill in music, was one of I
DISTINGUISHED IRISH SCHOLARS AND RELIGIOUS. 221
most illustrious pupils : he was a scholar, an artist, and a musician.
But English writers, who give him the credit of having brought
" Englishmen to care once more for learning, after they had quite
lost the taste for it, and had sunk back into ignorance and bar-
barism," forget to mention who were his instructors.
St Maccallin, another Irishman, was teaching in France at
the same period ; and Duncan, who governed the Monastery of St.
Remigius, at Kheims, was writing books of instruction for his stu-
dents, which are still extant. Marianus Scotus, whose chronicles
are considered the most perfect compositions of their times, was
teaching at Cologne. St. Fingen, who succeeded St. Cadroe as
Abbot of the Monastery of St. Felix at Metz, was invested with
the government of the Monastery of St. Symphorian in that city.4
It was then ordered by the bishop, that none but Irish monks
should be received into his house, unless their supply failed. In
975 the Monastery of St. Martin, near Cologne, was made over to
the Irish monks in perpetuity. Happily, however, Ireland still re-
tained many of her pious and gifted sons. We have mentioned
elsewhere the Annals of Tighernach, and the remarkable erudition
they evince. The name of Cormae Mac Cullinan may also be
added to the list of literary men of the period. The poems of
Kenneth O'Hartigan are still extant, as well as those of Eochd
OTlynn, The authorship of the Wars of the Gaedhil and the
Golly has been attributed to Brian Boroimhe's secretary, Mac Liag ;
it is, at least, tolerably certain that it was written by one who wit-
nessed the events described. The obituaries of several saints also
oceur at the close of the tenth and commencement of the eleventh
centuries. Amongst these we find St. Duncheadh, Abbot of Clon-
macnois, who is said to have been the last Irish saint who raised
the dead. St. Aedh (Hugh) died in the year 1004, " after a good
life, at Ard-Macha, with great honour and veneration." And in
the year 1018, we have the mortuary record of St. Gormgal, of
Ardvilean, "the remains of whose humble oratory and clogh/m
cell are still to be seen on that rocky island, amid the surges
of the Atlantic, off the coast, of Connemara."6
M City. — Some Irish religious are also said to have lived in amity with Greek
monks, who were established at Tours, in France ; and it is said that the Irish
joined them in the performance of the ecclesiastical offices in their own
language.
• Connemara. — Haverty's History of Ireland, p. 156. 8ce also an interest*
ing note on this subject in the Chronioum Sootornm.
DOMESTIC FEUDS,
Dr. Todd has veil observed, in his admirably written " Intro
duction" to the Jfrars of the Gaedhil and the Gall, that from iht
death of Malachy to the days of Stroiigbow, the history of Ireland
is little more thaa a history of the struggles for ascendency betv
the great clans or families of O'Neill, O'Connor, O'Brien, and the
chieftains of I
After the death of Brian Boroimh6, his son Donoagh obtained
the undisputed sovereignty of Mimater. He defeated the Dea-
momaiis, ind instigated the murder of his brother Teigtie. His next
step was to claim the title of King of Ireland, but he had a for-
midable opponent in Dermod Mac Mael-»a-mbo, King of L<m;
Btnnge bo say, though he had the guilt of fratricide on his
conscience, he assembled the clergy and chieftains of Munster at
Killaloe, in the year 1050, to pass laws for the protection of life
and property— a famine, which occurred at this time, making inch
precautions of the fim oeoeBSity. In 1063, his nephew, Turtoi
avenged the death of Teigne, in a battle, wherein Donough was
defeated After his reverse he went on a pilgrimage to Rome,
where he died in the following year, after doing penance for his
brothers murder* The Annals say that " he died under the victory
of penance, in the Monastery of Stephen the Martyr/'6 Derrood
Mac Mael-na-nibo was killed in battle by the King of Meath, a*d.
10T9| and Turlough O'Brien, consequently, was regarded as his
successor to the monarchy of Ireland- Turlough, as ustial,
commenced by taking hostages, but he found serious opposition
from the northern Hy-Nials. His principal opponents wen-
Mae Loughlina of Aileaeh, and the O'Melaghlins of Meath. In 1
O'Brien iuvadvd the territory of Koderic O'Connor, King of I
naught, expelled him from his kingdom, and plundered it as far as
Croagh Patrick, Next year he led an army to Dublin, and ree>
the submission of the men of Heath, appointing his son Muitotigh
lord of the D&QQ8 of Dublin. The Annals of the Four Masters give
a curious account of O'Brien's death* They say that the head of
* M ftrtt/i*. — Page 887* The famine hi the preceding year ia also recorded,
as well wd the chulic and "lumps," which prevailed in Lcliwter,, and also
aprcad throngboat Ireland, Donough was married to an English princes*,
Drielhi, the daughter of the English Earl Godwin, and sister of Harold, a
wardi King of EoglantL During the rebellion of Godwin and his sons against
Edward the Confetter, Harold WU obliged to take refuge in Ireland, mad
Pnrnrml there l4 all the winter on the kiuga aeeurity,"
PESTILENCE AND SEVERE WINTERS. 223
Connor O'Melaghlin, King of Meath, was taken from the church of
Clonmacnois, and brought to Thomond, by his order. When the
king took the head in his hand, a mouse ran out of it, and the
shock was so great that "he fell ill of a sore disease by the
miracles (intervention) of St. Ciaran." This happened on the night
of Good Friday. The day of the resurrection (Easter Sunday) the
head was restored, with two rings of gold as a peace-offering. But
Turlough never recovered from the effects of his fright, and lingered
on in bad health until the year 1086, when he died. He is called
the " modest Turlough " in the Annals, for what special reason does
not appear. It is also recorded that he performed " intense penance
for his sins " — a grace which the kings and princes of Ireland seem
often to have needed, and, if we may believe the Annals, always to
have obtained.
A period of anarchy ensued, during which several princes con-
tended for royal honours. This compliment was finally awarded
to Mac Loughlin, King of Aileach, and a temporary peace ensued.
Its continuance was brief. In 1095 there was a pestilence all over
Europe, " and some say that the fourth part of the men of Ireland
died of the malady." A long list is given of its victims, lay and
ecclesiastical. Several severe winters are recorded as having pre-
ceded this fatal event; probably they were its remote cause. In the
year 1096, the festival of St. John Baptist fell on Friday. This event
caused general consternation, in consequence of some old prophecy.
A resolution " of the clergy of Ireland, with the successor of St.
Patrick7 at their head," enjoined a general abstinence from
Wednesday to Sunday every month, with other penitential obser-
vances ; and " the men of Ireland were saved for that time from
the fire of vengeance."8
But the most important event of the period was the contention
between the northern and southern Hy-Nials. Murtough was
planning, with great military ability, to obtain the supreme rule.
The Archbishop of Armagh and the clergy strove twice to avert
hostilities, but their interference was almost ineffectual. " A year's
peace" was all they could obtain. In the year 1100, Murtough
7 SL Patrick. — It is observable all through the Annals, how the name and
spiritual authority of St. Patrick' is revered. This expression occurs regularly
from the earliest period, wherever the Priniate of Ireland is mentioned.
• Vengeance, — See O'Curry, passim, for curious traditions or so-called pro-
phecies about St John Baptists Day.
MURTOUGH'S CIRCUIT OF IRELAND.
brought a Danish fleet against the northerns, but they were cut off
by O'Loughlin, " by killing or drowning." He also assembled an
army at Assaroe, near Ballyshannon, " with the choice part of the
men of Ireland," but the Cinel-Connaill defended their country
bravely, and compelled him to retire "without booty, without
hostages, without pledges." In 1101, when the twelvemonths' truce
obtained by the clergy had expired, Murtough collected a powerful
army, and devastated the north, without opposition. He demo-
lished the palace of the Hy-Nials, called the Grianan of Aileach.9
This was an act of revenge for a similar raid, committed a few years
before, on the stronghold of the O'Briens, at Kincora, by O'Loughlin.
So determined was he on devastation, that he commanded a stone
to be carried away from the building in each of the sacks which
had contained provisions for the army. He then took hostages of
Ulidia, and returned to the south, having completed the circuit of
Ireland in six weeks. The expedition was called the " circuitous
hosting." His rather original method of razing a palace, is comme-
morated in the following quatrain : —
" I never heard of the billeting of grit stones,
Though I heard [*ic] of the billeting of companies,
Until the stones of Aileach was billeted
On the horses of the king of the west."1
Murtough appears to have been a not unusual compound of piety
and profanity. We read in one place of his reckless exploits in
burning churches and desecrating shrines, and in others of his
liberal endowments of the same.
The Danes had now settled quietly in the mercantile towns
which they had mainly contributed to form, and expended all
their energies on commerce instead of war ; but the new generation
of Northmen, who had not yet visited Ireland, could not so easily
relinquish the old project of conquering it. About the year 1101,
Magnus planned an expedition to effect this purpose. He arrived
in Dublin the following year ; a " hosting of the men of Ireland
came to oppose him ;"2 but they made peace with him for one
year, and Murtough gave his daughter in marriage to his son Sitric,
" with many jewels and gifts." The year 1103 was distinguished for
9 Aileach,— -The remains of this fortress are still visible near Londonderry,
and are called Grianan-Elagh.
1 West.— Annals, vol ii. p. 969. • ITim—Ib. p. 973.
A KING SENT TO THE ISLE OF MAN. 225
sanguinary conflicts. Murdhadh Drun was killed on a predatory
excursion in Magh Cobha. Kaghnall Ua h-Ocain,3 lawgiver of
Felach Og, was slain by the men of Magh. Itha. There was a
"great war" between the Cinel-Eoghain and the Ulidians; and
Murtough O'Brien, with the men of Minister, Leinster, and Ossory,
the chiefs of Connaught, and the men of Meath and their kings,
proceeded to Magh Cobha (Donaghmore, co. Down) to relieve the
Ulidians. When the men of Munster " were wearied," Murtough
proceeded to Ard-Macha, and left eight ounces of gold upon the
altar, and promised eightscore cows. The northern Hy-Nials then
attacked the camp of the Leinster men, and a spirited battle was
fought. The Cinel-Eoghain and Cinel-Oonnaill returned victoriously
and triumphantly to their forts, with valuable jewels and much
wealth, together with the royal tent, the standard, and jewels.
Magnus, King of Lochlann and the Isles, was slain by the Uli-
dians this year.
It is noticeable that, in the Annals of the Four Masters, obituaries
of saints or good men always occupy the first place. The Annals
of this year are of unusual length ; but they commence with the
obituary of Murchadh O'Flanaghan, Arrchinneach of Ardbo, a pa-
ragon of wisdom and instruction, who died on his pilgrimage at
Ard-Macha. A priest of Kildare is also mentioned, and the '
Tanist- Abbot of Clonmacnois, a prosperous and affluent man.
It would appear that the Irish were sufficiently occupied with
domestic wars to prevent their offering assistance elsewhere. This,
however, was not the case. When Harold returned to England, his
brother-in-law, Donough, lent him nine ships; and we find the Irish
affording assistance in several other feuds of the Anglo-Saxons of this
period. A deputation of the nobles of Man and other islands visited
Dublin, and waited on Murtough O'Brien to solicit a king. He
sent his nephew, Donnell ; but he was soon expelled on account of
his tyranny. Another Donnell O'Brien, his cousin, was, at the
same time, lord of the Danes in Dublin. In 1114 Mustough
O'Brien was obliged to resign the crown in consequence of ill-
health; the Annals say that he became a living skeleton. His
brother, Dermod, took advantage of this circumstance to declare
* Ua h-Oeam. — Now anglicised O'Hagan. This family had the special
privilege of crowning the O'Neills, and were their hereditary Brehons. The
Right Honorable Judge O'Hagan is, we believe, the present head of the
family.
P
himself King of Munster. This obliged Murtough to resume th*
reins of government, and pnt himself at the head of his army, He
succeeded in making Dermod prisoner, but eventually he was obliged
to resign the kingdom to him* and retired into the Monastt
Lkmore, where he died in 1110, The Annals call him the
of the glory and magnificence of the western world. In the same
year Kial Mac Lochlann, royal heir of Aileach and of Ireland,
fell by the Cinel-Moain, in the twenty-eighth year of his ago. He
was the li paragon of Ireland, for personal form, sense, hospitality,
and learning." The Chief Ollanth of Ireland, Cucolkhoille ua Biagh-
eailain, was killed by the men of Lug and Tuatha-ratha (Tooragh, co>
Fermanagh), with his wife, M two very good sons/' and fivo-and-
thirty persons in one house, on the Saturday before Little Ea
The cause of tins outrage is not mentioned- The Annals of
Four Masters and the Annals of Ulster record the same event,
mention that he was distinguished lor charity, hospitality, and uni-
versal benevolence.
Donneli G'Loughh'n died in 1 1 21, in the Monastery of St Coin
at Derrji He is styled King of Ireland, although the power of hb
southern rival preponderated during the greater part of his re
In 11 IB Boxy OrConnor died in the Monastery of Clonmat
' He had been blinded some years previously by the OTlaherties.
This cruel custom was sometimes practised to prevent the bh
of an obnoxious person, as freedom from every blemish was a sine
tfia nm in Eriim for a candidate to royal honours, Teigu© Mac
Carfchy, King of Desmond, died, " after penance,'* at Cashel, AD.
1124. From the time of Murtough O'Brien's illness, Turl
O'Connor, son of the prince who had been blinded, comes prominently
forward in Irish history. His object was to exalt the Eoghanists
or Desmonian family, who had been virtually excluded from the*
succession since the time of Brian Boroimhe. In 1 1 1 6 lie plundered
Thomond as far as Limerick In II IS ho led an aimy as lax as
Glanmire (co. Cork), and divided Munster, giving Desmond to
Mac Carthy, and Thomond to the sons of Dermod O'Brien. He
then marched to Dublin, and took hostages from the Dames*
releasing Donneli, son of the King of Meath, whom they hm
captivity. The following year he sailed down the Shannon with a
fleet, and destroyed the royal palace of Kincora, hurling its stones
and timber beams into the river. He then devoted himself to
wholesale plundering, and expelled his late ally and father-in-law
F
SYNOD AT FIDH AENGUSSA. 227
■ — «
from Meafch, ravaging the country from Traigh Ii (Tralee) to the
sanctuary lands of Iismore. In 1126 he bestowed the kingdom of
Dublin on his son Cormac. In 1127 he drove Cormac Mac Carthy
from his kingdom, and divided Munster in three parts. In fact,
there was such a storm of war throughout the whole country, that
St Celsus was obliged to interfere, He spent a month and a year
trying to establish peace, and promulgating rules and good customs
in every district, among the laity and clergy. His efforts to teach
" good rules and manners " seem to have been scarcely effectual, for
we find an immediate entry of the decapitation of Euaidhri, after
he had made a "treacherous prey" in Aictheara. In the year
1128 the good Archbishop succeeded in making a year's truce
between the Connaught men and the men of Munster. The fol-
lowing year the saint died at Ardpatrick, where he was making a
visitation. He was only fifty years of age, but anxiety and care
had worn him old. St. Celsus was buried at Lismore, and interred
in the cemetery of the bishops.
We must now give a brief glance at the ecclesiastical history of
Ireland, before narrating the events which immediately preceded
the English invasion.
In the year 1111 a synod was convened at Fidh Aengussa, or
Aengus GroVe, ntfar the Hill of Uisneach, in Westmeath. It was
attended by fifty bishops, 300 priests, and 3,000 religious. Mur-
tough O'Brien was also permitted to be present, and some of the
nobles of his province. The object of the synod was to institute
rules of life and manners for the clergy and people. St. Celsus,
the Archbishop of Armagh, and Maelmuire4 or Marianus O'Dunain,
Archbishop of Cashel, were present. Attention had already been
directed to certain abuses in ecclesiastical discipline. Such abuses
must always arise from time to time in the Church, through the
frailty of her members; but these abuses are always carefully
reprehended as they arise, so that she is no longer responsible
for them. It is remarkable that men of more than ordinary
sanctity have usually been given to the Church at such periods.
Some have withheld heretical emperors from deeds of evil, and
some have braved the fury of heretical princes. In Ireland, hap-
pily, the rulers needed not such opposition ; but when the country
4 Maelmuire.— " The servant of Mary." Devotion to the Mother of God,
which is still a special characteristic of the Irish nation, was early manifested
by the adoption of this name.
228 SUBJECTS CONSIDERED IN THE SYNOD.
had been again and again devastated by war, whether from foreign
or domestic sources, the intervention of saintly men was especially
needed to restore peace, and to repair, as far as might be, the
grievous injury which war always inflicts on the social state of those
who have suffered from its devastations.
Lanfranc, the great Archbishop of Canterbury, had already
noticed the state of the Irish Church. He was in constant commu-
nication with the Danish bishops, who had received consecration
from him ; and their accounts were probably true in the main,
however coloured by prejudice. He wrote an earnest epistle to
Turlough O'Brien, whom he addresses respectfully as King of
Ireland, and whose virtues as a Christian prince he highly com-
mends. His principal object appears to have been to draw the
king's attention- to an abuse, of which the Danes had informed him,
with regard to the sacrament of matrimony. This subject shall be
noticed again. Pope Gregory VII. also wrote to Turlough, but
principally on the temporal authority of the Holy See.
The synod had four special subjects for consideration : (1) First,
to regulate the number of bishops — an excessive and undue multipli-
cation of episcopal dignity having arisen from the custom of creating
chorepiscopi or rural bishops. It was now decided that there should
be but twenty-four dioceses — twelve for the northern and twelve
for the southern half of Ireland. Cashel was also recognized as an
archiepiscopal see, and the successor of St. Jarlath was sometimes
called Archbishop of Connaught. The custom of lay appropriations,
which had obtained in some places, was also firmly denounced.
This was an intolerable abuse. St. Celsus, the Archbishop of
Armagh, though himself a member of the family who had usurped
this office, made a special provision in his will that he should
be succeeded by St. Malachy. This saint obtained a final victory
over the sacrilegious innovators, but not without much personal
suffering.6 »
The (2) second abuse which was now noticed, referred to the
sacrament of matrimony. The Irish were accused of abandoning
their lawful wives and taking others, of marrying within the degrees
6 Suffering. — This abuse was not peculiar to the Irish Church. A canon of
the Council of London, a.d. 1125, was framed to prevent similar lay appro-
priations. In the time of Cambrensis there were lay (so called) abbots, who
took the property of the Church into their own hands, and made their children
receive holy orders that they might enjoy the revenues.
ST. MALACHY. 229
of consanguinity, and it was said that in Dublin wives were even
exchanged. Usher, in commenting on the passage in Lanfranc's
letter which refers to these gross abuses, observes that the custom
of discarding wives was prevalent among the Anglo-Saxons and in
Scotland. This, however, was no excuse for the Irish. The custom
to a remnant of pagan contempt of the female sex, — a contempt
from which women were never fully released, until Christianity re- /
stored the fallen, and the obedience of the second Eve had atoned
for the disobedience of the first. It appears, however, that these
immoralities were' almost confined to the half-Christianised Danes,
who still retained many of their heathen customs. The canons of '
St Patrick, which were always respected by the native Irish, forbid
such practices ; and the synod, therefore, had only to call on the
people to observe the laws of the Church more strictly.
Two other subjects, (3) one regarding the consecration of bishops,
the other (4) referring to the ceremonies of baptism, were merely
questions of ecclesiastical discipline, and as such were easily ar-
ranged by competent authority. In St. Anselm's correspondence
with the prelates of the south of Ireland, he passes a high eulogium
on their zeal and piety, while he deplores certain relaxations of
discipline, which they were as anxious to reform as he could
desire.
We have already mentioned that St. Celsus appointed St.
Malachy his successor in the Archiepiscopal See of Armagh.
Malachy had been educated by the Abbot Imar O'Hagan, who pre-
sided over the great schools of that city ; and the account given of
bis early training, sufficiently manifests the ability of his gifted
instructor, and the high state of intellectual culture which existed
in Ireland. While still young, St. Malachy undertook the re-
storation of the famous Abbey of Bangor, Here he erected a
ffftuJI oratory of wood, and joined himself to a few devoted men
ardent for the perfection of a religious life. He was soon after
elected Bishop of Connor. With the assistance of some of his
faithful monks, he restored what war and rapine had destroyed ;
and was proceeding peacefully and successfully in his noble work,
when he was driven from his diocese by a hostile prince. He now
fled to Cormac Mac Carthy, King of Desmond f but he was not
• Desjnond.See the commencement of this chapter, for an illustration of
tbe ruins of its ancient rath and the more modern castle. These remains are
among the most interesting in Ireland.
230
ST* UALACHY.
permitted to remain here long. The See of Armagh was vacated
by the death of St. Celsus, and Malachy was obliged to commence
another arduous mission. It is said that it almost required threats
of excommunication to induce him to undertake the charge. Bishop
Gilbert of limerick, the Apostolic-Delegate, and Bishop Mai elms of
Iismore, with other bishops and several chieftains, visited him in
the monastery which he had erected at Ibrarii,7 and at last obtained
compliance by promising him permission to retire when he hid
restored order in his new diocese*
-3j
5B9"
;•
^-^.-.-^--r- .-— _- •
EAKGOtt CA5TLR,
St- Malachy found his mission as painful as he had anticipated
The lay intruders were making a last attempt to keep up their
evil custom ; and, after the death of the usurper who made this
■ false claim, another person attempted to continue it ; hut popular
feeling was so strong against the wretched man, that he was obliged
to fly Ecclesiastical discipline was soon restored ; and after Ma-
laeby had made a partition of the diocese, he was permitted to resign
in favour of Gelasius, then Abbot of the great Columbian Monas-
tery of Derry,
» Ihratfi.— Supposed to be Ivragb, m Kerry, wliEch was part of Cotmta
Mac Carthy1* kingdom.
ST. MALACHY VISITS ROME. 231
Bat peace was not yet established in Ireland. I shall return
again to the narrative of domestic feuds, which made it a " trem-
bling sod," the O'Loughlins of Tyrone being the chief aggressors ;
for the present we must follow the course of ecclesiastical history
briefly. St. Malachy was now appointed Bishop of Down, to which
his old see of Connor was united. He had long a desire to visit
Rome — a devotional pilgrimage of the men of Erinn from the ear-
liest period. He was specially anxious to obtain a formal recognition
of the archiepiscopal sees in Ireland, by the granting of palliums.
On his way to the Holy City he visited St. Bernard at Clairvaux,
and thus commenced and cemented the friendship which forms so
interesting a feature in the lives of the French and Irish saints. It
is probable that his account of the state of the Irish Church took a
tinge of gloom from the heavy trials he had endured in his efforts
to remove its temporary abuses. St. Bernard's ardent and impe-
tuous character, even his very affectionateness, would lead him also
to look darkly on the picture : hence the somewhat over-coloured
accounts he has given of its state at that eventful period. St
Malachy returned to Ireland after an interview with the reigning
Pontiff, Pope Innocent II. His Holiness had received him with
open arms, and appointed him Apostolic Legate ; but he declined
to give the palliums, until they were formally demanded by the
Irish prelates.
In virtue of his legatine power, the saint assembled local synods
in several places. He rebuilt and restored many churches ; and
in 1142 he erected the famous Cistercian Abbey of Mellifont, near
Drogheda. This monastery was liberally endowed by O'CarroU,
King of Oriel, and was peopled by Irish monks, whom St. Malachy
had sent to Clairvaux, to be trained in the Benedictine rule and
observances. But his great act was the convocation of the Synod
of Inis Padraig. It was held in the year 1148. St. Malachy pre-
sided as Legate of the Holy See; fifteen bishops, two hundred priests/
and some religious were present at the deliberations, which lasted for
four days. The members of the synod were unwilling that Malachy
should leave Ireland again; but Eugene III., who had been a Cister-
cian monk, was visiting Clairvaux, and it was hoped he might
grant the favour there. The Pope had left the abbey when the
saint arrived, who, in a few days after, was seized with mortal sick-
ness, and died on the 2nd November, 1148. His remains were
interred at Clairvaux. His feast was changed from the 2nd of
232 TURLOUGH O'CONNOR AND CONNOR OBRIKN.
November, All Souls, to the 3rd, by " the seniors," that he might be
the more easily revered and honoured.
In 1151 Cardinal Paparo arrived in Ireland with the palliums
which had been solicited by St. Malachy. The insignia of dignity
were conferred the following year, at the Council of Kells. Tithes
were then introduced for the first time in Ireland, but they were
not enforced until after the English invasion.
It will be remembered that we turned to ecclesiastical history,
after mentioning the year's truce (A.D. 1 128) which had been made,
through the intervention of St. Celsus, between the men of Munster
and Connaught. In 1129 the great Church of Clonmacnois was
robbed8 of some of its greatest treasures. Amongst these was &
model of Solomon's Temple, presented by a prince of Meath, and a
silver chalice burnished with gold, which had been engraved by a
sister of King Turlough O'Connor — an evidence that the ladies of
Ireland were by no means behind the age in taste and refinement.
After the death of Donnell O'Loughlin, Turlough had full scope
for the exercise of his ambitious projects; but in 1131 he found
serious opposition from Connor O'Brien, who had succeeded his
father, Dermod, on the throne of Munster. Connor now carried off
hostages from Leinster and Meath, and defeated the cavalry of
x Connaught. The following year he sent a fleet to the western coast
of Ireland. Eventually Turlough O'Connor was glad to make a
truce with his opponents. In 1184 the consecration of a church
at Cashel was celebrated. This is still known as Cormac's Chapel,
and was long supposed to have been erected by the more ancient
monarch of that name. But the good king was soon after
treacherously slain in his own house, by Turlough O'Connor and
the two sons of the O'Connor of Kerry. Turlough was unquestion-
ably somewhat Spartan in his severities, if not Draconian in his
administration of justice. In 1106 he put out the eyes of his own
son, Hugh, and in the same year he imprisoned another son, named
Eoderic. The nature of their offences is not manifest ; but Roderic
8 Bobbed. — In MacGeoghegan's translation of the Annals of Clonmacnois he
says : — " The clergy of Clone made incessant prayer to God and St. Keyran,
to be a means for the revelation of the party that took away the said jewels."
The " party" was a Dane. Ho was discovered, and hung in 1130. It is said
. that he entered several ships to leave the country, but they could get no
wind, while other vessels sailed off freely.— Annals of the Four Masters, vol ii»
p. 1035.
ANNALS CAREFULLY KEPT AT ARD-MACHA. 233
was liberated through the interference of the clergy. Seven years
after he was again imprisoned, " in violation of the most solemn
pledges and guarantees." The clergy again interfered ; from which
we may infer that he was a favourite. They even held a public
feast at Kathbrendan on his behalf; but he was not released until
the following year. In the year 1136 we find the obituary of the
chief keeper of the calendar of Ard-Macha, on the night of Good
Friday. He is also mentioned as its chief antiquary and librarian,
an evidence that the old custom was kept up to the very eve of the
English invasion. The obituary of Donnell O'DufFy, Archbishop of
Connaught, is also given. He died after Mass and celebration ;
according to the Annals of Clonmacnois, he had celebrated Mass by
himself, at Clonfert, on St. Patrick's Day, and died immediately
after. About the same time the Breinemen behaved " so exceed-
ingly outrageou?," that they irreverently stript O'Daly, arch-poet of
Ireland, " of all his clothes."
In the meantime domestic wars multiplied with extraordinary
rapidity. Dermod Mac Murrough, the infamous King of Leinster,
now appears for the first time in the history of that country which
be mainly contributed to bring under the English yoke. He
commenced his career of perfidy by carrying off the Abbess of
Kildare from her cloister, killing 170 of the people of Kildare,
who interfered to prevent this wanton and sacrilegious outrage.
In 1141 he endeavoured to crush the opposers of his atrocious
tyranny by a barbarous onslaught, in which he killed two nobles,
put out the eyes of another, and blinded9 seventeen chieftains of
inferior rank. A fitting commencement of his career of treachery
towards his unfortunate country ! In 1148 a temporary peace was
made by the Primate of Armagh between the northern princes,
who had carried on a deadly feud ; but its duration, as usual, was
brief. Turlough O'Brien was deposed by Teigue in 1151. He was
assisted by Turlough O'Connor and the infamous Dermod. The
united armies plundered as far as MoinM6r,1 where they encountered
9 Blinded. — In 1165 Henry II. gratified his irritation against the Welsh by
laying hands npon the hostages of their noblest families, and commanding
that the eyes of the males should be rooted out, and the ears and noses of the
females cut off; and yet Henry is said to have been liberal to the poor, and
though passionately devoted to the chase, he did not inflict either death or
mutilation on the intruders in the royal forests.
2 Main Mdr. — Now Moanmore, county Tipperary.
3 34
THE SYNOD AT MELLIFONT.
the Datcassian forces, returning from the plunder of Desmond. A
sanguinary combat ensued, and the men of north Munster Buffered
a dreadful slaughter, leaving 7,000 dead upon the field of battle.
This terrible sacrifice of life is attributed to the mistaken valour of
the Dal-Cak, who would neither fly nor ask quarter.
In 1157 a synod was held in the Abbey of Mellifimt, attended
by the Bishop of Lismore, Legate of the Holy See, the Primate, and
seventeen other bishops, Murtough O'Loughlin, the Monarch of
Ireland, and several other kings, were also present. The principal
object of this meeting was the consecration of the abbey church
and the excommunication of Donough O'Melaghiin, who had become
the common pest of the country. He was, as might be expected,
the particular friend and ally of Dermod Mac Murrough* His last
exploit was the murder of a neighbouring chief, despite the most
solemn pledges. In an old translation of the Annals of Ulster,
he is termed, with more force than elegance, " a cursed atheist.**
After his excommunication, his brother Dermod was made King of
Meath, in his plage.
At this synod several rich gifts were made to the abbey.
O'CarrolL Prince of Oriel, presented sixty ounces of gold* O'Loughlin
made a grant of lands, gave one hundred and forty cows and sixty
ouuees of gold, The Lady Dervorgil gave the same donation in
gold, together with a golden chalice for the altar of Mary, with
gifts for each of the other nine altars of the church. Dervorgil
was the wife of Tiernan O'Rourke, Lord of Brenm, who had b
dispossessed of his territories in 1152 ; at the same lime she waa
carried oft* by Dermod Mac Murrough. Her abduction
to have been effected with her own consent, as she carried off the
cattle which had formed her dowry. Her husband, it would
appear, had treated her harshly* Eventually she retired to the
Monastery of Mellifont, where she endeavoured to atone for her
past misconduct by a life of penance.
Another synod was held in the year 1158, at Trim. Deny
then erected into an episcopal see, and Fiahertach O'Brolcha
Abbot of St. Columba's Monastery, was consecrated its first bishops
The bishops of Connaught were intercepted and plundered by
Dermod's soldiers* they therefore returned and held a provincial
synod in Roscommon*
In 114>2 St. Laurence O'Toole was chosen to succeed Greine, or
Gregory, the Danish Archbishop of Dublin. He belonged to one
ST. LAURENCE OTOOLE. 235
of the most noble ancient families of Leinster. His father was
chieftain of the district of Hy-Muirahy, a portion of the present
county Kildare. St. Laurence had chosen the ecclesiastical state
early in life ; at the age of twenty-five he was chosen Abbot of St.
Kevin's Monastery, at Glendalough. The Danish Bishop of Dublin
had been consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the
saint received the episcopal office from the successor of St. Patrick.
A synod was held at Clane the year of his. consecration ; it was
attended by twenty-six prelates and many other ecclesiastics. The
college of Armagh was then virtually raised to the rank of a uni-
versity, as it was decreed that no one, who had not been an alumnus
of Armagh, should be appointed lector or professor of theology in
any of the diocesan schools in Ireland. Indeed, the clergy at this
period were most active in promoting the interests of religion, and
most successful in their efforts, little anticipating the storm which
was then impending over their country.
In 1166 the Irish Monarch, O'Loughlin, committed a fearful out-
rage on Dunlevy, Prince of Dalriada. A peace had been ratified
between them, but, from some unknown cause, O'Loughlin sud-
denly became again the aggressor, and attacked the northern chief,
when he was unprepared, put out his eyes, and killed three of his
leading officers. This cruel treachery so provoked the princes
who had guaranteed the treaty, that they mustered an army at
once and proceeded northwards. The result was a sanguinary
engagement, in which the Ginel-Eoghan were defeated, and the
Monarch, O'Loughlin, was slain. Eoderick O'Connor immediately
assumed the reins of government, and was inaugurated in Dublin
with more pomp than had ever been manifested on such an occasion.
It was the last glittering flicker of the expiring lamp. Submission
was made to him on every side ; and had he only possessed the
ability or the patriotism* to unite the forces under his command, he
might well have set all his enemies at defiance. An assembly of
the clergy and chieftains of Ireland was convened in 1167, which
is said to have emulated, if it did not rival, the' triennial Fes of
ancient Tara. It was but the last gleam of sunlight, which indi-
cates the coming of darkness and gloom. The traitor already had
his plans prepared, and was flying from a country which scorned
his meanness, to another country where that meanness was made
the tool of political purposes, while the unhappy traitor was pro-
bably quite as heartily despised.
AaOMOKK K<JUM> TOWZh,
CHAPTER XV.
Serial Et'fc arruiotis to Uk English 31n hasten— Domestic Habitations— F<
LOAfd and Staigue — Craanogea and Log-houaea— Interior of the Bona*.*
The Hall— jfooh into GToofcma QilenriU— Regulations About Food— H
Kind of Food used— Aniin&l Food — Fish — Game — Drink ano Drinking
Vre«b<— Whisky— Heath. Beer — Mead— Animal fJroaucc — Butter and
Cheese— Fire— Candles — ©crupalkme anti flmuro mentis — Chesa — Music —
D vrss — Silk — Linen — Ancient Woollen Garmeota — Gold
fpratrt— General Description of the Fauna and Flora of the Country,
USTOMS which illustrate the social life of our
ancestors, are scarcely the least interesting or im-
portant elements of history . Before we enter
upon that portion of our annals which commence*
with the English invasion, under the auspices of
Henry II., we shall give a brief account of the
habitations, manners, customs, dress, food, and
amusements of the people of Ireland. Happily
there is abundant and authentic information oil
this subject, though we may be obliged to delve
beneath the tertiary deposits of historical strata
in order to obtain all that is required. English
society and English social life were more or
less influenced by Ireland from the fifth to the
twelfth century. The monks who had emigrated
to " Saxon laud " were men of considerable intellectual culture,
and, as such, had a preponderating influence, creditable alike to
B^B^H
V
FORTS — DRY-WALL MASONRY. 237
fclicunselves and to those who bowed to its sway. From the twelfth
to tlae sixteenth century, English manners and customs were intro-
duced in Ireland within the Pale. The object of the present chap-
ter is to show the social state of the country before the English in-
v^asxcm — a condition of society which continued for some centuries
l&'fcex in the western and southern parts of the island.
IThe pagan architecture of public erections has already been as
folly considered as our limits would permit. Let us turn from
pillar-stones, cromlechs, and cairns, to the domestic habitations
"wlxich preceded Christianity, and continued in use, with gradual
i-mj^rovements, until the period when English influence introduced
fcti« comparative refinements which it had but lately received from
Norman sources. The raths, mounds, and forts, whose remains still
^xist throughout the country, preceded the castellated edifices,
xxxsKXiy of which were erected in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries,
Principally by English settlers. The rath was probably used for
tvLie protection and enclosure of cattle ; and as the wealth of the
^ouxitry consisted principally in its herds, it was an important
^^ject. Its form is circular, having an internal diameter averag-
^^ from forty to two hundred feet, encompassed by a mound and
°**fcer fosse or ditch. In some localities, where stone is abundant
r11** the soil shallow, rude walls have been formed : the raths,
° Weaver, are principally earthwork alone. Forts were erected for
efe**ce, and the surrounding fosse was filled with water. They
e*^» in fact, the prototypes of the more modern castle and
^^-t* These forts were sometimes of considerable size, and in
c*x cases were surrounded by several fosses and outworks. They
. ^^ approached by a winding inclined plane, which at once facili-
, **^«4 the entrance of friends, and exposed comers with hostile in-
p **i^Mi8 to the concentrated attacks of the garrison. The fort at
*. ^^fcard is a good example of this kind of building. It is probably
^^nsiderable antiquity, though it has been improved and rebuilt
^ ^*^me portions at a more modern period. The interior of it
x^*^nces the existence of several different apartments. An ap-
* 5^^-ch internally has been exposed on one side, and exhibits a
• 5*^i flat arch of common masonry, springing from the top of two
* **^ walls, the whole well-constructed.
^ *V>rts of dry-wall masonry, which are, undoubtedly, the more an-
T****t, are very numerous in the south-west of Ireland. It is pro-
^V>Ie that similar erections existed throughout the country at a
STAJOTJE FORT,
former period, and that their preservation is attributable to the
remoteness of the district* The most perfect of these ancient habi-
tations is that of Staiguo Fort, near Dercyquin Castle, Kenniare.
Tliis fort has an internal diameter of eighty-eight feet. The
masonry k composed of Hat-bedded stones of the slate rock of tho
country, which show every appearance of being quarried, or care*
fully broken from larger blocks. There is no appearance of dressed
work in the construction ; but the slate would not admit of this,
as it splinters away under the slightest blow. Still the building
is an admirable example of constructive masonry ; it is almost
impossible to dislodge any fragment from off the filling stones
from the face of the wall A competent authority has pronounced
that these struct ores cannot be equalled by any dry masonry <
where met with in the country, nor by any masonry of the kind
erected in the present day,- Some small stone buildings are also
extant in this part of Ireland, but it is doubtful whether t
were used for ecclesiastical or domestic purposes. The crannoge
was another kind of habitation, and one evidently much used, and
evincing no ordinary skill in its construction. From the remains
found in these island habitations! we may form a clear idea of
customs and civilization of their inmates : their food is indicated
by the animal remains, which consist of several varieties of o.\
deer, goats, and sheep ; the implements of cookery remain, c
to the knife, and the blocks of stone blackened from long use as
fire-places; the arrows, which served for war or chase, are found
in abundance; the personal ornaments evidence the taste of
wearers^ and the skill of the artist ; while the canoe, usually of solid
oak, and carefully hidden away, tells its own tale how entrance
and exit were effected. Ono of the earliest crannoges which was
discovered and examined in modern times, was that of Lagere,
near Dunshaughlin, county Maath. It is remarkable that Loch Ga-
bhair is said to have been one of the nine lakes which burst forth in
Ireland, JL It 3581 . The destruction of this crannoge is recorded by
the Four Masters, A.D. 933, giving evidence that it was occir
up to that period. In 12-16 there is a record of the escape of
Turlough O'Connor from a crannoge, after he had drowned his
keepers ; from which it would appear such structures might be used
for prisons, and> probably, would be specially convenient for the
1 Day,— Wilkinson'* (kofogy and Architecture of Ireland, p. 6fll
DESCRIPTION OF AN ANCIENT LOG-HOUSE.
239
w
A-:
IV
detention of hostages. In 1560 we read that Teigue O'Rourke was
drowned as he was going across a lake to sleep in a crannoge ; and
even so late as the sixteenth century, crannoges were
declared to be the universal system of defence in the
north of Ireland.
Log-houses were also used, and were constructed of
beams and planks of timber, something like the Swiss
chalet. One of these ancient structures was discovered
in Drumhalin bog, county Donegal, in 1833. The
boose consisted of a square structure, twelve feet
wide and nine feet high : it was formed of rough
planks and blocks of timber ; the mortises were very
roughly cut — a stone celt,3 which was found lying
npon the floor, was, probably, the instrument used
to form them. The logs were most likely formed
by a stone axe.4 The roof was flat, and the house
consisted of two compartments, one over the other,
each four feet high. A paved causeway led from the
bouse to the fire-place, on which was a quantity of
ashes, charred wood, half-burnt turf, and hazle-nuts.
So ancient was this habitation, that twenty-six feet
of bog' had grown up around and over it. It is sup-
posed that this was only one portion of a collection
of houses, which were used merely as sleeping-places,
enclosure was also traced, portions of the gates of which were dis-
covered. A piece of a leathern sandal, an
arrow-headed flint, and a wooden sword,
were also found in the same locality.
It is probable that wattles and clay
formed the staple commodity for build-
ing material in ancient Erinn. Planks
and beams, with rough blocks of wood
or stone, were most likely reserved for stone axe.
the dwelling-place of chieftains. Such were the material used also
for the royal residence in Thorney Island, a swampy morass in the
CELT.
A slated'
9 Celt.— Catalogue of R. I. A. p. 43. This celt is the largest discovered in
Ireland, and is formed of coarse clay-slate. It is 22 inches long, 1 inch thick,
and 3f broad at the widest part. It was found in the bed of the river Black-
water, two miles below Charlexnont, county Armagh.
* Axe. — Catalogue of R. L A. p. 80. Sir W. Wilde pronounces this to be-
240 THE HALL.
Thames, secured by its insular position, where the early English
kings administered justice ; and such, probably, were the material of
the original Palais de Justice, where the kings of Gaul entrenched
themselves in &pal-lis, or impaled fort.
From the description which Wright5 gives of Anglo-Saxon domes-
tic architecture, it appears to have differed but little from that which
was in use at the same period in Ireland. The hall6 was the most im-
portant part of the building, and halls of stone are alluded to in a
religious poem at the beginning of the Exeter Book : " Yet, in the
earlier period at least, there can be little doubt that the materials
of building were chiefly wood." The hall, both in Erinn and
Saxon land, was the place of general meeting for all domestic par-
poses. Food was cooked and eaten in the same apartment ; the
<chief and his followers eat at the same time and in the same place.
On the subject of food we have ample details scattered incidentally
through our annals. Boiling was probably the principal method of
preparing meat, and for this purpose the Irish were amply provided
with vessels. A brazen cauldron is lithographed in the Ulster Ar-
chaeological Journal, which is a most interesting specimen of its kind.
It was found in a turf bog in the county Down, at a depth of five feet
from the surface ; and as this bog has been used from time imme-
morial for supplying the neighbourhood with fuel, and is remem-
bered to have been forty feet above its present level by a generation
now living, the antiquity of the vessel is unquestionable. As a
specimen of superior workmanship, the cauldron has been greatly
admired. It is made of sheets of gold-coloured bronze, evidently
formed by hammering : the rim is of much thicker metal than the
rest, and is rendered stiffer by corrugation — a process which has
been patented in England within the last dozen years, as a new and
valuable discovery.7
Cauldrons are constantly mentioned in the Book of Eights, in a
one of the most beautiful specimens of the stone battle-axe which has been
found in Ireland, both for design and execution. It is composed of fine-
grained remblendic sylicite, and is highly polished all over. It was found in
the river at Athlone.
6 Wrigld.— History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments, p. 11.
8 Hall.— Hence the term "hall" is still used to denote mausions of more
than ordinary importance. The hall was the principal part of the ancient
Saxon house, and the term used for the part was easily transferred to the
whole.
f Discovery.— -Ulster Arch. Journal, vol v. p. 83.
THE FOOD OF THE ANCIENT IRISH. %2i\
manner which shows that these vessels were in constant use. It
was one of the tributes to be presented in due form by the King of
Cashel to the King of Tara ; and in the will of Cahir Mdr, Monarch
of Ireland in the second century, fifty copper cauldrons are
amongst the items bequeathed to his family. Probably the poorer
classes, who could not afford such costly vessels, may have con-
tented themselves with roasting their food exclusively, unless,
indeed, they employed the primitive method of casting red hot
atones into water when they wished it boiled.
The exact precision which characterizes every legal enactment in
ancient Erinn, and which could not have existed in a state of bar-
barism, is manifested even in the regulations about food. Each
member of the chieftain's family had his appointed portion, and
there is certainly a quaintness in the parts selected for each. The
saoi of literature and the king were to share alike, as wo observed
when briefly alluding to this subject in the chapter on ancient Tara:
their portion was a prime steak. Cooks and trumpeters were
specially to be supplied with " cheering mead," it is to be supposed
bectase their occupations required more than ordinary libations ;
the historian was to have a crooked bone ; the hunter, a pig's
shoulder : in fact, each person and each office had its special por-
tion assigned8 to it, and the distinction of ranks and trades affords
matter of the greatest interest and of the highest importance to
the antiquarian. There can be but little doubt that the custom of
Tara was the custom of all the other kings and chieftains, and that
it was observed throughout the country in every family rich enough
to have dependents* This division of food was continued in the
Highlands of Scotland until a late period. Dr. Johnson mentions
it, in his Tour in the Hebrides, as then existing. He observes
that he had not ascertained the details, except that the smith9 had
the head.
The allowance for each day is also specified. Two cows, and two
tinttfs,1 and two pigs was the quantity for dinner. This allowance
8 Assigned.— Petrie's Tara, p. 200.
* Smith — The animals were brought to the smith, who knocked them down
with his big hammer : hence, probably, the name of Smithfield for a cattle
market. He was an important personage in the olden time. In the Odyssey,
as armourer, he ranks with the bard and physician.
1 ^mnif.—Dr. Petrie does not give the meaning of this word, but Dr.
O'Donovan supplies the deficiency in the Book of Eights, where he explains it
to mean a salted pdg, or in plain English, bacon.
Q
was for a hundred men. The places which the household wore to
occupy were also specified ; so that while all sat at a common table,*
there was, nevertheless, a certain distinction of rank. At Tara
there were different apartments, called inuhu, a word now used in
the north of Ireland to denote a couch or bed. The name probably
originated in the custom of sleeping in those halls, on the benches
which surrounded them, or on the floor near the fire-place. In the
ground plan of the banqueting hall at Tara, the house is shown as
divided into five parts, which are again divided into others. Each
of the two divisions extending along the side wall, is shown as
subdivided into twelve imdaat which here mean seats ; the central
division is represented as containing three fires at equal distances,
a vat, and a chain I
Benches were the eoati rood, even by persons of rank, until a L
period, In the French iCarlovingiau romances, even princes and
great barons sat on them. Chairs were comparatively rare, and
only used on state occasions, as late as the twelfth century.
Wright gives some curious woodcuts of persons conversing toget
who are seated on settles, or on seats Formed in the walls round
room ; such as may still be seen in monastic cloisters and the chapter
houses of our old cathedrals. Food winch had been roasted was
probably handed round to the guests on the spit on which it I
been cooked.3 Such at least was the Anglo-Saxon fashion ; and as
the Irish had spits, and as forks were an unknown luxury for i
turies later, we may presume they were served in a similar manner.
The food was varied and abundant, probably none the less whole-
some for being free from the Anglo-Norman refinements of cook'
introduced at a later period, For animal diet there were fat bee
dainty venison, pork, fresh and salted, evidently as favourite a dish
1 Table,— In the earliest ages of Tata's existence, the household may have
been served as they sat on the benches round the hall. The table was at first
simply a hoard ; hence we retain the term a hospitable board ; a board-
a room where a board was placed for writing on. The board was
away after dinner, and the trestles on which it stood, so as to leave room
the evening's amusements,
3 Cooked.^ Wright's Domestic Manner*, p S7. The knights in this engrav-
ing are usiri^ their shields as a substitute for a table, At p. 147 there is ma
illustration of the method of cooking on a a pit ; this U turned by a boy, Tho
Irish appear to have had a mechanical arrangement for this purpose some
qen tunes earber. Bellows, which are now so commonly used in Ireland, and
ao rare in England, appear to have been a Saxon invention.
f '
WHEAT PLANTED AT AN EARLY PERIOD. 243
*&h the ancients as with the moderns — except, alas ! that in the
£°od old times it was more procurable. Sheep and goats also varied
*toitre, with "smaller game," easily procured by chase, or shot down
**&h arrows or sling stones. The land abounded in " milk and
iofiey." Wheat was planted at an early period; and after the
ttfetnluction of Christianity, every monastic establishment had its
™ffl. There were "good old times" in Ireland unquestionably.
Even an English prince mentions " the honey and wheat, the gold
snd. silver,M which he found in " fair Innis-faiL" It is probable that
l^nd. -was cultivated then which now lies arid and unreclaimed, for
* Writer in the Ulster Archaeological Journal mentions having found
***&&* of tillage, when laying out drains in remote unproductive
^^ricts, several feet beneath the peaty soil. Dr. O'Donovan also
***ites in the same journal : " I believe the Irish have had wheat in
^*te more fertile valleys and plains from a most remote period. It
18 mentioned constantly in the Brehon laws and in our most ancient
poems."4 Nor should we omit to mention fish in the list of edibles.
Daring the summer months, fishing was a favourite and lucrative
occupation ; and if we are to believe a legend quoted in the Trans-
actions of the Ossianic Society, the Fenians enjoyed a monopoly in
the trade, for no man dare take a salmon, " dead or alive," except-
ing a man in the Fenian ranks ; and piscatory squabbles seem to
have extended themselves into downright battles between the
Northmen and the natives, when there was question of the posses-
sion of a weir.6
Drinking vessels, of various shapes and materials, are constantly
mentioned in the Book of Rights. There were drinking-horns
with handsome handles, carved drinking-horns, variegated drinking-
horns, drinking-horns of various colours, and drinking-horns of
gold.6 Eyen in pagan times, cups or goblets were placed beside
* Poenu. — Ulster Arch. Journal, vol. L p. 108. It would appear as if corn
bad been eaten raw, or perhaps partly scorched, at an early period, as was
customary in eastern countries. Teeth have been found in crania taken
from oar ancient tombs, quite worn down by some such process of
mastication.
6 JTctt.— Salt appears to have been used also at a very ancient period,
though it cannot now be ascertained how it was procured. Perhaps it was
obtained from native sources now unknown,
• Gold.— Book of Rights, pp. 145, 209, &c The King of Cashel was
entitled to a hundred drinking horns.— p. 33.
244
THE DRINK OF THE ANCIENT IK
STONE DRTNKrXG-eUfr,
the public wells ; and it is related that, in the reign of Conn of tk
Hundred Battles, Ireland was so prosperous, so wealthy, and so
civilized (circa A.D. 123) that those cups
were made of silver. Brian revived this
custom nearly a thousand years later. Th*
Danes probably carried off most of
valuables* as there are no remains of thexn
at present. We are able, however, to p*r*
an illustration of a stone drinMng-eui<.
which is consult* red a very beautiful speci-
men of its kind* This great rarity was found in the Shann^0
excavations. We give a specimen below of a celt, and on p
of a celt mould, for which we have also to acknowledge our g&t&f™
obligations to the Council of the Royal Irish Academy.
Drink was usually served to the guests after meals. Among
seven prerogatives for the King of Tea tab air (Tara) we find :
••The fruit* of Matiann, a fine presents
And the heath fruit of Brigh Leitlie;
The venison of Nat ; the fish of the Boinn j
The cresses of the ktodJy BroftQAch."
Dr. CVDonovan suggests that the "heath fruit" may have beca
bilberries or whortleberries, and adds that some of the old Ix
suppose that thist and not the heath, was the shrub from irl
the Danes brewed their beer.7 It would appear that, the C^*u
Were not in the habit of excessive drinking until a comparand' eV
recent period. In the y^ff
H05 we read of th^ t&m**
of a chieftain who die<i
"a surfeit in driaki»££
but previous to this e»*
we may safely assert t-*
the Irish were eomp^
the drink called wh1-^
in considerable obs«
VlLSTkVn C£LT,
tively a sober race. The origin of
in modern parlance, is involved
Some authorities consider that the word is derived from the
part of the term usquebaugh; others suppose it to be der*
from the name of a place, the Basque provinces, where some £
» .fleer— Book of Rights, p 9.
^m
AQUA VITiB AND AQUA VINL 245
apound was concocted in the fourteenth century. In More-
ls History of Inebriating Liquors, he gives a list of the ingredients
d in the composition of usquebaugh, and none of these are Irish
cluctions.
["here is a nice distinction between aqua vitra and aqua vini in
Eed Book of Ossory, which was rescued by Dr. Graves from
Bap of rubbish, the result of a fire in Kilkenny Castle in 1839.
sGeoghegan, in his annotations on. the death of the chieftain
ve-mentioned, observes that the drink was not aqua vitce to him,
rather aqua mortis; and he further remarks, that this is the first
ice of the use of aqua vita, usquebaugh, or whisky, in the Irish
ak Mead was made from honey, and beer from malt ; and
56 were, probably, the principal liquors at the early period8 of
ch we are now writing. As to the heath beer of Scandinavian
e, it is probable that the heather was merely used as a tonic
LTomatic ingredient, although the author of a work, published
London in 1596, entitled Sundrie News and Artificial Remedies
inst Famine, does suggest the use of heath tops to make a
casing and cheape drink for Poor Men, when Malt is extream
ue ;" much, we suppose, on the same principle that shamrocks
grass were used as a substitute for potatoes in the famine year,
*& the starving Irish had no money to buy Indian corn. But
ine years were happily rare in Ireland in the times of which we
^e; and it will be remembered that on one such occasion the
h king, prayed to God that he. might die, rather than live to
teas the misery he could not relieve.
**riod. — Accounts will be given later of the use of aqua vitce, or whisky,
the English invasion. The English appear to have appreciated this
» for we find, in 1585* that the Mayor of Watcrford sent Lord Burleigh a
dell of aqua vita ; and in another letter, in the State Paper Office, dated
Ksr 14, 1622, the Lord Justice Coke sends a " runlett of milde Irish
*cV from his daughter Peggie (heaven save the mark !) to the "good
Coventry," because the said Peggie " was so much bound to her lady-
for her great goodness." However, the said Lord Justice strongly
it&ends the uskebach to his lordship, assuring him that "if it please his
tip next his heart in the morning to drinke a little of this Irish uskebacJi,
1 help to digest all raw humours, expell wynde, and keep his inward
'Warm all the day after." A poor half-starved Irishman in the present
tyt could scarcely have brought forward more extenuating circumstances
J» use of the favourite beverage j and he might have added that lie had
Ug else to " keep him warm."
245
BUTTER AND CHUESE.
It would appear that butter was also a plentiful product then
as now. Specimens of bog butter are still preserved, and may bo
found in the collection of the Koyal Irish Academy. The butter
was thus entombed either for safety, or to give it that peculiar
flavour which makes it resemble the old dry Stilton cheese, so much
admired by the modern btm vivant. A
writer in the Ulster Arthmohgical Jovt-
md mentions that he found a quantity
of red cows hair mixed with this bat-
ter, when boring a hole in it with &
gouge. It would appear from thia as if
the butter had been made in a cow-skm,
a fashion still in use among the Arabs.
A visitor to the Museum (Mr, Wilmot
Chetwode) asked to see the butter from
Abbeyleix. He remarked that some cows1
heads had been discovered in that neigh-
bourhood, which belonged to the old
Irish long-faced breed of cattle ; the skin
and hair remained on one head, and
that was red. An analysis of the butter proved that it was pro-
bably made in the same way as the celebrated Devonshire cream,
from which the butter in that part of England is generally
prepared. The Arabs and Syrians make their butter now in a
similar manner. There is a curious account of Irish butter in
Irish Hvdihrm, by William Moffat, Londons 1755, from which it
■s that bog butter was then well known : —
MOULI> FOR CASTTNG BRONZE
CELTS.
a a*
dero
11 Bat let Ma faith be good or bad,
He in hia house great plenty had
Of burnt oat bread, and butter found.
With g.irlick mixt, in boggy ground ;
So strong, a dog, with help of wind.
By scenting out, with ease might tiutL **
'r'" Sutter was found, twelve feet deep, in a bog at GrorV
1 rm u?4 rolled up in a coarse cloth, It still retains
i a place, finger and thumb of the ancient dame who
shape,
** f*^*?- t Jeer*— Bat antiquity have also been discovered.
ANCIENT FIRE-PLACES. 247
It was generally made in the shape of bricks,9 probably for greater
convenience of carriage and pressure in -making. Wax has also
been discovered, which is evidently very ancient. A specimen may
"be seen in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy. According
to the Book of Sights, the use of wax candles was a royal
prerogative : —
" A hero who possesses five prerogatives,
Is the King of Laighlin of the fort of Labhraidh :
The fruit of Almhain [to be brought to him] to his house ;
And the deer of Gleann Searraigh ;
To drink by [the light of] fair wax candles,
At Din Riogh, is very customary to the king."1
In this matter, at least, the Irish kings and princes were con-
siderably in advance of their Anglo-Saxon neighbours. Wright
informs us3 that their candle was a mere mass of fat, plastered
round a wick, and stuck upon an upright stick : hence the name
candlestick.
It is probable that fire-light was, however, the principal means
of assisting the visual organs after dark in both countries. Until
comparatively recent times, fires were generally made on square,
flat stones, and these could be placed, as appears to have been the
case at Tara, in different parts of any large hall or apartment.
There was sometimes a " back stone " to support the pile of wood
and turf. The smoke got out how best it might, unless where there
was a special provision made for its exit, in the shape of a round
hole in the roof. At a later period a "brace" was sometimes
made for conducting it. The brace was formed of upright stakes,
interlaced with twigs, and plastered over, inside and outside, with
prepared clay — the earliest idea of the modern chimney.
Macaulay* gives us a picture of an ancient Roman fire-side, and
the occupations of those who sat round it. We can, perhaps,
form a more accurate and reliable idea of the dress, amusements, and
occupations of those who surrounded the hall-fires of ancient Tara,
or the humble, domestic hearths of the crannoges or wattled houses.
9 Bricks. — In an ancient life of St Kevin of Glendalough, there is mention
made of certain brick-cheeses, which the saint converted into real bricks, in
punishment to a woman for telling a lie.
1 King.— Boob of Bights, p. 15.
9 Inform* us.— Domestic Manners, p. 43.
* Macaulay.— Lays of Ancient J?ome.— Horatnuu
2iS AMUSEMENTS OF THE ANCIENT CELT— CHESS.
The amusements of the pre-Christian Celt were, undeniably,
intellectual. Chess has already been mentioned more than once
in this work as a constant occupation of princes and chieftains.
Indeed, they appear to have sat down to a game with all the zest
of a modern amateur. A few specimens of chessmen have been
•discovered : a king, elaborately carved, is figured in the Introduc-
tion to the Book of Eights. It belonged to Dr. Petrie, and was
found, with some others, in a bog in the county Meath. The
chessmen of ancient times appear to have been rather formidable
as weapons. In the Tdin bd Chuailgni, Cuchullain is represented as
having killed a messenger, who told him a lie, with a chessman,
" which pierced him to the centre of his brain." English writers
speak of the use of chess immediately after the Conquest, and say
that the Saxons learned the game from the Danes. The Irish were
certainly acquainted with it at a much earlier period ; if we are
to credit the Annals, it was well known long before the introduction
of Christianity. "Wright gives an engraving of a Quarrel at Chess,
in which Charles, the son of the Emperor Charlemagne, is repre-
sented knocking out the brains of his adversary with a chessboard.
The illustration is ludicrously graphic, and the unfortunate man
appears to submit to his doom with a touching grace of helpless
resignation.
We may then suppose that chess was a favourite evening amuse-
ment of the Celt. Chessboards at least were plentiful, for they
are frequently mentioned among the rights of our ancient kings.
But music was the Irish amusement par excellence ; and it is one of
the few arts for which they are credited. The principal Irish in-
struments were the harp, the trumpet, and the bagpipe. The harp
in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin, usually known as Brian
Boroimhe's harp, is supposed, by Dr. Petrie, to be the oldest
instrument of the kind now remaining in Europe. It had but one
row of strings, thirty in number ; the upright pillar is of oak, and
the sound-board of red sallow. The minute and beautiful carving
on all parts of the instrument, attests a high state of artistic skill afc
whatever period it was executed. As the harp is only thirty-two
inches high, it is supposed that it was used by ecclesiastics in the
church services. Cambrensis4 mentions this custom ; and there is
4 Cawhrensis. — " Hinc accidit, ut Episcopi et Abbates, et Sancti in Hibemii
viri cytharas circumferre ct in eis modulando pi6 delectari consueverunt."—
Cam. Des. p. 739.
THE IRISH HARP, WHEN FIRST USED AS AN EMBLEM. 243
evidence of its having existed from the first introduction of Chris-
tianity. Harps of this description are figured on the knees of
ecclesiastics on several of our ancient stone crosses.
The subject of Irish music would require a volume, and we
cannot but regret that it must be dismissed so briefly. The form
of the harp has been incorrectly represented on our coins. It was-
first assumed in the national arms about the year 1540. When
figured on the coins of Henry VIII., the artist seems to have taken
the Italian harp of twenty-four strings for his model ; but in the
national arms sketched on the map of Ireland in the State Papersr
executed in the year 1 567, the form is more correct. That the Irish
possessed this musical instrument in pre-Christian times, cannot be
doubted. The ornamental cover of an Irish MS., which Mr. Fer-
guson considers to date prior to a.d. 1064, contains five examples
of the harp of that period. This, and the sculptured harp at Nieg,
in Rosshire, are believed to be the earliest delineations of the
perfect harp. Dr. Bunting gives a sketch of a harp and harper,
taken from one of the compartments of a sculptured cross at
XJIlard, county Kilkenny. This is a remarkable example. The
cross is supposed to be older than that of Monasterboice, which was
erected A.D. 830, and this is believed to be the first specimen of a
harp without a fore pillar that has been discovered out of Egypt.
If the Irish harp be really a variety of the cithara, derived through
an Egyptian channel, it would form another important link in the
chain of evidence, which leads us back to colonization from Egypt
through Scythia. Captain Wilford observes,5 that there may be a
due to the Celtic word bard in the Hindoo bdrddtri; but the Irish
appellation appears to be of comparatively modern use. It is,
however, a noticeable fact, that the farther we extend our inquiries,
the more forcibly we are directed to the East as the cradle of our
music. Several recent travellers have mentioned the remarkable
similarity between Celtic airs and those which they heard in different
parts of Asia.9 Sir W. Ouseley observed, at the close of the last
centdry, that many Hindoo melodies possessed the plaintive simpli-
city of the Scotch and Irish.
A German scholar has written a work, to prove that the penta-
tonic scale was brought over by the Celts from Asia, and that it
* Observes. — Asiatic Researches, vol ix. p. 76.
« Asia.— See Carl Eogen's valuable work on the Musk of Ancient Nations
passim.
was preserved longer in Scotland than elsewhere, on account of the
isolated position of that country*7 The Phoenicians are supposed
to have invented the ktnnort trltjonont and several other of the most
remarkable instruments of antiquity. Their skill as harpists, mi
their love of music, are indicated by the prophetic denunciation ui
Ezechiel, where the ceasing of songs and the sound of the harp ar<
threatened as a calamity they were likely specially to feeL
We give at least one evidence that the Irish monks practised fc*l
choral performance of rhythmical hymns. Colgan supplies fc:
proof, which we select from one of the Latin hymns of
€olumba : —
H Protegat nets altissimaa,
Da sum Sanctis sedibus*
Dum ibi hymuoa canitnttt,
Decern statute vteibus."
Mr, O'Cuny gives the names of all the ancient Irish mus-
instruments as follows : — Gtiiit, a harp ; Timpan, a drum, or t^s=
bourine ; Comt a trumpet ; Stoc^ a clarion ; Pipaij the pipes ; Fmm
the fiddle. He adds : " All those are mentioned in an ancient pcr^=
in the Book of Leinster, a MS, of about the year 1150, now in
library of Trinity College, The first four are found in various
tales and descriptions of battles.11
We shall find how powerful was the influence of Irish music
the Irish race at a later period of our history, when the subject^
political ballads will be mentioned
The dress of the rich and the poor probably varied as much *
the century of which we write as at the present day. We ha r&
fortunately remains of almost every description of texture in which
the Irish Celt was clad ; so that, as Sir W- Wilde has well ol >-
we are not left to conjecture, or forced to draw analogies from tta
habits of half-civilized man in other countries at the present day.
In the year 1821 the body of a male adult was found in a bog tin
the lands of Gallagh, near Caatleblakeney, county Gal way, clad in it*
* Country. — Erste Wandertmfj (kr dlte&tm Toakuiwt, von G. W.
Eiscn, 1831. In GoDtu'l National Music of Ireland, he attribute* this
influence of ecclesiastical music* But an article by Mr. Darmey, in the Jt
of the Eoyal Asiatic Society* takes a much more probable view. The Amhro.
kian chant, introduced about a.D. COO, could not have influenced national
music which existed for centuries before that iicrickL
ANCIEKT SHOES*
251
Sqaa garb of deerskin, A few fragments of the dress are preserved,
flad may be seen in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy.
-Portions of the seams still remain, and are creditable specimens of
early needlework. The material employed in sewing was fine gut
rf three strands, and the regularity and closeness of the stitching
carauofc M to excite admiration. It is another of the many proofs
ftkatj even in the earliest ages, the Celt was gifted with more than
ordinary skill in the execution of whatever works he took in hand*
After silt the skin of animals is one of the most costly and appre-
cizitcd adornments of the human race, even at the present day; and
^ur ancestors differ less from us in the kind of clothes they woret
*han in the refinements by which they are fashioned to modern use*
it. is stated in the old bardic tale of the Tdin bd Ghmilpnd, that the
^t^aroteer of the hero was cloth ed in a tunic of deerskin* This
^k^fcement, taken in connexion with the fact above-mentioned, is
another evidence that increased knowledge is daily producing in-
^i^e^sed respect for the veracity of those who transmitted the accounts
**r c^ur ancestral life, which, at one time, were supposed to be purely
**i>- thicaL Skin or leather garments were in use certainly until the
t-^13. th century, in the form of cloaks. It is supposed that Muir-
^Hc^irtach obtained the soubriquet " of the leathern cloaks/' from
*■ t * c* care which he took in providing his soldiers with them; and it is
^i*! that, in consequence of this precaution, there was not a single
**umi lost in this campaign.
AXCIE2ST BOOT.
We give & specimen of an ancient shoe and boot, from the collec-
tion of the Royal Irish Academy, It would appear as if the Celt
was rather in advance of the Saxon in the art of shoemaking ; for
252
LEGAL USE OF SHOES.
Mr. Fairholt has been obliged to givB an illustration selected froo
Irish remains, in his history, although it is exclusively devoted to
British costume. In illustrating the subject of gold ornaments, he
has also made a selection from the same source. Some
specimens of shoes joined together, and therefore perfectly usel
for ordinary wear, have also been discovered. Sir W* Wilde
jectures they may have been used by chieftains as inauguration
ahoea.8
,if»
•A
AXCIKXT shoe.
Saffron was a favourite colour, though it does not appear evident
how the dye was procured. There is no doubt the Irish posse
the art of dyeing from an early period. Its introduction is attri-
buted to King Tigheammas, who reigned from a.m. 3580 to Si
It is probable the Phoenicians imparted this knowledge to our
ancestors. Although our old illuminations are not as rich in figures
as those from which English historians have obtained such amp
information regarding the early costume of that country, we har
still some valuable illustrations of this interesting subject. These
representations also are found to correspond faithfully, even in the
details of colour, with the remains which have been discovered from
time to time. Our ancient crosses give immense scope for anti-
quarian research, though the costumes are principally ecclesiastical,
and hence are not of so much general interest.
* Shoe*. — The use of inauguration shoes appears to have been very ancient
in Ireland* It wilt be remembered how early and how frequently the afco* i*
mentioned in Scripture in connexion with legal arrangements. It was ob-
viously an important object in Eastern huainesa transaction*.
FAUNA AND FLORA OF ANCIENT IRELAND. 253
But the Book of Rights9 affords ample information, as far as mere
description, of the clothing of a higher class. While the peasant
was covered with a garment of untanned skin or fur, however
artistically sown together, the bards, the chieftains, and the mo-
narch* had their tunics [imar] of golden borders, their mantles
[Uanna] or shirts of white wool or deep purple, their fair beautiful
matals, and their cloaks of every colour. If we add to this costume
the magnificent ornaments which still remain to attest the truth of
the bardic accounts of Erinn's ancient greatness, we may form a
correct picture of the Celtic noble as he stood in Tara's ancient
palace ; and we must coincide in the opinion of the learned editor of
the Catalogue of the Royal Irish Academy, that " the variegated
and glowing colours, as well as the gorgeous decorations of the dif-
ferent articles of dress enumerated in the Book of Rights, added to
the brilliancy of the arms, must have rendered the Irish costume of
the eighth and ninth centuries very attractive."
With a passing glance at our ancient Fauna and Flora, and the
physical state of the country at this period, we must conclude
briefly.
It is probable that the province of Ulster, which was styled by
statute, in Queen Elizabeth's time, " the most perilous place in all
the isle," was much in the same state as to its physical characteristics
in the century of which we write. It was densely wooded, and
strong in fortresses, mostly placed on lakes, natural or artificial.
Two great roads led to this part of Ireland — the " Gap of the
North," by Carrickmacross, and the historically famous pass by
Magh-Rath. From the former place to Belturbet the country was
nearly impassable, from its network of bogs, lakes, and mountains.
TVe shall find at a later period what trouble these natural defences
gave to the English settlers.
Munster so abounded in woods, that it was proposed, in 1579, to
employ 4,000 soldiers for the sole purpose of hewing them down.
Indeed, its Ave great forests were the strongholds of the Earls of
9 Booh of Rights. — The great antiquity and perfect authenticity of this most
raluahle work, should be remembered. It is admitted that the original Book
«f Bights was compiled by St Benignus, the disciple of St. Patrick. Dr.
O'Donovan thinks there is every reason to believe that this work was in exis-
tence in the time of Cormac, the bishop-king of Cashel, A. d. 900. It is probable
that the present Book of Rights was compiled about this period, from the more
ancient volume of the same name.
Desmond ; and enough evidence Btill remains at Glengariif
Killamey, to manifest the value of their sylvan possessions,
cold and withering blasts of the great Atlantic* appear to ha
stunted or hindered the growth of trees in QoniHwight. In 12:
the Four Masters mention the wilderness of Cinel-Dorfa, its pri
cipal forest ; but it was amply provided with other resources i
the protection of native princes. In 1529 Chief Baron FingM_ n^
gave a list of dangerous passes* with the recommendation that w ~Jje
4t Lord Deputy be eight days m every summer cutting passes in*, to
the woods next adjoining the king's subjects.*
or
bus of or.
In Leinster the forests had been cleared at an earlier period ■
the country being less mountainous, was more easily coltmfe
But this portion of Ireland contained the well-known Curragh
Kildare, which has its history also, and a more ancient one tha*
its modern visitors are likely to suppose. The Curragh is mentioned
for the first time in the Liber BymnQrum^ in a hymn in praise o
St* Brigid, The Scholiast in a contemporary gloss says ; «' Cu
THE CURRAGH OF KILDAJtE.
25^>
& cursu tqiwrum dicius est." It is also mentioned in Cormae'a
Glossary, where the etymology is referred to running or racing*
Bat, the most important notice is contained in the historical tale of
the destruction of the mansion of Da Derga.1 In this, Connaini
r, who was killed a.d. 60, is represented as having gone to iln-
g^ines at the Curragh with lour chariots. From this and other
sources we may conclude, that chariot-races preceded horse-races in
uit-'ieut Erinn, and that the Curragh has been used as a place of
public amusement for the last 2,000 years* It would appear that
every province in Ireland possessed an A mack or "fair-green,"
^liere the men assembled to celebrate their games and festivals
frf an old list of Irish Triads, the three great Aeimdis of Ireland are-
B*cl to have been Aenach i
;ht; Aenach Tailltai, in
^ath ; and Atnach Cohmun, the
ftagh* The last would ftp] i
*o Wever, to have been frequented
O^ persons from all partf* ot
Rland j and it is not a little
*4ige that it should a till be used
i similar manner as a place of
n « lie amusement. Ireland in the
*** tli century and Ireland m the
^t tenth form a painful con-
t: , n'it withstanding the boasted
c:h of intellect The ancient
its have been hewn down with
*^^^profitrj to the spoiler, and to
L^ injury in many ways of the na-
^~ ^ - The noble rivers are there
L* l^ and the mountains look as beaut Ifal in the sunsets of this year of
J^^ae as they did so many hundred years before ; but the country,
* i^h was in "God's keeping" then, has but little improved since
-J)i Dtrga.^ See an interesting Essay on the Curragh of Kildare, by lid
^ M. Hennessy, read before the R- I. A., February 20, 1S6G.
, -Profit* ^The trustees of the estates forfeited in 16S3 notice this especially.
.. ,fe^B to the value of j£20t0(M) were cut down and destroyed on the estate of
J* Ttlentiae Brown, near Killarney, and to the value of £27,000 on the
t~*~itory of the Earl of Clancarty* Some of these trees were sold for sixpence
HEADS OF IKISII WOI.F DOOS.
256 IRISH FAUNA.
it came into the keeping of man ; for the poor tenant, who maybe
here today, and to-morrow cast out on the wayside, has but substi-
tuted ill-fenced and ill-cultivated fields for wide tracts of heather
and moorland, which had at least the recommendation of attractiTo
scenery, and of not suggesting painful reflections.
The most formidable, if not the largest, of the carnivora in this
island, was the brown bear. The wolf lingered on until the begin-
ning of the last century ; and the Irish greyhound has passed with
it also. The gigantic Irish elk, Cervus megaseros, belongs more to
the palaeontologist than to the historian, as it is supposed to have
existed only in prehistoric times. A smaller variety has been
found in peat overlaying the clay, from which it is inferred that
some species may have been contemporary with the human race.
The horse co-existed with the elephant The red deer was the
principal object of chase from an early period. The wild boar
found abundant food from our noble oaks; and the hare, the rabbit,
the goat, and the sheep supplied the wants of the Gelt in ancient as
in modern times. But the great wealth of Ireland consisted in her
<cows, which then, as now, formed a staple article of commerce
Indeed, most of the ancient feuds were simply cattle raids, and the
successful party signalized his victory by bearing off the bovine
wealth of the vanquished enemy.
It is impossible exactly to estimate the population of Ireland at
this period with any degree of reliable exactitude. The only method
•of approximating thereto should be based on a calculation of the
known or asserted number of men in arms at any given tune.
When Roderic and his allies invested the Normans in Dublin, he is
said to have had 50,000 fighting men. Supposing this to include one-
fourth of all the men of the military age in the country, and to bear
the proportion of one-fifth to the total number of the inhabitants,
it would give a population of about a million, which would pro-
bably be rather under than over the correct estimate.
"S&
\f\-\
ft'fl CASTLE.
CHAPTER XVL
!The EngHati Invasion— Bennod's Interview with Henry IT* — Henry grants
Letters-patent— Dermod obtains the assistance of Strongbow, Earl de Clare-
He returns to Ireland— Arrival of English Forces uuder FiteStephen —
Fatal indifference of Roderic, the Irish Monarch — He is at lost roused to
action, bat acknowledges Demand's Authority almost without a 9trv
rongbflfw*! Gt-m-aWy — He obtains a Tacit Permission to invade Ireland —
Hti Arrival in Ireland — Marriage of Strongbow and Eva— Death of Dermod
Hue Murr<*ugh— Strongbow proclaims himself King of Leinster— Difficulties
of his ro«tion— Siege of Dublin— Strongtxiw's Be treat— He returns tc
Bog]
[aJD. 1168— 11 71 J
NHL this period (a.d. 1168) the most friendly
relations Appear to have existed between En .
and Ireland. Saxon nobles and princes had flee.
for shelter, or had come for instruction to the
hbouring shores. The assistance of Irish
troop* had been sought and readily obtained by
them. Irish merchants3 had taken their gooda to
barter in English markets; but when the Norman
had won the Saxon crown t and crushed the Saxon
race under hi a iron heel, the restless spirit of the
old Viking race looked out for a new quarry, and
long before Dermod had betrayed his country, that
country's fate was sealed,
William Rums is reported to have said, as he
stood on the rocks near StP David's, that he would
make a bridge with his ships from that spot to Ire-
land— a haughty boast, not quite so easily accomplished. His speech
* Merchants.— Wright says that "theft and unfair dealing " were featfulh
was repeated to the Kicg of Leinster, who inquired "if the king, in
his great threatening, had added, * if it so please GodT' The re-
porter answered in the negative. "Then " said he, " seeing this I
putteth his trust only in man, :m..l not in God, I fear not his com!
When Derraod Mac Murrough was driven in disgrace from Ire-
land, he fled at once to Bristol There he learned that Henry wa*
still in Aquitnine, and thither, with a perseverance worthy of a
better cause^ he followed the EDglish king. Henry was only too
happy to listen to his complaints, and forward his views; but he was
too much occupied with his personal affairs to attempt the conquest
of a kingdom. Letters-patent were incomparably more convex
than men-at-arms, and with letters-patent the renegade was fain to
be content, Dermod only asked help to recover the kingdom frou
which he had been expelled for his crimes ; Henry pretended ji«e:
more than to give the assistance asked, and for all reward onl»
wished that Dermod should pay a vassal's homage to the EnglisM
king, Henry may have known that his client was a villain, or h— *
may not. Henry may have intended to annex Ireland to th^
Uritish dominions {if he could), or he may merely have hoped fea
some temporary advantage from the new connexion. Whatever h*H
knew or whatever he hoped, he received Dermod " into the boeoiCT
of his grace and benevolence/' and he did hut distantly insinuate
his desires by proclaiming him his M faithful and liege subj<
The royal letter ran thus : — " Henry, King of England, Duke of
Normandy and Aquitaine, and Earl of Anjon, to all his liegemen,
English, Norman, Welsh, and Scotch, and to all the nation under
his dominion, sends greeting. As soon as the present letter &]
prevalent among the Anglo-Normans, and mentions, as an example, how some
merchants were robbed who came to Ely to sell their wares. —Do»ieal*C
Mmmntt p. 78, It would appear that there was considerable slave-trade car-
ried on with the British merchants. The Saxons, who treated their dependent*
with savage cruelty (see Wright, p, G6), sold even their children as stave* to
the Irish. In 1102 this inhuman traffic was forbidden by the Council of Loc-
Giraldus Gatnbrensis mentions that, at a synod held at Armagh, a.©,
1170, the Irish clergy, who had often forbidden this trade, pronounced thf
invasion of Ireland by Englishmen to be a just judgment on the Irish for *
share in the sin, and commanded that all who had English slaves should at
once set them free. Mr. Haverty remarks, that it was a curious and charae-
tic coincidence, that an Irish, deliberative assembly should thus, by an aft*
of humanity to Englishmen, have met the in orciJ ess aggressions which
latter had just then commenced against this country.— Hutt* qflrttant^ y
STRONGBOW, EARL D£ CLARE. 259
r**111^ to your hands, know that Dermod, Prince of Leinster, has
^^ received into the bosom of our grace and benevolence:
kertfore, whosoever, within the ample extent of our territories,
*UU be willing to lend aid towards this prince as our faithful and
*^eg« subject, let such person know that we do hereby grant to him
°*uid purpose our licence and favour."
■"* this document there is not even the most remote reference to
^e Bull of Adrian, conferring the island of Ireland on Henry,
^though this Bull had been obtained some time before. In what-
ever light we may view this omission, it is certainly inexplicable.
*°r some time Dermod failed in his efforts to obtain assistance.
A"er some fruitless negotiations with the needy and lawless adven-
^rej8 Who thronged the port of Bristol, he applied to the Earl of
Pembroke, Richard de Clare. This nobleman had obtained the
D^^ of Strongbow, by which he is more generally known, from his
**Ul J^ archejy. Two other young men of rank joined the party ;
®3f Were sons of the beautiful and infamous Nesta,4 once the mis-
~^fc of Henry L, but now the wife of Gerald, Governor of Peni-
le and Lord of Carew. The knights were Maurice FitzGerald
j-5*- Eobert FitzStephen. Dermod had promised them the city of
^^ford and two cantreds of land as their reward. Strongbow
^■^ to succeed him on the throne of Leinster, and to receive the
^**d of his young and beautiful daughter, Eva, in marriage.
„ Adhere is considerable uncertainty as to the real date and the pre-
c**e circumstances of Dermod's arrival in Ireland. According to one
^count, he returned at the close of the year 1168, and concealed
himself during the winter in a monastery of Augustinian Canons at
Terns, which he had founded. The two principal authorities are
Giraldus Cambrensis and Maurice Regan ; the latter was Dermod
Mac Murrough's secretary. According to his account, Robert Fitz-
Stephen landed at Bannow, near Waterford, in May, 1169, with an
army of three hundred archers, thirty knights, and sixty men-at-
4 Neata. — David Powell, in his notes to the Itinerary of Cambria, states that
this lady was a daughter of Rufus, Prince of Demetia. She was distinguished
for her beauty, and infamous for her gallantries. She had a daughter by Gerald
of Windsor, called Augweth, who was mother to Giraldus Cambrensis. This
relationship accounts for the absurd eulogiums which he has lavished on the
Geraldines. Demetia is the district now called Pembrokeshire, where a co-
lony of Normans established themselves after the Norman Conquest — See
Thierry's Norman Conquest.
260
THE ARBIYAL OF THE ANGLG-XOEMANB.
Arms.9 A second detachment arrived the next day, headed by
Maurice de Prendergast, a Welsh gentleman, with ten knights and
sixty archers. Dermod at onoe assembled his men, and joined hia
allies. He could only muster tive hundred followers ; hut with
their united forces, such as they were, the outlawed king and the
needy adventurers laid siege to the city of Wexford- The brave
inhabitants of this mercantile town at once set forth to meet them ;
bat, fearing the result if attacked in open field by well -disciplined
troops, they fixed the suburbs, and entrenched themselves in the
iw
lUt(i:Y CASTLE.
town. Next morning the assaulting party prepared for a rene
of hostilities, but the clergy of Wexford advised an effort
peace: terms of capitulation were negotiated, and Dermod
obliged to pardon, when he would probably have preferred to mas-
sacre. It is said that FiteStephen burned his little fleet, to show
hia followers that they musi conquer or die. Two cantreds of land,
comprising the present baronies of Forth and Bargy,* were bestowed
* Mm-titi-arm*,^!!!1 vugnata. lib, i. c, 16*
■ Bargy.— Our illustration gives a view of the remains of this ancient castle.
It was formerly the residence of Bt rvey, a Protestant ^entl^nm,
who sneered in the rebellion of 171>St for his adherence to the cause of Ireland.
^^m
FATAL INDIFFERENCE OF THE IRISH MONARCH. 261
on him ; and thus was established the first English colony in Ireland.
The Irish princes and chieftains appear to have regarded the whole
affair with silent contempt The Annals say they " set nothing by
the Flemings f1 practically, they set nothing by any of the invaders.
Could they have foreseen, even for one moment, the consequences
of their indifference, we cannot doubt but that they would have
acted in a very different manner. Roderic, the reigning monarch,
was not the man either to foresee danger, or to meet it when fore-
seen ; though we might pardon even a more sharp-sighted and
vigilant warrior, for overlooking the possible consequence of the in-
vasion of a few mercenary troops, whose only object appeared to be
the reinstatement of a petty king. Probably, the troops and their
captains were equally free from suspecting what would be the real
result of their proceedings.
The fair of Telltown was celebrated about this time ; and from the
accounts given by the Annals of the concourse of people, and the
number of horsemen who attended it, there can be little doubt that
Ireland was seldom in a better position to resist foreign invasion.
But unity of purpose and a competent leader were wanted then, as
they have been wanted but too often since. Finding so little opposi-
tion to his plans, Mac Murrough determined to act on the offensive.
He was now at the head of 3,000 men. With this force he marched
into the adjoining territory of Ossory, and made war on its chief,
Donough FitzPatrick ; and after a brave but unsuccessful resistance,
it submitted to his rule.8 The Irish monarch was at length aroused
to some degree of apprehension. He summoned a hosting of the
men of Ireland at Tara; and with the army thus collected, assisted
by the Lords of Meath, Oriel, Ulidia, Breffni, and some northern
chieftains, he at once proceeded to Dublin. Dermod was alarmed,
and retired to Ferns. Roderic pursued him thither. But dissension
7 Flemings. — Dr. O'Donovan mentions, in a note to the Four Masters, that he
particularly struck with the difference between the personal appearance
of the inhabitants of the baronies where they settled. The Cavanaghs and
Murphys are tall and slight ; the Flemings and Codds short and stout. They
etill retain some peculiarities of language.
8 Rule. — What the rule of this ferocious monster may have been we can judge
from what is related of him by Cambrensis. Three hundred heads of the slain
were piled up before him ; and as he leaj>cd and danced with joy at the ghastly
sight, he recognized a man to whom he had a more than ordinary hatred. He
seized the head by the ears, and gratified his demoniacal rage by biting© ff the
nose and lips of his dead enemy.
had already broken out in the Irish camp : the Ulster chief* rctnrnecS^
home ; the contingent was weakened ; and, either through fear, on
from the natural indolence of his pacific disposition, he agree
acknowledge Alac Murnm^h'fl authority. Mac Mt bi m~
son Cormac as hostage for the fulfilment of the treaty, A pavai
agreement was entered into between the two kings, in ti
Dermod pledged himself to dismiss his foreign allies as soon
ibk\ and to bring no more strangers into the country. It
more than probable that he had not the remotest idea of fit
his promise ; it is at least certain that he broke it the first momeir
it was his interest to do so. Dennod's object was simply to gi
time, and in this he succeeded.
Maurice FitzGerald arrived at Wexford a few days after, and tl_
recreant king at once proceeded to meet him ; and with this ad
tion to his army, marched to attack Dublin. The Dano-Ceits, w'
inhabited thi* city, had been so cruelly treated by bimT that th<
dreaded a repetition of his former tyrannies. They had elected
governor for themselves - but resistance was useless. After a bri»*>
struggle, they were obliged to sue for peace — a favour which p
bably would not have been granted without further massacres an
burnings, had not Dermod wished to bring bis arms to bear i
another quarter.
Donnell CTBrien, Prince of Thomond, who bad married
daughter of Dermod, bad just rebelled against Roderic, and th
former was but too willing to assist him in his attempt. Thn
encouraged where he should have been treated with contempt, mn
hunted down with ignominy, his ambition became boundless^-
He played out the favourite game of traitors ; and no douhtr-
hoped, when he had consolidated his own power, that he cou
easily expel his foreign allies* Strongbow had not yet arm
though the winds had been long enough M at east and easterfj
His appearance was still delayed. The fact was, that the Earl was
in a critical position. Henry and his barons were never on the m
^
8 Eit*krhj,^CtLtabtGmiB takes to himself the credit of having advised the
despatch of a letter to StrongbowT He also give* ua the letter* which probably
was his own com position, as it is written in the same strain of bombast as
his praises of his family, — i/ifc. Ebepuff. Jilx i. c 12* It commences thus; "We
have watched the storka and swallows ; the summer birdu are come and g
4 a ^e imagine that Dermod's style , if be had taken to epistolary cons*
linden**, would have been rather ft contrast
STRONGBOWS GENEALOGY. 263
^fcniable terms; and there were some very special reasons why
^^toongbow should prove no exception to the rule.
The first member of the Earl's family who had settled in England,
^^""as Richard, son of the Norman Earl Brien, a direct descendant
^:ff Robert "the Devil," Duke of Normandy, father of William the
^5onqueror. In return for services at the battle of Hastings, and
*^reneral assistance in conquering the Saxon, tins family obtained a
i^arge grant of land in England, and took the title of Earl of Clare
^kroin one of their ninety-five lordships in Suffolk.1 The Strongbow
^sinily appears to have inherited a passion for making raids on
^neighbouring lands, from their Viking ancestors. Strongbow's father
inad^obtained his title of Earl of Pembroke, and his property in the
X^resent county of that name, from his successful marauding expe-
^iition in Wales, in 1138. But as he revolted against Stephen, his
I^tiHs were seized by that king ; and after his death, in 1148, his son
succeeded to his very numerous titles, without any property coin-
^naensurate thereto. Richard was not in favour with his royal
zxiaster, who probably was jealous of the Earl, despite his poverty ;
"but as Strongbow did not wish to lose the little he had in England,
<z*r the chance of obtaining more in Ireland, he proceeded at once to
~fhe court, then held in Normandy, and asked permission for his
new enterprise. Henry's reply was so carefully worded, he could
*fleclare afterwards that he either had or had not given the permission,
^whichever version of the interview might eventually prove most
convenient to the royal interests. Strongbow took the interpreta-
tion which suited his own views, and proceeded to the scene of
section with as little delay as possible. He arrived in Ireland,
«tceording to the most generally received account, on the vigil of
St. Bartholomew, A.D. 1170, and landed at Dundonnell, near
^Waterford. His uncle, Hervey de Montmarisco, had already ar-
rived, and established himself in a temporary fort, where he had
been attacked by the brave citizens of Wexford. But the besieged
maintained their position, killed five hundred men, and made
prisoners of seventy of the principal citizens of Waterford. Large
sums of money were offered for their ransom, but in vain. They
were brutally murdered by the English soldiers, who first broke
1 Suffolk.— See Gilbert's Viceroys of Dublin, 7>a««m. We recommend thia
work to our readers. It should be in the hands of every Irishman at least.
It combines the attraction of romance with the accuracy of carefully written
history. '
their limbs, and then hurled them from a precipice into the sea. It
was the first instalment of the utterly futile theory, bo often put iu
practice since that day, of » striking terror into the Irish f1 and the
experiment was quite as unsuccessful as all such experiments have
ever been.1
While these cruelties were enacting, Strongbow had been collect-
ing forces in South Wales; but, as he was on the very eve of
departure, he received a peremptory order from Henry, forbidding
him to leave the kingdom. After a brief hesitation, he determined
to hid defiance to the royal mandate, and set sail for Ireland. The
day after his arrival he laid siege to Waterford. The citizens
behaved like heroes, and twice repulsed their assailants; but th
bravery could not save them in the face of overpowering numbers.
A breach was made in the wall ; the besiegers poured in ; and a
merciless massacre followed. . Dermod arrived while the conflict
was at its height, and for once he has the credit of interfering on
the side of mercy, Reginald, a Danish lord, and OThel&n, Pi
of the Deisi, were about to be slain by their captors, but at Jus
request they were spared, and the general carnage was suspeiiv
Fur the sake of common humanity, one could wish to think I
this was an act of mercy. But Mao Murrough bad his d
with him ; he wished to have her nuptials with Strongbow celebrated
at once ; and he could scarcely accomplish his purpose while men
were slaying their fellows in a cold-blooded massacre. The follow*
i ri -_; day the nuptials were performed. The English Earl, a widower,
and long past the prime of manhood, was wedded to the fair
young Celtic maiden ; and the marriage procession passed li^ I
over the bleeding bodies of the dying and the dead. Thus com*
menced the union between Great Britain and Ireland : must those
nuptials be for ever celebrated in tears and blood ?
Immediately after the ceremony, the army set out for Dublin.
Eoderic had collected a large force near Ciondalkin, and Hos<
the Danish governor of the city, encouraged by their presence, had
again revolted against Dermod* The English army having learned
that the woods and defiles between Wexford and Dublin were well
guarded, had made forced marches along the mountains, and
succeeded in reaching the capital long before they were expected*
1 Betn,— If we are to believe Cambrewis, Kaymond argued agaiuat this
cruelty, and Henry in favour of it.
SIEGE OF DUBLIN. 265
Their decision and military skill alarmed the inhabitants — they
might also have heard reports of the massacres at Wexford; be this
as it may, they determined to negotiate for peace, and commis-
sioned their illustrious Archbishop, St. Laurence O'Toole, to make
terms with Dermod. While the discussion was pending, two of
the English leaders, fiaymond le Gros and Miles de Cogan, obtained
an entrance into the city, and commenced a merciless butchery of
the inhabitants. When the saint returned he heard cries of misery
and groans of agony in all quarters, and it was not without
difficulty that he succeeded in appeasing the fury of the soldiers,
and the rage of the people, who had been so basely treated.
The Four Masters accuse the people of Dublin of having
attempted to purchase their own safety at the expense of the
national interests, and say that " a miracle was wrought against
them " as a judgment for their selfishness. Hosculf, the Danish
governor, fled to the Orknejs, with some of the principal citizens,
and Roderic withdrew his forces to Meath, to support O'Rourke,
on whom he had bestowed a portion of that territory. Miles de
Cogan, was invested with the government of Dublin, and Dermod
marched to Meath, to attack Roderic and O'Rourke, against whom
he had an old grudge of the worst and bitterest kind. He had
injured him by carrying off his wife, Dervorgil, and men generally
hate most bitterly those whom they have injured most cruelly.
Meanwhile MacCarthy of Desmond had attacked and defeated
the English garrison at Waterford, but without any advantageous
results. Roderic' s weakness now led him to perpetrate an act of
cruelty, although it could scarcely be called unjust according to the
ideas of the times. It will be remembered that he had received
hostages from Dermod for the treaty of Ferns. That treaty had
been openly violated, and the King sent ambassadors to him to
demand its fulfilment, by the withdrawal of the English troops,
threatening, in case of refusal, to put the hostages to death. Der-
mod laughed at the threat. Under any circumstances, he was not a
man who would hesitate to sacrifice his own flesh and blood to
his ambition. Roderic was as good as his word ; and the three
royal hostages were put to death at Athlone.
An important synod was held at the close of this year (A.D. 1 170),
at Armagh. We have already mentioned one of its principal enact-
ments, which deplored and condemned the practice of buying
English slaves from the Bristol merchants. Other subjects shall be
more fully entertained when we come to the Synod of Cashel,
which was held two years later.
Iu 1171 Dermod MacMurrough, the author of so many miseries,
and the object of so much just reprobation, died at Ferns, on the
4th of May, His miserable end waa naturally considered a j\
ment for his evil life, His obituary is thus recorded : '" Diarmaid
Mac Murth&dha, King of Leiuster, by whom a trembling soil wai
made of all Ireland, after having brought over the Saxons, ai
having done extensive injuries to the Irish, after plundering and
burning many churches, as Ceanannus, Cluain-Iraired, &&, died
before the end of a year [after this plundering], of an insufferable
and unknown disease ; for he became putrid while living, thr<
the miracle of God, Colum-cille, and Finnen, and the other sain*
Ireland, whose churches he had profaned and burned some time
before ; and he died at Fearnamor, without [making] a will, witl
penance, without the body of Christ, without unction, as his
evil deeds deserved."3
But the death of the traitor could not undo the traitor's work.
Men's evil deeds live after them, however they may repent them on
their deathbeds. Strongbow had himself at once proclaimed King
of Leinster— his marriage with Eva was the ground of his claim ;
but though such a mode of succession might hold good in Normandy,
It was perfectly illegal in Ireland, The question, however, was n/>t
one of right but of might, and it was settled as all such questions
invariably are. But Strongbow had a master at the other sid>
the Channel, who had Ids own views of these complications. Hia
tenure, however, was somewliat precarious. His barons, alv
turbulent, had now a new ground for aggression, in the weakness to
which be had exposed himself by bis virtual sanction of the murd< r
of St, Thomas of Canterbury, and he was fain to content hiii
with a strong injunction commanding all his English subjects t
in Ireland to return immediately, and forbidding any further I
fol cements to be sent to that country, Strongbow was alarmed,
and at once despatched Raymond k (has with apologies and expla-
nations, offering the King all the lands he had acquired in Ireland,
II < nry does not appear to have taken the slightest notice of these
3 DwiervctL— The Annals of Clottmacnois ^ive a similar account ; but in a
paper MS- in Trinity College, DuMio, it is said, that he died "after the victory
of penance anil unction," The old account is probably the more reliable, as it
it the mure consonant with his previous career.
ST. LAURENCE O'TOOLE ENDEAVOURS TO SAVE HIS COUNTRY. 267
communications, and the Earl determined to risk his displeasure,
and remain in Ireland.
His prospects, however, were by no means promising. His Irish
adherents forsook him on the death of Dermod; Dublin was besieged
by a Scandinavian force, which Hosculf had collected in the Ork-
neys, and which was conveyed in sixty vessels, under the command
of Johan k Dive (the Furious). Miles de Cogan repulsed this formi-
dable attack successfully, and captured the leaders. Hosculf was
put to death ; but he appears to have brought his fate on himself
by a proud and incautious boast.
At this period the thoughtful and disinterested Archbishop of
Dublin saw a crisis in the history of his country on which much de-
pended. He endeavoured to unite the national chieftains, and rally
the national army. His words appear to have had some effect.
Messengers were sent to ask assistance from Godfred, King of the
Isle of Man, and other island warriors. Strongbow became aware of
his danger, and threw himself into Dublin ; but he soon found him-
self landlocked by an army, and enclosed at sea by a fleet. Roderic
O'Connor commanded the national forces, supported by Ticrnan
CRourke and Murrough O'Carroll. St. Laurence OToole remained
in the camp, and strove to animate the men by his exhortations and
example. The Irish army contented themselves with, a blockade,
and the besieged were soon reduced to extremities from want of food.
Strongbow offered terms of capitulation through the Archbishop,
proposing to hold the kingdom of Leinster as Roderick vassal ; but
the Irish monarch demanded the surrender of the towns of Dublin,
Wexford, and Waterford, and required the English invaders to
leave the country by a certain day.
While these negotiations were pending, Donnell Cavanagh, son
of the late King of Leinster, got into the city in disguise, and in-
formed Strongbow that FitzStephen was closely besieged in Wex-
ford. It was then at once determined to force a passage through
the Irish army. Raymond U Gros led the van, Miles de Cogan
followed ; Strongbow and Maurice FitzGerald, who had proposed
the sortie, with the remainder of their force, brought up the rere.
The Irish army was totally unprepared for this sudden move ; they
fled in panic, and Roderic, who was bathing in the Liffey, escaped
with difficulty.4
4 Difficulty. — The army was so well supplied, that the English got sufficient
corn, meal, and pork to victual the city of Dublin for a whole year.— Harris'
Hiberna, p. 25.
Strongbow again committed the government of Dublin to Miles
de Cogan, and set out for Wexford, On his way thither he waa
opposed by G*Regan» Prince of Idrone. An action ensued, which
might have terminated fatally for the army> had not the Irish prince
ived his death- wound from an English archer. His troops took
to flight, and Strongbow proceeded on his journey* But he arrived
too late. Messengers met him on the way, to inform him that
fort of Carrig had iallen into the hands of the Irish, who are said
to have practised an unjustifiable stratagem to obtain possession
of the place. As usual, there are two versions of the story. One of
these versions, which appears not improbable, is that the besieged
had heard a false report of the affair in Dublin ; and belies
►ngbow and the English army to have been overthrown, :■
surrendered on the promise of being sent in safety to Dublin. On
their surrender, the conditions were violated, FitzStephen was im.
prifiooedj and some of his followers killed The charge against th«
besiegers is that they invented the report as a stratagem to obtain
their ends, and that the falsehood was confirmed in a solemn man*
ner by the bishops of Wexford and Kildare.
Ai soon as the Wexford men had heard of Strongbow's approach,
they set fire to the town, ami lied to Beg- Erin, a stockaded island,
at the same time sending him a message, that, if he attempted to
approach, they would kill all their prisoners. The Eari withdrew
to Waterford in consequence of this threat, and here he Jearned that
| presence was indispensable in England ; he therefore set off at
once to plead his own cause with Ms royal master* A third attack
had been made on Dublin, in the meantime, by the Lord of Breffni,
but it was repulsed by Miles. With this exception, the Irish made
no attempt against the common enemy, and domestic wars were as
frequent as usual
Henry had returned to England, and was now in Newenham. in
Gloucestershire, making active preparations for his visit to Ireland
The odium into which he had fallen, after Ms complicity in
murder of St. Thomas of Canterbury, had rendered his position pe-
rilous in the extreme ; and probably his Irish expedition would n
have hem undertaken, had he not required some such object to tin u
his thoughts and the thoughts of his subjects from the consequences
of his crime.5 He received Strongbow coldly, and at first reft.
6 Crime — So fearful was the unfortunate monarch of a public excommuni-
cation and interdict, that he sent; courtiers at once to Rome to announce !
him an interview. Aft«r a proper delay, he graciously accepted the
Karl's offer of u all the lauds he had won in Ireland" — a very ques-
tionable gift, considering that there waa not an inch of ground there
which he could securely call his own, Henry, however, was pleased
to restore his English estates ; but, with consummate hypocrisy and
J&ny, he seized the castles of the Welsh lords, whom he hated for
their vigorous and patriotic opposition, and punished them for
allowing the expedition, which he had just sanctioned, to sail from
their coasts unmolested,
•abmission* When be beard of tbe murder he shut himself up fur three days,
and refused all food, except "milk of almonds. fT See Vita Quadrip. p. 143.
It would appear this was a favourite beverage, from tbe union nt of al moods
which were brought to Ireland for his special benefit* See p. 272.
«S£
§)fr***582
THS LOOAJf HTO^K, KILLA&NIX.
ANerENT nusn brooch."
CHAPTER XVII.
Arrival of Henry TI,< — Some of the Native Princes pay him Homage — His
raeter — Dublin iri the time ■ IL — Hit WinttT Palace-
Luxuries— King Henry holds a Court— Adrian's B nil— Temporal Power
the Popes in the Middle Ages— Conduct of the Clergy— Irish Property gin
to English Settlers— Henry IT, returns to England— The Account C i
gives of the Injuries done to Ireland by his Countrymen— Raymond, M emt-
io iiisco, and Strongbow— The latter Is defeated— He recalls Raymond from
Wales— Treaty between Roderic and Henry— Death of Strongbow,
[fc& 1171—1176.]
ENRY landed in Ireland on the 18th of Octofa
1 171, at Crook, in the county of Water ford. He
was accompanied by Strongbow* William Fitx-
Aldelm, Humphrey de Bohun, Hugh do Lacy
bcrt FitzEarnard, and many other lords. His
whole force, which, according to the most authentic
English accounts, was distributed in four hundred
ships, consisted of 500 knights and 4,000 men-at-
arms. It would appear the- Irish had not
idea that he intended to claim the kingdom a
and rather looked upon him asapow
potentate who had come to assist the native ad*
ministration of justice. Even had they suspected
fall real object, no opposition might have been made
to it. The nation had suffered much from don-
dissension ; it had yet to learn that foreign oppres-
sion was an incomparable greater evil.
If a righteous king or a wise statesman had taken the affair in
6 Irish Brooch. ^The brooch figured above is of great antiquity. It was
fonnd in the Ardkillen crannoge, near Strokestown, county Roscommon. The
origin*! is in the Royal Irish Academy, and is considered the finest afKseimeo
of bronze workmanship in the collection.
i
HENRY IL COMES TO IRELAND. 271
hand/ Ireland might have been made an integral and most valuable
portion of the British Empire without a struggle. The nation would
have bowed gratefully to an impartial government ; they have not
yet ceased to resent a partial and frequently unjust rule. From
^h© very commencement, the aggrandizement of the individual,
*x*d not the advantage of the people, has been the rule of action.
Such government is equally* disgraceful to the rulers, and cruel to
the governed.
> MacCarthy of Desmond was the first Irish prince who paid
homage to the English King. At Cashel, Donnell O'Brien, King
°* Thomond, swore fealty, and surrendered the city of Limerick.
Qther princes followed their example. The "pomp and circum-
stance w of the royal court, attracted the admiration of a people
^turally deferential to authority \ the condescension and apparent
^interestedness of the monarch, won* the hearts of an impulsive
*fcd affectionate race. They had been accustomed to an Ard-Righ,
* chief monarch, who, in name at least, ruled all the lesser poten-
tates : why should not Henry be such to them ? and why should
they suppose that he would exercise a tyranny as yet unknown in
the island?
The northern princes still held aloof; but Roderic had received
Henry's ambassadors personally, and paid the usual deference which
one king owed to another who was considered more powerful.
Henry determined to spend his Christmas in Dublin, and resolved
on a special display of royal state. It is to be presumed that he
wished to make up for deficiency in stateliness of person by state-
liness of presence ; for, like most of the descendants of Duke
Robert " the Devil " and the daughter of the Falaise tanner, his ap-
pearance was not calculated to inspire respect. His grey bloodshot
eyes and tremulous voice, were neither knightly nor kingly qualifica-
tions ; his savage and ungovernable temper, made him appear at
times rather like a demon than, a man. He was charged with having
violated the most solemn oaths when it suited his convenience. A
cardinal had pronounced him an audacious liar. Count Thiebault
of Champagne had warned an archbishop not to rely on any of his
promises, however sacredly made. He and his sons spent their time
quarrelling with each other, when not occupied in quarrelling with
their subjects. His eldest son, Richard, thus graphically sketched
the family characteristics: — "The custom in our family is that the
son shall hate the father; our destiny is to detest each other ; from
the devil we came, to the devil we shall go." And the head of this
family had now come to reform the Irish, and to uuprove their
condition — social, secular, and ecclesiastical !
A special residence was erected for the court on part of the ground
now occupied by the southern side of Dame-street. The whole
extent of Dublin at that time was, in length, from Corn Market to
the Lower Castle Yard; and in breadth, from the Lufey^ then
covering Essex-street, to Little Sheep-street, now Ship-street, where
■ purt of the town wall is yet standing,7 The only edifices in
existence on the southern side of Dame-street, even at the com-
mencement of the seventeenth century, were the Church of St. An-
drew and the King's Mills.8 College-green was then quite in the,,
country^ and was known as the village of Ls Rogues, a name thai
ii[i[!Mieut1y derived from the Teutonic word Hoget which
small hill or sepulchral mound. Here there was a nunnery call*
lary le Hogges, which had been erected or endowed not mo.'
years before Henry's arrival, and a place called Hoggen's Butt, wis. •
the citizens exercised themselves in archery. Here, during i
winter of 1171, the Celt, the Saxon, and the Norman, may h-^
_ed in peaceful contests and pleasant trials of skill.
Henry's " winter palace " was extemporized with some
taste. It was formed of polished osiers, Preparations had \h
made on an extensive scale for the luxuries of the table — a mat
in which the Normans had greatly the advantage of either Celt
Saxou, The use of crane's flesh was introduced into Irel
the feat time, as well as that of herons, peacocks,* swans, and w&~-
f Stantlinfj* — Four Masters, vol. iii. p. 5, note *»,
8 Milts. — Dame-etreet derived* its mine from a dam or mill-stream near Si
There was also the gate of Blessed Mary del Dam, The original name was
Lived until quite recently* In the reign of Oharles I, the Master of U»
Holla had a residence here, which : **iu a vei
some air, with a good orchard and garden leading down to the water-aid?
Gflbertfa XHtDfin, vol, ii. p. 2G4. la fact, the residences here were similar to
those pleasant places on the Thames, once the haunts of the nobility of
London*
* Peacock*, —To serve & peacock with its feathers was one of the grandest ex-
ploits of medieval cookery. It was sown up in its skin after it bail been roasted,
when it was allowed to cool a little, The bird then appeared at the last course
as if alive. Cream of almonds was also a favourite dainty Indeed, almonds
• ■ used in the composition of many dishes ; to use as many and as various
ingredients as possible seeming to be the seme of gastronomy, &t Bernard had
A SYNOD AND A CURIA REGIS. 273
fose. Almonds had been supplied already by royal order in great
abundance ; wine was purchased in Waterford, even now famous
fcf its trade with Spain in that commodity. Nor had the King's
-Piysician forgotten the King's health ; for we find a special entry
*m6ngst the royal disbursements of the sum of £10 75., paid to
•'GBephus Medicus for spices and electuaries. Yet Henri-curt-
^Bautel1 was careful of his physical well-being, and partook but
sparingly of these luxuries. Fearing his tendency to corpulency,
^e threw the short cloak of his native Anjou round him at an
ea*"Her hour in the morning than suited the tastes of his courtiers,
***<! took exercise either on horseback or on foot, keeping in con-
^SMxfc motion all day.
"^TTien the Christmas festivities had passed, Henry turned his at-
^Qtion to business, if, indeed, the same festivities had not also been
a I*2fcrt of his diplomatic plans, for he was not deficient in kingcraft.
*** ^ synod at Cashel he attempted to settle ecclesiastical affairs.
^■^ zl. Curia Regis, held at Lismore, he imagined he had arranged
^rrrporal affairs. These are subjects which demand our best con-
^^i^jration. It is an historical fact, that the Popes claimed and
e^«x?cised great temporal power in the middle ages ; it is admitted
a^&o that they used this power in the main for the general good ;2
***€! that, as monks and friars were the preservers of literature, so
Pc>I>^mb and bishops were the protectors of the rights of nations, as
^r- ^3 wa8 possible in such turbulent times. It does not belong to
OXx^ jpresent subject to theorize on the origin or the grounds3 of this
fJ^^^^Sy loudly condemned the ban vivants of the age. His indignation appears
***^^e been especially excited by the various methods in which eggs were
^0°^^i But even seculars condemned the excesses of Norman luxuries, and
T^'^-^ed that the knights were loaded with wine instead of steel, and spits
^fc^ss^ad of lances.
. — ^^enri-wrt-mantel. —A soubriquet derived from the short mantle he con-
. ^-rfoodL— Even the infidel Voltaire admitted that the Popes restrained
^*^^*s, and protected the people. The Bull In Coma Domini contained an
^^^^aununication against those wh6 should levy new taxes upon their estates,
f *^*^wld increase those already existing beyond the bounds of right. Fop
jy^^^er information on this subject, see Balmez, European Civilization, passim.
*• ^^uuot says : " She [the Church] alone resisted the system of castes ; she
SiO^ii^ maintained the principle of equality of competition ; she alone called all
teff^junate superiors to the possession of power. "—UisL Gen. de la Civilization
€* ^^^wope, Lect 6.
Grounds*— De Maistre and Fenelon both agree in groundiug this power
S
power ; it is sufficient to say that it had been exercised repeatedly
both before and after Adrian granted the famous Bull, by which ho
conferred the kingdom of Ireland on Henry II. The Merovingian
dynasty was changed on the decision of Pope Zachary. Pope
Adrian threatened Frederick L, that if he flid not renounce all
pretensions to ecclesiastical property in Lombardy, he should fo i
the crown, ** received from himself and through his unction." When
Pope Innocent III, pronounced sentence of deposition against Lack-
land in 1211, and conferred the kingdom of England on Philip
Augustus* the latter instantly prepared to assert his claim, though
he had no manner of title, except the Papal grant* In fact, at the
very moment when Henry was claiming the Irish crown in right
of Adrian's Bull, given some years previously, he was in no small
trepidation at the possible prospect of losing his English domi-
nions, as an excommunication and an interdict were even then
hanging over his head. Political and polemical writers have taken
strangely perverted views of the whole transaction. One writer,*
with apparently the most genuine impartiality, accuses the Popef
the King, and the Irish prelates of the most scandalous hypocrisy.
A cursory examination of the question might have served to prove
the groundlessness of this assertion. The Irish clergy, he assterte —
and his assertion is all the proof he gives- — betrayed their country
Tor the sake of tithes. But tithes had already been enacted, and
the Irish clergy were very far from conceding Henry's claims In the
manner which some historians are pleased to imagine.
It has been already shown that the possession of Ireland was
coveted at an early period by the Norman rulers of Great Britain.
When Henry II. ascended the throne in 1 154, he probably intended
to take the matter in hands at once. An Englishman, Adrian 1
filled the Papal chair. The English monarch would naturally find him
favourable to his own country* John of Salisbury, then chaplain to the
Arehbi*liop of Canterbury, was commissioned to request the favour.
No doubt he represented his master as \ery zealous for the interests
of religion, and made it appear that his sole motive was the good,
temporal and spiritual, of the barbarous Irish ; at least this is plainly
on constitution*! right; but the former also admitted a divine right. — D**
Maistre, Dm Pape^ lib. ii, p. 387.
1 Grant.— Sea M. GossehVs P&teer of the Pope* during the Middle Ages,
for further information ou this subject.
* Writer.— Inland* Historical and SUtiUtkal*
THE SYNOD OF OASHEL. 275
W **bplied in Adrian's Bull.6 The Pope could have no motive except
m *4«fc which he expressed in the document itself. He had been led
* *° t>«Keve that the state of Ireland was deplorable ; he naturally
^toped that a wise and good government would restore what was
*&Aa*a. There is no doubt that there was much which required
*ftt^xidment, and no one was more conscious of this, or strove more
ear**.erily to effect it, than the saintly prelate who governed the
*ncsXa*5episcopal see of Dublin. The Irish clergy had already made
t*n*± ^noet zealous efforts to remedy whatever needed correction ; but
^ "^^"«s an age of lawless violence. Reform was quite as much wanted
in England and in the Italian States ; but Ireland had the
Ltional disadvantage of having undergone three centuries of
\ plunder and desecration of her churches and shrines, and
jesult told fearfully on that land which had once been the home
rite,
[enry's great object was to represent himself as one who had
l« to redress grievances rather than to claim allegiance ; but
****"^%# ever he may have deceived princes and chieftains, he certainly
*wS- not succeed in deceiving the clergy, The Synod of Cashel,
tV^S^n he caused to be convened, was not attended as numerously
ts 1*4 had expected, and the regulations made thereat were simply
• r^MewaJ of those which had been made previously. The Primate
of Treland was absent, and the prelates who assembled there, far
ftO"*an having enslaved the State to Henry, avoided any interference
jp Xx>Ktic8 either by word or act. It has been well observed, that,
4ffc*^ther "piping or mourning," they are not destined to escape.
*£fc*oir office was to promote peace. So long as the permanent peace
fF±s\ independence of the nation seemed likely to be forwarded by
-^sistance to foreign invasion, they counselled resistance ; when re-
mittance was hopeless, they recommended acquiescence, not because
• BvU. — There can be no reasonable donbt of the authenticity of this docu-
ment Baronius published it from the Codex Vaticanua ; John XXII. has
Annexed it to his brief addresed to Edward II. ; and John of Salisbury states
distinctly, in his Metologicus, that he obtained this Bull from Adrian. He
grounds the right of donation on the supposed gift of the island by Constantino.
As the question is one of interest and importance, we subjoin the original : "Ad
pieces meas illustri Begi Anglorum Henrico II. concessit (Adrianus) et dedit
Hibendam jure hsereditario possidendam, sicut litene ipsius testantur in
bodiernum diem. Nam omnes insula) de jure antiquo ex donatione Constan-
tini, qui earn fundavit et dotavit, dicuntur ad Romanaxn Ecclcsiam pcrtinere."
—Metalogiou, i. 4.
they believed the usurpation Ian unjust, but because they considered
submission the wisest course. But the Bull of Adrian had not yet
been produced ; and Henry's indifference about this document, or hia
reluctance to use it, shows of how little real importance it was eon-
Bfidered at the time, One fearful evil followed from this Anglo-Nor-
man invasion. The Irish clergy had hitherto been distinguished for
the high tone of tin ir moral conduct ; the English clergy, unhappily,
were not so rich In this virtue, and their evil communication had a
most injurious effect upon the nation whom it was supposed they
should be so eminently capable of benefiting*
Henry did not succeed much better with his administration of
secular affairs. In his Oima li&jis, at Lisniore, he modelled Irish
administration on Norman precedents, apparently forgetting that a
kingdom and a province should be differently governed. Strongbow
was appointed Earl Marshal * Hugh de Lacy, Lord Constable ; Ber-
tram de Verdun, Seneschal ; Theobald Walter, Chief Butler ; and
Do We lies ley, Royal Standard-bearer, It was also arranged that, on
the demise of a Chief Governor, the Norman nobles were to elect &
successor, who should have fall authority, until the royal pleasure
could be known* Henry did not then attempt to style himself
King or Lord of Ireland ; his object seems to have been simply to
obtain authority in the country through his nobles, as Wales had
been subdued in a similar manner, English laws and customs were
also introduced for the benefit of English settlers ; the native
population still adhered to their own legal observances. Henry
again forgot that laws must be suited to the nation for whom they
are made, and that Saxon rules were as little likely to be accep-
table to the Celt, as his Norman tongue to an Enghsh-speaking
people.
Dublin was now made over to the inhabitants of Bristol Hugh
de Lacy, its governor, has been generally considered in point of fact
the first Viceroy for Ireland. He was installed in the Normaa
fashion, and the sword and cap of maintenance were made the
insignia of the dignity. Waterford and Wexford were also bestowed
on royal favourites, or on such knights as were supposed most- likely
to hold them for the crown, Castles were erected throughout the
country, which was portioned out among Henry's needy followers ;
and, for the first time in Ireland, a man was called a rebel if he
presumed to consider his house or lands as his own property.
The winter had been so stormy that there was little communica-
ACCOUNT GIVEN BY CAMBRENSIS. 277
turn with England ; but early in spring the King received the
Portentous intelligence of the arrival of Papal Legates in Normandy,
***d learned that they threatened to place his dominions under an
***t©»Kct, if he did not appear immediately to answer for his crime.
^tt^€n Eleanor and his sons were also plotting against him, and
^hex-^ were many who boldly declared that the murder of the Arch-
"J&liop of Canterbury would yet be fearfully avenged, Henry de-
^^Oined at once to submit to the Holy See, and to avert his doom
"7 ^ real or pretended penitence. He therefore sailed for England
fo>*x* Wexford Harbour, on Easter Monday, the 17th of April, 1172,
^^ arrived the same day at Port Finnen, in Wales. We give the
testimony of Cambrensis, no friend to Ireland, to prove that neither
d&*gj nor laity benefited by the royal visit. He thus describes
tbfe inauguration of that selfish system of plunder and devastation,
tD "Which Ireland has been subjected for centuries — a system which
pfrfcfere the interests of the few to the rights of the many, and then
•Cofis bitterly at the misery it has created : "The clergy are reduced
to beggary in the island ; the cathedral churches mourn, having
been deprived, by the aforesaid persons [the leading adventurers],
and others along with them, or who came over after them, of the
lands and ample estates which had been formerly granted to them
faithfully and devoutly. And thus the exalting of the Church has
been changed into the despoiling or plundering of the Church."
Nor is his account of the temporal state of the kingdom any better.
He informs us that Dermod Mac Murrough, the originator of all
those evils, " oppressed his nobles, exalted upstarts, was a calamity
to his countrymen, hated by the strangers, and, in a word, at war
with the world." Of the Anglo-Norman nobles, who, it will be
remembered, were his own relatives, and of their work, he writes
thus : " This new and bloody conquest was defiled by an enormous
effusion of blood, and the slaughter of a Christian people." And
again : " The lands even of the Irish who stood faithful to our cause,
from the first descent of FitzStephen and the Earl, you have, in
violation of a treaty, made over to your friends."7 His character of
Henry is, that he was more given to " hunting than to holiness."
The English monarch, however, could assume an appearance of
most profound humility and the deepest piety, when it suited
his convenience. He excelled himself in this department by his
* Friends.— Hib. JExpug. lib. ii. c 38.
STRONGBOW IS BEATEN BY THE IRISH. 279
Amongst the slain. The Earl had bestowed a large territory in
Wexford on him.
Henry was at that time suffering from domestic troubles in Nor-
Ute&dy; he therefore summoned De Clare to attend him there. It
^uld appear that he performed good service for his royal master,
*°r he received further grants of lands and castles, both in Normandy
M<1 in Ireland. On his return to the latter country, he found that
thft epoilers had quarrelled over the spoil. Raymond le Gros con-
tinued to ingratiate himself with the soldiers, and they demanded
that; the command should be transferred from Hervey de Mont-
marisco, Strongbow's uncle, to the object of their predilection. The
Ettl was obliged to comply. Their object was simply to plunder.
The new general gratified them ; and after a raid on the unfortunate
inhabitants of Offaly and Monster, they collected their booty at
Xismore, intending to convey it by water to Waterford.
The Ostmen of Cork attacked them by sea, but failed to conquer.
By land the Irish suffered another defeat. Raymond encountered
Mac Carthy of Desmond on his way to Cork, and plundered him,
driving off a rich cattle spoil, in addition to his other ill-gotten
goods. Raymond now demanded the appointment of Constable of
Leinster, and the hand of Strongbow's sister, Basilia. But the Earl
refused ; and the general, notwithstanding his successes, retired to
Wales in disgust.
Hervey now resumed the command, a.d. 1174, and undertook
an expedition against Donnell O'Brien, which proved disastrous to
the English. Roderic once more appears in the field. The battle
took place at Thurles, and seventeen hundred of the English were
slain. In consequence of this disaster, the Earl proceeded in sorrow
to his house in Waterford.1 This great success was a signal for
revolt amongst the native chieftains. Donald Cavanagh claimed
his father's territory, and Gillamochalmog and other Leinster chief-
tains rose up against their allies. Roderic O'Connor at the same
time invaded Meath, and drove the Anglo-Normans from their
castles of Trim and Duleek. Strongbow was obliged to despatch
messengers at once to invite the return of Raymond le Gros, and to
promise him the office he had demanded, and his sister's hand in
marriage.
1 Waterford.— The English and Irish accounts of this affair differ widely.
The annals of Innisfallen make the number of slain to be only seven hundred.
HacGeoghegan agrees with the Four Masters.
Raymond came without a moment's delay > accompanied by a con-
siderable Force. His arrival was most opportune for the En l.
cause. The Northmen of Waterford were preparing to massacre the
invaders, and effected their purpose when the Earl left the town to
join the new reinforcements at Wexford. The nuptials were cele-
brated at Wexford with great pomp ; hut news was received, on the
following morning, that Eoderic had advanced almost to Dublin ;
and the mantle and tunic of the nuptial feast were speedily exchai .
for helmet and coat-of-mail.2 Unfortunately Roderick army was
already disbanded. The English soon repaired the injuries wl
had been done to their fortresses ; and once more the Irish cause
was lost, even in the moment of victory, for want of combination
and a leader.
Henry now considered it time to produce the Papal Bulls, A*l>.
1175. He therefore despatched the Prior of Wallin^ford and
William FitzAldelm to Waterford, where a synod of the clergy wma
assembled to hear these important documents. The English i
had contrived to impress the Holy See with wonderful ideas of his
sanctity, by his penitential expiations of his share in the murder
of St Thomas k Beckek It was therefore easy for him to procure &
confirmation of Adrian's Bull from the then reigning Pontiff, Alex-
ander III. The Pope also wrote to Christian, the Legate, to the
Irish archbishops, and to the King, Our historians have not informed
us what was the result of this meeting. Had the Papal don;r
appeared a matter of national importance, there can be little doubt
that it would have excited more attention,
Raymond now led an army to Limerick, to revenge himself on
Donnell 0* Brien, for his defeat at Thurles, He succeeded in liia
enterprise. Several engagements followed, in which the
Normans were always victorious, Roderic now sent ambassadors
to Henry II. The persons chosen were Catholicus, Archbi
Tuam ; Cancers, Abbot of St. Brendan's, in Clonfert ; and
* Coat of wait . —Costly mantles were then fashion able. Stmfct infoi-ms ns
that Henry T. hid a mantlo of fine cloth, lined with black cable, which co-si
£10(1 of the money of the time — about £1,500 of our money. Favii
an illustration of the armour of the time {Ilistoty of Costume, p. 74). It vu
either ttijralflted or formed of chains id rings. The nasal appendage to the
helmet was soon sfffeAT discarded, probably from the inconvenient hold it
afforded the enemy of the wearer in battle. Face-guards were invented 000m
after.
TREATY BETWEEN HENRY AND RODERIC. 281
i — — — — ^— — — — .
rence OToole, styled quaintly, in the old Saxon manner, " Master
Laurence." The King and Council received them at Windsor.
The result of their conference was, that Boderic consented to pay
homage to Henry, by giving him a hide from every tenth head of
cattle ; Henry, on his part, bound himself to secure the sovereignty
of Ireland to Roderic, excepting only Dublin, Meath, Leinster,
Waterford, and Dungarvan. In fact, the English King managed to
have the best share, made a favour of resigning what he never
possessed, and of not keeping what he could never have held.
This council took place on the octave of the feast of St. Michaelr
A.D. 1175. By this treaty Henry was simply acknowledged as a
superior feudal sovereign j and had Ireland been governed with
ordinary justice, the arrangement might have been advantageous to*
both countries.
Boderic was still a king, both nominally and ipso facto. He had
power to judge and depose the petty kings, and they were to pay
their tribute to him for the English monarch. Any of the Irish who
fled from the territories of the English barons, were to return ; but
the King of Gonnaught might compel his own subjects to remain in
his land. Thus the English simply possessed a colony in Ireland ;
and this colony, in a few years, became still more limited, while
throughout the rest of the country the Irish language, laws, and
usages, prevailed as they had hitherto done.
Henry now appointed Augustin, an Irishman, to the vacant see
of Waterford, and sent him, under the care of St. Laurence, to receive
consecration from the Archbishop of Gashel, his metropolitan. For
a century previous to this time, the Bishops of Waterford had been
consecrated by the Norman Archbishops of Canterbury, with whom
they claimed kindred.
St. Gelasius died in 1173, and was succeeded in the see of
Armagh by Connor MacConcoille. This prelate proceeded to Kome
very soqn after his consecration, and was supposed to have died
there. When the Most Rev. Dr. Dixon, the late Archbishop of
Armagh, was visiting Borne, in 1854, he ascertained that Connor
had died at the Monastery of St. Peter of Lemene, near Chambery,
in 117G, where he fell ill on his homeward journey. His memory
is still honoured there by an annual festival on the 4th of June ;
another of the many instances that, when the Irish Church was
supposed to be in a state of general disorder, it had still many
holy men to stem and subdue the torrent of evil. We shall find,
at a later period, that several Irish bishops assisted at the Council
of Lateran,
Dermod MacCarthy*s son, Cormac? had rebelled against him, and
he was unwise enough to ask Raymond's assistance. As usual, the
Norman was successful ; he reinstated the King of Desmond, and
received for his reward a district in Kerry, where his youngest son*
Maurice, became the founder of the family of FitzMaurka, and
RAai'a island, Aroui;ir.
where his descendants, the Earls of Lansdowne, still possess immense
property .■ The Irish princes were again engaging in disgraceful
domestic feuds. Roderie now interfered, and, marching into Mun-
ster, expelled Donnell O'Brien from Thomond.
While Raymond was still in Limerick, Strongbow died in Dublin
As it was of the highest political importance that Ins death should
be concealed until some one was present to hold the reigns of govero-
1 Property.— Maurice FitzGerald died at Wexford in 1179. He is the
common ancestor of the Earl* of Deamond and Kildare, the Knights of Glynn*
of Kerry, and of all the Jrish Geraidlaes.
DEATH OF THE EARL DE CLARE. 283
***ent> bis sister, Basilia, sent an enigmatical letter4 to her husband,
>hich certainly does no small credit to her diplomatic skill The
titataeDgers were not acquainted with the Earl's death; and such of
^e Anglo-Normans in Dublin as were aware of it, had too much
frudence to betray the secret. Raymond at once set out on his
Joumey. Immediately after his arrival, FitzGislebert, Earl de
Care, was interred in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, now called
Gfcrist's Church.
Strongbow has not obtained a flattering character, either from his
Afends or his enemies. Even Cambrensis admits that he was obliged
to be guided by the plans of others, having neither originality
*° suggest, nor talent to carry out any important line of action.
The Irish annalists call him the greatest destroyer of the clergy
^d laity that came to Ireland since the times of Turgesius (Annals
f?5* Jjanisfallen). The Four Masters record his demise thus : " The
fp^fcgliBh Earl [i*., Richard] died in Dublin, of an ulcer which had
*^0lcen out in his foot, through the miracles of SS. Brigid and
~°lixni-cille, and of all the other saints whose churches had been
**^®*i*oyed by him. He saw, he thought, St. Brigid in the act of
*^lixig him." Pembridge says he died on the 1st of May, and
j^^cxbrensis about the 1st of June. His personal appearance is not
<*€^ci jibed in very flattering terms ;5 and he has the credit of being
^^x^ of a soldier than a statesman, and not very knightly in his
aer or bearing.
he Earl de Clare left only one child, a daughter, as heir to his
v**^i. estates. She was afterwards married to William Marshal, Earl
™ *-^ ^mbroke. Although Strongbow was a " destroyer" of the native
*^^*^QT, he appears to have been impregnated with the mediaeval
d^^^^rtion for establishing religious houses. He founded a priory at
l£*-^taainham for the Knights of the Temple, with an alms-house and
V^^pitaL He was also a liberal benefactor to the Church of the
V-^ly Trinity, where he was buried.6
^ Letter. — " To Raymond, her most loving lord and husband, his own Baailia
4ri*hes health at to herself. Know you, my dear lord, that the great tooth
$A my jaw, which was wont to ache so much, is now fallen out ; wherefore, if
yon have any love or regard for me, or of yourself, you will delay not to hasten
Jufiher with all speed."— Gilbert's Viceroys, p. 40. It is said that this letter
was read for Raymond by a cleric of his train, so it is presumable that reading
And writing were not made a part of his education.
* Terms. — Hib. Expug. lib. L cap. 27.
• Buried. — The early history of this church is involved in much obscurity.
284
STRONGBOW'S SEAL.
An impression on green wax of his seal still exists, pendent from
a charter in the possession of the Earl of Ormonde. The seal bears
on the obverse a mounted knight, in a long rarcoot, with a trian-
gular shield, his head covered by a conical helmet, with a
He has a broad, straight sword in his right hand. A foot sold
with the legend, "Sigillum KicarUi, Filii Comitis GUlefaerti,"
on the reverse. The last word alone is now legible.
It probably owes its origin to the Danes. Cambrensts gives some infe
details about it, and mentions several miraculous occurrences which cat
to be held in great veneration in his days. He specially mentions the <
a young man in the tram of Raymond Is Gtq&* who had robbed him of hi*
greaves, and who had taken a false oath before the cross of that church to clear
himself. After a abort absence in England he was compelled to return and con*
fees his guilt, * * as he felt the weight of the cross continually oppressing him.."
Strongbow*8 effigy was broken in 15G2, but it was repaired in 1570, by Sir
Henry Sidney. Until the middle of the last eeutury, the Earl's tomb was a
regularly appointed place for the payment of bonds, rente, and bills of exchange.
A recumbent statue by his side is supposed to represent his son, whom he m
aaid to have cut in two with his sword, for cowardice in flying from am engage*
me tit- A writer of the seventeenth centary, however, corrects this error,
and says that *' Strongbow did no more than run his son through the belly,
as appears by the monument and the chronicle.1 ' — Gilbert** Dublin* voL L
p, 113.
TTBIM*AX*EIGH,
WK7KLGW MOUNTAINS,
CHAPTER XVIir.
TitzAJdelm appointed Viceroy — De Courcy in Ulster— Arrival of Cardinal
n— Henry II. confers the Title of King of Ireland on hi* son John—
Irish Bishops at the Council of Latcran— Death of St. Laurence GToole —
Henry's liapacity — John Comyn appointed Archbishop of Dublin— John1*
Vbit to Ireland — Insolence of his Courtiers — De Lacy's Death— Death of
Henry IL— Accession of Kichard L — An English Archbishop tries to obtain
Justice for Ireland — John succeeds to the Crown— Cathal Crovderg — Mas-
sacres in Connaught— De Courey's Disgrace and Downfall— His Death*
■ftl
[a.d, 1176— 120L]
JEWS of the Earl's death soon reached Henry II, who
was then holding his court at Valognes, in Nor-
mandy, He at once nominated his Seneschal, Fitz-
Aldelra do Burgo, Yiceroy of Ireland, A,D. 1176.
The new governor was accompanied by John
de Courcy, Robert FitzEstevene, and Miles de
o, Raymond had assumed the reins of govern-
ment after the death of Strongbow, but Henry
appears always to have regarded him with jealousy,
and gladljT availed himself of every opportunity of
lessening the power of one who stood so high in
favour with the army* The Viceroy was received
at Wexford by liaymond, who prudently made a
merit of necessity, and resigned his charge. It
is said that FitzAldelm was much struck by hia
retinue and numerous attendants, all of whom belonged to the
same family; and that he then and there vowed to effect their ruin.
From this moment is dated the distrust so frequently manifested
by the English Government towards the powerful and popular
Geral dines.
The new Viceroy was not a favourite with the Anglo-Norman colo-
nists. He was openly accused of partiality to the Irish, because he
attempted to demand justice for them. It is not known whether
this policy was the result of his own judgment, or a compliance with
the wishes of his royal master* His conciliatory conduct, whatever
may have been its motive, was unhappily counteracted by tbe
lance of De Courcy. This nobleman asserted that he had obtained
a grant of Ulster from Henry IL, on what grounds it would be in-
deed difficult to ascertain. He proceeded to make good his claim;
and, in defiance of the Viceroy's prohibition, set out for the north,
with a small army of chosen knights and soldiers. His friend, Sir
Almaric Tristram de Saint Lawrence, was of the number. He w*&
De Courcy's brotheMndaw, and they had made vows of eternal ■
friendship in the famous Cathedral of Rouen* De Courcy is
described as a man of extraordinary physical strength, of larga
proportions, shamefully penurious, rashly impetuous, and, despite
a fair share in the vices of the age, full of reverence for the
clergy, at least if they belonged to his own race. Cambrensk gives
a glowing description of his valour, and says that " any one who
had seen Jean de Gourd wield his sword, lopping off heads and
arms, might well have commended the might of this warrior/'7
De Gourcy arrived in Downpatrick in four days, The in habitants
were taken by surprise ; and the sound of his bugles at daybr
was the first intimation they received of their danger. Cardinal
Vivian, who had come as Legate from Alexander III, had but just
arrived at the spot. He did his best to promote peace. But
neither party would yield; and as the demands of the Norman km_
were perfectly unreasonable, Vivian advised Dunlevy, the chief tain
of TJlidia, to have recourse to arms. A sharp conflict ensued, ill
which the English gained the victory, principally through the per-
sonal bravery of their leaden This battle was fought about
beginning of February ; another engagement took place on the 24th
of June, in which the northerns were again defeated.3
1 Warrior. — JIUk Bscpug. Lib. ii. capT 17,
* DtfeataL — Giraldiia givea a detailed account of these affaire.— Jfifr. Expu$r
Jib. ii. cap, 17. He says the Irish forces under Dunlevy amount
thousand warriors \ but this statement cannot at all be eredik d
HENRY MAKES HIS SON LORD OF IRELAND. 287
Cardinal Vivian now proceeded to Dublin, where he held a synod.
The principal enactment referred to the right of sanctuary. Dur-
ing the Anglo-Norman wars, the Irish had secured their provisions
in the churches ; and it is said that, in order to starve out the enemy,
they even refused to sell at any price. It was now decreed that sanc-
tuary might be violated to obtain food ; but a fair price was to be
paid for whatever was taken. It is to be feared these conditions
Were seldom complied with. The Abbey of St. Thomas the Martyr
was founded in Dublin about this time, by FitzAldelm, at the
°pfnunandof Henry II., one of his many acts of reparation. The
■it* was the place now called Thomas Court. The Viceroy endowed
it frith a carnucate of land, in the presence of the Legate and St.
I^tttence OToole. After the settlement of these affairs, Cardinal.
Vivian passed over to Chester, on his way to Scotland.
One of Roderic O'Connor's sons, Murrough, having rebelled
ag»net him, Miles de Cogan went to his assistance, — a direct and
flagrant violation of the treaty of Windsor. At Roscommon the
English were joined by the unnatural rebel, who guided them
through the province. The King was in Iar-Connaught, and the
allies burned and plundered without mercy, as they passed along to
Trittt Here they remained three nights ; but as the people had
fled with their cattle and other moveable property into the fast-
nesses, tfeey had not been able to procure any spoil on their march.
I&oderic soon appeared to give them battle ; but they were defeated
-vrithout considerable loss. Murrough was taken prisoner by his
father, and his eyes were put out as a punishment for his rebellion,,
and to prevent a repetition of his treachery.
Another violation of the treaty of Windsor was also perpetrated
this year, A.D. 1177. Henry II. summoned a council of his prelates
and barons at Oxford, and solemnly conferred the title of King of
Ireland on his youngest son, John, then a mere child. A new grant
of Meath to Hugh de Lacy was made immediately after, in the joint
names of Henry II. and John. Desmond was also granted to
Miles de Cogan, with the exception of the city of Cork, which the
King reserved to himself. Thomond was offered to two English
took advantage of some old Irish prophecies to further his cause. They were
attributed to St. Columbkille, and to the effect that a foreigner who would
ride upon a white horse, and have little birds painted on his shield, should
conquer the country. De Courcy did ride upon a whito horse, and the birds
J a part of his armorial bearings.
DE COURCY*S DEFEAT.
nobles, who declined th© tempting but dangerous favour. It was
then presented to Philip de Bresosa; but though the knight was no
coward, he fled precipitately^ when he discovered, on coming in
sight of Limerick, that the inhabitants had set it on fire, bo d
rained was their resistance to foreign rule. The territory of Wi
ford was granted to Roger le Poer; but, as usual, Q
reserved for' the royal benefit. In fact. Sir John Da vies well o'l
served, that u all Ireland was by Henry II, caotonized among ten
of the English nation ; and though they did not gain possession o:
one-third of the kingdom, yet in title they were owners and I
all, as nothing was left to be granted to the natives," He w
have said with greater truth, that the natives were deprived o£
everything, as far as it was possible to do so, by those who had no!"
the slightest right or title to their lands.
Meanwhile Be Courcy was plundering the northern provini
His wife, ASreca, was a daughter of Godfrey, King of Man, so
he could secure assistance by sea as well as by land. But
of fortune was not always in his favour. After he had plunderer
in Louth, ho was attacked, in the vale of Newry* river, by ULVutqI ~
-of Oriel and Bunlevy of Ulidia. On this occasion he lost
hundred men, many of whom were drowned. Soon after he suHe
another defeat in Antrim, from OTlynn. The Four Masters say
fled to Dublin ■ Dr, O'Donovan thinks that we should read Down-
patriek. The latter part of the name cannot be correctly ascer-
tained, as the paper is worn away.
The Irish were, as usual* engaged in domestic dissensions,
the English acted as allies on whichever side promised to be
advantageous to themselves. The Annals record a great ki wind-
storm" during this year, which prostrated oaks, y at
Derry-Cohimcille, which was famous for its forest. They also renoxd
the drying up of the river Galiiv (Galway), ° for a period of
a natural day. All the articles that had been lost in it from the
remotest time?, as well as its fish, were collected by the inhabit
of the fortress, and by the people of the country in general/'1
0 Nwry.^&uG an interring note to the Annals (Four Masters), w\
p. 40, which identifies the valley of Glenree with tho vale of Newry. In on
ancient map, the Newry river is called Owen Glenreejhwivu.
1 GcneraL — This is mentioned also by O4 Flaherty, who quotes from dome
other annals- See his account of Iar-Connau ght, printed for the Archaeological
Society,
IRISH BISHOPS AT THE COUNCIL OF LATERAN,
289
in 1179 Henry gave the office of Viceroy to De Lacy, and
^fccaHed FitzAldelm. The new governor employed himself actively
JU erecting castles and oppressing the unfortunate Irish* Cambrensis
°o#eTves> that he u amply enriched himself and his followers by
°I>p>reasing others with a strong hand." Yet he seems to have had
*ome degree of popularity, even with the native Irish, for he mar-
ked a daughter of Roderic O'Connor as his second wife. This
*u*-ajiee, tor which he had not asked permission, and his popularity,
the jealousy of the English King, who deprived him of his
r>ffi>*-«. But he was soon reinstated, although the Bishop of Shrews-
kux-jy- with the name of counsellor, was set as a spy on his actions.
^^fe^o events occurred a;d, 11SL De Laey's old companion, Her-
**y de Montmarisco, became a monk at Canterbury, after f
5?^ Cistercian Monastery of Dunbrody, in the county of Wexford.
**-^ died in this house, in his seventy*fifth year.
T T ** U-^9 several Irish bishops were summoned by Alexander
**■* to attend the third General Council of Lateran. These pre-
V^^® were, St. Laurence of Dublin, O'Duffy of Tuam, O'Brien of
^^ aloe, Felix of Lismore, Augustine of Waterford, and Brictius
. I^imeriek. Usher says2 several other bishops were summoned ;
is probable they were unable to leave the country, and hence
'"^ir names have not been given. The real state of the Irish
^*Urch was then made known to the Holy See; no living man
CayOd have described it more accurately and truthfully than the
s^^nted prelate who had sacrificed himself for so many years for its
►4 Even as the bishops passed through England, the royal
Jealousy sought to fetter them with new restrictions ; and they were
obliged to take an oath that they would not sanction any infringe-
DQjont* on Henry's prerogatives. Stp Malachy was now appointed
kte by the Pope, with jurisdiction over the five suffragans, and
tije possessions attached to his see were confirmed to him. As the
Bull was directed to Ireland, it would appear that he returned there ;
fall his stay was brief, and the interval was occupied in endeavour-
ing to repress the vices of the Anglo-Norman and Webb clergy,
>y of whom were doing serious injury to the Irish Church by
their immoral and dissolute lives. J
p#, ep. 48.
* L ^ive authority for this statement, as it mnnifeeta how com-
e was deceived in supposing that any reform was likely to
be effected in Ireland by Engliah interference : *' Ita itt qtwdam temjiore
T
200
DEATH OF ST. LAURENCE O'TOOLE.
Henry now became jealous of the Archbishop, and perhaps wat
not overpleased at his efforts to reform these ecclesiastics. Eoderio
O'Connor had asked St. Laurence to undertake a mission on his
behalf £b the English court ; but the King refused to listen to him,
and forbid him to return to Irelaiidp After a few weeks* residence
at the Monastery of Abingdon, in Berkshire, the saint set out for
Franca He fell ill on his journey, in a religious house at Eu, whew
his remains are still preserved. When on his deathbed, the monks
asked him to make hie will ; but he exclaimed, lt God knows that
out of all my revenues I have not a single coin to bequeath." With
the humility of true sanctity, he was heard frequently calling on
God for mercy, and using the words of the Psalmist, so familiar to
ecclesiastics, from their constant perusal of the Holy Seripturea.
As he was near his end, he was beard exclaiming, in his own beau-
tiful mother-tongue : " Foolish people, what will become of you I
Who will relieve you ? Who will heal you T And well might his
paternal heart ache for those who were soon to be left doubly
orphans, and for the beloved nation whose sorrows he had so often
striven to alleviate,
St. Laurence went to his eternal reward on the 14th of Novem-
ber, 1180. He died on the /ma sexia at midnight.* His obsequies
were celebrated with great pomp and solemnity, and attended by
the Scotch Legate, Alexis, an immense concourse of clergy, and
many knights and nobles, Hia remains were exposed for some days
in the Church of Notre Dame, at Eu.
Henry immediately dispatched his chaplain, Geoffrey de la Haye,
(<|iKi'l dictu minim eat) centum et qvmdraginta preaby, incontinentuE Co:
tos Romani miserit absolvendos, u — Sari us, t. vi St. Laurence had f aciilfciet for
absolving these persons, but for some re a* nrj— probably as a greater punish-
ment— ho sent them to Kotne, English writers at this period alao complain of
the relaxed state of ecclesiastical discipline in that country. How completely
all such evils were eradicated by the faithful sons of the Church, acu;
exertions of ecclesiastical au periors, is manifest from the fact, that no such
charges could be brought against even a single priest at the time of the so-
called Reformation.
kUgh . — " Itaque cam sexto feri» terminus ftdveuisset, in 00
sabbati subsequentis Spintum Saucti viri reqnies ueterna suscepit" — Vita
LfLitrtntiit cap. x atxiii, Th^ saint's memory is still honoured at Eu* The church
has been lately ruatored, and there is a little oratory on the hill near it to mark
the spot where he exclaimed, Htzc es( rtquit* m*a, as he approached the town
where he knew he should die. Dr. Kelly (Carnttrmms Ever*u»t voL ii. fv t»W)
mentions in a note that the names of several Irishmen were inscribed there.
r
JOHN COMYN, ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN. 291
to Ireland, not with a royal message of consolation for the national
calamity, but to sequester the revenues of the archiepiscopal see of
Dublin. He took care to possess himself of them for a year before
he would consent to name a successor to the deceased prelate. St.
Laurence had happily left no funds in store for the royal rapacity ;
the orphan and the destitute liad been his bankers. During a year
of famine he is said to have relieved five hundred persons daily; he
also established an orphanage, where a number of poor children
were clothed and educated. The Annals of the Four Masters say
he suffered martyrdom in England. The mistake arose in con-
sequence of an attempt having been made on his life there by a
fanatic, which happily did not prove fatal.6
The Archbishop of Dublin became an important functionary from
this period. Henry obtained the election of John Comyn to this
dignity, at the Monastery of Evesham, in Worcester, and the King
granted the archiepiscopal estates to him " in barony," by which
tenure he and his successors in the see were constituted parliamen-
tary barons, and entitled to sit in the councils, and hold court in
their lordships and manors. Comyn, after his election by the clergy
of Dublin, proceeded to Eome, where he was ordained priest, and
subsequently to Veletri, where Pope Lucius III. consecrated him
archbishop. He then came to Dublin, A.D. 1 1 84, where preparations
were making for the reception of Henry's son, John, who, it will be
remembered, he had appointed King of Ireland when a mere
child.
In 1183 the unfortunate Irish monarch, Eoderic, had retired to
the Abbey of Cong, and left such empty titles as he possessed to his
son, Connor. De Lacy and De Courcy had occupied themselves
alternately in plundering and destroying the religious houses which
had so long existed, and in founding new monasteries with a portion
of their ill-gotten gains. It would appear that De Lacy built so far
on his popularity with the Anglo-Normans, as to have aspired to the
sovereignty of Ireland, — an aspiration which his master soon dis-
covered, and speedily punished. He was supplanted by Philip of
* Fatal. — Br. O'Donovan gives a long and most interesting note on the
genealogy of St. Laurence O'Toole, in which he shows that his father was a
„ chieftain of an important territory in the county Kildare, and that he was not
a Wicklow prince, as has been incorrectly asserted. The family removed
there after the death of St. Laurence, when they were driven from their pro-
perty by an English adventurer.
Worcester, who excelled ail liis predecessors in rapacity and cruelty.
Not satisfied with the miseries inflicted on Ulster by De Courcy,
he levied contributions there by force of arms. One of his compa-
nions, Hugh Tyrrell, who (C remained at Armagh, with his English*
men, during six days and nights, in the middle of Lent," signalized
himself by carrying off the property of the clergy of Armagh;
Amongst other things, he possessed himself of a brewing-pan, which
he was obliged to abandon on his way, he met so many calamities,
which were naturally attributed to his sacrilegious conduct6
John was now preparing for his visit to Ireland, and his singu-
larly nnlelicitons attempt at royalty. It would appear that the
Prince wished to decline the honour and the expedition ; for,, as he
was on the eve of his departure, Eraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem,
arrived in England, to enjoin the fulfilment of the King's vow to
undertake a crusade to Palestine. As Henry had got out of his
difficulties, he declined to fulfil his solemn engagement, and refused
permission to his son, John, who threw himself at his fathers 1
and implored leave to be his substitute. Eraclius then poured forth
his indignation upon Henry, with all the energetic freedom of the
age. He informed him that God would punish his impieties — that
he was worse than any Saracen ; and hinted that h« might I
herited his wickedness from his grandmother, the Countess of Anjou,
who was reported to be a witch, and of whom it was said that she
had flown through the window during the most solemn part of Mass*
though four squires attempted to hold her,
John sailed from Milford Haven on the evening of Easter WedftW-
day, 1185. He landed with his troops at Waterford, at noon, on
the following day. His retinue is described as of unusual splendour,
and, no doubt, was specially appointed to impress the "barbae
Irish, Gerald Barry, the famous Cambrensis, who had arrived in
Ireland some little time before, was appointed his tutor, in conjunct
fcion with Ranulf de GlanviUe. The bitter prejudice of the former
against Ireland and the Irish is a matter of history, as well as the
indefatigable zeal of the latter in pursuit of his own interests at the
expense of justice.
* Conduct — Taia is mentioned even by Cox, who, Dr. O' Donovan observe
was always anxious to hide the faultB of the English, and vilify the Irish,
He calls Hugh T^rreU "a man of ill report/' and says he returned ten Duhloi
i4loftdea both with curses and extortiona."— Hik Angl, p. 38, ad an* 11S4.
A retinue of profligate Normans completed the court, whom an
English authority describes as "great quatTers, burdens, proud, belly
ttwains, fed with extortion and bribery," The Irish were looked
upon by these worthies as a savage race, only created to be plundered
and scoffed at. The Normans prided themselves on their style of
dress, and, no doubt, the Irish costume surprised them. Common pru-
dence, however, might have taught them, when the Leinster chief-
tains came to pay their respects to the young Prince, that they
should not add insult to injury; for, not content uith open ridicule,
they proceeded to pull the beards of the chieftains, and to gibe their
method of wearing their hair.
De Lacy has the credit of having done his utmost to render the
Prince's visit a failure. But his efforts were not necessary. The
insolence of the courtiers, and the folly of the youth himself, were
e sufficient to ruin more promising prospects. In addition to
i r outrages, the Irish had seen their Jew remaining estates
bestowed on the new comers ; and even the older Anglo-Norman
Hid Welsh settlers were expelled to make room for the Princes
favourites— an instalment of the fatal policy which made them
dually M more lush than the Irish.*' When the colony was on
. i of ruin, the young Prince returned to England. He threw
the blame of his failure on Hugh do Lacy ; but the Norman knight
did not live long enough after to suffer from the accusation.7 De
Lacy waa killed while inspecting a castle which he had just built on
the site of St, Columbkille's Monastery at Durrow, in the Queen's
nty. He was accompanied by three Englishmen ; as he was in
the act of stooping a youth of an ancient and noble family, named
ideyey, gave him his deathblow, severed his head from his body,
and then fled with such swiftness as to elude pursuit. It is said-
that he was instigated to perform this deed by Sumagh G'Caharaay
(the Fox), with whom he now took refuge.
The Annals mention this as a " revenge of Colum-ciUe/'8 they also
* A frumUftrk — Thtrt can be no doubt that De Lacy had ambitious designs.
See * it, Nib. Expng. lib, ii. cap, 20, Henry IL heard of hie death
* iUi considerable satisfaction.
- Dr. u Donovan remarks that a similar disaster befoU Lord
Xorbury. Hh was also assassin rvted by a hand still unknown, after having
r wd a castle on the same tiU as that of De Lacy, and preventing the
burial of the dead in the ancient cemetery of Durrow*
K*
i^llte or jlhm:i il
»v --wc * fcl Itfeiri vat ftl of in? Enrii=L sBBUfiE.fnnE.iXK'!
I*- :ii*r «*.* Herry m raw- srwint-ei bk hil ^oim. xr.-riw ;
Vi^^ivatrr. bu: d:»meFii'. imtbiw pre^em* c hn- pmzs innt ~
•^•.•^■j*sci tun- A**rLTUEii*«x- C:nryx. L*id l i^hpc it. Tmhzzx. di
:•■;* yet? I:*"*, aiii :»l :« Ki. of Tun*- ibf- relist a: SS Pszrick,
'."'.» ll'.tU'Jt. fcliC Lripi W*T* diF?rrr*r»*d. sue BDjemiiir
kuw uiider tiit dir^rriw of Carcmt VjriHL. wiir came xt> .
v..- >erJv.TL liit f uii?u:»i_ I^nricr tL* year I L *f Tie ?^i«^ i
t*j*-.r ukul! luiL iiii sniseTaoj* di5seiia:»iif : ruE *eih7"
•>^n Vj* •r.'TtTii.'L e*ie*ty. s*id 0"M^fi:>rT cr?vf- XH-Cmirrr
: •-•:»■ ^ f.-.'Ti £l jyefci&r*. Be was hrsii. LTiackfd in
C ■-•■..<
Jrj ':>> He^ry IL ciei is Cm-B. it y^uium^r.
las.* '.Lir^ a .".:*• Leaa* ar&ic?i ids kei?- si:5 esr»sciilh"
at Le i'.-i'i ;*«t diw/vered thai he bad jrcnei xhcse wio cwr;
flgninvt :.:til. In hi* lure moment* he wm snipped of Ids
aj.'i jew*!?. *sd ]*f: r.ak*d and ne2ject<ei.
II: '.Lard I . who eu«**ded to the throve, was ictr.
about foreign affairs to attend to bis om Vrr>gdflm_ He vat
brave vAiizr. and as Rich merits our re?pert : bin be can
be credited a« a wise king. Irish afairs were committed to tbe
care of John, who does not appear to bare profited by bk
experience. He appointed Hugh de Lacy Lord Jusnt*, to the
«fi&:i d:^fj»t of John deCV>urcy; bn: it was little matter to
th<- '/y.m-rnrn*nt of that unfortunate country was rounded. Ibere
W'T'r f.i';e distinction* made about titles: far John, even when King
of Kr.'vlarjd, did not attempt to write himself King of Ireland.9
K'i*. there were no nice distinctions about property ; for the rale
seemed to he, that whoever could get it should hare it. and whoever
could ke"p it should possess it
In 1 1 W Koderic's son, Connor Moinmoy, fell a victim to a eon-
Hjjirary of his own chieftains, — a just retribution for bis rebellion
n#aiii*t his father. He had, however, the reputation of being brave
mid generous. At his death Connaught was once more plunged in
,J King of lrebind. — Daring tbe reign of Richard all the public affiun of the
Anglo-Norman colony were transacted in the name of " John, Lord of Inland,
Karl of Montague." Palgrave observes that John never claimed to be King of
lli<! I mh ; likii h>lward, who wrote himself Lord of Scotland, and acknowledflad
Uuliol to be King of the Scots.
I
ARCHBISHOP COMYN. ' 295
^▼il war, and after some delay and difficulty Soderic resumed the
Sovernment.
In 1192 the brave King of Thomond again attacked the English
^aders. But after his death, in 1194, the Anglo-Normans had
tttie to apprehend from native valour. His obituary is thus re-
corded : " Donnell, son of Turlough O'Brien, King of Munster, a
corning lamp in peace and war, and the brilliant star of the hos-
pitality and valour of the Momonians, and of all Leth-Mogha
died." Several other " lamps" went out about the same time ; one
°f these was Crunce OTlynn, who had defeated De Courcy in 1178,
*nd ©'Carroll, Prince of Oriel, who had been hanged by the English
tlie year before, after the very unnecessary cruelty of putting out
hi* ejes.
1"be affairs of the English colony were not more prosperous.
"^ ^w- Lords Justices followed each other in quick succession. One
°* "tkese governors, Hamon de Valois, attempted to replenish his
5^*^0X8 from church property, — a proceeding which provoked the
"^■^Slish Archbishop Comyn. As this ecclesiastic failed to obtain
f^^^^ss in Ireland, he proceeded to England with his complaints ;
rj^j*"** lie soon learned that justice could not be expected for Ireland.
-**« difference between the conduct of ecclesiastics, who have no
a***-i]y but the Church, and no interests but the interests of religion, is
v^*\y- observable in all history. While English and Norman soldiers
^~^x-^ recklessly destroying church property and domestic habita-
. ^^^x^ in the country they had invaded, we find, with few excep-
*i* ***"*», that the ecclesiastic, of whatever nation, is the friend and
™"^1* «r of the people, wherever his lot may be cast. The English
'f^-^^libishop resented the wrongs of the Irish Church as personal in-
-|**^i«8, and devoted himself to its advancement as a personal interest.
^^^ are indebted to Archbishop Comyn for building St. Patrick's
^^lnedral in Dublin, as well as for his steady efforts to promote
;*^ welfare of the nation. After an appeal in person to King
^^^Xard and Prince John, he was placed in confinement in Nor-
?lacK^-dy, and was only released by the interference of the Holy See ;
tj^^cent HI., who had probably by this time discovered that the
^k^Slish monarchs were not exactly the persons to reform the Irish
^^i^m, having addressed a letter from Perugia to the Earl of
Montague (Prii^ John), reprimanding him for detaining "his
ve*x«able brother, the Archbishop of Dublin," in exile, and requir-
fflft him to repair the injuries done by his Viceroy, Hamon de
Yaloisj on the clergy of Leighlin. The said Haioon appears
have meddled with other property besides that belonging to
Church — a more unpardonable offence, it is to be feared, in
eyes of his master. On returning from office after two years vie
royalty, he was obliged to pay a thousand marks to obtain
acquittance from his accounts.1
John ascended the English throne in 1199. He appoint
Meiller FitzHenris Governor of Ireland. It has been coii
that if John had not obtained the sovereignty, he and hU di
dants might have claimed the u Lordship of Ireland.11 Then-
be no doubt that he and they might have claimed it ; but v.
they could have held it is quite another consideration. It i
generally worse than useless to speculate on what might have be<
In this case, however, we may decide with positive certainty, thaP^
no such condition of things could have continued long. The Eng-
lish kings would have looked with jealousy even on the deseendan
of their ancestors, if they kept possession of the island ; and lb
descendants would have become, as invariably happened, JIiberniei&
ijt/stjr Bibemfar, and therefore would have shared the fate of the*
" common enemy."
Meanwhile the O'Connors were fighting in Kerry, Cathal
CaiTAgh obtained the services of FitzAldelm, and expelled Cathal
Crovderg, He* in hia turn, sought the assistance of Hugh O'NVill,
who had been distinguishing himself by hie valour against De
j id the English. They marched into Connaught, but were
obliged to retreat with great loss. The exiled Prince now sought
English assistance, and easily prevailed on De Coiirey and young
De Lacy to help him. But misfortune still followed him, His
army was again defeated; and as they fled to the peninsula of Kin-
down, on Lough Eee, they were so closely hemmed in, that no way
of escape remained, except to cross the lake in boats. In attempt-
ing to do thifl a great number were drowned. The Annals of
Kilronan and Clonmacnob enter these events under the year 1 34
the Four Masters under the year 1199- The former state I
" Cahall Carragh was taken deceitfully by the English of Mea
and imprisoned until he paid a ransom ; and that De Courcy, " after
slaying of his people," returned to Ulster.
1 Accounts. — Gilbert1* Viceroys, p+ 53+
* FilztttnrL— Hia father was an illegitimate son of Henry L When a mere
youth, Fitzlloari came to Ireland with lim Gvraldiaes, and obtained Luge
JOHN DE GOURCY IS DtSGHACED,
297
d^athal CroVderg now obtained the assistance of the Lord Justice,
^arfao plundered Clonmacnoia* He also purchased the services of
,F*i-fc,zAidelmt and thus deprived Ms adversary of his best support.
Tfa.es English, like the mercenary troops of Switzerland and the
-Net her lands, appear to have changed sides with equal ahtciitv,
,«^li€n it suited their convenience ; and so as they were well paid,
xfc Mattered little to them against whom they turned their arms. In
i 20 1 Cathal Crovderg marched from Limerick to Roscommon, with
-fc^is new ally and the sons of Donnell O'Brien and Florence Mac-
C^^a^rthy. They took up their quarters at Boyle, and occupied them-
^«lves in wantonly desecrating the abbey. Meanwhile Cathal
<ZTo*x-iagh, King of Connaught, had assembled his forces, and came
X^> ^pye them battle* Some skirmishes ensued, in which he was
^^*»iii, and thus the affair was ended* FitzAldelm, or De Burgo, as he
"** ignore generally called now, assisted by OTlaherty of West Con-
*gln\ turned against Cathal when they arrived at Cong to spend
the £aster. It would appear that the English were billeted on the
kifih throughout the country ; and when De Burgo demanded Wl
^r them, the Connacians rushed upon them, and slew six hundred
b^il For once his rapacity was foiled, and he marched off to
^Unsterwith such of his soldiers as had escaped the massacre,
Ektoe years after he revenged himself by plundering the whole of
Connaught, lay and ecclesiastical
During this period Ulster was also desolated by civil war. Hugh
Neill was deposed, and Connor O'Loughlin obtained rule } but the
titer was restored after a few years,
John de Courcy appears always to have been regarded with
lousy by the English court. His downfall was at hand, a,d,
M ; and to add to its bitterness, his old enemies, the De Laeys,
re chosen to be the instruments of his disgrace. It ie said that
h© had given mortal offence to John, by speaking openly of him as
a usurper and the murderer of his nephew ; but even had he not
bean guilty of this imprudence^ the state he kept, and the large tract
BOftntry which he held, was cause enough for his ruin. He had
established himself at Down pat rick, and was surrounded in almost
regal state by a staff of ofucerSj including his constable, seneschal,
and chamberlain ; he even coined money in his own name- Com-
plaints of his exactions were carried to the King* The De Lacys
Accused him of disloyalty. In 1203 the then Viceroy, Hugh de
Lacy, attempted to seize him treacherously, at a friendly meeting*
I
29*
DEATH OF DE COURCY.
He failed to accomplish this base design ; but his brother, Walter,
succeeded afterwards in a similar attempt, and De Courey was
kept in durance on til the devastations which bis followers com*
raitted in revenge obliged his enemies to release hinL
In 1204 he defeated the Viceroy in a battle at Down, He was
, aided in this by the O'Neills, and by soldiers from Man and the
Isles. It will be remembered that he could always claim assistance
from the latter, in consequence of his connexion by marriage. Bat
this di^l not avail him. He was summoned before the Council in
Dublin, and some of his possessions were forfeited. Later in the
same year (a.d. 1204) he received a safe'conduct to proceed to The
King. It is probable that he waa confined in the Tower of London
for some time ; but it is now certain that he revisited Ireland in
1210, if not earlier, in the service of John, who granted him an
annual pension,* It is supposed that he died about 1219 ; for in
that year Henry 1IL ordered his widow, Affreca* to be paid her
dower out of the lands which her late husband had possessed in
Ireland.
Cambrensis states that De Courey had no children ; but the
Barons of Kin sale claim to be descended from him ; and even i
late as 1821 they exercised the privilege of appearing covered hefi
George IV,— a favour said to have been granted to De Courey by
King John, after his recall from Ireland, as a reward for Ids prowess.
Dr. Smith states, in In //',./>/ Cbrjfe, thai Miles de Courey was
a hostage for his father during the time when he was permitted to
leave the Tower to fight the French champion. In a pedigree of
the MacCarthys of Cooraun Lough, county Kerry, a daugh I
* Penman* —One hundred pounds per annum, Orders concerning it M* still
extant po the Close Rolls of England. — RoL Lit, Clau. 1833, 144. Lt is cur
and stlnmM lie carefully noted, how constantly proofs are appearing that tba
Iriah bards and chroniclers, from the earliest to the latest period, were mort
careful as to tbe troth of their facta, though they may have sometimes coloured
them highly, J>r. O'Donovao has devoted some pages in a note (Four Master*,
vol iii. pi 139) to tho tales in the Book of Howth which record the exp;
of De Courey* He appears satis tied that they were *' invented in the fifteenth
or sixteenth century." Mr. Gilbert has ascertained that they were pUord
on record aa early as 1360, in Fembridge1* Annals. As they are merely
accounts of personal valour, we do not reproduce them here. He also gives an
extract from Hoveden'a Annals, par« P01"** P- 8$.% which further supports 1
Irish account. Eapin gives the narrative as history. Indeed, there apj*
nothing very improbable about it. The Howth family were founded by Sir
Almaric Bt Lawrence, who married De Courcy's sister.
DEATH OF MAC-WILLIAM BURKE.
299
John de Courcy ia mentioned. The Irish annalists, as may be sup-
posed, were not slow to attribute hi a downfall to his crimes.
Another English settler died about this period, and received an
equal share of reprobation j this was FitzAldelm, more commonly
Known as Mac William Burke (De Burgo), and the ancestor of the
Burke family in Ireland, Cambrensis describes him as a man ad-
dicted to many vices. The Four Masters declare that ** God and
tAe saints took vengeance on him ; for ho died of a shameful dis-
ease," It could scarcely be expected that one who had treated tin;
Irish with such unvarying cruelty, could obtain a better character,
©r a more pleasing obituary, Of his miserable end, without
"shrive or unction," there appears to be no doubt.
M M I |^tp | ' h '
S?TALACTiT» CAVE, TTPFlBABV.
JW|@»
King Joh* r1^ tatoiA *^t^jS ^onS
^ been **• » .^Uve Pf^J^id *»** *»
peawt P*» £*Utf the fc^« "^d mark-
£d sold **>»*£,, fot four ^ ^^
Salter to *•* P^etV£6 point of *«
Walter redcen ** . ed his at the P
-** w andtWnd. j££ q{ j,
Sovnva^ya"a lseaV,recogn^n ^
"* eV„to?l*^dUmr Bi. i*.*-*
lets
biwl
1 r*~
married
0iBto P°^
FEtTBS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH BARONS,
301
notable in domestic affairs, and a vigorous oppressor of the
elsk A bloody war was waged about the same time between
L>e Lacy, De Marisco, and the Lord Justice, Cathal Crovderg
***<1 O'Brien aided the latter in besieging Limerick, while some of
the flngibh fortified themselves in their castles and plundered
^Uscrimately,
L*i 1205 the Earldom of Ulster was granted to Hugh de Lacy.
Tt© grant is inscribed on the charter roll of the seventh year of
&n^5 John, and is the earliest record now extant of the creation
rf ivn Anglo-Norman dignity in Ireland, England was placed
tinder an interdict in 1207, in consequence of the violence and
Vcedness of its sovereign- He procured the election of John de
Gr«*y to the see of Canterbury, a royal favourite, and, if only for this
reason, unworthy of the office. Another party who had a share in
tbfc election chose Reginald, the Sab-Prior of the monks of Canter-
bury, Bet when the choice was submitted to Pope Innocent III,
t« rejected both candidates, and fixed on an English Cardinal,
Stephen Langton, who was at once elected, and received consecra-
tion from the Pope himself, John was highly indignant, as might
be expected. Be swore his favourite oath, u by God's teeth," that
be would cut off the noses and pluck out the eyes of any priest who
attempted to carry the Pope's decrees against him into England
lint some of the bishops, true to their God and the Church, pro-
mitigated the interdict, and then fled to France to escape the royal
eance* It was well for them they did so ; for Geoffrey, Arch-
deacon of Norwich, wa& seized, and enveloped, by the royal order,
in a sacerdotal vestment of massive lead, and thus thrown into
prison, where he was starved to death beneath the crushing weight,
sometimes hear of the cruelties of the Inquisition, of the bar-
t y of the Irish, of the tyranny of priestcraft ; but such eruelt
barities, and tyrannies, however highly painted, paly before the
geance which English kings have exercised, on the
slightest provocation, towards their unfortunate s'! But we
have not yet heard all the refinements of cruelty which this same
monarch exercised. Soon after, John was excommunicated person-
AVhen he found that Philip of France was prepared to seize
kingdom, and that his crimes had so alienated him from his own
pie that he could hope for little help from them, he cringed
with the craven fear so usually found in cruel men, and made the
most abject submission. In the interval between the proclamation
of the interdict and the fuJmination of the sentence of excommu
cation (A.D. 1210), John visited Ireland. It may be supposed lili
d could not excite much pleasure in the hearts of his Irish
subjects, though, no doubt, he thought it a mark of disloyalty tfc
he should not be welcomed with acclamations, A quarter of g
century had elapsed since he first set his foot on Irish ground. H- Jfie
had ^rown grey in profligacy, but he had not grown wiser or bette-^^»r
with advancing years.
The year before his arrival, Dublin had been desolated by a>
lance, and a number of people from Bristol bad taken advant
of the decrease in the population to establish themselves there*
the Easter Monday after their arrival, when they had assembled I
amuse themselves in CuHens Wood, the O'Byrnes and OTooIu^ e?4
rushed down upon them from the Wicklow Mountains, and took
tteribk Vengeance for the many wrongs they had suffered, by
massacre of some three hundred men. The citizens of Bristol sei
over new colonists ; but the anniversary of the day was long kno
as Black Monday.
The English King obtained money for his travelling expenses
extortion from the unfortunate Jews, He landed at Crook, n
Waterford, on the 20th June, 1210, His army wascomnni
the Earl of Salisbury, son to Henry L, by ** Fair Rosamond,"
tragic memory. De Braose fled to England when he heard of t!
King's movements* Here he endeavoured to make peace with kfc *
master, but foiling to do so, he carefully avoided putting himself i
h is p o wer, an d took ref u ge in Fran ce. H is wife was not so f b rl
After John's return to Englaud, Matilda and_ her son were
by his command, and imprisoned at Corfe Castle, in the isle o *
Pembroke. Here they were shut up in a room, with a shea!
wheat and a piece of raw bacon for their only provision. AVhen t i
prison door was opened on the eleventh day, they were both foundS— w
dead.
De Lacy also fled before the King's visit j John took Carriek-
fergus Castle from his people, and stationed a garrison of hi
Several Irish princes paid homage to him ; amongst
we find the names of Cathal Crovderg and Hugh O'Neill
Norman lords were also obliged to swear fealty, and transcripts of
their oaths were placed in the Irish Exchequer. Arrange
ilso made for the military support of the colony, and i
troops were to be furnished with forty days1 ration by all who held
A POET'S vkngeance. 303
lands' by "knight's service." The Irish princes who lived in the
soixtliern and western parts of Ireland, appear to have treated the
King with silent indifference ; they could afford to do so, as they
^©x-e so for beyond the reach of his vengeance.
Job remained only sixty days in Ireland. He returned to Wales
°** the 26th of August, 1210, after confiding the government of the
co*ony to John do Grey, Bishop of Norwich, whose predilection for
•ocular affairs had induced the Holy See to refuse his nomination to
™^ Archbishopric of Canterbury. The most important act of his
■^ceroyalty was the erection of a bridge and castle at AtlirLuain
(A.ttfilone). He was succeeded, in 1213, by Henry de Londres, who
*^<i been appointed to the see of Dublin during the preceding year.
"*■ ^**is prelate was one of those who were the means of obtaining Magna
^**rta. His name appears second on the list of counsellors who ad-
***«€! the grant ; and he stood by the King's side, at Runnymede,
**«o*i the barons obtained the bulwark of English liberty. It is
***^times forgotten that the clergy were the foremost to demand it,
****i the most persevering in their efforts to obtain it.
-Hie Archbishop was now sent to Rome by the King to plead his
^^**^« there, and to counteract, as best he might, the serious com-
j ;^^ixjts made against him by all his subjects — A.D. 1215. In
^13 Walter de Lacy obtained the restoration of his father's pro-
P^^tijr in Wales and England. Two years later he recovered his
'^t^^kt lands ; but the King retained his son, Gislebert, as hostage,
^*^*i his Castle of Droiccad-Atha (Drogheda).
^t^le Irish chieftains made some stand for their rights at the close
^-iiis reign. Gormac O'Melaghlin wrested Delvin, in Meath, from
"English. O'Neill and O'Donnell composed their difference pro
, and joined in attacking the invaders. In the south there was
>^-^^~« between Dermod arid Connor Carthy, in which the Anglo-
^^^rmans joined, and, as usual, got the lion's share, obtaining such
-T^*** increase of territory as enabled them to erect twenty new castles
^** ^Jork and Kerry,
_^ *^Sle Four Masters give a curious story under the year 1213.
^^^Donnell More sent his steward to Connaught to collect his tribute.
^^^^ his way he visited the poet Murray O'Daly, and began to wrangle
^*^%Ji ^m> " although his lord had given him no instructions to do
**^-** The poet's ire was excited. Ho killed him on the spot with
^ ^fcarp axe — an unpleasant exhibition of literary justice — and then
^^d into Clanrickarde for safety. O'Donnell determined to revenge
304
IRISH BISHOPS AT THE COUNCIL OF LATERAN.
the insult, until Mac William (William de Burgo) submitted to hhn»:
But the poet had been sent to seek refuge in Thomond. The chi
pursued him there also, and laid siege to limerick.4 The inhabczzJ
fcants at once expelled the murderer, who eventually fled to Dublusr
After receiving tribute from the men of Connaught, G'Donra-s
marched to Dublin, and compelled the people to banish Murray *^
Scotland. Here he remained until he had composed three poena1 — i
m praise of O'Donnell, imploring peace and forgiveness. He w=.
then pardoned, and so far received into favour as to obtain a graE^
of land and other possessions.
The Irish bishops were, as usual, in constant intercourse wii
Rome, Several prelates attended the fourth General Council
Lateran, in 1215. The Annals give the obituaries of some saint -^
men, whose lives redeemed the age from the character for barbarit
which its secular literature would seem to justify. Amongst the
we find the obituary of Catholieue O'Dufry, in 1201 ; of Uai
u one of the noble sages of Clonmacnois, a man full of the love
God and of every virtue ;" of Con O'Melly, Bishop of Annag^ ■
: , "a transparently bright gem of the Church f of Donn*
0*Brollagha&, "a prior, a noble senior, a sage, illustrious for k^*^
Intel 1 1 ind of many others* A great number of monasteries
were also founded, especially by the Anglo -Normans, who appear t5
bad periodical tits of piety, after periodical temptations to r*
plenish their coffers out of their neighbours' property. We map
not quite judge their reparations as altogether insincere ; forturet
some atonement for evil deeds is better than an utter reckl-
ui future punishment.
I Imi y 111. succeeded his father, John, while only in his tenth j
William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, was appointed protector of tb
kingdom and the King, The young monarch was hastily crown
at Bristol, with one of his mother's golden bracelets. Had t
ami good Earl irVed to administer affairs for a longer period, i
4 Limtrfch — We jive nn illustration, at the head of this chapter, of K
John** Castle, Limerick. Stamhurot says that King John *■ was a /.-ith
the agreeable ness of the city, that lie caused a very fine castle and bridge to be
built there/' This castle has endured for more than six centuries* Kichaitl L
granted this city a charter to elect a Mayor before London bad that privi
and a ceutury before it was granted to Dublin. M *Gregor says, iu lus fftgtory
of Lim+rlrk, that the trade went down fear folly after the English inrogwi.^
Vol il p. 53.
F
HENRY HI. 305
would have been a blessing to both countries. Geoffrey de Marisco
still continued Governor of Ireland. Affairs in England were in an
eartremely critical position.' The profligate Isabella had returned to
bex* first husband, Hugh de Lusignan, whom she had before forsaken
foxr King John. Gloucester, London, and Kent, were in the hands
°f the Dauphin of France. Some few acts of justice to Ireland were
tike result; but when justice is only awarded from motives of fear
°*" interest, it becomes worse than worthless as a mode of conciliation.
Siach justice, however, as was granted, only benefited the Anglo-
Norxnan settlers ; the " mere Irish" were a race devoted to plunder
***<! extermination.
In consequence of complaints from the English barons in Ireland,
a xnodified form of Magna Charta was granted to them, and a general
^^^nesty was proclaimed, with special promises of reparation to the
^^^fcles whom John had oppressed. Hugh de Lacy was also pardoned
5****<i recalled ; but it was specially provided that the Irish should
**^v^ no share in such favours ; and the Viceroy was charged to see
j^^fc no native of the country obtained cathedral preferment. This
I^*^o« of injustice was annulled through the interference of Pope
*^«*xxorius HI
. _ In 1217 the young King, or rather his advisers, sent the Arch-
»*^!xop of Dublin to that city to levy a "tallage," or tax, for the royal
c*^xx^fit. The Archbishop and the Justiciary were directed to repre-
:*^**-t to the "Kings of Ireland," and the barons holding directly from
**^ crown, that their liberality would not be forgotten; but neither
.^J^"^ politeness of the address5 nor the benevolence of the promises
.^^^^c practically appreciated, probably because neither were believed
^c> tie sincere, and the King's coffers were not much replenished.
-^Vrrangements were now made defining the powers of the Vice-
J*^^^" or Justiciary. The earliest details on this subject are embodied
^^ ^oi agreement between Henry IH. and Geoffrey de Marisco, sealed
^Dxford, in March, 1220, in presence of the Papal Legate, the
-hbishop of Dublin, and many of the nobility.
Sy these regulations the Justiciary was bound to account in the
. _ ^^shequer of DubHn for all taxes and aids received in Ireland for
T/i^ royal purse. He was to defray all expenses for the maintenance
* *the King's castles and lands out of the revenues. In fact, the
k * -4<WfiMt.— Gilbert's Viceroys, p. 82, where the address may be seen in
U
306 THE SCORCH VILLAIN.
people of the country were taxed, either directly or indirectly, for
the support of the invaders. The Ring's castles were to be kept
by loyal and proper constables, who were obliged to give hostages.
Indeed, so little faith had the English kings in the loyalty of their
own subjects, that the Justiciary himself was obliged to give a
hostage as security for his own behaviour. Neither does the same
Viceroy appear to have benefited trade, for he is accused of exact-
ing wine, clothing, and victuals, without payment, from the mer-
chants of Dublin.
In 1221 the Archbishop of Dublin, Henry de Londres, was made
Governor. He obtained the name of " Scorch Villain," from having
cast into the fire the leases of the tenants of his see, whom he had
cited to produce these documents in his court. The enraged land-
holders attacked the attendants, and laid hands on the Archbishop*
who was compelled to do them justice from fear of personal violence.
When such was the mode of government adopted by English
officials, we can scarcely wonder that the people of Ireland have not
inherited very ardent feelings of loyalty and devotion to the crown
and constitution of that country.
Such serious complaints were made of the unjust Governor, that
Henry was at last obliged to check his rapacity. Probably, he was
all the more willing to do so, in consequence of some encroachments
on the royal prerogative.
After the death of the Earl of Pembroke, who had obtained the
pardon of Hugh de Lacy, a feud arose between the latter and the son
of his former friend. In consequence of this quarrel, all Meath was
ravaged, Hugh O'Neill having joined De Lacy in the conflict.
Some of the Irish chieftains now tried to obtain protection from
the rapacity of the Anglo-Norman barons, by paying an annual
stipend to the crown; but the crown, though graciously pleased to
accept anything which might be offered, still held to its roysd
prerogative of disposing of Irish property as appeared most con-
venient to royal interests. Though Cathal Crovderg had made
arrangements with Henry III., at an immense sacrifice, to secure
his property, that monarch accepted his money, but, nevertheless,
bestowed the whole province of Connaught shortly after on Richard
de Burgo.
Crovderg had retired into a Franciscan monastery at Knockmoy,
which he had founded, and there he was interred nobly and
honourably. After his death there were no less than three claim-
TURLOUGH IS DEFEATED. 307
ants for his dignity. De Burgo claimed it in right of the royal
gift ; Hugh Gathal claimed it as heir to his father, Grovderg ;
Torlongh claimed it for the love of fighting, inherent in the Celtic
race ; and a general guerilla warfare was carried on by the three
parties, to the utter ruin of each individual For the next ten.
years the history of the country is the history of deadly feuds be-
tween the native princes, carefully fomented by the English settlers,
whose interest it was to make them exterminate each other.
The quarrel for the possession of Connaught began in the year
1225. The Anglo-Normans had a large army at Athlone, and
Hugh Gathal went to claim their assistance. The Lord Justice put
himself at the head of the army; they marched into Gonnaught, and
soon became masters of the situation. Eoderic's sons at once sub-
mitted, but only to bide their time. During these hostilities the
English of Desmond, and O'Brien, a Thomond prince, assisted by
the Sheriff of Cork, invaded the southern part of Gonnaught for
the sake of plunder. In the previous year, 1224, " the corn re-
mained unreaped until the festival of St. Brigid [1st Feb.], when
the ploughing was going on." A famine also occurred, and was fol-
lowed by severe sickness. Well might the friar historian exclaim :
" Woeful was the misfortune which God permitted to fall upon the
west province in Ireland at that time ; for the young warriors did
not spare each other, but preyed and plundered to the utmost of
their power. Women and children, the feeble and the lowly poor,
perished by cold and famine in this year."6
O'Neill had inaugurated Turlough at Carnfree.7 He appears to
have been the most popular claimant. The northern chieftains
then returned home. As soon as the English left Gonnaught, Tur-
lough again revolted. Hugh Cathal recalled his allies; and the
opposite party, finding their cause hopeless, joined him in such
numbers that Eoderic's sons fled for refuge to Hugh O'Neill. The
Annals suggest that the English might well respond when called
on, " for their spirit was fresh, and their struggle trifling." Again
we find it recorded that the corn remained unreaped until after
the festival of St. Brigid. The wonder is, not that the harvest was
not gathered in, but that there was any harvest to gather.
* Tear. — Four Masters, vol. iii. p. 227.
7 Carnfree. — This place has been identified by Dr. O'Donovan. It is near
the village of Tulak, co. Roscommon. It was the usual place of inauguration
for the O'Connors. See note d, Annals, voL iii. p. 221.
Soon after these events* Hugh O'Connor waa captured by his
English allies, and would have been sacrificed to their venge;.
some pretence, had not Earl Marshal rescued him by force of
He escorted him out of the court, and brought him safely to Con-
naught ; hut his son and daughter remained in the hands of the
English, Hugh soon found an opportunity of retaliating, A con*
ference was appointed to take place near Athlone?g between him and
William do Marisco, son of the Lord Justice. When in sight of the
English knights, the Irish prince rushed on William, and seized
him, while his followers captured his attendants, one of whom, the
Constable of Athione, was lolled in the fray, Hugh then proceeded
to plunder and burn the town, and to rescue his son and daughter,
and some Connaught chieftains.
At the close of the year 1227, Turlough again took arms. The
English had found it their convenience to change sides, and assisted
him with all their forces, Prohably they feared the brave Hugh,
and were jealous of the very power they had helped him to obtain,
Hugh Eodf nc attacked the northern districts, with Richard d»
Burgo. Turlough Roderic marched to the peninsula of Kindown-».
with the Viceroy. Hugh Crovderg had a narrow escape near th^
Curlieu Mountains, where his wife was captured by the EngliaM^=
The following year he appears to have been reconciled to the
Deputy, for he was killed in his house by an Englishman, in reven.
for a liberty he had taken with a woman,0
* Alhtom.— This was one of the most important of the English towns, a:
ranked nexC to Dublin at that period. We give an illustration of the Cast
of Athione at the beginning of Chapter XX The building ia now used
a barrack, which in truth is no great deviation from its original
It stands on the direct road from Dublin to Gal way, and protects the
of the ShruirmiL There ia a curious representation on a monument here
unfortunate English monk, who apostatized and came to Ireland. He waa
to Athione to superintend the erection o£ the bridge by Sir Henry Sidney;
according to the legend, he was constantly pursued by a demon in the
of a rat, which never left him for a single moment. On one occasion be
tempted to y reach, but the eye* of the animal glared on bim with auch
that ho could nut continue. He then took a piatol and attempted to ahi
but in an instant it bad sprung on the weapon, giving him, at the Baxoe
a bite which caused his death. It ia to be presumed that this circi
must have been well known, and generally believed at the time, or it
not have been made a subject for the sculptor.
* Woman* — There are several versions of thia story. The Four Masters nf
he was killed u treacherously by the English, )J The Annals of Ci<
YKiJM. O'CONNOR. 309
As usual, on the death of Hugh O'Connor, the brothers who had
fought against him now fought against each other. The Saxon cer-
tainly does not deserve the credit of all our national miseries. If
there had been a little less home dissension, there would have been a
6*eat deal less foreign oppression. The English, however, helped to
foment the discord. The Lord Justice took part with Hugh, the
younger brother, who was supported by the majority of the Con-
***&ght men, although Turlough had already been inaugurated
**y O'NeilL A third competitor now started up ; this was Felim
"^her to Hugh O'Connor. Some of the chieftains declared that
*k«y would not serve a prince who acknowledged English rule, and
obliged Hugh to renounce his allegiance. But this question was
••Wed with great promptitude. Richard de Burgo took the field,
^ssolated the country — if, indeed, there was anything left to
desolate — killed Donn Oge Mageraghty, their bravest champion,
exPelled Hugh, and proclaimed Felim.
•Phe reign of this prince was of short duration. In 1231 he was
!k eiX P1*801^1, a^ Meelick, despite the most solemn guarantees, by
r*e Very man who had so lately enthroned him. Hugh was re-
/^**ted, but before the end of the year Felim was released. He
^?,*|r assembled his forces again, and attacked Hugh, whom he killed,
r^ ** several of his relations, and many English and Irish chieftains.
a ^ *iext exploit was to demolish the castles of Galway ; Dunannon,
;> ^ke river Suck, Koscommon; Hags' Castle, on Lough Mask; and
^**^We Rich, on Lough Corrib ; all of which had been erected by
-^ Aerie's sons and their English allies. But the tide of fortune
^ ^*** turned. The invincible De Burgo entered Connaught once
•J^^Ne, and plundered without mercy. In a pitched battle the
I^feliah gained the day, principally through the skill of their
^T^lry1 and the protection of their coats-of-maiL
^ "^*elim fled to the north, and sought refuge with O'Donnell of
^^^Connell. O'Flaherty, who had always been hostile to Felim,
^^ed the English, and, by the help of his boats, they were able to
^j^ that "Be came to an atonement with Geoffrey March, and was restored to
JJ*^ kingdom," and that he was afterwards treacherously killed by an English-
V^**» M^0T which cause the Deputy the next day hanged the Englishman that
^J^Wl him, for that fool fact." The cause of the Englishman's crime was
***eer jealousie,n because O'Connor had kissed his wife.
x Cavalry.— Horse soldiery were introduced early into Britain, through the
*^**&ans, who were famous for their cavalry.
310 henry's foreign parasites endanger the throne.
lay waste the islands of Clew Bay. Nearly all the inhabitants i
killed or carried off. The victorious forces now laid siege to m-
castle2 on the Rock of Lough Key, in Roscommon, which was helf*.
for O'Connor by Mac Dermod. They succeeded in taking it,
soon lost their possession by the quick-witted cleverness of an IrisT*
soldier, who closed the gates on them when they set out on a plu
dering expedition. The fortress was at once demolished, that i
might not fall into English hands again.
When William Pembroke died, A.D. 1231, he bequeathed h~
offices and large estates in England and Ireland to his brothe
Richard, who is described by the chroniclers as a model of maul
beauty. Henry III. prohibited his admission to the inheritanc
and charged him with treason. The Earl escaped to Ireland, i
took possession of the lands and castles of the family, waging w^-~
upon the King until his rights were acknowledged. In 12S
Henry had granted the Justiciary of England and of Ireland, wr
other valuable privileges, to Hubert de Burgo. Earl Richard
ported him against the adventurers from Poitou and Bretagne, <
whom the weak King had begun to lavish his favours. The ]
liament and the barons remonstrated, and threatened to dethrcw-
Henry, if he persevered in being governed by foreigners,
well they might ; for one of these needy men, Pierre de Rivau
had obtained a grant for life of nearly every office and emoli
in Ireland; amongst others, we find mention of " the vacant i
and the Jews in Ireland." Henry did his best to get his own vie*
carried out; but Earl Richard leagued with the Welsh prine
and expelled the intruders from the towns and castles in that
of the country.
The King's foreign advisers determined to destroy their
enemy as speedily as possible. Their plain was deeply laid. Th
despatched letters to Ireland, signed by twelve privy counsellof
requiring the Viceroy and barons to seize his castles, bribing, the
with a promise of a share in his lands. The wily Anglo-Norm i -"^*
demanded a charter, specifying which portion of his property ea— — ^v
individual should have. They obtained the document, signed wi ^
the royal seal, which had been purloined for the occasion from %-*&**
Chancellor. The Anglo-Normans acted with detestable dissimu^-^"
1 Castle. — The Annals of Boyle contain a wonderful account of the prr^"*
or engines constructed by the English for taking this fortress.
TREACHERY AGAINST PEMBROKE. 311
tion. Geoffrey do Marisco tried to worm himself into the confidence
of -the man on whose destruction he was bent. On the 1st of
-Ajpril, 1232, a conference was arranged to take place on the Curragh
o£" Kildare. The Viceroy was accompanied by De Lacy, De Burgo,
****«! a large number of soldiers and mercenaries. The Earl was
^titended by a few knights and the false De Marisco. He declined
**> comply with the demands of the barons, who refused to restore
**ia castles. The treacherous De Marisco withdrew from him at this
■foment, and he suddenly found himself overpowered by numbers.
*Vitl the thoughtfulness of true heroism, he ordered some of his
attendants to hasten away with his young brother, Walter. Nearly
"a** his retainers had been bribed to forsake him in the moment of
<*anger • and now that the few who obeyed his last command were
S°**e, he had to contend single-handed with the multitude. His
PeT8onal bravery was not a little feared, and the coward barons,
Who were either afraid or ashamed to attack him individually, urged
^ their soldiers, until he was completely surrounded. The Earl
^*<* prostrate six of his foes, clove one knight to the middle, and
*u*Ck on? *^e ha11*!8 °f another, before he was captured. At last
***e Soldiers aimed at the feet of his spirited steed, until they were
^*t off, and by this piece of cruelty brought its rider to the ground.
k treacherous stab from behind, with a long knife, plunged to the
**^t in his back, completed the bloody work.
*Jlie Earl was borne off, apparently lifeless, to one of his own
J^^tles, which had been seized by the Viceroy. It is said that even
%^ surgeon was bribed to prevent his recovery. Before submitting
*j^ wounds to the necessary treatment, he prepared for death, and
^eeived the last sacraments. He died calmly and immediately,
^Aateping a crucifix, on Palm Sunday, the sixteenth day after his
^^eacherous capture. And thus expired the " flower of chivalry,"
^*id the grandson of Strongbow, the very man to whom England
^wed so much of her Irish possessions.
It could not fail to be remarked by the Irish annalists, that the
first Anglo-Norman settlers had been singularly unfortunate. They
fsan scarcely be blamed for supposing that these misfortunes were a
judgment for their crimes. Before the middle of this century (the
thirteenth) three of the most important families had become extinct.
De Lacy, Lord of Meath, died in 1241, infirm and blind; his pro-
perty was inherited by his grand-daughters, in default of a male heir.
Hugh de Lacy died in 1240, and left only a daughter. The Earl of
312
MISERABLE END OF DE MAftISC<X
Pembroke died from wounds received at a tournament, Walter!
who succeeded him, also died without issue* The property came even-
tually to Anselm? a younger brother, who also died childless ; and
it was eventually portioned out among the females of the family.
It is said Henry III. expressed deep grief when he heard of Earl
Richard's unfortunate end, and that ho endeavoured to have r»
tution made to the family. Geoffrey de Mariseo was b&nifcl
His son, William, conspired against the King* and even employed
an assassin to kitl him* The man would have probably accomplished
his purpose, had he not been discovered accident ally by one of the
Queen's maids, hid under the straw of the royal bed The real
traitor was eventually captured, drawn at horses1 tails to London,
and hanged with the usual barbarities.
His miserable father, who had been thrice Viceroy of Ireland, and
a peer of that country and of England, died in exile, Cl pitifully, yet-
undeserving of pity, for his own treason against the unfortunate
Earl Richard, and Ids son's treason against the King.7' Such wer**-
the men who governed Ireland in the thirteenth century,
Treachery seems to have been the recognized plan of cAptttting
an enemy. In 1236 this method was attempted by the aeztfe
in order to get Fclim O'Connor into their power. He was invitecL
to attend a meeting in Athlone, but, fortunately for himself, he
covered the designs of his enemies time enough to effect his escape-
He was pursued to Sligo. From thence he fled to Tir-Connell, which*
appears to have been the Cave of Adullam in that era; though
there were so many discontented persons, and it was so difficult to
know which party any individual would espouse continuously, thar>
the Adullamites were tolerably numerous, Turlough's son, Brian
O'Connor, was now invested with the government of Couuaught by
the English, until some more promising candidate should appear.
But even their support failed to enable him to keep t]
Felim3 returned the following year, and after defeating the
of the Lord Justice, made Brian's people take to flight so ell*
that none of Eoderie's descendants ever again attempted eveu to
possess their ancestral lands.
The Four Masters have the following graphic entry under 1 1
3 Feltm.— The Four Masters say, when writing of the act nf trench cry men-
tioned above; "They all yearned to act treacherously towards Felim, alth"
he was the gossip of the Lord Justice," — Annals, vol, in. p* 285. He was sponsor
or godfather to one of his children.
STATE OF ULSTER. 313
year 1236 : " Heavy rains, harsh weather, and much war prevailed
in this year." The Annals of Kilronan also give a fearful account
°' the wars, the weather, and the crimes. They mention that
Brian's people burned the church of Imlagh Brochada over the heads
of CFlynn's people, while it was full of women, children, and nuns,
and had three priests in it. There were so many raids on cows,
*™t the unfortunate animals must have had a miserable existence.
**oir a single cow survived the amount of driving hither and thither
*k©y endured, considering their natural love of ease and contem-
plative habits, is certainly a mystery. In the year 1238, the Annals
p^ntion that the English erected castles in Connaught, principally
*& tile territory from which the OTlahertys had been expelled.
"***ia family, however, became very powerful in that part of the
o&Hxitry in which they now settled.
;As Connaught had been fairly depopulated, and its kings and
J*"***ces nearly annihilated, the English turned their attention to
y *«teT> where they wished to play the same game. The Lord
**^*tice and Hugh de Lacy led an army thither, and deposed Mac-
"^^glilin, giving the government to O'Neill's son ; but MacLoughlin
° **^i*ied rule again, after a battle fought the following year at
^^^teel.
-*-*x 1240 the King of Connaught went to England to complain per-
***Uy of De Burgo's oppressions and exactions ; but his mission,
**Xight be expected, was fruitless, although he was received cour-
., ^^^ly, and the King wrote to the Lord Justice " to pluck out by
. ^ ^"«K>t that fruitless sycamore, De Burgo, which the Earl of Kent,
^i^« insolence of his power, hath planted in these parts." However,
rt^ ^ind that Henry was thankful to avail himself of the services of
og^^^ ^'fruitless sycamore" only two years after, in an expedition
~®^*^38t the King of France. He died on the voyage to Bourdeaux,
t^* ^ras succeeded by his son, Walter. In 1241 More O'Donnell,.
T^T^*^ of Tir-Connell, died in Assaroe, in the monastic habit. In
- » ^"^ Felim O'Connor and some Irish chieftains accompanied the
*j^^** Viceroy, FitzGerald, to Wales, where Henry had requested
^j** assistance.
, "^?lie King was nearly starved out, the Irish reinforcements were
**-^ in coming over, and the delay was visited on the head of the
Importunate Justiciary, who was deprived of his office. John de
* was appointed in his place.
x:
ATHLONE CASTLE,
CHAPTER XX.
The Age waa not nil Evil— Good Men iu the World and in the Clo
* Religions Houses and their Founders— The Angustiniaua and Cisterc
Franciscans and Dominicans— Their close Friendship— Dominican Ho
St* Saviour's, Dublin— The Black Abbey, Kilkenny— Franciscan II.
Youghal — Kilkenny — MultifumUam — Timoleague — Donegal
Convents mid Friars— Rising of the Con naught Men— A Plunderer
English— Battle of Downpa trick— The M McCarthys defeat the Gora
at Kenmare— War between De Eurg© and FitzGerald.
[A.D. 1244— 1271.]
EAL for founding religious houses was one of the
ra?teristics of the age. Even the men who spen
lives in desolating the sanctuaries erected by
sad in butchering their fellow-creatures, appej
have had some thought of a future retribution-
idea that crime demanded atonement — with
faith in a future state, where a stern account wou
demanded. If we contented ourselves with mere
lowing the sanguinary careers of kings and chie
we should have as little idea of the real c
the country, as we should obtain of the pr
state of England by an exclusive study of the
reports in the Times, Perhaps, there was not
more crime committed then than now. Cer
there were atonements made for offending e
and man, which we do not hear of at the presen
THE AGE WAS NOT ALL EVIL. 315
I Even a cursory glance through the driest annals, will show that
■ it was not all evil — that there was something besides crime
M an<i misery. On almost every page we find some incident which
m tells us that faith was not extinct. In the Annals of the Four
m ^3«"t«rs, the obituaries of good men are invariably placed before
W «*o. x-ecords of the evil deeds of warriors or princes. Perhaps
r tri"it«srs may have thought that such names would be recorded in
potter Book with a similar precedence. The feats of arms, the
'^•^^is, and destructions occupy the largest space. Such deeds come
^^sfc prominently before the eyes of the world, and therefore we
^^ inclined to suppose that they were the most important. But
T^**"*^*-,!^ the Annals may devote pages to the exploits of De Lacy or
— ^ ^Burgo, and only say of Ainmie O'Coffey, Abbot of the Church
^ ^Derry-Columcille, that he was "a noble ecclesiastic, distin-
5jj^^^ied for his piety, meekness, charity, wisdom, and every other
r/^^ ^^ae ;" or of MacGilluire, Coarb of St. Patrick, and Primate of
1^ ^ -*■ ^*nd, that " he died at Rome, after a well-spent life,"4 — how much
h ^^^^ ^^folded in the brief obituary ! How many, of whom men never
b^-/^"^5 heard in this world, were influenced, advised, and counselled
,^^^»he meek and noble ecclesiastic !
c^ ^*^*lie influence of good men is like the circle we make when we
w--^ ""^^ a little stone into a great stream, and which extends wider and
1>X* ^^""^^ *r until it reaches the opposite bank. It is a noiseless influence,
e*^^^""" not the less effective. It is a hidden influence, but not the less
t*^^" ^iarious. The Coarb of St. Patrick, in his " well-spent life," may
a^^ ^^^^e influenced for good as many hundreds, as the bad example of
^^/^-^ne profligate adventurer influenced for evil ; but we are quite
^«>J^^ to hear a great deal about the exploits of the latter, and
^^^^*ally certain that the good deeds of the former will not be so
"efully chronicled.
^Kor should we at all suppose that piety in this age was confined to
^^^desiastics. The Earls of Pembroke stand conspicuously amongst
^X^ir fellows as men of probity, and were none the less brave because
**ey were sincerely religious. At times, even in the midst of the
*^rcest raids, men found time to pray, and to do deeds of mercy.
^>n one Friday, in the year of grace 1235, the English knights, in
^he very midst of their success at Umallia, and after fearful devas-
tation* commanded " that no people shall be slain on that day, in
4 Life— Annals, voL iii. p. 189.
honour of the crucifixion of Christ/15 It is true they " plundered
and devastated both by sea and land the very next day;" but even on©
such public act of faith was something that we might wish to &ee
in our own times. After the same raid, too, we find the *' English
of Ireland h and the Lord Justice sparing and protecting Oarus, I
Archdeacon of Elphin, and the Canons of Trinity Island, in honou
of the Blessed Trinity — another act of faith ; and the " Lord Justic
himself and the chiefs of the English went to see that place, and I
kneel and pray there*" On another occasion the " English chiefs
were highly disgusted " when their soldiers broke into the sacr
of Boyle Abbey t and " took away the chalices , vestments, and othe
valuable things/1 Their leaders H sent back everything they cou
find, and paid for what they could not find,"6 We must, howeve
acknowledge regretfully that this species of "disgust" and re-
paration were equally rare* To plunder monasteries which t
had not erected themselves, seems to have been as ordinary an
occupation as to found new ones with a portion of their unjust
spoils.
Although this is not an ecclesiastical history, some brief account
of the monks, and of the monasteries founded in Ireland about this
period, will be necessary. The earliest foundations were houses of the
Cistercian Order and the Augustiniaos. The Augustinian Order, as
its name implies, was originally founded by St. Augustine, the great
Archbishop of Hippo, in Africa, His rule has been adopted and
adapted by the founders of several congregations of men and women.
The great Benedictine Order owes its origin to the Patriarch of the
West, so famous for his rejection of the nobility of earth, that he
might attain more securely to the ranks of the noble in heaven.
This Order was introduced into England at an early period. It
became still more popular and distinguished when St. Bernard
preached under the mantle of Benedict, and showed how austerity
towards himself and tenderness towards others could be combined
in its highest perfection.
The twin Orders of St. Dominie and St. Francis, founded in the
early part of the thirteenth century — the one by a Spanish noble-
man, the other by an Italian merchant — were established in Ireland
in the very lifetime of their founders. Nothing now remains of the
glories of their ancient houses, on which the patrons had expended
• ChriiL— Annals, vol. iii. p. 281.
8 Find.— IK vol. iii. p. 275l
THE CANONS REGULAR OFv 8T. AUGUSTINE. 317
so much wealth, and the artist 80 much skill ; but their memory
still lives in the hearts of the people, and there are few places in
***« oountry without traditions which point out the spot where a
Frattxciscan was martyred, or a Dominican taken in the act of admi- -
ftigt^xing to the spiritual necessities of the people.
^tlxe Abbey of Mellifont was founded A.D. 1142, for Cistercian
ionics, by Donough O'Carroll, King of Oriel. It was the most
^^csi^nt monastery of the Order in this country, and was supplied
1rxtilx monks by St. Bernard, direct from Clairvaux, then in all its
**»"fc fervour. We have already mentioned some of the offerings
^faicsli were made to this monastery. The date of the erection of
S"fc^ 3Mary's Abbey in Dublin has not been correctly ascertained, but
2fc i» quite certain that the Cistercians were established here in 1 1 39,
^"^^^ough it was probably built originally by the Danes. The abbots
?^ *^txis monastery, and of the monastery at Mellifont, sat as barons
^ ^^«urliament. There were also houses at Bectiff, county Meath ;
"^^"^"fcinglass, county Wicklow ; Moray, county Limerick ; Ordorney,
^ *^^iJty Kerry (quaintly and suggestively called Kyrie Eleison), at
^^** -ry, Fermoy, Boyle, Monasterevan, Ashro, and Jerpoint. The
^-^^^aiors of several of these houses sat in Parliament. Their
- ^"^-^ins attest their beauty and the cultivated tastes of their
^^^^^^ers, The ruins of the Abbey of Holy Cross, county Tippe-
, founded in 1182, by Donald O'Brien, are of unusual extent
^cr-*"^" magnificence. But the remains of Dunbrody, in the county of
• ^^"^Jford, are, perhaps, the largest and the most picturesque of any
~"^ ie kingdom. It was also richly endowed. It should be remem-
— J that these establishments were erected by the founders, not
j%— ^ ^c*^ly as an act of piety to God during their lifetime, but with the
_^ ^^^-3 that prayers should be offered there for the repose of their
tc^^*"^-** after death. Those who confiscated these houses and lands
*^^«jcular purposes, have therefore committed a double injustice,
^^^^^« they have robbed both God and the dead.
t>_"^^»» great number of priories were also founded for the Canons
g^^^^ular of St. Augustine. These establishments were of great use in
*^^^^>lying a number of zealous and devoted priests, who ministered
A*^*^16 spiritual wants of the people in their several districts. Tintern
^^^Vaey was founded in the year 1200, by the Earl of Pembroke.
"*^«n in danger at sea, he made a vow that he would erect a
fc/^^*astery on whatever place he should first arrive in safety. He
^^^Silled his promise, and brought monks from Tintern, in Mon*
^
318 DOMINICAN CONVENTS — DROGHEDA AND KILKENNY.
mouthshire, who gave their new habitation the name of their old-
home. In 1224 the Cistercians resigned the Monastery of St,
Saviour, Dublin, which had been erected for them by the same EarV
to the Dominicans, on condition that they should offer a lighted,
taper, on the Feast of the Nativity, at the Abbey of St. Mary, as am.
acknowledgment of the grant. The Mayor of Dublin, John Decer-
(a.d. 1380), repaired the church, and adorned it with a range ofT~
massive pillars. The friars of this house were as distinguished for-
literature as the rest of their brethren ; and in 1421 they opened av
school of philosophy and divinity on Usher's Island.7
The Dominican Convent of St. Mary Magdalene at Drogheda wasv
founded, in 1224, by John Netterville, Archbishop of Armagh-
Richard II. and Henry IY. were great benefactors to this house-
Four general chapters were also held here. The Black Abbey of
Kilkenny was erected by the younger William, Earl of Pembroke^-
Four general chapters were also held here, and it was considere<&
one of the first houses of the Order in Ireland, We shall giv^^
details, at a later period, of the destruction and restoration of thii^
and other monasteries. The Dominicans had also houses at Water —
ford, Cork, Mullingar, Athenry, Cashel, Tralee, Sligo, Roscommon^
and, in fact, in nearly all the principal towns in the country.
Nor were their Franciscan brethren less popular. The Order vf
Friars Minor generally found a home near the Friars Preachers -y
and so close was the friendship between them, that it was usual, on the
festivals of their respective founders, for the Franciscan to preach the
panegyric of St. Dominic, and the Dominican to preach the pane-
gyric of St. Francis. Youghal was the first place where a convent
of this Order was erected. The founder, Maurice FitzGerald, was
Lord Justice in the year 1229, and again in 1232. He was a patron
of both Orders, and died in the Franciscan habit, on the 20th May,
1267. Indeed, some of the English and Irish chieftains were so
T Usher's Island. — This was once a fashionable resort. Moira House stood
here. It was ornamented so beautifully, that John Wesley observed, when
visiting Lady Moira, that one of the rooms was more elegant than any he
had seen in 'England. Here, in 1777, Charles Fox was introduced to Grattan.
Poor Pamela (Lady Edward FitzGerald) was at Moira House on the evening
of her husband's arrest ; and . here she heard the fatal news on the following
morning, her friends having concealed it from her until then. In 1826 it
was converted into a mendicity institution, and all its ornamental portions
removed.
FRANCISCAN CONVENTS— YOUGHAL— KILKENNY. 31 fr
I . devout to the two saints, that they appear to have had some difficulty
I in choosing which they would have for their special patron. In 1 649
I the famous Owen O'Neill was buried in a convent of the Order at
| Cavan, When dying he desired that he should be clothed in the
Dominican habit, and buried in the Franciscan monastery.
Some carious particulars are related of the foundation at Youghal.
"*« Uarl was building a mansion for his family in the town, about.
«**o . year 1231. While the workmen were engaged in laying the
J^^^iclation, they begged some money, on the eve of a great feast,
*«»b they might drink to the health of their noble employer. Fitz-
**"^a^Jd willingly complied with their request, and desired his eldest
*°** tio be the bearer of his bounty. The young nobleman, however, .
ess generous than his father, not only refused to give them the
3*°**^, hut had angry words with the workmen. It is not men-
T%c>Xi^wl whether the affair came to a more serious collision ; but the
ZKx*l» highly incensed with the conduct of his son, ordered the
, <>:^klxmen to erect a monastery instead of a castle, and bestowed the
J^* ^*-«e upon the Franciscan fathers. The following year he took
^**^X^r habit, and lived in the convent until his death. This house was
x-t^X>^ete^y^estroye^ duringthe persecutionsin the reign of Elizabeth,
, -*^lie Convent of Kilkenny was founded immediately after. Its-
^^^^ ^afactor was the Earl of Pembroke, who was buried in the church.
^*"*^ was a remarkable spring, dedicated to St. Francis, at which
^^^^^.y miraculous cures are said to have been wrought. The site
" ^jT^^^^pied by this building was very extensive ; its ruins only remain
- "^«11 how spacious and beautiful its abbey and church must have
fc^» ^^^^. It was also remarkable for the learned men who there pursued
^^^5~t literary toil, among whom we may mention the celebrated
- ^^^dist* Clynn. He was at first Guardian of the Convent "of Car-
*^-^*:-on-Suir ; but, about 1338, he retired to Kilkenny, where he
-* .^-^fcpiled the greater part of his Annals. It is probable that he
^^^^3 about 1350. His history commences with the Christian era,
^^^^ is carried down to the year 1 349. At this, time the country was
T*^ lut depopulated by a fearful pestilence. The good and learned
^^tther seems to have had some forebodings of his impending fate,
**** his last written words run thus : — " And, lest the writing should
Irtish with the writer, and the work should fail with the workman,
L * leave behind me parchment for continuing it ; if any man should
We the good fortune to survive this calamity, or any one of the
race of Adam should escape this pestilence, and live to continue
what I have begun." This abbey was also one of the great lite
schools of Ireland . mid had its halls of philosophy and divinity, whi
were well attended for many years.
In Dublin the Franciscans were established by the munifice;
of tbetr great patron, Henry III* Ralph le Porter granted a
of land in that part of the city where the street still retains
name of the founder of the Seraphic Order. In 1308 John
Decer proved a great benefactor to the friars, and erected a v
beautiful chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, in which he
interred.
But the Convent of Multifarnhani was the great glory of t
century. It was erected, in 1236, by Lord Delemew and from
retired situation, and the powerful protect in mi of iti noble patrc
escaped many of the calamities which befell other houses of
Order. The church and convent were built " in honour of God i
St, Francis*" The monastery itself was of unusual size, and t
ample accommodation for a number of Mars. Hence, in times
persecution, it was the usual refuge of the tick and infirm, who w
driven from their less favoured homes. The church was remark
for its beauty and the richness of its ornaments. Hero were
tombs of its noble founders and patrons; and the south-eas
window was gorgeous with their heraldic devices, The convent
situated on Lake Derravaragh, and was endowed with many a
of rich land, through which flow the Inny and the Game. SucI^
position afforded opportunity for mills and agricultural labours^*
which the friars were not slow to avail themselves.
The site, as we have remarked, was secluded, at some dis
even from any village, and far from the more frequented roads,
process of time the family of the Nugents became lords of
manor, but they were not less friendly to the religious than
former proprietors* Indeed, so devoted were they to the
that, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries* Multifai
would have shared the common fate, had they not again
again repurchased it from those to whom it had been
Henry. Even during the reign of Elizabeth it was protected by
same family* But the day of suffering was even then approacl
In the October of the year 1G01, a detachment of English
was sent from Dublin by Lord Mountjoy, to destroy the couves
which had been so long spared. The friare were seized and imp :
soned, the monastery pillaged; and the soldiers, disappointed
T1M0LRAGUE— DONEGAL— THE LADY NUALA O'CONNOR. 321
tiheir hope of a rich booty, wreaked their vengeance by setting fire
to the sacred pile.
The Convent of Kilcrea was another sequestered spot. It was
bounded in the fifteenth century, by the MacCarthys, under the in-
vocation of St. Brigid. The richness and magnificence of the church,
i-t* graceful bell-tower, carved windows, and marble ornaments,
allowed both the generosity and the taste of the Lord Muskerry.
Oormao was interred here in 1495 ; and many noble families, having
***ade it their place of sepulture, protected the church for the sake
of their ancestral tombs.
Nor was the Monastery of Timoleague less celebrated. The
honour of its foundation is disputed, as well as the exact date ; but
48 the tombs of the MacCarthys, the O'Donovans, O'Heas, and De
*-*ourcys, are in its choir, we may suppose that all had a share in the
erection or adornment of this stately church. One of the De Courcy
family, Edmund, Bishop of Ross, himself a Franciscan friar, rebuilt
***e bell-tower, which rises to a height of seventy feet, as well as the
dormitory, infirmary, and library. At his death, in 1548, ho be-
^Ueathed many valuable books, altar-plate, &c, to his brethren.
The histoly of the establishment of the Order at Donegal is
amuaiQg enough, and very characteristic of the customs of the age.
** ^he year 1474 the Franciscans were holding a general chapter in
***^ir convent near Tuam. In the midst of their deliberations, how-
^e^» they were unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of the Lady
"^J^ala O'Connor, daughter of the noble O'Connor Faly, and wife of
V*1? I>owerful chieftain, Hugh O'Donnell. She was attended by a
rilliant escort, and came for no other purpose than to present her
A***fcble petition to the assembled fathers, for the establishment of
**ei** Order in the principality of Tir-Connell. After some delibera-
y?**» the Provincial informed her that her request could not be com-
P**^d with at present, but that at a future period the friars would
r**°^fc willingly second her pious design. The Lady Nuala, however,
€<**J- a woman's will, and a spirit of religious fervour to animate it.
. ^^hat f ' she exclaimed, " have I made this long and painful
•°^^Hey only to meet with a refusal 1 Beware of God's wrath I for
^* Ijjm I will appeal, that He may charge you with all the souls
r**<Hn your delay may cause to perish." This was unanswerable.
**^ Lady Nuala journeyed home with a goodly band of Francis-
^^a in her train ; and soon the establishment of the Monastery of
°*fcegai, situated at the head of the bay, showed that the piety of
322
IRRELAGH, NOW MUCKROSS ABBEY.
the lady was generously seconded by her noble husband*
Nuala did not live to see the completion of her cherished
Her mortal remains were interred under the high altar, an<
and fervent were the prayers of the holy friars for the
repose of their benefactress.
The second wife of O'Doimell was not less devoted to the
This lady was a daughter of Connor O'Brien, King of Th
Her zeal in the good work was so great, that the Dianas
soon completed, and the church dedicated in 1474. The a
was carried out with the utmost magnificence, and large
tions bestowed on the religious. After the death of her h
who had built a castle close to the monastery, and was buried
the sacred walls, the widowed princess retired to a small d1
near the church, where she passed the remainder of her
pr.iyer and penance. Her son, Hugh Oge, followed the ste
good father. So judicious and upright was his rule, that
said, in his days, the people of Tir-Connell never closed tbei
except to keep out the wind* In 1510 he set out on a pilgr
to Rome. Here he spent two years, and was received e
as an independent prince, and treated with the greatest distill
But neither the honours conferred on him, nor his knight
(for it is said he was never vanquished in the field or the !
satisfy the desires of his heart. After a brief enjoyment of
cestral honours, he retired to the monastery which his fath
erected, and found, with the poor children of St, Francis, that
and contentment which the world cannot give.
In the county Kerry there were at least two convents
Order— one at Ardfert, founded, probably, in the year 138!
Other, famous for the beauty of its ruins, and proximity to
famed Lakes of KiUarney, demands a longer notice,
The Convent of Irrekgh, or, as it is now called, Muckro
founded early in the fifteenth century, by a prince of the
family of MacCarthy More, known afterwards as Tudmg* j
. or Teigue of the Monastery,
According to the tradition of the county, and a MS, desi
of Kerry, written about the year 1750, and now preserved
Library of the Royal Irish Academy, the site on which the
tery was to be built was pointed out to MacCarthy More in a
which warned him not to erect his monastery in an]
except at a place called Carn^-an-Ceoil, £«,, the rock of the
CARMELITE MONASTERIES. 323
Ab no such place was known to him, he despatched some of his
faithful followers to ascertain in what part of his principality it was
situated. For some time they inquired in, vain; but as they re-
turned home in despair, the most exquisite music was heard to issue
from a rock at Irrelagh. When the chief was made aware of this,
1*« at once concluded it was the spot destined by Providence for his
pious undertaking, which he immediately commenced.
It was finished by his son, Donnell (1440). The convent was
**«dicated to the Blessed Trinity. It is said there was a miraculous
"sutge of the Blessed Virgin here, which brought great crowds of
pilgrims. The feast of the Porziuncula was kept here long after the
^bbey had fallen to ruins, and the friars dispersed, and was known
** the Abbey Day. Until the last few years stations were held
"fchere regularly, on the 2nd of October.
^C3lonmel Monastery was founded, about 1269, by the Desmonds;
^ogheda, in 1240, by the Plunkets.
Some convents of Carmelite friars were also founded in the
^^rteenth century, but as yet they have not been fortunate enough
*° obtain the services of a historian, so that we can only briefly in-
5*c^te t^6 8^8- r^ne Convent of Dublin, for White Friars, was
funded by Sir Eobert Bagot, in 1274. The date of the establish-
. e**fc of the house at Leighlin-bridge has not been ascertained ; but
^**a*s probably erected by the Carews, at the end of the reign of
ptn^r in. There were also convents at Ardee, Drogheda, Galway,
^^<i«re, and Thurles. The Convent of Kildare was the general
ftB*?*Axiary for the Order in Ireland; and one of its friars, David
, „ ~^^«ege, is styled " the burning light, the mirror and ornament of
™^ Country."
^*-:tX. 1248 the young men of Connaught inaugurated the periodical
j^^Hions, which a statesman of modern times has compared to the
*^"*^5.ing manias of the middle ages. Unfortunately for his com-
vJ^^^^on, there was a cause for the one, and there was no cause for
^ other. They acted unwisely, because there was not the re-
5*"^«t possibility of success ; and to rebel against an oppression
P**^csh cannot be remedied, only forges closer chains for the oppressed.
■j^**-^ it can scarcely be denied that their motive was a patriotic one.
-jjjr^im's son, Hugh, was the leader of the youthful band. In 1241)
"^^Mirioe FitzGerald arrived to crush the movement, or, in modern
^^^"lance, " to stamp it out n — not always a successful process ; for
H^rka are generally left after the most careful stamping, which
324 THE INSURRECTION IN CONNAUGHT.
another method might effectually have quenched. Felim at
fled the country. The English made his nephew, Turlough, ruler in
his place ; hut the following year Felim made a hold swoop down
from the Curlieus, expelled the intruder, and drove off a cattle prey*
After this proof of his determination and valour, the English made
peace with him, and permitted him to retain his own dominions
without further molestation. Florence MacCarthy was killed this
year, and Brian O'Neill, Lord of Tyrone, submitted to the Lord
Justice — thereby freeing the invaders from two troublesome com-
batants. The next year, however, the English, who were not par-
ticular about treaties, invaded the north, and were repulsed witk.
such loss as to induce them to treat the enemy with more
for the time.
Under the year 1249 the Annals mention a defeat which
Irish suffered at Athenry, which they attribute to their refusal
desist from warfare on Lady Day, the English having asked
truce in honour of the Blessed Virgin. They also record the dea— ^,
of Donough O'Gillapatrick, and say that this was a retaliation d~ __
to the English ; for he had killed, burned, and destroyed many
them. He is characterized, evidently with a little honest pride,
the third greatest plunderer of the English, The names of the
two plunderers are also carefully chronicled; they were Coi
O'Melaghlin and Connor MacCoghlan. The " greatest plum
was in the habit of going about to reconnoitre the English towns
the disguise of pauper or poet, as best suited him for the time;
he had a quatrain commemorating his exploits : —
"He is a carpenter, he is a turner,
My nursling is a bookman ; *
He is selling wine and hides, '
Where he sees a gathering. n
The quatrain, if of no other value, gives ns an idea of the
modities bartered, and the tradesmen who offered their goods
Irish fairs in English towns during the thirteenth century.
In 1257 there was a fierce conflict between the Irish, und<
Godfrey O'Donnell, and the English, commanded by Maurice
Gerald. The conflict took place at Creadrankille, near SI
The leaders engaged in single combat, and were both severely
wounded : eventually the invaders were defeated and expelled fronts
Lower Connaught. Godfrey's wound prevented him from following
W
BATTLE OF DOWNPATRICK. 325
^>^
**P his success, and soon after the two chieftains died. The circum-
stances of Maurice's death have been already recorded. The death
°fO'Donnell is a carious illustration of the feeling of the times.
-Coring his illness, Brian O'Neill sent to demand hostages from the
Qnel-ConnailL The messengers fled the moment they had fulfilled
their commission. For all reply, O'Donnell commanded his people
*o assemble, to place him on his bier, and to bear him forth at their
*teacL And thus they met the enemy. The battle took place on
the banks of the river Swilly, in Donegal. O'DonneH's army con-
quered. The hero's bier was laid down in the street of a little
tillage at Connal, near Letterkenny, and there he died.
O'Neill again demanded hostages; but while the men delibe-
^tecl what answer they should give, Donnell Oge returned from
Scot,l3nd, and though he was but a youth of eighteen, he was
elected chieftain. The same year the long-disused title of Mo-
f^h of Ireland was conferred on O'Neill by some of the Irish
*u*3g^ After a conference at Caol Uisge, O'Neill and O'Connor
Uri*^d their forces against the English, and a battle was fought
J*?*^ Downpatrick, where the Irish were defeated.8 O'Neill was
r1**^*!, with fifteen of the O'Kanes and many other chieftains, A.D.
« 6 O , The English were commanded by the then Viceroy, Stephen
"^°1*<5espe, who was murdered soon after by his own people.
,. -^^fcx the south the English suffered a severe reverse. The Geral-
»35*^^ were defeated by Connor O'Brien in Thomond, and again at
j^^^^Swvan, near Kenmare, by Fineen MacCarthy. The Annals of
- **>X^fallen give long details of this engagement, the sight of which
£ ^till pointed out by the country people. John FitzThomas, the
j^?*^.<ler of the Dominican Monastery at Tralee, was killed. The
^^^^^Carthys immediately proceeded to level all the castles which
-w* -&$featetL — O'NeUTi bard, MacNamee, wrote a lament for the chieftains
■V* ** fell in this engagement He states that the head of " O'Neill, King of
•5-^^^, was sent to London ;" and attributes the defeat of the Irish to the cir-
^^***%Uaoe of their adversaries having fought in ooats-of-mail, while they had
^*^Jf satin shirts :—
44 Unequal they entered the battle,
The Galls and the Irish of Tara ;
Fair satin shirts on the race of Conn,
The Grails in one mass of iron."
Ha tether deplores the removal of the chiefs noble face from Down, laraent-
Vig that his resurrection should not be from amongst the limestone-covered
graves of the fathers of his clan at Armagh.
THE ENTRENCHMENT OF NEW ROSS. 327
ided all the citizens to assist in erecting the necessary fortifica-
tfons. Even the ladies2 and clergy3 took part in the works, which
ex-« soon and successfully completed.
-Aji Anglo-Norman poet commemorated this event in verse, and
5-l^"brates the fame of Rose, a lady who contributed largely to the
L*.zm<flertaking, both by her presence and her liberal donations. He
* ^* ^orma us first of the reason for this undertaking. It was those
fc""*»^~^» troublesome knights, "sire Morice e sire Wauter," who would
**-«"* "fa permit the world to be at peace. He assures us that the citizens
O^* I&^ew Ross were most anxious for peace, because they were mer-
°^^-*'^'»ts, and had an extensive trade, which was quite true ; but he
~s that they were determined to defend their rights if attacked,
Lch was also true.
be poet also compliments the ladies, and thinks that the man
^"^^^^ald be happy who could have his choice of them. He also
**-^^V^rms us they were to build a " Ladies' Gate," where there should
■^■^^ «i prison in which all who gave offence to the fair sex should be
**^^^^:*ined at their pleasure. Of a surety, New Ross must have been
^^^^ paradise of ladies in those days. We have not ascertained
°*» -fc^-^ther its fair citizens retain the same potent sway in the pre-
^fc century.
?elim O'Connor died in 1265. The Four Masters give his obi-
rthus : "Felim, son of Cathal Crovderg O'Connor, the defender
. supporter of his own province, and of his friends on every side,
expeller and plunderer of his foes ; a man full of hospitality,
'"^^'""wess, and renown ; the exalter of the clerical orders and men of
^■^^nce ; a worthy materies [sic] of a King of Ireland for his nobi-
** ^^^, personal shape, heroism, wisdom, clemency, and truth ; died,
•^"•^^r the victory of unction and penance, in the monastery of the
• v^^^ninican friars at Roscommon, which he had himself granted to
0^**1 and that Order."
lie was succeeded by his son, Hugh, " who committed his regal
1 Ladies. — " Tantz bele dames ne vi en fossee,
Mult f u cil en bon sire nee,
Re purreit choisir a sa volonte*.
s Clergy. — " E les prestres, quant on chants,
Si vont ovrir au fosse* v
E travellent mut durement,
Plus qe ne funt autre gent."
This ballad has been published, with a translation by W. Crofton Croker.
CHAPTER XXI.
H*ign of Edward L— Social State of Ireland— EnglUh Treachery— Irish
Chieftains *efc at Variance— The Irkh are refused the Benefit of English
Law— Feuda between the Cnsaeks and the Barretts— Death of Boy O'Neill—
The Burke* and the Geraklines— Quarrel between FitzGerald and De Vt^:i—
Possessions obtained by Force or Fraud — Why the Celt was not Loyal —
The Governor* and the Governed— Royal Cities and their Chartera— Dublin
its Officers, Law Court*— A Law Court in the Fourteenth Cen-
ury— Irish Soldiers help the English King— A Murder for which Justice 19
tftmed— Exaction* of the Nobles— Invasion of Bruce— Remonstrance to the
e — The Scotch Armies withdrawn from Ireland.
[A.D. 1271—1326.]
T was now nearly a century since the Anglo-Normans
invaded Ireland Henry III. died in 1272, after a
reign of fifty-*ix years. He was succeeded by his son,
Edward I., who was in the Holy Land at the time of
las father's death. In 1257 his father had made him
a grant of Ireland, with the express condition that it
should not be separated from England. It would
appear as if there had been some apprehensions of
such an event since the time of Prince John, The
English monarchs apparently wished the benefit of
English laws to be extended to the native popu-
lation, but their desire was invariably frustrated by
such of their nobles as had obtained grants of land in
Ireland, and whose object appears to have been the
330
ENliLTRH TREACHERY,
extermination and, if this were not possible, the depression of thr*
Irish race.
Ireland was at this time convulsed by domestic dissensions. Sir
Robert D'Utfbrd, the Justiciary, was accused of fomenting the
blit he appear? to have considered that lie only did his
duty to bk royal master. When sent for into England, to account
for his conduct, he " satisfied the King that all was not true thai
he was changed withal ; and for further contentment yielded
reason, that in policy he thought it expedient to wink at one ki
cutting otV another, and that would save the King's coffers,
purchase peace to the land* Whereat the King smiled, and bid
him return to Ireland** The saving was questionable ; for to pre*
vent an insurrection by timely concessions, is incomparably less
expensive than to suppress it when it has arisen. The M purchase
of peace " was equally visionary; for the Irish never appear to have
D able to sit down quietly under unjust oppression, however
hopeless resistance might be.
The Viceroys were allowed a handsome income ; therefore they
were naturally anxious to keep their post. The first mention of
salary is that granted to Geoffrey de Mariseo, By letters-par
dated at Westminster, July 4th, HiBt he was allowed an attoual
stipend of JkoSG, This was a considerable sum for times when
wheat was only 2s. a quarter, fat hogs 2s. each, and French wine
2$. a gallon.
Hugh O'Connor renewed hostilities in 1272, by destroying tlie
English Castle of Roscommon. He died soon after, and his suco
had but brief enjoyment of his dignity. In 1277 a horrible act of
treachery took place, which the unfortunate Irish specially mention
in their remonstrance to Pope John XX1L, as a striking instance of
the double-dealing of the English and the descendants of the Anglo-
Normans then in Ireland Thomas de Clare obtained a grant of
Thomond from Edward I. It had already been secured to its
rightful owners, the O'Briens, who probably paid, as was usual, an
immense fine for liberty to keep their own property. The Eng-
lish Earl knew he could only obtain possession by treachery ; he
therefore leagued with Roe O'Brien, " so that they entered into
gossipred with each other, and took vows by bells and relics to re-
tain mutual friendship f or, as the Annals of Clonmacnois hav*
*■ they swore to each other all the oaths in Munster, as bells, relic*
of saints, and bac halls, to be true to each other for ever."
IRISH CHIEFTAINS SET AT VARIANCE. 331
The unfortunate Irish prince little suspected all the false oaths
liis friend had taken, or all the villany he premeditated. There was
another claimant for the crown as usual, Turlough O'Brien. He
^ras defeated, but nevertheless the Earl turned to his side, got Brian
ZEoe into his hands, and had him dragged to death between horses.
The wretched perpetrator of this diabolical deed gained little by
Jhis crime,4 for O'Brien's sons obtained a victory over him the
following year. At one time he was so hard pressed as to be
obliged to surrender at% discretion, after living on horse-flesh for
several days. In 1281 the unprincipled Earl tried the game of dis-
sension, and set up Donough, the son of the man he had murdered,
against Turlough, whom he had supported just before. But Donough
was slain two years after, and Turlough continued master of Tho-
mond until his death, in 1306. De Clare was slain by the O'Briens,
in 1286.
In 1280 the Irish who lived near the Anglo-Norman settlers
presented a petition to the English King, praying that they might
be admitted to the privileges of the English law. Edward issued a
writ to the then Lord Justice, D'Ufford, desiring him to assemble
the lords spiritual and temporal of the " land of Ireland," to deli-
berate on the subject. But the writ was not attended to; and even
if it had been, the lords "spiritual and temporal" appear to have
decided long before that the Irish should not participate in the
benefit of English laws, however much they might suffer from
English oppression. A pagan nation pursued a more liberal policy,
and found it eminently successful. The Boman Empire was held
together for many centuries, quite as much by the fact of her having
made all her dependencies to share in the benefits of her laws, as
by the strong hand of her cohorts. She used her arms to conquer,
and her laws to retain her conquests.
4 Crime. — We really must enter a protest against the way in which Irish
history is written by Some English historians. In Wright's History of Ireland
we find the following gratuitous assertion offered to excuse De Clare's crime :
"Such a refinement of cruelty must have arisen from a suspicion of treachery,
or from some other grievous offence with which we are not acquainted. " If
til the dark deeds of history are to be accounted for in this way, we may bid
farewell to historical justice. And yet this work, which is written in the most
prejudiced manner, has had a far larger circulation in Ireland than Mr.
Haverty's truthful and well-written history. When Irishmen support such
works, they mutt not blame their neighbours across the Channel for accepting
them ae truthful histories.
In 1281 a sanguinary engagement took place at Moyne, in th©
county Mayo, between the Cusacka and the Barretts. The latter were
driven off the field. The Annals say : " There were assisting the
Cusacks in this battle two of the Irish, namely, Taichieach O'Boyle
and Taichieach O'Dowda, who surpassed all that were there in
bravery and valour, and in agility and dexterity in shooting."*
There was a battle this year also between the Cinel-Connaill and
the Cinel-Owen, in which the former were defeated, and their ch
tain, Oge O'Donnell, was skin. This encounter took place at
Desertcreaght, in Tyrone,
Hugh Boy O'Neill was slain in, 1283, He is styled "the head
of the liberality and valour of the Irish ; the most distinguished in
the north for bestowing jewels and riches ; the most formidable
and victorious of his tribe ; and the worthy heir to the throne of
Ireland/1 The last sentence is observable, as it shows that the
English monarch was not then considered King of IreL;
In 1285 Theobald Butler died at Berehaven. After his death
a large army was collected by Lord Geoffrey Geneville, and
some other English nobles. They marched into Offaly, where the
Irish had just seized the Castle of Leix. Here they had a brief
triumph, and seized upon a great prey of cows ; but the native
forces rallied immediately, and, with the aid of" Carbry G*M>
routed the enemy completely. Theobald <ie Verdun lost both
men and his horses, and Gerald Fitz Maurice was taken prisoner the
day after the battle, it is said through the treachery of his own fol-
lowers. The Four Masters do not mention this event, but it is
recorded at length in the Annals of Clonmacnois. They add : "There
was a great snow this year, which from Christmas to St. Bri^
day continued.*
The two great families of Be Burgo and Geraldine demand
rial nit ntioii. The former, who were now represented by Kkhard
de Burgo (the Red Earl), had become so powerful, that they took
precedence even of the Lord Justice in official documents. In
i the Earl led a great army into Connaught, destroying th© mo-
nasteries and churches, and " obtaining sway in everyplace thru
6 Shooting. — Four Masters, vol ill. p. 435. These champions appear to
have beou very famous. They are mentioned in the Annals of Ulster and in
the Annals of Clonmacnoig, with special commendations for their skilL The
following year O'Dowda wa-i killed by Adam Cuaack. It U hoped that he
it not the same person m *l the Ciuack " whom he had assisted just before.
THE BURKES AND THE GERALDINES. 333
*iich he passed." This nobleman was the direct descendant of
"^tzAldelm de Burgo, who had married Isabella, a natural daughter
of .Richard Cceur de lion, and widow of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales.
"Alter de Burgo became Earl of Ulster in right of his wife, Maud,
daughter of the younger Hugh de Lacy. The Red Earl's grandson,
William, who was murdered, in 1333, by the English of Ulster, and
^iioae death was most cruelly revenged, was the third and last, of
***& De Burgo Earls of Ulster. The Burkes of Connaught are de-
^J^ttded from William, the younger brother of Walter, the first
***"olin FitzThomas PitzGerald, Baron of Offaly, was the common
^^^^otor of the two great branches of the Geraldines, whose history
. _ ^** object of such peculiar interest to the Irish historian. One of
^-** **^ms, John, was created Earl of Kildare ; the other, Maurice,
* J* of Desmond.
wjrm J*^^^ 1286 De Burgo laid claim to that portion of Meath which
-yi^^^^^^bald de Verdun held in right of his mother, the daughter of
. *^^l*er de Lacy. He besieged De Verdun in his Castle of Athlone,
t-T^^"* 1288, but the result has not been recorded. De Toleburne,
^^^*"*viciary of Ireland, died this year ; the King seized on all his pro-
^c^^r""^-^, to pay debts which he owed to the crown. It appears he was
^^*^«sed of a considerable number of horses.8
^^ ^^^&an de Samford, Archbishop of Dublin, administered the affairs
«y— ^*^ie colony until 1290, when he was succeeded by Sir William de
„^^^a, a Yorkshire man, and a royal favourite.
t^*^*"^^1 1289 Carbry CMelaghlin possessed a considerable amount of
<g^_^^^""er in Meath, and was therefore extremely obnoxious to the
**V^ ^^lish settlers. An army was collected to overthrow his govern-
ed-^^^^ headed by Kichard Tuite (the Great Baron), and assisted by
^^^onnor, King of Connaught They were defeated, and " Tuite,
. his kinsmen, and Siccus O'Kelly, were slain."
^immediately after the arrival of the new Lord Justice, a quarrel
-fc^^ung up between him and FitzGerald, Baron of Offaly. They
^^*fch appeared before the Council ; and if Hollinshed's account
^^•iy be credited, they used language which would scarcely be
> * HorM$.—A* votaries of the turf may be interested in knowing the appella-
^Ofti of equine ftpronrifca in the thirteenth century, we subjoin a sample of
Uiftir names : Lynst, Jourdan, Ferauut de Trim, Blauchard de Londres, Con-
UtaUe, Obin the Black, 4c
tolerated in Billingsgate. FitzGerald proposed an appeal to arms,
which was accepted by his adversary Edward summoned both ,
parties to Westminster. FitaGerald came duly equipped for the
encounter, but De Vesci had fled the country* He was, howe
acquitted by Parliament, on the ground of informality, and the
affair was referred to the royal decision. According to HoUinshed's
account, the King observed, that *' although de Vesci had conveyed
his person to France, he had left hie land behind him in Ireland;1'
and bestowed the lordships of JLildare and Eathangan on his
adver
Wogan was Viceroy during the close of this century, and had
ample occupation pacifying the Geraldines and Burkes— an DO
tion in which he was not always successful Thomas FitzMaurice,
t( of the ape," father of the Erst Earl of Desmond, had preceded
him in the office of Justiciary, This nobleman obtained his eog
men from the circumstances of having been carried, when a child, by
a tame ape round the walk of a castle, and then restored to his
cradle without the slightest injury.
The English possessions in Ireland at the close of this century
consisted of the "liberties* and ten counties — Dublin, Louth,
Kildore, Waterford, Tipperary, Cork, Limerick, Kerry, Bowsoms
and part of Counaught, The " Liberties " were those of Con naught
and Ulster, under De Burgo ; Meath, divided between De Mortii
and De Verdun ; Wexford, Carlo w, and Kilkenny, under the ju
diction of the respective representatives of the Marshal heiresses ;
Thomond, claimed by De Clare ; and Desmond, partly controlled by
the FitzGeraldo, Sir William Davies says ; " These absolute pala-
tm^ made barons and knights; did exercise high justice in all
points within their territories ; erected courts for criminal and d
cases, and for their own revenues, in the same forma as the Kxi
courts were established at Dublin; made their own judges,
coroners, and escheators, so as the Kind's writ did not run in ti
counties (which took up more than two parts of the English
colonies), but only in the church-lands lying within the sam>
were called the 'Cross,' wherein the King made a sheriff; and
in each of these counUes-pahunw* there were two sheriffs, one of
the Liberty, and another of the Cross, These undertakers were
not tied to any form of plantation, but all was left to their dift
tion and pleasure; and although they builded castles and m;
freeholds, yet there were no tenures or services reserved to
■
POSSESSIONS OBTAINED BY FORCE AND FRAUD. 335
c*ow*Qf but the lorda drew all the respect and dependency of the
common people auto themselves/' Hence the strong objection
^hich the said lords had to the introduction of English law - for
i^cl this been accomplished, it would have proved a serious cheek
*o their own advancement for the present time, though, had they
wisdom to have seen it, in the end it would have proved their best
^ f^g tiard and eon soli dated their power. The fact was, these settlers
^rei^d at living like the native princes, oblivious or ignorant of the
C|*'«j-ia instance, that these princes were as much amenable to law as the
'^w^est of their subjects, and that they governed by a prescriptive
^fe^t of centuries. If they made war, it was for the benefit of the
r:t^>€^, not for their individual aggrandizement; if they condemned
°* <=leatht the sentence should be in accordance with the Brehon
f v%^ * "which the people knew and revered. The settlers owned no
* ^^ but their own will ; and the unhappy people whom they
mned could not fail to see that their sole object was their own
**^^^±it, and to obtain an increase of territorial possessions at any
1 «i the lands thus plundered many native septs existed, whom
L ^ Vier war nor famine could quite exterminate, Their feeling
^^^ ^^rds the new lord of the soil can easily be understood ; it
«-.-* ^^ a feeling of open hostility, of which they made no secret,
t|. L^^3" considered the usurper's claim unjust ; and to deprive him of
possessions which he had obtained by force or fraud, was the
est wish of their hearts.
'Ids subject should be very carefully considered and thoroughly
i, for much , if not all, of the miseries which Ireland has
j^j- ured, have arisen from the fatal pulley pursued at this period.
^-^ "%v could the Celt be loyal to the Anglo-Norman, who lived only
^^ppress him, to drive him from his ancestral Wne, and then to
u& Mm with the foul name of rebel, if he dared resist ? Had he
*^- resisted, he would have been branded with a worse name — a
^*"Ward,
SSueh portions of the country as lay outside the land of which the
^ **g!o-Normans had possessed themselves, were called u marche*."
>e were occupied by troops of natives, who continually resisted
r essions of the invader, always anxious to add to his fcerri-
t roups constantly made good reprisals for what Lad
en taken, by successful raids on the castle or the garrison. Fleet-
ed, and well aware of every spot which would afford conceal-
merit, these hardy Celts generally escaped scot-free. Thus oceupie
for several ceuturieSj they acquired a taste for this roving life ; mm
they can scarcely be reproached for not having advanced in civilize
tion with the age, by those who placed such invincible obfltAolM '
their progress.7
The most important royal castlea, after Dublin, were those — maf
Athlone, Boscommon, and Eandown. They were governed by a
constable, and supplied by a garrison paid out of the revenues —of
the colony. The object of these establishments was to keep do^^mwn
the natives, who were accordingly taxed to keep the garrisoo^™^-
The people quite understood this, and it was not an addil
motive for loyalty. The battlements of the castle wei
adorned with a grim array of ghastly skulls, the h*
who had been skin in the warfare so constantly going on. Rn%tM%muYi&
attempt to strike terror into the Irish utterly failed, and new eih. n-
dictates passed into the ranks, Howt indeed, could they die mm '^e
gloriously than in the service of their country 1
The royal cities held charters direct from the crown of EnglftM*****
These cities were Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, and Cork,
idea has already been given of the streets and the size of Dubli ~^*t**|
The Castle was the most important building, at least to the ch— »** *
portion of the community. It contained within its walls a chip
a jail, and a mill— characteristic of the age. The mill was styfc
the " King's Mill,'* The chaplains had each an annual salary
fifty shillings — not an insufficient provision, if we calculate
the penny then was nearly the same value as the shilling no«
moreover, they had two shillings each for wax. and probably fa
besides. The chapel was under the patronage of St. Thomas
Canterbury, who, when he had be*n martyred, sent to hea^
and could give no more inconvenient reproofs, stood very high in
* Proffres^ — The following passage is taken from & work published a fe#
years ago. It is not a work of any importance, but it had some circulati* n m
its day ; and like many other works then pubUehed, was calculated
me nap mischief, by quoting the false statements of Cnrabrenais as authoritr*
and by giving grotesque sketches of Irish character, which were equally untrue.
The writer says t ** They [the Irish chieftains J opposed the Li <n of
English law, because they had a direct interest in encouraging murder and
theft" The fact was, as we have shown, that the Irish did their best to ob-
tain the benefit of English law ; hut the English nobles who ruled Ireland
1 not permit it, unquestionably " because tkey bad A ditf&Ot interest in
encouraging murder and theft1'
A LAW COURT* IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. 337
royal favour. The Castle was partly encompassed by a moat, called
toe " Castlegripe ;" the walls were fortified with bastions, and had
various gates, towers, and narrow entrances, which were defended
by strong doors and portcullises. The chief communication with
the city was by a drawbridge on the southern side of Castle-street.
Rolls of the fourteenth century exhibit disbursements for repairs,
w>pes, bolts, and rings, from which we gather that everything was
kept ready for immediate service. .
The hostages which were exacted from the Anglo-Norman lords,
*s -well as from the Irish chieftains, were kept in the Castle at their
own expense. They can hardly have found their position very
pleasant, as at any moment they might be called on to submit to
•He operation of having their eyes put out, or to be hanged. The
a«i^es and other officials held their courts in the Castle. In the
/0^rt of Exchequer the primitive method of using counters for
^dilating8 was still continued. These were laid in rows upon the
^xiequered" cloth which covered the table. Square hazel rods,
o-fcclied9 in a particular manner, styled tallies and counter-tallies,
'^X">e employed as vouchers.
The Ked Book of the Exchequer contains a curious sketch of
5"^*^ Exchequer of the King of England in Dublin." Six officers
"the court are at the top ; to the left, three judges ; to the right,
**^^ suitors ; a sheriff is seated at the bottom. The crier is in the
* of adjourning the court, exclaiming " a demain" showing that
~^*v in Ireland Norman-French was still the language of law, and
fcc*fc>ably of courtesy. The officer to the left, supposed to be the
"°Ond Remembrancer, holds a parchment containing the words,
"^^iceptum fuit Vict-comiti, per breve hujus Scaccarii11 The Chief
^*X*embrancer occupies himself with a pen and an Exchequer roll,
^^a^nencing " Memorandum quod X° die Maij" &c. ; while the Clerk
^kie Pipe prepares a writ, placed on his left knee, his foot resting on
l^ table. The Marshal of the Exchequer addresses the usher, and
^^Jg a document inscribed, " Exiit breve Fice-comiti" One of the
L*^<ges exclaims, " Soient forfez ;" another, "Foyr dire.11 On the
, ^ Calculating.— We derived the word from calculus, a white stone, the
J**^Qaus having used small white stones for arithmetical purposes. Probably
|T?3»*" taught this custom to the aboriginal English, whose descendants retained
***»g after.
. -Notched* —Quite as primitive an arrangement as the quipus, and yot used
^ * condition of society called civilized.
338 A PARLIAMENT AT KILKENNY.
chequered-covered table, before the judges, are the Red Book, a baj
with rolls, the counters used for computation, and a document con
mencing with the words, " Ceo v&us" &c. The sheriff sits at th
bottom, wearing the leathern cap used by such officers when thei
accounts were under examination in the Exchequer. Three suitor
stand at the right side of the picture. One, with uplifted hand, say*
"Oz de brie;" another, extending his arm, cries, " Chalange" th
third, with sword at his side, laced boots, and ample sleeves, hold
the thumb of his left hand between the fore and middle finger o
his right, and exclaims, "Soite oughte" Thus affording us aj
interesting and truthful picture of a law court in the fourteenth
century.
The crown revenues and customs were frequently pawned out b
associations of Italian money-lenders ; and the " Ricardi " of Lucca
and " Frescobaldi " of Florence, had agents in the principal town
in Ireland. The royal treasure was deposited in the Castle, in a coffe
with three locks. The keys were confided to different persons, an
no payment could be made unless the three were present , still, a
might be expected from men, the sole object of whose lives appeal
to have been to enrich themselves at the expense of others, th
accounts were not always satisfactory. Even the Viceroys were a<
cused of conniving at and sharing in frauds, notwithstanding th
salary of. £500 per annum and their other emoluments, with th
permission to levy provisions of all kinds for " the king's price,
which was far below the current value.
The Castle garrison consisted of archers and halberdiers ; th
Constable, Warders, and Guardian of Works and Supplies, bein
the principal officers. The Constable was generally a nobleman c
high rank, and received an annual salary1 of £18 5s.
It will be remembered that Sir John Wogan had been appointe
Viceroy at the close of the thirteenth century. He brought abou
a two years' truce between the Geraldines and Burkes (De Burgos)
and then summoned a Parliament at Kilkenny, A.D. 1295. The rol
of this Parliament contains only twenty-seven names. Eichard
Earl of Ulster, is the first on the list. The principal Acts passe<
1 Salary. — The value may be estimated by the current price of provisions
co ws from 5*. to 13*. 4d. each ; heifers, Ss. 4d.to5s.; sheep, Sd. to Is. ; ordinar
horses, 13*. 4c2. to 40*. ; pigs, 1*. Qd. to 2s.; salmon, 6c/. each ; wheat, corn, ant
malt varied with the produce of the season. Most of the details given abovt
have been taken from Mr. Gilbert's Viceroys,
PIERS GAVESTON MADE VICEROY. 339
w-ere : one for revising King John's division of the country into
counties; another for providing a more strict guard over the
m&rcLes, so as to " keep out the Irish." The Irish were not per-
Baitted to have any voice in the settlement of the affairs of their
country, and it was a rebellious symptom if they demurred. Never-
theless, in 1303, King Edward was graciously pleased to accept the
•Wvices of Irish soldiers, in his expedition against Scotland. It is
«*id. that, in 1299, his army was composed principally of Welsh and
^ifth, and that on this occasion they were royally feasted at Kox-
biuglL Castle.
Trie O'Connors of Offaly were for nearly two centuries the most
**©x*oic and therefore the most dangerous, of the " Irish enemies."
^*^-*mice O'Connor Faly and his brother, Calvagh, were the heads
5^ "fciw sept. The latter had obtained the soubriquet of " the Great
"™^!>ey from his earnest efforts to free his country. He had
^^S&ated the English in a battle, in which Meiller de Exeter and
fj^^xal others were slain ; he had taken the Castle of Kildare ;
**^x*«fore, as he could not be taken himself by fair means, trea-
^^^xr-y was employed.
^t*Le chiefs of Offaly were invited to dinner on Trinity Sunday,
*^-^>* 1315, by Sir Pierce MacFeorais (Peter Bermingham). As they
***^ up from table they were cruelly massacred, one by one, with
^^"^iity-four of their followers. ' This black deed took place at Ber-
*T*^*X£ham's own Castle of Carbury,2 county Kildare. Bermingham
arraigned before King Edward, but no justice was ever obtained
this foul murder.
-ai the year 1308, Piers Gaveston, the unworthy favourite of
L^ard EL, was appointed Viceroy. The English barons had long
fen disgusted by his insolenee, and jealous of his influence. He
banished to France — or rather a decree to that effect was
*Xied — but Ireland was substituted, for it was considered a banish-
*^^nt to be sent to that country. Gaveston, with his usual love of
T^^^play, was attended by a magnificent suite, and commenced his
^iceroyalty in high state. He was accompanied by his wife, Mar-
*5*Xerite, who was closely connected with the royal family.
The Templars had been suppressed and plundered by royal
Command; but though this evil deed was accomplished without
tauch trouble, there were Irish clans whose suppression was not so
1 Corbet?.— Extensive ruins still mark the site.
340
GAYESTON RECALLED — BE WOGAN REAPPOINTED.
easily effected. The O'Tooles and O'Briens, styled by the Am^3^
Normans "les Ototheyles et les Obrynncs/1 stood their groiiu-^
well, that they had put the late Viceroy to flight this very year,
promised some active employment for his successor*
Edward appears to have bad apprehensions as to the hint* °'
reception his favourite was likely to receive from the powerful £^:ir^
of U later ; he therefore wrote him a special letter, requesting his -
nod counsel for the Viceroy* But De Burgo knew his own po^^*
too well; and instead of complying with the royal request,
marched off to Drogheda, and then to Trim, where he employ *-' *
himself in giving sumptuous entertainments, and conferring t
honour of knighthood on Ms adherents. The favourite was recall
to England at the end of a year. Edward had conducted him t°
Bristol, on hk way to Ireland ; he now went to meet Mm <*£
Chester, on his return. Three years kter he paid the forfeit of fcmia
head for all these condescensions.
In 1309 De Wogan was again appointed Governor. The ex-^^c
tions of the nobles had risen to such a height, that some of th ^^bS
number began to fear the effects would recoil on themselv*
food rates and fearful poverty then existed, in co
cruel exactions of the Anglo-Normans on their own dependez^-
They lived frequently in their houses and quartered their soldi^^
and followers on them, without offering them the smallest remune
tion. A statute was now made which pronounced these pro
" open robbery," and accorded the right of suit in such eas>
crown > But this enactment could only be a dead letter. V
already seen how the crown dealt with the most serious complain^
of the natives \ and even had justice been awarded to the co
plainant, the right of eviction was in the hands oi
noble, and the unfortunate tenant would have his choice bet
starvation in the woods or marauding on the highways, hav
neither the dernier resort of a workhouse or emigration
age.
The Viceroy had abundant occupation suppressing the fends bo
of the Irish and the colonists* Civil war raged in Thorn-
. iuarrels between the Anglo-Norman settlers in the &n
eowsfr appear to have been more extensive and less easily appease*^
horsei, l«te to the Annals of Clonniacnois, MacGeoghegan
mjdt wieu.* reigned more dissentions, strife, warrs, and debates
:-lishmea themselves, in the beginning of the com
THE REMONSTRANCE TO THE HOLY SEE. 341
igdome, than between the Irishmen ; as by perusing the
ween the Lacies of Meath, John Coursey, Earle of Ulster,
Marshal, and the English of Meath and Munster, Mac
le Burke, Butler, and Cogan, may appear."
qous invasion of Ireland by Bruce took place on the 16th
.D. 1315. On that day Edward landed on the coast of
3ar Carrickfergus, with six thousand men. He was at-
the heroes of Bannockburn ; and as a considerable num-
ive forces soon joined them, the contingent was formidable,
a few of the Irish had assisted Edward II. in his war
,otch independence, the sympathies of the nation were
sause of freedom ; and they gladly hailed the arrival of
► had delivered their own country, hoping they would also
jland. It was proposed that Edward Bruce should be made
Ireland. The Irish chieftain, Donnell O'Neill, King
in union with the other princes of the province, wrote a
ut respectful remonstrance to the Holy See, on the part
ion, explaining why they were anxious to transfer the
to Bruce.
document the remonstrants first state, simply and clearly,
loly Father was deceived ; that they were persuaded his
were pure and upright ; and that his Holiness only knew
through the misrepresentations of their enemies. They
• wish " to save their country from foul and false imputa-
i to give a correct idea of their state. They speak, truth-
mournfully, " of the sad remains of a kingdom, which has
;o long beneath the tyranny of English kings, of their
and their barons;" and they add, " that some of the latter,
rn in the island, continued to exercise the same extortions,
id cruelties, as their ancestors inflicted." They remind,
f that " it is to Milesian princes, and not to the English,
hurch is indebted for those lands and possessions of which
n stripped by the sacrilegious cupidity of the English."
ly assert " it was on the strength of false statements "
in transferred the sovereignty of the country to Henry
probable murderer of St. Thomas a Becket." Details
opven of English oppression, to some of which we have
ferred. They state the people have been obliged to take
like beasts, in the mountains, in the woods, marshes,
Even there we are not safe. They envy us these deso-
342
BRUCB'8 CAMPAIGN,
late abodes * They contrast the engagements made by Henry to
the Church, and his fair promises, with the grievous failure in their
fulfilment. They give clear details of the various enactments made
by the English, one of which merits special attention as an eternal
refutation of the false and base charge against the Irish of having
refused to accept English laws, because they were a lawless ram
They state (1) rt that no Irishman who is not a prelate can take the
law against an Englishman, but every Englishman may take ths
law against an Irishman/1 {2} That any Englishman may kill an
Irishman, (l falsely and perfidiously, as often happened, of whatsoever
rank, innocent or guilty, and yet he cannot be brought before the
English tribunals ; and further, that the English murderer can seise
the property of his victim." When such was the state of Ireland,
as described calmly in an important document still extant, we cannot
be surprised that the people eagerly sought the slightest hope of
redress, or the merest chance of deliverance from such oppression,5
In conclusion, the Irish princes inform his Holiness, " that in
order to obtain their object the more speedily and securely, they
had invited the gallant Edward Bruce, to whom, being de&cen
from their most noble ancestors, they had transferred, as they
justly might, their own right of royal domain."
A few years later Pope John wrote a letter to Edward III.T in
which he iledares that the object of Pope Adrian's Bull hud been
entirely m -J a h<d, and that the "most unheard-of miseries and pop*
secutions had been inflicted on the Irish." He recommends that
monarch to adopt a very different policy, and to remove the causes
of complaint, ** test it might be too late hereafter to apply a remedy,
when the spirit of revolt had grown stronger.1'
The accounts of Bruce's Irish campaign have not been very clearly
given* The Four Masters mention it briefly, notwithstanding
importance; the fullest account is contaiuM In the Annals of Clou-
macnois, which agree with the Annals of Connaiight, Dundalk,
Ardee, and some other places in the north, were taken in rapid
cession, and a good supply of victuals and wine was obtained from
* Qpprmim*— The original Latin is preserved by Fordtm. Trait *Uti<mfl
may be found in the Abbe* MacGeogbegan's JTUtory of Ir-
Flowdeu'a Historical Review. We append one clause, in which tJhate writer*
complain of the corruption of manners produced by intercourse with the Eng-
lish settlers ; M Quod aancta et eolnmbina ejus simplicity ex eorum cohabits
tioae et exemplo reprobo, in eerpentinam calliditatem mirahUitex est mutata."
bruce's campaign. 343
the former place. The Viceroy, Sir Edmund le Botiller. marched
to attack the enemy ; but the proud Earl of Ulster refused his
^stance, and probably the Justiciary feared to offend him by
offering to remain. Meanwhile, Felim, King of Connaught, who
tod hitherto been an ally of the Red Earl, came over to the popu-
* side ; and the English forces suffered a defeat at Connor, in
vMcli William de Burgo and several knights were taken prisoners.
"h* battle was fought on the 10 th of September, according to
Grace's Annals, and the battle of Dundalk on the 29th of July.
A-*W the battle of Connor, the Earl of Ulster fled to Connaught,
wh^x-e he remained a year ; the remainder of his forces shut them-
sel^^s up in Carrickfergus. Bruce was proclaimed King of Ireland,
&***■ ^arched southward to pursue his conquests. The Earl of Moray
nf*^ sent to Edinburgh to invite King Robert over, and the Scotch
fl^^^ies prepared to spend the winter with the De Lacys in West-
^Vhen the Christmas festivities were concluded, Bruce again took
O^ field, and defeated the Viceroy at Ardscull, in the co. Kildare.
X**- the month of February some of the chief nobles of the English
colony met in Dublin, and signed a manifesto, in which they
denounced the traitorous conduct of the Scotch enemy, in trying
to wrest Ireland from their Lord, " Monsieur Edward," taking
special care to herald forth their own praises for loyalty, and to
lint at the compensation which might be required for the same.
But the Irish were again their own enemies ; and to their mise-
rable dissensions, though it can never justify the cruelties of their
oppressors, must be attributed most justly nearly all their mis-
fortunes. Had the Irish united against the invaders, there can
be no doubt that, with the assistance of the Scotch army, they
would have obtained a complete and glorious victory, though it
may be doubtful whether any really beneficial resultfe would have
accrued to the country should disunion continue. When Felim
O'Connor joined Bruce, Rory O'Connor and his clan commenced
depredations on his territory. Felim returned to give him battle,
and defeated him with terrible slaughter. Thus men and time were
lost in useless and ignoble strife. Rory was slain in this engage-
ment— a fate he richly merited ; and Felim was once more free to
fight for his country. He was joined by the O'Briens of Thomond,
and they marched together to attack Athenry, which was defended
by Burke and Bermingham. A fierce conflict ensued. The Irish
344 THE FRANCISCANS IN TROUBLE FOR PATRIOTISM.
fought with their usual valour ; but English coats-of-mail were p»:^^K
against their attacks, and English cross-bows mowed down ti"^fcj
ranks.
The brave young Felim was slain, with 11,000 of his follow- ^^mi
and the Irish cause was irretrievably injured, perhaps more by- -it
death of the leader than by the loss of the men. This disaster -fc^cDoJ
place on the 10th of August, 1316.
Still the Irish were not daunted. TheO'Tooles and O'Byrnes xr-^se
in Wicklow, the O'Mores in Leix. Robert Bruce came over to JCre-
land. The Franciscan friars, always devoted to their country, m-^ade
themselves specially obnoxious by encouraging their countrymen- to
die in defence of their country. They were threatened and cajo-^^
by turns, but with little effect.4 Edward Bruce again appea^"1^
before Carrickfergus. The siege was protracted until Septemb- ^Xl
when Robert Bruce arrived, and found the English so hard p: ^
that they ate hides, and fed on the bodies of eight Scots whom th<
had made prisoners.5 In the year 1317, the Scottish army w
computed at 20,000 men, besides their Irish auxiliaries. Afte^^
Shrovetide, King Robert and his brother crossed the Boyne^^
and marched to Castleknock, near Dublin, where they took Hugl^^
Tyrrell prisoner, and obtained possession of the fortress. There ^
was no little fear in Dublin Castle thereupon, for the Anglo- ^
Normans distrusted each other. And well they might. The De
Lacys had solemnly pledged their fidelity, yet they were now found
under the standard of Bruce. Even De Burgo was suspected ; for his
daughter, Elizabeth, was the wife of the Scottish King. Wheu the
invading army approached Dublin, he was seized and confined in
the Castle. It will be remembered that Dublin had been more than
once peopled by the citizens of Bristol. They were naturally in
the English interest, and disposed to offer every resistance. They
fortified Dublin so strongly, even at the expense of burning th«
suburbs and pulling down churches, that Bruce deemed it mor
prudent to avoid an encounter, and withdrew towards the Salmc
Leap ; from whence he led his forces southward as far as Limeric
without encountering any serious opposition.
4 Effect— See Theiner, Vet. Mon. Iliber. et Scot. p. 188, for the efforts w
by the Holy See to procure peace. The Pope's letter to Edward III. wil
found at p. 206. It is dated Avinione, iii. Kal. Junii, Pontificates nostril
secundo.
6 Prisoners.— Gilbert's Viceroys, p. 138.
EDWARD BRUCE IS SLAIN. 34i>
But a reverse was even then at hand. An Anglo-Irish army was
formed, headed by the Earl of Kildare; famine added its dangers ;
and on the 1st of May Eobert Bruce returned to Scotland, leaving
Ws brother, Edward, with the Earl of Moray, to contend, as best they
could, against the twofold enemy. In 1318 a good harvest relieved
the country in some measure from one danger ; two Cardinals were
despatched from Eome to attempt to release it from the other. On
*ko 1 4th October, in the same year, the question was finally decided.
«* engagement took place at Faughard, near Dundalk. On the
°1o aide was the Scotch army, headed by Bruce, and assisted (from
^lutfc motive it is difficult to determine) by the De Lacys and other
"^^Slo-Norman lords; on the other side, the English army, com-
^^xided by Lord John Bermingham. The numbers on each side
^ave been differently estimated ; but it is probable the death of
r'^Ward Bruce was the turning point of the conflict. He was slain
..^ ^ knight named John Maupas, who paid for his valour with his
^£^- Bermingham obtained the Earldom of Louth and the manor
*" -Ajrdee as a reward for Bruce's head ; and the unfortunate Irish
^^*^ left to their usual state of chronic resistance to English
Jp*X>^ession. The head of the Scottish chieftain was " salted in n
i*^^^%n and placed unexpectedly, with other heads, at a banquet,
^*^>^re Edward II. The English King neither swooned nor expressed
* *Tt^iise; but the Scotch ambassadors, who were present, rushed
^^^^"^cr-stricken from the apartment. The King, however, was
j- ^^;«^Sht blyth," and glad to be delivered so easily of a " felon foe."
tc — ** ^ de Lacy and Sir Eobert de Coulragh, who had assisted the said
j^^^^Xon," paid dearly for their treason ; and as they were Anglo-
.^^^^^-anans, and subjects of the English crown, the term was justly
I^^^^^Xied to them, however cruel the sentence. They were starved
£V^. ^ieath in prison, "on three morsels of the worst bread, and
^^^e draughts of foul water on alternate days, until life becamo
-inct,M
— Jice this chapter was written, Mr. OTlanagan has kindly pre-
^Xted me with hi* valuable History of Dundalk, from which I am
^T^^Tnitted to make the following extracts, which throw much addi-
^**ud light upon the subject :— 6
t -^*"I& the ninth year of King Edward's reign/ writes Hollinshed,
**5dward Bruce, brother to Bobert Bruce, King of Scots, entered
• Subject.— History of Dundalk, pp. 46-68.
the north part of Ireland, with 6,000 men* There were with him
divers captains of high renown among the Scottish nation, of whom^i
were these : — The Earls of Murray and Monteith, the Lord John-*
Stewart, the Lord John Campbell, the Lord Thomas Eandolf, Fer<
gus of Ardrossan, John Wood, and John Bisset* They landed neai
to C ten, and joining with the Irish (a large forotME
of whom was led out by Fellim, son of Hugh O'Conor). T
assisted, he conquered the Earldom of Ulster, an^
there divers great overthrows, took the town of Dundalk
and burned it, with * great part of Orgiel. They burned churches**
and abbeys, with the people whom they found in the same, sparing^
neither man, woman, nor child- Then was the Lord But!
Lord Justice, who made the Earl of Ulster and the Geraldine^
friends, and reconciled himself with Sir John Mandeville, thn^
seeking to preserve the residue of the realm which Edward Brrooe
meant wholly to conquer, haying caused himself to be crowned Kin 25.
of Ireland/
M Dundalk was heretofore the stronghold of the English power-
and the head quarters of the army for the defence of the Pale. Ar
the north, as Barbour preserves in his metrical history of Bobezft *
Bruce ;
** ■ At Kilsaggart Sir Edward lay,
And wellsom he has heard say
That at Dundalk was assembly
Made of tho lords of that country.'
It was not, however, within this town that the ceremony
Brace's coronation took place, but, according to the best avouche
tradition, on the hill of Knock-na MeKn, at half a mile's distanc
" Connaught the while was torn with dissensions and fan
feuds, of which availing himself, 'the Lord Justice* (to resume
narrative of Hollinshed) ' assembled a great power out of Muustof
and Leinster, and other parts thereabouts ; and the Earl of Uls
with another army, came in unto him near unto Dundalk, Tfc
they consulted together how to deal in defending the count
against the enemies ; but, hearing the Scots were withdrawn bi
the Earl of Ulster followed them, and, fighting with them
" Coiners,'* he lost the field. There were many slain on both i
and William de Burgh, the Earl's brother, Sir John Mamlo ville. i
Sir Alan Fits Alan were taken prisoners.1 Brace's adherents if
wards ravaged other parts of the Pale, Meath, Kildare, &c
HOLLINSHED ON BRUCE'S DEATH. 347
mefe with much resistance. At length ' Robert le Bruce, Ring of
Scots, came over himself, landed at Cragfergus, to the aid of his
l>xx>tlier, whose soldiers most wickedly entered into churches,
spoiling and defacing the same of all such tombs, monuments,
pl&fce» copes, and other ornaments which they found and might
lay lianas on.' Ultimately * the Lord John Bcrmingham, being
general of the field, and having with him divers captains of worthy
fifiTne, namely — Sir Kichard Tuiyte, Sir Miles Verdon, Sir John
Cxx&ack, Sirs Edmund, and William, and Walter Bermingham, the
-Estimate of Armagh, Sir Walter de la Pulle, and John Maupas
Cwritli some choice soldiers from Drogheda), led forth the Bang's
P>o^wrer to the number of 1,324 able men, against Edward Bruce,
^vho had, with his adherents (the Lord Philip Moubray, the Lord
^V"«.lter Soulis, the Lord Allan Stuart, with three brothers, Sir
"Vv^aJLter Lacy, Sir Robert and Aumar Lacy, John Kermerelyn,
^^"alter White, and about 3,000 others, writes Pembridge), en-
^^^M-ped, not two miles from Dundalk, with 3,000 men, there abid-
UlS the Englishmen to fight with them if they came forward, which
***^y did with all convenient speed, being as desirous to give battle
8,8 "fcfce Scots were to receive it The Primate of Armagh, personally
r^C5c>iiapanying the English power, and blessing the enterprise, gave
^^^*H such comfortable exhortation as ho thought served the time
j *"^ tl*ey began to encounter, and herewith buckling together, at
Jf^Sth the Scots fully and wholly were vanquished, and 2,000 of
tjr^*** slain, together with the Captain, Edward Bruce. Maupas,
^*i J>ressed into the throng to encounter with Bruce hand to hand,
•j,?* found, in the search, dead, aloft upon the slain body of Bruce.
+1**^ Victory thus obtained, upon St. Calixtus' day, made an end of
JJ*^ Scottish kingdom in Ireland ; and Lord Bermingham, sending
- ^ head of Bruce into England, presented it to King Edward, who,
^^ Recompense, gave him and his heirs male the Earldom of Louth,
^^l the Baronies of Ardee and Athenry to him and his heirs general
*■** ever,' as hereafter noticed.
" ' Edward Bruce/ say the Four Masters, ' a man who spoiled
^*dand generally, both English and Irish, was slain by the English,
^>y force of battle and bravery, at Dundalk ; and MacRory, Lord of
the Hebrides, MacDonell, Lord of the Eastern Gael (in Antrim),
and many others of the Albanian or Scottish chiefs were also slain ;
and no event occurred in Ireland for a long period from which so
touch benefit was derived as that, for a general famine prevailed in
348 BARBOUR'S METRICAL HISTORY.
the country during the three years and a half he had been in it, and
the people were almost reduced to the necessity of eating each
other.' Edward Bruce was, however, unquestionably a man of
great spirit, ambition, and bravery, but fiery, rash, and impetuous,
wanting that rare combination of wisdom and valour which so con-
spicuously marked the character of his illustrious brother.
" During the sojourn of Edward Bruce in this kingdom, he did
much to retard the spread of English rule. Having for allies many
of the northern Irish, whose chieftain, O'Neill, invited him to be
King over the Gael in Ireland, and whose neighbourhood to the
Scottish coast made them regard his followers as their fellow-
countrymen, he courted them on all occasions, and thus the Irish
customs of gossipred and fostering — preferring the Brchon laws to
statute law, whether enacted at Westminster or by the Parliaments
of the Pale — destroyed all traces of the rule which the English
wished to impose upon the province of Ulster. Many of the
English settlers — Hugh de Lacy, John Lord Bissett, Sir Hugh Bis-
sett, and others — openly took part with Bruce.
" The eastern shores of Ulster, Spenser informs us, previous to
Bruce's arrival, bounded a well-inhabited and prosperous English
district, having therein the good towns of Knockfergus, Belfast,
Armagh, and Carlingford ; but in process of time became ' out-
bounds and abandoned places in the English Pale.' According to
the metrical history of Barbour, Edward Bruce was by no means
disposed to continue a subject, while his brother reigned King; and,
though Eobert conferred his hereditary Earldom of Carrick upon
him, it by no means satisfied his ambitious projects : —
" « The Erie of Carrick, Schyr Eduward,
That stouter was than a libbard,
And had na will to be in pess,
Thoucht that Scotland to litill was
Till his brother and hym alsua,
Therefor to purpose he gav ta
That he of Irland wold bo king.*
" Shortly after his landing at Carrickfergus he proceeded towards
the Pale. Dundalk, then the principal garrison within the Pale,
had all the Englishry of the country assembled in force to defend
it, when the Scots proceeded to the attack, * with banners all dis-
playit.' The English sent out a reconnoitering party, who brought
back the cheering news, the Scots would be but ' half a dinner ' to
EDWARD BRUCE CROWNED. 349
thexxx This dinner, however, was never eaten. The town was
stormed with such vigour that the streets flowed with the blood of
the defenders ; and such as could escape fled with the utmost pre-
cipitancy, leaving their foes profusion of victuals and great abun-
dance of wine. This assault took place 29th June, 1315. It was
upon this success the Scots crowned Edward Bruce King of
lareland, on the hill of Knocknamelan, near Dundalk, in the same
8iznple national manner in which his brother had been inaugurated
a/fc Scone.
* * The new monarch, however, was not disposed to rest inactive,
a»xa.d his troops had many skirmishes with Richard de Burgh, called
*tii.e ZEed Earl of Ulster, who drove them as far as Coleraine. There
•fclx«y were in great distress ; and they would have suffered much
&-«3*an hunger and want, had not a famous pirate, Thomas of Down,
o^ Thomas Don, sailed up the Bann and set them free. Do
^^"U-X-gh's army were supplied with provisions from a distance;
^**<i one of Brace's, famous leaders, named Randolph, Earl of Mur-
ri*-3r» who commanded the left wing at Bannockburn, having
•^MTIfcriaed the convoy on its way to De Burgh's camp, equipped his
n*^x* in the clothes of the escort, advanced at dusk with his cavalry,
?**** the banner of the English flaunting in the night wind. A
^^■S"© party of De Burgh's force, perceiving, as they thought, the
^p^o^ch of the expected provisions, advanced unguardedly to drive
t;lxe cattle, when they were vigorously assailed by the Scots,
c***king their war-cry, and they were chased back with the loss of
^ousand slain. De Burgh's army included all the chivalry of
*^x\d — that is, the English portion, viz. : — ' The Butlers, earls
*^°> of Kildare and Desmond; Byrnhame (Bermingham), Widdan
jL ^^*ion), an<^ FitzWaryne, and Schyr Paschall off Florentyne, a
^^Sht of Lombardy; with the Mandvillas, Bissetts, Logans,
£f*y**<ges> and Schyr Nycholl off Kilkenave.' TJie Ulster Journal
******ks this list of Barbour's incorrect ; certainly Sir Edmond Butler
4*** not among then), nor probably either of the Geraldine lords.
pome lords of Munster, however, were present — Power, Baron of
■Enisle; Sir George Lord Roche, and Sir Roger Hollywood, of
-County Meath.
"On the 10th September, a.d. 1315, De Burgh, being reinforced,
flffitheu to attack Brace's position ; but the Scots, leaving their
burners flyiflg to deceive the Anglo-Irish, fell upon their flank and
gained the victory* This gave them Coleraine; and next day they
350 ARRIVAL OF ROBERT BRUCE.
bore off a great store of corn, flour, wax, and wine, to Caii-^**
fergus.
" This success gave to the Gael of the north an opportunity^^ .
declaring their exultation. Bruce, whose royal authority was p^^^
viously confined to his Scottish troops, was proclaimed King
Ireland, and addressed as such.
" He then sent the Earl of Murray to Edinburgh, where t^-*"*'
King of Scotland kept his court, entreating him to join him i£~
Ireland.
" ' For war thai both in to that land
Tha> sold find nane culd thaim withstand.'
Eobert gladly promised compliance, but was for some time pre^*
vented by the exigencies of his own kingdom. Murray returnees*
with a small reinforcement, but 500 men, and landed at Dundalk*^
where Edward Bruce met him* . This was in the December o&*
1315.
" In January, 1316, Edward Bruce led his forces into the county^!
of Kildare, and was stoutly opposed by the Lord Justiciary, or^
Viceroy, Sir Edward Butler, who, backed by the Geraldines, under-^
John Fitzgerald, first Earl of Kildare, bravely repulsed the inva- —
ders. They retreated with the loss of Sir Walter Murray and Sir^"
Fergus of Ardrossan, with seventy men, as Clyn records. A new
ally for the Palesmen arrived at this juncture — Mortimer, Lord of
Meath, in right of his wife, Joan de Joinville. He assembled a
large force, and endeavoured to intercept the Scots at Kells, but,
on the eve of the onset, was deserted by the Lacys and others, who
left him almost defenceless. The season and scarcity made war
against the Scots, and vast numbers perished from hunger. Bruce
was forced to retreat once more northward, where his chief adhe-
rents lay. The citadel of Carrickfergus resisted the attacks of
Brace's army for a year. It was in this town that (probably in
September, 1316) Eobert, King of Scotland, with a strong force,
came to his brother's help. Barbour gives tie number who accom-
panied Robert at 5,000. This was enough to make the Viceroy
take heed for his government. He hasted, Barbour says :
" ' To Dewellyne, in full gret hy,
With othyr lordis that fled him by,
And warnysit both castyls and townesa
That war in their posaessionnys.'
DEFENCE OF DUBLIN. 351
" The stout defence of Dublin is already mentioned ; and, as on
tiie fate of this metropolis the duration of English rule depended
ix* Ixeland, the public spirit and intrepidity of the citizens of Dublin
Q^ght, according to Lord Hailes, be held in perpetual remembrance.
The citizens took the defence of the city into their own hands. The
claiei civic dignity was at that time most worthily borne by Robert
-Nottingham, who seems to have distanced the celebrated Sir Richard
^^laittington considerably, being seventeen times Mayor of Dublin.
*^xiowing the close connexion between the Earl of Ulster and the
-"Slices (he was father of the Queen of Scots), the Mayor headed a
^fcxiojig band of citizens, and resolved to make him a hostage for the
?**fety of the city. This was not effected without loss of life. The
7^**y°* succeeded, and announced ' he would put the earl to death
** fche city was attacked.' This prompt step had the desired effect.
"tCo*>exi; Bruce feared to risk his father-in-law's life, and, instead of
^t^ring the city, turned aside and encamped. Time was gained,
*i "^liich the citizens promptly availed themselves. That night the
*^ix*g suburbs told they were ready to anticipate the fire of Mos-
CJ>^» father than allow their invaders to possess their capital. They
***** "Worked so hard to strengthen the walls, that the Scots, seeing
^^l*. determination, broke up their camp and retired. The value
*y* **p°n tne ear* ^ a hostage was so great, that, although the King
°* England instantly wrote for his liberation, he was detained until
t*1^ Scots left the kingdom.
<c disappointed in their efforts on Dublin, the Scots ravaged the
** *lfc, burned Naas, plundered Castledermot, passed on to Gowran,
***<! advanced to Callan ; thence they went to Limerick. Sir Ed-
*&ond Butler followed with an army of 30,000 well-armed men ;
^Ut, at the express desire of Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, the
l/>rd Deputy, who was himself desirous of having the command
against the King of Scots, delayed the encounter.
"Mortimer did not accomplish this; for, shortly after, Robert
hastened to his own kingdom, leaving a great number of his bravest
knights to carry on the war for his brother. Edward continued in
the north for several months, and once more proceeded south.
" ' For he had not then in that land
Of all men, I trow, two thousand,
Owtane (except) the Kings of Irischery
That in great route raid him by,-
Towart Dundalk he tuk the way.'
352
BATTLE ON ST* CALLIXTUS* DAY.
"When the Viceroy was aware of the advance of the Scots
towards the Pale, he assembled a great army* said to amount to
'20,000 trappit horse/ and an equal number of foot.
"The approach of this immensely superior force did not dishearten
the brother of the lion-hearted King of Scotland. He declared he
would fight were they sixfold more numerous.
" In vain Ms officers and allies counselled caution ; in vain the
Irish chiefs recommended him to avoid a pitched battle, and harasa
the enemy by sldrmishing. Edward indignantly bade them f draw
aside, and look on,* which Barbour declares they did. A very
interesting account of the battle on St, Callixtus* day is given in
Uhfat A rchaologica! Journal The battle was on Sunday, 1 1th
October, 1318, According to Barbour, Edward Bruce had a pre-
sentiment of his death ? aud would not use his usual coat-armour. The
legend is, that having the tde& the fall of King Edward Bruce would
decide the battle. Sir John Bermingbam, leader of the Anglo-Irish
army, disguised himself as a friar^ passed into the Scottish camp,
and, being shown the king, who was hearing Mass, craved alms, so
as to induce Bruce to look up from his prayer-book. This gave
Bermingham the opportunity of marking well his face, in order to
single him out in the fray, The king ordered relief to be given to
the importunate friar ; hut the eager glance of the intrusive appli*
cant so disquieted him — agitate d^ doubtless, from the idea of hta
small force being about to engage at such desperate odds — -that he
presently caused the attendants to look for the friar, but he was
nowhere to be found- This caused him to array one Gib Harper in
his armour, and appoint Lord Alan Stewart general of the field.
The fight commenced with a rapid charge on the Scots by the
Anglo-Irish under Bermingham, With him were divers lords and
a great army. The force was chiefly composed, however, of yeo-
manry, or, as an ancient record says, 'the common people, with :\
powerful auxiliary dexlram UcL' Bermingham, believing Lord
Stewart was Bruce, singled him out, and, after a terrible combat*
elew him, whereon the Scots fled. According to the Howth Chrvfridi7
few escaped, their loss being 1,230 men. Brace's death is generally
ascribed to John Mapae, one of the Drogheda contingent, The
Ulster Journal states : — ' There can be little doubt that the an^
Anglo-Irish family of " Mape,11 of Maperath, in the ehire of Meath,
was descended from this distinguished slayer of Edward Bruce,*
The heiress of John Mapas, Esq,, of Eochestown, county of Dublin,
BUTLERS TOMB, FRURY CHURCH, CLONilEL.
353
-W&& married to the late Richard Wqgan Talbot, Esq., of Malahide.
After the defeat at Dundalk, the small remnant of the Scottish
invaders yet alive fled northward, where they met a body of troops
sent by King Robert as a reinforcement to his brother. They could
not make head against the victorious troops of Bermingham, so
they made their way to the coast, burning and destroying the
country through which they passed. ?I
BVTUOI'S TOHB, ULIiJLY CHCRCn, CLOffMSU
Tlje B Li tiers— Quarrela of the Anglo-Norman Hobtes— Treachery and its O^
sequences— The Burkes proclaim themselves Irish— Opposition Fax&
jmmts— The Statute of Kilkenny and its Effects— Mistakes of Englfc
Writers — Social life in Ireland described by a French E night— ** Bani^-*
meat" to Ireland— ltiekir J 11, visit* Ireland.
ICHARD DE BUEGO, the Eed Earl, died in 132*
He took leave of the noblee after a magnificent bat-^
quet at Kilkenny. When lie had resigned his po**^1
sessions to his grandson, WiEiam, he retired int^ J
the Monastery of Athassel, where he expired &o&^*
after. In the same year Edward II* attempt*
take refuge in Ireland, from the vengeance o
people and his false Queen, the "she-woL:
France " He failed in Ms attempt, and was mix^-*
ed soon after — jlb, 1327*
The Butler family H4w appear prominently
Irish history for the first time, It would appet-^
from Carte7 that the name was originally
Butler heiny an addition distinctive of office. Tkm
family was established in Ireland by Theob
Walter (Gaulticr}, an Anglo-Norman of high nnk-^
who received extensive grants of land from Henry II.., togeti
the hereditary office of ■■ Pincerna " Botelor, or Butler, in Ireland, tC^3
J Carte.— See his Life of the Duke of Ormonde, folio edition, g
THE " KING'S PEACE.'' 355
the Kings of England. In this capacity he and his successors were
to attend these monarchs at their coronation, and present them with
the first cup of wine. In return they obtained many privileges.
^ account of the quarrels between this family and the De Burgos,
J-*e Berminghams, Le Poers, and the southern Geraldines, royal
*etters were issued, commanding them, under pain of forfeiture, to
<*«aist from warring on each other. The result was a meeting of the
factious peers in Dublin, at which they engaged to keep the " King's
P^ace." On the following day they were entertained by the Earl
°* XJlster; the next day, at St. Patrick's, by Maurice FitzThomas;
***<l the third day by the Viceroy and his fellow Knights Hospital-
^rB» 'who had succeeded the Templars at Kilmainham. The Earl-
5J**1**8 of Ormonde8 and Desmond were now created. The heads of
**°®e families long occupied an important place in Irish affairs.
u*lei died on his return from a pilgrimage to Compostella, and was
°ceeded by his eldest son, Jacques-:-" a liberal, friendly, pleasant,
^**i stately youth " — who was married this year to King Edward's
*****«in, Eleanor, daughter of the Earl of Essex. The Desmond
*^^*^ge was created in 1329, when the County Palatine9 of Kerry
i.^fgiven to that family.
*^ -*^lxe quarrels of these nobles seemed to have originated, or rather
tf^"****ve culminated, in an insulting speech made by Poer to Fitz-
^T^^^ld, whom he designated a " rhymer." The " King's peace "
^^T* **ot last long; and in 1330 the Lord Justice was obliged to im-
X^^*°n both Desmond and Ulster, that being the only method in
^ **ich theycouldbe "bound over to keep the peace." The following
« ^^r Sir Anthony de Lucy was sent to Ireland, as he had a reputation
^7^^ summary justice. He summoned a Parliament in Dublin ; but
^^ the barons did not condescend to attend, he adjourned it to
^Vilkenny. This arrangement also failed to procure their presence.
"^^e seized Desmond, who had been placed in the core of the Sheriff
^( limerick, and conveyed him to Dublin Castle. Several other
^**>bles were arrested at the same time. Sir William Bermingham
^Was confined with his son in the Keep of Dublin Castle, which still
• Ormonde. — The name Ormonde is intended to represent the Irish appella-
tive Ur-Mhumhain, or Eastern Monster. This part of the country was tho
inheritance of Catrbri Muse.
• Palatini.— The Lords-Palatine were endowed with extraordinary power,
md wore *ble to exercise a most oppressive tyranny over the people under
tliflir government*
35G
THE BURKES PROCLAIM THKMSKL
bears Lis name. He was hanged there soon after. De Lucy
recalled to En-land, probably in consequence of tba indignation
which was excited by this execution.1
The years 1333 and 1334 were disgraced by fearful crimes, in
which the English and Irish equally participated. In the formecr
year the Earl of Ulster seized Walter de Burgo, and starved him 1
death in the Green Castle of Innisliowen. The sister of the
thus cruelly murdered was married to frir Richard Mandeville, an- _*.-*d
she urged her husband to avenge her brother's death* Mandt-
took the opportunity of accompanying the Earl with some othew I
hear Mass at Carrickfergus,2 and killed him as he was fording
stream. The young Earl's death was avenged by his followers, wh
slew 300 men. His wife, Maud, fled to England with her o
child, a daughter, named Elizabeth/ who was a year old. Th
Burkes of Connaught, who were the junior branch of the fan
fearing that she would soon marry again, and transfer f
perty to other hands, immediately seized the Connaught
declared themselves independent of English law, and renounced th
English language and customs. They were too powerful to be nr
eisted with impunity ; and while the ancestor of the Clanrieka;
assumed the Irish title of Mac William Oughkr, or the Upper, Eo^ ~
mund Burke, the progenitor of the Viscounts of Mayo, took tier*
appellation of MacWilliam Eighter^ or the Lower. This - ^ ,
the last time when English settlers identified themselves ( not mereLff d
from policy, but even from inclination, with the race whom the*
had once hated and oppressed*
In 1334 the English and Irish marched into Monster to atfc
MacNamara, and added the guilt of sacrilege to their other crime^^
by turning a church, with 180 persons and two priests in it, notii
whom were permitted to escape. Another outrage was committe<£^
by the settlers, who appear to have been quite as jealous of
1 ExtaitUm. — Bermingbam was related to De Lucy, which perbapo
him to deal more harshly with Mm. De Lucy's Viccroyalty might otb>
have beep popular, as he bad won the affections of the people by assisting them
durhig a grievous famine* See page 329 for an illustration of the scene of this
tragedy.
* Carricl-f'ryxt-*,— -See illustration at the commencement of this chapter.
9 Elisabeth.— This lady waa married to Lionel, third son of Edward HLt m
1352, This prince was Created in htr right Earl of Ulster. The title sad
estates remained in possession of different members of the royal family, until
they became the special inheritance of the crown in the reign of Edward IV.
MAOCARTHY MORE MURDERED AT TRALEE. 357
others property as the Irish clans ; for we find that one Edmund
*farle drowned another of the same name in Lough Mask, and, as
*fcual, a war ensued between the partisans of each family. After a
••flguinary struggle, Turlough O'Connor drove the murderer out of
^je province. But this prince soon after ruined himself by his
^ckedness. He married Burke's widow, and put away his own
wrful wife i from which it may be concluded that he had avenged
* e crime either from love of this woman, or from a desire to possess
^Bself of her husband's property. His immoral conduct alienated
^e other chieftains, and after three years' war he was deposed.
Edward had thrown out some hints of an intended visit to Ireland,
^°l>a.bly to conceal his real purpose of marching to Scotland.
e^nxond was released on bail in 1333, after eighteen months'
I.^^Xice, and repaired with some troops to assist the King at Ha-
l^ °** Hill. Soon after we find him fighting in Kerry, while the
r^**! of Kildare was similarly occupied in Leinster. In 1 339 twelve
^T^clred Kerry men were slain in one battle. The Anglo-Norman,
^^^Nicholas, was among the number of prisoners. He died in
^T^on soon after. This gentleman, on one occasion, dashed into
^ ^ assize court at Tralee, and killed Dermod, the heir of the Mac-
^^^*thy More, as he sat with the judge on the bench. As MacCarthy
**• Irish, the crime was suffered to pass without further notice.
-^w ^n 1341 Edward took sweeping measures for a general reform of
^T"^* Anglo-Norman lords, or, more probably, he hoped, by threats
^v^* such measures, to obtain subsidies for his continental wars. The
^^lonists, however, were in possession, and rather too powerful to
^^>ook such interference. Sir John Morris was sent over to carry
^^ie royal plans into execution ; but though he took prompt and
^^fficient measures, the affair turned out a complete failure. The
^^>rds refused to attend his Parliament, and summoned one of their
^wn, in which they threw the blame of maladministration on the
^Dglish officials sent over from time to time to manage Irish affairs.
Tthey also protested strongly againsfc the new arrangement, which
proposed that all the offices then held in Ireland should be filled by
^Englishmen having no personal interest whatever in Ireland. The
certainty that they would have a personal interest in it the very
moment there was a chance of bettering their fortunes thereby,
appears to have been quite overlooked. The settlers, therefore,
were allowed to continue their career as before, and felt all the
more secure for their effectual resistance of the royal interference.
In 1334 Sir Ralph Ufford, who had married Maud Pkntaganet*
the widow of the Earl of Ulster, was appointed Justiciary of Ireland
Ht rommoTiced with a high hand, and endeavoured especially to
humble the Desmonds. The Earl refused to attend the Parliament*
and assembled one of his own at Callan; but the new Viceroy
marched into Leinster with an armed force, seized Ms lands, farmed
them out for the benefit of the crown, got possession of the strong —
holds of Castleisland and Inniskisty in Kerry, and hanged Sir^
Eustace Poer, Sir William Grant, and Sir John CottrelK who com—,
manded these places, on the charge of illegal exactions of coigns
and livery,* The Viceroy also contrived to get the Earl of Kildaro*-
into his power * and it is probable that his harsh measures won
have involved England in an open war with her colony and
English settlers, had not his sudden death put an end to hi:i
■ xiTcise of justice.
It is said that his wife, Maud, who could scarcely forget tfcfc
murder of her first husband, urged him on to many of fch«
acts ; and it was remarked, that though fifee bad maintained &
queenly state on her first arrival in Ireland, she was obliged to
away from that country, with UnbrdJs remains enclosed in a lea
coffin, in which her treasure was concealed. Her second husband a
was buried near her first, in the Convent of Poor Clares, at Cj
posey, near Ufford, in Suffolk.
The Black Death broke out in Ireland in the year 1348, Th
annalists give fearful accounts of this visitation. It appeared htJi
BubHn first, and so fatal were its effects, that four thousand sou!
are said to have perished there from August to Christmas. It
remarked that this pestilence attacked the English specially, whil
the "Irish-bom1' — particularly those who lived in the mountain*
parts of the country — escaped its ravages. We have already mi
tioned the account of this calamity given by Friar Clynn, who
a victim to the plague himself, soon after he had recorded
mournful forebodings, Seve/al other pestilences, more
severe, visited the country at intervals during the next few year*
Lionel, the third son of Edward II L, who, it will be remembered,^
was Earl of Ulster in right} of his wife, Isabella, was now appointed^
4 Coigne and livery* — This was an exaction of money, food* and entertain-
ment for the soldiers, and fodder for their horses, A tax of a sinnlLir
existed among the ancient Irish ; but it was part of tno ordinary tribute paid
to the chief, and therefore was not considered an exaction.
THE STATUTE OF KILKENNY. 359
Viceroy. He landed in Dublin, on the 15th September, 13G0, with
*n army of one thousand men. From the first moment of his arrival
fo ttercised the most bitter hostility to the Irish, and enhanced
the invidious distinction between the English by birth and the
^Qglish by descent. Long before his arrival, the " mere Irishman "
*** excluded from the offices of mayor, bailiff, or officer in any
*°wn -within the English dominions, as well as from all ecclesiastical
Promotion. Lionel carried matters still further, for he forbid any
Irish by birth to come near his army." But he soon found that
•&© could not do without soldiers, even should they have the misfor-
****© to be Irish ; and as a hundred of his best men were killed soon
*e r this insulting proclamation, he was graciously pleased to allow
.Zf* ^H© King's subjects to assist him in his war against the enemy.
, e ^oon found it advisable to make friends with the colonists, and
j ***** ned the very substantial offering of two years' revenue of their
t^^3 as a return for his condescension.
- ^**. 1367 the Viceroy returned to England, but he was twice again
^ *"*X8ted with office in Ireland. During the last period of his
^^**inistration, he held the memorable Parliament at Kilkenny,
^^^fc'ein the famous "Statute of Kilkenny" was enacted. This
jTr^'^Xte is another proof of* the fatal policy pursued towards the
■^/^**t and of the almost judicial blindness which appears to have pre-
^* ^ted the franiers of it, and the rulers of that unfortunate nation,
^^ perceiving the folly or the wickedness of such enactments.
j^^ It was a continuance of the old policy. The natives of the country
-w^^te to be trampled down, if they could not be trampled out ; the
^^*tiglish and Irish were to be kept for ever separate, and for ever at
^ ariance . How, then, could the Irish heart ever beat loyally towards
^Jie English sovereign % How could the Irish people ever become an
integral portion of the British Empire 1 Pardon me for directing
^rour attention specially to this statute. It will explain to you that
^he Irish were not allowed to be loyal ; it will excuse them if they
Chave sometimes resented such cruel oppressions by equally cruel
massacres and burnings — if they still remembered these wrongs with
that statute before them, and the unfortunate fact that its enact-
ments were virtually continued for centuries.
This statute enacts (1) that any alliance with the Irish by marriage,
nurture of infants, or gossipred [standing sponsors], should be pu-
nishable ab high treason; (2) that any man of English race taking an
Irish name, or using the Irish language, apparel, or customs, should
Clu
m&]
in
bet1
forfeit all his lands ; (3) that to adopt or submit to the Brehoi
law was treason ; (4) that the English should not make war upoi
the natives without the permission of Government; (5) that ih
English should not permit the Irish to pasture or graze upon thei
lands, nor admit them to any ecclesiastical benefices or r
houses, nor entertain their minstrels or rhymers. (C) It was ak
forbidden to impose or cess any soldiers upon the English subj
against their will, under pain of felony ; and some regulatio:
were made to restrain the abuse of sanctuary* and to prevent t!
great lords from laying heavy burdens upon gentlemen and tn
holders.
I shall ask you to consider these statutes carefully* to rememl
that they were compiled under the direction of a crown prince, arjj
confirmed by the men who had the entire government of Eralu
in their bands. The first was an open and gross insult to
natives, who were treated as too uttei h beneath their English n
to admit of their entering into social relations with them,
settlers who had lived some time in the country, were asoeri
every dixy that its inhabitants were not savages, and that t i
sidered the ties of honour winch bound them to those whom thi
11 fostered/* or for whom they stood sponsors, as of the mo:
description. Their own safety and interests, if not common ft
ings of humanity and affection, led them to form these connexio:
which were now so ruthlessly denounced. Bat it led them also
treat the Irish with more respect, and placed them on some sort
social equality with themselves ; and tins was clearly a crime in
eyes of those who governed the country. The second clan
similar object, and insulted the deepest feelings of the t
condemning his language, which he loved almost as his life, and 1
customs, which had been handed down to him by an ancestry whi
the Anglo-Norman nobles might themselves have envied* T
third enactment was an outrage upon common justice. It has
already shown that the Irish were refusal the benefit of the Engli
law ; you will now see that their own law was forbidden. Some ^**
these laws are at present open to public inspection, and show tl
the compilers, who wrot° immediately after the introduction
Christianity into Ireland, and the original lawgivers, v,
many centuries before the Christian era, were by no m<
in forensic abilities. Whatever feuds the Irish may have had
between their clans, there is every reason to believe that j
EFFECTS OF THE STATUTE OF KILKENNY. 361
b impartially administered long before the English settlement.
&t it was not so administered after that settlement, the preceding
fcoiy, nay, even the very subject under discussion, sufficiently
Kves.
Che fourth clause might have been beneficial to the Irish, if it
i been strictly observed. The other enactments were observed ;
t> this, which required the consent of the Government to make
*r on the natives, was allowed to remain a dead letter. In
^ case, the Government would seldom have refused any per-
ssion which might help to lessen the number of the "Irish
3:my."
I"he last enactments, or series of enactments, were simply bar-
cx)us. The Irish were an agricultural nation ; therefore they
r*e not permitted to be agriculturists. Their wealth consisted
©3y in their flocks ; therefore every obstacle should be placed to
fir increase. • So much for the poor. The higher classes had for-
rIy some hope of advancement if they chose to enter the English
trice in the army ; to do so now they must renounce their Irish
*e, their language, and their customs. They might also have
sen the ecclesiastical state ; from this now they are completely
reel
lost fatal, most unjust policy ! Had it been devised for tho
**^cs purpose of imbittering the feelings of the Irish Celt eternally
*x&t the Saxon ruler, it could not have succeeded more effee-
l^T. The laws of Draco were figuratively said to have been
-t^n in blood: how many bloody deeds, at which men have stood
^^t in horror and dismay, were virtually enacted by the Statute
Kilkenny? The country-loving, generous-hearted Celt, who
•^d it read for the first time, must have been more or less than
^an, if he did not utter " curses, not loud, but deep," against the
txiers of such inhuman decrees. If Englishmen studied the
*tory of Ireland carefully, and the character off the Celtic race>
^y would be less surprised at Irish discontent and disloyalty.
H English writer on Irish history admits, that while " there is no
K)m to doubt the wisdom of the policy which sought to prevent the
Dglish baron from sinking into the unenviable state of the perse-
ited Irish chieftain, still less is there an apology to be offered for the
iquity of the attempt to shut the great mass of the Irish people
t from the pale of law, civilization, and religion. The cruelty of
nquest never broached a principle more criminal, unsound, or
3G2 IRISH DOMESTIC LIFE AT THIS PERIOD,
unsuccessful"5 It rs to be regretted that a more recent aii
a] writer should have attempted this apology, which his qv
-countryman and namesake pronounced impossible. Tbt author
whom we allude grants "it sounds shocking that the killing of =-
Irishman by aa Englishman should have been no felony f but —
excuses it by stating^ u nothing more is implied than that the Iri
were not under English jurisdiction, but under the native or Brefo
law/'*1 Unfortunately this assertion is purely gratuitous, It
made treason by this very same statute even to submit to
Brehort law ; and the writer himself states that, in the reign
Edward I,, "a L;i: .■ body of the Irish petitioned for the
law, and offered 8}O0O marks as a fee for, that favour."7 He stai
that an Irishman who murdered an Englishman, would only
been fined by his Brehon. True, no doubt ; but if an Engliahm
killed an Irishman, he escaped scot-free* If, however, the
man was captured by the Englishman, he was executed aeco
to the English law. If a regulation had been made that the Eng]
man should always be punished for his crimes by English law,
the Irishman by Irish law,5 and if this arrangement had
earned out with even moderate impartiality, it would have be*
fair adjustment, however anomalous,
A little episode of domestic life, narrated by Froissart, is
cient proof that the social state of the Irish was neither so
so barbarous as many have supposed ; and that even a Fr
might become so attached to the country as to leave it with
'.'umcvcMfiil— Inland* Historical and 8iatkUcait vol i j*. 200.
■w,—lr™h History and lrith Charadu , p.
* Favour. —I hid, p. 70.
* Iruh ktw. — A considerable Amount of testimony mi^Ut be prodti
prove that the Irish were and are peculiarly a law-loving people ; but, i
words of the writer above -quoted, M a people cannot be expected to love I
reverence oppression, because it is consigned to a statute book, and
law. " — p. 71- The truth is, that it wa<* and ia obviously the interest of Engl
writers to induce themselves to believe that Irish discontent and rebellion i
caused by anything or everything but English oppression and injustice. Et
in the present day the Irish are supposed to be naturally discontented I
rebellious, because they cannot submit silently to be expelled from their I
without aoy compensation or any other means of support, either from pobr;
or religious motives, and because, they object to maintain a religion contra ^
to their conscience, and which is admitted by its own members to be l* cleat*"/.**
a political evil," See concluding remarks in Mr. G&ldwin Smith's interesti*^
tittle volume.
_
SIR CRYSTEDE'S ACCOUNT OF IRELAND. 363
"though, at the same time, it was not a little difficult to find
«Ja English Viceroy who would face the political complications
"which the Statute of Kilkenny had made more troublesome than
«vei. Froissart's account runs thus : He was waiting in the rQyal
chamber at Eltham one Sunday, to present his treatise " On Loves"
*o Henry II. ; and he takes care to tell us that the King had every
reason to be pleased with the present, for it was " handsomely
Written and illuminated," bound in crimson velvet, decorated
With ten silver-gilt studs, and roses of the same. While he was
•waiting his audience, he gossiped with Henry Crystede, whom he
describes as a very agreeable, prudent, and well-educated gentle-
txtaxi, who spoke French well, and had for his arms a chevron gules
°n a field argent, with three besants gules, two above the chevron,
***d one below.
^kyst&de gave him a sketch of his adventures in Ireland, which
^e can but condense from the quaint and amusing original. He
^ac* been in the service of the Earl of Ormonde, who kept him
°**t o£ affection for his good horsemanship. On one occasion he
u f^8 attending the Earl, mounted on one of his best horses, at a
t>°^der foray" on the unfortunate Irish, with whom he kept up
**8tiant warfare. In the pursuit his horse took flight, and ran
^ *y into the midst of the enemy, one of whom, by a wonderful
i/^^ of agility, sprang up behind him, and bore him off to his own
£p^*^^. He calls the gentleman who effected the capture " Brian
^°^^eree," and says he was a very handsome man, and that he lived
^ strong house in a well barricaded city.
V2rygt&de remained here for seven years, and married one of the
I/S^ghters of his host, by whom he had two children. At the end
>* this period his father-in-law was taken prisoner in an engage-
r**^it with the Duke of Clarence, and Crystede's horse, which he
^^le, was recognized. Evidently the knight must have been a per-
^*** of some distinction, for he states that the Duke of Clarence and
**e English officers were so well pleased to hear of the " honorable
^**tertainment" he had received from "Brian Costeree," that they
^fc once proposed to set him at liberty, on condition that he should
^nd Cryst&de to the army with his wife and children. At first
** he refused the offer, from his love to me, his daughter, and our
children." Eventually the exchange was made. Crystede settled at
ISristoL His two daughters were then married. One was settled
in Ireland. He concluded the family history by stating that the
364
REIGN OF KICHARD IL
Irish language was as familiar to him as English, for he alwa^z
spoke it to bk Hole, and tried to introduce it, ** as much a,;
hie,*1 among his children.
On the retirement of the Duke of Clarence, in 1367, the Vic
royalty was accepted by Gerald, fourth Earl of Desmond, style:
w tin' poet." He wfti one of the most learned men of the day, an
thereby, as usual, obtained the reputation of practising magic, IT
this refined and educated nobleman wished to have his son foste:
in an Irish family, and, despite the Statute of Kilkenny, obtain
a special permission to that effect — another evidence that soc;
life among the natives could not have been quite what the
of Carnbrensis and others who wrote from hearsay reports,
not from personal knowledge, have represented it
Sir Richard Peinbridge refused the office of Viceroy in 1369.
was stripped of all his lauds and offices held under the crown,
punishment for his contumacy, but this appears to have had
effect upon his determination. It was decided legally, however,
the King could neither fine nor imprison him for this refusal,
no man could be condemned to go into exile. High prices ti
now offered to induce men to bear this intolerable punishm>
William de Windsor asked something over £11,000 per annum
hisjeervices, which Sir John Davis states exceeded the whole rem
of Ireland. The salary of a Lord Justice before this period
£500 per annum, and he was obliged to support a small ri
army. The truth was, that the government of Ireland had beec*
every day more difficult, and less lucrative. The natives W
already despoiled of nearly all their possessions, and the sett!
of the feuds of the Anglo-Norman nobles was neither a pi
nor a profitable employment. In addition to this, Edward
levying immense subsidies in Ireland, to support his wars in Frm*^* <e
and Scotland. At last the clergy were obliged to interfere. <J^tt
Archbishop of Cashel opposed these unreasonable demands, ^b^1^
solemnly excommunicated the Kings collector, and all pex&**m
employed in raising the obnoxious taxes.
Richard II* succeeded his grandfather, A.D. 1377. As he -****
only in his eleventh year, the government was carried on by ^
uncles. The Earl of March was sent to Ireland as Justiciary, u
extraordinary powers. He had married Philippa, daughter *f
Lionel, Duke of Clarence, by his first wife, and in her right becaBtt
Earl of Ulster, One of the Irish princes who came to his court, vw
RICHARD II. VISITS IRELAND. 365
treacherously arrested and thrown into prison. The injustice was
*^seiited, or, perhaps, we should rather say, feared, by the English
nobles, as well as the Irish chieftains, who took care to keep out of
the way of such adventures, by absenting themselves from the
Viceregal hospitalities. Roger Mortimer succeeded his father, and
■Was followed by Philip de Courtenay, the King's cousin. He was
Slanted the office for ten years, but, in the interval, was taken into
^^istody by the Council of Regency, for his peculations.
There was war in Connaught between the O'Connors, in 1384,
^ttd fierce hostility continued for years after between the families
°^ the O'Connor Don (Brown) and the O'Connor Roe (Red).
^chard II. had his favourites as usual ; and in a moment of wild
foBy he bestowed the sovereignty of Ireland on the Earl of Oxford,
^hom he also created Marquis of Dublin. His royal master accom-
P***!©*! him as far as Wales, and then, determining to keep the Earl
ne*r his person, despatched Sir John Sydney to the troublesome
colony.
-^ I'oyal visit was arranged and accomplished soon after ; and on
*J*° 2nd October, A.D. 1394, Richard II. landed on the Irish shores.
**e country was in its normal state of partial insurrection and
S^exral discontent ; but no attempt was made to remove the chronic
5**^* of all this unnecessary misery. There was some show of sub-
r^^^ion from the Irish chieftains, who were overawed by the
r^**^*ise force which attended the King. Art MacMurrough, the
. Jf * of the ancient Leinster kings, was the most formidable of
e Native nobles; and from his prowess and success in several
S^gements, was somewhat feared by the invaders. He refused
. *i%fer to any one but Richard, and was only prevailed on to make
^ *"*xxs when he found himself suddenly immured in Dublin Castle,
*^*Uig a friendly visit to the court.
^^T?he King's account of his reception shows that he had formed a
*^^«rably just opinion of the political state of the country. He
?*^ntion8 in a letter from Dublin, that the people might be divided
^^to three classes — the " wild Irish, or enemies," the Irish rebels,
****d the English subjects ; and he had just discernment enough to see
^Aat the " rebels had been made such by wrongs, and by want of
^lose attention to their grievances," though he had not the judgment
O* the justice to apply the necessary remedy. His next exploit
Vas to persuade the principal Irish kings to receive knighthood in
the English fashion. They submitted with the worst possible grace,
having again and again repeated tbat they had already received the
honour according to the custom of their own country. The deal-
ings of the Anglo-Norman knights, with whom they already
intercourse, were not likely to have inspired them with very sub-
lime ideas of the dignity. They might, indeed, have been cheva-
liers mns peur, but the latter part of the flattering appellation
could not be applied,
The customs of the Irish nobles were again made a subject of ridi
cule, as they had Wn during the visit of Prince John; though one
should have supposed that an increased knowledge of the v
should have led to a wiser policy, if not to an avoidance of that
ignorant criticism, which at once denounces everything foreign as
inferior.9 Richard returned to England in 1395, alter nine months
of vain display. He appointed Soger Mortimer his VI©
Scarcely had the King and his fleet sailed from the Irish shores,
when the real nature of the proffered allegiance of seventy
kings and chieftains became apparent The G'Byrnes rose tip in
Wicklow, and were defeated by the Viceroy and the Earl of
Ormonde; the MacCarthys rose up in Minister, and balanced affaire
by gaining a victory over the English, The Earl of Kilclare wa*
captured by Calvagh O'Connor, of Qfftily, in 139Sj and, in tho
same year, the O'Briens and OTooles avenged their late defeat
a great victory, at Kenlis, in Ossory.
In 139S) King liichard paid another visit to Ireland, His exac-
tions and oppressions had made him very unpopular in Eiil I.
and it is probable that this expedition was planned to divert the
minds of his subjects- If this was his object^ it failed signally; for
the unfortunate monarch was deposed by Parliament the same year,
and was obliged to perform the act of abdication with the best grow
he could- His unhappy end belongs to English history. Rid
again landed in state at Waterford, and soon after marched against
* Inferior. — While these sheets were passing through the press, we cliftti^l
to unset the following paragraph in an English paper, The article was hernial
M International Courtesy,-' apropos of the affair at Dinan : — ■• Prince John
polling the beards of the Irish chiefs ia the aggravated type of a race which
alienated half a continent by treating its people as colonial, and which ga*#
India every benefit but civility, till Bengal showed that it was strong, sol
Bombay that it could be rich," And yet it would be quite as unjust la
accuse a whole nation of habitual insolence to foreigners aud dependents, as to
blamu every Englishman, in the reigns of John or Richard, for the insula
offered to the Irish nation.
ART MAC-MURROUGH. 367
the indomitable MacMurrough. His main object, indeed, appears
to "have been the subjugation of this "rebel," who contrived to
Veep the English settlers in continual alarm. A French chronicler
*gain attended the court, and narrated its proceedings. He describes
MacMuiiough's stronghold in the woods, and says that they did
aot seem much appalled at the sight of the English army. A
special notice is given of the chieftain's horse, which was worth
400 cows.1 The chieftain's uncle and some others had made an
*bject submission to the English monarch, who naturally hoped
that MacMurrough would follow their example. He, therefore,
^kspatched an embassy to him, to repair the " wrongs " which he
"*** inflicted on the settlers, for which he demanded reparation.
***© Leinster king, however, could neither be frightened nor per-
"^ded into seeing matters in that light, and, probably, thought
*™ term rebel would be more appropriately applied to those who
^•kted the native rulers of the country. He declared that for all
■™ gold in the world he would not submit.
Bichard's army was on the verge of starvation, so he was obliged.
*0 break up his camp, and march to Dublin. Upon his arrival
tifcflB, MacMurrough made overtures for peace, which were gladly
•ocepted, and the Earl of Gloucester proceeded at once to arrange-
farms with him. But no reconciliation could be effected, as both
parties refused to yield. When Kichard heard the result, " he flew
into a violent passion, and swore by St. Edward he would not
leave Ireland until he had MacMurrough in his hands, dead or
alive." How little he imagined, when uttering the mighty boast,
that his own fate was even then sealed ! Had he but the grace to
have conciliated instead of threatened, a brave and loyal band of
Irish chieftains would soon have surrounded him, and the next
chapter of English history would have been less tragic. Disas-
trous accounts soon reached him from England, which at once
annihilated nis schemes of Irish conquest or revenge. His own
people were up in arms, and the prescriptive right to grumble, which
an Englishman is supposed to enjoy par excellence, had broken out
into overt acts of violence. War was inaugurated between York
and Lancaster, and for years England was deluged with blood.
l Cows. — " TJn cheval ot sans sele ne arcon,
Qui lui avint constu, ce disoit-ou,
Quatre cens vaches, taut estoil bel et bon."
fti» ..<Vk
butts' cross, kilkhnxy.
?w*»
CHAPTER XXIII.
Henry IV.— A "Viceroy's Diflienltie*— The Houses of Yorfc and
The Colony almost Bankrupt — Literary Ladies in Ireland— A
Literati— The Duke of York is made Viceroy— Affection of the i
him— Popularity of the Yorkist* in Ireland— A Book given far a ]
Desolating Effects of the Wars of the Boaea — Accession of Hear;
Insurrection nf the Yorkists— Simnel is crowned in Dublin— Warl*cfc'a*=~ Id-
suireetion — Poyning's Parliament — Poyning'a Law and its Effecti ^7ha
Earl of KiliUre accused of Treason— Uk Defence and Pardon— Fh
wttted Scenes — He is acquitted honorably — His Letter to the Gi»'<wv
dini— Ariostov
[A.D. 1402— 1B09J
SCION of royalty was again sent to administer l**"
— we cannot say truthfully to administer jnstk
in Ireland. On the accession of Henry IV j &*
second sou, Thomas, Duke of Lancaster, wtl IB*"9
Viceroy, and lauded at Bullock, near Balkey* 0B
Sunday, November 13, 1402. As the youth ***
but twelve years of age, a Council was »p
to assist him* Soon after bis arm
Council despatched a piteous document from .
Naas/' in which they represent themsi-'
their youthful ruler as on the very \
vation, in consequence of not having received r*^
tances from England. In conclusion. Lhi
allude to the possibility— of course carefully d«
cated— of " peril and disaster " befalling 1 1
if further delay should he permitted. Tin? r
■ l\U
Ps
mt
I
ever, was not in a position to tax his English subjects; and we
find the prince himself writing to his royal father on the same
m fi/trter, at the close of the year 1402. He mentions also that he
Had entertained the knights and squires with such cheer as could be
^procured under the circumstances, and adds : " I, by the advice of
ilt rode against the Irish, your enemies, and did my
titii lost to harass them.,n5 Probably, had he shared the cheer with
ha Irish hia enemies/1 or even showed them some little kindness,
lie iroald not have been long placed in so nn pleasant a position for
Want of supplies,
John Duke, the then Mayor of Dublin, obtained the privilege of
lia%nng the sword borne before the chief magistrate of that city, as a
**«%%- ml for his services in routing the O'Byrnea of Wicklow, About
ttx«^ Same time John Dowdall, Sheriff of Louth, was murdered in
^ia.l)jm, by Sir Bartholomew Vernon and three other English gentle-
^^m, who were outlawed for this and other crimest but soon after
^O^ived the royal pardon, In 1404 the English were defeated in
J^*5x In 1405 Art MacMurrough committed depredations at
^^ytford and elsewhere, and in 1406 the settlers suffered a severe
se in Heath,
Sir Stephen Scroope had been appointed Deputy for the royal
Maatoy, and he led an army against MacMurrough3 who was de-
nted after a gallant resistance. Teigue O'Carroil was killed in
Mother engagement soon after* This prince was celebrated for
l^^rning, and is styled in the Annalss "general patron of the
erati of Ireland/* A few years before his death he made a pil-
rutge to Rome, and was honorably received on his return by
hard II. , at Westminster. In 14U the O'Neills desolated
fcer with their feuds, and about the same time the English roer-
^liantsnf Dublin audDrogheda armed to defend themselves against
. who had committed several acts of piracy,
i-ienrv V. succeeded his father in 1413, and appointed Sir John
nlrv Lord Deputy. He signalized himself by his exactions and
Cruelties, and, according to the Irish account, was 4* rhymed to
t h M by the poet Niall G'Higgin, of Usnagh, whom he had plun-
tjered io a foray. Sir John Talbot was the next Governor, fie in-
augurated his career by such martial exploits against the enemy, i
,'*.— Gilberts VicerotjB, p, 292L
9 Annuls.— Four Masters, vol iv. p. 791.
enemy, as
370
IRISH SERVANTS PROHIBITED IN ENGLAND,
to win golden opinions from the inhabitants of " the Pale." E
bably the news of his success induced his royal master to recall Mr
to England, that he might have his assistance in his French warn
His departure was a general signal for '< the enemy n to e«
reprisals. O'Connor despoiled the Pale, and the invincible Art Mt
Mur rough performed his last military exploit at Wexford (a,d+ Ul
where he took 340 prisoners in one day. *He died the follow- i r^*
year, and Ireland lost one of the bravest and best of her sons* T£^
Annals describe him as "a man who had defended his own pruvin
against the English and Irish, from his sixteenth to his sixtiet '.
a man full of hospital ityt know ledge > and chivalry." It v\&
he was poisoned by a woman at New Ross, but no motive is men* *
tioned for the crime. His son, Donough, who has an equal reputation
for valour, was made prisoner two years after by the Lord Deputy,
and imprisoned in the Tower of London. O'Connor of OiFaly, another
chieftain who had also distinguished himself against the En^
died about this time. He had entered the Franciscan Monastery
of Killeigh a mouth before his death.
The Irish of English descent were made to feel their p<>
painfully at the close of this reign, and this mi^ht have led the new
settlers to reflect, if capable of reflection, that their descendants
would soon find themselves in a similar condition. The commons
presented a petition complaining of the extortions and injustices
practised by the Deputies, some of whom had left enormous o\ks
unpaid. They also represented the injustice of excluding Irish law
students from the Inns of Court in London. A few years previous
(A.D. 1417), the settlers had presented a petition to Parliai?
praying that no Irishman should be admitted to any office or 1
rice in the Church, and that no bishop should be permitted to bi
an Irish servant with him when he came to attend Parliament or
Council This petition was granted ; and soon after an attempt
was made to prosecute the Archbishop of Cashel, who had presumed
to disregard some of its enactments,
Henry YL succeeded to the English throne while etill a m*
infant, and, as usual, the "Irish question" was found to be or
the greatest difficulties of the new administration. The O'Neills had
been carrying on a domestic feud in Ulster; but tbey had
united to attack the English, when Edward Mortimert Earl of
March, assumed the government of Ireland (a. D. 14:
of the plague the following year ; but his successor in office, Lord
^
THE HOUSES OF YORK AND LANCASTER.
371
:**
Furnival, contrived to capture a number of the northern chieftains,
1 who *were negotiating peace with Mortimer at the very time of his
death. Owen O'Neill was ransomed, but the indignation excited
by this act served only to arouse angry feelings ; and the northerns
**uted against their enemies, and soon recovered any territory they
W lost
-Donough MacMurrough was released from the Tower in 1428,
***«r nine years' captivity. It is said the Leinster men paid a heavy
'^ftaom for hiny The young prince's compulsory residence in Eng-
^**«i did not lessen his disaffection, for he made war on the settlers
5* *Ocn as he returned to his paternal dominions. The great family
2?"^ between the houses of York and Lancaster, had but little
-. ™^Ci-fc on the state of Ireland. Different members of the two great
^j^^i-TOis had held the office of Lord Justice in that country, but,
aT^"^^^ one exception, they did not obtain any personal influence
Q *^*^. Indeed, the Viceroy of those days, whether an honest man
knave, was sure to be unpopular with some party.
le Yorkists and Lancastrians were descended directly from
JU. The first Duke of York was Edward's fifth son,
und Plantagenet; the first Duke of Lancaster was John of
Jlfi^^**"^^ the fourth son of the same monarch. Richard II. succeeded
-^grandfather, Edward III., as the son of Edward the Black Prince,
earned in English chivalry. His arrogance and extravagance soon
le him unpopular ; and, during his absence in Ireland, the Duke
caster, whom he had banished, and treated most unjustly,
~^^*rned to England, and inaugurated the fatal quarrel. The King
obliged to return immediately, and committed the government
te country to his cousin, Roger de Mortimer, who was next in
^cession to the English crown, in right of his mother, Philippa,
only child of the Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward 111.
death of this nobleman opened the way for the intrusion of the
-^-^j^ — icastrians, the Duke of Lancaster having obtained the crown
^^^^^■ing the lifetime of Richard, to the exclusion of the rightful heir-
^^^J>arent> Edmund, Earl of March, son to the late Viceroy.
^^^ The feuds of the Earl of Ormonde and the Talbots in Ireland,
^^N>ved nearly as great a calamity to that nation as the disputes
^^V*out the English succession. A Parliament was held in Dublin in
"^ ^41, in which Richard Talbot, the English Archbishop of Dublin,
^^^oceeded to lay various requests before the King, the great object
^*C which was the overthrow of the Earl, who, by the intermarrying
m
THE COLONY ALMOST BANKRUPT.
of his kinsmen with the Irish, possessed great influence among t
native septs contiguous to his own territory. The petitioners pr
that the government may be committed to some "mighty Engli
lord f and they moderately request that the said M mighty lort
may he permitted to create temporal peers. They hint at the Eai —
age as an objection to his administration of justice, and assert tl
- tl i (>Lieu tenant should be a mighty, courageous, and laborious m,
tn ki «. -I ■ the field and make resistance against the enemy " But t~~
great crime alleged against htm, is that " he hath ordained a
made Irishmen, and grooms and pages of his household, knights
t he shire/1 These representations, however, had but little weight
the quarter to which they were addressed, for Ormonde was a
Lancastrian ; and if he had sinned more than his predecessors,
guilt was covered by the ample cloak of royal partiality. Hnwevi
some appearance of justice was observed. Sir Giles Thornton w
sent over to Ireland to make a report, which was so very gener-
that it charged no one in particular, but simply intimated that the:
was no justice to be had for any party, and that discord ac:
• livmon prevailed amongst all the King's officers. The system -
appointing deputies for different offices was very proper!
demned ; and the rather startling announcement made, ti
annual expenses of the Viceroy and his officers exceeded all
revenues of Ireland for that year by .£4,450. In fact, it could :
he otherwise; for every official, lay and ecclesiastical, English and
Anglo-Irish, appear to have combined in one vast syatem of pecti
lation, and, when it was possible, of wholesale robbery. Even
loyal burghers of Limerick, Cork, and Galway had refused to
their debts to the crown, and the repraaentativBa of royalty w*
not in b position to enforce payment. The Talbot party seems
to have shared the blame quite equally with the Ormondes, and
the churchman in power were just as rapacious as lata.
Alter having ruined the " mere Irish /' the plunderers thom*clv*
Avere on the verge of ruin ; and the Privy Council d.
unless an immediate remedy was applied, the law courts should
dosed, and the royal castles abandoned. Further complaints wur
made in 11 11 ; and Robert Maxwell, a groom of the royal chamfc
was despatched to f rt- land with a summons to Grmunde, command-
iflg him to Appear before the King and Council,
The Earl at once collected his followers and adherents in Dro~
la, where they declared, in the presence of the King's messenger.
ORMONDE ACCUSED OF PECULATION. 373
as in duty bound, that their lord had never been guilty of the trea-
sons and extortions with which he was charged, and that they were
sU thankful for " his good and gracious government :" furthermore,
they hint that he had expended his means in defending the
King's possessions. However, the Earl was obliged to clear himself'
P«Bonally of these charges in London, where he was acquitted
^ith honour by his royal master.4
Biz enemy, Sir John Talbot, known better in English history as
&*& Earl of Shrewsbury, succeeded him, in 1446. This nobleman
***d l>een justly famous for his valour in the wars with France,
***«! it is said that even mothers frightened their children with his
*****«©. His success in Ireland was not at all commensurate with his
**^**e3 in foreign warfare, for he only succeeded so far with the native
^^^fcoes as to compel O'Connor Faly to make peace with the English
gf ^*^re3rnment> to ransom his sons, and to supply some beeves for the
^^x*^^f8 kitchen. Talbot held a Parliament at Trim, in which, for
^^_ :ft8t time, an enactment was made about personal appearance,
l^^^^^^h widened the fatal breach still more between England and
^^^^nd. This law declared that every man who did not shave5 his
J^-T^^ar lip, should be treated as an " Irish enemy ;" and the said
T^^^ing was to be performed once, at least, in every two weeks.
^V*^^ the year 1447 Ireland was desolated by a fearful plague, in
w ^/^^jh seven hundred priests are said to have fallen victims, pro-
^ ^^^yfrom their devoted attendance on the sufferers. In the same
VC ^^^ Felim O'Eeilly was taken prisoner treacherously by the Lord
^J^^auty ; and Finola, the daughter of Calvagh O'Connor Faly, and
^^*^ °* Hu8n ^y O'Neill, " the most beautiful and stately, the
«* ^*^t renowned and illustrious woman of all her time in Ireland,
^> own mother only excepted, retired from this transitory world,
* Jfosfer.— Gilbert's Viceroy*, p. 347.
* Shave. — There are no monumental effigies of Henry VL His remains were
removed several times by Richard III., who was annoyed at the popular be-
lief that he worked miracles ; but the costume of the period may be studied
in an engraving by Strutt, from a scene depicted in the Royal M. S., 15k f>,
which represents Talbot in the act of presenting a volume of romances to the
King and Queen. Henry was notoriously plain in his dress, but his example
was not followed by his court. Fairholt says: "It would appear as if the
1E"gKJ» nobility and gentry sought relief in the invention of all that was
absurd in apparel, as a counter-excitement to the feverish spirit engendered
by civil mr."— History of Costume, p. 140.
374
LITERARY LADIES IN IRELAND— LADY MARGARET.
to prepare for eternal life, and assumed the yoke of piety and '
votion in the Monastery of Cill-Achaidh."
This lady's mother, Margaret O'Connor, was the daughter
O'Carroll, King of Ely, and well deserved the commendation
stowed on hen She was the great patroness of the <f I»
laud, whom she entertained at two memorable feasts* The fira
festival was held at Killeigh, in the King's county, on the Feast-d^
of Da Shichell (St. Seanehan, March 26}t All the chiefs, brehocz
and bards of Ireland and Scotland were invited, and 2,7QG gu
are said to have answered the summons. The Lftdy Margaret i
them clothed in cloth of gold, and seated in queenly state. SI
opened the "congress" by presenting two massive chalices of go
on the high altar of the church — an act of duty toward* God ;
then took two orphan children to rear and nurse — an act of chari*=
to her neighbour. Her noble husband, who had already di
lud himself in the field on many occasions, remained on hi
charger outside the church, to welcome his visitors as they am
The second entertainment was given on the Feast of the Assump-
tion, in the samo year, and was intended to include all who had not
been able to accept the first invitation. The chronicler concludes
his account with a blessing on Lady Margaret, and a curse on the
disease which deprived the world of so noble an example : " God's
blessing, the blessing of all the saints, and every blessing, be Upon
her going to heaven t and blessed be he that will hear and read I
for blessing her soul."a It is recorded of her also, that she was in-
defatigable in building churches, erecting bridges, preparing high-
ways, and providing mass-books, It is a bright picture on a dark
pegfrj and though there may not have been many ladies bo liberal
or so devoted to learning at that period in Ireland, still the general
state of female education could not have been neglected, or such an
example could not have been found or appreciated. Felim O'Con-
nor, her son, died in the same year as his mother ; he is described
1 a man of great fame and renown," He had been 01 of decline
for i long time, and only one night intervened between the d>
of the mother and the son, a,d, 1401. Calvagh died in 115&f and
was succeeded by his son, Con, who was not unworthy of his noble
ancestry.
In 1449 the Duke of York was sent to undertake the Viceregal
* Soul— Duald Mac Fh-bifc — Annak*
THE DUKE OF YORK MADE VICEROY. 375
dignity and cares. His appointment is attributed to the ail-power-
ftil influence of Queen Margaret. The immortal Shakspeare, whose
consummate art makes us read history in drama, and drama in
Ivistory,7 has commemorated this event, though not with his usual
ability. The object of sending him to Ireland was to deprive the
Yorkists of his powerful support and influence, and place the affairs
of franco, which he had managed with considerable ability, in other
hands. In fact, the appointment was intended as an honorable
«arile. The Irish, with1 that natural veneration for lawful authority
^iiich is so eminently characteristic of the Celtic race, were ever
re*dy to welcome a prince of the blood, each time hoping against
hop© that something like ordinary justice should be meted out from
the fountain-head. For once, at least, they were not disappointed ;
***<i «« noble York n is represented, by an English writer of the six-
feentili century, as consoling himself " for every kinde of smart,"
**tl* the recollection of the faithful love and devotion of the Irish
1*fa^ royal Duke arrived in Ireland on the 6th of July, 1447. He
w^^ accompanied by his wife, famous for her beauty, which had
obtained her the appellation of the " Rose of Kaby," and famous
•*Bo As the mother of two English kings, Edward IV. and Richard
***- This lady was the daughter of Neville, Earl of Westmoreland,
-^^Mfory.-— The scene is laid at the Abbey of Bury. A Posts enters and
*' Poste.— Great lords, from Ireland am I come amain,
To signify that rebels there are up,
And pat the Englishmen unto the sword.
Send succours (lords), and stop the rage betime,
Before the wound do grow uncurable :
For being green, there is great hope of help."
—King Henry VI. Part ii. Act 3.
• People. — "I twiae bore rule in Normandy and Fraunce,
And last lieutenant in Ireland, where my hart
Found remedy for every kinde of smart ;
For through the love my doings there did breede,
I had my helpe at all times in my neede."
—Mirrourfor Magistrates, voL ii. p. 189.
Hall, in hit Union of the Two Noble Houses (1548), wrote that York " got
ftiwi tuch love and favour of the country [Ireland] and the inhabitants, that
their sincere love and friendly affection could never be separated from him
and his lineage."
37G
THE DUKE OF YOKE'S POPULARITY.
whose rather numerous family, consisting of twenty-two child .
had all married amongst the highest families. The Duke was 1
of Ulster in right of Duke Lionel, from whom he was descend J
but instead of marching at once to claim his possessions, he adop
such conciliatory measures as secured him the services and affect!
of a large body of Irish chieftains, with whose assistance he b*
subdued any who still remained refractory. His popularity iuor
daily. Presents were sent to him by the most powerful and ii
pendent of the native chieftains. Nor was his " fair ladye" for
ten, for Brian O'Byrne, in addition to an offering of four hun-i
beeves to the Duke, sent "two hobbies "° for the special use of
u Rose of Raby." Indeed, it was reported in England that u
wildest Irishman in Ireland would before twelve months be sr ^^
English." Such were the fruits of a conciliatory policy, or rather* *
a fair administration of justice.
The cities of Cork, Kinsale, and Youghal, now sent in petiti<=» :
to the Viceroy, complaining bitterly of the way in which the Engi
noblemen " fall at variance among themselves," so that the whoJ
country was desolated. The settlers of Waterford and Wexfor
made similar complaints against an Irish chieftain, O'DriscoH, whozi
they describe as tl an Irish enemy to the King and to all his liege
people of Ireland," The Duke pacified all parties, and succeeded in
attaching the majority of the nation more and more to his person
and his interests. His English friends, who looked on his residence
in Ireland as equivalent to banishment and imprisonment, were
actively employed in promoting his return. The disgraceful loss
of the English possessions in France, and probably still more the
haughty and unconciliatory policy adopted by the Queen, had
strengthened the Yorkist party, and emboldened them to action.
The Duke was requested to return to England, where the insur-
gents in Kent had already risen under the leadership of the famous
Jack Cade, whose origin is involved in hopeless obscurity, and whose
character has been so blackened by writers on the Lancastrian sidt*
that it is equally incomprehensible* He called himself John Mor-
9 H&bbiea.— Irish horses were famous from an early period of oiir history*
They were considered presents worthy of kings. The name hobble* is a
ruption of hohiIarinAt a horseman. It is probable the term is derived from the
Spanish caballo, & horse* There were three different Irish a^ieUationa fa
different kinds of horses, graidh, each, and f/earran. These words are still i
% hut capatl is the more common term.
A BOOK GIVEN FOR A RANSOM. 377
timer, and asserted that he was cousin to the Viceroy. A procla-
mation, offering one thousand marks for his person, "quick or
dead," described him as born in Ireland. In consequence of the
nonpayment of the annuity which had been promised to the Duke
during his Viceroyalty, he had been obliged to demand assistance
from the Irish, who naturally resisted so unjust a tax. After use-
less appeals to the King and Parliament, he returned to England
suddenly, in September, 1450, leaving Sir James Butler, the eldest
of the Earl of Ormonde, as his Deputy.
Tftie history of the Wars of the Eoses does not belong to our pro-
> ; it must, therefore, suffice to say, that when his party was
defeated in England for a time, he fled to Ireland, where he was
enthusiastically received, and exercised the office of Viceroy at the
v«iy time that an act of attainder was passed against him and his
*Maily. He soon returned again to his own country ; and there,
•fter more than one brilliant victory, he was slain at the battle of
^aiefield, on the 31st December, 1460. Three thousand of his
rollovers are said to have perished with him, and among the number
?ar,e several Irish chieftains from Meath and Ulster. The Geral-
™le* sided with the House of York, and the Butlers with the
a^Ltlc^8trian8 : hence members of both families fell on this fatal field
^.J^Pposite sides.
—.•^^e Earl of Kildare was Lord Justice on the accession of Edward
-. * » "^rho at once appointed his unfortunate brother, the Duke of
^^^^nce, to that dignity. The Earls of Ormonde and Desmond
/f^^ at war (A.D. 1462), and a pitched battle was fought between
■^**l at Pilltown, in the county Kilkenny, where the former
^* defeated with considerable loss. His kinsman, MacRichard
*^tJler, was taken prisoner ; and we may judge of the value of a
^°ol^i giid the respect for literature in Ireland at that period, from
**& curious fact that a manuscript was offered and accepted for his
hansom.
1 Booh — This ancient MS. is still in existence, in the Bodleian Library in
Oxford (Laud, 610). It is a copy of such portions of the Psalter of Cashel as
coald then be deciphered, which was made for Butler, by Shane O'Clery, a.d.
- 146L There is an interesting memorandum in it in Irish, made by MacButler
himself: "A blessing on the soul of the Archbishop of Cashel, i.e., Richard
O'Hedigan, for it was by him the owner of this book was educated. This is
the 8tmday before Christmas ; and let all those who shall read this give a
lil seeing on the souls of both."
378
THE COLLEGE OF YOUGHAI*
The eighth Earl of Desmond, Thomas, was made Viceroy in 1 4-62.
He was a special favourite with the King, In 1466 he led an annjf
of the English of Meath and Leinste* against O'Connor Faly\ but
he was defeated and taken prisoner in the engagement. Teigue
O'Connor, the Earl's brother-in-law, conducted the captives to Cm-
bury Castle, in Kildare, where they were soon liberated by tJio
people of Dublin* The Irish were very successful in their forajf*
at this period. The men of Offaly devastated the country from Toi*
to Naas ; the men of Breflni and Oriel performed similar exploits in
Meath. Teigue O'Brien plundered Desmond, and obliged the Bui
dt GkzLwillkm to acknowledge his authority, and only spared
city of Limerick for a consideration of sixty marks.
The Hurl of Desmond appears to have exerted himself in eve*7
way for the national benefit. He founded a college in Yongh*^
with a warden, eight fellows, and eight choristers. He obtained »&
Act for the establishment of a university at Drogheda, which *****
to have similar privileges to that of Oxford, He is described ^ '-'
native annalists — almost as loud in their praises of learning sv^
valour — as well versed in literature, and a warm patron of antiqun
and poets. But his liberality proved his ruin. He was at
making alliances and fosterage of the Kings Irish enemies ; ^^^
perhaps he had also incurred the enmity of the Queen (EtLzat>^*
Wbodvilie), for it was hinted that she had some share in his
demnation. It is at least certain that he was beheaded at Droght**-^ '
on the 15th of February, 1467, by the command of Typtaft,
of Worcester, who was sent to Ireland to take his place as Vicerc*^-
and to execute the unjust sentence. The Earl of Kildare was
demned at the same time ; but he escaped to England, and pi
his cause so well with the King and Parliament, that he obi
his own pardon, and a reversal of the attainder against the
tunate Earl of Desmond.
During the reigns of Edward IV., Edward V,, and the u>
Kichard, there was probably more dissension in England than there
ever had been at any time amongst the native Irish chieftains.
Princes and nobles were sacrificed by each party as they obtained
power, and regicide might almost be called common, The number of
English slain in the Wars of the Roses was estimated at K1
Parliament made acts of attainder one day, and reversed them
almost on the next, Neither life nor property was safe. Men
armed themselves first in self-defence, and then in lawlessness ; and
THE ACCESSION OF HENRY VII. 379
ft thoughtful mind might trace to the evil state of morals, caused
\vy a long period of desolating domestic warfare, that fatal indiffe-
rence to religion which must have permeated the people, before
they could have departed as a nation from the faith of their fathers,
at the mere suggestion of a profligate monarch.
Hie English power in Ireland was reduced at this time to the
lowest degree of weakness. This power had never been other than
nominal beyond the Pale ; within its precincts it was on the whole
•U-powerful. But now a few archers and spearmen were its only
defence; and had the Irish combined under a competent leader,
there can be little doubt that the result would have been fatal to
&e colony. It would appear as if Henry VII. hoped to propitiate
the Yorkists in Ireland, as he allowed the Earl of Kildare to hold
**o office of Lord Deputy ; his brother, Thomas FitzGerald, that of
""*&cellor ; and his father-in-law, FitzEustace, that of Lord Trea-
*I11er- After a short time, however, he restored the Earl of
ynuonde to the family honours and estates, and thus a Lancastrian
lll****ence was secured. The most important events of this reign,
*? *3a^ as Ireland is concerned, are the plots of Simnel and Perkin
^**faeck, and the enactments of Poyning's Parliament. A contem-
5^*^*7 Irish chronicler says : " The son of a Welshman, by whom
.. ^ l>attle of Bosworth field was fought, was made King; and there
^l^^i not of the royal blood, at that time, but one youth, who came
** xxext year (1486) in exile to Ireland."2
.. ^*kie native Irish appear not to have had the least doubt that
;J^*}el was what he represented himself to be. The Anglo-Irish
^*X«s were nearly all devoted to the House of York; but it is im-
* ^^ible now to determine whether they were really deceived, or if
^3^ only made the youth a pretext for rebellion. His appearance
Admitted by all parties to have been in his favour; Jmt the King
jy^^Tted that the real Earl of Warwick was then confined in the
^Mrer, and paraded him through London3 as soon as the pseudo-
^ * Ireland. — The Annals of Ulster, compiled by Maguire, Canon of Armagh,
^^Ho died A.D. 1408.
•w* London.— The Irian Torkista declared that this youth was a counterfeit.
^tfcfj Earl of Lincoln, son of Elizabeth Plantagenet, sister of Richard HE, saw
^**d converted with the boy at the court at Shene, and appeared to be con-
vinced that he waa not his real cousin, for he joined the movement in favour
*tf Simnel immediately after the interview. Mr. Gilbert remarks in his Vice-
*tyt, p. 606, that the fact of all the documents referring to this period of Irish
WARBKCK'S PLOT— POYNING'S PARLIAMENT. 381
•
1488 Sir Richard Edgecombe was sent to Ireland to exact
*aths of allegiance from the Anglo-Norman lords, whose fidelity
y appears to have doubted, and not without reason. The
lissioner took up his lodgings with the Dominican friars, who
ir to have been more devoted to the English interests than
Franciscan brethren ; but they did not entertain the knight
eir own expense, for he complains grievously of his " great
and charges." A Papal Bull had been procured, condemning
bo had rebelled against the King. This was published by the
>p of Meath, with a promise of absolution and royal pardon for
ho should repent. Edgecumbe appears to have been at his
end to conciliate the " rebels/1 and informs us that he spent
tight in " devising as sure an oath as he could." The nobles
ft came to terms, and took the proffered pledge in the most
in manner, in presence of the Blessed Sacrament. This accom-
ed, the knight returned to England ; and on his safe arrival,
a stormy passage, made a pilgrimage to Saint Saviour's, in
wall.
is quite impossible now to judge whether these solemn oaths
made to be broken, or whether the temptation to break them
ed stronger than the resolution to keep them. It is at least cer-
that they were broken, and that in a year or two after the Earl
ildare had received his pardon under the Great Seal. In May,
, the Warbeck plot was promulgated in Ireland, and an ad-
lrer landed on the Irish shores, who declared himself to be
ird, Duke of York, the second son of Edward IV., who was
>sed to have perished in the Tower. His stay in Ireland, how-
was brief, although he was favourably received. The French
fch entertained him with the honours due to a crowned head ;
his, probably, was merely for political purposes, as he was dis-
ci as soon as peace had been made with England. He next
d Margaret, the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, who treated
£ if he were really her nephew.
nry now became seriously alarmed at the state of affairs in
id, and sent over Sir Edward Poyning, a privy counsellor and
light of the Garter, to the troublesome colony. He was
teen the first to nse hand-cannons, at the beginning of the fifteenth cen-
Cannon-balls were first made of stone, bat at the battle of Cressy the
ih " shot small balls of iron." For popular information on this subject,
lirholt, History of Costume.
IRISH WAR-CRIkS FORBIDDEN. 383
the said robes to their own great dishonour, and the rebuke of all
whole land f that the H many ♦lumiiuble customs and uses/'
ictised by the Anglo-Norman lords and gentlemen, under the
[iam*:s of " coigne, livery, and pay/' ehould be reformed ; that the
inhabitants on the frontiers of the four shires should forthwith build
i a double- ditch, raised six feet above the ground on
meared next unto the Irishmen/' so that the said
:i should be kept out ; that all subjects were to provide
nuehrea with cuirasses and helmets, with English bows and
sheaves of arrows i that every parish should be provided with a pair
7 md the constables were ordered to call the parishioners
hem un holidays, to shoot at least two or three games.
The Irish war-cries'1 which had been adopted by the Ettgtteb lords
rid they were commanded to call opon St George
W t be King of England. The Statutes of Kilkenny were confirmed,
ft exception of the one which forbid the use of the Irish
- tiage. As nearly all the English settlers had adopted it, such an
tment could not possibly have been carried out, Three of the
i nobles of the country were absent from this assembly :
, Earl of Desmond, was in arms on behalf of Warbeck ;
1 1 d, Earl of Kildare, was charged with treason ; and Thomas,
"^^J of Ormonde, was residing in England, The Earl of Kiklare
. ^^ *sent to England to answer the charges of treason which w
-<ht against him* Henry had discovered that Poyning*s mis-
*fl lind not been as successful as he expected, and what, probably,
1 ,J ^sliced him still more, that it had proved very expensive,* He
*-lie credit of being a wise king in many respects, notwithstand-
ing avaricious n ess ; and he at once saw that Kildare would be
a usttul as a friend, and less expensive, if he ceased to be an
*y. The result was the pardon of the t( rebel/1 his marriage
^*u^-We give an illustration, at the head of this chapter, of the Butts1
_ ****, Kilkeony,
■■.,.-H«wT— That of the Geraldines of Kildare was Cromn<lh-ahvt from
u Limerick ; the war-cry of the Desmond Geraldines was
^ * • ^li uinid Castle,
'M -xpcMivt. — English writers accuse Henry of miserable a varici on sness. H*
^k(^^c-UM.'d of having consented to the execution of Sir William Stanley, who
f,. I £*vt*d his life, far the sake of his enormous wealth. — Lirigard's History of
^x f- p. 3(>S, He k also accused, by a recent writer, of having M
:i of the Queen Dowager, because he chose to belie vu that she had
I ^LiiUxtL — lktona J/uriurjf of England, p. 223.
384 KILDARE EXAMINED BEFORE
Tt
i
with the Kings first eoaun, Elizabeth St. Jafen.1
to the office of Deputy. Hit quick-witted sp
before the King, took the rojml fancy. He \
burned the Cathedral of Cashel, to revenge
bishop, who had sided with his enemy, Sir J*
was a great array of witnesses prepared to prove -ted
Earl excited shouts of laughter by exclaiming: "Ivoi
dime it. had it not been told me the Archbishop ws i
The Archbishop was present, and one of his moatac
The King then gave him leave to choose his connsel, and *■—
prepare his defence. Kildare exclaimed that lie doubted if
should be allowed to choose the good fellow wham he would id
Henry gave him his hand as an assurance of h» good Ji
" Mam.11 said the Earl, " I can see no better man in England:
>our Highness, and will choose no other." The affiur ended by
«ivn>er> declaring that " all Ireland could not rnleith» Tj^
wmVh Henry replied : " Then, in good faith, shall this V^l mi
Ireland"1
1 n August. 1 489, Kildare was appointed Deputy to Prince Hi
who was made Viceroy. In 1498 he was authorized to coxra
l\irliamer.u which should not sit longer than half a year. Thif
the first Parliament held under Poyning's Act. Sundry regula
\v«iv ma ile " for the increasing of English manners and condi
within the land, and for diminishing of Irish usage," In 150!
KaiT.H son, ImtslM. was appointed Treasurer for Ireland by the 1
who e\piv*M\l tlu* highest approval of his father's admrnisira
He married the daughter of Lord Zouch of Codnor during his
to England, and then returned with his father to Ireland,
father and son were treated with the utmost consideration at <
and the latter t<x«k an important part in the funeral ceremonit
the King's eldest son. Arthur. The Earl continued in office d
the reign of Henry Vll. An interesting letter, which he wt»
reply to an epistle from the Gherardini of Tuscany, is still *j
In this document he requests them to communicate anyxhinc
1 Inland On one occasion, when the Earl and Sir James Onnondt
quarrel, the latter retirrd into the chapter-honse of St. Patrick's Oath
the door of which he closed and barricaded. The Ear] requested him t.>
forth, and pledged his honour Ux hi* safety. As the knight still feaw."
chery. a hole v&» cat in the door, through which Ki; dare passed Lis Hfl».;
after this exploit, Ormonde came «.mt. and the\* embraced each other.
tie origin of their house, their numbers, and their ancestors,
onus them that it will give him the greatest pleasure to send
hawks, falcons, horses, or hounds, or anything that he can
which they may desire. He concludes:
od be with you ; love us in return.
* Gerald, Chief in Ireland of the family of Gheranlini, Earl
of Kildare, Viceroy of the most serene Kings of England
in Ireland."
it years after this letter was written, Ariosto writes thus of a
old man, whose fame had passed long before to distant lands;
** Or gttArda gl' Ibernisi : appresso II ptauo
Bono due squatlre : e U Coute di Child era
Me a a la ]imu;i ; e il Conte di Desman da,
Da fieri nioati ha iratta la scconda,"
THE REIGff OF HENRY VIIL 3t*7
j^g^^iterg, who are pleased to attribute all the sufferings and
^S^ endured by the people of that country to religious grounds.
&land was in a chrome state of discontent and rebellion, in the
*>£ military violence and legal iniquity, which existed some
^nes hefore the era of religious persecution ; but, unquestion-
W * ^U the evils of the former period were enhanced and intensified,
t' %t* the power which had so long oppressed and plundered, sought
% ^d to bodily suffering the still keener anguish of mental torture,
'*** the era of military violeneej a man was driven from Jus ances-
home by force of arms* in the era of legal iniquity, he was
~"*M^d ag a rebel if he complained ; but in the era of religious
"^cution, his free will, the noblest gift of God to man — the gift
acK God Himself will not shackle — was demanded from him ;
H if he dared act according to the dictates of his conscience, a
^■^1 death or a cruel confiscation was his portion. And this was
^Q in the name of liberty of conscience ! While England was
Lxhcdic, it showed no mercy to Catholic Ireland ; I doubt much, if
~*land had become Protestant to a man, when England had become
>testant as a nation, that she would have shown more considera-
*** for the Celtic race* But the additional cruelties with which
^& Irish were visited, for refusing to discard their faith at the bid-
_; of a profligate king, are simply matters of history.
Henry succeeded his father in the year 1500. The Earl of Kil-
**% was continued in his office as Deputy ; but the King's minister,
" olsey, virtually ruled the nation, until the youthful monarch had
stained his majority; and he appears to have devoted himself with
^nsiderable zeal to Irish affairs. He attempted to attach some of
*foe Irish chieftains to the English interest, and seems in some de-
8tte to have succeeded. Hugh O'Donnell, Lord of Tir-Connell, was
Wpitably entertained at Windsor, as he passed through England
Ob his pilgrimage to Home. It is said that O'DonneU subsequently
prevented James IV. of Scotland from undertaking his intended
expedition to Ireland ; and, in 1521, we find him described by the
then Lord Deputy as the best disposed of all the Irish chieftains
"to fall into English order."
Gerald, the ninth and last Catholic Earl of Kildare, succeeded his
father as Lord Deputy in 1513. But the hereditary foes of his
family were soon actively employed in working his .ruin ; and even
His sister, who had married into that family, proved not the least
formidable of Ins enemies. He was summoned to London ; but
388
REFOHT ON THE STATE OF IRELAND.
either the charges against him could not be proved, or it was dee^jerf
expedient to defer them, for we find him attending Ik-nry for- fm
years, and forming one of his retinue at the Field of the Olor
Gold, Kildare was permitted to return to Dublin again in 1
but he was tracked by Wolsey's implacable hafcn - doo**Te
In 1533 he was confined in tie Tower for the third time. I
charges against him were warmly urged by his enemies. Two
his sisters were married to na feint ; and he was acci
of playing fast and loose with the English as a baron of the Pj
with the Irish as a warm ally,* Two English nobles had be*^
appointed to assist him, or rather to act the spy upon his mov
nients, at diiferent times. One of these, Sir Thomas Skemngton,^
beoatne his most dangerous enemy.
In 1515 an elaborate report on the state of Ireland was prepared
by the royal command. It gives a tolerably clear idea uf the mili-
tary and political condition of the country. A to this
account, the only counties really subject to English rule, were
Louth, Meath, Dublin, Kildare, and Wexford. Even the resident*
near the boundaries of these districts, were obliged to pay u black
mail u to the neighbouring Irish chieftains. The King's writs were
not ex&Cttted beyond the bounds described ; and within thirty miles
of Dublin, the Brehon law was in full force. This document, which
is printed in the first volume of the "State Papers" relating to
Ireland, contains a list of the petty rulers of *ixt nt states
or " regions," some of which "are as big as a shire ; some in
some less." The writer then gives various opinions as to the pi
which might be adopted for improving the state of Ireland, which
he appears to have taken principally from a curious old book, called
Balm FopdL* Both writers were of opinion that war to the knife
was the only remedy for Ireland's grievances. It was at least clear
that if dead men could tell no tales, neither could dead men rebel
against oppression j and the writer of the report concludes, ♦* thai
3 Doom.— See Tht Earls of Kitdare^ vol i p. 10fif for Wofoeya rei*0&l for
not removing him from the Vioeroyilty, notwithstanding hi* ill
1 1 %,— He waa charged with having writteo a Letter to O'CarrolI of By,
in which ho advised him to keep peace with the Pale until a Deputy thoalfS
ootne over, and thou to make war on the EngUak The object of this advice
is sot very clear.
* Salm Foputl—Thm is a copy of tlua book in MS. in the British Museum,
The name of the author is not known.
REPORT ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. 389
if the King were as wise as Solomon the Sage, he shall never subdue
the wild Irish to his obedience without dread of the sword." Even
this he admits may fail ; for he adds, " so long as they may resist
and save their lives, they will never obey the King." He then
quotes the Salvs'Populi, to show the advantages which England
Aught derive if the Irish united with her in her wars on foreign
countries, and observes, " that if this land were put once in order
** Aforesaid, it would be none other but a very paradise, delicious
°f all pleasaunce, in respect and regard of any other land in this
^orld; inasmuch as there never was stranger nor alien person,
£*""eat or small, that would leave it willingly, notwithstanding the
•aid xoisorder, if he had the means to dwell therein honestly."
It cannot now be ascertained whether Kildare had incited the
«**3h. chieftains to rebellion or not. In 1520, during one of his
Pe*"iods of detention in London, the Earl of Surrey was sent over as
*^^pnty with a large force. It would appear as if a general rising
**"^xi© contemplated at that time, and it was then the Earl wrote
*™« letter* already mentioned to O'Carroll. The new Viceroy was
e*^-*fcix*ely ignorant of the state of Ireland, and imagined he had
Nothing to do but conquer. Several successful engagements con-
**x-u*c*d him in this pleasing delusion ; but he soon discovered his
ar>^Q,fcake> and assured the King that it was hopeless to contend with
***■ onemy, who were defeated one day, and rose up with renewed
e5*^x15y th© next. As a last resource he suggested the policy of con-
cl^ia<fcM>n, which Henry appears to have adopted, as he empowered
"^y** to confer the honour of knighthood on any of the Irish chief-
*a*2*» to whom he considered it desirable to offer the compliment,
***** he sent a collar of gold to O'Neill. About the same time
??*A^y wrote to inform Wolsey, that Cormac Oge MacCarthy and
*^^°Carthy Eeagh were " two wise men, and more conformable to
^^r than some English were ;" but he was still careful to keep
•** **J*e old policy of fomenting discord among the native princes,
**^ wrote to the King that " it would be dangerful to have them
-fc«
pa-It
tier. — The deposition accusing Kildare is printed in the " State Papers,"
1|V* _***• P* 45- Th° following is an extract from the translation which it gives
te -2^ letter to O'CarrolL The original was written in Irish : " Desiring you
wW*?** good peas to English men tyll an English Deputie come there ; and
Zr/~**- may lEngKah Deputie shall come thydder, doo your beste to make warre
"^V** Jfaglfoli men there, except suche as bee towardes mee, whom you know
**U*o^Irtili,,
^
both agreed and joined together, as the longer they continue in -**arf
the better it should be for your Grace's poor subjects here "
Surrey became weary at last of the hopeless conflict, and at
own request he was permitted to return to England and resign *■
office, which was conferred on his friend, Pierse Butler,1 of C&rri^
subsequently Earl of Ormonde, The Scotch had begun to inHnigr^*\
to Ulster in considerable numbers, and acquired large territor J
there ; the Pale was almost unprotected; and the Irish Privy Coufli
applied to Wolsey for six ships-of-war, to defend the northern coas
a.d, 1522. The dissensions between the O'Neills and 0*Dcm:
bad broken out into sanguinary warfare.
The Earl of Kildare left Ireland for the third and last th
February, 1534 Before his departure he summoned a Council a
Brogheda, and appointed his eon, Thomas, to act as Deputy in
absence, On the Earl's arrival in London, he was at once s«
and imprisoned in the Tower. A false report was carefully <-;
lated in Ireland that he had been beheaded, and that the destru
of the whole family was even then impending. Nor was there
thing very improbable in this statement. The English King had
already inaugurated his sanguinary career. One of the most eminent
English laymen, Sir Thomas More, and one of hei tica*
-Bishop Fisher, had been accused and beheaded, to satisfy the royal
caprice. When the King's tutor and his chancellor had been sg
ficed, who could hope to escape?
The unfortunate Earl had advised his sou to pursue a cautious
and gentle policy ; but Lord Thomas* fiery temper could ill 1
such precaution, and he was but too easily roused by tl
enemies who incited him to rebellion. The reports of In
execution were confirmed. His proud blood was up, and he rn
madly on the career of self-destruction, On the 11th of J
1534, he flung down the sword of state on the table of the c
7 Pierse Butlzr* — Callea t»y the Irish, Red Fierse. Leknd gives a cttrioM
story about aim. He was at war with MacGillapatrick, who sent an \
eador to Henry VIIL to complain of the Earl s proceedings. The menengcr
met the EngliKh King as he was about to enter the royal chapel, and add
Mm thua ; " Stop, Sir King I my master, Gillapatrick, has sent me to thee i
say, that if thou wilt not punish the Bed Earl be will make war on thee."
Pierae resigned his title in favour of Sir Thomas Boleyn, in 1527, and1
created Earl of Oesory ; but after the death of the former he again took op 1
old title, and resigned the aew.
THE REBELLION OF SILKEN THOMAS. 391
hall at St. Mary's Abbey, and openly renounced his allegiance to
the English monarch. Archbishop Cromer implored him with tears
to reconsider his purpose, but all entreaties were vain. Even had
he been touched by this disinterested counsel, it would probably
have failed of its effect ; for an Irish bard commenced chanting his
praises and his father's wrongs, and thus his doom was sealed. An
attempt was made to arrest him, but it failed. Archbishop Allen,
his father's bitterest enemy, fled to the Castle, with several other
ttobles, and here they were besieged by FitzGerald and his followers.
Hie Archbishop soon contrived to effect his escape. He embarked
at night in a vessel which was then lying at Dame's Gate ; but the ship
^aa stranded near Clontarf, either through accident or design, and
^l*e unfortunate prelate was seized by Lord Thomas' people, who
***»t*uitry put him to death. The young nobleman is said by some
Autilxorities to have been present at the murder, as well as his two
**x*cles : there is at least no doubt of his complicity in the crime.
-"X« sentence of excommunication was pronounced against him, and
tl&ose who assisted him, in its most terrible form.
Ecclesiastical intervention was not necessary to complete his ruin.
*^« liad commenced his wild career of lawless violence with but few
**^l<>Trers, and without any influential companions. The Castle of
"^^^yaooth, the great stronghold of the Gcraldincs, was besieged
Mxd captured by his father's old enemy, Sir William Skcflington.
-** ^he meanwhile the intelligence of his son's insurrection had
°e^Xl communicated to the Earl, and the news of his excommuni-
~j*t*on followed quickly. The unfortunate nobleman succumbed
**e«.th the twofold blow, and died in a few weeks. Lord Thomas
j^^^sidercd himself in August, 1535, on the guarantee of Lord
~j^°***rd and Lord Butler, under a solemn promise that Ms life
°**lcj be spared.8 But his fate was in the hands of one who had
jx ^^tvy, even where the tendcrest ties were concerned. Soon after
j^ Surrender of "Silken Thomas," his five uncles were seized
^ ^^lierously at a banquet; and although three of them had no part
**>« rebellion, the nephew and the uncles were all executed
^3*art<L— It is quite evident from the letter of the Council to Henry VIII.
*** — *
^ -X*e]t albeit we accept it thankfully, yet, if ho had been apprehended after
*wT**» *orto ms was convenable to his deservynges, the some had been muche more
^***lcfull and better to our contentacion."
rt^~^»l»a«d. — It is quite evident from the letter of the Uouncil to Henry v ill.
ft «^^^ Papers, ciii), that a promise was made. Henry admits it, and regrets
**" iiis letter to Skeffington (S. P. cvi.): " The doyng whereof [FitzGerald's
3M2
FIRST ATTEMPT AT REFORMATION IN IRELAND.
together at Tyburn, on the 3rd of February, 1537. If the KiBf
had hoped by thii cruel injustice to rid himself of the powe:r^
family, he was mistaken. Two children of the late Earl's m*$
existed. They were sons by his second wife, Lady Elisabeth Gr"^f*
The younger, still an infant, was conveyed to his mother in Englai
the elder, a youth of twelve years of age, was concealed by S u*
aunts, who were married to the chieftains of Offaly and Doneg^^
and was soon conveyed to France, out of the reach of the eneii
who eagerly sought his destruction. It is not a little curious to fi^^
the native princes, who had Wen so cruelly oppressed by h:
fathers* protecting and helping the hapless youth, even at the ri^^
of their lives, It is one of many evidences that the antipathy ^^
Celt to Saxon is not so much an antipathy of race or person, 1^^
the natural enmity winch the oppressed entertains toward*
oppressor,
Henry made his first appearance at establishing his spiritual siipre---
macy in the year 1534, by appointing an Augustinian friar, wh<^
had already0 become a Protestant, to the see of Dublin. He was*
consecrated by Cranmer, always the servile instrument of I
pleasure, The previous events in England, which res the
national schism, are too well known to require much obs*
It must be admitted as one of the most patent facts of history,
the English lung never so much as thought of asserting hi
macy in spiritual matters, until he found that submission to 1'
supremacy i i iterfered with his sinful inclinations. If I
VII. had dissolved the marriage between Queen Catherine and
Henry VIII, in 1528, Parliament would not have Iwen asked to
legalise the national schism in 1534. Yet it would appear as if
Henry had hesitated for a moment before he committed the fiji&l
act of apostacy. It was Cromwell who suggested the plan which
he eventually followed. With many expressions of humility he
pointed out the course which might he pursued. The appndu
of the Holy See, he said, was the one thing still wanting. It was
plain now that neither bribes nor threats could procure that favour.
But was it so necessary as the King had hitherto supposed I
might be useful to avert the resentment of the German Empe
hut if it could not be obtained, why should the King's pleasure
v Already, — Mant describes him aa a man " whose niiiad was happily frred
from thethralilrnu of ropery/' before kia appointment. ^/fiVJtirjf of the Church
(*fh> l. p. Ill,
REAL CAUSE OF THE SCHISM IN IRELAND. 393
depend on the will of another 1 Several of the German princes
tad thrown off their allegiance to the Holy See : why, then, should
not the English King ? The law could legalise the King's inclina-
tion, and who dare gainsay its enactments ? Let the law declare
Henry the head of the Church, and he could, as such, give himself
the dispensations for which he sought. The law which lould frame
articles of faith and sanction canons, could regulate morals as easily
*b it could enact a creed.
Such counsel was but too acceptable to a monarch resolved to
gratify his passions at all hazards, temporal or spiritual. Cromwell
*ss at once appointed a member of the Privy Council. He received
*Pateilt for life of the Chancellorship of the Exchequer, and he was
•ttthorired to frame the necessary bills, and conduct them through
*"e two houses.1 Parliament complied without hesitation ; the
clergy in convocation made a show of opposition, which just sufficed
k enhance their moral turpitude, since their brief resistance inti-
2*te<i that they acted contrary to their consciences in giving their
™^1 assent. The royal supremacy in matters ecclesiastical, was
^^laxed to be the will of God and the law of the land.
. **l*e King's mistress was now made his wife, by the same autho-
n*y* ^rhich had made the King head of the Church ; and it was
ev"*^.^nt that the immediate cause of the separation of the English
r?^-*°*i from the Catholic Church was the desire of the monarch, that
**• J>xofligacy should obtain some kind of sanction. But this com-
, _^**«5ement of the Anglican Establishment, however true, is so utterly
- ^*^j>utable, that English historians have been fain tp conceal, as
7*^ **« might be, the real cause, and to justify the schism by bring-
^5" .grave charges3 against the Church. This, after all, is a mere
a. ^_
^ -^^ouhs. — Lingard, vol vL p. 203.
^-Ihargei. — Mr. Fronde lias adopted this line with considerable ability, in
*^*ittory of England, He has collected certain statements, which he finds in
^^ooks of the Consistory Courts, and gives details from these cases which
j^^^^^inly most " shock his readers " considerably, as he expects. He leaves
gv^^* ** ^phed that, as a rale, ecclesiastics lived in open immorality. He
C.to-^^ names and facts concerning the punishment of priests for vicious lives
-ttfcmJ^^**1? °f England, vol. i pp. 178-180) ; and asserts that their offences were
^T^^^hed lightly, while another measure was dealt ont to seculars. He might
fci»^^«fl select the cases of scandal given by Protestant clergymen in modern
*^b from the law books, and hold them up as specimens of the lives of all
T/^^fe brethren. The oases were exceptions ; and though they do prove, what
<S^oerally admitted, that the moral condition of the clergy was not all that
394 THE SCHISM IN ENGLAND.
petitio princijni. It has been already remarked that England i
demoralized socially to an extraordinary degree, as a nation alw
has been by a continuance of civil war. The clergy suffered fi
the same causes which affected the laity, and the moral conditio]
the ecclesiastical body was not all that could be desired. Tl
were remote causes, which acted powerfully as they rolled along
stream of time, and which broke the barriers of faith like an o
whelming torrent, when an additional impetus was given. Bu
ehould be distinctly remembered (1) that the direct act of schism
committed when Henry required Parliament and Convocation
«xalt him to the spiritual supremacy; and (2) that the sin*
churchmen and the faith of the Church are two distinct questii
There may have been more corruption of life and morals, botl:
the laity and the priesthood of the Catholic Church at the Re
mation, than at any other period of the Church's history ; but
Jews had been commanded to obey the Scribes and Pharisees,
cause they sat in Moses1 seat, at the very time when the Lamt
God could find no milder term to describe their hypocrisy and
quity than that of a generation of vipers.
If schism is admitted to be a sin, it is difficult to see how ;
amount of crime with which other individuals can be charged, e
justly, lessens the guilt of the schismatic. There can be li
doubt that the members of the Church are most fervent and i
fying in their lives, when suffering from persecution. Ambition
less food when there are no glittering prizes within its reach. Ft
is more sincere when there are no motives for a false professi
and every natural motive to conceal religious belief. The L
clergy were never charged with the gross crimes which have b
mentioned in connexion with some few of their brethren in Engla
Those who ministered outside the Pale, lived in poverty and s
plicity. The monasteries were not so richly endowed as the Engl
conventual houses ; and, perhaps, this freedom from the wor
could be desired in individual cases, they also prove that such caaes were
ceptional, and that they were condemned by the Church, or they would
have been punished. With regard to the punishment, we can scarcely ca
a light penance for a priest to be compelled to go round the church baref
to kneel at each altar and recite certain prayers, and this while High ^
was singing. It was a moral disgrace, and keener than a corporal punishro
The writer also evidently misunderstands the Catholic doctrine of absolut
when he says that a fine of six-and-eightpence was held sufficient penalty
a mortal Bin.
THE KING ACTS AS HEAD OF THE CHURCH. 395
goods, served to nerve them for the coming trial ; and that their
purer and more fervent lives saved the Irish Church and people
from national apostacy.
Soon after Dr. Browne's arrival in Ireland, he received an official
fetter from Cromwell, containing directions for his conduct there.
He is informed it is " the royal will and pleasure of his Majesty, that
his subjects in Ireland, even as those in England, should obey his
eonunands in spiritual matters as in temporal, and renounce their
allegiance to the See of Rome." This language was sufficiently
plain. They are required to renounce their allegiance to the See
°^ Some, simply because " the King wills it." The affair is spoken
°^ as if it were some political matter, which could easily be
arr5Miged. But the source of this prelate's authority was simply
political ; for Henry writes to him thus : " Let it sink into your
*e«xieinbrance, that we be as able, for the not doing thereof, to re-
?*0v«e you again, and put another man of more virtue and honesty
^to your place, as we were at the beginning to prefer you." Browne
COl*lcl certainly be in no doubt from whom he had received his
Co*3a.nus8ion to teach and preach to the people of Ireland ; but that
****Aon had received the faith many centuries before, from one who
^***i^ to them with very different credentials \ and years of oppres-
^O** and most cruel persecution have failed in inducing them to
°"ey human authority rather than divine.
-*^x. Browne soon found that it was incomparably easier for Henry
^O i«ue commands in England, than for him to enforce them in
T^^l^uii He therefore wrote to Cromwell, from Dublin, on " the
,c **■ of the kaL of December, 1535," and informed him that he
•„ -***Xd endeavoured, almost to the danger and hazard of my temporal
V?^*» to procure the nobility and gentry of this nation to due obe-
^*^^Xce in owningof his Highness their supreme head, as well spiritual
r* ^«mporal ; and do find much oppugning therein, especially by my
,^c>'^'her Armagh, who hath been the main oppugner, and so hath
^J?*-l*drawn most of his suffragans and clergy within his see and
,*^^«ge. He made a speech to them, laying a curse on the people
-k_*^^>8oever should own his Highness* supremacy, saying, that isle —
^■ti is in their Irish chronicled, insula sacra — belongs to none but
«u
Bishop of Borne, and that it was the Bishop of Borne that gave
^5D the King's ancestors."* Dr. Browne then proceeds to inform
~Ance*tor$.—$ee the Phanix, a collection of vi
tdon, 1707 ; and the Harleian Miscellany, &c
** -Ancettor$.—$ee the Phanix, a collection of valuable papers, published in
his correspondent that the Irish clergy had sent two messengers
Koine.4 He states u that the common people of this isle are mo
zealous in their blindness, than the saints and martyrs were i
truth f and he advises that a Parliament should at once be mm
moned, "to pass the supremacy by Act ; for they do not macs
matter his Highness1 commission, which yonr lordship sent us over-
Truly, the nation which had been so recently enlightened in soma*
vellous a manner, might have had a littlfl patience with the peop!
who could not so easily discern the new light ; and, assuredly
term " Church by law established11 be applicable to
religion in England, it is, if possible, still more applicable Lo tb*
Protestant Establishment in Ireland, since the person delegated U
found the new religion in that country, has himself stated it coulu
only be established there by Act of Parliament,
The Parliament was summoned in 1536 ; but, as a remote prep"
ration, the Lord Deputy made a "martial circuit" of Ireland, hopin;
thereby to overawe the native septs, and compel their subraissipff
to the royal will and pleasure, " This preparation being made,*1 it*
the " martial circuit" — I am quoting from Sir John Da vies;5 1 requee
the reader's special attention to the statement — "he first pre
pounded and passed in Parliament these Lawes, which made thj
great alteration in the State Ecclesiastical, namely, the Act wi
declared King Henry VI1L to be Supreme Head of the Church c
Ireland ; the Act prohibiting Apeales to the Church of Rome ; th*
Act for lirst J'ruites and twentieth part to be paid to the Kin
lastly, the Act that did utterly abolish the usurped Authorise of Uw
Pope. Next, for the increase of the King's Revenew. By one Acs
he suppressed sundry Abbayes and Religious Houses, and by auothes
Act resumed the Lands of the Absentees,"
The royal process of conversion to the royal opinions, had at lear
the merits of simplicity, There is an old rhyme — one of those o\c
rhymes which are often more effectual in moving the hearts of the
multitude than the most eloquent sermons, and truer exponents of
popular feeling than Acts of Parliament — which describes the fate
of Forrest, the Franciscan friar, confessor of the King's only lawful
* MvmF.— Thi* was the invariable practice of the Irish Church. It will U
remembered bow letters and expostulations had boon sent to the Holy $es in
regard to the temporal oppressions of the English settlers.
* Davits* — Can** why Inland i«w never Suhdutd,— Tham'a Reprints, rot. L
r> GM,
THE MARTYRS OF THE NEW RELIGION. 397
wife, and the consequences of his temerity in denying the King's
supremacy: —
" Forrest, the fryar,
That obstinate lyar,
That wilfully will be dead ;
Incontinently
The Gospel doth deny,
The King to be supremo head/'
There is a grand and simple irony in this not easily surpassed.
Soxne very evident proofs had been given in England, that to deny
tho King's spiritual supremacy was " wilfully to be dead," although
^either the King nor the Parliament had vouchsafed to inform the
▼acfcixng in what part of the Gospel the keys of the kingdom of
"^^ren had been given to a temporal prince. Still, as I have ob-
•^^T^^df the royal process was extremely simple — if you believed,
J^on -^rere saved ; if you doubted, you died.
'^^ith the example of Sir Thomas More* before their eyes, the
^**glo-Norman nobles and gentlemen, assembled in Parliament by
***« x-oyal command, were easily persuaded to do the royal bidding.
**Orfc the ecclesiastics were by no means so pliable. Every diocese
****i the privilege of sending two proctors to Parliament ; and these
|^°ortor8 proved so serious an obstacle, that Lords Grey and
on wrote to Cromwell, that they had prorogued the Parlia-
-J&fore. — Sir Thomas More's son-in-law, Roper, gives the following account
—i condemnation : "Mr. Rich, pretending friendly talk with him, among
j^T^^"* things of a set course, said this unto him : 'Admit there were, sir, an
— °^ «f Parliament that the realm should take me for king ; would not you,
t More, take me for King f ' Yes, air, ' quoth Sir Thomas More, ( that I
b^V*Xd.f « I put the case further,1 quoth Mr. Rich, • that there were an Act of
™k~r^5ament that all the realm should take me for Pope ; would not you then,
r More, take me for Pope ?' ' For answer, sir.' quoth Sir Thomas More,
^rour first case, the Parliament may well, Master Rich, meddle with the
^ of temporal princes ; but to make answer to your other case, I will put
«^*** this case. Suppose the Parliament should make a law that God should
^5^ 'keGod, would you then, Master Rich, say that God were not God V ' No,
« ->^* quoth he, * that I would not, sith no Parliament may make any such law. '
^-T^^*1 more,' quoth Sir Thomas More, 'could the Parliament make the King
j..^***eme head of the Church.' Upon whose only report was Sir Thomas in-
??^fe«l for high treason on the statute to deny the King to be supreme head of
*b*»
^^toroi
Church, into which indictment were put these heinous words— maliciously,
insly, and diabolically."
398 THE PROCTORS FORBIDDEN TO VOTE.
ment in consequence of tho " forwardness and obstinacy of 1
proctors, of the clergy, and of the bishops and abbots f and tL^Kaey
euggest that " some means should be devised, whereby they shot^t^ld
be brought to remember their duty better," or that " means may ~~ be
found which shall put these proctors from a voice in Parliament *7
The means were easily found — the proctors were forbidden to
vote.8 The Act was passed. Every one who objected to it havusg
been forbidden to vote, Henry's agents on the Continent pr= — o-
claimed triumphantly that the Irish nation had renounced t^fce
supremacy of Eome. A triumph obtained at the expense of trot— ^H,
is but poor compensation for the heavy retribution which
assuredly bo demanded of those who have thus borne false witne
against their neighbour. Men forget too often, in the headlo
eagerness of controversy, that truth is eternal and immutable, i
that no amount of self-deceit or successful deception of others <
alter its purity and integrity in the eyes of the Eternal Verily.
The Irish Parliament, or, we should say more correctly, the m^^en
permitted to vote in Ireland according to royal directions, h^xixi
already imitated their English brethren by declaring the marrii— — gc
of Henry and Catherine of Arragon null and void, and limiting t Z3**
succession to the crown to the children of Anna Boleyn. Wh_ -^exi
this lady had fallen a victim to her husband's caprice, they attaint-- ^&&
her and her posterity with equal facility. A modern historian 1^^ ,fl8
attempted to excuse Henry's repudiation of his lawful wife, on t- I16
ground of his sincere anxiety to prevent disputes about the suet ^"*-s"
sion.9 But the King's subsequent conduct ought surely to ha- ""^ e
deterred any one from attempting so rash an apology. To dou —*D
the royal supremacy, or the right of the lady, who for the
being held a place in Henry's affections, to royal honours, was
evidence of insincerity in devotion to himself which he could n -
easily pardon.
As it was now ascertained that the Irish people would not \
7 Parliament. — State Papers, vol. is. p. 437.
8 Vote.— Irish Statutes, 28th Henry VIII. c. xii.
9 Succession. — Froude, vol. i. p. 94. He also quotes Hall to the effect
*„• all indifferent and discreet persons judged that it was right and necessary.
Persons who were "indifferent" enough to think that any reason could mak
a sin necessary, or " discreet " enough to mind losiug their heads or their
petty, were generally of that opinion. But Henry's difficulties in divorcii
his wife arc a matter of history.
HOW DR. BROWNE ADVANCES THE GOSPEL. 399
ee as a nation, an expedient was prepared for their utter extir-
on. It would be impossible to believe that the human heart
id be guilty of such cruelty, if we had not evidence of the fact in
State Papers. By this diabolical scheme it was arranged to
or carry away their cattle, and to destroy their corn while it
green. " The very living of the Irishry," observes the writer,.
>th clearly consist in two things ; and take away the same from,
n, and they are past power to recover, or yet to annoy any sub-
in Ireland. Take first from them their corn — burn and destroy
same ; and then have their cattle and beasts, which shall be
t hardest to come by, and yet, with guides and policy, they be
a had and taken." Such was the arrangement ; and it was from
rant of inclination that it was not entirely carried out, and the-
shry" starved to death in their own land.
he title of King of Ireland had not as yet been given to English,
archs, but the ever-subservient Parliament of this reign granted
ry this addition to his privileges, such as it was. We have-
*dy seen the style in which the " supreme head of the Church "
"essed the bishops Whom he had appointed ; we shall now give
^cimen of their subserviency to their master, and the fashion in
ii they executed his commands, before returning to secular
>ry.
enry's letter to Dr. Browne is dated July 7th, 1537; the Bishop'*
r is given on the 27th September, 1537. He commences by
fining his most excellent Highness that he had received his-
* gracious letter -on the 7th September, and that " it made him
tile in body for fear of incurring his Majesty's displeasure,"
ill was doubtless the most truthful statement in his epistle. He
fcdons all his zeal and efforts against Popery, which, he adds, "is
Lug not little rooted among the inhabitants here." He assures
King of his activity in securing the twentieth part and first-fruits
•ie royal use (what had been given to God was now given to-
ar), and states what, indeed, could not be denied, that he was
*' first spiritual man who moved" for this to be done. He con-
*€B with the fearful profanity of " desiring of God, that the-
ind should open and swallow him up the hour or minute that he-
lld declare the Gospel of Christ after any sort than he had done
fctofore, in rebuking the Papistical power, or in any other prink
erning the advancement of his Grace's affairs.1'
uch a tissue of profanity and absurdity was seldom penned 'r
400
PROTESTANTISM AXD PERSECUTION.
but men who Gould write and act thus were fitting instrument* z/or
a man, who made it a point of conscience to commit immoral erir»2e$
that he might preserve the succession ; who kept his mi
same palace with his queen ; and only went through the form flf
marriage when he found his real or pretended wishes about I
same succession on the point of being realized in a man!
even he could not fail to see would scarcely be admitted as legal or
legitimate by public opinion, whatever an obsequious ParlianR
xnight do. It is at least certain that such letters never were addressed
by Catholic prelates to the Holy See* and that those who speak of
j ranny and priestcraft, and the absolute submission it requires
from its subjects, would do well to remember the trite motto, Audi
. and to inquire whether a similar charge might rxofc
be made more justly against the founders of the Protestant
lishment.
Dr, Browne and the Lord Deputy now rivalled each other in
their efforts to obtain the royal approbation, by destroy i^afc
the Irish people held most sacred, determined to have as lit
cause as possible for " the trembling in body" which the Km
displeasure would effeetp They traversed the land from end to e i
destroying cathedrals, plundering abbeys, and burning relics— all
the name of a religion which proclaimed liberty of conscience
worship God according to individual conviction, as the great be i
which it was to confer on the nation. However full of pain
interest these details may be, as details they belong to the provnr^*^*
of the ecclesiastical historian. The Four Masters record the ttO^1
of desecration in touching and mournful strains. They tell of f^^*8
heresy which broke out in England, and graphically eharacter^^-^J
it as t£ the effect of pride, vain-glory, avarice, and sensual desir
They mention how M the King and Council enacted new laws i
statutes after their own will." They observe that all the prop
.of the religious orders was seized for the King j and they c
thus: "They also made archbishops and bishops for themaelt
and although great was the persecution of the Soman emperc:
against the Church, it is not probable that so great a perseeutioiB
this ever came upon the world; so that it is impossible to t^^
or narrate its description, unless it should be told by him wf£*
saw it "i
1 Saw *X— Four Masters, voL v, p, 144&
INAUGURATION OF THE ERA OF PERSECUTION. 401
ira of religions persecution was thus inaugurated ; and if
had made fio martyrs of the men who came to teach her
i, she was not slow to give her best and noblest sons as vic-
the fury of those who attempted to deprive her of that
i deposit. Under the year 1540, the Four Masters record
sacre of the Guardian and Mars of the Convent atMonaghan,
sing to acknowledge the spiritual supremacy of the King,
is, Bishop of Down, a Franciscan friar, and Father Thomas
aid, a member of the noble family of the Geraldines, and a
preacher, were both killed in the convent of that Order in
Father Dominic Lopez has given a detailed account of
arings of the religious orders in Ireland during the reign of
nil., in a rare and valuable work, entitled, Notitias Histo-
ids tres fiorentissimas Provindas del celeste Ordemde la Ssma.
I* I shall give two instances from this history, as a sample
ashion in which the new doctrine of the royal supremacy
pagated. In 1539 the Prior and religious of the Convent
xee were commanded to take the oath of supremacy, and
mder their property to the crown* The Superior, Father
at once assembled his spiritual children, and informed them
>yal mandate. Their resolution was unanimous ; after the
> of the early Christians, when threatened with martyrdom
liation by heathen emperors, they at once distributed their
ns, clothing, and any money they had in hand amongst the
id concealed the sacred vessels and ornaments, so that not
i as a single emblem of our redemption was left to be dese-
►y men professing to believe that they had been redeemed
cross of Christ. Father Robert was summoned thrice to
» the new authority. Thrice he declined ; declaring that
tiad ever sought to propagate their religious tenets by the
accept the pagan emperors in early ages, and Mahomet in
ies. As for himself and his community, they were resolved
violence should move them from the principles of truth :
ognized no head of the Catholic Church save the Vicar of
brist j and as for the King of England, they regarded him
a as a member of that holy Church, but as head of the
ue of Satan." The conclusion of his reply was a signal for
3. An officer instantly struck off his head with one blow.
1 Trinidad.— Madrid, 1714.
20,
402 MASSACRE OF A CATHOLIC PRELATE, PRIEST, AHB FBXABS,
^5S
As the prisons were already full of " recusants/1 the friars
placed in confinement in private houses, some were secretly mi
tiered, and others were publicly hanged in the market-place, TL
events occurred on the 1 2th and 13th of February, 1539.
An almost similar tragedy was enacted in the Trinitarian Conn
of Limerick, where the Prior was coadjutor to the Bishop of t'
city. He also assembled the brethren, exhorted them to pe
veraiiee, distributed their few poor possessions, and concealed c
sacred vessels. On the feast of St. John Baptist, 24th 3 am
year of grace 1539, he preached in his cathedral against the tx
heresy, and exhorted his flock to persevere in the faith, Tbe e
saries of Government were afraid to attack him openly ; but
evening they visited him at his private residence, and oflVi
his choice between death and apostacy. For all reply the venera*
prelate knelt down, and exclaimed : " 0 Lord, on this mo
offered to Thee on the altar the unbloody sacrifice of the body of
Saviour ; grant that I may now offer, to Thy greater honour
glory, the sacrifice of my own life." Then he turned tow;
ire of the most holy Trinity, which was suspended in his roc^*
and scarce had time to pronounce the aspiration of his Old
*' Sancta Trim£as7 units Deus} miserere iwbis,'* ere his head was sevi
from his body, and he entered upon the beatific vim
Three in One, for Whom he had §o gladly sacrificed his
The Protestant Archbishop, Dr. Browne, the Lord Chancellor,
some other members of the Council, set out on a " visitation
four counties of Carlo w, Wexford, Waterford, and Tipperary
which the church militant was for the nonce represented by
church military. They transmitted an account of their exp<
and the novel fashion in which they attempted to pn
Gospel, to England, on the 18th January, 1539, One brief vxkm~&
must suffice as a specimen of their proceedings. Cl The day foil
ing we kept the sessions there [at Wexford]* There was i
execution four felons, accompanied with another, a friar, whom ^
commanded to be hanged in his habit, and so to remain upon th»
gallows for a mirror to all his brethren to live truly.113
There was One, whom from reverence I name not here, who sBii
when about to die, that, when 4t lifted up, He should draw ail t&*
unto Him." Centuries have rolled by since those most hies*'
» Truly.— State Papers, vol iii p. 10&
THE NATURE OF ECCLESIASTICAL PROPERTY. 403
words were uttered, but they have been verified in the disciples as
well as in the Master. The " lifting up " of a friar upon the gallows,
or of a bishop upon the block, has but served to draw men after
fbem ; and the reformations they failed to effect during their lives,
by their preaching and example, have been accomplished after and
because of their martyrdoms.
The reformers now began to upbraid each other with the very
crimes of which they had accused the clergy in England. When
mention is made of the immense sums of money which were ob-
tained by the confiscation of religious houses at this period, it has
been commonly and naturally supposed, that the religious were
possessors of immense wealth, which they hoarded up for their own
benefit ; and although each person made a vow of poverty, it is
thought that what was possessed collectively, was enjoyed indi-
vidually. But this false impression arises (1) from a mistaken
idest of monastic life, and (2) from a misapprehension as to the
™*d of property possessed by the religious.
-A. brief account of some of the property forfeited in Ireland, will
«xj>lain this important matter. We do not find in any instance
*h»fc religious communities had large funds of money. If they had
ex^^nsive tracts of land, they were rather the property of the poor,
w**o farmed them, than of the friars, who held them in trust. Any
Pr^>fit they produced made no addition to the fare or the clothing
0 _ 'the religious, for both fare and clothing were regulated by ccr-
J*^** rules framed by the original founders, and which could not
*j? altered. These rules invariably required the use of the plainest
^ ^t and of the coarsest habits. A considerable portion — indeed, by
:** the most considerable portion — of conventual wealth, consisted
^- the sacred vessels and ornaments. These had been bestowed on
***>^ monastic churches by benefactors, who considered that what
^^s used in the service of God should be the best which man could
^fier. The monk was none the richer if he offered the sacrifice to
^he Eternal Majesty each morning in a chalice of gold, encrusted
Mth the most precious jewels ; but if it were right and fitting to
present that chalice to God for the service of His Divine Majesty,
who shall estimate the guilt of those who presumed to take the gift
from Him to whom it had been given 1 We know how terrible was
the judgment which came upon a heathen monarch who dared to use
the vessels which had belonged to the Jewish Temple, and we may
well believe that a still more terrible judgment is prepared for those
i04
IMMORALITIES OF THE u REFORMED " CLKRGY*
who desecrate Christian churches, and that it will be none the 1 ^^a
sure, because, under the new dispensation of mercy, it conies L
swiftly.
All the gold and silver plate, jewels, ornaments, lead, be- 71 Is,
reserved by special command for the King's use.* Th«
church-lands were sold to the highest bidder, or bestowed is a
reward on those who had helped to enrich the royal coffers by mm?
crilege. Amongst the records of the sums thus obtained, we Bud
JE32G 25. lid, the price of divers pieces of gold and silver, of £> re-
dons stones, silver ornaments, &c.; also £20, the price of 1,000 TT*s
of wax. The sum of £ 1,7 10 2*. was realized from the sale of saesned
vessels belonging to thirty-nine monasteries. The profits on %.Y*t
spoliation of St Mary's, Dublin, realized £385, The desh
of the Collegiate Church of St* Patrick must have procured an cnor
moua profit, as we find that Cromwell received £G0 for his pains ia
effecting the same. It should also be remembered that the
of a penny then was equal to the value of a shilling now, so tJiat
we should multiply these sums at least by ten to obtain an approxi-
mate idea of the extent of this wholesale robbery.
The spoilers now began to quarrel over the spoils. The m
active or the most favoured received the largest share j and Dp
Browne grumbled loudly at not obtaining all he asked for* But
we have not space to pursue the disedifjiug history of their quarrel*
The next step was to accuse each other. In the report of the
Commissioners Appointed in 1538 to examine into the state of
country, we find complaints made of the exaction of undue I
extortions for baptisms and marriages, &C They also (though tkia
was not made an accusation by the Commissioners) rec<
fruits of benefices in which they did not officiate, and they were
accused of taking wives and dispensing with the t t of
matrimony. The King, whatever personal views he might have an
this subject, expected his clergy to live virtuously; and in 154 3
WTOte to the Lord Deputy, requiring an Act to be passed ** for the
continency of the clergy," and some w reasonable plan to be de\
• £faet_2Sth Uemy VIIL cap. xvi. In Shirley'* Original Letter*, jk 31,
we find tli© following order from the Lord Protector, Somerset, to the Dcaa
of 8k Patrick's : " Being advertised that one thousand ounces of plate of CioaM
and aueh like things remamoth in the hands of yon, we require yon to delitier
the same to be employed to hit Majesty's use," &o. He adds that the Dean
is to receive " £30 in ready money " for the safe keeping of the same.
PREACHING OF *HE "REFORMED" CLERGY.
405
the avoiding of sin." However, neither the Act nor the reasonable
a appear to have succeeded. In 1545, Dr. Browne writes : "Here
pieth insatiable ambition ; here reigneth continually coigne and
sry, and callid extortion." Five years later, Sir Anthony St.
?er, after piteous complaints of the decay of piety and the
rease of immorality, epitomizes the state of the country thus :
never saw the land so far out of good order."6 Pages might be
d. with such details ; but the subject shall be dismissed with a
tf notice of the three props of the Reformation and the King's
remacy in Ireland. These were Dr. Browne of Dublin, Dr. Sta-
* of Meath, and Dr. Bale of Ossory. The latter writing of the
aer in 1553, excuses the corruption of his own reformed clergy,
stating that " they would at no hand obey ; alleging for their
i and idle excuse, the lewd example of the Archbishop of Dublin,
> was always slack in things pertaining to God's glory." He
ft him "an epicurious archbishop, a brockish swine, and a dissem-
g proselyte," and accuses him in plain terms of " drunkenness
. gluttony." Dr. Browne accuses Dr. Staples of having preached
Uch a manner, " as I think the three-mouthed Cerberus of hell
Id not have uttered it more viperously." And Dr. Mant, the
otestant panegyrist of the Reformation and the Reformers, admits
it Dr. Bale was guilty of "uncommon warmth of temperament " —
tolite appellation for a most violent temper ; and of " unbecoming
irseness" — a delicate definement of a profligate life. His antece-
itg were not very creditable. After flying from his convent in
gland, he was imprisoned for preaching sedition in York and
adon. He obtained his release by professing conformity to the
r creed. He eventually retired to Canterbury, after his expulsion
si Kilkenny by the Catholics, and there he died, in 1563.
• Order.— The original letter may be seen in Shirley, pp. 41, 42.
BUM L1LASU.
CHAPTER XXV.
Creation of the Earls of Thatnond and Clanriokarde — How the King ]
Money^Prayera in English— Opposition of Dr, Dowdjdl — Accession
Queen Mary —Joy of the Irish— The Catholic Scrvio# restored Pabliclj
Accession of Queen Elizabeth— Shane O'Neill ohtaios his Dominions— P
1 iament assembled— Unfair Dealing—Martyrs in the Reign of Elixab
The Protestant Ardilushop advises Persecution— Cruelties enacted by ]
hah Officers— Shane QTNeW— The Deputy tries to get him Poisoned
Assassinated, with the Queen's Concurrence — His Visit to England —
refuses to Dress in the English Fashion*
|>,1X 1540— 1567.]
YEEY official was now required to take the oath*-
supremacy, and the consequences of refusal w.
well known to be estimated lightly. It has bs
asserted by several historians, that no Irish clerj
man suffered death during this reign; bu1
statement is quite incorrect, A careful examL ***
Hon of the State Papers and of the private rec*> z*~&
of the religious orders, prove the contrary. In ~*^
spring of the year 1540, Lord Leonard Greyi^
recalled, ami Sir William Brereton was appoin^^^
Chief Justice, Grey was soon after commil
the Tower, on a charge of high treason, and - — "**
executed in the following year. The usual feu^'Ja
between the Irish chieftains and the settlers «^
continued during this period, as well as the ust *
feuds between the chiefs of each party. Sir Anthony St. Leger, ir^(
CREATION OF IRISH EARLS. 407
i*rwB appointed Deputy at the close of the year 1540, tried to recon-
ci le -the Ormondes and the Desmonds, and describes the latter as
'* ^undoubtedly a very wise and discreet gentleman" — a character
wlaich most be taken with some qualifications.
On the 1st of July, 1543, Murrough O'Brien was created Earl of
Tlio:mond and Baron of Inchiquin; and De Burgo, known by the
•o^xtriquet of Ulich-na-gceann ("of the heads "), from the number of
I>^x*aon8 whom he decapitated in his wars, was created Earl of Clan-
rickaide and Baron of Dunkellin. These titles were conferred by
fcl»« King, with great pomp, at Greenwich ; but the Irish chieftains
P^ici for the honour, if honour it could be called where honour was
^°*^f<eited, by acknowledging the royal supremacy.
4-f he Pour Masters record the following events under the year
^5-4k5 j — A dispute between the Earl of Ormonde and the Lord Ju&
**o^*_ Both repaired to the King of England to decide the quarrel,
*^d both swore that only one of them should return to Ireland.
'* -A^nd so it fell out ; for the Earl died in England, and the Lord
** **«1ice returned to Ireland" Sir Richard Cox asserts that the Earl
*J*ci thirty-five of his servants were poisoned, at a feast at Ely House,
"■^^^Iborn, and that he and sixteen of them died ; but he does not
T^^^ition any cause for this tragedy. It was probably accidental, as
**^ Earl was a favourer of the reformed religion, and not likely to
Y^^t with treachery in England. The Irish annalists do not even
€< ^Vide to the catastrophe ; the Four Masters merely observe, that
- ^*e would have been lamented, were it not that he had greatly in-
^^ed the Church by advice of the heretics."6
^^ threat dearth prevailed this year, so that sixpence of the old
/**XMiey was given for a cake of bread in Connaught, or six white
**^nce in Meath.
In 1546 they mention a rising of the Geraldines, " which did in-
" ^scribable damages ;" and two invasions of the Lord Justice in
- ^^ifaly, who plundered and spoiled, burning churches and monaste-
ries, crops and corn. They also mention the introduction of a new
*H>pper coin into Ireland, which the men of Ireland were obliged to
Viee as silver.
The immense sums which Henry had accumulated by the plunder
of religious houses, appear to have melted away, like snow-wreaths
in sunshine, long before the conclusion of his reign. His French
• Heretics.— Annate, vol v. p. 149a
and Scotch wars undoubtedly exhausted large supplies ; his i
tresses mad© large demands for their pleasures and their neec^»-4y
friends ; yet there should have been enough, and to spare, for ^fc all
these claims* When the monasteries were destroyed, the Eughak.__^5sh
clergy trembled for their own existence* The King could easi — S^ily
have dispensed with their services, and deprived them of their
venues. They were quite aware of their precarious tenure of offic
and willingly agreed, in 1543, to give Henry ten p*r cent on tht^ k
incomes for three years, after the deduction of the tenths alreacf=ij
vested in the crown. Their incomes were thus ascertained, and a
loan was demanded, which, when granted, was made a gift by tH^Be
ever-servile Parliament,
In 1545 a benevolence was demanded, though benevolenc ^?ft
had been declared illegal by Act of Parliament. This method -^of
raising money had been attempted at an early period of hi>
but the proposal met with such spirited opposition from tin
that even royalty was compelled to yield* A few ;
the fatal result of opposition to the monarch's will and pleasure h
become apparent, he had only to ask and obtain. Yet neither
cenfcage, nor tenths, nor sacrilegious spoils, sufficed to meet
expenses ; and, as a last expedient, the coin was debased, and i
parable injury iniiieted on the country.
On the 28th of January, 1547, Edward VI. was crowned King
England* The Council of Be^ t*d by Henry w«
aside, and Seymour, Duke of Somerset, appointed himself Proi
St. Leger was continued in the office of Lord Deputy in Ireland , b
Sir Edward BelBngham was sent over as Captain- Geuerah
considerable force, to quell the ever-recurring disturbances* H_
energetic character bore down all opposition, as much by the &h>
strength of a strong will as by force of arms* In 1549 the Earl
Desmond refused to attend a Council in Dublin, on the plea that
wished to keep Christmas in his own castle, Bellingham, who
now replaced St. Leger as Lord Deputy, set out at once, with a s
party of horse, for the residence of the refractory noble, seized
as he sat by his own fireside, and carried him off in triumph
Dublin,
In 1548 O'Connor and O'More were expelled from Offaly an
Lets, and their territory usurped by an Euglishman, named Franei
Bryan, Cahir Roe O'Connor, one of the sept, was exec a
Dublin, and a number of the tribe were sent to assist in the E
PRAYERS READ IN ENGLISH. 409
The political cabals in England consequent on the youth of
g, who nominally governed the country, occasioned frequent
in the Irish administration.
51 the Lord Deputy Crofts succeeded Sir Thomas Cusack,
an army into Ulster against the Scotch settlers, who had
en regarded with a jealous eye by the English Govern-
>ut he was defeated both at this time and on a subsequent
. No Parliament was convened during this short reign,
affairs of the country were administered by the Privy
Dr. Browne and Dr. Staples were leading members. The
lor, Read, and the Treasurer, Brabazon, were both English,
sh members were Aylmer, Luttrell, Bath, Howth, and
who had all recently conformed, at least exteriorly, to the
gion.
lost important native chieftain of the age was Shane O'Neill,
ler, Con, surnamed Baccagh ("the lame"), had procured
of Baron of Dungannon, and the entail of the earldom of
from Henry VII., for his illegitimate son, Ferdoragh. He
hed to alter this arrangement; but the ungrateful youth
ch charges against the old man, that he was seized and im-
by the Deputy. After his death Shane contended bravely
rights. The French appear to have made some attempt
lis period to obtain allies in Ireland, but the peace which
between that country and England soon terminated such
i.
forts to establish the new religion during this reign was
unsuccessful. On Easter Sunday, A.D. 1551, the liturgy
I for the first time in the English tongue, in Christ Church
aL As a reward for his energy in introducing the reform
al, and the liturgy in particular, Edward VI. annexed the
of all Ireland to the see of Dublin by Act of Parliament.
&b one insuperable obstacle, however, in the way of using the
tongue, which was simply that the people did not under-
Even the descendants of the Anglo-Norman were more
with the Celtic dialect, and some attempt was made at this
procure a Latin translation of the Protestant communion
«. — Shirley's Original Letters, p. 47. Dr. Browne gives an account
lal failures in attempting to introduce the Protestant form of prayer
Dr. Dowdall had been appointed, in 1543, to the primatial
Armagh, by Henry YIIL, who naturally hoped he would prov
read)- instrument in his service ; but, to the surprise of tht.
he put biii the head of the orthodox party, and was om
the most faithful opposers of the introduction of the Protest^BB
form of prayer. Ill 1552 he was obliged to seek refuge on
Continent. On the death of Dr. Wauchop, petitions were sent
Rome, requesting his appointment to the see of Armagh. He ^
proposed in Consistory on the 1st of March, 1553.
Mary succeeded to the crown in 1553. A Protestant wr-i
explains the difference between the religious persecutions of
reign, and those which occurred during the reign of Henry VIZ
with admirable discrimination and impartiality : a The religi
persecutions which prevailed in this reign, proceeded altogether fmr
a different cause from that which stands as an everlasting bloX;-
the memory of Henry VIIL In Henry's instance, people were t
tured and murdered in the name of religion, but the real cause
their opposition to the will of an arbitrary tyrant ; whereas t
who suffered under Mary, were martyred because the Queen
scientiously believed in those principles to which she clung
such pertinacity."8 One of the principal of these victims wa*u-
bishop Cranmer, who had already caused several persons to
in the flames for differing from his opinions, and thus almost me
his fate. It is a curious fact that several Protestants came I
land during this reign, and settled in Dublin ; they were mbs*
quently the founders of respectable mercantile families.
Although the English people had adopted the reformed r<
nationally, there were still a few persons whom neither favi
indifference could induce to renounce the ancient faith ; and tm
brief respite from persecution tended to confirm and
those who wavered. In Ireland, always Catholic, the joy ***
unbounded, Archbishop Dowdall immediately prepared to
provincial synod at Drogheda, where enactments were made fa
depriving the conforming prelates and priesta. Happily their num-
ber was so few that there was but little difficulty in nw'fc
in bia letter* to Cromwell. He aaya one prebendary of SL Patrick'* '
acorn 6o read thetn." Eta ftdda : "They be in ft maimer all the %am& |
me. There are twenty-eight of them, and yet scarce one that favaawtfa G^'1
Word."— State Papers, vol iii. p. 6.
• Ptrtimdiy*— Tk* Victoria History of Englatuly p. 250,
PUBLIC RESTORATION OF CATHOLIC WORSHIP. 411
necessary arrangements. The only prelates that were removed
^rox-cBrowne, of Dublin; Staples, of Meath; Lancaster, of Kildare ;
«i<± Travers, of Leighlin. Goodacre died a few months after his
*&fcXTi8ion into the see of Armagh ; Bale, of Ossory, fled beyond the
*«»« ; Casey, of limerick, followed his example. All were English
exc*spt the latter, and all, except Staples, were professing Protes-
tants at the time of their appointment to their respective sees. Bale,
who owed the Kilkenny people a grudge, for the indignant and
rather warm reception with which they treated him on his intru-
sion, into the see, gives a graphic account of the joy with which
ta^ news of Edward's death was received. The people " flung up
T^ir caps to the battlements of the great temple ;" set the bejls
ri**%uig; brought out incense and holy water, and formed once
lnc>^e a Catholic procession, chanting the Sancta Maria, orapro nobis,
^ of old. In fact, " on the accession of Mary to the throne, so
k^le had been done in the interest of the Reformation, that there
^^ little or nothing to undo. She issued a licence for the cele-
*^tion of Mass in Ireland, where no other service was or had been
?^*^brated worth mentioning, and where no other supreme head
^^*i been ever in earnest acknowledged but the Pope."*
3Jut the Irish obtained no temporal advantages during this reign —
*** illustration of the truth of what I have before remarked, that
***© nation has suffered almost as much from political as from reli-
(Sious causes. The work of extermination still went on. The boun-
daries of the Pale were increased thereby. Leix was designated
the Queen's county, and the fort of Campa obtained the name of
Maryborough, in compliment to the Queen. Otfaly was named the
King's county, and the fortress of Daingean, Philipstown, in com-
pliment to her Spanish consort.
In the year 1553 Gerald and Edward, the sons of the late Earl
of Kildare, returned from exile, and were restored to the family
honours and possessions. The Four Masters say that " there was
great rejoicing because of their arrival, for it was thought that not
* one of the descendants of the Earls of Kildare or of the O'Connors
Faly would ever again come to Ireland." They also mention that
Margaret, a daughter of O'Connor Faly, went to England, " relying
on the number of her friends and relatives there, and her know-
ledge of the English language, to request Queen Mary to restore
• Pope,— Lib. Mm. Hib. part i. p. 87.
-A * Tfit ^"To* love of J^wr, «*f ^J- **^ «
access to tj»» who* ;es^ucal b ho^'**^
l
(A
A PARLIAMENT IS ASSEMBLED. 413
"be given to it. The instructions given to Sussex, on the 10th
>x* Jfcfay, 1559, for making Ireland Protestant by Act of Parliament,
were peremptory, and left no room for the least deliberation.
Svuoftex had also other instructions (says Cox) to him and the
Council, to set up the worship of God as it is in England, and make
au.oli statutes next Parliament as were lately made in England,
*nr*£eiis mutandis. [Hist. Angl. Part I. p. 313.] It is plain that her
Majesty's command is not sufficient warrant for a national change
°** xaith, and that a convocation of bishops only is not the proper
071 l«gal representative assembly of the Church. It is also plain
that the acts of an unwilling Parliament, and that Parliament one
whi^b does not deserve the name of a Parliament, cannot be justly
col*«idered as the acts of either the Irish Church or the Irish
People/*
The official list of the members summoned to this Parliament,
J** been recently published by the Irish Archaeological Society.
**°*e than two-thirds of the upper house were persons of whose
^"^otion to the Catholic faith there has been no question ; there
We*« "but few members in the lower house. No county in Ulster
1^** allowed a representative, and only one of its borough towns,
^^rfckfergus, was permitted to elect a member. Munster furnished
^"eHty members. No county members were allowed in Connaught,
!^*<i it had only two boroughs, Galway and Athenry, from which
^O'Old send a voice to represent its wishes. The remaining fifty
^Xlbers were chosen from a part of Leinster. In fact, the Parlia-
^*ifc was constituted on the plan before-mentioned. Those who
^t^ considered likely to agree with the Government, were allowed
;? Vote ; those of whose dissent there could be no doubt, were not
^Mxywed a voice in the affairs of the nation.
It might be supposed that, with the exception of a few members
^ the upper house, such a Parliament would at once comply with
^e Queen's wishes ; but the majority made no secret of their in-
^^ntion to oppose the change of religion, and the penal code which
^^iould'be enacted to enforce it. The Deputy was in an unpleasant
Position. Elizabeth would not easily brook the slightest opposition
to her wishes. The Deputy did not feel prepared to encounter hex
^nger, and he determined to avoid the difficulty, by having recourse
■ People.— fae Irish Reformation, by the Rev. W. Maziere Brady, D.D.,
fifth edition, pp. 32, 33.
tc a most unworthy stratagem* First, he prorogued the hour
from the 11th of January to the let of February, 1560 ; and the
took advantage of the first day of meeting, when but few meinbe-
were present, to get the Act passed; secondly, he iolemnly awe-
that the law should never be carried into execution, and by ti
false oath procured the compliance of those who still hesitated,
shall give authority for these statements.
The letter of Elizabeth, with her positive instructions to h:\
law passed, was dated October IS, 1359, and maybe seen in \
in the Liber Mttnerum Uihernia7 vol, i. p. 113, There are
authorities for the dishonest course pursued by the Lord Defttll
The author of Gambrtnsis Eversus says; "The Deputj
have used force, and the Speaker treachery* I heard that it h
been previously announced in the house that Parliament would
eit on that very day on which the laws against religion were enac
but, in the meantime, a private summons was sent to those w
were well known to be favourable to the old creed"3 Fati
George Dillon, who died in 1 650, a martyr to his charity in ass
ing the plague-stricken people of Waterford, gives the followi
account of the transaction : " James Stanihurst, Lord of Cordi
who was Speaker of the lower house, by sending private sumnu
to some, without any intimation to the more respectable
who bad a right to attend, succeeded in carrying that law
surprise* As soon as the matter was discovered, in the n
meeting of Parliament, there was a general protest against ti
injustice, and AMbmM treachery of the proceeding; but the
Justice, having solemnly sworn that the law would never h*
into execution, the remonstrants were caught in the dext>
and consented that the enactment should remain on the e
book/'* Br. Rothe corroborates these statements, fl
the misfortunes which followed the Speakers family from tl
date,6 Dr. Moran6 has very acutely observed, that the day ap}>
for the opening of Parliament was the festival of St Brigid, wlu
was always kept with special solemnity in Ireland; tin
orthodox members would probably have absented themselvi
3 Crenl.— Cnwhren&s BvermUk W& *& P* *9*
* Brtok.—Omtiont* of IfctifO, p. 87.
* iJatc— Analecto, p. 3S7.
" l)r, Morati.—A''cftbyi<j]t4 of Dahlia* p. 6S. Farther information may **
obtained also in Ourry'l Historical Revkw.
NATIONAL OPPOSITION TO THE REFORMATION. 415
I
>68 informed of some business which absolutely required their
ndance.
lie Loftus MS., in Marsh's Library, and Sir James Ware, both
Ltion the positive opposition of. the Parliament to pass this law,
the mission of the Earl of Sussex to consult her Majesty as to
it should be done with the refractory members. If he then pro-
id the treachery which he subsequently carried out, there is no
ton to suppose her Majesty would have been squeamish about it,
re find she was quite willing to allow even more questionable
tods to be employed on other occasions.
*lie Loftus MS. mentions a convocation of bishops which assem-
1 this year, " by the Queen's command, for establishing the Pro-
cmt religion." The convocation was, if possible, a greater failure
a the Parliament. If the bishops had obeyed the royal command,
re would have been some record of their proceedings ; but until
last few years, when the ipse dixit of certain writers was put for-
*d as an argument — for proof it cannot be called — that the Irish
lolic bishops had conformed to the Protestant religion, so wild
beory was not even hazarded. It would be impossible here to
into details and proofs of the nonconformity of each bishop.
* work has been already undertaken, with admirable success, by
-Anglican clergyman.7 I shall, however, give some of the impe-
fcents offered to the progress of the Reformation in the time of
Sen Elizabeth, and of the cruel persecutions which were inflicted
"those who glared to wish for liberty to worship God according
(heir conscience.
Notwithstanding the solemn promise of the Lord Deputy, the
lal statutes against Catholics were carried out. In 1563 the
rl of Essex issued a proclamation, by which all priests, secular and
Clergyman. — The Rev, W. Maziere Brady, D.D. Mr. Fronde remarks, in
History of England, vol. x. p. 480 : "There is no evidence that any of the
lops in Ireland who were in office at Queen Mary's death, with the excep-
i of Curwin, either accepted the Reformed Prayer-Book, or abjured the
bbrity of the Pope." He adds, in a foot-note: "I cannot express my
mishment at a proposition maintained by Bishop Mant and others, that
whole hierarchy of Ireland went over to the Reformation with the Govern-
it. In a survey of the country supplied to Cecil in 1571, after death and
rivation had enabled the Government to fill several sees, the Archbishops
Lrmagh, Tuam, and Cashel, with almost every one of the Bishops of the
>ective provinces, are described as Catholic* et Con/ederati. The Archbishop
)ablin, with the Bishops of Kildare, Ossory, and Ferns, are alone returned
Proteitantes.' "
regular, were forbidden to officiate, or even to Teside in Dnfc^ 7 in.
Fines and penalties were strictly enforced for absence from t;i»
Protestant service ; before long, tortfure and death were tntiicr*^*!
Priests and religious were, as might be expected, the first vict xm&
They were hunted into mountains and caves ; and the parish
churches and few monastic chapels which had escaped the rapnc
of Henry VOL, were sacrificed to the sacrilegious emissaries
Elizabeth* Curry gives some account of those who suffered for th&
faith in this reign. He says : " Among many other Roman I
tholic bishops and priests, there were put to death for the exer>
of their function in Ireland, Globy O'Boyle, Abbot of Boyle, and
Owen O'Mulkeran, Abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Trin
hanged and quartered by I/ord Grey, in 1580. John Sterjh
suffered the same punishment from Lord Burroughs, for saying
Mass, in 1597 ; Thady O'Boyle was slain in his own monastery ^
Donegal ; six friars were slain at Moynihigan ; John O'Calyhor
and Bryan O'Freeor were killed at their monastery in FU
with Felimy CHara, a lay brother. Eneus Penny was massacre^
at the altar of his own parish church, KiHagh. Fourteen otb*?f
priests died in Dublin Castle, either from hard usage, or th*
violence of tortus, "
Dr, Adam Loftua, the Protestant Archbishop of Armagh, was &n*
of the most violent persecutors of the Catholics. In his firet repo1^
to the Queen, dated May 17th, lf>65, he describes the nobility °*
the Pale as all devoted to the ancient creed ; and he recommox***8
that they should be fined "in a good round sum," which should **
paid to tof Majesty's use, and " sharply dealt withal"8 An origi^1^
method of conversion, certainly J But it did not succeed. On f ^T
22nd of September, 1590, after twenty-five years had been spent1
the fruitless attempt to convert the Irish, he writes to Lord E?**1
leigh, detailing the causes of the general decay of the Proi
religion in Ireland, and suggesting " how the same may 1m
died." He advises that the- ical commission should be ]
in force, ■' for the people are poor, and fear to be fined." He n
that be and such commiamooers as am "well affected in n
may be permitted to imprison and fine all such as are oh
disobedient f and he has no doubt, that " within a short time 1 1*^/
will be reduced to good conformity." He concludes : '* And &**
1 Withal— Shirley, Original Letter*, p. 1M.
CRUELTIES ENACTED BY ENGLISH OFFICERS. 417
u of reformation, the sooner it is begun the better it will prosper;
the longer it is deferred, the more dangerous it will be." When
lolics remember that such words were written, and such deeds
3 enacted, by the head of the Protestant Church in Ireland, and
rtioned by the head of the Protestant Church in England, they
' surely be content to allow modern controversialists the benefit
heir pleasant dream that Catholic bishops conformed. If they
conformed to such doctrines and such practice, it can scarcely
teen what advantage the Anglican Establishment could gain from
ir parentage.
>even years later, when the same prelate found that the more the
ireh was persecuted the more she increased, he wrote to advise
tfication : " The rebels are increased, and grown insolent. I
no other cure for this cursed country but pacification, [he could
help continuing] until, hereafter, when the fury is passed, her
iesty may, with more convenience, correct the heads of those
tors."9 The prelate was ably seconded by the Lord Deputy.
a Sir John Perrot, who has the name of being one of the most
ane of these Governors, could not refrain from acts of cruelty
re Catholics were concerned. On one occasion he killed fifty
>Hs, and brought their heads home in triumph to Kilmallock,
*e he arranged them as a trophy round the cross in the public
re. In 1582 he advised her Majesty "that friars, monks, Jesuits,
ts, nuns, and such like vermin, who openly uphold the Papacy,
Ui be executed by martial law."1 The English officers seem to
rivalled each other in acts of cruelty. One is said to have tied
ictim to a maypole, and then punched out his eyes with his
*bs.2 Others amused themselves with flinging up infants into
*ir, and catching them on the points of their swords.3 Francis
V>y, the deputy of Leix, used to hang men, women, and children
*x immense tree which grew before his door, without any crime
g imputed to them except their faith, and then to watch with
ght how the unhappy infants hung by the long hair of their
tyred mothers.4
Traitors. — Letter of October 18, 1597.— Sta& Paper Office.
Law.— Letter to the Queen, in Government of Ireland under Sir JoJm
-•rf,p. 4.
Thumbs.— Despatch of Castlerosse, in State Paper Office, London.
Swords.— O'Sullivan Beare, Hist. Oath. p. 23a
Mothers.— Ibid. p. 99.
2d
SHANK O'NEILL.
Father Dominica Rosario, the author of Th n$8t sewfc-
sxtieeded truth when he wrote thaw memorable words: "This I
famed English Queen has grown drunk on the blood of CI
martjTs ; and, like a tigress, she has hunted down our Irish Cat
lies, exceeding in ferocity and wanton cruelty the emperors of pa
Home." We shall conclude this painful subject for the pres
with an extract from O'Sullivan Beare : M All alarm from the
chieftains being ceased, the persecution was renewed with all
horrors. A royal order was promulgated, that all should r
the Catholic faith, yield up the priests, receive from the )
minister the morality and tenets of the GospeL Threats, penalt:
and force were to be employed to enforce compliance. Every efi
of the Queen and her emissaries was directed to despoil the
Catholics of their property, and exterminate them, More than
did they attempt this, for thi-y knew that not otherwise could
Catholic religion be suppressed in our island, unless by the extern*
turn of those in whose hearts it was implanted ; nor could their heret-i*
teachings be propagated, while the natives were alive to det>
execrate them."*
In 1661 Sussex returned from England with reinforcement* <
his army, and marched to Armagh, where he established himself
the Cathedral From thence he sent out a large body of troops
plunder in Tyrone, but they were intercepted by the redoubt^bWa
Shane O'Neill, and suffered so serious a defeat as to alarm the in-
habitants of the Pale, and even the English nation. Fresh supf- •
of men and arms were hastily despatched from England, and th*
Earls of Desmond* Ormonde, Kildaro, Thomond, and ClanrickaJ*
assembled round the Viceregal standard to assist in sufpres
formidable foe. And well might they fear the lion-hearted c I
tain 1 A few years later, Sidney describes him as the only st*
man in Ireland. The Queen was warned, that unless he ^
Bpeedilj put down, she would lose Ireland, as her sister had tat
Calais. Ho had gained all Ulster by his sword, and ruled the-
with a far stronger hand, and on a far firmer foundation C^a
ever, any English monarch had obtained in any part of i
Ulster was his term elau&a; and he would be a bold, or, per J
I should rather say, a rash man, who dare intrude in these dc^^
nions. He could muster seven thousand men in the ikld;
* Thtm,—Buh Catiu t> 133
THE ENGLISH ATTEMPT TO POISON SHANE. 419
ttiongh he seldom hazarded a general engagement, he "slew in
divert conflicts 3,500 soldiers and 300 Scots of Sidney's army."0
Tl*o English chronicler, Hooker, who lived in times when the blaze
and smoke of houses and haggards, set on fire by Shane, could be
*e«n even from Dublin Castle, declares that it was feared he in-
Prided to make a conquest over the whole land.
3£ven his letters are signed, if not written, in royal style.7 He
<**t^g one Ex finibus de Tircanail, when about to wage war with the
lle*^ibouring sept of O'Donnell ; he dates another, Ex silvis meis,
^fa-^n, in pursuance of his Celtic mode of warfare, he hastened into
j**^ iroods to avoid an engagement with the English soldiers; he signs
*****uelf Mist ffNeill—JMLe, the O'Neill. As this man was too clever
•^te captured, and too brave to be conquered, a plan was arranged,
'f^'fcli the full concurrence of the Queen, by which he might be got
^*i of by poison or assassination. Had such an assertion been
^**.de by the Irish annalists, it would have been scouted as a
^^ixunny on the character of " good Queen Bess ;" but the evidence
^^^ her complicity is preserved in the records of the State Paper
^^Qice. I shall show presently that attempts at assassination were
7^ common arrangement for the disposal of refractory Irish chief-
^^Sns during this reign.
The proposal for this diabolical treachery, and the arrangements
^**ade for carrying it out, were related by Sussex to the Queen.
"^le writes thus : " In fine, I brake with him to kill Shane, and
*H>und myself by my oath to see him have a hundred marks of land
t<> him and to his heirs for reward. He seemed desirous to serve
^•©ur Highness, and to have the land, but fearful to do it, doubting
Ifcis own escape after. I told him the ways he might do it, and how
t<o escape after with safety ; which he offered and promised to do."
^the Earl adds a piece of information, which, no doubt, he commu-
a^icated to the intended murderer, and which, probably, decided him
On making the attempt : " I assure your Highness he may do it
^Without danger if he will ; and if he will not do what he may in
^onr service, there will be done to him what others may."8
Her Majesty, however, had a character to support ; and whatever
• Army.—9ee Dr. Stuart's History of Armagh p. 261.
T Style.— In one of the communications from Sussex to O'Neill, he complains
*& the chieftain's letters as being " nimia superbe senpte."-- State Papers for
1061.
• Jfajr.— Moore's History of Ireland, vol iv. p. 33.
-
FEESTJADBS SHANE TO FORGET THE X*OIS
she may have privately wished and commanded, she was obliged
disavow complicity publicly. In two despatches from a
expresses her R displeasure at John Smith's horrible attempt
poison Shane O'Neill in his mine." In the following spring Jo^»
Smith was committed to prison, and " closely examined by I
Chancellor Cusake." What became of John is 1
it is recorded that "Lord Chancellor Cusake persuaded O'Neill
forgot the poisoning." His clan, however, were not so easily £3
loaded, and strongly objected to his meeting the Viceroy in per*
or affording him an opportunity which be might not live to fo:
About this time O'Neill despatched a document to the Viceroy
his consideration, containing a list of vi other evill practices devi
to other of the Irish nation within ix or tonn yeares pasL'1 mi
first item mentions that Donill O'Brcyne and Morghe O'Brey^rxc
his son, "required the benefit of her Majesty's laws, by which t 1 1
required to be tried, and thereof was denied;"9 and that rb
th< y came to Limerick under the protection of the Lord Deputy
they were proclaimed traitors, and their lands and possessio
taken from them* Several other violations of pn
enumerated, and several treacherous murders are recoi
larly the murder of Art Boy Cavauagh, at Captain Heam's hotx**
after he had dined with him, and of Randall Boye's two sons, *
were murdered, one after supper, and the other in the to*
Breroton, f1 who escaped without punishment."
In October, 1562, Shane was invited to England, and
received by Elizabeth with marked courtesy. His uppearaneo *■*
court is thus described by Camden, a. dt 1063: "From Ircla***
Shane O'Neill, who had promised to come the 3 1 *^
with a guard of axe-bearing galloglasses, their heads bare, tfc
long curling hair flowing on their shoulders, their linen garni*- :
dyed with saffron, with long open sleeve*, with short tunics, a-*1^
furry cloaks, whom the English wondered at as much as they **°
now at the Chinese or American aborigines." Shane's visit
London was considered of such hnportaace, that we find a mei*3^
randum in the State Paper Office, by "Secretary Sir W\
March, 15G2," of the means to be used with Shane O'Neill.
which the first item is, that "he be procured to change his g^**
9 Denkd. — Th ia document has been printed m the UhUt A reA, Jour, xt&~ &
p. 221, but the editor does not mention where the original wm procured.
shane o'neill's visit to England. 421
vjfceTits, and go like an Englishman."1 But this was precisely what
Cy Weill had no idea of doing. Sussex appears to have been O'Neill's
declared and open enemy. There is more than one letter extant
from the northern chief to the Deputy. In one of these he says :
** I "Wonder very much for what purpose your Lordship strives to
destroy me." In another, he declares that his delay in visiting the
Queen had been caused by the " amount of obstruction which
*QBsex had thrown in his way, by sending a force of occupation into
™ territory without cause ; for as long as there shall be one son of
* Saxon in my territory against my will, from that time forth I will
°°fc send you either settlement or message, but will send my com-.
ij**ixit through some other medium to the Queen." In writing to
^e Baron of Slane, he says that " nothing will please him [the
deputy] but to plant himself in my lands and my native territory,
!? I am told every day that he desires to be styled Earl of
^steT."
-*^i*e Lord Chancellor Cu9ack appears, on the contrary, to have
<*J*ist*intly befriended him. On 12th January, 1568, he writes of
« ^51T8 "dutifulness and most commendable dealing with the
^°t% f and soon after three English members of the Dublin Go-
^^xnent complain that Cusack2 had entrapped them into signing
*^t;ter to the unruly chieftain. There is one dark blot upon the
/^tcheon of this remarkable man. He had married the daughter
, * O'Donnell, Lord of one of the Hebrides. After a time he and
3^ father-in-law quarrelled, and Shane contrived to capture
^>onnell and his second wife. He kept this lady for several
^^Ts as his mistress ; and his own wife is said to have died of
r^atne an.d horror at his conduct, and at his cruel treatment of her
5 l Englishman. — Moore, vol. iv. p. 37, has "like a gentleman," but the above
^^ the correct reading. In 1584 Sir J. Perrot tried to get the Irish chieftains
^*) attend Parliament clothed in the English fashion, and even offered them
^obea and cloaks of velvet and satin. The chieftains objected ; the Lord
-deputy insisted. At last one of them, with exquisite hnmour, suggested that
^f lie were obliged .to wear English robes, a Protestant minister should accom-
pany him attired in Irish garments, bo that the mirth and amazement of the
people should be fairly divided between them.— Sir J. PerroVs Life, p. 198.
* Cusack. — One reason, perhaps, was that the Chancellor always treated
VNeill with the respect due from one gentleman to another. Flemyng mentions,
tn a letter to Cecil, November 29, 1563, that O'Neill told him, when about to
lake the oaths of his people to an agreement with the Queen, that " Cusack
fdid not give them their oath so, but let me give them ilicir oath"
father* English writers have naturally tried to blacken his char
ter as deeply as possible, and have represented him as a drunka
and a profligate ; bat tliere appears no foundation for the form-
accusation. The foundation for the latter is simply what
have mentioned, which, however evil in i >uld scar
appear so vt-ry startling to a court over which Henry TIIL had
long presided.
After many attempts at assassination, Sham-an-Diomais [Jo!
the Ambitious] fell a victim to English treachery. Sir WUlti
Piers, the Governor of Carrickfergus, invited some Seotch soldi-
over to Ireland, and then persuaded them to quarrel with him
kill him, They accomplished their purpose, by raising a dist^
bance at a feast, when they rushed on the northern chieftain, m
despatched him with their swynls. His head was sent to Dubl
and his old enemies took the poor revenge of impaling it on -fclfce
Castle walls.
The Earl of Sussex was recalled from Ireland in 1564, and SESir
Henry Sidney was appointed Viceroy The Earls of Ormonde a±*
Desmond had again quarrelled, and, in 15C2t both Earls were st^w^*
moned to court by the Queen. Elizabeth was related to the ButX^^ -1*
through her mother's family, and used to boast of the I
the house of Ormonde. The Geraldines adhered to the anei«
faith, and suffered for it* A battle was fought at Afiltne, hl«
Cappoquin, between the two parties, in which Desmond ^*"
wounded and made prisoner* The man who bore him from t
field asked, tauntingly: " Where is now the proud Earl of V>4
mond !'* He replied, with equal pride and wit : " Where be sho t
be; upon the necks of the Butlers 1"
^user's Castle— Sidney** Official Account of Ireland— Miserable State of the*
t^rotestant Church— The Catb«lk Church and its Persecuted Rulers— The
A^ieeroy's Administration— A Packed Parliament and its Enactments— Claim
*3*I Sir P. Carcw* — An Attempt to plant in Ulster— Smith's Settlement in the
-Ards— Hia Description of toe Native Irish — He tries to induce Englishmen
Ilq join him— Smith is killed, and the attempt to plant fails— Essex next
>:ries to colonize Ulster— He dies in Buhl in— Sidney returns to Ireland —
iKQi Interview with Granuaile— Massacre at Muliamast — Spenser's Account
**oi the State of Ireland.
[JLD. 1567—1579/1
d ILCOLMAN CASTLE, with its fair domains, were
bestowed on the poet Spenser, who had accompanied
Lord Grey to Ireland in 1 579. He has left a fearful
description of the miseries of the country ; but it
scarcely exceeds the official report of Sir Henry
Sidney, which must first be noticed. At the close
of the month of January, 1567, the Lord Deputy set
out on a visitation of Muuster and Connaughfc. In
his official account he writes thus of Munstcr :
41 Like as I never was in a more pleasant country
in all my life, so never saw I a more waste and
desolate land. Such horrible and lamentable spec-
tacles are thereto behold — as the burning of villages,
the ruin of churches, the wasting of such as have
been good towns and castles ; yea, the view of the
one* and skulls of the dead subjects, who, partly by murder, partly
by famine, have died in the fields — as, in truth, hardly any Chri3ti__ ,s^j
with dry eyes could behold.11 He declares that, in the territ^z^^r
subject to the Karl of Ormonde, he witnessed " a want of justice t±^m*d
judgment. " He describes the Earl of Desmond as "a man dev«z>
of judgment to govern, and will be to be ruled." The Earl cif
Thomond, he says, "had neither wit of Jiimself to L-overn. Eior
grace or capacity to learn of others," The Earl of ClanriekaiJe lie
describes as ** so overruled by a putative wife, as ofttn !*#
best intendeth, she forceth Mm to do the worst/* and Id
appear that neither he nor his lady could govern their own famjiJ
for their sons were so turbulent they kept the whole country ia
disturbance. In Gal way he found the people trying to profc^*
themselves, as best they might, from their dangerous neighbour y** J
and :tt Athenry there were but four respectable householders, w- l*(>
presented him with the rusty keys of their town — "a pitiful &-**&
lamentable present/' and they requested him to keep those k<
for lsthey were so impoverished by the extortions of the lo»^
about them, as they were no longer able to keep that town."
WfH might he designate the policy by which the country 1
been hitherto governed as u cowardly/' and contemn the pra<
of promoting division between the native princes, which was ^^
practised. He adds : ') So far hath that policy, or rather lacfe
policy, in keeping dissensions among them, prevailed, as do*
all that are alive would become honest and live in quiet, yet th.
are not left alive, in those two provinces, the twentieth person
sary to inhabit the same:1' Sidney at once proceeded to rera^
the evils under which the unfortunate country groaned, by ©n
other evils. We shall leave him to give his own account of
proceedings. He writes thus, in one of his official despatch^" ^ ^^
*fi I write not the names of each particular varlet that hath i ^|
since I arrived, as well by the ordiuary course of the law, as of ^^
martial law, as flat fighting with them, when they would take foO^ $
without the good will of the giver, for I think it no stuff vrortb/"^*
the loading of my letters with ; but I do assure you the nil i ^
them as great, and some of the best, and the rest tremble, i
part they fight for their dinner, and many of them lose their I
before they be served with supper. Down they go in every corner,
and down they shall go, God willing*"3
» Willing.— Sidney** Despatches, BritUh ilufteum, MSS, Cat Titus E, %
STATE OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH. 425
^VTien we remember Sidney's own description of the desolation of
Lo country, and read of the fashion in which he remedied that de-
lation, we cannot wonder at the piteous account given a few years
ter by the English poet; for who could escape the threefold danger
" ordinary law, martial law, and flat fighting.'1 Nor was the
*te of religious affairs at all more promising. The Deputy describes
Q kingdom as " overwhelmed by the most deplorable immorality
t<i irreligion ;"4 the Privy Council, in their deliberations, gives a
Hilar account. " As for religion, there was but small appearance
it ; the churches uncovered, and the clergy scattered."5 An Act
Parliament was then passed to remedy the evils which Acts of
trliament had created. In the preamble (1 1th Elizabeth, sess. iii.
p. 6) it mentions the disorders which Sidney had found, and
Explains of " the great abuse of the clergy in getting into the said
unities by force, simony, friendship, and other corrupt means, to
a great overthrow of God's holy Church ;" and for remedy, the
sfc authorizes the Lord Deputy to appoint, for ten years, to all the
-lesiastical benefices of these provinces, with the exception of the
fcfcedral churches of Waterford, Limerick, Cork, and Cashel.
3But it was soon evident that Acts of Parliament could not effect
dcsiastical reform, though they might enforce exterior conformity
s* new creed. In 1576, Sidney again complains of the state of
^ Irish Church, and addresses himself, with almost blasphemous
^Mfery to the head of that body, " as to the only sovereign salve-
ver to this your sore and sick realm, the lamentable state of the
:>st noble and principal limb thereof— the Church I mean —
^>Ol, deformed, and as cruelly crushed as any other part thereof,
*& by your gracious order to be cured, or at least amended. I
***Icl not have believed, had I not, for a greater part, viewed the
**e throughout the whole realm." He then gives a detailed
*Hiiit of the state of the diocese of Meath, which he declares to
**He best governed and best peopled diocese in the realm ; and
*5*> his official report of the state of religion there, he thinks her
3^8ty may easily judge of the spiritual condition of less favoured
k^cts. He says there are no resident parsons or vicars, and
^ a very simple or sorry curate appointed to serve them ; of
"***, only eighteen could speak English, the rest being "Irish
***9ters, or rather Irish rogues, having very little Latin, and less
JrrtUffio*.— Mknt, vol i. p. 287. 6 Scattered.— Cox, vol i p. 319.
vats uu» - , M doctrvuw Suwei ;
nor UUe^ ^ s* Henry (l*
B*nW**J* d, l^^t clergy- 0t iwitbcr**
It shouU ^ ° • vely to the 1 *» pledge, >
the Catbobc <£ ^g «**» d iBt0 the C»W ^
hc at,y *tc«f X, bad been i»W* P^^tattM'
SU«* *• roay Station j *>* ha ?„ be takec with bo
r*"* S» » reV,Si0US, S- ^ Wb° r iyhavervol
STATE OF RELIGIOUS FEELING AMONGST CATHOLICS. 427
without considerable uneasiness. In such cases, these apparently
conforming Protestants would never think of bringing their children
to be baptized by a minister of the new religion ; they would make
no nice distinctions between the validity of one sacrament and
another ; and would either believe that sacraments were a matter
of indifference, as the new creed implied, or if they were of any
valne, that they should be administered by those who respected
them, and that their number should remain intact. In recent
famine years, the men who risked their spiritual life to save their
temporal existence, which the tempter would only consent to pre-
serve on his own terms, were wont to visit the church, and bid
Almighty God a solemn farewell until better times should come.
33iey could not make up their minds to die of starvation, when
food might bo had for formal apostacy ; they knew that they were
denying their God when they appeared to deny their religion. It
** more than probable that a similar feeling actuated thousands at
*ho period of which we are writing ; and that the poor Celt, who
Conformed from fear of the sword, took his children by night to
*ho priest of the old religion, that he might admit them, by the
**oranient of baptism, into the fold of the only Church in which he
Relieved.
It ig also a matter of fact, that though the Protestant services
*^*>8 not attended, and the lives of the Protestant ministers were
*l * ecttfy*Z)g, that the sacraments were administered constantly by
*r° Catholic clergy. It is true they date their letters " from the
r*°o of refuge" (e loco refugii nostri), which might be the wood
^J^^Bafc to their old and ruined parish-church, or the barn or stable
U^ _ ^onie friend, who dared not shelter them in his house ; yet
^7/* *^as no hindrance to their ministrations ; for we find Dr. Loftus
jj^£**l*3aining to Sir William Cecil that the persecuted Bishop of
^ ^^tl, Dr. Walsh, was " one of great credit amongst his country-
<j^ *■*» and upon whom (as touching cause of religion) they wholly"
j^-^^Hd."8 Sir Henry Sidney's efforts to effect reformation of con-
^^ ^^ in the clergy and laity, do not seem to have been so acceptable
f^^^^Ourt as he might have supposed. His strong measures were
*^*^red by tumults ; and the way in which he obtained possession
fax ^^^pciul' —Shirley, p. 219. An admirable History of the Diocese of Mtatlu,
1»m ^° volumes, has been published lately by the Rev. A. Cogan, CathoUo
e^^^t of Navan. It is very much to be wished that this rev. author would
^^**d hit charitable labours to other dioceses throughout Ireland.
of the persons of some of the nobles* was not calculated to enluvrxo*
his popularity. He was particularly severe towards the Earl <rf
Desmond, whom he seized in Kilmalloi I:, dt^r requiring his atten-
dance, on pretence of wishing iiixa to assist in his visitation of H va-
ster, hi < tatpbesr, U>i>7. the Deputy proceeded to England to explain
his conduct, taking with him the Earl of Desmond and his brotlioT,
John j whom he also arrested on false pretences. Sidney was, how-
ever, permitted to return, in September, 1568. He landed at Cai-
rickfergus, where ho received the submission of Turlougl* '
who had been elected to the chieftaincy on the death of Shane tlis
Proud,
The first public act of the Lord Deputy was to assemble a P*i^
liament, in which all constitutional rules Mere simply set at defiai*^
(January 17th, 1560), Mayors and sheriffs returned themsefre*^'
members were sent up for towns not incorporated, and seveir"^11
Englishmen were elected as, burgesses for places they had never set* -*;*
One of these men, Hooker, who was returned for Athenry, ha?
a chronicle of the age. He had to be protected by a guard in goii— ^* "»>
to his residence. Popular feeling was so strongly man: ;.u^*
this gross injustice, that the judges were consulted
of proceedings of whose iniquity there could be no doubt,
elections for non-corporate towns, and the election of indfrid
by themselves, were pronounced invalid ; but a decision was gite
in favour of non-resident Englishmen, which still gave the court
large majority.0 In this Parliament — if, indeed, it could be calle
such — Acts were passed for attainting Shane O'Neill, for suppress^
the name, and for annexing Tyrone to the royal possessions. Chap-
ter schools were to be founded, of which the teachers should
English and Protestants ; and the law before-mentioned, for p<^
mitting the Lord Deputy to appoint persons to ecclesiastical ben-
fices for ten years, was gMtmd.
Sir Philip Carew came to Ireland about this time, arid renews
the claim of his family to possessions in Ireland. This plea li^^
been rejected in the reign of Edward III, ; but ho now produced
forged roll, winch the corrupt administration of the day readily I
mitted as genuine. His claim was made in right of Robert Fn:
Stephen, one of the first adventurers; his demand included
of the " kingdom of Cork/' and the barony of Idrone, in Carlo*
Several engagements ensued, in one of which Carew boasted
9 Majority*— Inland, vol. ii. p. 24 L,
^^m
A PLANTATION ATTEMPTED IN ULSTER. 429
; slain 400 Irish, and lost only one man. If his statement
e, it is probable the engagement was simply a massacre. The
Maine so formidable, that the MacCarthys, FitzGeralds, Ca-
is, and FitzMaurices united against the " common enemy,"
last despatched emissaries to the Pope to implore his assis-
It is strange to find native Irish chieftains uniting with
•Norman lords to resist an English settler,
ley now began to put his plan of local governments into
ion ; but this arrangement simply multiplied the number of
d oppressors. Sir Edward Fitton was appointed President
inaught, and Sir John Perrot, of Munster. Both of these
men distinguished themselves by " strong measures," of which
7 to the unfortunate natives was the predominant feature.
, boasted that he would " hunt the fox out of his hole," and
A himself to the destruction of the Geraldines. Fitton ar-
the Earl of Clanrickarde,* and excited a general disturbance.
TO the Queen determined to lay claim to the possessions in
, graciously conceded to her by the gentlemen who had been
ited to vote according to her royal pleasure in the so-called
ment of 1569. She bestowed the district of Ards, in Down,
ler secretary, Sir Thomas Smith. It was described as " divers
and parcels of her Highness' Earldom of Ulster that lay
or else was inhabited with a wicked, barbarous, and uncivil
." There were, however, two grievous misstatements in this
ent. Ulster did not belong to her Highness, unless, indeed,
it of a packed Parliament could be considered legal ; and the
who inhabited it were neither " wicked, barbarous, nor un-
Tbe tract of country thus unceremoniously bestowed on an
h adventurer, was in the possession of Sir Rowland Savage,
st ancestor was one of the most distinguished of the Anglo-
in settlers who had accompanied De Courcy to Ireland. Thus,
gh he could not claim the prescriptive right of several thou-
eare for his possessions, he certainly had the right of posses-
r several centuries. An attempt had been made about ten years
to drive him out of part of his territory, and he had written
rto " The Right Hon. the Earl of Sussex, Iieutenant-General
and," asking for "justice," which justice he had not obtained.
a permitted to hold the Southern Ards, because he could not
•elled from it without considerable difficulty, and because it
e least valuable part of his property.
Eo-r
Smith confided the conduct of the enterprise to hifl natural
who has already been mentioned as the person who
poison Shane G'Xeill, The first State Paper notice
prise is in a letter, dated February, 8, 1572> from Captain
the Lord Deputy, stating that the country is in an
Smith coming over to plant in the north/1 There
letter still extant, entitled, ' * ft titer bp $ . B. on tl)t |3 roph:
which Smith wrote to induce English adventurers
his speculation. It is composed with considerable ability. He a
demns severely the degeneracy of the early English set
allied and fostered themselves with the Irish/' He says that u
land was never fuller of people than it is at this day,1' and att:
butea this to M the dissolution of abbeys, which hath doubled tl
number of gentlemen and marriages/' He says the younger wi
who cannot u maintain themselves in the emulation of the worlds
as the elder and richer do, should emigrate ; and then he giva^
glowing accounts of the advantages of this emigration.
Strange to *ay, one of the principal inducements he offers is tha^^
the M ehuile of Ireland is very simple and toylsomme man, desiring
nothing but that he may not be eaten out with ceasse [rent]t coyne,
and livcrie/1 He passes over the subject of rent without any com-
ment, but he explains very fully how " the churle is eaten up" with
the exactions of u eoyne and liverie/' He says these laborious Irish
will gladly come n to live under us, and to farm our ground f but
he does not say anything about the kind of treatment they were to
receive in return for their labour. His next inducement is the im-
mense sale (and profit) they might expect by growing corn ; an
concludes by relieving their fears as to any objections* which
inhabitants of this country might make to being dispossessed from
their homes and Lands, or any resistance they might offer. He con-
siders it immaterial, M for the country of Lecaie [which had been
taken in a similar manner from Savage] was some time kept by
Brereton with a hundred horses, and Lieutenant Burrows k<
Bean [Castlereaghjj and went daily one quarter of a mile to fetch
hie water, against five hundred Irish that lay again him/*
Smith concludes with *' an offer and order'1 for those who wished
to join in the enterprise. Each footman to have a pike,1 or hal-
i Pike, — This was probably the Morris pike or Moorish piket much us*.
the reign of Henry VII t. and Elizabeth. The common pike was used rmj
SMITH IS KILLED BY AN IRISHMAN. 431
feerd, or caliver, and a convenient livery cloak, of red colour or car-
nation, with black facings. Each horseman to have a staffe2 and
» case of dagges,8 and his livery4 to be of the colour aforesaid.
Strype wrote a life of Sir Thomas Smith, Bart., Oxford, 1 620. He
mentions this attempt at colonizing Ulster, having this good design
therein : " that those half-barbarous people might be taught some
civility." He speaks of " the hopeful gentleman," Sir Thomas Smith's
son, and concludes with stating how the expedition terminated :
4C But when matters went on thus fairly, Mr. Smith was intercepted
***<! slain by a wild Irishman."
Before his assassination Smith had written an account of his pro-
e^<3ings to his father, in which he says that " envy had hindered*
kixx* more than the enemy," and that he had been ill-handled by
*>**ie of his own soldiers, ten of whom he had punished. He also
^^presses some fear of the native Irish, whom he had tried to drive
ov*t of their lands, as he says they sometimes " lay wait to intrap
***d murther the maister himself."
I have given details of this attempted plantation in Ulster, because
* illustrates the subject ; and each plantation which will be recorded
•fterwards, was carried out on the same plan. The object of the
Englishman was to obtain a home and a fortune; to do this he was
obliged to drive the natives out of their homes, and to deprive them
of their wealth, whether greater or less. The object of the Irish-
man was to keep out the intruder ; and, if he could not be kept
4>ut, to get rid of him by fair means or foul.
It is probable that the attempt of Smith was intended by Govern-
generally by foot soldiers until the reign of George II. The halberd was in-
troduced daring the reign of Henry VIII. It was peculiar to the royal guard,.
and is still carried by them. In Shirley's comedy, A Bird in a Cage (1633),
<me of the characters is asked, " You are one of the guard ?' and replies, "A
poor halberd man, sir." The caliver was quite recently introduced. It was a
light kind of musket, fired without a rest. It derived its name from the calibre
or width of its bore.
9 Staffe. — This was probably a cane staff, We read in Piers Plowman's Vision
of "hermits on a heap with hooky d staves."
9 Dagges. — '* Pistols." — " My dagge was levelled at his heart."
4 Livery. — It was usual for all retainers of a noble house to wear a uniform*
coloured cloth in dress. Thus, in the old play of Sir Thomas Afore, we find v
" That no man whatsoever
Do walk without the livery of his lord.
Either in cloak or any other garment."
432
ESSEX NEXT ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE.
meat principally as an experiment to ascertain whether the plan Na-
tion could be carried out on a larger scale* The next attempt wm
made by Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex, who received part of tht
signoriea of Cknnaboy and Ferney, provided he could expel the
u rebels rt who dwelt there* Essex mortgaged his estates to ;
Queen to obtain funds for the enterprise. He was accompanied bj
Sir Henry Ken lis, Lord Pacres, and Lord Morris* three sons.
Sir William FibzGerald, the then Lord Deputy, complained loadl J
of the extraordinary powers granted to Essex; and some show erf
deference to his authority was made by requiring the K
his commission from him. Essex landed in Ireland in 1573, arx«l
the usual career of tyranny and treachery was enacted. The n
chieftains resisted the invasion of their territories, and en
J
to drive out the men whom they could only consider as tuXfotFS*
The invaders, when they could not conquer, stooped to 5&
chery. Essex soon found that the conquest of Ulster ym a ot
quite so easy a task as he had anticipated. Many of the adws**"
turers who had assumed his livery, and joined his follow *^<*
him; and Brian O'Neill, Hugh O'Neill, and TurlougL »*s*
lip against him. Essex then invited Conn O'Donnell b
but, as soon as he secured him, he seized his Castle of LuTo
sent the unfortunate chieftain a prisoner to Dublin.
In 1574 the Earl and Brian O'Neill made peace. A feast w^<
prepared by the latter, to which Essex and his principal follow
were invited ; but after this entertainment had lasted for tli
days and nights, N as they were agreeably drinking and toa
merry, Brian, his brother, and his wife were seized upon
Earl, and all his people put unsparingly to the sword — men, womt*^-1
youths, and maidens — in Brian's own presence. Brian was
wards sent to Dublin, together with his wife and brother, whrr^
they were cut in quarters. Such was the end of their
wicked and treacherous murder of the lord of the i
Boy O'Neill, the head and the senior of the race of Eo_
Nial of the Nine Hostages, and of all the Gaels, a I
vpted, was a sufficient cause of hatred and dispute to the Eu
by the Irish,"*
* /rw/L— Four Masters, vol *. pp. 16764. Camden mentions the c*v
of O'Neill, and says Essex slew 200 of Ms men ; but he does not mention
itreaoheiy with which Una massacre was accomplished.
Ht
ESSEX'S DISBURSEMENTS,
433
Essex visited England in 1575, and triad to induce the Queen to
give Mm farther assistance in his enterprise. On her refusal, he
to Ireland, and died in Dublin, on the 22nd September,
1576. It was rumoured he had died of poison, and that the poison
was administered at the desire of the Earl of Leicester, who soon
after divorced his own wife, and married the widow of his late rival
Essex complained bitterly, in his letter to Sir Henry Sidney, of the
war in which he had been treated in his projected plantation ot
Clatmaboy, and protested against the injustice which had been
done through bim on O'Donnell, MacMabon, and others, who were
always peaceable and loyal, but li whom he had, on the pledged
*ord of the Queen, undone with fair promises/' Probably, only for
W» own " undoing " he would have had but scant pity for others.
Vet Essex could be generous and knightly with his friends, kind
an*i courtly, at least to his English dependents. There are some
Prions accounts of his expenses while he was " Ismf-Gcneral of
Lf&fer" in a State Paper, from which it will appear that he could
k® liberal, either from natural benevolence or from policy* The
eQ tries of expenditure indicate a love of music, which he could
*teily* gratify in Ireland, still famous for the skill of its bards,
' gave ten shillings to the singing men of Mellifont, then in-
cited by Edward Moore, to whom it had been granted at the
^Pression of monasteries. A harper at Sir John Bellew's received
mT*^6 shillings; "Crues, my Lord of Ormonde's harper," received
I / r large sum of forty shillings, but whether in compliment to the
(( ^ or the bard's master is doubtful. The Earl of Ormonde's
~***Xsieians " also got twenty shillings. But there are other dis-
Vr_ ^"^^meuts, indicating that presents were gratefully received and
> expected M A boy that brought your lordship a pair of grey-
1^ ^* *~* ds " had a small donation ; but " M'Genis, that brought your
n^ ^^hip two stags," had 1 3s. ±dt, a sum equivalent to £7 of our
T * «jy. Nor were the fair sex forgotten, for Mrs. Fagan, wife of
„ ^Xord Mayor of Dublin, was presented with a piece of taffeta
* *r* good entertainment,"
r^^^r Henry Sidney returned to Ireland in 1575. He tells us
cy ^^aself how he took on him, "the third time, that thankless©
\^ ^^-ge; and so taking leave of her Majesty, kissed her sacred
y^ ^ ^ls, with most gracious and comfortable wordes, departed from
€^^^ At Dudley Castell, passed the seas, and arrived the xiii of
~^>tember, 1575, as acre the city of Dublin as I could saufly; for
21
434
JOHN OF THE SHAMROCKS.
at that tyme the city was greevously infested with the contagi^n
of the pestilence."* He proceeded thence to Tredagh (Droghei*)
where he received the sword of the then Deputy. He lit
marched northward, and attacked SorJey Boy and the Scotch, w^Q
were besieging Carrickfergus ; and after he had conquered tints
he received the submission of Turlough O'Neill and other Ulst
chieftains. TurloQgh's wife, the Lady Agnes O'Neill, n& M'Dormm
was aunt to the Earl of Argyle, and appears to have been very mn *
w favour with the Lord Deputy,
In Hie " depe of wynter" he went to Cork, were he remain*
from Christmas to Candlemas. He mentions his entertainment
Barry's Court with evident zest, and says M there never was sam
a Christmas kept in the same," In February he visited Thomoo-
and subdued u a wicked generation, some of whom he killed, at 5
some he hanged by order of law,11 A nice distinction, which coil
hardiy have been appreciated by the victims. The Earl of Cla-
rickaide caused his " two most bade and rebellious sonnes" to m&l
-uhniission, "whom I would to God I lutd then hanged." II
he kept them close prisoners, and M had a sermon made of them at
their wickedness in the chief church in the town." John a&
have been the principal delinquent. Some time after, when thes*
had been set at liberty, they rebelled again ; and he records the firr"
" memorable act" which one of thc-m had done, adding, "which
am sure was John."7
Sidney then marched into the west, and had an interview wil
the famous Grace O'Malley, or Grauuaile, which he describe*
4i There came to me also a most famous ferny nyne sea captati,
Granuge I'Mally, and offered her sendees unto me whi
would command her, with three galleys and two hundred figh:
men. She brought with her ber husband, for she was as well fcg
as by land more than masterVmate with him. He was of ti
liurkes, and called by nickname Richard in Iron* Thisw.
woman in all the coasts of Ireland. This woman did Philip
* Pe9tifcnc&~ Memoir or Narrative addressed to Sir FroncU W&Jaiughanr*'
[583, Ware says he wrote "MwceElnniea of the Affairs of Ireland," bat I
MS. hm nut yet been discovered, The Four Masters notice the pe»til*n<
which toadfl fearful nrtageti.
* Johtu- Ik- Wft* called SkafU Scamar 0*j^ or John of the Sha/crocke* trvx^
having threatened tu live on &hamiuuk& euouer tliau submit tu the Euglutr^
John ww the younger of the two J)e Burgos or liurkes.
GRACE OfMALLEYfS CASTLE.
43D
afce, mid apeak with ; he can more at large inform you of her/1
Oram, or Grace Q'Malley, was the daughter of a chieftain of the
feme patronymic. Her paternal clan were strong in galleys and
[>i They owned a i ritory on the sea-coast, besides the
islands of Airan. Her first husband was Donnell O' Flaherty. His
belligerent propensities could scarcely have been less than hers, for
he u termed Alth Chegaid, or ** of the wars," Her second husband,
Richard Burke, or Richard on lamtiiti, h described by the Four
Masters as a "plundering, warlike, unjust, and rebellious man,11
He obtained his soubriquet from the circumstance of constantly ap-
CVUtElG-AOIQOLY— GKACK o'atALLl Y*H CASTLE.
**ifig in armour. It would appear from this account that Sidney's
' ut of the Lady Gratia being " more than masterVmate with
rx±\ * ** nulsL ^>c taken with some limitations, unless, indeed, he who
'. failed to rule his wife at home, which is quite
he subjoined illustration represents the remains of out)
.istles. it id situated near the lake of Borrishoole, in tho
Mayo, The ruins are very striking, and evince its Laving
i action of considerable strength,
» ^Sir William Drury waa made Lord President of Munster, 167G,
Sir John Perrot bir Nicholas Malby was installed in the
same office in Connaught ; but the barbarities enacted by his JW
decessor, Fitton, made the very name of president so odioua, &&**
Sidney gave the new Governor the title of Colonel of Connatr
The Earl of Desmond and Drury were soon at variance, Sitf*1^
says, in his Memoir, that the Earl '• was still repyning at the gov^**L
ment of Briary." After causing great apprehension to the guv" * a
nors, the Lord Deputy sent the whole party to Kilkenny, andfoa-^l^
the i( Earl hot, wilful, and stubborn ; but not long after, as y^V
know, he and his two brothers, Sir John and Sir James, fell in
actual rebellion, in which the good knight, Sir William Drury, 1
Lord Justice, died, and he, as a malicious and unnatural rebel,
persisteth and livetlu"
In 1577 serious complications were threatened, in consequence of^
the pecuniary difficulties of the crown* An occasional subsidy had
been granted hitherto for the rapport of the Government and the
army ; an attempt was now made to convert this su bo a
tax On previous occasions there had been some show of justice*
however little reality, by ^permitting the Parliament to pass the
grant ; a scheme was now proposed to empower the Lord Deputy
to levy assessments by royal authority, without any reference to
Parliament. For the first time the Pale opposed the Govermt.
and resisted the innovation. But their opposition was ape*
and effectually silenced- The deputies whom they sent to London
to remonstrate were committed t> wer, and ord
despatched to Ireland that all who had signed the remonstrance
should be consigned to Dublin Castle.
It is said that Elizabeth was not without some misgivings aa
to the injustice with which her Irish subjects were treated, and that
she was once so touched by the picture presented to her of t
sufferings under such exactions, that she exclaimed : " Ah, how I
fear lest it be objected to us, as it was to Tiberius by Bato, con-
cerning the Dalmatian commotions J You it is that are in fault,
who have committed your flocks, not to shepherds, but to woi\
Nevertheless, the ** wolves" were still permitted to plunder ; and any '
impression made on the royal feelings probably evaporated u i
the fascinating influence of her next interview with Lei
the indignation excited by a " rebel " who refused to re-
ancestral home quietly to some penniless adventurer. There ha*
been serious difficulties in England in 1 \^2, h
shameful state of the current coin ; and the Queen has recoil^
CRUEL EXACTION ON THE LOWER CLASSES. 437
considerable praise for having accomplished a reform. But the idea,
and the execution of the idea, originated with her incomparable
minister, Cecil, whose master-mind applied itself with equal facility
to e.very state subject, however trifling or however important ; and
the loss and expenditure which the undertaking involved, was borne
ky the country to the last penny. Mr. Froude says it was proposed
that the " worst money might be sent to Ireland, as the general
dust-heap for the outcasting of England's vileness."8 The standard
for Ireland had always been under that of England, but the base
proposal above-mentioned was happily not carried into .execution.
Still there were enough causes of misery in Ireland apart from its
aormal grievances. The Earl of Desmond wrote ah elaborate and
^©ll-digested appeal to Lord Burleigh, complaining of military
•buses, and assuring his Lordship that if he had " sene them [the
Poor Trho were burdened with cess], he would rather give them cha-
ritable alms than burden them with any kind of chardge." He
^^xvfcions specially the cruelty of compelling a poor roan to carry for
fi^"^, eight, or ten miles, on his back, as many sheaves as the " horse-
boi^^ n choose to demand of him ; and if he goes not a " good pace,
tb^oixgh the poor soule be overburdened, he is all the waye beaten
oiitt of all measure."
C3«s8 was also commanded to be delivered at the " Queen's price,"
w J^ioh was considerably lower than the market price. Even Sidney
w«« supposed to be too lenient in his exactions ; but eventually a
cc>xaa position of seven years1 purveyance, payable by instalments, was
^fe^Qed upon, and the question was set at rest. The Queen and the
^Slish Council naturally feared to alienate the few nobles who
w^**^ friendly to them, as well as the inhabitants of the Pale, who
^?^ as a majority in their interest.
-**Oe Pale was kept in considerable alarm at this period, by the
^^oifcg 0f the famous outlaw, Eory Oge O'More. In 1577 he stole
i^o J^aag ^th fcig followers, and set the town on fire ; after this
j ^*oi$ he retired, without taking any lives. He continued these
j^.***^<Jation8 for eighteen years. In 1571 he was killed by one of
£^^^riUapatrick'8 men, and the Pale was relieved from a most
xJr^^idable source of annoyance. But the same year in which this
*^*^v^ outlaw terminated his career, is signalized by one of the most
^^"^fcll acts of bloodshed and treachery on record. The heads of the
* Vtttntu.—Rt\gn of Elizabeth, voL i p. 458.
438
THE MASSACRE AT MTTLLAMAST.
Iri&h families of Offaly and Leix, whose extirpation had long *>*?e\^>\
attempted unsuccessfully, won? invited in the Queen's name, *^j^^^
under the Queen's protection, to attend a conference at the gw^Zd^^L&
rath on the hill of MuUach-Maistean (Mullamast), As eoou &^P
they had all assembled, they were surrounded by a treble hn^
of the Quean's garrison soldiers, and butchered to a man in calfl*"
blood.
This massacre was performed with the knowledge and approval
of the Deputy, Sir Henry Sidney. The soldiers who accomplished
the bloody work were commanded by Captain Francis Crosby, u>
whom the chief command of all the kerne in the Queen's pay wai
committal We have already related some incidents in his career,
which show how completely destitute he was of the slightest spark
of humanity,5
Sir Henry Sidney retired from office finally on the 26th of May,
1578. He dates his Memoir from " Ludlow Castell, with more
payne than harte, the 1st of March, 1582" In this dociu
complains bitterly of the neglect of his services by Govern merit
bemoans his losses in piteous II«> describe* himself as
'* fifty- four yeres of age, toothlesse and trembling, being five thou
pounds in debt/1 He says he shall leave his sons £20,000 worse off
than Ms father left him. In one place he complains that he had
qot as much ground as would "feede a mutton," and he evide]
considers his services were worth an ampler remuneration ; for h*
declares : il I would to God the country was yet as well as I Jet
almost fy ve yeres agoe/' If he did not succeed in obtaining a laxg*
grant for his services, it certainly was not for want of ae and
if he did not succeed in pacifying tHe country, it was not for lack of
summary measures* Even in his postscript he mentions how he
hftHgod n captain of Scots, and he thinks *' very nere twenty oi
It seems almost needless to add anything to the official des< <
tiona of Ireland, which have already been given in such detail ;
9 Humanity. — Dr+ O'Donovan, with hh usual conscientious accuracy. Lu
given a long and moat interesting note on the subject of this massacre, in th«
ttsofthe Four Mastery vol. v, p. 1G95, Dowling is the oldest w
who mentions the mbjecfc, and he expressly mentions Crosby and Walpofc »*
the principal agents in effecting it. Dr. G'Donovan gives a curious traditional
account of the occurreuce, io which several Catholic families are accused of
jig taken part.
SPENSER'S VIEW OF IRELAND. 439
kut as any remark from the poet Spenser has a special interest, 1
•nail give some brief account of his View of Ireland. The work
**uch bears this name is written with considerable prejudice, and
abounds in misstatements. Like all settlers, he was utterly dis-
gusted with the hardships he endured, though the poet's eye could
^refuse its meed of admiration to the country in which they were
tt«ered. His description of the miseries of the native Irish can
•^^cely be surpassed, and his description of the poverty of the
***xtry is epitomized in the well-known lines : —
" Wu never bo great waste in any place,
Nor bo foul outrage done by living men ;
For all the cities they shall sack and raze,
And the green grass that growcth they shall bnrn,
That even the wild beast shall die in starved den."1
p^ ~** ^t this misery never touched his heart ; for the remedy he pro-
f^j^^^ for Irish sufferings is to increase them, if possible, a thousand-
th _J^ i And he would have troops employed to " tread down all before
J^^^ *^ and lay on the ground all the stiff-necked people of the
©^ *^ -" And this he would have done in winter, with a refinement
th± ^^^nelty, that the bitter air may freeze up the half-naked peasant,
b^^ "^ he may have no shelter from the bare trees, and that he may
cc^^^^^prived °f *M sustenance by the chasing and driving of his
d^^"^^ is probable that Spenser's "view" of Irish affairs was consi-
p-^*. ^^bly embittered by his own sufferings there. He received his
-ij^^ ^ ^perty on the condition of residence, and settled himself at
f^^^* dolman Castle. Here he spent four years, and wrote the three
Ife_^^ ^^^ books of the Faerie Queenc. He went to London with Sir Walter
l-TX^w^ *«igh to get them published. On his return he married a country
I Xr-^5 "^ ^ named Elizabeth — an act which was a disgrace to himself, if the
i*^ ^^^^Ti were what he described them to be. In 1598, during Tyrone's
^^drrection, his estate* was plundered, his castle burned, and hi*
est child perished in the flames. He then fled to London,
-^re he died a year after in extreme indigence.
^ ^Uis description of the condition of the Protestant Church coincide.*
fc»»^L^P the official account of Sidney. He describes the clergy as "gene-
~ly bad, licentious, and most disordered;" and he adds: " Whatever
lDen. — Faerie Queene, book iii. c. 3.
disorders2 you see in the Church of England, you may find in
land, and many more, namely, gross simony, greedy covetousim.
incontinence, and careless sloth," And then he contrasts the
the Catholic clergy with the indifference of " the ministers of
Gospel,'1 who, he saye, only take the tithes and offerings,
gather what fruit else they may of their livings.
* Disorder*. — <f In many dioceses in England (A.D. 1561), a third oC
parishes were left without a clergyman, resident or non-resident. . , . .
children grew up unbuptized ; the dead buried their dead." Elizabeth
re in oust rate with Parliament upon the M open decays and mine '* of
churches. u They were not even kept commonly clean, and nothing wa
to make them known to bo places provided for divine service." ll The
dral plate adorned the prebendal sideboards and dinner tables. The
pipes were melted into dishes for their kitchens. The organ frames ^^eresn
carved into bedsteads, where the wives reposed beside their reverend lc*»rdi
The copes and vestments were slit into gowns and bodices. Having ckiA^sVr«J
to provide fort tbe chapters cut down their woods, and worked their lines -
for the benefit of their own generation.*' "The priests' wives were kno^^vsp^ ^
their dress in the streets and their prond gait, from a hundred other wazneaa^v "
Frauds, Rtiga of Mizabttl^ voL i pp, 4(j5*4G7.
tifl
SAivnsB islands, wkxforo.
CHAPTER XXVII.
l 'tains Hel[» from Spain and from Rome— The Martyrs of Eil-
;fc— Death of FitzManrnji.- — Drury's Cruelties unA Death — Arrival of
0*§— Hil Treachery— MAMMN at the Fort del Ore— O'Neill shows
t-jms of Dinaffccti on— Treacherous Capture of O'DoDoeU— Iti justice to
iMntieU attempts to Escape — O'Neill's Marriage with Mabel
I— 0" Don cell Escapes from Dublin Castle— Causes of Discontent —
Massacre of Three Priests ^Tortures and Death inflicted in Dublin on
* O'Hurley— O'XeuTs Insurrection — His Interview with Essex— He
es to the South— His Fatal Reverse at Kinsale— The Siege of Dun-
Ti Submission— Foundation of Trinity College, Dublin, on the
id with the Funds of a Catholic Abbey.
[A,B. 1579-1006.]
XAGGER ATED rumours were now spread through-
out Munster, of the probability of help from
sources — AJ>. 157D, James FitzMauriee
had bean activdy employed on the Continent
in collecting troop* and assistance for the Irish
Catholics* In France his requests were politely
refused, for Henry II I, wished to continue on
good terms with Elisabeth. Philip IL of Spain
rred him to the Pope. In Borne he met with
more encouragement ; and at the solicitation of the
Franciscan Bishop of Kdlaloe, Cornelius Q'MuIl-
rain, Dr, Allen, and Dr. Saunders, he obtained a
Bull, encouraging the Irish to fight for the recovery
of religious freedom, and for the liberation of their
country. An expedition was fitted out at the
TH OF FTTZ-MAURICE AND DRURY'S CRUELTIES. 443
bodies remained suspended in chains, and the soldiers
as targets in their shooting, exercises.
•1 of Desmond, however, soon joined his brother. John
allied himself with the movement from its commence-
second expedition was fitted out in Spain, which reached
1 the 13th of September, 1580. It was commanded by
ebastian San Jose', who proved eventually so fearful a
;he cause he had volunteered to defend. Father Mathew
■, a member of the Franciscan Order, was the principal
of this undertaking. He was a native of Spain, and had
ated in the College of Salamanca, then famous for the
nd piety of its alumni. The celebrated Florence Conry,
tly Archbishop of Tuam, was one of his companions;
i he entered the Franciscan novitiate, he had the so-
ileven brethren who were afterwards elevated to the
. Oviedo was the bearer of a letter from the Roman
regory XIII., granting indulgences to those who joined
18th of August, scarcely a month after he had landed in
ames FitzMaurice was killed by Theobald and Ulick
$ own kinsmen. Their father, Sir William Burke, was
irarded for his loyalty in opposing the Geraldines ; and, if
s to be believed, he died of joy in consequence of the
aped upon him. The death of FitzMaurice was a fatal
le cause. John Geraldine, however, took the command
*ce ; but the Earl hastened to" Kilmallock to' exculpate
best he could, with the Lord Deputy. His apologies were
and he was permitted to go free on leaving his only son,
m a mere child, as hostage with Drury. The Geraldines
tssful soon after in an engagement with the English ; and
d in Waterford at the end of September. Ecclesiastical
say that he had been cited by the martyrs of Kilmallock
lem at Christ's judgment, and answer for his cruelties,
kolas Malby was left in command of the army, and Sir
telham was elected Lord Deputy in Dublin. The usual
burning and plundering was enacted — " the country was
evelled plain, without corn or edifices." ' Youghal was
the ground, and the Mayor was hanged at his own door,
smond was hanged and quartered, by St. Leger and Ra-
tork. Pelham signalized himself by cruelties, and executed
a gentleman who had been blind from liia birth, and another wl
was over a hundred years of age.
But the crowning tragedy was at hand. The expedition
manJed by San Jose" now arrived in Ireland. The Fort del
was once more occupied and strengthened ; the courage of the
surgents was revived. Meanwhile Lord Grey was marching sou
ward with all possible haste* He soon reached the fort, aifcd
the same time, Admirals Winter and Bingham prepared to att
the place by sea. In a few days the courage of the Spanish &
mander failed, and he entered into treaty with the Lord Deptx t:
A bargain was made that he should receive a large share of
spoils. He had obtained a personal interview in the YiCfero^
camp* and the only persons for whom he made conditions m
the Spaniards who had accompanied him on the expedition* l^J
English were admitted to the fortress on the following day, ai.
feast was prepared for them. All arms and ammunition were
signed to the care of the English soldiers, and, this accomplis
the signal for massacre was given ; and, according to Lord
official0 account, 600 men were slain in cold blood. So i
was the reprobation of this fearful tragedy, that Sir Kuh
ham tried to* make it appear that it had not been p
tatedp Grey's official despatch places the matter beyond qu«uoi
and Dr* Saunders1 letter supplies the detail* on authority whici
cannot be disputed.
Three persons who had been treacherously given up to the V
were spared for special torments ; those were — a priest named Law
fi Campr— Dr. Saunders1 letter, Mor»n*s Archbi*hop*t p. 202.
8 Official — Lord Grey says, id bit official despatch to the Qneea,
*lFrom the camp before Smerwick, November 12, 1580;" " I sent
certeyne gentlemen to see their weapons and armouries laid down, sod 1
guard the munition and victual, then loft, from spoil ; then put in ttrk\
BwideM, who ttrtightt full to tveatthn. Thtrt iwr<? t>00 slay*
exploit* "Grey's faith "—Graia fide*— became proverbial uvea on the CouU
neat. Grey appears to have a touch of the Puritan (by anticipation) in F"
corapofcifcion, for we find hira using very unctuous language ab
kct who *' so wrought in him God's Spirit, plainlie declaiming him • eh
of His elected ;" and he calls the Pope "a detestable shaveling/' I
said to have had the execution of this butchery ; his friend, Spt^
** not far off," according to his own account. He has attempted to •
patron, Lord Grey, but hia excuse simply shows that the massacre was t
bated by ail persons not destitute of common humanity.
EXECUTION OF THREE MARTYRS. 445
c^, an Englishman named William Willick, and Oliver Plnnket.
sy were offered liberty if they would renounce the faith ; but on
ir resolute refusal, their legs and arms were broken in three
ces, and after they had been allowed to pass that night and the
cfc day in torment, they were hanged and quartered. The State
[>ers confirm the account given by Saunders of these barbarities.
& English officers now endeavoured to rival each other in acts
smelty, to obtain official commendation and royal favour. Sir
liter Saieigh was especially active in Cork, and brought a charge
Reason against the Barrys and Roches, old English settlers; but
fxy set fire to his castle, and took to the woods, where he joined
c*d Desmond. Lord Roche was taken prisoner, but eventually
^►yed from his persecutors. Pretended plots were rumoured in
directions, and numbers of innocent persons were executed,
•lliam Burke was hanged in Galway, and forty-five persons were
Hsuted. The Geraldine cause was reduced to the lowest ebb by
* treachery of Jose. The Earl of Desmond and his sons were
jitives in their own country. The latter was offered pardon if he
►Uld surrender Dr. Saunders, the Papal Legate, but this he reso-
^ly refused. Saunders continued his spiritual ministrations until
> "was entirely worn out with fatigue, and he died, at the close of
Ls year 1581, in a miserable hovel in the woods of Claenglass. He
as attended by the Bishop of Killaloe, from whom he received the
ist rites of the Church.
Immense rewards were now offered for the capture of the
^raldine leaders, but their faithful followers would not be bribed.
>hn was at length seized, through the intervention of a stranger.
!e was wounded in the struggle, and died immediately after;
it his enemies wreaked their vengeance on his remains, which
ere gibbeted at Cork. The Earl of Desmond was assassinated on
.e 11th of November, 1583, and the hopeless struggle terminated
tth his death. He had been hunted from place to place like a
Lid beast, and, according to Hooker, obliged to dress his meat in
le place, to eat it in another, and to sleep in a third. He was sur-
ised, on one occasion, while his soldiers were cooking their
id-day meal, and five-and-twenty of his followers were put to the
rord; but he escaped, and fled to Kerry, where he was appre-
mded and slain. His head was sent to Elizabeth, and impaled
l, London-bridge, according to the barbarous practice of the time.
is body was interred in the little chapel of Kilnamaseagh, near
Caatleisland. Complaints of the extreme severity of Lord &r
administration had been sent to the English court, Even En^i
subjects declared that he had n left her Majesty little to reign o
but carcasses and ashes." He was therefore recalled. The admi *J*
tration was confided to Loftus, the Protestant Archbishop of Duo>
lad Sir Henry Wallope, and an amnesty was proclaimed,
Thomas Korreys was appointed Governor of Munei
Richard Bingham, Governor of Connaught In 1584 Sir Jtir^
Perrot was made Deputy, and commenced Ms career by execute **
Beg O'Brien, who had taken an active part in the late insurmti*)^"-
at Limerick, with a refinement of cruelty, as M a warning to futt^*^r
evil-doers,"
In 1585 Perrot held a Parliament in Dublin, from which,
ever, no very important enactments proceeded. Its principal objtf
appears to have been the confiscation of Desmond's estates, Th*
was opposed by many of the members ; but the crown «u
mined to have them, and tbe crown obtained them. Thai lands''
the extent of 574,628 acres were ready for new adventurers,
most tempting offers were made to induce Englishmen to pi
estates were given for twopence an acre ; rent was only t>
inence after three years. No Irish families were to be adm;
as tenants, though their labours might be accepted or compelled
English families were to be substituted in certain proportioi
on these conditions, Raleigh, Hatton, N orris, St. Leger, a
obtained large grants. Tbe Irish question was to be settled final
but somehow it was not settled, though no one seemed exactly
pared to say why.
Meanwhile Sir Richard Bingham was opposing the conciliator
policy of the Deputy, and hanged seventy persons atone Be*
Galway, in January, a J). 158U, Perrot interfered ; but the Em k?
who had been maddened by Bingham1! crueltiea, broke out inl
open rebellion ; and he pointed to the revolt which he had himsi
occasioned, as a justification of bis former conduct, Th>
now joined the Burkes, but were eventually defeated by the Pre^^
dent* the Irish annalists say, with the loss of 2,000 men. v\
bloody asaUe was held in Galway, where young and old alike
victims.
The state of Ulster was now giving considerable anx
English
Government. Hugh O'Neill was just commend
famous career; and although he had fought under
TREACHEROUS CAPTURE OF ROE O'DONNELL. 447
standard in the Geraldine war, it was thought quite possible that
he might set up a standard of his own. lie had taken his seat in
Parliament as Baron of Dungannon. He had obtained the title
of Earl of Tyrone. He had visited Elizabeth, and by a judicious
mixture of flattery and deference, which she was never able to
resist, he obtained letters-patent under the Great Seal restoring his
"iHeritance and his rant He was even permitted, on his return,
10 keep up a standing army of six companies, " to preserve the
peace of the north."
In. 1586 a thousand soldiers were withdrawn from Ireland to
•es've in the Netherlands ; and as the country was always governed
ky force, it could scarcely be expected not to rebel when the re-
•fcx*aint was withdrawn. O'Neill manifested alarming symptoms of
^dependence. He had married a daughter of Sir Hugh O'Donnell,
jMj^d Sir Hugh refused to admit an English sheriff into his territory.
/^**® Government had, therefore, no resource but war or treachery.
J^«jt was impossible, when so large a contingent had been with-
r*Wnj treachery was always possible; and even Sir John Perrot
•tiooped to this base means of attaining his end. The object was
5^ S«t possession of Hugh Koe O'Donnell, a noble youth, and to
^^eI> him as hostage. The treachery was accomplished thus: a
v^^»«l, laden with Spanish wine, was sent to Donegal on pretence "of
?J*^ftic It anchored at Rathmullen, where it had been ascertained
^*^fc Hugh Roe O'Donnell was staying with his foster-father, Mac-
^^"^^^ny. The wine was distributed plentifully to the country
*\^c>^Dle ; and when MacSweeny sent to make purchases, the men de-
wj^^*^4 there was none left for sale, but if the gentlemen came on
^^*^**d, they should have what was left. Hugh and his companions
jV/'^^Iy fell into the snare. They were hospitably entertained, but
e_^.^^T arms were carefully removed, the hatches were shut down, the
^^ ^-^Xe cut, and the ship stood off to sea. The guests who were not
j^^"*^ted were put ashore, but the unfortunate youth was taken to
^^"fclin, and confined in the Castle.7
^ ~-^'» 1588 Sir John Perrot was succeeded by Sir William FitzWilliam,
^^^>bleman of the most opposite character and disposition. Perrot
^.^ UariU. — The Four Masters give a detailed account of this treachery, taken
jk ***i the life of Hugh lloe O'Donnell, which was written by one of theius»lvc*.
-^ ^^py of this work, in the handwriting of Edward O'Reilly, is still preserved
^•he Library of the Royal Irish Academy.
443 HOW LANDLORDS OBTAINED TBEIB TENANTS FARMS.
was generally regretted by the native Irish, as he was eonsid^^^
one of the most humane of the Lord Deputies. The wreck of ^
Spanish Armada occurred during thia year, and was made at<K-^JI"e
an excuse for increased severity towards the Catholics, and for^
of grievous injustice* Even loyal persons were accused of barber mn"
ing the shipwrecked men, as it was supposed they might h»-ve
obtained some treasure in return for their hospitality, Filz Willie *&»
according to Ware, wished to *' finger some of it himself," and :»D'
vaded the territories of several Irish chieftains. A complete bister ^7
of FitzWilliam's acts of injustice, and the consummate cruelty wi ^k
which they were perpetrated, would be so painful to relate, tb^
they can scarcely be recorded in detail. He farmed out the -^"T
to the highest bidders, who practised every possible extortion «^^>o
the unfortunate natives. The favourite method of compelling tli<^^ir>
to yield up their lands without resistance, was to fry the soles
thedr feet in boiling brimstone and grease. When torture did 01
succeed, some unjust accusation was brought forward, and they we
hanged, A tract preserved in Trinity College, Dublin, gives defc
of these atrocities, from which I shall only select one instae
landlord was anxious to obtain the property of one of his tenan
an Irishman, who had lived "peaceably and quietly, as a good so
ject," foT many years. He agreed with the sheriff to divide the sp
with him, if he would assist in the plot. The man and his
were seized ; t\\Q latter was hanged, and the former was sent
Dublin Castle, to be imprisoned on some pretence, The gentlen
and the sheriff at once seized the tenant's property, and turned ]
wife and children out to beg* After a short time, *' they, by the
credit and countenance, being both English gentlemen, infonn^*^
the Lord Deputy so hardly of him, as that, without indictment 1
trial, they executed him."8
It was considered a gTave reproach, and an evidence of barba
when Magutre sent word to the Lord Deputy, who wished to set
a sheriff to Fermanagh 1 " Your sheriff will be welcome, but let 1
know his eric [the fine which would be levied on the distri*
killed], that if my people cut off his head, I may levy U
country." One other instance from another source will sufficient!
prove that the dread of an English sheriff was well founded.
m, — This document wa* written by Captain Lee, and presented to tfl
Queen in 1594. It ia priotedin Desiderata Curtosa Hiberukat vol ll p, 91
o'donnell's escape and recapture. 449
chieftain of Oriel, Hugh MacMahon, had given a present of 600
cows to the Lord Deputy to recognize his rights. Sir Henry
Bagnal, the Marshal of Ireland, had his head-quarters at Newry,
where his property had heen principally acquired by deeds of blood,
•ad he wished for a share of the spoil A charge of treason was
made against MacMahon after the cows had been accepted; a jury
of common soldiers was empannelled to try the case. A few were
JHah, and they were locked up without food until they agreed to
give the required verdict of guilty, while the English jurors were
Pe*xnitted to go in and out as they pleased. The unfortunate chief-
tain was hanged, in two days after his arrest, at hjs own door; his
Pr**perty was divided amongst those whom we must call his mur-
*e*era. The MacMahon sept were, however, permitted to retain a
Portion on payment of a " good fine, underhand," to the Lord
&eputy.»
It* 1590, Hugh of the Fetters, an illegitimate son of the famous
Shane O'Neill, was hanged by the Earl of Tyrone, for having made
false charges against him to the Lord Deputy. This exercise of
ai*fcfaority excited considerable fear, and the Earl was obliged to
£tea^ himself of blame before Elizabeth. After a brief detention in
*^°x*clon, he was permitted to return to Ireland, but not until he had
**8**ed certain articles in the English interest, which he observed
^*^oisely as long as it suited his convenience. About this time his
j?^i>l*ew, Hugh CDonnell, made an ineffectual attempt to escape
Z?P^c* Dublin Castle, but he was recaptured, and more closely guarded.
■**i« again attracted the attention of Government to the family; but
* :*>cX0re important event was about to follow. O'Neill's wife was
jJ^^O, and the chieftain was captivated by the beauty of Sir Henry
^^^Tnal's sister. How they contrived to meet and to plight their
^^^^~* is not known, though State Papers have sometimes revealed
• ^ ^^^wnantic particulars. It has been discovered, however, from that
^_^""^luable source of information, that Sir Henry was furious, and
i****^ed himself and his fate that his " bloude, which had so often
I*T^^** spilled in reppressinge this rebellious race, should nowe be
jT/^^^gled with so traitorous a stocke and kindred." He removed the
^**^r from Newry to her sister's house, near Dublin, who was the
of Sir Patrick BamwelL The Earl followed Miss Bagnal
-Deputy.— Four Masters, voL vi p. 1878. The State Papers clearly prove
Deputy's guilt.
2 7
450
O DONNELL ESCAPES FROM DUBLIN CASTLE-
thither. Her brother-in-law received him courteously ; and wh
the O'Neill engaged the family in conversation, a confidential
rode off with the lady, who was married to O'Neill immediats^
after.
But a crisis was approaching ; and while this event tended «;<>
embitter the English officials against the Earl, a recurrence of o *_z*_ ^
rages against ths northern chieftains prepared them for revolt. O jz
of their leading men> O'Eourke, was executed this year(A.D. 15^> II)
in London. He had taken refuge in Scotland some time bef»^~*t
from those who wished to take his life, as the easiest method of sec*^*_r-
ing his property, but the Scots had given him up to the EngI_E<»fl
Government. He was said to be one of the handsomest and bra^rorgt.
men of his times, and his execution excited universal pity. rJ.
apostate, Miler Magrath, attempted to tamper with his faith in 1:* 6
last moments, but the chieftain bade him rather to repent hims *_• 1 1
and to return to the faith of his fathers.
Hugh O'Donncll made another attempt to escape from confine-
ment at Christmas, a,d. 1592. He succeeded on this occasion
though his life was nearly lost in the attempt. Turlougb K<w
Q'lL-uran, his father's faithful friend, was the principal ag
effecting his release. Henry and Art O'Neill, sons of Shane t
Proud, were companions in his flight. They both fell exhausts*
on their homeward journey* Art died soon after, from the efiV"
of fatigue and exposure, and Hugh recovered but slowly. He e*>***
tinned ill during the remainder of the winter, and was obi
have his toes amputated. As soon as he was sufficiently recover^*-1*
a general meeting of his sept was convened, when he was elected J*>°
the chieftaincy, and inaugurated in the usual manner. He then c^- r
menced incursions on the territories occupied by the English; *>
as the Earl of Tyrone was anxious to prevent a prematu i
he induced the Lord Deputy to meet him at Dundalk, where-
obtained a full pardon for his escape from Dublin Ca&tle, and a
porary pacification was arranged.
Li 1593 he collected another army; Turlough Luineaeh resign*
his chieftaincy to the Earl of Tyrone ; and Ulster bei
the possession of its old chieftains— 4he O'Neill and O'DonnelL
©pen rebellion broke out soon after, in consequence of tl
** two English officers on the territories of Oge O'Eourke **-
8^uire. Several trifling engagements took place. r'
QQeeilie was placed in a difficult position. He was obliged to f<*
%**
THE " FORD OP THE BISCUITS." 451
the English side, while his heart and inclination were with his own
people; bnt he contrived to send a messenger to Hugh Roe, who
had joined Maguire's party, requesting him not to fight against him.
He was placed in a still greater difficulty at the siege of Enniskillen,
wliich took place the following year ; but he compromised matters by
sending his brother, Gormac O'Neill, with a contingent, to fight on
the national side. Gormac met the English soldiers, who had been
sent to throw provisions into the town, almost five miles from their
destination, and routed them with great slaughter. The site of the
engagement was called the " Ford of the Biscuits," from the quan-
tity of that provision which he obtained there. An Irish garrison
waa left at Enniskillen, and the victorious party, after retaliating
the cruelties which had been inflicted on the natives, marched
into northern Connaught to attack Sir Richard Bingham.
On the 11th of August, in this year, 1594, Sir William Russell
^•■b appointed Deputy in place of Fitz William. Tyrone appeared
*t the Castle soon after, and complained of the suspicions which
^ere entertained of his loyalty, not, it is to be supposed, without a
yerT dear personal conviction that they were well founded. The Vice-
*JJF ^ould have received him favourably, but his old enemy, Bagnal,
, j^^ged him with high treason. O'Neill's object was to gain time.
**e Was unwilling to revolt openly, till he could do so with some
j^^Pect of success ; and if his discretion was somewhat in advance
r-^^o average amount of that qualification as manifested by Irish
Ie:ftmin8 hitherto, his valour redeemed him from all possible im-
.,• ^*on of having made it an excuse for cowardice, or any concili-
°^ with the "English enemy," which was not warranted by
rJ^^^s of prudence.
jj^ ^*t>ne now offered to clear himself by the ordeal of single com-
jjj^ "^"dth his adversary, but Bagnal declined the offer. The follow-
qj ^"^ar (A.D. 1595), the new Deputy took O'Byrne's Castle, at
fa *^*aialure. One of the Kildare Geraldines revenged the injuries
bc*v* ^ to this chieftain, by making nocturnal attacks in the neigh-
D^7^"laood of Dublin ; but he was soon captured, and hanged in
m^^J/^in. These and similar outrages excited popular feeling to an
0f ^*nted degree; but there were other wrongs besides the robberies
c^V^**ieftains' estates, and their subsequent murder if they resisted
«-- ^^"^ssion. The men whose lives the Irish nation have always
p- even more sacred than those of their most ancient chiefs, were
*^ slaughtered before their eyes, and the slaughter was perpe-
452
CRUEL MASSACRE OF THREE PRIESTS.
fcrated with cruelties which were so utterly uncalled-for, so ba
barously inhuman, that they might well have excited the bur
indignation of a heathen or a Turk.
ia men were the priests of the old faith which the Irish Its
received so many hundred years before, and which neither deotl
torments could induce them to forsake, I shall mention but
of these outrages, premising that there were few places in
land where similar scenes had not been enacted, In the year I
three Franciscan fathers were martyred, who had devoted the-TMci^
es for some years previously to the spiritual necessities of fcJb*
people. Many Catholic families from Carlo w, Wexford, c i
Wicklow had been obliged to fly into the mountainous di of
Leiuster, to escape further persecution. The three fathers, Jc^^ui
Molloy, Cornelius Doghexty, and Wilfred Ferral? were nnweas
in their ministrations. They spoke to these poor creatures of
true Rome, where all their sufferings should be rewarded w^:
eternal joy — of how wise it was to exchange the passing thix'
of time for the enduring goods of eternity \ they visited tl
they consoled the dying; above all, they administered those Li
I s;n raitieuts bo precious to the Catholic Christian ; an',
the holy martyrs, persecuted by heathen emperors, they v.
liged to offer the adorable sacrifice on a rock or in a poor h
none the less acceptable to God, and none the I i clous to £&&*
worshippers. These shepherds of the flock wen- si
to the Government, They preached patience, but tl
cused of preaching rebellion ; they confirmed their people in ti
faith, but this was supposed to be equivalent to exciting them to> ***
sist their oppressors. The three fathers were at last seized by a pr*
of cavalry, in a remote district of the Queen's county, They is
tied hand and foot, and conducted with every species of ignom
to the garrison of Abbeyleix. Here they were first flogged, tT^en
racked, and finally hanged*1 drawn, and quartered, The soldi ^^
brutalized as man can be brutalized by familiarity with scene & rf
blood, scoffed at the agonies they inflicted, and hard '^m*
8 for fresh barbarities. But there were men who stood b>
weep and pray; and though they were obliged to eonce::
and to breathe their prayers softly into the eternal and evcr-ojHW
1 Hanged. — It was usual to hang the Franciscans by their owi.
tie them together with their cords, wad burl them from the summit of ■ to*»
or from a high rock into the sea.
MARTYRDOM OF BISHOP O'HTJRLEY IN STEPHEN'S-GREEN. 453
* of God, the lash which mangled the bodies of the men they re-
{*ed lacerated their souls yet more deeply; and as they told to
hers the tale of patient suffering endured for Christ and His
hurch, the hearts of the people were bound yet oloser to their
Athful pastors, and they clung yet more ardently to the religion
hich produced such glorious examples.
The other execution is, if possible, more barbarous. If the duty
: au historian did not oblige me to give such details, I would but
*> gladly spare you the pain of reading and myself the pain of
Hting them. The name of Dermod O'Hurley has ever stood pre-
sent in the roll of Irish martyrs. He was a man of more than
*iinary learning, and of refined and cultivated tastes; but he re-
*Unced even the pure pleasures of intellectual enjoyments for the
^f of Christ, and received for his reward the martyr's crown.
^r he had taught philosophy in Louvain and rhetoric at Eheims,
"^«nt to Eome, where his merit soon attracted the attention of
^gory XIII., who appointed him to the see of Cashel. O'Sullivan
^^xnbes his personal appearance as noble and imposing, and says
*fc " none more mild had ever held the crozier of St. Cormac."
^ position was not an enviable one to flesh and blood; but to ono
l° had renounced all worldly ties, and who only desired to suffer
^ his Lord, it was full of promise. His mission was soon dis-
■^red; and though he complied with the apostolic precept of fly-
5> when he was persecuted, from one city to another, he was at
^ captured, and then the long-desired moment had arrived when
Qould openly announce his mission and his faith.
AVhen he had informed his persecutors that he was a priest and
* archbishop, they at once consigned him to "a dark and loath-
^Tae prison, and kept him there bound in chains till the Holy
Thursday of the following year (1584)." He was then summoned
before the Protestant Archbishop Loftus and Wallop. They tempted
aim with promises of pardon, honour, and preferment; they reasoned
Rrith him, and urged all the usual arguments of heretics against
lis faith ; but when all had failed, they declared their determina-
ion to use " other means to change his purpose." They did use
hem — they failed. But these were the means : the Archbishop
ras again heavily ironed. He was remanded to prison. His per-
ecutors hastened after him ; and on the evening of Thursday, May
>, 1584, they commenced their cruel work. They tied him firmly
o a tree, as his Lord had once been tied. His hands were bound,
454
O'NEILL'S INSURRECTION.
Ms body chained, and then his feet and legs were thrust into lou
boots, filled with oil, turpentine, and pitch, and stretched upon I
iron grate, under which a slow fire was kindled. The spectnc
which was exhibited when the instruments of torture were wil
drawn has been described, but I cannot write the descriptic
What sufferings he must have endured during that long
no words could tell. Again he was tempted with the offer ^j*
earthly honours, and threatened with tha vengeance of p*:
longed loiUm -, Through all his agony he uttered no word, of
complaint, and his countenance preserved its usual serene £vn«J
tran tjuil expression. His sister was eent to him, as a last resotLx-co^
to tempt him to apostatize, but he only bade her ask God's for-
giveness for the crime she had committed. Meanwhile, the cruel-
ties which had been executed on him became known; public feeling
as far as it was Catholic, was excited ; and it was determined toget
rid of the sufferer quietly. At early dawn of Fridays May 6, 158 4?*,
he was carried out to the place now called Stephen's green, wheJK ^
what remained of human life was quickly extinguished, first t>3^
putting him iwi\\u\ to torture, and then by hanging.
O'Neill had hitherto acted merely on the defensive ; hut tiJ- *
uy of the events just related was still fresh in the miadi*
* thousands, and it was generally felt that some eftort mnst be i
for freedom of conscience, if not for deliverance from political i
pression, A conference was held at Dundalk. Wallop, the Tre^
surer, whose name has been so recently recorded in connexion irtC
the torture of the Archbishop, and Gardiner, the Chief Jo
received the representatives of the northern chieftains, bat
important results followed*
In 1508 another conference was held, the intervening years havii
been spent in mutual hostilities, in which, on the whole, the Irish t
the advantage, O'NeuTs tone was proud and independent
pected assistance from Spain, and he scorned to accept a pardon fc
what he did not consider a crime. The Government was placed is
a difficult position. The prestige of O'Neill and O'DonneU wis I
coming every day greater. On the 7th of June, 1598, the Earl ufc
siege to the fort of the Blackwater, then commanded by Captifc^
Williams, and strongly fortified. Reinforcements were sent to tf*^
besieged from England, but they were attacked m romii br uV^
Irish, and lost 400 men at Dungannon, At last the Earl <**
Ormonde and Bagnal determined to take up arms — the faat^
DEFEAT OF BAGNAL AT THE YELLOW FORD. 455
clung against the Leinster insurgents ; the latter, probably but
too willing, set out to encounter his old enemy and brother-in-law.
He^ commanded a fine body of men, and had but little doubt on
which side victory should declare itself,
The contingent set out for Armagh on the 14th of August, and
soon reached the Yellow Ford, about two miles from that city,
where the main body of the Irish had encamped. They were at once
Attacked on either flank by skirmishers from the hostile camp; but
"*© vanguard of the English army advanced gallantly to the charge,
^d were soon in possession of the first entrenchments of the
enei**y. Although Bagnal's personal valour is unquestionable, he
w*s a bad tactician. His leading regiment was cut to pieces before
a 8uPport could come up ; his divisions were too far apart to assist
€*ch other. Bagnal raised the visor of his helmet for one moment,
M> Jtulge more effectually of the scene of combat, and that moment
Proved his last A musket ball pierced his forehead, and he fell
^less to the ground. Almost at the same moment an ammunition
^Sgon exploded in his ranks — confusion ensued. O'Xeill took
T*v^-xxtage of the panic; he charged boldly; and before one o'clock
?^out had become general.
., -*■**« English officers and their men fled to Armagh, and shut
A?*** selves up in the Cathedral; but they had left twenty-three
^"^^to and 1,700 rank and file dead or dying on the field. " It
J*^ ^ glorious victory for the rebels," says Camden, " and of special
i ^^^ltage ; for thereby they got both arms and provisions, and
ir^^^Ws name was cried up all over Ireland. Ormonde thought
^* the " devil had bewitched Bagnal," to leave his men unsup-
^T^^d ; the Irish annalists thought that Providence had inter-
t ^^i wonderfully on their behalf.2 O'Neill retired for a time to
_ ^V*it his forces, and to rest his men ; and a revolt was organized
^^*^r his auspices in Munster, with immense success. O'Donnell
r^^ making rapid strides ; but a new Viceroy was on his way to
^ ^^nd, and it was hoped by the royalist party that he would
^^*ge the aspect of affairs.
^f^^issex arrived on the 15th of April, 1599. He had an army of
»^J00 foot and 2,000 horse — the most powerful, if not the best
w^ -Xtlialf. — The Four Masters give copious details of this important engage-
^^*)t, which O'Donovan has supplemented with copious notes, vol. vi. pp.
TO ASSASSINATE 0*N£ILL. 457
j of his victories s had spread throughout the Con-
well known now that the Irish had not accepted
iBeformation, and it appeared as if there was at last
Qent peace in Ireland.
r was sent over as President of Munster. He has
' his exploits in the Pacata Uibernia, which are not
lie credit of his humanity, but which he was pleased
I strokes of policy. The English Government not
his acts, but gave the example of a similar line
nes, son of Gerald, Earl of Desmond, who had long
1 in London, was now sent to Ireland, and a patent,
► and estates, was forwarded to Carew, with private
f it should be used or not, as might be found expe-
ple flocked with joy to meet the heir of the ancient
' enthusiasm was soon turned into contempt He
aturday, and on Sunday went to the Protestant
, been educated in the new religion in London.
\ amazed ; they fell on their knees, and implored him
\ faith of his fathers ; but he was ignorant of their
[ as of their creed. Once this was understood, they
Quch dearer that was to them than even the old ties
> revered in their island ; and his return from prayers
r groans and revilings. The hapless youth was found
to his employers ; ho was therefore taken back to
» he died soon after of a broken heart.
> made to assassinate O'Neill in 1601. £2,000 was
r one who would capture him alive ; £1,000 was offered
; but none of his own people could be found to play the
• so high a stake. The u Sugano Karl" was treache-
about the end of August, and was sent to London
Florence MacCarthy. But the long-expected aid
> at last arrived. The fleet conveyed a force of 3,000
I entered the harbour of Kinsale on the 23rd of Sep-
er the command of Don Juan d' Aquila. It would appear
s. — The victory of the Black water was hailed with salvos of artil-
. Angelo. The Tope and Philip III. of Spain corresponded with
stantly, the one about the affairs of the Church, the other with
en of assistance. At one time the Emperor sent him 22,000 crowns
458 RETREAT FROM KINSALE — O'DONNSLL GOES TO SPAIN.
as if Spanish expeditions were not destined to succeed on Irish soil,
for only part of the expedition arrived safely, and they had the mis-
fortune to land in the worst situation, and to arrive after the w;
had ceased. The northern chieftains set ,out at once to meet th
allies when informed of their arrival j and CVDonnell, with ch
teristic impetuosity t was the first on the road, (
to intercept him, but despaired of coming up with " so swift-foot*
a general/1 and left him to pursue his way unmolested.
The Lord Deputy was besieging Kinsale, and Carew joined hii
there. The siege was continued through the month of Novembe
during which time fresh reinforcements came from Spain ; and
the 21st of December, O'Neill arrived with all his force, tin fort-
nately, the Spanish general had become thoroughly disgusted m
the enterprise ■ and, although the position of the English
that the Lord Deputy had serious thoughts of raising the
insisted on decisive measures; and O'Neill was obliged to sun-em
his opinion, which was entirely against this line of action. A sor
was agreed upon for a certain night; but a youth in the Irish i
who had been in the President's service formerly, warned him
the intended attack, This was suiBcicnt in itself to cause ths i
aster which ensued. But there were other misfortunes. O'X
and O'Donnell lost their way • and when they reached the Engl
camp at dawn, found the soldiers under arms, and prepared for
attack. Their cavalry at once charged, and the new con
vain struggled to maintain their ground, and a retreat whi
attempted was turned into a total rout.
A thousand Irish were slain, and the prisoners were hanged w:» *"*
out mercy. The loss on the English side was but trifling* It Wl
fatal blow to the Irish cause* Heavy were the hearts and biC
the thoughts of the brave chieftains on that sad night, O'Neill Dff
longer hoped for the deliverance of his country ; but the more 5
guine O'Donnell proposed to proceed at once to Spain, to expU**fl
their position to King Philip. He left Ireland in a Span)
three days after the battle— if battle it can be called; and O'N
marched rapidly back to Ulster with Rory O'Donnell, to whom
Hugh Roe had delegated the chieftaincy of Tir-ConnelL
1/Aqinla, whose haughty maimers had rendered him very uu*
popular, now surrendered to Mouutjoy, who received his submission
with ^respect, and treated his army honorably. According to ou«
account, the Spaniard had touched some English gold, and had thni
THE SIEGE OF DUNBOY. 459
been induced to desert the Irish cause ; according to other autho-
rities, he challenged the Lord Deputy to single combat, and wished
them to decide the question at issue. In the meantime, O'Sullivan
■fiaare contrived to get possession of his own Castle of Dunboy, by
breaking into the wall at the dead of night, while the Spanish gar-
rison were asleep, and then declaring that he held the fortress for
tile King of Spain, to whom he transferred his allegiance. Don
Jtaan offered to recover it for the English by force of arms ; but
fcfa.© Deputy, whose only anxiety was to get him quietly out of the
con.ntry, urged his immediate departure. He left Ireland on the
^Ofclj of 'February ; and the suspicions of his treachery must have
***ci some foundation, for he was placed under arrest as soon as he
^**i^red in Spain.
^3Che siege of Dunboy is one of the most famous and interesting
^J***«Hfe8 in Irish history. The castle was deemed almost impregnable
J^^^xi its situation ; and every argument was used with Sir George
*^«w to induce him to desist from attacking it. It was then, indeed —
"Dunboy, the proud, the strong,
The Saxon's hate and trouble long."4
j- *^*"fc the Lord Deputy had resolved that it should be captured. The
"^"'^^rd President considered the enterprise would be by no means
^<* — *5cult, for " he declared that he would plant the ordnance without
*T^^^ losse of a man; and within seven dayes after the battery was
s ^^gun, bee master of all that place."5 There was considerable delay
^^* the arrival of the shipping which conveyed the ordnance, and
X>«rations did not commence until the Cth of June. The defence
i^J the castle was intrusted by O'Sullivan to Richard MacGeoghegan.
"^Vie chief himself was encamped with Tyrrell in the interior of
^te country. The soldiers were tempted, and the governor was
"^lnpted, but neither flinched for an instant from their duty. The
garrison only consisted of 143 fighting men, with a few pieces of
cannon. The besieging army was about 3,000 strong, and they
were amply supplied with ammunition. On the 17th of June,
when the castle was nearly shattered to pieces, its brave defenders
offered to surrender if they were allowed to depart with their arms;
but the only reply vouchsafed was to hang their messenger, and to
commence an assault.
4 Lang.— Dunboy and other Poems, by T. D. Sullivan, Etq.
6 Place.— Hibernia Pacata, vol. ii. p. 559.
4G0
DEATH OF O'DOXNELL.
The storming party were resisted for an entire day with ur
daunted bravery. Their leader was mortally wounded, and Taylo
took the command. The garrison at last retreated into a rails
into which the only access was a narrow flight of stone steps, am
where nine barrels of gtiopowder were stored, Taylor declared h
would blow up the place if lifo were not promised to those whosui
rendered. Carew refused, and retired for the night, after placing j
strong guard over the unfortunate men* The following momiu;
he sent cannon-ball in amongst them, and Taylor was forced by hi
companions to yield without conditions. As the English soldier
descended the steps, the wounded MacGeoghegan staggered toward
the gunpowder with a lighted candle, and was in the act of
log it in, when he was seized by Captain Power, and in anothe
moment he was massacred. Fifty-eight of those who had surrea
dered were hanged immediately ; a few were reserved to see if the
could be induced to betray their old companions, or to renouuH
their faith ; but as they tl would not endeavour to merit life/
were executed without mercy. One of these prisoners was a Fa
Dominic Collins. Ha was executed in Youghal, his native to*
a most unwise proceeding ; for his fate was sure to excite do
sympathy in the place where he was known, and, consequent
promote double disaffection,7 O'Suilivan Eeara assigns the 31st
October as the day of his martyrdom*
The fall of Dunboy was a fatal blow to tho national cause* 35
news soon reached Spain, Hugh O'DonneU had been warmly m
ceived there j but the burst of grief which his people uttered wb-
they saw him departing from his native land, was his death-kee^
for he did not long survive his voluntary expatriation. The w~*
might now be considered over— at least, until the victims
vered courage to fight once more for their own ; but the vie
had to be taught how dearly they should pay for each attetup
national independence. Captain Harvey was sent to C&rberry,
purge the country of rebels "5 by martial law, Wilmot was \
Kerry, with orders to extirpate whole districts, which \
9 Life. — Bib* Pac* vol. ii. p, 578.
7 Dieaficthih— Dr. Moron quotes a letter from Dublin, written 26Ui Fet*
1603, which s.vys that he imparted great edification to the faithful by hi* cot*
«taneyt and that the whole city of Cork accompanied him with its tears,
8 RzhtU— Commission from the Lord Deputy to Harvey.— See the document
in vdeiuso, Hik Pae. vol. iu \k 447-
SUBMISSION OF O'NEILL. 461
is called "settling the country," in the official document from which
I quote. On one occasion a number of wounded Irish soldiers were
found, who are described as " hurt and sick men ;" they were at
once massacred, and this is called putting them out of pain.9
X>onnell O'Sullivan now found his position hopeless, and com-
menced his famous retreat to Leitrim. He set out with about 1,000
people, of whom only 400 were fighting men ; the rest were ser-
vants, women, and children. He fought all the way, and arrived at
hl» destination with only thirty-five followers.1
O'Neill now stood merely on the defensive. The land was devas-
tated by famine; Docwra, Governor of Deny, had planted garrisons
•* every available point; and Mountjoy plundered Ulster. In August
"® prepared to attack O'Neill with a large army, and, as he informs
Cecil, "by the grace of God, as near as he could, utterly to waste
***e country of Tyrone." O'Neill had now retired to a fastness at
I*J° extremity of Lough Erne, attended by his brother, Cormac Art
*-* Neil], and MacMahon. Mountjoy followed him, but could not
*(Pproach nearer than twelve miles ; he therefore returned to Newry.
** describing this march to Cecil, he says : " O'Hagan protested
~° Us, that betweeji Tullaghoge and Toome there lay unburied
^QOO dead."
• Tlie new8 0f (yDonnell's death had reached Ireland; and his
^ther submitted to the Deputy. In 1603 Sir Garret More en-
*"^<i into negotiations with O'Neill, which ended in his submitting
So. The ceremony took place at Mellifont, on the 31st of March.
v™^^n Elizabeth had expired, more miserably than many of the
• ^^-inis who had been executed in her reign, on the 24th of March;
^^^ the news was carefully concealed until O'Neill had made terms
^la the Viceroy.
^ ^Trinity College, Dublin, was founded during this reign. Sir John
^^rot had proposed to convert St. Patrick's Cathedral into an uni-
^ ; but Loftus, the Protestant Archbishop, would not allow
^> because, according to Leland, " he was particularly interested in
• Pain.— Hib. Pac. p. 659.
1 Followers. — The father and mother of the celebrated historian, O'Sullivan
*Wre, were amongst the number of those who reached Leitrim in safety.
Philip, the author, had been sent to Spain while a boy, in 1C02, for his educa-
tion : the whole family joined him there soon after. Dr. O'Donovan is not
Correct in his genealogy. It is well known that the real representative of the
family is Murtongh O'Sullivan, Esq., of Clohina, co. Cork.
TRINITY COLLEGE FOUNDED.
the livings of this church, by leases and estates, which he had pr
cured for himself and his kinsmen/1 When the Deputy, whom h-mz^The
cordially hated, had been withdrawn, he proposed a plan w\
gave him the credit of the undertaking without any expenditure i
his part. The site he selected was in what was then called Ho
green, now College-green ; and the place was the "soite, ambit* j
presinct P'2 of the Augustinian Monastery of All Saints, which he
been founded by Dermod MacMurrou-h, King of Leinster, A.D. 1 \ GG* _$
Dr. Loftus. after obtaining this grant, and such rents as stUl fc^
longed to the old Catholic monastery, endeavoured l Jta
seription to supply the further funds still necessary to c
work. In this ho signally failed ; for those to whom bfi appliEX%
excused themselves on the plea of poverty, Other funds vm
fore sought for, and easily obtained ; and the revenues of soi i
pressed Catholic houses in Kerry, Mayo, and Ulster, were takencz
endow and erect the Protestant University.
■ en I
3 Freamct,— History of the University of Dublin, by W. B. B,
London, 18-15.
TILLY CASTLE, COUSlY YKUHSANAQm
CHAPTER XXVIII.
of King James— Joy of the Irish Catholics Their Disappointment —
I nests, and Laity imprisoned for the Faith— Paul V. encourage*
lolics to Constancy— Plot to entrap O'Neill and O'DonneU— Flight
Earl a— tllstcr is left to the Mercy of the English Nation— The Flan*
immeacea^ Chichester's Parliament, and how bo obtained Mem-
jath of Jamea I., and Accession of Charles— The Hopes of the
t are raised again —They offer a large sum of Money to obtain
'—It is accepted, and the "Graces" are treacherously refused —
ntation of Connatjjjhfc— How Obedience was enforced and Resistance
—Conspiracy to seize Dublin— Sir Fhelim O'Neill— Massacre of
[A.D. 1605—1642.]
BEAT was the joy of the Irish nation when James
the First of England and the Sixth of Scotland
Elded the throne. The people supposed him
to be a. Catholic in heart, and a prince in feeling.
They should have judged less favourably of on©
who could see his mother sacrificed without mak-
ing one real effort to avert her doom. His weak-
ness, obstinacy, and duplicity, helped to prepare
the way for the terrible convulsion of English
society, whose origin was the great religious
schism, which, by lessening national respect for
the altar, undermined national respect for tb«j
throne.
The Irish Catholics, only too ready to rejoice in
the faintest gleam of hope, took possession of their-
ra~K=aiot
own churches, and hoped they might practise their religion openLf^
The Cathedral of Limerick was re-dedicated by Richard Arthur
the Cathedral of Cork and Cloyne by Robert Urigh.the Metropc^,
tan Church of Cashel by Thomas Rachtar, the churches of Weafgz^^
by John Coppinger* Dr. White restored himself the churches
Clonmel, Kilkenny > and Ross, and other clergymen acted in 1
manner in other places. But the most open and remarkable :
festation of devotion to the old faith was in Cork, always fas
for its Catholicity, for the generosity of its people, and their spe=^^Cy
devotion to literature and religion. All the Protestant Bil
Prayer-books were publicly and solemnly burned, the churches 1
hallowed, and Smith says : " They had a person named a
from the Pope [Dr, Morant who quotes this passage, supposes
to have been a Vicar- Apostolic], who went about in proce^
a cross, and forced people to reverence it. They buried the c
with the Catholic ceremonies ; and numbers took the sacrameir-r
defend that religion with their lives and fortunes."*
But the Catholics were soon undeceived. King James dm I
the eternal damnation of the Papists"4 solemnly at a public
no doubt to convince the sceptical of his Protestantism ; ais. *+l hi
divided his time very equally between persecuting the Puritans
the Catholics, when not occupied with his pleasures or
with his Parliament. The Puritans, however, had the advant
popular opinion in England was on their side ; they were suif
wealthy to emigrate if they pleased : while the Catholics wer*:
only unpopular, but hated, and utterly impoverished by rejxa
fines and exactions,
James1 conduct on his accession was sufficiently plain, Ife wss
proclaimed in Dublin on the 2Sth September, 1605, A part o I
proclamation ran thus : " We hereby make known to our aubjeel
Ireland, that no toleration shall ever be granted by us. Thk
for the purpose of cutting oft" all hope that any other religion I
be allowed, save that which is consonant to the laws and
this realm/* The penal statutes were renewed, and em
increased severity* Several members of the Corpornti.M
of the principal citizens of Dublin were sent to prison ; similar out-
rages on religious liberty were perpetrated at Waterford, Kqim, ami
> Fo rtuncs.— Smith's History of Ketrij, vol ii. p> 9".
* Papist*. — Gliver'a Calkctions, quoted by Dr, Moraa, p. 250.
^^^H
SUFFERINGS OP THE CATHOLICS.
465
limerick. In some cases these gentlemen were only asked to attend
the Protestant church once, but they nobly refused to act against their
conscience even once, though it should procure them freedom from
imprisonment, or even from death. The Vicar- Apostolic of Water-
ford and Xismore wrote a detailed account of the sufferings of the
Irish nation for the faith at this period to Cardinal Barouius. His
letter is dated « Waterford, 1st of May, 1606," He says i " There
is scarcely a spot where Catholics can find a safe retreat. The
impious syldiery, by day and night, pursue the defenceless priests,
(d mercilessly persecute them. Up to the present they have only
eeeeded in seizing three : one is detained in Dublin prison,
Other in Cork* and the third, in my opinion, is the happiest of
., triumphing in heaven with Christ our Lord ; for in the excess
the fury of the soldiery, without any further trial or accusation,
fling expressed himself to he a priest, he was hanged upon the
ot."
He then narrates the sufferings of the Catholic laity, many of
whom he says are reduced to i( extreme poverty and misery f ** if
they have any property, they are doubly persecuted by the avari-
cious courtiers," But so many have given a glorious testimony of
their faith, he thinks their enemies and persecutors have gained
but little. Thus, while one party was rejoicing in their temporal
gain, the other was rejoicing in temporal loss; and while the former
were preaching liberty of conscience as their creed, the latter were
martyrs to it.
Another letter to Rome says: *( 2,000 florins are offered for the
discovery of a Jesuit, and 1,000 for the discovery of any other
priest, or even of the house where he lives. Whenever the servants
of any of the clergy are arrested, they are cruelly scourged with
whips, until they disclose all that they know about them. Bodies
of soldiers are dispersed throughout the country in pursuit of
bandits and priests ; and all that they seize on, they have the
power, by martial law, of hanging without further trial. They
enter private houses, and execute whom they please, vieing with
each other in cruelty. It is difficult to define the precise number of
those who are thus put to death. All who are greedy and spend-
thrifts, seek to make a prey of the property of Catholics. No doors,
no walls, no enclosures can stop them in their course. Whatever is
for profane use they profess to regard as sacred, and bear it off; and
whatever is sacred they seize on to desecrate. Silver cups are called
2 u
46fl
EXECUTION OP A BISHOP.
">^c*ti0
chalices, and gems are designated as Agnus Deis; and all are, ther
fore, carried away. There are already in prison one bishop, oc^
vicar-general, some religious, very many priests, and an immense
Dumber of the laity of every class and condition. In one city alonrxa
five of the aldermen were thrown into prison successively, fo"^
refusing to take the nefarious oath of allegiance, on their beInc*Lf ej
nominated to the mayoralty ; in another city, no less than tbirt**-ar_iji
were likewise thrust into prison at Easter last, for having
proached the holy communion in the Catholic Church/'
The Catholics protested against this treatment in vain. A petitio
was considered an offence, and the petitioners were sent to gaol i x
their pains.
In 1G1 1 the Bishop of Down and Connor was executed in Dublr JT
He had been seized, in 1587, by Perrot, and thrown into pn
He was released in LVKt, ami. according to Dr. Loftus. he took
oath of supremacy. This statement, however, is utterly inc
for he devoted himself to his flock immediately after his I
and continued to administer the sacraments to them at the risfc-
his life, until June, 16 11, when he was again arrested in the acl
administering the sacrament of confirmation to a Catholic fa:
Father O'Luorcham was imprisoned with him, and they were
sentenced and executed together* At the trial the Bishop decla^^^ed
that the oath of spiritual supremacy was impious, and said ir^^it
his enemies could not thirst more eagerly for his blood fhlfi *■ hd
himself was desirous to shed it for Christ his Redeemer. M^Thia
venerable prelate had attained Ms eightieth year, but he was
of the vigour of saintly heroism. When on the scaffold be W
the executioner to allow him to be the last victim, as he wi>
spare Father O'Luorchain the terrible spectacle of his eurTeri^*1!**
But the good priest was not behind the Franciscan bishopz^ W
his zeal, and he exclaimed, with a touching grace of courtesy,
the occasion made BubHma, that "it was not fitting for a bisho^^ U}
be without a priest to attend him, and he wuuld follow him with^aBOBft
fear.11 And he did follow him, for the Bishop went first to his cro^
There was great difficulty in procuring any one who would crt^n?
out the sentence. The executioner tied, and could not be fouwi
when he learned on whom he was to do his office. At l;\st> an
English culprit, under sentence of death, undertook the bl<^*fr
work, on a promise that his own life should b \ as Ms
reward.
Communications with Home were still as frequent and as intimate
as they had ever been since Ireland received the faith at the hands
of the great Apostle. To be children of Patrick and children of
Ifame were convertible terms *7 and the Holy See watched still more
tenderly over this portion of the Church while it was suffering and
persecuted- Paul V, wrote a special letter to the Irish Catholics,
dated from "St, Mark's, 22nd of September, 1(506/' in which he
mourns over their afflictions, commends their marvellous constancy,
which he says can only be compared to that of the early Christians,
And exhorts them specially to avoid the sin of attending Protes-
tant places of worship — a compliance to which they were strongly
tempted, when even one such act might procure exemption, for a
tune at least, from severe persecution or death.
On another occasion the same Pontiff writes thus : " You glory
in that faith by which your fathers procured for their country the
distinguished appellation of the Island of Saints, Nor have the
sufferings which you have endured been allowed to remain un*
published ; your fidelity and Christian fortitude have become the
subject of universal admiration; and the praise of your name has
long since been loudly celebrated in every portion of the Christian
world,*
O'Xeill and O'Donnell may be justly considered the last of the
independent native chieftains. When the latter died in exile, and
the former accepted the coronet of an English earl, the glories of
the olden days of princes, who held almost regal power, had passed
away for ever. The proud title of u the O'Neill" became extinct ;
his country was made shire ground ; he accepted patents, and held
broad acres " in fee f sheriffs were admitted ; judges made ch-
its i king's commissioners took careful note of place, person, and
Jiroperty; and such a system of espionage was established, that
l)avies boasts, "it was not only known how people lived and
\rhat they do, but it is foreseen what they purpose and intend to
<lo ;iP which latter species of clairvoyance seems to have been largely
practised by those who were waiting until all suspicions were
lulled to rest, that they might seize on the property* and imprison
the persons of those whose estates they coveted.
In May, 1603, O'Neill had visited London, in company with
Lard Moantjoy and Eory O'Donnell. The northern chieftaini
* fJWd— Dr, Rothe, quoted by Momiguor Koran, p. 251.
cuii
were graciously received ; and it was on this occasion that O'Neill
renounced his ancient name for his new titles, O'Donnell was made
Earl of Tymmnel at the same time, The first sherifis appointed
for Ulster were Sir Edward Pelham and Sir John Davies* The
latter has left it on record, as his deliberate opinion, after many
years* experience, " that there is no nation of people under the sun
that doth love equal and indifferent justice better than the Irish,
or will rest better satisfied with the execution thereof, although it
he 0$ ^selves, so thai tJiey may have the protection and bcntjiU of
the iau\ when, vpon just cavse, they do desire iLtr
A plot was now got up to entrap O'Neill and O'Donnell, Their
complicity in it has long been questioned, though Dr. G'Donovan
appears to think that Moore has almost decided the question
against them. Moore's evidence, however, is hardly comj-i
while there is unquestionable authority which favours the opinion
that " artful Cecil" was intriguing to accomplish their destruc:
Curry says, in his Jlistonml Beview: M The great possessions of theso
two devoted Irish princes, proved the cause of their ruin. After the
successful issue of the plot*eontriving Cecil's gunpowder adventure
in England, he turned his inventive thoughts towards this country;
A plot to implicate the great northern chieftains was soon set
en foot, and finally proved successful. The conspiracy is thus
related by a learned English divine, Dr. Anderson, in his II
Genealogies, printed in London, 1736 : * Artful Cecil employed om
St. Lawrence to entrap the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnel, the
Lord Delvin, and other Irish chiefs, into a sham plot, which had no
evidence but his/ T|
The next movement was to drop an anonymous letter at the-
door of the council-chamber, mentioning a design, as then in con*
templation, for seizing the Castle of Dublin, and murdering th*
Lord Deputy* No names were mentioned, but it was publicly
Btatcd that Government had information in their possession wl
fixed the guilt of the conspiracy on the Earl of Tyrone, His tii
which took place immediately after, was naturally considered as aa
acknowledgment of his guilt. It is more probable that the expa-
triation was prompted by his despair.
The Four Masters give a touching account of their departure, and
exclaim i M Woe to the heart that meditated, wo© to the mind I
conceived, woe to the council that decided on the project
•ettlog out on the voyage T The exiles left Eathiuullen on the
PLANTATION OF ULSTER. 469
i *th of September, 1607. O'Neill had been with the Lord Deputy
•ixortly before; and one cannot but suppose that he had then
obtained some surmise of premeditated treachery, for he arranged
~ flight secretly and swiftly, pretending that he was about to
Last London. O'Neill was accompanied by his Countess, his three
^*^^ns, CDonnell, and other relatives. They first sailed to Nor-
- "^^^-andy, where an attempt was made by the English Government
^^* arrest them, but Henry IV. would not give them up. In Homo
^■^^ey were received as confessors exiled for the faith, and were
^^fcerally supported by the Pope and the King of Spain. They all
^^Sed in a few years after their arrival, and their ashes rest in the
^^S^xanciscan Church of St Peter-in-Montorio. Home was indeed
^i^ar to them, but Ireland was still dearer ; and the exiled Celt,
^^^hether expatriated through force or stern necessity, lives only to
*^>ng for the old home, or dies weeping for it.
The Bed Hand of the O'Neills had hitherto been a powerful pro-
^^ction to Ulster. The attempts " to plant " there had turned out
^«dlarea ; but now that the chiefs were removed, the people became
-^^n easy prey. O'Dogherty, Chief of Innishowen, was insulted by
^5ir George Paulett, in a manner which no gentleman could be ex
^aected to bear without calling his insulter to account ; and the
^roimg chieftain took fearful vengeance for the rude blow which he
Xiad received from the English sheriff. He got into Culmore Fort
<^t night by stratagem, and then marched to Deny, killed Paulett,
^nassacred the garrison, and burned the town. Some other chief-
"trains joined him, and kept up the war until July ; when O'Dogherty
~Vras killed, and his companions-in-arms imprisoned. Sir Arthur
•CJhichester received his property in return for his suggestions for
the plantation of Ulster, of which we must now make brief
anention.
There can be little doubt, from Sir Henry Docwra's own
account, that O'Dogherty was purposely insulted, and goaded into
rebellion. He was the last obstacle to the grand scheme, and he
was disposed' of. Ulster was now at the mercy of those who chose
Co accept grants of land ; and the grants were made to the highest
Udders, or to those who had paid for the favour by previous ser-
vices. Sir Arthur Chichester evidently considered that he belonged
to the latter class, for we find him writing6 at considerable length
• Writing.— The original is in the Cot. CoL British Museum.
470
A PLANTER'S CASTLE.
to the Earl of Northampton, then a ruling member of King James?
cabinet, to request that he may be appointed President of Ulster.
He commences bis epistle by stating how deeply he is indebted 1
bis Lordship for his comfortable and kind letters, and the praise 1
has given him in public and private, He then bestows an abundant
meed of commendation on his justice in return. He next explains
his Uopes and desires. He declares that he wishes for the Presidency
of Uister, " more for the service he mighti there do his Majesty, 1
for the profit he expects/1— a statement which the Earl no doul
read exactly as it was intended ^ and be says that he only mentions
U&L
?m
CASTLE MOXEA* CO, TXCMA^ACH*
Tm case because u charitie beginnes with myeselfe/' whirh, indeed,
appears to have been the view of that virtue generally taken by all
planters and adventurers. He concludes with delicately informing
his correspondent, that if he can advance any friend of his in any
way he will he most happy to do so* This letter is dated from the
" Castle of Dublin, 7th of February, 1 607," The date shoul
according to the change of style, ItfOS. The Lord Deputy knew
well what he was asking for. During the summer of the preced-
ing year, ho had made a careful journey through Ulster, with I
John Davies; and Carte has well observed, that 4£ nobody knew f
territories better to b© planted y and he might have added, that
CHICHESTER'S PARLIAMENT— HOW HE OBTAINED MEMBERS. 471
few persons had a clearer eye to their own advantage in the arrange*
ment8 he made.
The plan of the plantation was agreed upon in 1 609. It was the
old plan which had been attempted before, though with less show
of legal arrangement, but with quite the same proportion of legal
iniquity. The simple object was to expel the natives, and to extir-
pate the Catholic religion. The six counties to be planted were
Tyrone, Deny, Donegal, Armagh, Fermanagh, and Gavan. These
were parcelled out into portions varying from 2,000 to 4,000 acres,
and the planters were obliged to build bawns and castles, such as
that of Castle Monea, county Fermanagh, of which we subjoin an
illustration. Tully Castle7 was built by Sir John Hume, on his
plantation. Both these castles afford good examples of the struc-
tures erected at this period. The great desiderata were proximity
to water and rising ground — the beauty of the surrounding scenery,
which was superadded at least at Tully Castle, was probably but
little valued.
Chichester now proposed to call a Parliament. The plantation
of Ulster had removed some difficulties in the way of its accom-
plishment. The Protestant University of Dublin had obtained 3,000
acres there, and 400,000 acres of tillage land had been partitioned
out between English and Scotch proprietors. It was expressly
stipulated that their tenants should be English or Scotch, and
Protestants ; the Catholic owners of the land were, in some cases,
as a special favour, permitted to remain, if they took the oath of
supremacy, if they worked well for their masters, and if they paid
double the rent fixed for the others. Sixty thousand acres in Dublin •
and Waterford, and 385,000 acres in Westmeath, Longford, King's
county, Queen's county, and Leitrim, had been portioned out in
a similar manner. A Presbyterian minister, whose father was one
of the planters, thus describes the men who came to establish
English rule, and root out Popery : " From Scotland came many,
and from England not a few ; yet all of them generally the scum
of both nations, who, from debt, or making and fleeing from justice,
or seeking shelter, came hither, hoping to be without fear of
man's justice, in a land where there was nothing or but little as
yet of the fear of God Most of the people were all void of
godliness. On all hands atheism increased, and disregard
* Tnlly Castle— See heading of this chapter. '
rSOfl*
,a\\s^ *nb ^tjjU*4 a \. tot*6*' ,wfli*ete« ^6tl Id? • V*fc-«n
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DEATH OF JAHS8 I., AND ACCESSION OF CHARLES. 473
ie over as Lord Deputy, and Usher, who was at heart a Puritan,1
ached a violent sermon on the occasion, in which he suggested
ery literal application of his text, " He beareth not the sword in
a." If a similar application of the text had been made by a
.holic divine, it would have been called intolerance, persecution,
L a hint that the Inquisition was at hand ; as used by him, it was
posed to mean putting down Popery by the sword.
James L died on the 27th March, 1625, and left his successor no
y pleasant prospects in any part of his kingdom. He was pro-
meed by Sully to be '*' the wisest fool in Europe ;" Henry IV.
led him " Captain of Arts and Clerk of Arms ;" and a favourite
gram of the age is thus translated : —
" When Elizabeth was England's King,
That dreadful name thro* Spain did ring \
How altered is tfee cose, ah sa' me !
The joggling days of good Queen Jamie. w
)n the accession of Charles L, in 1625, it was so generally rap-
ed he would favour the Catholic cause, that the earliest act of
new Parliament in London was to vote a petition, pegging the
lg to enforce the, laws against recusants and Popish priests. The
eroy, Lord Falkland, advised the Irish Catholics to propitiate
i with a voluntary subsidy. They offered the enormous sum of
20,000, to be paid in three annual instalments, and in return
promised them certain " graces." The contract was ratified by
sd proclamation, in which the concessions were accompanied by
romise that a Parliament should be held to confirm them. The
; instalment of the money was paid, and the Irish agents returned
ie to find themselves cruelly deceived and basely cheated,
kland was recalled by the Puritan party, on suspicion of favour-
the Catholics; Viscount Ely and the Earl of Cork were
ointed Lords Justices; and a reign of terror was at once
imenced.
lie Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Bulkely, was fore-
Puritan.— Plowden's History of Ireland, vol i. p. 338. " By his manage-
t and contrivance, he provided the whole doctrine of Calvin to be received as
public belief of the Protestant Church of Ireland, and ratified by Chichester
ie King's name." Chichester himself was a thorough Puritan, and a dis-
3 of Cartwright, who used to pray, " O Lord, give us grace and power aa
man to set ourselves against them" (the bishops).
most in commencing the persecution. He marched, with the Mayor
and a file of soldiers, to the Franciscan2 church in Cook-street, on St.
Stephen's Day, 1629, dispersed the congregation, seized the friars,
profaned the church, and broke the statue of St» Francis* The
friars were rescued by the people, and the Archbishop had "to take
to his heels and cry out for help," to save himself. Eventually the
Franciscans established their novitiates on the Continent, hut still
continued their devoted ministrations to the people, at the risk
of life and liberty. Their house in Cook-street was pulled down
by royal order, and three other chapels and a Catholic seminary
were seized and converted to the King's use* Wentworth assem-
bled a Parliament in July, 1C34, the year after his arrival in Ireland.
Its subserviency was provided for by having a number of persona
elected who were in the pay of the crown as military officer*
The " graces" were asked for, and the Lord Deputy declared they
should be granted, if the supply was readily voted, "SmvH
said> "so p-eat a meanness cannot enter your hearts as on<
suspect his Majesty's gracious regards of yon, and performance with
you, when yon affix yourself upon his grace/' This speech so
took the hearts of the people, that all were ready to grant all that
might be demanded \ and six subsidies of £50fi00 each were \
though Wentworth only expected ,£30,000, In the inear-while
neither Wentworth nor the King had the slightest idea of grar
the " graces ;" and the atrocious duplicity and incomparable a n
ness" of the King is placed eternally on record, in his own letter to
his favourite, in which he thanks him " for keeping off the envy
[odium] of a necessary negative from me, of those unreasonable
graces that people expected from me."3 Wentworth describes
himself how two judges and Sir John Radcliffe assisted him in th*
plan, and how a positive refusal was made to recommend tha
passing of the *fi graces" into law at the next session.
* Charles' faith" might now safely rank with Grey's ; and
* Franttican. — An account of the sufferings of the Franciscans will he i
in SL Francis and ikt Fiman€wxi'ti** Tho Poor Clares, who are the Second
Order of St+ Francis, were refotmded and established in Ireland, hy Sir John
Pd Ion's sister, about this time, and suffered severe j.enteeutiona, Miss Billon,
the Abbess, was brought before the Lord Deputy ; but her quiet dignity t
6nch impression on tho court, that she was dismissed without molestatiuh 1
the time.
* From tne.— Strafford's State Lattera, roi L p. 33 L
"CHARLES' FAITH." 475
<poor impoverished Irishman, who would willingly have given his
lastfttiny, as well as the last drop of his blood, to save his faith,
was again cruelly betrayed where he most certainly might have
expected that he could have confided and trusted. One of the
^ "graces" was to make sixty years of undisputed possession of pro-
$ pertv a bar to the claims of the crown ; and certainly if there ever
| ve*Q a country where such a demand was necessary and reasoxt-
fkk» it was surely Ireland. There had been so many plantations,
rt Was hard for anything to grow ; and so many settlements, it was
***& for anything to be settled. Each new monarch, since the first
invasion of the country by Henry II., had his favourites to provide
for and his friends to oblige. The island across the sea was con-
sidered " no man's land," as the original inhabitants were never
taken into account, and were simply ignored, unless, indeed, when
t"©y made their presence very evident by open resistance to this
w!*olesale robbery. It was no wonder, then, that this "grace" should
1* specially solicited. It was one in which the last English settler in
Ulster had quite as great an interest as the oldest Celt in Connemara.
■"*© Burkes and the Geraldines had suffered almost as much from
^ rapacity of their own countrymen as the natives, on whom
"teir ancestors had inflicted such cruel wrongs. No man's property
*&8 safe in Ireland, for the tenure was depending on the royal will;
*&d the caprices of the Tudors were supplemented by the necessi-
ty* of the Stuarts.
I3ut the " grace " was refused, although, probably, there was many
* decent colonist who would have willingly given one-half of hia
nictitation to have secured the other to his descendants. The rea-
*^*X of the refusal was soon apparent. As soon as Parliament was
*****olved, a Commission of " Defective Titles " was issued for Con-
****ight. Ulster had been settled, Leinster had been settled, Mun-
!J^* had been settled; there remained only Oonnaught, hitherto so
****ecessible, now, with advancing knowledge of the art of war,
***d new means of carrying out that art, doomed to the scourge of
desolation.
The process was extremely simple. The lawyers were set to work
to hunt out old claims for the crown ; and as Wentworth had
determined to invalidate the title to every estate in Connaught,
they had abundant occupation. Roscommon was selected for a
commencement. The sheriffs were directed to select jurors who
would find for the crown. The jurors were made clearly to under-
476
WHOLESALE ROBBERY OF ESTATES.
*tand what was expected from them, and what the conseq
would be if they were " contumacious," The object of tl
was, of course, the general good of the country* The people
Connaught were to be civilized and enriched ; but, in order to cany
out this very desirable arrangement* the present proprietors were
to be replaced by new landlords, and the country was to be placet
entirely at the disposal of the Soveri w
It was now discovered that the lauds and lordships of Be Btugo,
adjacent to the Castle of Athlone, ^nd, in fact, the who!
province, belonged to the crown, It would be useless here to gfrt
details of the special pleading on which this statem-
it is an illustration of what 1 have observed before, that the tenur
of the English settler was quite as uncertain as the tenure of (L.
Celt. The jury found for the King ; and as a reward, the foreaiar-
Sir Lucas Dillon, was graciously permitted to retain a pci
his own lands, Lowther, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, gc:
four shillings in the pound of the first year's rent raised uad
Commission of "Defective Titles*" The juries of Mayo aa
were equally complacent ; but there was stern resistance made t-
Oalway, and stern reprisals were made for the resistance. Tta
jurors were fined £4,000 each and were imprisoned, and the~
estates seized until that sura was paid. The sheriff was fined
JJljGDOj and, being unable to pay that sum, he died in prison
all tins was done with the full knowledge and the entire sanction
of the 4I royal martyr."
The country was discontented, and the Lord Deputy dcmanJe:
more troops, u until the intended plantation should be settled.* 15
could not see why the people should object to what was so vke
much for their own good, and never allowed himself to think tlu-
the disturbance had anything to do with the land question. TZ
new proprietors were of the same opinion. Those who were
who feared to be dispossessed, and those who felt that then i
whether humble or noble, could not be called their own, felt A-
ferently ; but their opinion was as little regarded as their suSt-ruif^
The Earl of Ormonde's property was next attacked, but he na<
a prudent compromise, and his party was too powerful to permit <*
its refusal, A Court of Wards was also established about this ttmOi
for the purpose of having all heirs to estates brought up in tfw
* Screreipn.— Strafford's Letters, vol ii p, 24L
EXECUTION OF STRAFFORD. 477
•testant religion ; and a High Commission Court was instituted,
Lch rivalled the exactions of the Star Chamber in England.
n 1640- another appeal was made by the King for assistance,
L Wentworth headed the contribution with £20,000. He had
oted himself with considerable ability to increasing the Irish
enue, and the trade of the country had improved, although the
ih woollen manufacture had been completely crushed, as it
eatened to interfere with English commerce. The Lord Deputy
w saw the advantage of procuring a standing army in Ireland,
1 he proceeded to embody a force of 10,000 foot and 1,000 horse;
eae men were principally Irish and Catholics, as he knew they
aid be most likely to stand by the King in an hour of trial,
^withstanding the cruel persecutions to which they had been.
>jecte<L But the Deputy's own career was nearer its termination
in he had anticipated. When he forsook the popular side in Eng-
id, Pym had remarked significantly : " Though you have left us,
rill not leave you while your head is on your shoulders." The
Titan faction never lost sight of a quarry when once they had it
sight, and it scarcely needed Strafford's haughtiness and devotion
the King to seal his doom. The unhappy King was compelled to-
a his death-warrant ; and the victim was executed on the 12th of
Qr, 1641, redeeming in some manner, by the nobleness of his
tth, the cruelties, injustices, and duplicity of which he had been
Ity during his life.
Che kingdom of England was never in a more critical state than
this period. The King was such Only in name, and the ruling
^ers were the Puritan party, who already looked to Cromwell as
*ir head. The resistance, which had begun in opposition to tyran-
*d enactments, and to the arbitrary exercise of authority by the
tig and his High Church prelates, was fast merging into, what it
m became, an open revolt against the crown, and all religion
Uch did not square with the very peculiar and ill-defined tenets
the rebellious party. In 1641 the Queen's confessor was sent to
o Tower, and a resolution was passed by both houses never to
Qsent to the toleration of the'Catholic worship in Ireland, or in
y other part of his Majesty's dominions. The country party
d determined to possess themselves of the command of the
my ; and whatever struggles the King might make, to secure the
ly support of his throne, it was clear that the question was
ely to be decided in their favour. The conduct of Holies, Pym,
478
WHAT EXILED IRISHMEN DID FOR IRELAND.
Hampden^ and Stroud was well known even in Ireland ; and u
Ireland fearful apprehensions were entertained that still morecme
sufferings were preparing for that unfortunate country.
An insurrection was organized, and its main supports were wtm*
cf the best and bravest of the old race, who had been drr
political and religious persecution to other lands, where their brarer]
had made them respected, and their honorable dealings hod w&k
them esteemed. Spain had received a considerable number of the*
exiles. In June, 1 635, an Irish regiment in the Spanish service, com-
manded by Colonel Preston, had immortalized themselves f
heroic defence of Lou vain. Wherever they went they were
to the sovereign under whom they served ; and French and Spsaiifc
generals marvelled how the English nation could be so infatuated
ns to drive their noblest and bravest officers and men into
service. An important official document still exists in th
Paper Office, which was prepared by a Government spy, and which
details the names, rank, and qualifications of many of these gentle
men. They were serving in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland,
and the Low Countries. Don Richard Burke— stran
first on the list of Irish exiles should bo of Anglo-Norman dea
was Governor of Leghorn, and had seen great service in Ita!
the West Indies ; ■* Pheliemy O'Neill, nephew to old Tyron<
with great respect in Milan, There were one hundred able
mand companies, and twenty fit to be made colonels under the Awfc-
duchess alone. The list of the names would fill several pages, an!
those, it should be remembered, were leading men* There wm,
besides, to be considered, an immense number of Irish of the lower
classes, who had accompanied their chiefs abroad, and sei
their regiments* The report says : " They have long been profit
ing of arms for any attempt against Ireland, and had in readintfi
five or six thousand arms laid up in Antwerp for that purpo*
bought out of the deduction of their monthly pay, as will bepm
it is thought now they have doubled Oiat proportion ly thm meani?
The reason of the increased sacrifice they made for their eo
was probably the report that the moment was at hand «
might be available. The movement in Ireland was commenced bf
Roger O'More, a member of the ancient family of that name,
rt Mtani—Thia curious dooumeat was first published m the
February 5th, 1S50.
PREPARATIONS TOR AN INSURRBOHON. 479
had been so unjustly expelled from their ancestral home in Leix;
by Lord Maguire, who had been deprived of nearly all his ancient
patrimony at Fermanagh, and his brother Eoger ; by Sir Phelim
O'Neill, of Kinnare, the elder branch of whose family had been ex-
patriated ; by Turlough O'Neill, his brother, and by several other
gentlemen similarly situated. O'More was the chief promoter of the
projected insurrection. He was eminently suited to become a popular
feader, for he was a man of great courage, fascinating address, and
imbued with all the high honour of the old Celtic race. In May,
1641, Niai O'Neill arrived in Ireland with a promise of assistance
fiom Cardinal Richelieu ; and the confederates arranged that the
tiring should take place a few days before or after All Hallows,
according to circumstances. In the meanwhile the exiled Earl of
Tyrone was killed ; but his successor, Colonel Owen Eoe O'Neill,
tken serving in Flanders, entered warmly into all their plans.
The King was now obliged to disband his Irish forces, and their
Commanders were sent orders for that purpose. They had instruc-
tions, however, to keep the men at home and together, so that they
knight easily be collected again if they could be made available, as,
strange to say, the so-called " Irish rebels " were the only real hope
which Charles had to rely on in his conflict with his disloyal Eng-
lish subjects. An understanding was soon entered into between
these officers and the Irish party. They agreed to act in concert ;
and one of the former, Colonel Plunket, suggested the seizure of
Dublin Castle. The 23rd of October was fixed on for the enter-
prise ; but, though attempted, the attempt was frustrated by a
betrayal of the plot, in consequence of an indiscretion of one of the
leaders.
The rage of the Protestant party knew no limits. The Castle
was put in a state of defence, troops were ordered in all directions,
and proclamations were issued. In the meantime the conspirators
at a distance had succeeded better, but unfortunately they were
not aware of the failure in Dublin until it was too late. Sir Phelim
O'Neill was at the head of 30,000 men. He issued a proclamation,
itating that he intended " no hurt to the King, or hurt of any of
Ola subjects, English or Scotch ;" but that his only object was the
defence of Irish liberty. He added that whatever hurt was done
x> any one, should be personally repaired. This proclamation waa
lated from " Dungannon, the 23rd of October, 1641," and signed
* Phelim O'Neill."
480
MASSACRE OF ISLAND MAGEE.
A few days after he produced a commission, which he pretended
he had received from the King, authorizing his proceedings ;
amply atoned for this ruse ds guene afterwards, by declaring 0|
and honorably that the document was forged. The Irish were treated
with barbarous severity, especially by Sir Charles Coote ; white they
were most careful to avoid any bloodshed, except what was j
nable and unavoidable in war. Dr. Bedell, the good and gentle
Protestant Bishop of Kilmore, and all his people, were protected ;
and he drew up a remonstrance, from the tenor of which he appears
to have given some sanction to the proceedings of the northern
chieftains. The massacre of Island Magee took place about thi»
period; and though the exact date is disputed, and the exact nuti
of victims bas been questioned, it cannot be disproved that tht
English and Scotch settlers at Cartickfergus sallied forth at n .
and murdered a number of defenceless men, women, and children.
That titer, was no regular or ui discriminate massacre of Protestant*
by the Catholics at this period, appears to be proved beyond q«
tion by the fact, that no mention of such an outrage was mad
any of the letters of the Lords Justices to the Privy Council It i.i
probable, however, that the Catholics did rise up in different places
to attack those by whom they had been so severely and cruelJy
oppressed ; and although there was no concerted plan of nut
many victims, who may have been personally innocent, paid liw
penalty of the guilty. In such evidence as is still on record,
stories predominate ; and even the Puritans seem to have h
the wildest tales of the apparition of Protestants, who demand*
the immolation of tho Catholics who had murdered them.
AKCTEST IXEtrNKINO VESSEL OR METHIE, FROM
eoiLgoTioir or the h,la.
TAMtM ASTO CH*T& V%
a±n m
CHAFTER XXIX
English Adrentntm tpeealate on Irish DisafetJoo— Coote'i Cruelties— Meet-
ing of Irish Noblemen and Gentle— DMCoctaii of the People— Th*
nests try to save Protestants from their fary— A National Synod
i berate on theState of Irish Affairs— The General Assembly is convened
at Kilkenny —A Mint b Ortsbiiabod— A Printing- Press set np— Relations are
entered into with Foreign States, and a Method of Gonenupeftl is organised—
Htferenee* of Opinion between the Old Irish and Anglo-Irish— A 3
Treaty is made —Arrival of Einaccini— He lands at Keninare— HI* Account
of the Irish People— His Reception at Kilkenny— His Opinion of the State of
Anair*— Division* of the Confederates— Ormonde's Intrigues— The Battle of
Benburb — Di virions and Discord io Camp and Senate — A Treaty signed and
published by the Representatives of the English King— Rioticcini returns to
Italy.
[JlA. I64S— 1649J
'XEILL bow took the title of u Lord-General of the
|'r Catholic army in Ulster," A proclamation was
issued by the Irish Government, declaring i,«
ivod no authority from the King ; and the ruling
powers were often heard to say T "that the more
were in rebellion, the more lands should be for-
feited to them/* A company of ad^ were
already formed in London on speculation, and a rich
harvest was anticipated. Several engagements took
place, in which the insurgents war© on the whole
successful. It was now confidently stated that a
general massacre of the Catholics was intended;
and, indeed, the conduct of those engaged in put-
ting down the rising, was very suggestive of such a
purpose* In Wieklowj Sir Charles Coote put many
;•>*
* Tkem*^ Castlehaven'i ifemoirt, p. 2$.
9H
innocent persona to the sword, without distinction of age or
On one occasion, when he met a soldier carrying an infant onj
point of hiB pike, he was charged with saying that " he liked \
frolics."7 Carte admits that his temper was rather " sour ;
relates incident* in his career which should make one thin
barous " would he the more appropriate term. The Lor
approved of his proceedings; and Lord Gbitlehaven ^\
account of the conduct of troops sent out by these gentlemen ^
" killed men, women, and children promiscuously; which |
he says, "not only exasperated the rehelst an
mil the liks cruelties upon the English^ but frightened thu i
gentry about; who, seeing the harmless country people, without
>.t of age or sex, thus barbarously murdered, and tbcutaselve*
then openly threatened as favourers of the rebellion, forpav
.nhtrinutions they could not possibly refuse, resolved to aland up
their iturd."8
Before taking an open step, even in self-defence, the Irish nob
men and gentlemen sent another address to the King; batth
unfortunate messenger, Sir John Read, was captured, and cruel
I by the party in power — their main object bein-
something from his confessions which should implicate tli
Queen. Patrick Barnwell, an aged man, was also racked for 1 1
purpose. The Lords Justices now endeavoured to get several {
tlemen into their possession, oti pretence of holding a i
Their design was inspected, and the intended victim
they wrote a courteous letter, stating the ground of t\
A meeting of the principal Iri^h noblemen and genllenu
held on the Hill of Crofty, in Meath. Amongst those pi
the Earl of Pingall, Lords Gormanstown, Slaue, Louth, Du
Trimbleston, and Ketterville, Sir Patrick Barnwell and Sir Chri
topher Bellew ; and of the leading country gentlemen, Bam*
Darcy, Bath, Aylnier, Cusack, Malone, Segrava, &c. After
T Froll m. ^Carte's Onnomhy vol. i, pt 245, folio edition*
i elm veu's Mtuioira, p. 30. Coote'a cruelties are *
all tides to have been most fearful. Lel&ud speaka of "
criminate cKFa*%*.n~Iltoto3FyofTr*liindtvul.iiLiK HG. Warner wyi '
veto a Btrangier to mercy." — Mttori/ of the Irish /
this Wlla the mm," says Lord Caatiehaven, ** whom the Loi
entrust with a commission of martial -la wt which ii
-iit, and with a wanton kind of cruelty."
KCT0RTS OF CATHOLIC PRIESTS TO SAVE PROTESTANTS. 483
been a few hours on the ground, the leaders of the insurgent
y came up, and were accosted by Lord Gormanstown, who in-
fed why they came armed into the Pale. O'More replied that
f had " taken up arms for the freedom and liberty of their con-
ncee, the maintenance of his Majesty's prerogative; in which
f understood he was abridged, and the making the subjects of
s kingdom as free as those of England." Lord Gormanstown
wered : " Seeing these be your true ends, we will likewise join
•h you therein.1'
)n the 1st of January, 1642, Charles issued a proclamation
inst the Irish rebels, and wished to take the command against
m in person; but his Parliament was his master, and the members
e glad enough of the excuse afforded by the troubles in Ireland
ocrease the army, and to obtain a more direct personal control
r its movements. They voted away Irish estates, and uttered
I threats of exterminating Popery ; but they had a more impor-
. and interesting game in hand at home, which occupied their
ntion, and made them comparatively indifferent to Irish affairs.
ir Phelim O'Neill was not succeeding in the north. He had
i obliged to raise the siege of Drogheda, and the English had
ined possession of Dundalk. £1,000 was offered for his head,
£600 for the heads of some of his associates. Ormonde and
burne were in command of the Government forces, but Ormonde
considered to be too lenient ; and two priests, Father Higgins
Father White, were executed by Coote, the one without trial,
the other without even the forms of justice, although, they were
3r the Earl's protection. Carte says that Father Higgins' case
ted special interest, for he had saved many Protestants from
fury of the Irish, and afforded them relief and protection after-
1s. Indeed, at this period, the Catholic clergy were unwearied
leir efforts to protect the Protestants. They must have been
ated by the purest motives of religion, which were none the less
»d to them because they could neither be understood nor appre-
k! by those whose whole conduct had been so different. Father
, a Jesuit, sheltered Dr. Pullen, the Protestant Dean of Clonfert,
his family ; Father Everard and Father English, Franciscan
s, concealed many Protestants in their chapels, and even under
r altars. Many similar instances are on record in the deposi
3 concerning the murders and massacres of the times, at present
'rinity College, Dublin ; though those depositions were taken
with the avowed object of making out a case against the Catholics
of having intended a general massacre. In Galway the Jesuits
were especially active in charity to their e nonius and went thro
the town exhorting the people, for Christ's sake, our Lady's, and
St Patrick's, to ahed no blood, But although the Catholic hier-
archy were most anxious to prevent outrages against humanityT
they were by no means insensible to the outrages against jus
from which the Irish nation had so long suffered, They were far
from preaching passive submission to tyranny, or passive acceptance
of heresy. The Church had long since not only sanctioned, but
even warmly encourage!, ft <-rusade against the infidels, and the de-
liverance, by force of arms, of the holy places from dflflocratiom
had also granted0 similar encouragements and similar indulgences
to all who should fight for "liberties and rights" in Ireland,
had "exhorted, urged, and solicited" the people to do so with
possible affection" The Irish clergy could have no doubt that
the Holy Wee would sanction a national effort for national Ub«
The Archbishop of Armagh, therefore, convened a provincial synod,
which was held at Kelts, on the '2'2nd of March, 1641, which
nounced the war undertaken by the Catholics of Ireland Lawful
and pious, but denounced murders and usurpations, and took si
for assembling a national synod at Kilkenny during the fallowing
'Ha- Catholic cause, meanwhile, was not advancing through the
country. The Irish were defeated in nearly every engagement with
the English troops. The want of a competent leader and of unani-
mity of purpose was felt again, as it had BO often been frit before;
but the Church attempted to supply the deficiency, o did
not altogether succeed, it was at least a national credit to bar*
done something in the cause of freedom.
The synod met at Kilkenny, on the 10th of May, 1642, It iraa
attended by the Archbishops of Armagh, Caahel, and Tnam, and
the Bishops of Ossory, Elphin, Waterford and Lismore, Kildare,
Clonfert, and Down and Connor. Proctors attended for the Arch-
9 Gr<uif"K— Thin most important and interesting document may ba a
divans HtiL Oath, p, 121. Lfc is headed : " Gregory XUL, to the Arch*
bishops, Bishops, ami other prelates, as alio to the Catholic Princes, Earii.
bka, and People of Ireland, health and »po&toii«
tion." It i* dated s w Given at Borne, the 13th dav of alay, 15SG> i
of our pontificate/'
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROPOSED BY THE SYNOD. 485
bishop of Dublin, and for the Bishops of Limerick, Emly, and
Killaloe. There were present, also, sixteen other dignitaries and
heads of religious orders. They issued a manifesto explaining their
conduct, and, forming a Provisional Government, concluded their
labours, after three days spent in careful deliberation.
Owen Roe O'Neill and Colonel Preston arrived in Ireland in
July, 1642, accompanied by a hundred officers, and well supplied
with arms and ammunition. Sir Phelim O'Neill went at once to
me$t O'Neill, and resigned the command of the army ; and all pro-
mised fairly for the national cause. The Scots, who had kept up a
war of their own for some time, against both the King and the
Catholics, were wasting Down and Antrim ; and O'Neill was likely
to need all his military skill and all his political wisdom in the
position in which he was placed.
Preston had landed in Wexford, and brought a still larger force;
while all the brave expatriated Irishmen in foreign service, hastened
home the moment there appeared a hope that they could strike a
blow with some effect for the freedom of their native land.
The General Assembly projected by the national synod in Kil-
kenny, held its first meeting on October 14, 1642, — eleven spiritual
and fourteen temporal peers, with'226 commoners, representing the
Catholic population of Ireland. It was, in truth, a proud and glo-
rious day for the nation. For once, at least, she could speak through
channels chosen by her own free will ; and for once there dawned
a hope of legislative freedom of action for the long-enslaved people.
The old house is still shown where that Assembly deliberated— a
Parliament all but in name. The table then used, and the chair
occupied by the Speaker, are still preserved, as sad mementos of
freedom's blighted cause.1 The house used was in the market-place.
The peers and commoners sat together; but a private room was
allotted for the lords to consult in. Dr. Patrick Darcy, an emi-
nent lawyer, represented the Chancellor and the judges. Mr.
Nicholas Plunket was chosen as Speaker; the Rev. Thomas
O'Quirk, a learned Dominican friar, was appointed Chaplain to
both houses.
The Assembly at once declared that they met as a provisional
government, and not as a parliament. The preliminary arrange-
ments occupied them until the 1st of November. From the 1st
1 Cause. — See illustration at head of this chapter.
\\a«nce, »>*• * .^b!*0? fte0fftey *t0 „aoea from BlB
**** •« for W** ' v! A. **
THE OLD IRISH AMD THE ANGLO-IRISH. 487
and a mint established. Money was coined and levied for the
necessary expenses ; and a levy of 31,700 men was prepared to be
drilled by the new officers. Envoys were sent to solicit assistance
from the Catholic courts of Europe ; and the famous and learned
Franciscan, Father Luke Wadding, applied himself to the cause
with unremitting earnestness. Father John Talbot was employed
in a «iTrn1a.r manner in Spain.
The Assembly broke up on the 9th of January, 1643, after send-
ing a remonstrance to the King, declaring their loyalty, and explain-
ing their grievances. The complicated state of English politics
proved the ruin of this noble undertaking, so auspiciously com-
menced. Charles was anxious to make terms with men whom ho
knew would probably be the only subjects on whose loyalty lie
could thoroughly depend. His enemies — and the most cursory glance
at English history during this period proves how many and how
powerful they were — desired to keep open the rupture, and, if pos-
sible, to bring it down, from the high stand of dignified remonstrance,
to the more perilous and lower position of a general and ill-organized
insurrection. The Lords Justices Borlase and Parsons were on the
look-out for plunder ; but Charles had as yet sufficient power to
form a commission of his own, and he sent the Marquis of Ormonde
and some other noblemen to treat with the Confederates. Ormonde
was a cold, calculating, and, if we must judge him by his acts, a
cruel man ; for, to give only one specimen of his dealings, imme-
diately after his appointment, he butchered the brave garrison of
Timolin, who had surrendered on promise of quarter.
The Confederates were even then divided into two parties. The
section of their body principally belonging to the old English settlers,
were willing to have peace on almost any terms ; the ancient Irish
had their memories burdened with so many centuries of wrong,
that they demanded something like certainty of redress before they
would yield. Ormonde was well aware of the men with whom, an< t
the opinions with which, he had to deal, and he acted accordingly.
In the various engagements which occurred, the Irish were on the
whole successful. They had gained an important victory near
Fermoy, principally through the headlong valour of a troop of mere
boys, who dashed down with wild impetuosity on the English, and
showed what mettle there was still left in the country. Envoys were
arriving from foreign courts, and Urban VIII. had sent Father Sea-
rampi with indulgences and a purse of 30,000 dollars, collected bj
Father Wadding* It was, therefore, most important that the move-
ment should be checked in some way ; and, as it could not be sup-
pressed by force, it was suppressed by diplomacy.
On the 15th of September, 1643, a cessation of arms for on*
was agreed upon ; and the tide, which had set in so gloriously i^r
Tn^h independence, rolled hack its sobbing waves slowly and sadly
towards the English coast, and never returned again with the same
hopeful freedom and overpowering strength.
The Irish, even those whose wisdom or whose ardour made
most dissatisfied with the treaty, observed it honorably. The Puritan
party professed to regard the cessation as a crime, and therefore did
not consider themselves bound to observe it, As they were ia
the ruling powers, the unfortunate Irish were, as usual, the victims.
The troops, who had been trained and collected for the defence ol
their native land, were now sent to Scotland, to shed their blood IE
the royal cause. As honorable men, having undertaken tl
they fulfilled it gloriously, and won the admiration even of i.
enemies by their undaunted valour.
The unhappy English monarch was now besieged by petitions and
eoiinter-petitions. The Confederates asked for liberty of con
the Puritans demanded a stern enforcement of the penal laws.
Complaints were made on both sides of the infringement of the cea-
nation ; hut Munroe was the chief offender ; and Owen O'Neill was
summoned to consult with the Supreme Council in Kilkenny. Lord
Castlehaven, who was utterly incompetent for such an appointment,
was given the command of the army, and O'Neill, though he
hurt at the unjust preference, submitted generously,
In August, 1G44, the cessation was again renewed by the General
Assembly until December, and subsequently for a longer per
Thus preciona dme, and what was still more precious, the i
energies and interests of the Confederates, were hopelessly lost. The
King's generals, or rather it should be said the Parliament
officers, observed or held these engagements at their convenience,
and made treaties of their own — Inchiquin and Purcell makii
truce between themselves in the south. As the King's affairs
came dully more complicated, and his position more perilous,
saw the necessity for peace with his Irish subjects, and for allying
himself with them, if possible. Had he treated them with more
consideration, or rather with common justice and humanity, at the
commencement of his reign, England might have been saved the
CHARLES ATTEMPTS A NEGOTIATION. 489
guilt of regicide and Cromwell's iron rule. Ormonde had received
ample powers from Charles to grant the Catholics every justice now;
but Ormonde could not resist the inclination to practise a little
subtle diplomacy, even at the risk of his master's kingdom and his
master's head. The Confederate commissioners rejected his tem-
porizing measures with contempt, though a few of their members,
anxious for peace, were inclined to yield.
When Inchiquiu set out to destroy the growing crops early in
summer, Castlehaven was sent against him, and obliged him to
retire into Cork. At the same time Coote was overrunning1 Con-
naught, and took possession of Sligo. The Irish forces again re-
covered the town ; but, in the attempt, the Archbishop and two
' friars fell into the hands of the enemy, and were cruelly murdered.
Charles now made another attempt to obtain the assistance of the
Catholic party, and sent over Lord Herbert to Ireland on a secret
mission for that purpose. This nobleman and his father-in-law, the
Earl of Thomond, were almost romantically attached to the King,
and had already advanced £200,000 for the support of the royal
cause. He proceeded to Kilkenny, after a brief interview with
Ormonde. England's difficulty proved Ireland's opportunity. Every-
thing that could be desired was granted ; and all that was asked
was the liberty to worship God according to each man's conscience,
and the liberty of action and employment, which is the right of every
member of civil society who has not violated the rules of moral
conduct which governors are bound to enforce. In return for the
promise that they should enjoy the rights of subjects, the Irish
Con federates promised to do the duty of subjects. They had already
assisted more than one English King to rule his Scotch dominions ;
they were now to assist Charles to rule his English subjects ; and
they promised to send him 10,000 armed men, under the command
of Lord Herbert. It was a great risk to trust a Stuart ; and he
made it a condition that the agreement should remain secret until
the troops had landed in England.
In the meantime Belling, the Secretary of the Supreme Council,
•was sent to Rome, and presented to Innocent X., by Father Wadding,
as the envoy of the Confederate Catholics, in February, 1645. On
hearing his report, the Pope sent John Baptist Einuccini,2 Arch-
1 Rinucdni, — A work was published in Florence, 1844, entitled Nunziatura
fc IriandOj di M. Gio. Battista Einuccini, &c This work, which only forms
490 RLNUCCnn LANDS AT KENMAKE — HIS WARM RECEPTION.
bishop of Fermo, to Ireland, as Nuncio-Ihrtraordioaiy. This prei ^
Get out immediately ; Mid, after some detention at St. Geraai^^T
for the purpose of conferring with the English Queen, who kr-^ /
taken n-fti^e there, he purchased the Frigate S :^Xie
stored it with arms and ammunition ; and, after some escapes f:*-^^'
the Parliamentary cruisers, landed safely in Kenmare Bay, on t- he
21st of October, KJ45. He was soon surrounded and welcome d fcr
the peasantry ; and after celeb rating Mass in a poor hut,1 3n© Mt
once proceeded to Limerick. Here he celebrated the obsequie-
Archbishop of Tuam, and then passed on to Kilkenny. He ero-
fcered the old city in state, attended by the clergy. At the entrsr
to the Cathedral he was met by the Bishop of Osaory, who v*r*&
a portion of the Rinuccini M§.( throws much valuable light upon the h&rt*
[>eriod. It is supposed to have been written by the Dean of PeEIBO, * '
at temU.nl the Nuncio during his official visit to Ireland, This volume ft!
nt the report presented by Itiimccini t-» thr V»yv ^
bam Iron Lttlaad Burke has given some extracts fatm the MS, fa j^^^"
leant*, and Carte mentions it also; but other wise these ve--
tiU appear to have been quite overlooked
v tin- pulilii .'.it ion of the first edition of this work, I h ave obtained •<
i-hitH'h of the Nuncio's narrative, which 'kM^
fot 1829, This translatiou was made by a Protestant clergym
a Latin translation of the original, in the possession of Mr, Cuke, of Ho
Norfolk. The Nuncio's account is one of great importance, but it v.
tnand considerable space if treated of in detail. There was a very able j
on the subject in tbeZta&ifl JfevfelO for March, 1845.
'hit.— »Sonie extracts from a curious and interesting letter, defter'
<■ from France and the landing in Ireland of Rinuccini at
were published in the DuUin Review for March, 1845, It ia addressed t
Thomas Einuceini, but the writer ik supposed to have been the Dean of Fern
He gives a graphic description of their arrival at Kenmare — M al ]»orto di KZ*^*
mar "—and of the warm reception they met from the poor, and their co
'La cortesia di qnei poveri popoli dove Monsignor capitdt fu iucomjiarahije^
He also says t "Gnu coaa, neile montagne e hioghi rozzi, e gente pavers per J*
devadtozioni fatte dei nemici eretici, trovai pero la nobilta della 8
giaebe auro vi fu uomo, o donna, o ragazzo, ancor che piccolo, ebe non ntf
sapesse recitar il Pater, Ave, Credo, e i command araenti della Sattta Chi«a"
" It is most wonderful that in this wild and mountainous place, and a people
so impoverished by the heretical enemy, I found, nevertheless, the nol
encs of the holy Catholic faith ; for there was not a man Of woman,
, who could not repeat the Our Father, Hail Mary, Creed, and
the commands of Holy Church/' We believe the same mjgfct be snaid at thw
ant day of this part of Ireland. It is still as poor, and the j>eople are stdl
as well instructed in and ae devoted to their faith now as iu that century*
THE NUNCIOS OPINION OF IRISH AFFAIRS. 491
unable to walk in the procession. When the Te Deum Jiad been
sang,' he was received in the Castle by the General Assembly, and
addressed them in Latin. After this he returned to the residence
prepared for him.
Ill a Catholic country, and with a Catholic people, the influence
of a Papal Nuncio was necessarily preponderant, and he appears to
liave seen at a glance the difficulties and advantages of the position
of Irish affairs and the Confederate movement. " He had set his
mind," says the author of the Confederation of Kilkenny, " on one
grand object — the freedom of the Church, in possession of all her
rights and dignities, and the emancipation of the Catholic people
from the degradation to which English imperialism had condemned
them. The churches which the piety of Catholic lords and chief-
tains had erected, he determined to secure to the rightful inheritors.
His mind and feelings recoiled from the idea of worshipping in
crypts and catacombs ; he abhorred the notion of a priest or bishop
performing a sacred rite as though it were a felony ; and despite the
wily artifices of Ormonde and his faction, he resolved to teach the
people of Ireland that they were not to remain mere dependents on
English bounty, when a stern resolve might win for them the
privileges of freemen."4
The following extract from Kinuccini's own report, will show how
thoroughly he was master of the situation in a diplomatic point of
view : " From time immemorial two adverse parties have always
existed among the Catholics of Ireland. The first are called the
' old Irish/ They are most numerous in Ulster, where they seem to
have their head-quarters ; for even the Earl of Tyrone placed himself
at their head, and maintained a protracted war against Elizabeth.
The second may be called the ' old English/ — a race introduced into
Ireland in the reign of Henry II., the fifth king in succession from
William the Conqueror; so called to distinguish them from the
1 new English/ who have come into the kingdom along with the
modern heresy. These parties are opposed to each other principally
on the following grounds : the old Irish, entertaining a great aversion
for heresy, are also averse to the dominion of England, and have
refused, generally speaking, to accept the investiture of Church pro-
perty offered to them since the apostacy of the Kings of England
from the Church. The others, on the contrary, enriched with the
4 Frttmen.— Confederation of Kilkenny, p. 117.
spoils of the monasteries, and thus bound to the King by obligation,
no less than by interest, neither seek nor desire anything but the
exaltation of the crown, esteem no laws but those of the realm,
are thoroughly English in their feelings, and> from their constant
familiarity with heretics, are less jealous of differences of re-
The Nuncio then goes on to state how even the military com-
mand was divided between these two parties,— O'Neill belonging to
the old Irish interest, and Preston to the new. He also mentions
the manner in which this difference of feeling extended to tbe
lower classes, and particularly to those who served in the army.*
I have given this lengthened extract from KinuccinTs report, be-
cause, with all the advantages of looking back upon the times and
events, it would be impossible to explain more clearly the position
of the different parties. It remains only to show how these
fortunate differences led to the ruin of the common cause.
The Confederates now began to be distinguished into two
parties, as Nuncionists and Grmondists. Two sets of negotiar
were earned on, openly with Ormonde, and secretly with Glamorgan*
The Nuncio, from the first, apprehended the treachery of Charles,
and events proved the correctness of his forebodings, Glamorgan
produced his credentials, dated April 30th, lG4o, in which the E
promised to ratify whatever terms he might make ; and he fu:
promised, that the Irish soldiers, whose assistance he demon-.
should be brought back to their own shores, if these arrangements
were not complied with by his master* Meanwhile a copy of this
secret treaty was discovered on the Archbishop' of Tiiam, whohaJ
been killed at Sligo. It was used as an accusation against tfc*
King. Glamorgan was arrested in Dublin, and the whole scheme
was defeated.
The General Assembly met in Kilkenny, in January, 1G4G, &»<f
demanded the release of Glamorgan, He was bailed out; but (to
King disowned the commission, as Rinuccini had expected, and
proved lumself thereby equally a traitor to his Catholic and Protes-
tant subjects, Ormonde took care to foment the division betv.
the Confederate party, and succeeded so well that a middle party
was formed, who signed a treaty consisting of thirty articles. This
document only provided for the religious part of the question, that
• Army*— Smzxitura, in Irtmda* p. 3SU>
O'NEILL MARCHES AGAINST MONROE. 493
Koman Catholics should not be bound to take the oath of supre-
macy. An Act of oblivion was passed, and the Catholics were to
continue to hold their possessions until a settlement could be made
by Act of Parliament. Even in a political point of view, this treaty
was a failure ; and one should have thought that Irish chieftains
and Anglo-Irish nobles had known enough of Acts of Parliament to
have prevented them from confiding their hopes to such an uncer-
tain future.
The division of the command in the Confederate army had been
productive of most disastrous consequences. The rivalry between
O'Neill, Preston, and Owen Eoe, increased the complication ; but the
Nuncio managed to reconcile the two O'Neills, and active prepara-
tions were made by Owen Roe for his famous northern campaign.
The Irish troops intended for Charles had remained in their own
country; the unfortunate monarch had committed his last fatal error
by confiding himself to his Scotch subjects, who sold him to his own
people for £400,000. Ormonde now refused to publish the treaty
which had been just concluded, or even to enforce its observance
by Monroe, although the Confederates had given him £3,000 to
get up an expedition for that purpose.
In the beginning of June, ad. 1646, Owen Roe O'Neill marched
against Monroe, with 5,000 foot and 500 horse. Monroe received
notice of his approach; and although his force was far superior to
O'Neill's, he sent for reinforcements of cavalry from his brother,
Colonel George Monroe, who was stationed at Coleraine. But the
Irish forces advanced more quickly than he expected ; and on the
4th of June they had crossed the Blackwater, and encamped at
Benburb. O'Neill selected his position admirably. He encamped
between two small hills, with a wood in his rear. The river Black-
water protected him on the right, and an impassable bog on the
left. Some brushwood in the front enabled him to conceal a party
of musketeers; he was also well-informed of Monroe's movements,
and took precautions to prevent the advance of his brother's forces.
Monroe crossed the river at Kinard, at a considerable distance in
the rear of his opponent, and then advanced, by a circuitous march,
from the east and north. The approach was anticipated; and, on
the 5th of June, 1646, the most magnificent victory ever recorded
in the annals of Irish history was won. The Irish army pre-
pared for the great day with solemn religious observances. The
whole army approached the sacraments of penance and holy com-
munion, and thus were prepared alike for death or Yictory. Tlie
chaplain deputed by the Nuncio addressed them briefly, and ap-
pealed to their religious feelings; their General, Owen Roe, ftppa
to their nationality. How deeply outraged they had been, both in
their religion and hi their national feelings, has been already men-
tioned i how they fought for their altars and their domestic hearths
will now be recorded. O'Neiira skill as a military tactician m
yond all praise. For four long hours he engaged the attei
the enemy, until the glare of the burning summer sun ha- 1
away, and until he had intercepted the reinforcements which Mon-
roe expected. At last the decisive moment had arrived, Monroe
thought he saw his brothers contingent in the distance; Q1 v
knew that they were some of his own men who had beaten t'
contingent. When th> genera] was undeceived, he ;
to retire. O'Xeill saw Lis advantage, and gave the corns
charge, With cue loud cry of rongeance for desecrated alfcara
4ated homes, the Irish soldiers dashed to the charge, and B
roe's ranks were broken, and his men driven to flight. 1
General himself fled so precipitately, that he left his hat, sword, am!
cloak after him, and never halted until he reached LisUim. I
Montgomery was taken prisoner, and 3,000 of the Scotch werc
on the field. Of the Irish only seventy men were killed, and
wounded. It was a great victory; and it was something mom
was a glorious victory ; although Ireland remained, both a
ticat and religious freedom, much as it had heen before. The
standards captured on that bloody field were sent to the Nuncio al
Limerick, and earned in procession to the Cathedral, where a so-
lemn IV lh'tiut was chanted — -and that was all the result that
came of it. Confusion thrice confounded followed in t
The Kin tinder the compulsion of the
which Lord Digby declared to be just the contrary of what
really wished ; and Ormonde proclaimed and ratified th
he had formerly declined to fulfil, while the "old Irish
where indignantly rejected it. In Waterford, Clonmel, an
rick, the people would not permit it even to he proch
Nuncio summoned a national synod in Waterford, at whic
condemned) and a decree was issued, on the 12th of An.
during that all who adhered to such terms should be decki
jurem Even Pn !ar*d for the Nuncio; and the del
the nobles who led the unpopular cause, were obli ask
DIVISIONS AMONGST THE CONFEDERATES. 495
Ormonde's assistance to help them out of their difficulty. The
Earl arrived at Kilkenny with an armed force ; but fled precipi-
tately when he heard that O'Neill and Preston were advancing
'towards him.
Binuccini now took a high hand. He entered Kilkenny in state,
on the 18th of September, and committed the members of the
Supreme Council as prisoners to the Castle, except Darcy and
Fiunket. A new Council was appointed, or self-appointed, on the
20th, of which the Nuncio was chosen President. The imprisonment
<rf the old Council was undoubtedly a harsh and unwise proceeding,
which can scarcely be justified; but the times were such that
prompt action was demanded, and the result alone, which could
not be foreseen, could justify or condemn it.
The Generals were again at variance; and although the new
Council had decided on attacking Dublin, their plans could not be
carried out. Preston was unquestionably playing fast and loose;
and when the Confederate troops did march towards Dublin, his
duplicity ruined the cause which might even then have been gained.
A disgraceful retreat was the result. An Assembly was again con-
vened at Kilkenny; the old Council was released ; the Generals
promised to forget their animosities: but three weeks had been
lost in angry discussion; and although the Confederates bound
themselves by oath not to lay down their arms until their demands
were granted, their position was weakened to a degree which the
selfishness of the contending parties made them quite incapable of
estimating.
The fact was, the Puritan faction in England was every day
gaining an increase of power; while every hour that the Confede-
rate Catholics wasted in discussion or division, was weakening their
moral strength. Even Ormonde found himself a victim to the party
who had long made him their tool, and was ordered out of Dublin
unceremoniously, and obliged eventually to take refuge in France.
Colonel Jones took possession of Dublin Castle for the rebel
forces, and defeated Preston in a serious engagement at Dungan
Hill, soon after his arrival in Ireland. O'Neill now came to the
rescue; and even the Ormondists, having lost their leader, admitted
that he was their only resource. His admirable knowledge of
military tactics enabled him to drive Jones into Dublin Castle, and
keep him there for a time almost in a state of siege.
In the meantime Inchiquin was distinguishing himself by his
cruel victories in the south of Ireland. The massacre of Ca.
followed When the walls were battered down, the hapless gMT
surrendered without resistance, and were butchered without nun
The people fled to the Cathedral, hoping there, at leas'
but the savage General poured volleys of musk>f -kills through 1
doors and windows, and his soldiers rushiog in afterward
those who were not yet dead. Twenty priests were dragged out t
objects of special vengeance; and the total number of thoaei
were thus massacred amounted to 3,000.
An engagement took place in November between IncMqnin*
Lord Taaffe, in which the Confederates were again beaten and crupll
massacred. Thus two of their generals had lost both their mei
and their presiige, and O'Neill alone remained as the pro]
cause. The Irish now looked for help from foreign
despatched Plunket and French to Rome, and Muskerry
Browne to France; but Ormonde had already commr
tions on his own account, and he alone was accredited at the wu
of St. Germain a. Even at this moment Inchiquin had been trea
with the Supreme Council for a truce; but Einuccini, who
his duplicity, could never be induced to listen to his proposals*
man who had so mercilessly massacred his own countrymen, cnu
scarcely be trusted by them on bo sudden a conversion to
cause ; but, unhappily, there were individuals who, hi the
tain state of public affairs, were anxious to steer their baric
the thousand breakers ahead, and in their eagerness forgot tL
when the whole coast-line was deluged witii storms* tl;
chance of escape was the bold resolution of true moral eoun
The cautious politicians, therefore, made a treaty with h
which was signed at Dungarvan, on the 20th of May. On
of that month the Nuncio promulgated a sent
tion against all cities and villages where it should be receive
at the dame time, he withdrew to the camp of Owen Rot
against whom Inchiquin and Preston were prepared to marck
B last and desperate resource, and, as might be erp
failed signally of its intended effects. Various attempts t
a settlement of the question at issue by force of arms,
the contenting parties; but O'Neill baffled hia enemies.
Nuncio withdrew to Gal way,
Ormonde arrived in Ireland soon after, and was re -
on the 27th of September, 1 GiS, by Inchiquin. He tL
DEPARTURE OF THE NUNCIO.
i Kilkenny, where he was received in great state by the Confede-
s. On the 17 th of January, 1649, he signed a treaty of peace,
which concluded the seven years* war* This treaty afforded the
tost ample indulgences to the Catholics, and guaranteed fairly that
vil and religious liberty for which alone they had contended ; but
ink upon the deed was scarcely dry,erethe execution of Charles!,
I he 30th of January, washed out its enactments in royal blood }
and civil war, with more than ordinary complications, was added to
the many miseries of our unfortunate country.
ItinuccLni embarked in the San Pietrv once more, and returned
Italy, February 23, L649. Had his counsels been followed, the
result might have justified him, even in his severest measures) as it
we read only failure in his career; but it should he remembered,
hat there are circumstances under which failure is more noble than
success,
JZT*
a?
ST. LAWBEXCE GATE, DfiOGBmi,
CHAPTER XXX.
Cromwell arrives in Ireland— He marches to Droghed&— Cruel Massacre
the Inhabitants after promise of Quarter — Account of an Eyew
Brutality of the Crorawcllian Soldiers — Ladies are not spared— Cromn
Letters— He boasts of his Cruel ties —Massacre and Treachery at Drogh
Brave Resistance at Clonmel— Charles I L arrives in Scotland~*The Da
of his Conduct towards the Irah— Siege of Limerick— I retoa's Crueltie
Miserable Death— The Banishment to Connaught— The Irish are jsold
Slaves to Barbadoes — General Desolation and Misery of the Fftoplfc
[a.D. 1G49— 1655.]
EH LMWELL was now master of England, and ru/et/
with all that authority which is so freely grantrf
to a revolutionary leader, ;
lawful monarch. The great body of the Eagilik
stood aghast with horror when they discovered!
regicide, and the substitution of an illegal
for one which at least was legal, was the end of a
their hopes. The new ruler was aware <■
cariousness of his position. The safety of his bfl
as well as the continuance of his power, depend
on the caprice of the multitude; and he saw tha
the sword alone could maintain him in the elevati
position to which he had risen, and the still. mo:
elevated position to which he aspired We sc
imagine him to have been more religions or
humane than many of his contemporaries, tho
it is evident that lie required a great show of the kind of r
gLon then fash ion able to support his character as a reformer, and
ORMONDE LEAVES THE COUNTRY. 499
*£hat he considered himself obliged to exercise wholesale cruelties to
consolidate his power.
The rightful heir to the English throne was then at the Hague,
-uncertain how to act and whither he should turn his steps. He
"wished to visit Ireland, where he would have been received with
Enthusiastic loyalty by the Catholics; but Ormonde persuaded him,
from sinister motives, to defer his intention. Ormonde and Inchi-
quin now took the field together. The former advanced to Dublin,
.and the latter to Drogheda. This town was held by a Parliamen-
tary garrison, who capitulated on honorable terms. Monck and
Owen O'Neill, in the meantime, were acting in concert, and Inchi-
quin captured supplies which the English General was sending to
-die Irish chief. Newry, Dundalk, and the often-disputed and
famous Castle of Trim6 surrendered to him, and he marched back
to Ormonde in triumph. As there appeared no hope of reducing
Dublin except by famine, it was regularly blockaded; and the Earl
wrote to Charles to inform him that his men were so loyal, he could
"persuade half his army to starve outright for his Majesty."
Ormonde now moved his camp from Finglas to Eathmines, and
at the same time reinforcements arrived for the garrison, under
the command of Colonels Reynolds and Venables. The besiegers
made an attempt to guard the river, and for this purpose,
Major-General Purcell was sent to take possession of the ruined
Castle of Bagotrath, about a mile from the camp. Ormonde pro-
fessed to have expected an attack during the night, and kept his
men under arms; but just as he had retired to rest, an alarm was
given. Colonel Jones had made a sortie from the city ; the sortie
becfcme for a brief moment an engagement, and ended in a total
rout. The Earl was suspected; and whether he had been guilty of
ireaehery or of carelessness, he lost his credit, and soon after left the
kingdom.
Cromwell had been made Iieutenant-Generai of the English army
in Ireland, but as yet he had been unable to take the command in
person. His position was precarious; and he wished to secure his
influence still more firmly in his own country, before he attempted
the conquest of another. He had succeeded so far in the accom-
plishment of his plans, that his departure and his journey to Bristol
were undertaken in royal style. He left the metropolis early in June,
4 2Wm.— For an illustration of this castle, see p. 5601
CROMWELL ARRIVES IN IRELAND.
a coach drawn by six gallant Flanders* mares* and concluded h ^6
progress at Milford Haven, where he embarked, reaching Ireland a-—***
the 14th of August, 1649. He was attended by some of the mi
t famous of the Parliamentary Generals — his son, Henry,
future Lord Deputy; Monk, Blake, Lreton, Waller, Ludlow, &n
others* He brought with him, for the propagation of the Gospe^^**
and the Commonwealth, £200,000 in money, eight regim
foot, mx of horse, several troops of dragoons, a large supply
>,7 and a corresponding provision of ammunition and seythi
The Bibles were to be distributed amongst his soldiers, and
be given to the poor unfortunate natives, who could not ande;
stand a word of their contents. The scythes and sickles were
deprive them of all means of living, and to preach a ghastly co:
mentai y on the conduct of the men who wished to convert khan t
the new Gospel, which certainly was not one of peace, Crontwe!
now issued two proclamations: one against intemperance, for
knew well the work that was before him, and he could not affo;
to have a single drunken soldier in his camp. The other procl
tion prohibited plundering the country people: it was scarcely
prudent. His soldiers might any day become his masters, if tL
were not kept under strict control; and there are few things wlik
so effectually lessen military discipline as permission to phnnler lie
also wished to encourage the country people to bring in provisioxii
His arrangements all succeeded,
Ormonde had garrisoned Drogheda with 3,000 of his choicest troop*
They were partly English, and were commanded by a brave loyalist
Sir Arthur A«ton. This was really the most important to
Ireland; and Cromwell, whoso skill as a military general ca&J
disputed, at once determined to lay siege to it. He encamped Mm
the devoted city on the 2nd of September, and in a few da]
his siege guns posted on the hill shown in the ace<>
tration, and still known as Cromwell's Fort, TV
made on the 10th, and he sent in his storming parties about fi
o'clock in the evening. Earthworks had been thrown Q
and the garrison resisted with undiminished bravery. The i
r Bibles— See The CromvxUian Settlement of Ireland* by John I\ Pr*n|
giht, Eaq. —a most important work, and one which merits the careful round
tion of all who wkh to understand this period of Tri^h history, and CM J
many cause* of Irish disaffection* The scythes and sicklts werv to cutf
the corn, that the Irish might be starved if they could not be conqtwi
TUB SIEGE AND MASSAGES OF DROGHEDA,
at last wavered ; quarter3 was promised to them, and they yielded;
"but the promise came from men who knew neither how to keep
faith or to show mercy. The brave Governor, Sir Arthur Aston,
Te tired with his staff to an old mill on an eminence, but they wore
disarmed and slain in cold blood. The officers and soldiers were
first exterminated, and then men, women, and children were put to
the sword. The butchery occupied five entire days: Cromwell has
himself described the scene, and glories in his cruelty. Another
eyewitness, an officer in his army, has described it also, but with
some faint touch of remorse.
CEOMWEll/S I'OIIT, LiItOGHTTDA*
A number of the townspeople fled for safety to St Peter'6 Church,
on the north side of the city, but every one of them was murdered,'
all defenceless and unarmed as they were ; others took refuge in
church steeple, but it was of wood, and Cromwell himself gave
orders that it should be set on fire, and those who attempted to
escape the flames were piked. The principal ladies of the city had
aheltered themselves in the crypts. It might have been supposed
■ Quarter.— Cromwell flaj^ in liia letters, that quarter was not promised ;
'M mud Carte my that it waou
that this precaution should be unnecessary, or, at least, that Eng-
lish officers would respect their seat; but* alas for common humanity I
it was not so. Wben the slaughter had been accomplished above,
it was continued below. Neither youth nor beauty was spared*
Thomas Wood, who was one of these officers, and brother to
Anthony Wood, the Oxford historian, says he found in these vaults
** the flower and choicest of the women and ladies belonging to the
town; amongst whom, a most handsome virgin, arrayed in costly
and gorgeous apparel, kneeled down to him with tears and prayers
to save her life.*1 Touched by her beauty and her entreaties, he
attempted to save her, and took her out of the church; but even
his protection could not save her* A sohlier thrust his sword into
her body ; and the officer, recovering from his momentary fit of
compassion, "flung her down over the rocks," according to his own
account, but first took care to possess himself of her money and
jewels. This officer also mentions that the soldiers were in the
habit of taking up a child, and using it as a buckler, when they
wished to ascend the lofts and galleries of the church, to save
themselves from being shot or brained* It is an evidence that they
knew their victims to be less cruel than themselves* or the expedient
would not have been found to answer,
Cromwell wrote an account of this massacre to the " Council of
State," His letters, as his admiring editor observes, M tell that
own talej,ls and unquestionably that tale plainly intimates that
whether the Republican General were hypocrite or fanatic — and it
is probable he was a compound of both — he certainly, on his own
showing, was little less than a demon of cruelty* Cromwell writes
thus ; u It hath pleased God to bless our endeavours at Droghe
After battery we stormed it. The enemy were about 3,000 stron
in the town. They made a stout resistance. II it to
the sword the whole number of defendants* I do not think tJ
of the whole number escaped with their lives* Those that did ai«
ill safe custody for the Barbadoes. This hath been a marvellous
9 Tak. — Cromwdfs Letters and SiKeeJtrjit vol* i. p. 456* The simplicity witfi
which Carlyle attempts to avert the just indignation of the Irish, by say
that the garrison ** comfiated mostly of Englishim-ii." ooupled with his comp
ceot impress lou that eccentric phrases can excuse crime, would he almost amu
lug were it not that he admits himself to he oa cruel oh his hero. — vol L p. 4531
A man who can write thus is past criticism. II the garrison dtd consist nwiuly
of Englishmen, what becomes of the plea, that thia barbarity waa a just ven-
geance upon the Irish for the "massacre."
r* ■
THE MASSACRE AND TREACHERY AT WEXFORD. 503
great mercy.91 In another letter he says that this "great thing"
was done " by the Spirit of God."
These savage butcheries had the intended effect. The inhabitants
of all the, smaller towns fled at his approach, and the garrisons
capitulated. Trim, Dundalk, Carlingford, and Newry, had yielded;
but Wexford still held out. The garrison amounted to about 3,000
men, under the command of Colonel Sinnot, a brave loyalist. After
some correspondence on both sides, a conference took place between
four of the royalists and Cromwell, at which he contrived to bribe
Captain Stafford, the Governor of the Castle. The conditions asked,
preparatory to surrender, were liberty of conscience, and permission
to withdraw in safety and with military honours. Cromwell's idea
of liberty of conscience was as peculiar as his idea of honour. He
wrote to the Governor of Boss to say that he would not " meddle
with any man's conscience;" but adds: " If by liberty of conscience
you mean a liberty to exercise the Mass, I judge it best to use plain
dealing, and to tell you now, where the Parliament of England have
power, that will not be allowed of;"1 which, in plain English, meant
that he professed liberty of conscience, but allowed it only to such
as agree%l with himself. Of his estimation of honour, his dealings
at Wexford afford a fair sample. As soon as he had found that
Stafford could be bribed, he denounced the proposals of the garrison
as abominable and impudent. The traitor opened the castle-gates,
and the Parliamentary troops marched in. The besieged were
amazed and panic-struck ; yet, to their eternal credit, they made
what even Cromwell admits to have been a " stiff resistance." The
massacre of Drogheda was renewed with all its horrors, and the
treacherous General held in his hand all the time the formal offer
of surrender which had been made by the townspeople and his own
reply. He informs the Parliament that he did not intend to
-destroy the town, but his own letter reveals his treachery ; and he
congratulates his correspondents on the " unexpected providence"
which had befallen them. He excuses the massacre on the plea of
some outrages which had been offered to the " poor Protestants,"
forgetting what incomparably greater cruelties had been inflicted
by the Protestants on the Catholics, both for their loyalty and for
their religion.
MacGeoghegan mentions the massacre of two hundred women,
1 Allowed of.— Letter* and SpeecJies, voL i. p. 477.
who clung round the market-cross for protection.* His statement
is not corroborated by contemporary authority ; but there appears
no reason to doubt that it may have taken place, from what has
already been recorded at Drogheda on unquestionable authority.
Owen Roe and Ormonde now leagued together for the royal es
but their union was of short duration, for the Irish chieftain died
almost immediately, and it was said, not without suspicion of
having been poisoned by wearing a M pair of russet boots/1 sent to
him by one Plunket, of Louth, who afterwards boasted of his
exploit. His death was an irreparable loss to the Irish cause ; for
his noble and upright conduct bad won him universal esteem, while
his military prowess had secured him the respect even of his ei
mies. New Eoss surrendered to Cromwell on the 18tl !>er,
and Luke Taaffe, the Commander, joined Ormonde at Kilkenny.
The garrisons of Cork, Youghal, Kinsale3 and Bamlon, revolted tc
Cromwell, through the intervention of Lord Broghill, son uf the Ear
of Cork, who became one of the leading Parlinii . -fitters. Oe
the 24th of November, Cromwell attempted to take Watetfor
finding the place too strong for him, be marched on to Dungarvan:
Here the garrison inrrendered at discretion, and his troops proc^-a
■ led to Cork through Youghal.
The Irish had now begun to distrust Ormonde thorougly; eve^> —
the citizens of Witerfbrd refused to admit his soldiers into tl
town. Indeed, the distrust was so general, that he had considerable
difficulty in providing winter quarters for his troops, and he wrot**^
to ask permission from the exiled King to leave the country
The month of January, 16a0, was spent by Cromwell in ft
nuing his victorious march. He set out from Youghal on th*J
29th, and approached as near limerick as he dared, taking sucj
eastles as lay in his way, and accepting the keys of Cashe! an
other towns, where the authorities surrendered immediately* Q
the 22nd of March he arrived before Kilkenny, to meet a resistane^^
as hopeless as it was heroic A fearful pestilence had reduced th
garrison from 1,200 men to about 400, yet they absolutely
f Protection*— T)t, French, the Catholic Bishop of Ferns, has given an
nocotmt of the (terming of Wexford, in a letter to the Papal Nuncio, in w
he states that the soldiers were nut content with simply murdering their
tims, but used "divers sorts of torture/' Aa he was theu in the immv
neighbouring m1, he had every opportunity of being correctly informed. Groa
well must have sanctioned tbi*, if be did not encourage it.
CROMWELL RETURNS TO ENGLAND. 505
to obey the summons to surrender, but, after a brave resistance,
they were obliged to yield; and Cromwell hastened on to Clonmel,
where he had to encounter the most formidable resistance he expe-
rienced in his Irish campaigns. The garrison was commanded by
Hugh Dubh O'Neill. The Bishop of Ross attempted to raise the
siege, but was taken and hanged by Broghill, because he would not
desire the defenders of Carrigadrohid to surrender. The first attack
on Clonmel took place on the 9th of May, and O'Neill determined
to resist with the energy of despair, and the full knowledge of
the demon vengeance with which the Puritans repaid such deeds
of valour. When the place was no longer tenable, he withdrew his
troops under cover of darkness ; and the English General found
next morning that he had been outwitted, and that nothing re-
mained for his vengeance but the unfortunate townspeople.
Pressing demands were now made by the Parliament for his
return to England, where the royalists had also to be crushed and
subdued ; and after committing the command of his army to Ireton,
he sailed from Youghal, on the "20th of May, leaving, as a legacy to
Ireland, a name which was only repeated to be cursed, and an increase
of miseries which already had seemed incapable of multiplication.
In the meantime the Irish clergy held frequent conferences, and
made every effort in their power to obtain peace for their un-
fortunate country. Ormonde became daily more and more dis-
trusted ; the people of Limerick and of Galway had both refused to
receive him ; and on the 6th of August the clergy met in synod at
Jamestown, in the county Leitrim, and sent him a formal message,
requesting his withdrawal from the. kingdom, and asking for the
appointment of some one in whom the people might have con-
fidence. His pride was wounded, and he refused to retire until
he should be compelled to do so; but the bishops published a
declaration, denouncing his government, and threatening to im-
peach him before the King. They were yet to learn that the King,
whom they served so faithfully, and in whom, despite all past dis-
appointments, they confided so loyally, could be guilty of the
greatest duplicity and the basest subterfuge.
Charles II. landed in Scotland on the 28th of June, 1G50, and
soon after signed the Covenant, and a declaration in which he
stated the peace with Ireland to be null and void, adding, with
equal untruthfulness and meanness, that " he was convinced in his
conscience of the sinfulness and unlawfulness of it, and of allowing
them [the Catholics] the liberty of the Popish religion ; for which
he did from his heart desire to he deeply humbled before the
Lord/' Ormonde declared, what was probably true, that the King
had been obliged to make these statements, and that they meant
nothing; but neither his protestations nor his diplomacy could
save him from general contempt ; and having appointed the M;ir*
quis of Clanrickarde to administer the Government of Ireland for
the King, he left the country, accompanied by some of the leading
royalists, and, after a stormy passage, arrived at St. Malo, in Brit-
tany, early in the year 1051. The Irish again sacrificed their
interests to their loyalty, and refused favourable terms offered to
them by the Parliamentary party ; they even attempted to mort-
gage the town of Gal way, to obtain money for the royal cause,
an agreement was entered into with the Duke of Lorraine for tfait
purpose ; but the disasters of the battle of Worcester, and the tri-
umphs of the republican faction, soon deprived them of every hope*
It will be remembered that Cromwell had passed by Limerick at
a respectful distance ; but the possession of that city was none the
less coveted, I re ton now prepared to lay siege to it* To effect thi*.
Coote made a feint of attacking Sligo ; and when he had drawn off
Clanrickarde's forces to oppose him, marched back hastily, and took
Athlone, By securing this fortress he opened a road into Connau .
and I re ton, at the same time, forced the passage of the river at
O'Briensbridge, and thus was enabled to invest Limerick. Lord
Mnskerry marched to its relief; but he was intercepted by L
Broghili, and his men were routed with great slaughter. The
castle at the salmon weir was first attacked ; and the men who de-
fended it were butchered in cold blood, although they had surreu*
dered on a promise of quarter. At length treachery accomplished
what valour might have prevented. The plague was raging in the
city, and many tried to escape ; but were either beaten back into
the town, or killed on the spot by Ireton's trooi>ers. The corporat i » »n
and magistrates were in favour of a capitulation ; but the gallant
Governor, Hugh G'Xeill, opposed it earnestly* Colonel Fennell, who
had already betrayed the pass at Killaloe, completed his perfidy by
seizing St. John's Gate and Tower, and admitting Iretons men by
night. On the following day the invader was able to dictate his
own terms. 2,500 soldiers laid down their arms in St. Mary's
Church, and marched out of the city, many dropping dead on their
road of the fearful pestilence, Twenty -four persons were exempted
BRETON'S CRUELTIES AND MISERABLE DEATH. 507
from quarter. Amongst the number were a Dominican prelate, Dr.
Terence O'Brien, Bishop of Emly, and a Franciscan, Father Wolfe.
Ireton had special vengeance for the former, who had long encou-
raged the people to fight for their country and their faith, and had
refused a large bribe3 which the Cromwellian General had offered
him if he would leave the city. The ecclesiastics were soon con-
demned; but, ere the Bishop was dragged to the gibbet, he turned
to the dark and cruel man who had sacrificed so many lives, and
poured such torrents of blood over the land, summoning him, in
stern and prophetic tones, to answer at God's judgment-seat for the
evils he had done. The Bishop and his companion were martyred
on the Eve of All Saints, October 31st, 1651. On the 26th of No-
vember Ireton was a corpse. He caught the plague eight days after
- lie had been summoned to the tribunal of eternal justice; and he
died raving wildly of the men whom he had murdered, and accusing
everyone but himself of the crime he had committed.
8everal of the leading gentry of Limerick were also executed;
and the traitor Fennell met the reward of his treachery, and was
also hanged. Hugh O'Neill was saved through the remonstrances
of some of the Parliamentary officers, who had the spirit to appre-
ciate his valour and his honorable dealing.
Ludlow now took the command, and marched to assist Coote,
who was besieging Galway. This town surrendered on the 12th of
JKay, 1652. The few Irish officers who still held out against the Par-
liament, made the best terms they could for themselves individually;
and there was a brief peace, the precursor of yet more terrible storms.
I. have already given such fearful accounts of the miseries to
which the Irish were reduced by confiscations, fines, and war, that
i% seems useless to add fresh details ; yet, fearful as are the records
given by Spenser of 1580, when neither the lowing of a cow nor the
voice of a herdsman could be heard from Dunquin, in Kerry, to
Caahel, in Munster, there seems to have been a deeper depth of
miaeiy after Cromwell's massacres. In 1 653 the English themselves
were nearly starving, even in Dublin; and cattle had to be imported
from Wales. There was no tillage, and a licence was required to
Jrill Iamb.4 The Irish had fled into the mountains, the only refuge
* Bribe.— 40,000 golden crowns, and free leave to emigrate where he chose.—
MHL Bam. p. 448.
* Lamk—CromwMan Settlement, p. 16. See also Petty's Political Anatomy
508
WHOLESALE EXPATRIATION OF IRISH SOLDIERS.
left to them now; and the Parliamentary officers were obliged to
issue proclamations inviting their return, and promising them safety
an i.l protection. But the grand object of the revolutionary party
was still to carry out the wild scheme of unpeopling Ireland of
the Irish, and planting it anew with English— a scheme which bad
been so often attempted, and had so signally failed, that ont? mar-
vels how it could again have been brought forward. Still them
were always adventurers ready to fight for other men's lands, and
subjects who might be troublesome at home, whom it was found
desirable to occupy in some way abroad* But a grand effort was
made now to get rid of as many Irishmen as possible in u
peaceable manner. The valour of the Irish soldier was well
known abroad;5 and agents from the King of Spain, the King of
Poland, and the Prince de Conde, were contending for those brave
fellows, who were treated tike slaves in their native land; and then,
if they dared resist, branded with the foul name of rebels. If a
keen had rung out loud and long when Q'Donnell left his native
land never to return, well might it ring out now yet mure wildly.
In May, 1G52, Don Kicardo Wliite shipped 7,000 men for fcl
of Spain; in September Colonel Mayo collected 8*000 more; Lord
Muslcerry took 5T000 to Poland; andf in 1G54
went to serve the Prince de Conde with 3,500 men* Other ofh
looked up the men who had served under them, and expat r?
themselves in smaller parties; so that, between 1651 and It
34,000 Irishmen had left their native land; and few, inde-
re turned to its desolate shores.
But their lot was merciful compared with the fate of those who
still remained* In 1653 Ireland was considered sulHciently di
pulatcd by war and emigration to admit of a commencement of the
grand planting* The country was again portioned out; again
ruling powers selected the best portion of the land for themselves
and their favourites; again the religion of the country was, reformed,
and Protestant prelates were condemned as loudly, though I
were not hunted as unmercifully, as Popish priests; again the wild
and lawless adventurer was sent to eject the old proprietor, who
* Abroad.— The Prince of Orange declared they were born soldiem Sir
John Norm said that he " never beheld so few of any country as of Irisn thm
were idiots or cowards, a Henry IV, of Franco aaid that Hugh O'Neill waft
the third soldier of the age ; and declared that no nation bad tuck res® I
martial men,— Cromwellian Settlement, p, 22.
THE BANISHMENT TO CONNAUGHT. 509
might starve or beg while the intruder held his lands, and sheltered
himself in his mansion, while a new cruelty was enacted, a new ter-
ror devised, a new iniquity framed, and this by rulers who talked
80 loudly of political and religious liberty. It was not convenient,
or, more probably, it was not possible, to massacre all the native
population who still survived; so they were to be banished — banished
to a corner of their own land, imprisoned there safely by their ruth-
less conquerors, and there, without hope or help, it was supposed
they must soon die out quietly.
This is the official proclamation which was issued on the subject:
" The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, having, by an
Act lately passed (entitled an Act for the Settling of Ireland), de-
clared that it is not their intention to extirpate this whole nation
«... it is ordered that the Governor and Commissioners of Reve-
nue do cause the said Act of Parliament, with this present
declaration, to be published and proclaimed in their respective pre-
cincts, by beat of drum and sound of trumpet, on some market*
day within ten days after the same shall come unto them within
their respective precincts."
We may imagine the dismay and anguish which this announce-
ment caused. The old Irish chieftain and the Anglo-Irish lord still
had some kind of home and shelter on their own estate — it might be
bat an outhouse or a barn; it was certainly on the worst and least
cultivated portion of their land, for the old castle had Itaig since
been taken from them, and their broad acres transferred to others.
Yet, though they tilled the soil of which they so lately had been the
lords, this little spot was home: there the wife and mother loved
her little ones as tenderly as in the stately halls which her husband
or his fathers had so lately possessed. It was home, and if not the
dear old home, it was, perhaps, loved all the more for its sorrowful
proximity to the ancestral castle — for the faint hope that the right-
ful owner might still be restored. But the trumpet had sounded
the nation's doom. Confiscation and banishment, wholesale plunder
find untold iniquity, reigned supreme. The name of the God of
justice was invoked to sanction6 the grossest outrages upon jus-
tice; and men who professed to have freed their own nation from
* Sanction. — See Cromwtllian Si (fitment, p. 61, for ft sjiecimen of the
*• Bible rtrfff with which they crammed their heads and hardened their
heart*."
the tyranny of kingcraft and of Popery, perpetrated a tyranny on
another nation, which has made the name of their leader a byword
and a curse.
The majority of the Catholic nobility and gentry were banished;
the remainder of the nation, thus more than decimated, were sent
to Connaugiit On the 26th of September, 1653, all the property
of the Irish people was declared to belong to the English army and
adventurers, " and it waa announced that the Parliament had a*»
signed Connaught [America was not then accessible] for the habita-
tion of the Irish nation, whither they must transplant, with their
wives, and daughters, and children, before 1st May following, under
the penalty of death, if found on this side of the Shannon after that
day.*17 It must not be supposed that this death penalty was a mere
threat ; I shall give instances to prove the contrary. Any man.
woman, or child who had disobeyed this order, no matter iron*
what cause, could be instantly executed in any war, by any of these
soldiers or adventurers, without judge, jury, or trial. It was in fact
stituting a special commission for the new comers to murder1 all
the old inhabitants.
Connaught was selected for two reasons : first, because it was the
most wasted province of Ireland; and secondly* because it couL
and in fact was, most easily converted into a national prison, by
erecting a cordon milUairc across the country , from sea to sea, IV
make the imprisonment more complete, a belt four miles wide*
commencing' one mile to the west of Sligo, and thence running along
the coast and the Shannon, was to be given to the soldiery to plant
Thus, any Irishman who attempted to escape, would be sort! of in-
stant capture and execution
The Government, as it has been already remarked, res
best part of the land for themselves. They secured the towns,
church-lands, and tithes, and abolished the Protestant Church, with
all its officers, which had been so recently declared th n of
the country. A €t Church of Chrfct'* was now the established
religion, and a Mr. Thomas Hides was approved by th*
"Church of Christ" meeting at Chichester House, vis one :
qualified to preach and dispense the Gospel as often as the Lord
TDatf.—CromweUian Settlement, p. lift,
9 Murder, — *' Whenever any unwary peracm chanced to pas* these ltm»frj
he was knocked oa the head by the tirsfc officer or soldier v mnfc
Colonel Astcll killed &kc women in this way,"'— J bid, p. 164
THE SUFFERINGS OF THE TRANSPLANTATION. 511
should enable him, and in such places as the Lord should make hi&
ministry most effectual The Parliament also reserved for them-
selves the counties of Dublin, Kildare, Carlow, and Cork; and fromi
these lands and the church property they were to enrich them-
selves, and, with what they could spare, to reward the leading
regicides and rebels. The adventurers were next provided for.
They claimed £960,000. This was divided into three lots, to be-
paid in lands in Munster, Leinster, and Ulster. All these were to
be drawn by lot; and a lottery was held at Grocers' Hall, London,
which commenced at eight o'clock in the morning, on the 20th of
July, 1653, at which time and place men who professed the ad-
vancement of the Christian religion to be the business of their
lives, openly and flagrantly violated the most solemn and explicit
commands of that very belief which they declared themselves so
zealous in upholding. The soldiers and officers were to obtain,
whatever was left after the adventurers had been satisfied.
A book was written by a Franciscan father, called Threnodia Hi-
berno-Catholica, she Planclus Universalis totius Cleri et Pqpuli Regnh
Hibcrnice,9 in which the writer states he had heard a great Protes-
tant statesman give three reasons why this transplantation was
confined to the gentry, and why the poor, who had not been either
transported or hanged, were allowed to remain: (1) because the
English wanted them to till the ground; (2) they hoped they would
become Protestants when deprived of their priests; (3) because
the settlers required servants, or else they should have worked for
themselves.
But the fatal day at length arrived, and those who had dared to-
linger, or to hope that so cruel a sentence would not be finally ex-
ecuted, were at once undeceived. The commissioners had been in
trouble all the winter: the people who were to be driven out of their
farms refused to sow for those who were to succeed them ; and the very
plotters of the iniquity began to tremble for the consequences which
• ffibcrnias.—The Wail of the Irish Catholics; or, Groans of the IVJiole
Clergy and People, &c. By Father Maurice Morison, of the Minors of Strict
Observance, an eyewitness of these cruelties. Insbruck, a.d. 1659. This
religious had remained in Ireland, like many of his brethren, in such complete
disguise, that their existence was not even suspected. In order to minister the
more safely to .their afflicted people, they often hired as menials in Protestant
families, and thus, in a double sense, became the servants of all men. Father
Maurice was in the household of Colonel Ingolsby, the Parliamentary Governor
of Limerick.
might accrue to themselves. They fasted, they prayed, and they
wrote pages of their peculiar cant, which would be ludicrous were
it not profane. They talked loudly of their un worthiness for so great
a service, but expressed no contrition ibr wholesale robbery. Mean-
while, however, despite cant, fasts, and fears, the work went oil
The heads of each family were required to proceed to Longhrea
before the 31st of January, 1654, to receive each allotments as
the commissioners pleased to give them, and that they might
eiect some kind of huts on these allotments, to shelter t
wives and daughters when they arrived. The allotment of land
proportioned to the stock which each family should bring; but
they were informed that, at a future day, other commissioners were
to sit at AthloneT and regulate even these regulations, according
to their real or supposed affection or disaffection to the Parlia-
ment Ail this was skilfully put forward, that the nnfiti
people might transplant the more quietly, in the hope of proc
thereby the good-will of their tyrants ; but the tyrants were quite
aware that the stock would probably die from the fatigue of trans-
portation and the want of food ; then the land could be taken
from the victim, and, as a last favour, he might be allowed to
remain in the poor hut he had erected, until misery and disease
had terminated his life also.
Remonstrances and complaints were sent to the faction who
governed England, but all was in vain. The principal petitioners
were the descendants of the English nobles; they were now, by a just
retribution, suffering; themselves the very miseries which they had
so ruthlessly inflicted on the native Irish. The petitioners, says
Mr. Prendergast*1 were the noble and the wealthy, men of am
English blood, descendants of the invaders — the FitzGeralds, th*
Butlers, the Plunkets, the EarnwaUs, Dillons, CI
names found appended to various schemes for extirpating or trans*
planting the Irish, after the subduing of Lord Thomas FitzGendds
rebellion in 1535 — who were now to transplant as Irish, The
1 Prendergart.^CramweHian Statement, p. 34. We cjui only reootmucod
jthia volume to the consideration of oiir readers. It would be impoaaibi-
anything less than a volume, to give the different details which Mr, Prvndergi**
has brought together with so much judgment, and at the expense, of jean «f
research. We might hive selected some esses from his work, hut, on the
whole, we think it will he more satisfactory to the reader to peruse it
in its entirety. It may he obtained from our publishers, Messrs* Longmans
aud Co., Paternoster-row, London.
SPENSER'S GRANDSON. 513
native Irish were too poor to pay scriveners and messengers to
the Council, and their sorrows were unheard ; though under their
sough coats beat hearts that felt as great pangs at being driven
from their native homes as Jthe highest in the land.
One of these English families demands special mention. Edmund
Spenser's grandson was now commanded to transplant, as though
he too had been "mere Irish;" and the very estate near Fermoy,
which had been confiscated from the FitzGeralds seventy years
before, and which the poet had obtained thus fraudulently, was
now confiscated anew, and granted to Cromwell's soldiers.
William Spenser protested; he pleaded his grandfather's name, he
pleaded his grandfather's services, especially the odium he had in-
curred amongst the Irish by the way in which he had written of
them; and lastly, William Spenser declares of himself that he had
utterly renounced Popery since he came to years of discretion.
Bat even Cromwell's interference could not save him ; the soldiers
were determined to have his lands, and they had them.
The commissioners appointed to conduct the transplanting had
a busy time. They were overwnelined with petitions: the heads of
families demanding permission to return and save their crops; the
women requesting to remain a few months: longer for a similar pur-
pose, when the men were not permitted to return. Hundreds of
petitions were sent from aged and bedridden persons, to obtain
leave to die in peace where they were. Then there were com-
plaints from the officers who had charge of driving the people into
the plantation; and above all, there was a charge, a grave charge,
against the Irish people — they were as stiff-necked, wicked, and
rebellious2 as ever, and could not be brought to see that they were
created for no other end than to be sacrificed for the benefit of
English adventurers; and, moreover, they were declared to be a
most treacherous race, for, years after, they might revenge all this
kindness, oy murdering the men who had taken possession of their
lands and farms ; and some nad absolutely refused to transplant,
and preferred death.
* Rebellious.—- If the subject were not so serious, the way in which the
officials write about the feelings of the Irish would almost provoke a smile.
They say : " It is the nature of this people to be rebellious ; and they have
been so much the more disposed to it, having been highly exasperated by the
transplanting work." Surely they could not be expected to be anything else
but rebellious and exasperated 1
2K
The manner in which these difficulties were mot ia thus recorded
in a letter which was written for publication in London : —
"Athj, March A, 1664-5,
" I have only to acquaint you that the time prescribed for th©
transplantation of the Irish proprietors, and those that have b«va
in arms and abettors of the rebellion, being near at baud, the
officers are resolved to fill the gaols and to seize them ; by which
this bloody people will know that they [the officers] are not
degenerated from English principles i though I presume we shall
be very tender of hanging any except leading men ; yet we shall
make no scruple of sending them to the West Indies, where they
will serve for planters, and help to plant the plantation that
General Venables, it ia hoped, hath reduced,*1
So examples were made. Mr. Edward Hetherington was hanged
in Dublin, on the 3rd of April, 1655, with placards on his breast
mid back, on which were written ? M For not transplanting;" and at
the summer assizes of 1658, hundreds were condemned to death
for the same cause, but were eventually sent as slaves to Bar*
badoes, The miseries of those who did transplant wm scarcely
Jess than those of the persons who were condemned to slavery.
Some committed suicide, some went mad, all were reduced to the
direst distress. The nobles of the land were as cruelly treated and
as much distrusted as the poorest peasant. The very men who had
laid down their arms and signed articles of peace at Kilkenny t were
not spared ; and the excuse offered was, that the Act of Parliament
overrode the articles* One of the gentlemen thus betrayed was Lord
Trimbleston, and his tomb may still he seen in the ruined Abbey of
Kilconnell, with the epitaph ; —
• Hbbe lies Mathew, Lord Baron of Teumblestom,
oke om the teaesplasted *
KCULPTCKBS AT DKVEKISH.
CHAPTER XXXI.
be Irish transported aa Slave* to Barbadoes— The Three Beasts who were i
to be h anted : the Wolf, the Priest, and the Tory— Origin and Causes of
Agrarian Outrages— Cases of Tod i vidua! Wrongs— Lord Kocbe— Mr. Lut-
trel — Accession of Charles II. — His Base Conduct towards the Irish
Loyalists— Gross Injustice towards the Irish Catholic Landowners— The
Remonstrance opposed by the Clergy — A Quarrel in the House of Lords —
The Popish Plot— Ormonde's Difficulties — Seizure ami Imprisonment of the
Archbishop of Dublin- Imprisonment and Execution of the Most Key. Dr.
Piunkett, Archbishop of Armagh.
[A.D.— 1G55—16BL]
ANY of the Irish soldiers who had entered into the
service of foreign princes, were obliged to leave
their wives and families behind. When we recall
tin- number of those who were thus expatriated, it
will not seem surprising that thou sands of young
children were left utterly destitute. These boys
and girls, however, were easily disposed of by the
Government; and Sir William Petty states, that
6»0UO were sent out as slaves to the West Indies,
The Bristol sugar merchants traded in these human
lives, as if they had been so much merchandize \
and merchandize, in truth, they were, for they
could be had lor a trifle, and they fetched a high
price in the slave-market. Even girls of noble
birth were subjected to this cruel fate. Morison
mentions an instance of this kind which came to
his own knowledge* He was present when Daniel Connery,
.^till/man of Clare, was sentenced to banishment, by Colocz
In^oldsby, for harbouring a priest, Mrs, Cannery died of i
tiuii, and three of his daughters, young and beautiful girls, we^
transported as slaves to Barbadoea. *
A court was established for the punishment of M rebels ar
maiignants f the former consisting of persons who refused to &m
render their houses and lands, and the latter being those w ^
would not act contrary to their conscientious convictions in religion
matters. These courts were called u Cn>m well's Slaughter-house*
Donnellan, who had acted as solicitor to the regicides, at the ti _ f
of Charles I,, held the first court at Kilkenny, October 4, 16
Lord Louth er held a court in Dublin, in February, 1653, for
special purpose of trying " all massacres and murders commit
aSnoe the 1st day of October, 1641 " The inquiries, however, w^»jv
solely confined to the accused Catholics ; and the result prov wd
the falsehood of all the idle tales which had been circulates
their having intended a great massacre of Protestants, for coi-
tions could only be obtained against 200 persona, and even ti
were supported by forged and corrupt evidence,4 Sir Phelim
O'Neill was the only person convicted tu Ulster, and he TO*
offered his life again and again, and even on the very steps of
scaffold, if he would consent to criminate Charles L
As the majority of the nation had now been disposed off ei
by banishment, transportation, or hanging, the Government had
time to turn their attention to other ailairs. The desolation of the
country was such, that the smoke of A fire, or the sign of a hoi
tion, was considered a rare phenomenon. In consequence of this
depopulation, wild beasts had multiplied on the lands, and three
11 beasts" were especially noted for destruction, In the Parlian
held at Westminster in 1657, Major Morgan, member for the cou
Wkldow, enumerated these beasts thus : li We have three beasts
destroy that lay burdens upon us. The first is the wolf, on w]
we lay £5 a head if a dog, and £10 if a bitch, The second 1
is a priest, on whose head we lay £10 ; if he be eminent, mora
> Barbados— Thrcnodia Hth. p. 2S7.
* Evidence. — In a work written expressly to excite feeling i
the 1 1 lab, it b stated that they [the Irish] failed in the
tcrefftftn StUit merit, \y. 5, for further evidence.
THE THRKE BEASTS WHO WERE HUNTto. 517
The third beast is a Tory, on whose head, if he be a public Tory,
we lay £20 ; and forty shillings on a private Tory."6
Wolves had increased so rapidly, that the officers who left Ireland
for Spain, in 1652, were forbidden to take their dogs with them,
and were thus deprived of the pleasure and the pride (for Irish
dogs were famous) of this. consolation in their exile. Public hunts
were ordered, and every effort made to keep down beasts of prey.
But the whole blame was thrown on the second beast. It was de-
clared solemnly that if there had been no priests there would have
been no wolves.6 The syllogism ran somewhat in this fashion : —
The Popish priests are the cause of every misery in Ireland ;
The wolves are a misery :
Therefore the priests are to blame for the existence of the
wolves.
" By a similar process of reasoning," observes Mr. Prendergast,
"it is proved that the Irish have caused the ruin, the plundering,
and the desolation of the country, from the first invasion, for so
many ages." And this is undoubtedly true ; for if there had been no
Irish, no Irish could have been plundered ; and if there had been
no plunder, there could not have been the misery of the plundered.
The number of wolves to be destroyed may be estimated from the
fact, that some lands valued at a high rate were let for a stipulated
number of wolves' heads in lieu of rent. But the wolves were more
easily got rid of than the priests. The priests were accustomed to
be persecuted, and accustomed t& be hunted. They came to Ire-
land, as a general rule, with the full knowledge that this would be
their fate, and that if they ended their lives, after a few years' minis-
tration, by hanging, without any extra torture, it was the best they
could hope for, as far as this world was concerned. Some, however,
would have preferred the torture, expecting an additional recom-
pense for it in the next. But there were parts of the country
where it was incomparably more difficult to hunt out a priest than
a wolf; so the Government gave notice, on the 6th of January, 1653,
that all priests and Mars who were willing to transport themselves,
should have liberty to do so for twenty days. But the priests and
friars had no idea of leaving the country. They had gone abroad,
at the risk of their lives, to fit themselves in some of the splendid
• Tory. — Cromwellian Settlement, p. 150.
• No toofoe*— Declaration printed at Cork, 1650.
continental colleges for their duties, and to obtain authority to ad-
minister the sacraments j they returned, at the risk of their lives, to
fulfil their mission ; and they remained, at the risk of* their lives, to
devote them to their own people, for whose sakes they had re-
nounced, not only earthly pleasures and joys, but even that quiet
and peaceful life, which, as Christian priests, they might have had
in foreign lands. The people for whom they suffered were not
efuL Poor as they were, none could be found to take the prof-
fered bribe. Long lists may be found of priests who were captured
and executed, and of the men who received the rewards for tl
capture ; but yon will not see a real Irish name amongst tli
will perceive that the priest-catchers were principally Eng
soldiers ; and you will remark that the man in whose house
priest was discovered generally shared his fate. But it was u&«
They were hung, they were tortured, they were transported to
Barbadoes, and, finally, such numbers were captured* that it waa
feared they would contaminate the very slaves, and they were
confined on the island of Ianisboffin, off the coast of Connemara.
Yet more priests came to take the place of those who were thus
removed, and the " hunt w was still continued.
The number of secular priests who were victims to this pm
tion cannot be correctly estimated. The religious orders, who wet*
in the habit of keeping an accurate chronicle of the entrance and
decease of each member, furnish fuller details, An official record,
drawn up in 105%, gives the oiufefl of thirty Franciscans who had
suffered for the faith ; and this was before the mo I -e search
had commenced, The martyrdom of a similar number of Don
cans is recorded almost under the same date; and Dr, Bur.
states thai more llian three hundred of the clergy were put tod-.
by the sword or on the scaffold, while more than 1,000 were sent
into exile.
The third i( beast" was the Tory, The Tory was the originator
of agrarian outrages in Ireland, or we should rather say, the English
planters were the originators, and the Tories the first perpetrators
of the crime. The Irish could scarcely be expected to have very
exalted ideas of the sanctity and inviolable rights of property, from
* Dr. B*r$at.—Brevi8 Relatio. Presented to tbe Sacred Congregation
1Q67- Dr. Moran'd little work, Persecution of tht Irixf* Catholic*, giret &m|i
ifrtail* on this subject ; and every statement is carefully verified, and t&§
authority given for it
ORIGIN OF AGRARIAN OUTRAGES. 519
the way in which they saw it treated. The English made their will
law, and force their title-deed. The Anglo-Normans dispossessed
the native Irish, the followers of the Tudors dispossessed the Anglo-
Normans, and the men of the Commonwealth dispossessed them all.
Still, the Celt, peculiarly tenacious of his traditions, had a very clear
memory of his ancient rights, and could tell you the family who even
then represented the original proprietor, though that proprietor had
been dispossessed five or six hundred years. The ejectments from
family holdings had been carried out on so large a scale, that it can
scarcely be a matter of surprise if some of the ejected resented this
treatment. .There were young men who preferred starving in the
woods to starving in Connaught ; and after a time they formed into
bands in those vast tracts of land which had been wholly depopu-
lated. The men were desperate. It is difficult to see how they could
have been anything else, when driven to desperation. They were
called robbers; but there was a general confusion about meum
and tuum which they could not understand. Strangers had taken
possession of their cattle, and they did not comprehend why they
Bhould not try to obtain it again in any possible way. Young
men, whose fathers had landed estates of £2,000 a-year, which were
quietly divided amongst Cromwell's Life-Guards, while the proprietor
was sent out to beg, and his daughters compelled to take in wash-
ing or do needlework, could scarcely be expected to take such a
change in their circumstances very calmly. A man who had been
transplanted from an estate worth £2,500 a year near Dublin, which
his family had owned for four hundred years, and whose daughters
were given the munificent gratuity of £10 apiece by the Council
Board, and forbidden for the future to ask for any further assis-
tance, might certainly plead extenuating circumstances8 if he took
to highway robbery. Such circumstances as these were common
at this period ; and it should be borne in mind that the man
whose holding was worth but £40 a-year felt the injustice, and re-
. sented the inhumanity of his expulsion, quite as much as the noble-
• Circumstance*. — Lord Roche and his daughters were* compelled to go on
foot to Connaught, and his property was divided amongst the English soldiers.
Hit wife, the Viscountess Roche, was hanged without a shadow of evidence
that she had committed the crime of which she was accused. Alderman
Roche's daughters had nothing to live on but their own earnings by washing
and needlework ; and Mr. Luttrell, the last case mentioned above, was allowed
mm a favour to occupy his own etables while preparing to transplant
man with .£4,000. So the Tories plundered their own prope
and, if they could be captured, paid the penalty with their Uvea ;
but, when they were not caught, the whole district suffered, and
Borne one was made a scapegoat for their crime, though it did not
seem much to matter whether the victim could he charged with
complicity or not, After some years, when even the sons of the
proprietors had become old inhabitants, and the dispossessed ge-
neration had passed away, their children were still called Tories.
They wandered from village to village, or rather from hovel
hovel, and received hospitality and respect from the defendants
those who had been tenants on the estates of their forefathers, and
who still called them gentlemen and treated them as such, though
they possessed nothing but the native dignity, which could not be
thrown off, and the old title-deeds, which were utterly worthless,
yet not the less carefully treasured. Yet, these men were con-
demned by their oppressors because they did not work for their
living, and because they still remembered their ancient digit
resented their ancient wrongs. To have worked and I
gotten might have been wiser ; but those who are accustomed to
ease are slow to learn labour, even with the best intentions mf and
those who had inflicted the wrongs were scarcely the persons who
should have taunted the sufferers with the miseries they had caused,
Charles II. commenced his reign de facte in 1660, under tStramoaA
favourable auspices. People were weary of a Commonwealth whi.<3*
had promised so much and performed so little ; of the name
liberty without the reality ; of the exercise of kingly power with*
the appurtenances or right of majesty. But the now monarch b
been educated in a bad school* Surrounded with all the. prestiga
royalty without its responsibilities, and courted most ardently
followers whose only object was their own future advaneemc
which they hoped to secure by present flattery, it is scarcely a mul
of surprise that Charles shouM have disappointed the hopes of
nation. In England public affairs were easily settled Tli
had been expelled from their estates by the CromweUian fact!
drove out0 by tlje new proprietors; but in Ireland the case ^
very different, Even the faithful loyalists, who had sacrifi
everything for the King, and had so freely assisted his oecessi*
out of their poverty, were now treated with contempt, and tfcz^sr
6 i>r<?tw out— Cartel Ormonde, vol. ii. pi 308,
CHARLES' TREATMENT OF THE LOYALISTS. 521
claims silenced by proclamation ; while the men who had been most
opposed to the royal interest, and most cruel in their oppression
of the natives, were rewarded and admitted into favour. Coote
and Broghill were of this class. Each tried to lessen the other in
the opinion of their royal master as they ran the race for favour, and
each boasted of services never accomplished, and of loyalty which
never existed. The two enemies of each other and of the nation
were now appointed Lord Justices of Ireland; and a Parliament
was assembled on the 8th of May, 1661, the first meeting of the
kind which had been held for twenty years.
The Catholic, or national interest, was certainly not represented;
for there were present seventy-two Protestant peers, and only
twenty-one Catholics; while the House of Commons comprised two
hundred and sixty members, all of whom were burgesses except
sixty-four, and the towns had been So entirely peopled by Crom-
well's Puritan followers, that there could be no doubt what course
they would pursue. An attempt was now made to expel the few
Catholics who were present, by requiring them to take the oath of
supremacy. The obsequious Parliament voted £30,000 to the Duke
of Ormonde, whose career of duplicity was crowned with success.
It is almost amusing to read his biographer's account1 of the favours
bestowed on him, and the laudations he bestows on his master for
his condescension in accepting them. Carte would have us believe
that Ormonde was a victim to his king and his country, and that
the immense sums of money he received did not nearly compensate
him for his outlays. Posterity will scarcely confirm the partiality
of the biographer.
The Bill of Settlement was opposed by the Irish Catholics
through their counsel, but their claims were rejected and treated
with contempt. Charles had told his Parliament, on his resto-
ration, that he expected they would have a care of his honour and
of the promise he had made. This promise had been explicitly
renewed by Ormonde for the King, before he left for Breda ; but
the most solemn engagements were so regularly violated when Irish
affairs were concerned, that nothing else could have been expected.
A Court of Claims was at length established, to try the cases of
ejectment which had occurred during the Commonwealth ; but this
1 Accounts. — Carte'B Ormonde, vol. ii. pp. 398, 399. He considers all ' * boun-
ties" granted to him as mere acts of justice.
THE COURT OF CLAIMS,
excited eo much indignation and alarm amongst the Protestfttitat
that all hope of justice was quickly at an end , and the time-serving
Ormonde closed the court. The grand occupation of each new reign,
for the last few centuries, appear* to have been to undo what had
been done in the preceding reigna, An Act of Explanation was
now passed, an d a Pr o tea t an t m i I i t i :i rai se d ? to satisfy that party. 1 1
was provided by the new Act that the Protestants were, in the first
place, and especially, to be settled; that any doubt which arose
should be decided in their favour ; and that no Papist, who, by the
qualifications of the former Act, had not been adjudged Inno*
should at any future time be reputed innocent, or entitled to claim
any lands or settlements* It wilt be remembered that Ormonde
had cut short the sittings of the court to satisfy Protestant clamour;
in consequence of this, more than 3,000 Catholic claimants «
condemned to forfeit their estates, without even the shadow of aa
inquiry, but with the pretence of having justice done to tL
orf as Leland has expressed it, "without the justice granted to
the vilest criminal— that of a fair and equal trial."2
Although it would seem to the ordinary observer that the Catho-
lics had been dealt with severely, the dominant faction were still
dissatisfied; and Ormonde was obliged to threaten a dissolution, i
to expel some members for complicity in a plot to overthrow the
English Government, which had just been discovered, and of which
the ringleader was a man named Blood* It was now ascertained
that the Cromwellian distribution of lands had been carried out
with the most shameful injustice towards the very Government
which had sanctioned it; and that the soldiers, who went with texts
of Scripture on their lips, and swords in their hands, fco
Popery, had cheated1' their officers and self-elected rulers
shameless audacity
The famous Remonstrance was drawn np about this time. It
was prepared by Peter Walsh, a Franciscan friar, who was a pro-
5 Trial — Chief J ustiee Nugent, afterwards Lord Rivereton, in a letter, dated
Dublin, June 23rd, 1686, and preserved in the State Paper Office, Loo
says i ■' There are 5,000 in this kingdom who were never outlawed "
a GhmtttL — Books were found in the office of the surveyor for the county
Tlpptfftt? fclooe, in which only 50,000 acres were returned aa unprofitable* and
the adventurer* had returned 245,207.— Cartel Ormonde vol- ii p. 307,
"These soldiers," says Carte, M were for the moat part Anabaptists, Indepen-
dents, and Leveller*." Equal roguery was discovered in other placea
THE REMONSTRANCE. 523
tAg& of Ormonde's, and who devoted more attention to politics than
to his religious duties. The Remonstrance contained expressions
which were by no means consonant with that pure Catholic feeling
for which the Irish had been always remarkable; but it suited the
Duke's purpose all the better, and he induced a considerable num-
ber of the nobility, and some of the clergy, to affix their signatures
to it They were little aware, in giving expression to the loyalty
they so sincerely felt, that they were supposed to countenance dis-
respect to the Church which they so deeply revered. A synod of the
Irish bishops and clergy was therefore held in Dublin, to consider
the document, June 11th, 1666. Although ecclesiastics were then
under the penal laws, and liable to suffer at any moment, Ormonde
connived at the meeting, hoping that his ends would be thereby
attained. He has himself left his object on record. It was to
"sow divisions among the clergy;" and Lord Orrery had written
to him, being well aware of his plans, suggesting that this was a
fitting time for their accomplishment. But the clergy were not so
easily deceived ; and even the miserable friar has left it on record,
that out of 1,850 ecclesiastics, regular and secular, only sixty-nine
signed the Remonstrance. The synod now prepared another docu-
ment ; and if the expression of loyalty was all that Ormonde re-
quired, he should have been fully satisfied; but, unfortunately, this
was not the case, and he bided his time to avenge himself bitterly
on the men who refused to sacrifice their conscience to his will.
During the same year (1660), the Irish sent over a contribution
of 15,000 bullocks, to relieve the distress which occurred in London
after the Great Fire. In return for their charity, they were assured
that this was a mere pretence to keep up the cattle trade with
England; and accordingly an Act was passed in which the importa-
tion of Irish cattle was forbidden, and termed a " nuisance," and
language was used which, in the present day, would be considered
something like a breach of privilege. The Duke of Buckingham,
whose farming interests, were in England, declared " that none
could oppose the Bill, except such as had Irish estates or Irish un-
derstandings." Lord 08sory protested that " such virulence became
none but one of Cromwell's counsellors;" and he being the eldest
son of the Duke of Ormonde, and having Irish interests, opposed it.
Several noble lords attempted to draw their swords. Ossory chal-
lenged Buckingham ; Buckingham declined the challenge. Ossory
was sent to the Tower; the word "nuisance" remained ; some mem-
624
A QTJABRRL IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS,
bers of the u Cabal" said it should have been " felony f*and the Irish
trade was crushed. Even the Puritan settlers in Ireland began to
rebel at this, for they, too, had begun to have u Irish interests/' and
could not cjnite see matters relative to that country in the same
light as they had done when at the other side of the Channel. At
last they became openly rebellious. Some soldiers mutini^;
arrears of pay, and seized Carrickfergus Castle — ten of them were
executed, and peace was restored; but the old Cromwellians, both in
England and Ireland, gave considerable anxiety to the Governm*
and, indeed, it seems marvellous that they should not have revolted
more openly and in greater force,
4S0 many complaints were made of Ormonde's administration, thai
he was now restored for a time. He was succeeded by Lord
Berkeley, in May, Kj70, a nobleman whose honest and impartkl
government earned him the respect of all who were not intere
in upholding a contrary line of conduct* The Catholics on\
him an address, which was signed by two prelates, who held a pro-
minent position, not only in their Church, but also in tin
of the period; these were Dr. Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh,
and Dr. Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin. Colonel Richard Talbot,
who was afterwards created Earl of Tyrconnel by James ILt h«
been, for some time, the accredited agent of the Irish Catholics ,
the English court; he Mm (i li. 1671) attempted to obtain m
examination into the claims of those who had been ejected t
their estates during the Commonwealth. After tome &
much opposition, a commission was appointed; but although the
"Popish Plot11 had not yet made its appearance, a wild *' no
Popery " cry was raised, and the King was obliged to recall I
Berkeley, and substitute the Earl of Essex. Even this did
quiet the storm. On the 9th of March, 1673, an address was pre-
sented to the King by the Commons in England, demanding
persecution of Papists in Ireland ; and the weak monarch, all
more afraid of appearing to show partiality, because of hi
hension that Popery might be the true religion, and his still mor
serious apprehensions that his people might find out his opinion, i
once complied, and even recalled the Commission of Enquiry,
In 1677 Ormonde was again appointed Viceroy, and he held the
office during the ensuing seven years, at an advanced age, and at a
period of extraordinary political excitement. The ** Popish tr
son " was the first and the most fearful of these panics. Ormonde
ORMONDE'S DIFFICULTIES AND POLICY. 525
at Kilkenny when he received the first intimation of the con*
spiracy, October 3, 1678 ; but he had too much knowledge of the
world to credit it for a moment Like other politicians of that,
and indeed of other ages, he was obliged to keep up his reputation
by appearing to believe it in public, while in private4 he treated the
whole affair with the contempt it merited. It was soon reported
that the plot had extended to Ireland, and Archbishop Talbot was
selected as the first victim. The prelate then resided with his bro-
ther, Colonel Talbot, at Carton, near Maynooth. He was in a dying
state; but although his enemies might well have waited for his
end, he was taken out of his bed, carried to Dublin, and confined a
prisoner in the Castle. He died two years later. " He was the
last distinguished captive destined to end his days in that celebrated
state prison, which has since been generally dedicated to the peace-
ful purposes of a reflected royalty."6 His brother was arrested,
but allowed to go beyond the seas ; and a Colonel Peppard was
denounced in England as one of the leading Irish traitors. But the
Colonel w*g quite as imaginary as the plot. No such person existed,
and a nan est inventis was all the return that could be made to the
most active inquiries. There was one illustrious victim, however,
who was found, who was executed, and who was not guilty, even in
thought, of the crime of which he was accused.
Oliver Plunkett had been Archbishop of Armagh since the death
of Dr. O'Reilly, in 1 669. He belonged to the noble family of Fingall ;
but he was more respected for his virtues and his office than even
for his rank. He was now accused of being in correspondence with
the French ; it was a favourite charge against Catholics at that time,
and one which could be easily brought forward by men who did not
mind swearing to a lie, and not easily disproved by men who could
only assert their innocence. Lord Shaftesbury was the great patron
of Titus Oates, the concocter of the plot, and the perjured mur-
derer of scores of innocent men. It was a serious disappointment
to find that no evidence of a conspiracy could be found in Ireland.
4 Private. — For full information on this subject, see Carte's Ormonde, vol. ii.
pp. 476-482. I will give one extract to verify the statement above. "The
- Duke of Ormonde had, in truth, difficulties enough to struggle with in the
government of Ireland, to preserve that kingdom in peace, and yet to give
those who wished to imbroil it no handle of exception to the measures he
took for that end."— vol. ii. p. 477.
* Royalty. — D'Arcy M'Gee's History of Ireland, vol ii p. 560.
52G
ATTEMPTS TO DRTVtf THE CATHOUCS TO REBEL.
Carte, who certainly cannot be suspected of the faintest shadow of
preference for an Irishman or a Catholic, says that every effort was
made to drive the people into rebellion. He gives the reason for
this, which, from former experience, one fears must be true. "There
were,1* he says, atoo many Protectants in Ireland who w;v
another rebellion, that they might increase their estates by new
forfeitures." " It wag proposed to introduce the Test Act and all
the English penal laws into Ireland ; and that a proclamation should
be forthwith issued for encouraging all persons that could make any
further discoveries of the horrid Popish plot, to come in and declare
the same."
Unfortunately for the credit of our common humanity, pe
can always be found who are ready to denounce their fellow-crea,-
tures, even when guiltless, from mere malice. When* to the plea*
sure of gratifying a passion, there is added the prospect of a reward,
the temptation becomes irresistible ; and if the desire of revenge for
an injury, real or imaginary, be superadded, the temptation become*
overwhelming. In order to satisfy the clamours of the ** no Pop
faction, an order bad beftft issued, on the 16th of October, 1677
the expulsion of all ecclesiastics from Ireland ; and a further pro-
clamation was made, forbidding Papists to enter into the Castle of
Dublin, or any fort or citadel ; and so far, indeed, did this chi!
panic exceed others of its kind, that orders were sent to the g
market- towns, commanding the markets to be held outside the walls,
to prevent the obnoxious Catholics from entering into the interior.
Eewards were offered of £10 for an officer, £5 for a trooper, and
£4 for a soldier, if it could be proved that he attended Mass ; and
how many were sworn away by this bribery it would be difficult to
estimate. On the 2nd of December, a strict search was ordered for
the Catholic ecclesiastics who had not yet transported themselves.
Dr. Plunkett had not left the country. At the first notice of tfo*
storm he withdrew, according to the apostolic example, to a retired
situation, where he remained concealed, more in hope of martyrdom
than in fear of apprehension,
The prelate had never relaxed in his duties towards his flock, and
he continued to fulfil those duties now with equal vigilance. One
of the most important functions of a chief shepherd is to oversee
the conduct of those who govern the flock uf Christ under
There was a Judas in the college of the Apostles, and many Jnd
have been found since then. The Archbishop had been obliged to
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF DR. PLUNKETT. 527
excommunicate two of his priests and two friars, who had been de-
nounced by their superiors for their unworthy lives. The unhappy
men resented the degradation, without repenting of the crimes which
had brought it upon them. They were ready for perjury, for they
had renounced truth ; and the gratification of their malice was, Pro
bably a far stronger motive than, the bribe for the capture of a
bishop. The holy prelate was seized on the 6th December, 1679.
Even Ormonde wished to have spared him, so inoffensive and peace-
ful had been his life. He was arraigned at the Dundalk assizes ;
bat although every man on the grand jury was a Protestant, from
whom, at least, less partiality might be expected towards him
than from members of his own Church, the perjured witnesses
refused to come forward. Indeed, the prelate himself had such
confidence in his innocence, and in the honorable dealing of his
Protestant fellow-countrymen, when their better judgment was not
bewildered by fanaticism, that he declared in London he would put
himself on trial in Ireland before any Protestant jury who knew
him, and who knew the men who swore against him, without the
slightest doubt of the result.
Jones, the ProtestantBishop of Meath, was, unfortunately for him-
self, influenced by fanaticism. He had served in Cromwell's army,6
and had all that rancorous hatred of the Catholic Church so cha-
racteristic of the low class from whom the Puritan soldiery were
drawn. He was determined that the Archbishop should be con-
demned; and as men could not be found to condemn him in Ireland,
he induced Lord Shaftesbury to have him taken to London. The
Archbishop was removed to Newgate, about the close of October,
1680, and so closely confined, that none of his friends could have
access to him. He spent his time in prayer, and his gaolers were
amazed at his cheerfulness and resignation. His trial took place on
the 8th of June, 1681 ; but he was not allowed time to procure the
necessary witnesses, and the court would not allow certain records
to be put in, which would have proved the character of his accusers.
Six of the most eminent English lawyers were arrayed against
him. The legal arrangements of the times deprived him of the
assistance of counsel, but they did not require the judges to help
out the men who swore against him : this, however, they did do.
• Army.— Carte says "he was Scont- Master-General. " — Ormonde, vol. ii
p.4?a
528
TEIAL AND EXECUTION OF BE. PLUNKETT.
The prelate was condemned to die. The speech of the judge who
pronounced sentence was not distinguished by any very special
forensic acumen. Dr. Phmkett had been charged by the witnesses
with political crimes; the judge sentenced7 him for his religious
convictions; and, by a process of reasoning not altogether peculiar
to himself, insisted that his supposed treason was a necessary k
of the faith he professed. The Archbishop suffered at Tyburn, on
Friday, July 1 1, 1681. He went to his death rejoicing, as men go
to a bridal* His dying declaration convinced his hearers of his in-
nocenee ; and, perhaps, the deep regret for his martyrdom* which was
felt by all but the wretches who had procured his doom, tended
nil the wild storm of religious persecution, orT at least, to mi
men see that where conscience was deaTer than life, conseient
convictions should be respected. It is at least certain that his na
was the last on the long roll of sufferers who had been executed at
Tyburn for the faith. Blood was no longer exacted the re as the
price which men should pay for liberty of belief. It were well I
liberty been allowed by men to their fellow-men in after years, with-
out fines or confiscations— without those social penalties, which, to
a refined and sensitive mind, have in them the bitterness of death,
without the consolations of martyrdom.
f Sentenced. — See Dr. Moron's Memoir ofth&Mwt Rev. Drt PlunkcU. XtM
iu teres ting work affords full details of the character of the witnesses, tho
nature of the trial, and the Bishops saintly end,
AHOTNT iTTCHER, FROM Tn^OOLLECTIOX OF TOT R.I.A*. FO03TP IN A
CJtANXUUK. AT WKUOH'tA CGUiJi, LECALJ, CO.
ffilimpsffl of $orut! Hife fa tf)e $rt>rntmuf] ftgftlmfl Eftmftttt antr li-
tfTaru it! eu— Keating — the Four Masters — CoJgaa — Ward — Usher —
Ware— Lynch — Cvane — Commerce depressed by the English — Fairs—
"Water ford Kugs— Exportation of Cattle forbidden — State of Trade in the
Principal Towns— iJopula lion— Numbers employed in different Tradea—
Hcarnrb fSrofessioiifl — Physicians— Establishment of their College in Dub-
lin— ^i)opktcpctfi — Booksellers — Coffee-houses — Clubs — Newspapers —
Fa*hio liable Churches— $toetrt|au«t9 antr fJofiUeftuefl rfltaMi&!)c&— Custom -
botisij — Exchange— amuncmnits— Plays at the Castle— The First Theatre
■et up in Werburgh-atreet— Eom entire iSUnnctB auo Orcos— Food— A
j y Dinnnr Party in Ulster.
[a,D. 1600—1700.]
JOTWITIISTAXDING the persecutions to which tin-
Irish had been subjected for so many eenfuxiee, they
preserved their love of literature, and the cultivated
tastes for which the Celt has been distinguished in
all ages. Indeed, if this taste had not existed, the
people would have sunk into the most degraded bar
barism ; for education was absolutely forbidden, and
the object of the governing powers seems to have been
to reduce the nation, both intellectually and morally,
as thoroughly as possible. In such times, and under
such circumstances, it is not a little remarkable to
find men demoting themselves to literature with all
the iest of a freshman anticipating collegiate distinc-
tion^ while surrounded by difficulties which would
certainly have dismayed, if they did not altogether
2 t
530 GLIMPSES Of SOCIAL UFE IN THE SEVENTEENTH CBNTURY*
crush, the intellects of the present age. I have already spoken
of the mass of untranslated national literature existing in this
country and in continental libraries. These treasures of mental
labour are by no means confined to one period of our history ; but
it could scarcely be expected that metaphysical studies or the fine
arts could flourish at a period when men's minds were more occu-
pied with the philosophy of war than with the science of Descartes,
and were more inclined to patronize a new invention in the art of
gunnery, than the chef dceuvre of a limner or sculptor. The Irish
language was the general medium of conversation in this ccntuiy.
No amount of Acts of Parliament had been able to repress its use,
and even the higher classes of English settlers appear to have adopted
it by preference. Military proclamations were issued in tbk lan-
guage f or if the Saxon tongue were used, it was translated for the
general benefit into the vernacular. During the Commonwealth,
however, the English tongue made some way ; and it is remarkable
that the English-speaking Irish of the lower classes, in the present
day, have preserved the idioms and the accentuation used a'
this period. Many of the expressions which provoke the mirth of
the modern Englishman^ and which he considers an evidence of the
vulgarity of the uneducated Irish, may be found m the works of
his countrymen, of which he is most justly proud
The language of Cromwell's officers and men, from whom the
Celt had such abundant opportunities of learning English, was {less
the cant of Puritanism) the language of Shakspeare, of Raleigh*
and of Spenser. The conservative tendencies of the Hibernian pre-
served the dialect intact, while causes, too numerous for present tie-
tail, so modified it across the Channel, that each succeeding century
condemned as vulgarism what had been the highest fashion with
their predecessors. Even as Homeric expressions lingered for centu-
ries after the blind bard's obit had been on record, so the expressions
of Chaucer, Spenser, and Shakspeare, may still be discovered in
provincial dialects in many parts of the British Isles, I do not intend
to quote Tate and Brady as models of versification and of syntax;
but if the best poets of the age did not receive the commission to
translate the Psalms into verse, it was a poor compliment to reli-
* Language— A proclamation in Irish, issued by Tyrone in 1601* is ittU
extant* with a contemporary Engliah translation.— 8& UUter ArcK Jo*r*
voL vL p> 57*
HISTORIANS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY — KEATING. 531
gkm. We find the pronunciation of their rhymes corresponding
with the very pronunciation which is now condemned as peculiarly
Irish. Newton also rhymes way and sea, while one can scarcely
read a page of Pope9 without finding examples of pronunciation
now supposed to be pure Hibernicism. In the Authorized Pro-
testant version of the Bible, learn is used in the sense of to
teach, precisely as it is used in Ireland at the present day : " If
thy children shall keep my covenant and my testimonies that
I shall learn them" and their use of the term forninst is
undoubtedly derived from an English source, for we find it in
Fairfax's Tom.1
History and theology were the two great studies of the middle
ages, and to these subjects we find the literati of Ireland directing
special attention. The importance and value of Latin as a medium
of literary intercommunication, had been perceived from an early
period : hence that language was most frequently employed by Irish
writers after it had become known in the country. It is unques-
tionably a national credit, that no amount of suffering, whether
inflicted for religious or political opinions, deprived the Irish of
historians.3 Some of their works were certainly compiled under the
most disadvantageous circumstances.
None of the writers whom we shall presently enumerate, worked
for hope of gain, or from any other motive save that of the purest
patriotism. Keating, whose merits are becoming more and more
recognized since modern research has removed Celtic traditions
from the region of fable to the tableland of possibility, wrote his
History principally in the Galtee Mountains, where he had taken
refuge from the vengeance of Carew,8 Lord President of Munster.
Although he had received a high education in the famous College
9 Pope. — He rhymes spirit and merit ; fit and yet; civil and devil; obey
and tea.
1 Tasso.—
"The land fornenst the Greekish shore he held."
Chancer, too, uses fault for fault in the Canterbury Tales.
* Historians. — Max Mttller — Lectures on the Science of Language, p. 271—
states, that labourers in country parishes in England do not use more than 300
words. A friend of mine, who is an excellent Irish scholar, assures me the
most illiterate Irish-speaking peasant would use at least 500.
* Carew. — The tradition of the country says that this vengeance was ex-
cited by the complaints of a lady, with whom the Lord President had some
gallantries, and whose conduct Keating had reproved publicly.
630 GLIMPSES OF SOCIAL LIFE IN TEE SBVEH";
-^>
crush, the intellects of the present age* I
of the mass of untranslated national li*
country and in continental libraries,
labour axe by no means confined to or
it could scarcely be expected that r
arts could flourish at a period »b
pied with the philosophy of war
and were more inclined to p&*
gunnery, than the d
language was the g<
No amount of Acts
and even the higher
it by pre!
T if the F
however, I
that th« En-
iiave
When »
darto
, a the irtW
T'BRID CHtrRCaYAKD — BtTRlAL-PLACU OF TOM HISTORIAN KEAllSfl.
which he had used so carefully, and to prove their value
authenticity. But truth has at length triumphed. Several
works from which he has quoted have been discovered ; anii
been shown that, wild as some of his legends may read in the garb
in which he has givin them, there is proof that importftot
underlie the structure, though it has been somewhat ovcrembet*
lUhed by a redundant fancy*
INSCRIPTION W HONOUR OF KEATING,
-|so a poet. Many of bis pieces are still well known
r in Muiister, and copies of nearly all of them
Royal Irish Academy. One of his ballads has
~se by D'Aicy M'Gee, in his Gallery of Irhh
Thoughts on Inaisfail." I shall give one
%u illustration of the popular feelings
«re mighty no to ore,
-t boomed 'mid the baa n era of yore ;
yeaed fielda, 'twas they who oould reap them \
,-rfi the forsworn, do foe could defeat them. "
G33
<U-
k*— A.
INSCRIPTION IN HOJlQUfl OF EBATINQ,
poet-priest roust have died at an advanced age, though the
e date of his demise has not been ascertained. He has also
Gome religious works ; and his " Shaft of Death" is well known
much admired both by divines and Celtic scholars.4
cJtofar*. — We have been favoured with an accurate photograph of thin
ption, by William William^ Esq., of Dungarvan, from which the
■aving given above has been made. The view of Tubrid Churchyard i*
-WARE OS
* is too well known to rec nir - . Llafl
.^»*a. Tt waa «vd that be wrote aft fnmj&m U
.oi*o© Uaher, with whom be bad many a huasj
\q Im been of this opinion: for, after haritf de*
an *s«iM egregious Ear.** be was bo sensitive tansy
His* he might receive in retain, that he carefully est out
aragi&g epithet which the historian used from thi
i reply, which at present lies, with Usher's other worfa,
Library of Trinity College, Dublin.
The Four Masters are included amongst the Irish writers of £Jus
century, but I hare already given ample details of their labours. The
Acta Sanctorum of Colgan, and Ward's literary efforts
land far his country, are beyond all praise. Usher and Ware were
also amongst the giants of these days; and, consider! i
of political and religious excitement amongst which they bred and
. it is incomparably marvellous that they should not Im*
[ their pens still deeper into the gall of couti
judice. Usher was one of the Hibemis ipsis Rtik (of Taia
family came to Ireland with King John; but b I tsd
wrote Celtic history with the enthusiasm of a Celt, and 1
material* for other men's work with patient indu.-
may have allowed party spirit to influence and warp his owe
rti their use. Usher was Ware's most ardent patron. I
of indefatigable research did for hm, in some degree, what natural
has done for others. Nor was he slow *
If of native talent; and there can be no doubt, if he had lived
years longer after his acquaintance with MacFirbis,
,uc would have benefited considerably by the un
power, who was devoted to learning, and the man of
gifU, who had the abilities which neither position nor wealth on
purchase, John Lynch, the Bishop of Kiliala, and t:
gable and successful impugner of Cambrensis, was another literary
luminary of the age. His career is a fair sample of the ext-raordi-
alia engraved from a sketch with which he has favoured tus. It is hoped thu
many Irishmen ia distant lands will look with no little interest on the*
beautifully executed engravings, and breathe a blessing on the memory of the
good and gifted priest. A Keating Society was established a few years %$\
principally through the exertion* of Mr. Williams and the Rev* P, Meauy,
A Catechism in Irish has already appeared, and other works will follow is diss
tune.
s^H
CONTINENTAL COLLEGES FOUNDED FOR ffilSH STUDENTS* 535
nary difficulties experienced by the Iri*h in their attempts to culti-
vate intellectual pursuits, and of their undaunted courage in attaining
their end. Usher has himself recorded his visit to Galway, where
tie found Lynch, then a mere youth, teaching a school of humanity
(A.D. 1622)* " We had proofe," he says, ** during our continuance
in that citie, how his schollars profitted under him, by the verse?
and orations which they brought us.,T* Usher then relates how he
seriously advised the young schoolmaster to conform to the popular
religion ; but, as Lynch declined to comply with his wishes, he was
bound over, under sureties of £400 sterling, to *' forbear teaching*"
The tree of knowledge was, in truth, forbidden Fruit, and guarded
sedulously by the fiery sword of the law, I cannot do more than
name a few of the other distinguished men of this century. There
was Florence Corny, Archbishop of Tuam, and founder of the Irish
College of Louvain. He was one of the iirst to suggest and to carry
out the idea of supplying Irish youth with the means of education
on the Continent, which they were denied at home. It is a factT
unexampled in the history of nations, that a whole race should have
m thus denied the means of acquiring even the elements of learn-
ing, and equally unexampled is the zeal with which the nation-
sought to procure abroad the advantages from which they were so
cruelly debarred at home. At Louvain some of the most distinguished
Irish scholars were educated. An Irish press was established within
its halls, which was kept constantly employed, and whence pro-
ceeded some of the most valuable works of the age3 as well as a
scarcely less important literature for the people, in the form of short
treatises on religion or history. Colleges were also established at
Douay, Lisle, Antwerp, Tournay, and 8t Omers, principally through
the exertions of Christopher Cusack, a learned priest of the diocese
of Meath. Cardinal Ximenes founded an Irish College at Lisbon,
and Cardinal Henriquez founded a similar establishment at Evora,
It is a remarkable evidence of the value which has always been set
on learning by th& Catholic Church, that even in times of persecu-
tion, when literary culture demanded such sacrifices, she would not
admit uneducated persons to the priesthood. The position which the
proscribed Catholic priesthood held in Ireland at this period, com-
pared with that which the favoured clergy of the Established Church
* Brought vs.— Regal VUitatioo Book, jlu. 1625, M9., Marah'a Library,
Dublin,
536 USHER S INDIFFERENCE TO REGULAR ORDINATION OF MINISTERS.
held in England, is curious and significant. Macaulay says of the
latter : M A young levite — such was the phrase then in use — might
be had for his board, a small garret, and ten pounds a year ; and
might not only perform bis own professional functions, but m
also save the expenses of a gardener or a groom. Sometimes
reverend man nailed up the apricots, and sometimes he curried the
coach-horses- lie cast up the farrier's bills. He walked ten miles
with a message or a parcel, He was permitted to dine with the
family, but he was expected to content himself with the plainest
fare — till he was summoned to return thanks for the repast, from a
great part of which he had been excluded.1'6
In Ireland there were few learned men in the Established Church,
and even Usher seems to have been painfully indifferent to the
iv cessity of superior education, as well as regular ordination, for his
clergy. In 1623 Dr. Blair was invited to Ireland by Lord Clanna-
boy, to take the living of Bangor, vacated by the death of the Kev.
John Gibson, a settee Reformacione from Popary the first Deane of
Down." Dr. Blair objected both to episcopal government and to
use the English Liturgy; yet he M procured a free and safe entry to
the holy ministry," which, according to his own account, was accom-
plished thus. His patron, Lord Clannaboy, informed 4t the Bishop
Echlin how opposite I was to episcopacy and their liturgy, and had
the influence to procure my admission on easy and honorable terms,"
At his interview with the Bishop, it was arranged that Dr. Blair
was to receive ordination from Mr. Cunningham and the neighbour-
ing clergy, and the Bishop was "to come in among them in no other
relation than a presbyter/1 These are the Bishop's own words; and
his reason for ordaining at all was : H I must ordain you, else neither
I nor you can answer the law nor brook the land/1 In 1627 Blair
had an interview with Archbishop Usher, and lie says H they were
not so far from agreeing as he feared." "He admitted that all those
things [episcopacy and a form of prayer] ought to have been re-
moved, but the constitution and laws of the place and time would
not permit that to be done/' A few years later Mr. John Livingstone
thus relates his experience on similar subjects* He had been appointed
also by Lord Clannaboy to the parish of Kiilinchy; and, ** because
it was needful that he should be ordained to the ministry, and the
Bishop of Down, in whose diocese Killinchy was, being a corrupt
6 Excluded.— BUturjf qflZngfand, Peopled Edition, part ii p. IIS&
HOW PROTESTANT CLERGYMEN WERE ORDAINED. 537
and timorous man, and would require some engagement, there-
fore my Lord Clannaboy sent some with me, and wrote to Mr.
Andrew Knox, Bishop of Kaphoe, who told me he knew my errand,
and that I came to him because I had scruples against episcopacy
and ceremonies, according as Mr. Josiah Welsh and some others had
done before ; and that he thought his old age was prolonged for
little other purpose than to perform such ceremonies." It was then
arranged that he should be ordained as Dr. Blair and others had
been. The Bishop gave him the book of ordination, and said,
"though he durst not answer it to the State," that he might
draw a line over anything he did not approve of, and that it
should not be read. " But," concludes Mr. Livingstone, " I found
that it had been so marked by some others before, that I needed
not mark anything ; so the Lord was pleased to carry that busi-
ness far beyond anything that I have thought, or almost ever
desired."*
Such facts as these were well known to the people ; and we can
scarcely be surprised that they increased their reverence for the
old clergy, who made such sacrifices for the attainment of the learn-
ing necessary for their ministry, and who could not minister, even
if they would, without having received the office and authority of
a priest by the sacrament of orders.
But literary efforts in Ireland were not confined to the clergy ;
CHaherty and MacFirbis devoted themselves with equal zeal to
the dissemination and preservation of knowledge ; and we envy not
the man who can read without emotion the gentle complaint of the
former, in his Ogygia: "I live a banished man within the bounds
of my native soil — a spectator of others enriched by my birthright"
And again : " The Lord hath wonderfully recalled the royal heir to
his kingdom, with the applause of all good men ; but He hath not
found me worthy to be restored to the kingdom of my cottage.
Against Thee, 0 Lord, have I sinned : may the Lord be blessed for
everf
The customs and dress of the upper classes in Ireland were pro-
bably much the same as those of a similar rank in England.8 Com-
* Desired. — See the Hamilton Manuscripts, Ulster Arch. Jour. vol. iii.
pp. 145-147. Blair complains also that his patron " would receive the sacra-
ment kneeling."
8 England.—" The diet, housing, and clothing of the 16,000 families above*
mentioned [those were the middle class] is much the same as in England ;
536 USHERS INDIFFERENCE TO REGULAR ORDIfc
held in England, is curious and significant. ^W^:
latter : " A young levite— such was the phras^
be had for his board, a small garret, and tejv
might not only perform his own profession/ ^ ■' :
also save the expenses of a gardener or s | -fi ^
reverend man nailed up the apricots, an> g *. ^ *
coach-horses. He cast up the farrier'||. V \: ;
with a message or a parcel. He w* jj £ r- . .. *
family, but he was expected to co ;C £ ; *^ ;
fare — till he was summoned to rf i <t i "r :fa ,
great part of which he had beef \ £ i| J -. •■
In Ireland there were few le^ £ ■*. J > .; * •
and even Usher seems to 1 % £ £ t . N
necessity of superior educj* ] '* t: ? ^ j '*
clergy. In 1623 Dr. BIp 7 IJO ^ . '
boy, to take the living r I > ^ \ *> **i to
John Gibson, " sence •£ a "we [the
Down." Dr. Blair,/ '' .a Irish, the metd
use the English Vti I o sixteenth centary the
the holy minuta^V f 1 , and woollens to Antwerp,*
plished thus. ii*A and mercery. The trade irith
Echlin how fff .*as very considerable ; fish was the
the influenr// this luxury ; and even in 1553, Philip II.
At his in? * ^u yearly— a large sum for that period— to
was to f* uis subjects to fish upon the north coast of Ireland.
ing df ' pairing of the capture of Dunboy Castle, says that
relafr* ,,inade £500 a-year by the duties which were paid to him
hip jgn fishermen, " although the duties they paid were very
Itanihurst has described a fair in Dublin, and another in Water-
where he says the wares were "dog-cheap." These fairs
continued for six days, and merchants came to them from Flanders
and France, as well as from England. He gives the Waterford people
nor is the French elegance unknown in many of them, nor the French and
Latin tongues. The latter whereof is very frequent among the poorest Irish,
and chiefly in Kerry, most remote from Dublin." — Political Anatomy of Ire-
land, Petty, p. 58.
9 Antwerp.— Descrittionedei Paesi Bassi: An vera, 1567.
1 Paid.— The Sovereignly of the British Seas: London, 1651.
■ LittU.-Hib. Pac
538
TRADE IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
merce was so constantly restricted by English jealousy, that it had
few opportunities of development. In a curious old poem, called
the Lthtl of English Politic, the object of which was to impress on
the English the necessity of keeping all trade and commerce in their
own hands, we find Irish exports thus enumerated : —
** Hides and fish, salmon* hake, herring,
Irish wool and linen cloth, f aiding
And niaaterneH good be her marchaudie ;
Hertes, birds, and others of venerie.
Skins of otter, squirrel and Irish hare,
Of sheep, lamhe, aod fore is her chaffere,
I'Vlles of kids, and conies great ptentie.1*
It will be observed that this list contains only the natural pro-
duce of the country ; and had any attempt been made to introduce
« £ encourage manufactures, some mention would have been made
of them. The silver and gold mines of the country are alluded to
further on, and the writer very sensibly observes, that if " we
English] had the peace and good- will of the wild Irish, the metal
might be worked to our advantage," In the sixteenth century the
Irish sent raw and tanned hides, furs, and woollens to Antwerp,8
taking in exchange sugar, spices, and mercery. The trade with
France and Spain for wines was very considerable ; fish, was the
commodity exchanged for this luxury ; and even in 1553, Philip IL
of Spain paid1 £1 ,000 yearly — a large sum for that period — to
obtain liberty for his subjects to fish upon the north coast of Ireland.
Stafford, in speaking of the capture of Dunboy Castle, says that
O'Sullivan made X5U0 a-year by the duties which were paid to him
by foreign fishermen, *' although the duties they paid were vety
little."2
Stamhurst has described a fair in Dublin, and another in Water-
ford, where he says the wares were "dog-cheap." Th>
continued for six days, and merchants came to them from Flanders
and France* as well as from England, He gives the Waterford people
nor is the French elegance unknown in many of them, nor the French and
Latin tongues, The latter whereof is very frequent among the poorest Irish,
aud chiefly in Kerry, most remote from Dublin,*1— Political A natumy <y" Irt-
tandt Petty, p. 58.
9 Antwerp. — DttcrtUionc dti Paesi Basel: Anvers, 1567.
1 Paid.— The Sovereignty of the British Seas: Londou, 165L
*LUttet — Bib. Pvul
ADVENTURES OF AN IRISH RUG. 539
the palm for commerce, declares they are "addicted to thiev-
ing," that they distil the bfest aqua vita, and spin the choicest
rugs in Ireland. A friend of his, who took a fancy to one of these
" choice rugs," being " demurrant in London, and the weather, by
reason of a hard hoar frost, being somewhat nipping, repaired to
Paris Garden, clad in one of the Waterford rugs. The mastiffs had
no sooner espied him, but deeming he had been a bear, would fain
have baited him ; and were it not that the dogs were partly muzzled
and partly chained, he doubted not he should haare been well tugged
in this Irish rug."
After the plantation of Ulster, Irish commerce was allowed to
flourish for a while ; the revenue of the crown doubled ; and states-
men should have been convinced that an unselfish policy was the
best for both countries. But there will always be persons whose
private interests clash with the public good, and who have influence
enough to secure their own advantage at the expense of the multi-
tude. Curiously enough, the temporary prosperity of Ireland was
made a reason for forbidding the exports which had produced it.
A declaration was issued by the English Government in 1637, which
expressly states this, and places every possible bar to its conti-
nuance. The Cromwellian settlement, however, acted more effec-
tually than any amount of prohibitions or Acts of Parliament, and
trade was entirely ruined by it for a time. When it again revived,
and live cattle began to be exported in quantities to England, the
exportation was strictly forbidden. The Duke of Ormonde, who
possessed immense tracts of land in Ireland, presented a petition,
with his own hands, against the obnoxious measure, and cleverly con-
cluded it with the very words used by Charles himself, in the decla-
ration for the settlement of Ireland at the Restoration, trusting that
his Majesty " would not suffer his good subjects to weep in one
kingdom when they rejoiced in another." Charles, however, wanted
money ; so Ireland had to wait for justice. A vote, granting him
£120,000, settled the matter ; and though for a time cattle were
smuggled into England, the Bill introduced after the great fire of
London, which we have mentioned in the last chapter, settled the
matter definitively. The Irish question eventually merged into an
unseemly squabble about prerogative, but Charles was determined
" never to kiss the block on which his father lost his head."8 He
9 Head. — The tract entitled Killiny no Murder, which had disturbed
Cromwell's "peace and rest," and obliged him to live almost as a fugitive in
540
COMMERCIAL STATUS OF THE IRISH TOWNS.
overlooked the affront, and accepted the Bill, " nuisance " and all.
One favour, however, was granted to the Irish ; they were graciously
permitted to send contributions of cattle to the distressed Londoners
in the form of salted beef. The. importation of mutton, lamb,
butter, and cheese, were forbidden by subsequent Acts, and salted
beef, mutton, and pork were not allowed to be exported from Ireland
to England until the general dearth of 1757.
The commercial status of the principal Irish towns at this period
(A.D. 1669), is thus given by Mr. Bonnell, the head collector of
Irish customs in Dublin : " Comparing together the proceeds of the
duties for the six years ending December, 1669, received from the
several ports of Ireland, they may be thus ranked according to
their worth respectively, expressed in whole numbers, without
fractions, for more clearness of apprehension :-~-
ate.
Porta.
1
Dublin -
2
Cork -
3
(Waterford
(Galway -
( Limerick
4
< Kinsale
( Youghal
Proportion
per cent.
40
10
7
7
5
5
5
Rate.
5
Ports.
i Drogheda • -
< Londonderry -
( Carrickfergus
rRoss - -
I Wexford
«j Dundalk
I Baltimore
LSligo - -
Proportion
per cent.
3
3
3
Killybeg, Dungarvan, Donaghadee, Strangford, Coleraine, and
Dingle, are mentioned as " under rate/'*
The linen trade had been encouraged, and, indeed, mainly estab-
lished in Ireland, by the Duke of Ormonde. An English writer4
says that 200,000 pounds of yarn were sent annually to Manchester,
a supply which seemed immense in that age ; and yet, in the pre-
sent day, would hardly keep the hands employed for forty-eight
hours. A political economist of the age gives the " unsettledness
of the country " as the first of a series of reasons why trade did
not flourish in Ireland, and, amongst other remedies, suggests
sumptuary laws and a tax upon celibacy, the latter to weigh quite
the country over which he had hoped to reign as a sovereign, still left its
impression on English society. The miserable example of a royal execution
was a precedent which no amount of provocation should have permitted.
4 Writer.— Merchant's Map of Commerce: London, 1677.
DOMESTIC LIFE IN THIS CENTURY.
541
equally on each sex.6 Sir William Petty does not mention the
linen trade, but he does mention the enormous amount of tobacco 6
consumed by the natives. It is still a disputed question whether
the so-called " Danes' pipes," of which I give an illustration, were
made before the introduction of tobacco by Sir Walter Raleigh, or
whether any other narcotizing indigenous plant may have been
used. Until one, at least, of these pipes shall have been found in a
position which will indicate that they must have been left there at
an earlier period than the Elizabethan age, the presumption re-
mains in favour of their modern use.
I shall now give some brief account of the domestic life of our
ancestors 200 years ago, and of the general state of society) both
SlBw .«,i..i "ttMr
"DANES' PIPES," FROM THE COLLECTION OP THE R.I. A.
in the upper and lower classes. Petty estimates the population of
Ireland at 1,100,000, or 200,000 families. Of the latter he states
that 160,000 have no fixed hearths ; these, of course, were the very
poorest classy who lived then, as now, in those mud hovels, which
are the astonishment and reprobation of foreign tourists. There
were 24,000 families who had " one chimney," and 16,000 who had
* Sex.— The Interest of Ireland in its Trade and Wealth, by Colonel Law-
rence : Dublin, 1682.
• Tobacco. — A Table of the Belfast Exports and Imports for the year 1683,
has been published in the Ulster Arch. Jour. vol. iii. p. 194, which fully bears
oat this statement, and is of immense value in determining the general state of
Irish commerce at this period. There are, however, some mistakes in the
quotations of statistics, probably misprints.
more than one. The average number appears to be four. Dublin
Castle had 125, and the Earl oi Heath's house, twenty -seven.
There were, however, 1G4 houses in Dublin which had more than
ten.
Rearing and tending cattle was the principal employment of the
people, as, indeed, it always has been. There were, he estimate*,
150,000 employed in this way, and 100,000 in agriculr
"Tailors and their wives" are the next highest figure- — *5,
Smiths and apprentices, shoemakers and apprentices, are given at
the same figure— 22,500, Millers and their wives only numK
1,000, and the fishery trade the same. The wool workers and
their wives, 30,000 ; but the number of alehouse-keepers is almost
incredible. In Dublin, where there were only 4,000 families, theft
was, at one time, 1,180 alehouses and ninety-one public brew-
houses. The proportion was equally great throughout the country;
and if we may judge from the Table of Exports from Belfast before-
mentioned, the manufacture was principally for home consumption,
as the returns only mention three barrels of beer to Scotland,
ditto to the Colonies, 147 to France and Flanders, nineteen to
Holland, and forty-five to Spain and the Mediterranean. There are
considerable imports of brandy and wines, but no imports of h
We find, however, that " Chester ale " was appreciated by the faculty
as a medicament, for Sir Patrick Dun, who was physician to
army during the wars of 1688, sent two dozen bottles of
ale, as part of his prescription, to General G inkles, Secretary-at-
War, in the camp at Connaught, in 1691. lie added two dozen of
the best claret, and at the same time sent a "lesser box," in wi
there was a dozen and a-half potted chickens in an earthen
and in another pot u foure green gce.se," 4t This," writes the doc
" is the physic I advise you to take ■ I hope it will not be nan*,
or disagreeable to your stomach— n little of it upon a It
is to be supposed such prescriptions did not diminish the doctor's
fame, and that they were appreciated as ti vud.
A century previous (a.d, 1566), Thomas Smyth seems to have
been the principal, if not the only English practitioner in Dublin ;
and although he sold his drugs with his advice, his business did
pay. However, Thomas was " consoled y* and " comforted," and
" induced to remain in the country/' by the united persuasions of
7 March,— GUbert'a Dublin, vol i p, l?a
PHYSICIANS AND THEIR DRUGS.
543
the Lord Deputy, the Counsellors of State, and the whole army.
The consolation was administered in the form of a concordat, dated
April 25th, 1566, by which an annual stipend was settled on him,
the whole army agreeing to give him one day's pay, and every
Counsellor of State twenty shillings, " by reason of his long conty-
nuance here, and his often and ehardgeable provision of druggs and
other apothecarie warea, which have, from tyrae to tyme, layen and
remained in manner for the most part unuttered ; for the greater
part of this contray folke ar wonted to use the mynisterie of their
leeches and such lyke, and neglecting the apothecaries science, the
said Thomas thereby hath been greatly hyndered, and in manner
enforced to abandon that his faculty,"8 It was only natural that the
English settler should distrust the kecke, who gathered his medicines
on the hillside by moonlight, " who invoked the fairies and consulted
witches;" and it was equally natural that the native should
distrust the Saxon, who could kill or cure with those magical
little powders and pills, so suspiciously small, so entirely unlike the
traditionary medicants of the country. In a list still preserved of
the medicines supplied for the use of Cromwell's army, we may
judge of the " medicants " used in the seventeenth century. They
must have been very agreeable, for the allowance of sugar, powder
and loaf, of " candie," white and brown, of sweet almonds and
almond cakes, preponderates wonderfully over the "rubarcke,
sarsaparill, and aloes."* Mr, Richard Chatham was Apothecary-
General, and had his drugs duty free by an order, dated at "ye new
Customs' House, Dublin, ye 24th of June, 1659,"
Dr. William Bedell was the first who suggested the foundation
of a College of Physicians. On the 15th of April, 1628, he wrote
to Usher thus : " I suppose it hath been an error all this while to
_>lect the faculties of law and physic, and attend only to the
ordering of one poor college of divines/1 In 1637* a Regius Pro-
fessor of Physic was nominated. In It) 5 4 Dr. John Stearae was
appointed President of Trinity Hall, which was at this time set
apart " for the sole and proper use of physicians ;" and, in 1667, the
physicians received their first charter from Charles II. The new
corporation obtained the title of " The President and College of
1 Fatuity.— Document in the State Paper Office, Dublin, entitled Smyth\*
InthrmatienfoT Ireland*
f Atoet.^-Ukter Arch. Jour, vol in. p. 163.
Physicians,"4 It consisted of fourteen Fellows, including the I
sidentj Dr\ Stearne, Stearne was a grand-nephew of bop
Usher, and was bom in his house at Ardbraccau, county Maatk
He was a man of profound learning ; and although hi appear
Q more devoted to scholastic studies than to physic, the meiJ
profession in Ireland may well claim him as an onuu&ecil and a
benefactor to their faculty. The College of Physicians was with
a President from IG57 until 1690, when Sir Patrick Due
The cause of this was the unfortunate illiberality of the Pirn
and Fellows of Trinity College, who refused to confirm the
rf] >r. Crosby, simply because he was a Roman Catholic In 1G92
the College received a new charter and more extended privilc
'irul these, with certain Acts of Parliament, form its present eon
tution.
In medieval cities the castle was the centre round which the
town extended itself. Dublin was no exception to this rule, and in
this century Wfl Bud I li-h street and Castle-street the fashion
resorts* The nobility came thither for society, the tiaflesmer.
taction. Castle-street appears to have been the favourite hi
of the bookselling fraternity, and Eliphud Dobson (his name speaks
for his religious views) was the most wealthy bookseller and pnh
lisher of his day. 1 1 is honse was called the Stationers' Arms, which
i :in in I in the reign of James II. The Commonwealth
arbitrary in its requirements, and commanded that
are was then only one) should submit any works he printed
the Clerk of the Council, to receive his imprimatur Wibiv pu
the same. The Williamites were equally tyrannical, for M.
was dismissed by them from the office of State Printer, and ti
in the Queen's Bench, with John Dowling, in 1707, for publish-
ing u \ Manual! of Devout Prayers/' for the use of Ro.
holies.1
There were also a great number of taverns and coflee-bons©* is
this street; the most noted was the Kose Tavern, which stood
1 Raman Catholics \ — The noisy and violent opposition which was mad* t*i
Catholic if he attempted to enter either a trade or a profession* vrmiM scansdy
be credited at tho present day ; yet it should be known ..
those who wish to estimate the social state of this country ace in .it»ly and
fairly. After the Revolution, the Pratea toot portion of tin- Guild
petitioned William lit* to make their corporation exclusively Protestant, &nrf
la granted.
THE FIRST POST-HOUSES AND POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS. 545
neatly opposite to the present Castle steps. Swift alludes to this
in the verses which he wrote on his own death, in 1731 : —
•' Suppose me dead ; and then suppose
A club assembled at the Hose."
Political clubs, lawyers' clubs, and benevolent clubs, all assembled
here ; and the Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick had their annual
dinner at the Rose, at the primitive hour of four o'clock, annually,
on the 17th of March, having first transacted business and heard a
seimon at St. Patrick's.
The first Dublin newspaper was published in this century, by
Robert Thornton, bookseller, at the sign of the Leather Bottle, in
Skmner's-row, A.D. 1683. It consisted of a single leaf of small
folio size, printed on both sides, and written in the form of a letter,
each number being dated, and commencing with the word " sir."
The fashionable church was St. Michael's in High-street. It is
described, in 1630, as " in good reparacion ; and although most of
the parishioners were recusants, it was commonly full of Protestants,
who resorted thither every Sunday to hear divine service and ser
mon." This church had been erected originally for Catholic worship.
Meanwhile the priests were obliged to say Mass wherever they
could best conceal themselves ; and in the reign of James I. theii
-services were solemnized in certain back rooms in the houses ot
Nicholas Quietrot, Carye, and the Widow O'Hagan, in High-street >
Amongst the fashionables who lived in this locality we find the
Countess of Roscommon, Sir P. Wemys, Sir Thady Duff, and Mark
Quiri, the Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1667. Here, too, was estab-
lished the first Dublin post-house, for which the nation appears to
have been indebted indirectly to Shane O'Neill, of whose proceed-
ings her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was anxious to be cognizant
with as little delay as possible. In 1656, it having been found that
the horses of the military, to whom postal communications had been
confided previously, were "much wearied, and his Highness' affayres
much prejudiced for want of a post-office to carry publique letters,"
Evan Vaughan was employed to arrange postal communications, and
was made Deputy Postmaster. Major Swift was the Postmaster
at Holyhead, and he was allowed £100 a-year for the maintenance
of four boatmen, added to the packet boats, at the rate of 8d. per
diem and 18s. per month for wages. Post-houses were established
9 High-street.— Gilbert's Dublin, vol. L p. 220.
2 K
in the principal towns in Ireland about the year 1670, by means of
which, for Bd. or 12i., letters could be conveyed, twice a week* to
the * remotest parts of Ireland," and which afforded u the eou-
veniency of keeping good correspondence."
The Dublin Philosophical Society held their Erst meetings an
Cork-hill, at the close of this century, and it is evident that there
were many men in that age who had more than ordinary seal for
scientific research. Dn Mullen has left a detailed account of the
ili faculties under which he dissected an elephant, which had been
burned to death in the booth where it was kept for exhibition, on
the 17th June, 1GS2, According to Haller, oculists are indebted
to him for some important discoveries connected with the organ* <
vision.3
The old Custom-house stood on the site of houses now
prised in that part of Dublin known as Wellington-quay. Here a
locality was selected, in the reign of James L, for the purpose of
11 erecting cranes and making wharves." This street, now so busy
and populous, was then in the suburbs, and is described m the lease,
a.d. 1620t as 4ta certain parcel of ground* lying in or near Dame-
street, in the suburbs of the city of Dublin." A new Custom-
house was erected about the period of the Restoration* with
addition of a council-chamber, where the Privy Council and Com-
mittees of the House of Commons were accustomed to assemble. By
an order of the Privy Council, ftth September, 1662, the Custom-
house-quay was appointed the sole place for landing and lading
exports and imports of the city of Dublin, In 1683 the public
Exchange of Dublin was transferred from Cork House to the
Tholsel, a building erected early in the reign of Edward It, au-1
described by Camden as built of hewn stone. Here the Mayor w$$
elected on Michaelmas Day, and the citizens held their public m<
ings. A clock was set up in 1560, no doubt very much to the admi-
ration of the citizens, A new Tholsel or City Hall was erect*.
1 GS3, on the same site, and there was a *' 'Change,'* where merchants
met every day, as in the Royal Exchange in London. Public dinners
were given here also with great magnificence ; but from the tnarthy
nature of the ground on which the building had been set up, it fell
to decay in 17U7, and a new Sessions-house was erected in Green*
street
■ Fuwwi— Gilbtrtv* Dublin, voL ii. p. 149,
THE FIRST THEATRE IN DUBLIN. 547
Nor did the good people of Dublin neglect to provide for their
amusements. Private theatricals were performed in the Castle at
the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, if not earlier* The
sum of one-and-twenty shillings and two groats was expended on
wax tapers for the play of " Gorbodne," " done at the Castle," in
September, 1601. Miracle and mystery plays were enacted as
early as 1528, when the Lord Deputy was "invited to a new play
every day in Christmas;" where the Tailors acted the part of
Adam and Eve, it is to be supposed because they initiated the trade
by introducing the necessity for garments ; the Shoemakers, the
story of Crispin and Crispianus ; the Vintners, Bacchus and his
story ; the Carpenters, Mary and Joseph ; the Smiths represented
Vulcan ; and the Bakers played the comedy of Ceres, the goddess
of corn. The stage was erected on Hogges-green, now College-
green ; and probably the entertainment was carried out al fresco.
The first playhouse established in Dublin was in Werburgh-street,
.in 1633. Shirley's plays were performed here soon after, and also
those of " rare Ben Jonson." Ogilvy, Shirley's friend, and the
promoter of this enterprise, was appointed Master of the Bevels in
Ireland in 1661 ; and as his first theatre was ruined during the
civil war, he erected a " noble theatre," at a cost of £2,000, imme-
diately after his new appointment, on a portion of the Blind-quay.
Dunton describes the theatres, in 1698, as more frequented than
the churches, and the actors as "no way inferior to those in
London/' The Viceroys appear to have been very regular in their
patronage of this amusement ; and om one occasion, when the news
reached Dublin of the marriage of William of Orange and Mary,
the Duke of Ormonde, after " meeting the nobility and gentry in
great splendour at the play, passed a general invitation to all the
company to spend that evening at the Castle."4
The inventory of the household effects of Lord Grey, taken in
1540, affords us ample information on the subject of dress and
household effects. The list commences with " eight tun and a
4 Castle.— Gilbert's Dublin, vol. ii. p. 69. There is a curious account in the
Quarterly Journal of the Kilkenny Archceological Society , July, 1862, p. 165,
of a comic playbill, issued for a Kilkenny theatre, in May, 1793. The value
of the tickets was to be taken, if required, in candles, bacon, soap, butter, and
cheese, and no one was to be admitted into the boxes without shoes aud stock-
ings; which leads one to conclude that the form of admission and style of attire
were not uncommon, or there would have been no joke in the announcement.
pype of Gaskoyne wine,11 and the "long board in the hall," A
great advance had been made since we described the social life of
the eleventh century ; and the refinements practised at meals wai
not the least of many improvements. A bord-dothe was spread on the
table, though forks were not used until the reign of James I, They
came from ttaly, to which country we owe many of the new fashions
introduced in the seventeenth century. In The Boh of Curium
there are directions given not to u foule the bord-dothe wyth I
knyfe f and Ben Jonson, in his comedy of u The Devil lean .
alludes to the introduction of forks, and the consequent disuse <
napkins :
w The landahk mm of forks,
Brought into custom bore at they are in Italy,
To thp a paring of napkin*."
The English edition of the Janua lAnguamm of Comenius, repre-
sents the fashion of dining in England during the Common wealth.
The table was simply a board placed on a frame or treaties,
was removed after the meal t r* knvu room for the dancers.
Capulet's hall was prepared thus :
*■ A hall ! a hall i give foom, and foot it, tfirln I
Mure light, ye knaves, and turn the table up,*
The head of the table, where the principal person sat, was ca
the tc board-end ;" and as one long table was now used instead of
several smaller ones, the guests of higher and lower degree wer*
divided by the massive saltcellar, placed in the centre of the table.
Thus, in Ben Jonaon, it is said of a man who treats his inferiors
with acorn, fl He never drinks below the salt/1 The waiters, after
settling the cloth, placed the spoons, knives, forks, bread, and
napkins beside the trenchers. The butler served out the drink from
the cupboard, the origin of our modern sideboard. The u c
erroneously supposed to have been like our modern cup.
specially mentioned amongst Lord Grey's effect*. Lord Fairfax, in
his directions to fail servant*, written about the middle of the
seventeenth century, says: "No man must fill beer or wine but
the cupboard keeper," and he should know which of his " cups be
for beer and which for wine, for it were a foul thing to mix 1 1
together." There was another reason, however, for this
meut— much "idle tippling" was cut off thereby; for as
DOMESTIC LIFE IN THIS CENTURY. 549
draught of beer or wine had to be asked for when it was needed,
the demand was not likely to be so quick as if it were always at
Land. There were also cups of " assay e," from which the cupbearer
was obliged to drink before his master, to prove that there was no
poison in the liquor which he used. The cupboard was covered
with a carpet, of which Lord Grey had two. These carpets, or
tablecovers, were more or less costly, according to the rank and state
of the owner. His Lordship had also " two chares, two fformes,
and two stooles." Chairs were decidedly a luxury at that day.
Although the name is of Anglo-Norman origin, they did not come
into general use until a late period ; and it was considered a mark
of disrespect to superiors, for young persons to sit in their presence
on anything but hard benches or stools. The Anglo-Saxons called
their seats sett and stol, a name which we still preserve in the modern
stool. The hall was ornamented with rich hangings, and there
was generally a travcs, which could be used as a curtain or screen
to form a temporary partition. The floor was strewn with rushes,
which were not removed quite so frequently as would have been
desirable, considering that they were made the repository of the
refuse of theHable. Perfumes were consequently much used, and
we are not surprised to find " a casting bottel, dooble gilte, for rose-
water," in the effects of a Viceroy of the sixteenth century. Such
things were more matters of necessity than of luxury at even a
later period. Meat and pudding were the staple diet of the upper
classes in 1698. Wright* gives a long and amusing extract from
a work published by a foreigner who had been much in England at
this period, and who appears to have marvelled equally at the
amount of solid meat consumed, the love of pudding, and the
neglect of fruit at dessert.
We are able, fortunately, to give a description of the fare used
during the same period in Ireland, at least by the upper classes, who
could afford to procure it Captain Bodley, a younger brother of
the founder of the famous Bodleian Library in Oxford, has left an
account of a journey into Lecale, in Ulster, in 1603, and of the
proceedings of his companions-in-arms, and the entertainment they
met with. His " tour " is full of that gossiping, chatty, general
* Wright. — Domestic Manners, pp. 465, 466 : " Oh ! what an excellent thing
It an English padding ! Make a pudding for an Englishman, and you will
regale him, be he where he will"
650
A COUNTRY DINNER PARTY IN ULSTER.
information, which gives an admirable idea of the state of society.
This is his description of a dinner: fi There was a large and beau-
tiful collar of brawn, with its accompaniments, to wit, mustard and
Muscatel wine; there were well-stuffed geese (such as the Lard
Bishop is wont to eat at Ardbraccan). the legi of which Captain
1 aulHel-1 always laid hold of far himself ; there were pies of venison,
and various kinds of game; pasties also, some of marrow, with
innumerable plums ; others of it with coagulated milk, such as the
Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London almost always have at i
feasts ; others, which they call tarts, of flivers shapes, mater
colours, made of beef, mutton, and veal.*1 Then he relates the
amusements. After dinner they rode, and in the evem
played cardst and had, u amongst other things, that Indian tobacco,
of which I shall never be able to make sufficient mention." Later
in the evening tl maskers " came to entertain them | and on one
ion, their host gave them up his own "good and soft bed, and
threw himself upon a pallet in the same chamber/'0
The large stand-bed, or four-post, ma then coming into use, and
was, probably, the ** good and soft bed M which the host resigned to
the use of the officers, and which, if we may judge by the illustration
of this piece of furniture, would conveniently hold a considerable
number of persons. The pallet was placed on the truckle-bed, which
rolled under the large bed, and was generally used by a servant,
who slept in his master's room. The reader will remember th
speech of Mine Host of the Garter, in the a Merry Wives ot
Windsor/1 who says of Falstaif * room : " There's his chamber* his
house, his castle, Ins standing-bed and truckle-bed."
However interesting the subject may be, there is not space to ^
into further* details. The inventory of Lord Grey's personal effect
can scarcely be given as a picture of costume in this century, for ev
a few years produced as considerable changes in fashion then
BOw\ Dekker, in his Seven Deadly Shims of London, describes an
Englishman's suit as being like a traitor's body that had been hanged,
iij.«wn, and quartered, and set up in several places; and says:
14 We that mock every nation for keeping one fashion, yet steal
patches from every one of them to piece out our pride, and are now
* Chamber. —This moat interesting and amusing janroal is pubUsbed in tha
r Arch Jour* VoL iil p. 73, with a translation, and notes. The original
is in Latin.
THE LADIES' DRESS— " HEART-BREAKER8." 551
laughing-stocks to them. The block for his head alters faster than
the feltmaker can fit him, and hereupon we are called in scorn block-
heads." The courtiers of Charles II. compensated themselves for the
stern restraints of Puritanism, by giving way to the wildest excesses
in dress and manners. Enormous periwigs were introduced, and it
became the fashion for a man of ton to be seen combing them on
the Mall #r at the theatre. The hat was worn with a broad brim,
ornamented with feathers ; a falling band of the richest lace adorned
the neck ; the short cloak was edged deeply with gold lace ; the
doublet was ornamented in a similar manner — it was long, and
swelled out from the waist; but the "petticoat breeches " were the
glory of the outer man, and -sums of money were spent on ribbon
and lace to add to their attractions.
The ladies' costume was more simple, at least at this period ; they
compensated themselves, however, for any plainness in dress, by
additional extravagances in their head-dresses, and wore "heart-
breakers," or artificial curls, which were set out on wires at the
aides of the face. Patching and painting soon became common, and
many a nonconformist divine lifted up his voice in vain against
these vanities. Pepys has left ample details of the dress in this
century ; and, if we may judge from the entry under the 30th of
October, 1663, either he was very liberal in his own expenditure,
and very parsimonious towards his wife, or ladies' attire was much
less costly than gentlemen^, for he murmurs over his outlay bf
about £12 for Mrs. Pepys and £5b for himself. The country
people, however, were attired more plainly and less expensively,
while many, probably —
" Shook their heads at folks in London,"
and wondered at the follies of their superiors.
The arms and military accoutrements of the period have already
been mentioned incidentally, and are illustrated by the different
costumes in our engravings, which Mr. Doyle has rendered with
the minutest accuracy of detail. This subject, if treated at all,
would require 6pace which we cannot afford to give it. The Life
Guards were embodied by Charles II., in 1681, in imitation of the
French " Gardes des Corps." The Coldstream were embodied by
General Monk, in 1660, at the town from whence they obtained
their name.
From an account in the Hamilton MSS., published in the Ulster
552 DKESS OF THE POORER CLASSES IN THIS CRSTtHlT.
drchawlogieai Journal, it would appear that it was usual, or, at le
not mi common, for young men of rank to go abroad for some
time, attended by a tutor, to perfect themselves in continental
languages. It need scarcely be said that travelling was equally
tedious and expensive, A journey from Dublin to Cork occupa*
several days; postchaises are a comparatively modern invention; sad
Sir William Petty astonished the good people of Dublin, in thr
seventeenth century, by inventing
some kind of carriage which could
be drawn by horses, With big
description of the condition of
the lower classes in Ireland it
this period, X shall conclude
this chapter* The accompsnTiog
figure represents the costume of
the Irish peasant about tbi
teenth century. The dress wu
found on the body of a nule
skeleton, in the year 1824, -\
was preserved so period
a coroner was called to hold*
inquest on it. Then
i taken from a bog in t)
of Killery, co. Sligo, Ti
was ' composed of soft brown
cloth ; the coat of the
material, but of finer
The buttons are ingenious!?
formed of the cloth. The trow-
sera consists of two di
parts, of different colours ana
4>
textures ; the upper part
thick, coarse, yel!owiah-brow
cloth ; the lower, a brown sail
yrllow plaid.
M The diet of these people is milk, sweet and sour, thick and tMa:
but tobacco, taken in short pipes seldom burned, seems the ploasun
of their lives. Their food is bread in cakes, whereof a penny serves
a week for each ; potatoes from August till May ; muscles, cockles,
md oysters, near the sea ; eggs and butter, made very rai
SCEJf* OF TH« BATTLK OP THE 1>0 YKE.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Aeceasion of James II, — Pnmtion of Public Affairs — Birth of an Heir— Lai'
tif \\ illiatp of Or&uge — Arrival of King James in Ireland — The Siege of
Derry— -Cruelties of the Enuiskilieuers — Disease in Schomberg'e Camp— The
Battle of the Boyne— JameV Defeat and Disgraceful Fligfat^-The S
Atlilono— The Siege of Limerick — Marlboro ngh apjieara before Cork— Wil-
liam raises the Siege of Limerick and return i to England — The Siege of
Athloue, Heroic Valour of it« Defenders— The Battle of Aughrim— Sur-
render of Limerick.
)V
[A.D. 168S— 1G9L]
JSL-fS
^ING JAMES' accession again raised the hopes of
the Catholics, and again they were doomed to dis-
appointment; while the Protestants, who had
fears also, soon learned that policy would bend
to popularity. Colonel Richard Talbot was now
raised to the peerage as Earl of Tyrconnel, and ap-
pointed Commander-in-Chief of the forces, with an
authority independent of the Lord Lieutenant,
character, as well as that of his royal master
been judged rather by his political opinions than
by tacts, and both have suffered considerably at the
hands of a modern historian , who has offered mutt
than one holocaust to the manes of his hero,
William of Orange.
The moderate and cautious Clarendon was ap-
pointed Viceroy, and did his best to appease the fears of the Pro-
ACCESSION OF JAMES II. 555
testants ; but he was soon succeeded by Tyrconnel, whose zeal for
Irish interests was not always tempered by sufficient moderation to
conciliate English politicians. He had fought against O'Neill ; he
had opposed Rinuccini ; he had served in the Duke of Ormonde's
army ; he had helped to defend Drogheda against the Republicans,
and had lain there apparently dead, and thus escaped any further
suffering ; he was of the Anglo-Irish party, who were so faithfully
loyal to the crown, and whose loyalty was repaid with such cold
indifference ; yet his virtues have been ignored, and Macaulay ac-
cuses him of .having " adhered to the old religion, like the Celts,"
which was true, and of " having taken part with them in the re-
bellion of 1641," which was not true.
James commenced his reign by proclaiming his desire for religious
liberty. Individually he may not have been much beyond the age
in opinion on this subject, but liberty of conscience was necessary
for himself. He was a Catholic, and he made no secret of his reli-
gion ; he was, therefore, obliged from this motive, if from no other,
to accord the same boon to his subjects. The Quakers were set
free in England, and the Catholics were set free in Ireland. But
the Puritan faction, who had commenced by fighting for liberty of
conscience fo? themselves, and who ended by fighting to deny
liberty of conscience to others, were quite determined that neither
Quakers nor Catholics should worship God as they believed them-
selves bound to do. Such intolerance, unhappily, was not altogether
confined td the illiterate. Coke, in a previous generation, had
declared that it was felony even to counsel the King to tolerate
Catholics ; and Usher, that it was a deadly sin. The King had
neither the good sense nor the delicacy of feeling to guide him
through these perils. His difficulties, and the complications which
ensued, belong to the province of the English historian, but they
were not the less felt in Ireland.
The Protestants professed to be afraid of being massacred by the
Catholics ; the Catholics apprehended a massacre from the Protes-
tants. Catholics were now admitted to the army, to the bar, and
to the senate. Protestants declared this an infringement of their
rights, and forgot how recently they had expelled their Catholic
fellow-subjects, not merely from honours and emoluments, but even
from their altars and their homes.
An event now occurred which brought affairs to a crisis. The
King's second wife, Mary of Modena, gave him an heir, and the
B56
W1IJ.IAM OF ORANGE ARRIVES IN ENGLAND.
heir appeared likely to live (a,d. 1638). William of Orange, who
had long flattered himself that he should one day wear the crown
of England, saw that no time should he lost if he intended to secure
the prize, and commenced his preparations with all the ability and
with all the duplicity for which his career has been admired by
party, and denounced by the other, according as political and
religious opinion! viewed the deceit under the strong light of the
ability, or the ability under the glare of the deceit. The Protestant
party eculd not but see all that was to be apprehended if a Catholic
heir should succeed to the throne, and they sacrificed their loyalty
to their interests, if not to their principles.
William arrived in England on the 6th of November, 1688, He
professed to have come for the purpose of investigating the nun
which had been so industriously circulated respecting the birth oj
the heir who had laired his pretensions, and to induce the K
to join the league which had been just formed against France j
he took care to come provided with an armament, which gave
lie to his diplomatic pretensions ; and as soon as he had been jo3
by English Hoops, of whose disaffection he was well aware, his real
ive was no longer concealed. James fled to France, whithe
had already sent his Queen and heir. Still there was a large party in
England who had not yet declared openly for the usurper,- and had
3 umes entirely alienated the affection of his subjects by his t>
nical treatment of the Protestant bishops, his conduct toward* the
University of Oxford, and the permission, if not the sanction, vi.
ive to Jeffreys in his bloody career, there can be little d
that William should have fought for the crown on English gr<
as he did on Irish*
Ulster was principally peopled by Protestant Presbyt
from the north of Scotland. They were not likely to be very 1
even to a Stuart* for the Irish had been called over to Scotland
before now to defend royal righta ; they had not very defined
gious opinions, except on the subject of hatred of Popery and I
lacy. It cannot be a matter of surprise, therefore, that these men
hailed the prospect of a new sovereign, whose opinions, both reli-
gious and political, coincided with their own. If he, too, had very
general views as to the rights of kings, and no very particular
view as to rights of conscience being granted to any who did not
agree with him, he was none the less acceptable,
Tyrconnel had neither men, money, nor arm*, to meet the eiaer-
KINO JAMES ARRIVES IN IRELAND. 557
gency. He had to withdraw the garrison from Deny to make up
the contingent of 3,000 men, which he sent to assist the King in
England ; but they were immediately disarmed, and the young men
of Deny closed their gates, and thus were the first to revolt openly
against their lawful King. The native Irish had been loyal when
loyalty cost them their lives, without obtaining for them any in-
creased liberty to exercise their religion ; they were, therefore, not
less likely to be loyal now, when both civil and religious liberty
might depend upon their fealty to the crown. The Enniskilleners
revolted ; and the whole of Ulster, except Gharlemont and Carrick-
fergus, declared for William of Orange.
James determined to make an effort to regain his throne ; and
by this act rendered the attempt of his son-in-law simply a
rebellion. Had the King declined the contest, had he violated the
rules of government so grossly as no longer to merit the confidence
of his people, or had there been no lawful heir to the throne,
William's attempt might have been legitimate ; under the circum-
stances, it was simply a successful rebellion. The King landed
at Kinsale, on the 12th of March, 1689, attended by some Irish
troops and French officers. He met Tyrconnel in Cork, created
him a duke, and then proceeded to Bandon, where he received the
submission of the people who had joined the rebellion. On his
arrival in Dublin, he summoned a Parliament and issued proclama-
tions, after which he proceeded to Derry, according to the advice of
Tprconnel. Useless negotiations followed ; and James returned to
Dublin, after having confided the conduct of the siege to General
Hamilton. If that officer had not been incomparably more humane
than the men with whom he had to deal, it is probable that the
'Prentice Boys of Derry would not have been able to join in theii
yearly commemoration of victory. The town was strongly fortified,
and well supplied with artillery and ammunition; the besiegers
were badly clad, badly provisioned, and destitute of almost every
thing necessary to storm a town. Their only resource was to
starve out the garrison ; but of this resource they were partly
deprived by the humanity of General Hamilton, who allowed a
considerable number of men, women, and children to leave Deny,
and thus enabled its defenders to hold out longer. Lundy, who
urged them to capitulate to King James, was obliged to escape in
disguise \ and Major Baker, assisted by the Rev. George Walker, a
Protestant clergyman, then took the command. According to the
f^b
THE SIEGE OF DERBY,
abatements of the latter, the garrison amounted to 7,500 men, and
they had twenty-two cannon, which alone gave them an immense
advantage over the royal army. So much has been already said,
and written, and sung of the bravery of the Deny men, that
nothing more remains to say. That they were brave, and that
they bravely defended the cause which they had adopted, there is
no doubt ; but if polemics had not mingled with politics in the
encounter, it is quite possible that we should have heard no more
of their exploits than of those other men, equally gallant and
equally brave. The Enmskiileners, who have obtained an unen-
viable notoriety for their merciless cruelty in war, occupied the
Kind's truups so as to prevent them from assisting the besiegers.
Several encounters took place between the Deny men and the roy-
alists, but with no other result than loss of lives on each side. On
the 13th of June, a fleet of thirty ships arrived from England witii
men and provisions ; but the Irish had obtained the command of
the river Foyle, and possession of Cuhnore Fort at the entrance,
so that they were tillable to enter. Be Rosen was now sent by
James to assist Hamilton. He proposed and carried out the barba-
rous expedition of driving all the Protestants whom he could
before the walla, and threatening to let them starve there to death
unless the garrison surrendered* His plan was strongly disapproved
by the King, it disgusted the Irish, and exasperated the besieged.
The next day they erected a gallows on the ramparts, and threat-
ened to hang their prisoners then and tL^re if the unfortunate
people were not removed, It is to the credit of the Deny men
that they shared their provisions to the last with their prisoner*,
even while they were dying themselves of starvation. Perk
the example of humanity set to them by General Hamilton
not without its effect, for kindness and cruelty seem equally conti
gious in time of war. Kirke's squadrons aj last passed the forts,
broke the boom, and relieved the garrison, who could not Jure
held out forty-eight hours longer. It was suspected that I
gold had procured their admittance, and that the officers who coo-
tnanded the forte were bribed to let them pass unscathed.
&ieg& was at once raised; the royal army withdrew on thi
August ; and thus terminated the world-famed siege of Berry.
James now held his Parliament in Dublin, repealed the .
Settlement, passed the Act of Attainder, and issued an immea*?
quantity of base coin. He has been loudly condemned b;
ENGAGEMENT AT NEWTOWNBUTLER. 559
historians for these proceedings; but it should be remembered (1)
that the Act of Settlement was a gross injustice, and, as such, it was
but justice that it should be repealed. Had the measure been
carried out, however severely it might have been felt by the Protes-
tant party, they could not have suffered from the repeal as severely
as the Catholics had suffered from the enactment. (2) The
Act of Attainder simply proclaimed that the revolutionists were
rebels against their lawful King, and that they should be treated
as such. (3) The utterance of base coin had already been per-
formed by several Governments, and James only availed himself of
the prerogatives exercised by his predecessors.
The day on which the 6iege of Deny was raised, the royalists
met with a severe reverse at Newtownbutler. They were under
the command of Lord Mountcashel, when attacked by the Ennis-
killeners. The dragoons had already been dispirited by a reverse
at Lisnaskea; and a word of command7 which was given incor-
rectly, threw the old corps into confusion, from which their brave
leader in vain endeavoured to rally them. Colonel Wolseley, an
English officer, commanded the Enniskilleners ; and the cruelties
with which they hunted down the unfortunate fugitives, has made
the name almost a byword of reproach. Five hundred men
plunged into Lough Erne to escape their fury, but of these only one
was saved. Lord Mountcashel was taken prisoner, but he escaped
eventually, and fled to France. Sarsfield, who commanded at Sligo,
was obliged to retire to Athlon e ; and the victorious Williamites
remained masters of that part of the country.
Sehomberg arrived8 at Bangor, in Down, on the 13th of August,
1689, with a large army, composed of Dutch, French Huguenots,
and new levies from England. On the 17th he marched to Belfast,
where he met with no resistance ; and on the 27th Carrickfergus
surrendered to him on honorable terms, after a siege of eight days,
but not until its Governor, Colonel Charles MacCarthy More, was
T Command, — Mountcashel gave the word "right face;" it was repeated
44 right about face.'* Colonel Hamilton and Captain Lavallin were tried in
Dublin by court-martial for the mistake, and the latter was shot.
9 Arrived. — The journals of two officers of the Williamite army have been
published in the Ulster Arck. Jour., and furnish some interesting details oi
the subsequent campaign. One of the writers is called Bonnivert, and was
probably a French refugee ; the other was Dr. Davis, a Protestant clergyman,
who obtained a captaincy in William's army, and seemed to enjoy preaching
and fighting with equal zest
men tT we shall have all the details, minus the statement that several
of the officers drank themselves to death, and that some who were
in power were charged with going shares in the embezzlement of
the contractor, Mr. John Shales, who, whether guilty or not, was
nmde the scapegoat on the occasion, and was accused, moreover, of
having caused all this evil from partiality to King James, in whose
Service he had been previously. Mr* John Shales was therefore
taken prisoner , and sent under a strong guard to Belfast, and from
thence to London. As nothing more is heard of hira, it is probable
the mutter was hushed up, or that he had powerful accomplices in
his frauds.
Abundant supplies arrived from England, which, if they could
not restore the dead, served at least to renovate the living ; and
-jmberg was ready to take the field early in the year 1690, not-
withstanding the loss of about 10,000 men* James, with the con-
stitutional fatuity of the Stuarts, had lost his opportunity. If he
had attacked the motley army of the revolutionary party while the
men were suffering From want and disease, and while his own
troops were fresh and courageous, he might have conquered ; the
most sanguine now could scarcely see any other prospect for him
than defeat. He was in want of everything ; and he had no Eng-
men who hoped for plunder, no French refugees who looked for
^ new home, no brave Dutchmen who loved fighting for its own
sake, to fall back upon in the hour of calamity. His French coiw-
lors only agreed to disagree with him. There was the ordinary
it of jealousy amongst the Irish officers — the inevitable result
of the want of a competent leader in whom aU could confide. The
King was nrged by one party (the French) to retire to Connaught,
id entrench himself there until he should receive succours from
ace; he was urged by another party (the Irish) to attack Schom-
x prnof that their ministrations were not very successful, and that the lower
«r of Irish were not at all below the English of the same class in education
r reiiiwmeut " The moans of the sick were drowned by the blasphemy and
ibaMry «jf their com pan ion & Sometime*, seated on the body of a wretch who
had died in the morning, might be seen a wretch destined to die before, night,
.tig, eingiog loose songst and swallowing usquebaugh to the health of the.
devil* When the corpses were taken away to be buried, the survivon grum-
bled, A dead man, they said, wm a good screen and a good stooL Why,
when there was so abundant a supply of suoh useful articles of furniture, were
people to be exposed to the cold air, and forced to crouch on the moist ground f
— Macaulay 'a Ati#k>nj of EwjUmd, People'* Ed, part viii p. 88,
2 N
berg without delay* Louvais, the French Minister of War, divided
his hatred with tolerable impartiality between James and William;
therefore, though quite prepared to oppose the latter, he was by do
means so willing to assist the former ; and when he did send men
to Ireland, under the command of the Count de Lauzan, he took
care that their clothing and arms should be of the worst description.
He received in exchange a reinforcement of the best-equips
best-trained soldiers of the Irish army. Avauxand De Kosen vrere
both sent hack to France by James ; and thus, with but few officers,
badly-equipped troops, and his own miserable and vacillat
be commenced the war which ended so gloriously or so disss tj
according to the different opinions of the actors in the fatal drama
In July, 1690, some of James* party were defeated by the Wil*
liamites at Cavan, and several of his best officers were killed ornuwla
prisoners. Another engagement took place at Charlemom
Governor, Teigue O'Regan, only yielded to starvation. He wtcr»
dered on honorable terms ; and Schomberg, with equal humanity
and courtesy, desired that each of his starving men should i
a loaf of bread at Armagh.
William had intended for some time to conduct the Irish
paign in person. He embarked near Chester on the 11th of Ji
and landed at Carrickfergus on the Hth, attended by Prince
of Denmark, the Duke of Wurtemburg, the Prince of Hesse Darm-
stadt, the Duke of Ormonde, and the Earls of Oxford, Pol
Scarborough, and Manchester, with other persons of distinction
Schomberg met him half-way between Carrickfergus and I
William, who had ridden so far, now entered the General's cairag^
and drove to Belfast, where he was received with acclamations
loud shouts of M God bless the Protestant King T There were In
fires and discharges of cannon at the various camps of the Williami'
The officers of several regiments paid their respects to him in el
On the 22nd the whole army encamped at Loughbricklan
Newry, In the afternoon William came up and reviewed the
pitching his tent on a neighbouring eminence. l The army coznprisri
a strange medley of nationalities. More than half wen
and on these William placed his principal reliance, for at m
ment a reaction might take place in favour of the law
* Eminence, —Journal <*f Captain Davis, published in tie UUter ArchQ
Journal vol iv.
THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE. 563
The Williamite army was well supplied, well trained, admirably
commanded, accustomed to war, and amounted to between forty
and fifty thousand. The Jacobite force only consisted of twenty
thousand,2 and of these a large proportion were raw recruits. The
officers, however, were brave and skilful ; but they had only twelve
field-pieces, which had been recently received from France. On the
22nd, news came that James had encamped near Dundalk ; on the
23rd he marched towards Drogheda. On the same day William
went to Newry; he was thoroughly aware of the movements of his
hapless father-in-law, for deserters came into his camp from time to
time. James obtained his information from an English officer,
Captain Farlow, and some soldiers whom he made prisoners at a
trifling engagement which took place between Newry and Dundalk.
James now determined on a retreat to the Boyne through Ardee.
His design was to protract the campaign as much as possible, — an
arrangement which suited his irresolute habits; but where a king-
dom was to be lost or won, it only served to discourage the troops
and to defer the decisive moment.
The hostile forces confronted each other for the first time on the
banks of the Boyne, June 30, 1 689. The Jacobite army was posted
on the declivity of the Hill of Dunore — its right wing towards
Drogheda, its left extending up the river. The centre was at
the small hamlet of Oldbridge. Entrenchments were hastily
thrown up to defend the fords, and James took up his position at
a ruined church on the top of the Hill of Dunore. The Williamite
army approached from the north, their brave leader directing every
movement, and inspiring his men with courage and confidence.
He obtained a favourable position, and was completely screened
from view until he appeared on the brow of the hill, where his
forces debouched slowly and steadily into the ravines below. After
planting his batteries on the heights, he kept up an incessant fire
on the Irish lines during the afternoon of the 30th. But James'
officers were on the alert, even if their King were indifferent.
William was recognized as he approached near their lines to recon-
noitre. Guns were brought up to bear on him quietly and stealthily ;
" six shots were fired at him, one whereof fell and struck off the
top of the Duke Wurtemberg's pistol and the whiskers of his horse,
and another tore the King's coat on his shoulder."3
1 Twenty thousand. — Captain Davis' Journal
* Shoulder. — Davis' Journal The coat was exhibited at the meeting of the
William, like a wise general as he was, took care that the news of
his accident should not dispirit his men* He showed himself every*
where, rode through the camp, was as agreeable as it was in his
nature to be ; and thus made capital of what might have been a
cause of disaster. In the meantime James did all that was pos>
to secure a defeat. At one moment be decided to retreat, at the
next he would risk a battle ; then he sent off his baggage and six of
his field-pieces to Dublin, for his own special protection ; and while
thus so remarkably careful of himself , he could not be persuade
allow the most necessary precaution to be taken for the safety of
his army. Hence the real marvel to posterity is, not that the
battle of the Boyne should have been lost by the Irish, but that
they should ever have attempted to fight at all Perhaps nothing
but the inherent loyalty of the Irish, which neither treachery nor
pusillanimity could destroy, and the vivid remembrance of the cruel
wrongs always inflicted by Protestants when in power, pi
them from rushing over flu masst to Williams side of the Boj
Perhaps, in the history of nations, there* never was so brave a
resistance made for love of royal right and religious freedom, as
that of the Irish officers and men who then fought on thfl
Jacobite side.
The first attack of William's men was made at Slane. This
precisely what the Jacobite officers had anticipated, and
James had obstinately refused to see. When it was too Late,
allowed Lausan to defend the ford, but even Hit Nial 0
gallantry was unavailing. The enemy had the advance, and Port-
land's artillery and infantry crossed at Slane- William now
certain of victory, if, indeed, he had ever doubted, it. It was low
water at ten o* clock \ the fords at Oldbridge were passable ; a tre-
mendous battery was opened on the Irish lines; they had u
single gun to reply, and yet they waited steadily for the attack
The Dutch Blue Guards dashed into the stream ten abreast, c
manded by the Count de Solmes ; the Londonderry and Enniski.
Dragoons followed, supported by the French Huguenots. The ;
U&h infantry came next, under the command of Sir John Han
and the Count Nassau. William crossed at the hfth ford, wl
the water was deepest, with the cavalry of his left wing. It was a
British Association in Eelfaat, in 1852. It had descended ha *□ heirloom
through Colonel WetheralL, WiUiam's aide-d^-camp, who took it off him after
the accident.
WHAT THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE DID FOR IRELAND. 565
grand and terrible sight. The men in the water fought for William
and Protestantism ; the men on land fought for their King and
their Fait]}. The men were equally gallant. Of the leaders I shall
say nothing, lest I should be tempted to say too much. James
had followed Lauzan's forces towards Slane. Tyrconnel's valour
could not save the day for Ireland against fearful odds. Sarsfield's
horse had accompanied the King. The Huguenots were so warmly
received by the Irish at the fords that they recoiled, and their com-
mander, Caillemont, was mortally wounded. Schomberg forgot
his age, and the affront he had received from William in the niorn-
ing ; and the man of eighty-two dashed into the river with the im-
petuosity of eighteen. He was killed immediately, and so was Dr,
Walker, who headed the Ulster Protestants. William may have
regretted the brave old General, but he certainly did not regret the
Protestant divine. He had no fancy for churchmen meddling in
secular affairs, and a rough " What brought him there V was all the
reply vouchsafed to the news of his demise. The tide now began
to flow, and the battle raged with increased fury. The valoar dis-
played by the Irish was a marvel even to their enemies. Hamilton
was wounded and taken prisoner. William headed the Ennis-
killeners, who were put to flight soon after by the Irish horse, at
Platten, and were now rallied again by himself. When the enemy
had crossed the ford at Oldbridge, James ordered Lauzan to march
in a parallel direction with Douglas and young Schomberg to
Duleek. Tyrconnel followed. The French infantry covered the
retreat in admirable order, with the Irish cavalry. When the defile
of Duleek had been passed, the royalist forces again presented a
front to the enemy. William's horse halted. The retreat was
again resumed ; and at the deep defile of Naul the last stand was
made. The shades of a summer evening closed over the belli-
gerent camps. The Williamites returned to Duleek ; and eternal
shadows clouded over the destinies of the unfortunate Stuarts — a
race admired more from sympathy with their miseries, than from
admiration of their virtues.
Thus ended the famous battle of the Boyne. England obtained
thereby a new governor and a national debt ; Ireland, fresh oppres-
sion, and an intensification of religious and political animosity, un-
paralleled in the history of nations.
James contrived to be first in the retreat which he had antici-
pated, and for which he had so carefully prepared. He arrived in
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WILLIAM RAISES THE SIEGE OF LIMERICK, 567
stout as the brave hearts of its defenders. William sent for more
artillery to Waterford ; and it was found that two of the guns
which Sarsfield had attempted to destroy, were still available.
The trenches were opened on the 17 th of August. On the 20th
the garrison made a vigorous sortie, and retarded the enemy's pro-
gress ; but on the 24th the batteries were completed, and a murder-
ous fire of red-hot shot and shells was poured into the devoted city.
The trenches were carried within a few feet of the palisades, on the
27th ; and a breach having been made in the wall near St. John's
Gate, William ordered the assault to commence. The storming
party were supported by ten thousand men. For three hours a
deadly struggle was maintained. The result seemed doubtful, so
determined was the bravery evinced on each side. Boisseleau, the
Governor, had not been unprepared, although he was taken by
surprise, and had opened a murderous cross-fire on the assailants
when first they attempted the storm. The conflict lasted for nearly
three hours. The Brandenburg regiment had gained the Black
Battery, when the Irish sprung a mine, and men, faggots, and stones
were blown up in a moment. A council' of war was held ; William,
whose temper was not the most amiable at any time, was unusually
morose. He had lost 2,000 men between the killed and the
wounded, and he had not taken the city, which a French General
had pronounced attainable with " roasted apples." On Sunday, the
31st of August, the siege was raised. William returned to England,
where his presence was imperatively demanded. The military
command was confided to the Count de Solmes, who was after-
wards succeeded by De Ginkell ; the civil government was intrusted
to Lord Sidney, Sir Charles Porter, and Mr. Coningsby.
Lauzan returned to France with Tyrconnel, and the Irish forces
were confided to the care of the Duke of Berwick, a youth of twenty,
with a council of regency and a council of war to advise him.
Under these circumstances it was little wonder that there should
have been considerable division of opinion, and no little jealousy, in
the royal camp ; and even then the seeds were sowing of what even-
tually proved the cause of such serious misfortune to the country.
The famous Marlborough appeared before Cork with an army of
1,500 men, on the 22nd of September, and the garrison were made
prisoners of war after a brief and brave resistance ; but the condi-
tions on which they surrendered were shamefully violated. Kinsale
\ next attacked; but with these exceptions, and some occasional
skirmishes with the * Rapparees * the winter passed over without
any important military opera tions.
Tyrconnel returned to Ireland in January, with a email supply
of money and some provisions, notwithstanding the plots made
against him by Luttrell and Purcell, He brought a patent from
James, creating Sarsfield Earl of Lucam A French fleet arrived
in May, with provisions, clothing, and ammunition* It had d»:m
men nor money ; but it brought what was supposed to be a
equivalent, in the person of St. Ruth, a distinguished French
officer, who was sent to take the command of the Irish army, In
the meantime Ginkell was organizing the most eifective force ever
seen in Ireland : neither men nor money was spared by the I>;_
Parliament. And this was the army which the impoverished and
ill-provisioned troops of the royalists were doomed to encounter.
Hostilities commenced on 7th June, with the siege of Baliymore
Castle, in Westmeath, The Governor surrendered, and Athlone was
next attacked. This town is situated on the river Shannon, Its
position must be thoroughly understood, to comprehend the heroic
bravery with which it was defended- It will he remembered *
Athlone was one of the towns which the English of the Pale had
fortified at the very commencement of their invasion of Ireland.
That portion of the city which lay on the Leinster or Pale side
of the river, had never been strongly fortified, and a breach was
made at once in the walL Ginkell assaulted it with 4,000 men,
and the defenders at once withdrew to the other side ; but they
held the bridge with heroic bravery, until they had broken down
two of the arches, and placed the broad and rapid Shannon be-
tween themselves and their enemies, St Ruth had arrived in
meantime, and posted his army, amounting to about 15,000 h
and foot, at the Irish side of the riven The English had now raised
the works so high on their side, that they were able to keep up an
incessant fire upon the town* According to their own historian!
Shny, they threw in 12,000 cannon balls and 600 bombs, and the
siege cost them '* nigh fifty tons of powder," Th»-
the batteries were soon broken down, and the town itself reduced
to ruins. The besiegers next attempted to cross in a bridge d
boats, but the defenders turned their few field-pieces on thenx
They then tried to mend the broken bridge; hug© beams \\
flung across, and they had every hope of success, But tbey
knew not yet what Irish valour could dare. Eight or ten devoted
HEROIC VALOUR OF THE IRISH. 569
i
men dashed into the water, and tore down the planks, under a
galling fire ; and, as they fell dead or dying into the river, others
rushed to take the places of their fallen comrades, and to complete
the work
St. Ruth now ordered preparations to be made for an assault,
and desired the ramparts on the Con naught side of the town to be
levelled, that a whole battalion might enter abreast to relieve the
garrison when it was assailed. But the Governor, D'Usson, opposed
the plan, and neglected the order. All was now confusion in the
camp. There never had been any real head to the royalist party
in Ireland ; and to insure victory in battle, or success in any im-
portant enterprise where multitudes are concerned, it is absolutely
essential that all should act with union of purpose. Such union,
where there are many men, and, consequently, many minds, can
only be attained by the most absolute submission to one leader ;
and this leader, to obtain submission, should be either a lawfully con-
stituted authority, or, in cases of emergency, one of those master-
spirits to whom men bow with unquestioning submission, because
of the majesty of intellect within them. There were brave men
and true men in that camp at Athlone, but there was not one who
possessed these essential requisites.
According to the Williamite historian, Ginkell was informed by
traitors of what was passing, and that the defences on the river side
were guarded by two of the " most indifferent Irish regiments." He
immediately chose 2,000 men for the assault, distributed a gratuity
of guineas amongst them, and at a signal from the church bell, at
six in the evening, on the 30th of June, the assault was made, and
carried with such rapidity, that St. Ruth, who was with the cavalry
at a distance, was not aware of what had happened until all was
over. St. Ruth at once removed his army to Ballinasloe, twelve
miles from his former post, and subsequently to Aughrim. Tyr-
connel was obliged to leave the camp, the outcry against him be-
came so general.
• St. Ruth's ground was well chosen. He had placed his men upon
an eminence, and each wing was protected by a morass or bog. The
Williamites came up on Sunday, July 11th, while the Irish were
hearing Mass. In this instance, as in so many others, it is impos-
sible to ascertain correctly the numerical force of each army. The
historians on either side were naturally anxious to magnify the
numbers of their opponents, and to lessen their own. It is at least
570
THE BATTLE OF AUGHRTM.
certain, that on this, as on other occasions, the Irish were miserably
deficient in all the appliances of the art of war, while the English
were admirably supplied. The most probable estimate of the Irish
force appears to he 15,000 horse and foot; and of the Englisk
20,000. Ginkell opened fire on the enemy as soon as his gum
were planted. Some trifling skirmishes followed. A council of wit
was held, and the deliberation lasted until half-past four in
evening, at which time a general engagement was decided on, A
cannonade had been kept up on both sides, in which the En-
had immensely the advantage, St. Ruth's excellently cho?-
tion being almost useless for want of sufficient artillery, At h=
past six Ginkell ordered an advance on the Irish rig
previously ascertained that the bog was passable- The d*. :
after discharging their fire, gradually drew the Williamites l
them by an almost imperceptible retreat, until they had them £-
to face with their main line. Then the Irish cavalry charged wm
irresistible valour, and the English were thrown into total d
St. Ruth, proud of the success of his strategies and the valour or:
men, exclaimed, "Le jour est a nous, mes enfans/1 But St. Kimz
weak point was his left wing, and this was at once perceived
taken advantage of by the Dutch General. Some of hia in fun try na
good their passage across the morass, which St Ruth had eupp—
impassable ; and the men, who commanded this po ^>>tu
ruined castle, found that the balls with which they had been arvi^c
did not suit their fire-arms, so that they were unable to defend
passage, St. II nth at once perceived his error. He tut>-
support them with a brigade of horse ; but even as he ex
t; They are beaten ; let us beat them to the purpose," a car
carried off his head, and all was lost. Another death, which
curred almost immediately after, completed the misfortu);
lush. The infantry had been attended and encouraged In
Aloyems Stafford, chaplain to the forces ; but when M death m
rupted his glorious career,"* they were panic-struck; and tlu
hours after the death of the general and the priest, there n
a man of the Irish army left upon the field. But the real caus*
the failure was the fatal misunderstanding which existed
the leaders. Sarsfteld, who was thoroughly able to have tak
Ruth's position, and to have retrieved the fortunes of the day, had
• Carter.— II intory o/thr King's Inmt p, 239,
A FAITHFUL DOG. 571
been placed in the rear by the jealousy of the latter, andkept in entire
ignorance of the plan of battle. He was now obliged to withdraw
without striking a single blow. The cavalry retreated along the
highroad to Loughrea ; the infantry fled to a bog, where numbers
were massacred, unarmed and in cold blood.
The loss on both sides was immense, and can never be exactly
estimated. Harris says that " had not St. Ruth been taken off, it
would have been hard to say what the consequences of this day
would have been."6 Many of the dead remained unburied, and their
bones were left to bleach in the storms of winter and the sun of
summer. There was one exception to the general neglect. An
Irish officer, who had been slain, was followed by his faithful dog.
The poor animal lay beside his master's body day and night ; and
though he fed upon other*corpses with the rest of the dogs, he
would not permit them to touch the treasured remains. He con-
tinued his watch until January, when he flew at a soldier, who he
feared was about to remove the bones, which were all that remained
to him of the being by whom he had been caressed and fed. The
soldier in his fright unslung his piece and fired, and the faithful
wolf-dog laid down and died by his charge.6
Oinkell laid siege to Galway a week after the battle of Aughrim.
The inhabitants relied principally upon the arrival of Balldearg
O'Donnell for their defence; but, as he did not appear in time,
they capitulated on favourable terms, and the Dutch General
marched to Limerick.
Tyrconnel died at Limerick, of apoplexy, while he was preparing
to put the city into a state of defence. He was a faithful and
zealous supporter of the royal cause, and devoted to the Irish nation.
His loyalty has induced one party to blacken his character ; his
haughty and unconciliatory manner prevented his good qualities
from being fully appreciated by the other.
The real command now devolved on M. D'Usson, the Governor
of Limerick. Active preparations for the siege were made on both
sides. Ginkell contrived to communicate with Henry Luttrell, but
his perfidy was discovered, and he was tried by court-martial and im-
prisoned. Sixty cannon and nineteen mortars were planted against
* Seen.— Life of William III. p. 327.
9 Charge.-— 8ee the Green Book, p. 231, for some carious stories about this
engagement, and for a detailed account of St Ruth's death.
fiT2
THE SIEGK OF LIMERICK.
the devoted city, and on the 30th the bombardment commenced
The Irish horse had been quartered on the Clare side of th* Shannon ;
but, through the treachery or indifference of Brigadier Clifford, who
had been posted, with a strong body of dragoons, to prevent such
an attempt, Ginkell threw across a pontoon-bridge, and sent
a large detachment of horse and foot, on the morning of the 1
which effectually cut off communication between the citizens and
their camp. On the 22nd he made a feint of raising the siege, but
his real object was to. lull suspicion, while he attacked the works at
the Clare end of Thoniond-bridge. The position was bravely de-
fended by Colonel Lacy, but he was obliged to yield to overpower-
ing numbers ; and the Town-Major, fearing that the enemy would
enter in the mllm with the Irish, drew up the bridge. The English
gave no quarter, and, according to their own account, 600 men
were slaughtered on the spot. This was the last engagement
Sarsfield recommended a surrender. Resistance was equally hope*
less and useless; it could only end in a fearful sacrifice of life on
both sides. A parley took place on the 23rd, and on the 24th a
three days' truce was arranged. Hostages were exchanged, and a
friendly intercourse was established. On the 3rd of October, J
the Treaty was signed. The large stone is still shown which mw
used as a table on the occasion. What that Treaty eontai I
how it was violated, are matters which demand a careful and im-
partial consideration.
s#>"
TKK TREATY STONB, UlfttRTOK,
Tfai« stone was placed on a h*nd*ome pedestal a few years imoe, by the 1
Mayor of Limerick*
HBrvrg* - -
fllTE OF THE BATTLE OF AUG H RIM-
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Formation of the Irish Brigade — Violation of the Treaty of Limerick— Enact-
ment of the Penal Laws— Restrictions on Trade— The Embargo Laws— The
Sacramental Teat introduced — The Palatines— The Irish forbidden to enlist
in the Army— Dean Swift and the Dm pier's Letters — Attempt* to form a
Catholic Association — Irish Emigrants defeat the English in France, Spain,
and America— The Whdteboys — An Account of the Cause of these Outrages,
hyaa English Tourist— Mr. Young's Remedy for Irish Diaalfectimi— The
Peculiar Position and Difficulties of Irish Priests — The Judicial Murder of
Father Nicholas Sheeny — Grattan'a Demand for Irish Independence — The
Volunteers — A Glimpse of Freedom.
5^-dfc [a.d. 1691— 1783,]
ftJI T, JOHN'S GATE and the Irish outworks were sur-
rendered to the English ; the English town was left
for the Irish troops to occupy until their departnre
for France, The men were to have their choice
whether they would serve under William III, or
under the French, A few days after they were mus-
tered on the Clare eide of the Shannon, to declare
which alternative they preferred, An Ulster batta-
lion, and a few men in each regimen t, in all about
1,000, entered the service of Government ; 2?G00
received passes to return homo ; 11,000, with all
the cavalry, volunteered for France, and embarked
for that country in different detachments, under
their respective officers They were warmly r&-
:c\
574 KOYAL CONFIRMATION OF THE TREAT? OF LIMERICK:,
ceived in the land of their adoption; and all Irish Catholics goii
to France were granted the privileges of French citizens, witho
the formality of naturalization. And thus was formed the famous
" Irish Brigade/' which has become a household word for bravery
and the glory of the Irish nation.
The Treaty, as I have said, was signed on the 3rd of Octo
I69L The preamble states that the contracting parties
Charles Porter and Thomas Coningsby, Lords Justices, with the
Baron de Ginkell as Commander -in- Chief, on the part of William
and Mary ; Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan, Viscount Galmoy, Colonel
Pureed, Colonel Cu&ick, Sir J. Ruder, Colonel Dillon, and Colonel
Brown, on the part of the Irish nation* The articles were fifty-two
in number* They guaranteed to the Catholics (!) the free exercise
of their religion; (2) the privily of sitting in Parlian;
freedom of trade ; (4) the safety of thfl estates of those who had
taken up arms for King Janus ; (5) a general amnesty; (6) all th,
honours of war to the troops, and a free choice for their fu
destination. The articles run to con aider able length, and can
therefore, be inserted Eum; but they may be seen in txtenso in Mao-
Geoghegan's History of Ireland, and several other works. So I
doubt had the Irish that this Treaty would be solemnly observed,
that when ( the accidental omission of two lines was discovered in
the clean copy, they refused to carry out the arrangements until
those lines had been inserted. The Treaty was confirmed by
liam and Mary, who pledged " the honour of England H that it
should be kept inviolably > saying : " We do, for us, our heirs and
successors, as far as in us lies, ratify and confirm the same, and
every clause, matter, and thing therein contained." Two cUys after
the signing of the Treaty, a French fleet arrived in the S
with 3,000 soldiers, 200 officer*, and 10,000 stand of arms, S
field was strongly urged to break faith with the English; bu
nobly rejected the temptation. How little did he foresee how
cruelly that nation would break faith with him J
Two months had scarcely elapsed after the departure of th«.
troops, when an English historian was obliged to write thus of th*
open violation of the articles: " The justices of the jn
and other magistrates, presuming on their power in the o
dispossessed several of their Majesties1 CathoHc subject*, no
their goods and chattels, but also of their lands and tenements, t<
VIOLATION OF THE TREATY OF LIMERICK. 575
great reproach of their Majesties1 Government."7 These complaints
were so general, that the Lords Justices were at last obliged to
issue a proclamation on the subject (November 19, 1691), in which
they state that they had " received complaints from all parts of Ire^
land of the ill-treatment of the Irish who had submitted ; and that
they [the Irish] were so extremely terrified with apprehensions of
the continuance of that usage, that some of those who had quitted
ffe Irish army and went home, with the resolution not to go to
France, were then come back again, and pressed earnestly to go
. thither, rather than stay in Ireland, where, contrary to the public
faith, as well as law and justice, they were robbed in their persons
and abused in their substance." Let it be remembered that this
was an official document, and that it emanated from the last persons
who were likely to listen to such complaints, or relieve them if
they could possibly have been denied.
The men who had hoped for confiscations that they might share
the plunder, now began to clamour loudly. It was necessary to get
up a popular cry against Papists, as the surest means of attaining
their end. Individuals who had as little personal hatred to the
Pope as they had to the Grand Turk, and as little real knowledge
of the Catholic Faith as of Mahometanism, uttered wild cries of
" No Popery !" and " No Surrender !" William, whose morals, if
not his professions, proclaimed that he was not troubled with any
strong religious convictions, was obliged to yield to the faction who
had set him on the throne. Probably, he yielded willingly , and
was thus able, in some measure, to make a pretence of doing under
pressure what he really wished to do of his own wilL
On the 28th of October, 1692, the Parliament in Dublin rejected
a Bill which had been sent from England, containing restrictions
on certain duties, solely to proclaim their independence. A few
days after they were taught a lesson of obedience. Lord Sidney
came down to the House unexpectedly, and prorogued Parliament,
with a severe rebuke, ordering the Clerk to enter his protest against
the proceedings of the Commons on the journals of the House of
Lords. The hopes of the English were raised, and the Parliament
brought forward the subject of the Limerick articles, with torrents
of complaints against the Irish in general, and the Irish Catholics
in particular. William received their remonstrance coolly, and the
* Government. — Harris' Lift of William III. p. 357.
576
THE PENAL LAWS.
matter was allowed to rest for a time. In 1695 Lord Capel w*i
appointed Viceroy, He at once summoned a Parliament, winch gat
for several sessions, and in which gome of the penal laws :ur;i
Catholics were enacted. As I believe the generality even of educated
persons* both in England an-1 Ireland, are entirely ignorant of what
these laws really were, I shall give a brief account of their enact-
ments, premising first, that seven lay peers and seven Protestant
bishops had the honorable humanity to sign a protest against tbeflt
(1) The Catholic peers were deprived of their right to
Parliament. (2) Catholic gentlemen were forbidden to be elected
as members of Parliament, (3) It denied all Catholics the liberty
of voting, and it excluded them from all offices of trust, an-
from all I 'ivt employment, however insignificant.8
were fined £G0 a-month for absence from the Protestant form ot
worship. (5) They were forbidden to travel five tulle* from thai
houses, to keep arms, to maintain suits at law; or to nans
or executors, (G) Any four justices of the peace could, without
further trial, banish any man for life if he refused to attend
Protestant service. (7) Any two justices of the peace could call
any man over sixteen before them, and if he refused to abjure the
Catholic religion, they could bestow his property on the
(8) No Catholic could employ a Catholic schoolmaster to educate
hk rhiMieu ; and if he sent hU child abroad for education, he was
subject to a fine of XI 00, and the child could not in J, pro-
petty either in England or Ireland* {9) Any Catholic priest who
came to the country should be hanged- (10) Any Protestant
suspecting any other Protestant of holding property* in trust fat
any Catholic, might file a bill against the suspected trustee, and
take the estate or property from him. (11) Any Protestant seeing
B Insitjmjktiat. — A i»etitioti was aent in to Parliament by the Fmtotani
|K>rtera of Dublin, coin plaining of Darby Ryan for employing Catholic |Mtrtcc«.
The petition was respectfully received, and referred to it ** iViniimtfcee of
Grievance*." — (Jam. Jour. vol. i Such an instance, an >■ mm
of many, is the best indication of the motive for enacting the |H»ual laws, and
the cruelty of them.
** Property, — It will be remembered that at this time Catholics were in a
majority of at least five to one over Protestants, Hence intennarriage*
|il.iM\ ani circumstances occurred, in which Proteatai -ttm\
to hold proiwrty for Catholics, to prevent it from being seized l*y ot
gentleman of considerable property in the coiraty Kerry, has informed me \
his property was held in this way for aeveral generations-
THE PKNAL LAWS. 577
a Catholic tenant-at-will on a farm, which, in his opinion, yielded
one-third more than the yearly rent, might enter on that farm, and,
by simply swearing to the fact, take possession. (12) Any Pro-
testant might take away the horse of a Catholic, no matter how
valuable, by simply paying him £5. (13) Horses and wagons be-
longing to Catholics, were in all cases to be seized for the use of
the militia. (14) Any Catholic gentleman's child who became a
Protestant, could at once take possession of his father's property.
I have only enumerated some of the enactments of this code, and
I believe there are few persons who will not be shocked at their
atrocity. Even if the rights of Catholics had not been secured to
them by the Treaty of limerick, they had the rights of men ; and
whatever excuse, on the ground of hatred of Popery as a religion,
may be offered for depriving men of liberty of conscience, and of a
share in the government of their country, there can be no excuse for
the gross injustice of defrauding them of their property, and placing
life and estate at the mercy of every ruffian who had an interest in
depriving them of either or of both. Although the seventeenth
century has not yet been included in the dark ages, it is possible
that posterity, reading these enactments, may reverse present
opinion on this subject.
But though the Parliament which sat in Dublin, and was mis-
named Irish, was quite willing to put down Popery and to take the
property of Catholics, it was not so willing to submit to English
rule in other matters. In 1698 Mr. Molyneux, one of the mem-
bers for the University of Dublin, published a work, entitled The
Case of Ireland's being bound by Acts of Parliament in England,
stated. But Mr. Molyneux's book was condemned by the English
Parliament ; and after a faint show of resistance, the Irish members
succumbed. The next attention which the English Houses paid
to this country, was to suppress the woollen trade. %In 1698 they
passed a law for the prevention of the exportation of wool and of
woollen manufactures from Ireland, " under the forfeiture of goods
and ship, and a penalty of £500 for every such offence." The penal
laws had made it " an offence " for a man to practise his religion, or
to educate his children either in Ireland or abroad ; the trade laws
made it " an offence " for a man to earn1 his bread in an honest
1 Bam.— One ot the articles of the "violated Treaty" expressly provided
that the poor Catholics should be allowed to exercise their trade. An
2 0
578
ACCESSION OF QUEEN ANNE,
calling. The lower class of Protestants were the principal sufferer*
by the destruction of the woollen trade ; it had been carried on by
thetn almost exclusively; and it is said that 40,000 persons were re-
duced to utter destitution by tlua one enactment. In addition to this,
navigation laws were passed, which prohibited Irish merchants from
trading beyond seas in any ships except those which were built m
England, The embargo laws followed^ of which twenty-two wen*
L*d at different periods during forty years. They forbade Irish
yhants, whether Protestant or Catholic, to trade with any
foreign nation, or with any British colony, direct — to export
import any article, except to or from British merchants resident in
England* Ireland, however, was allowed one consolation, and thia
was the permission to import rum duty free, I am
none of the honorable members who voted such laws had the de-
liberate intention of making the Irish a nation of beggars and
drunkards ; but if the Irish did not become such, it certainly
not the fault of those who legislated for their own benefit, and, as
socially.
tar as they had the power to do so, for her ruin, politically ;
William had exercised his royal prerogative by disposing, m
ing to his own inclination, of the estates forfeited by those who bad
fought for the royal cause. His favourite, Mrs. Villiers, obtained
property worth £25,000 per annum. In 1799 the English Parlia-
ment began to inquire into this matter, and the Commons voted
that " the advising and passing of the said grants was highly reflect*
ing upon the King's honour." William had already began to
on what shifting sands the poor fabric of his popularity was
He probably thought of another case in which his honour had
been really pledged, and in which he had been obliged to sacrifice
it to the clamours of these very men. He had failed in the attempt
to keep his Dutch Guards \ his last days were embittered ; and hail
not his death occurred soon after, it is just possible that even pos-
terity might have read his life in a different fashion,
Anne succeeded to the throne in 1702; and the following year
the Duke of Ormonde was sent to Ireland as Lord lieutenant. The
Act to prevent the further growth of Popery was passed afterwards, which
ramie it forfeiture of gauds and imprisonment for any Catholic to exerctae a
trade in Limerick or Galwayt except seamen, fishermen, and day labourer*, And
they were to he licensed by the Governor, and not to eaceed twenty.— Cowl
Jour. vt>L iii f. 13a
THE SACRAMENTAL TEST. 579
House of Commons waited on him with a Bill " to prevent the
farther growth of Popery." A few members, who had protested
against this Act, resigned their seats, but others were easily found
to take their places, whose opinions coincided with those of the ma-
jority. The Queen's Tory advisers objected to these strong measures,
and attempted to nullify them, by introducing the clause known as
the " Sacramental Test," which excludes from public offices all who
refused to receive the sacrament according to the forms of the Estab-
lished Church. As dissenters from that Church had great influence
in the Irish Parliament, and as it was well known that their abhor-
rence of the Church which had been established by law was little
short of their hatred of the Church which had been suppressed by
law, it was hoped that they would reject the bill ; but they were
assured that they would not be required to take the test, and with
this assurance they passed the Act. It seems to those who look
back on such proceedings, almost a marvel, how men, whose con-
science forbade them to receive the sacrament according to certain
rites, and who, in many cases, certainly would have resigned pro
perty, if not life, sooner than act contrary to their religious convic-
tions, should have been so blindly infatuated as to compel othei
men, as far as they had power to do so, to violate their conscientious
convictions. The whole history of the persecutions which Catholics
have endured at the hands of Protestants of all and every de-
nomination, is certainly one of the most curious phases of human
perversity which the philosopher can find to study.
Two of the gentlemen, Sir Toby Butler and Colonel Cusack, who
had signed the Treaty of Limerick, petitioned to be heard by coun-
sel against the BilL But appeals to honour and to justice were
alike in vain, when addressed to men who were destitute of both.
The petitioners were dismissed with the insulting remark, that if
they suffered from the Act it was their own fault, since, if they com-
plied with its requirements, honours and wealth were at their com-
mand. But these were men who would not violate the dictates of
conscience for all that the world could bestow on them, and of this
one should think they had already given sufficient proof. The Bill
was passed without a dissentient voice ; and men who would them-
selves have rebelled openly and violently if the Sacramental Test had
been imposed on them, and who would have talked loudly of liberty
of conscience, and the blasphemy of interfering with any one's reli-
gious convictions, now, without a shadow of hesitation, imposed
this burden upon their fellow-men, and were guilty of the very
crime of persecution, with which they so frequently charged their
Catholic fellow-sub] ecta.
One Act followed another, each adding §ome new restriction to
the last, or some fresh incentive for persecution. In 17Gy an at-
tempt was made to plant tome Protestant families from Germany
in various parts of the country. These settlements obtained the
name of Palatines* Bat it was labour lost. Sir John Chichester
I observed, that it was useless to endeavour to root Popery out
of Ireland, for it was impregnated in the very air. A few of the
Palatines, like oth^r settlers, still kept to their own religion ; but
the majority, as well as the majority of other settlers, learnt*
understand and then to believe the Catholic faith — learned to ad*
mire, and then to love, and eventually to amalgamate with the long-
sufFering and nohle race amongst whom they had been established
It would appear that Queen Anne wished her brother to si
her on the throne ; but he had been educated a Catholic, and he
resolutely rejected all temptations to renounce his faith. Her short
and troubled reign ended on the 1st of August, 17H, Before her
death the Parliament had chosen her successor. Her brother waa
proscribeu^ and a reward of X50.000 offered for his apprehension*
The rebellion in favour of James III., as he was called on tho
Continent, or the Pretender, as he was called by those who had
no resource but to deny his legitimacy, was confined entirely to
Scotland; but the Irish obtained no additional grace by tl
loyalty to the reigning monarch. A new proclamation was issi
which not only forbid them to enlist in the army, but on-
rewards for the discovery of any Papist who bad presumed to eii
in order that u he might be turned out, and punished with thi
utmost severity of the law." In the next reign we shall see how
the suicidal effect of this policy was visited on the heads of its
promoters*
The Iriah Parliament now came into collision with the Ei
on a case of appellate jurisdiction, but they were soon taught tl
true position, and with becoming submission deferred to their t
The Irish Parliament had long been such merely in name ; anil
only power they were allowed to exercise freely, was that of mak
oppressive and unjust enactments against their Catholic fellow-£tu>
jecta; It is a poor consolation, but one which ia not unfrequ* :
indulged, when those wno are oppressed by others become tl
selves in turn the oppressors of those who are unfortunate enough
to be in their power.
A new phase in Irish history was inaugurated by the versatile
talents, and strong will in their exercise, which characterized the
famous Dr. Jonathan Swift, The quarrels between Whigs and
Tories were at their height* Swift is said to have been a Whig in
politic*, and a Tory in religion. He now began to write as a patriot ;
and in his famous *' Drapier's Letters" told the Government of the
day some truths which were more plain than palatable.* An Eng-
lishman named Wood had obtained a patent under the Broad Seal,
in 1723, for the coinage of copper halfpence* Even the servile Par-
liament was indignant, and protested against a scheme3 which
promised to flood Ireland with bad coin, and thus to add still more
to its already impoverished condition. There was reason for anxiety.
The South Sea Bubble had lately ruined thousands in England,
and France was still suffering from the Mississippi Scheme. Spe-
culations of all kinds were aiioat, and a temporary mania seemed
to have deprived the soberest people of their ordinary judgment.
Dr. Hugh Boulter, an Englishman, was made Archbishop of Ar-
magh, and sent over mainly to attend to the English interests in
Ireland. But he was unable to control popular feeling ; and Swift's
letters accomplished what the Irish Parliament was powerless to
effect. Although it was well known that he was the author of
these letters, and though a reward of £300 was offered for the dis-
covery of the secret, he escaped un punished, In 1725 the patent
waft withdrawn, and Wood received £3,000 a-ycar for twelve years
as an indemnification — an evidence that he must have given a very
large bribe for the original permission, and that he expected to
* Palatable.— In his fourth letter he says; "Our ancestors reduced this
kingdom to the obedience of England, in return far which we have been re-
warded with a worse climate, the privilege of being governed by lawn to
which we do not consent, a ruined trade, a house of peers without jurisdiction,
almost an incapacity for all employments, and the dread of Wood's halfpence."
3 Scheme,— The very bills ol BOOM of the companies wet* bo absurd, that it
is marvellous how any rational pt-raoo could have been deceived by them.
Que was M for an undertaking which shall be in due time revealed." The
undertaker was m good as his word. He got £2,000 paid in on shares one
morning* and in the afternoon the il undertaking w was revealed* for he had
decamped with the money. Some wag advertised a company " fer the inven-
tion of melting down sawdust and chips, and casting them into clean deal
hoards , without crocks or knots."
582
swift's writings.
make more by it than could have been made honestly, One of the
subjects on which Swift wrote most pointedly and effectively, waa
that of absentees, He employed both facts and ridicule ; but each
were equally in vain. He describes the wretched state of the
country; but his eloquence was unheeded. He gave India
illustrations of the extreme ignorance of those who governed m
regard to those whom they governed. Unfortunately the sta«
things which he described and denounced has continued, with far
modifications, to the present day ; but on this subject I have said
sufficient elsewhere.
George I. died at Osnaburg, in Germany, on the 10th of Jcr
1727. On the accession of his successor, the Catholics offered as*
address expressing their loyalty, but the Lords Justices took cewt*
that it should never reach England, The next events of itnportar^oa
were the efforts made by Dr. Boulter, the Protestant Primate^
establish Charter Schools, where Catholic children might be e — ■hi-
nted j and his equally zealous efforts to prevent Catholics, whoBMnA
conformed exteriorly to the State religion, from being admitted to
practise at the Bar. It may be observed in passing, that tl^^ew
men could scarcely have been as degraded in habits and int< tas
some historians have been pie:* present tbeni, iffo
could at once become fit for forensic honours, and ei
ability as to excite the fears of the Protestant party. It shouh^J ta
remarked that their " conversion" was manifestly insincere, ot^fc^
wise there would have been no cause for apprehension.
Tt& country was suffering at this period from the most fea~r
distress. There were many causes for this state of destitution,
which were quite obvious to all but those who were interea
in maintaining it. The poorer classes, being almost exclusiv- *?/y
Catholics, had been deprived of every means of support. Trade was
crushed, so that they could not become traders ; agriculture was in>e
permitted, so that they could not become agriculturists. There n
in fact f no resource for the majority but to emigrate, to steal, oi
starve. To a people whose religion always had a preponderating
influence on their moral conduct, the last alternative only was avail*
able, as there was not the same facilities for emigration then as
now. The cultivation of the potato had already become general ;
it was, indeed, the only way of obtaining food left to these un-
fortunates, They were easily planted, easily reared ; and to men
liable at any moment to be driven from their miserable holdings, if
ATTEMPT TO FORM A CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION. 583
they attempted to effect " improvements," or to plant such crops as
might attract the rapacity of their landlords, they were an invalu-
able resource. The man might live who eat nothing but potatoes
all the year round, but he could scarcely be envied or ejected for
his wealth. In 1739 a severe frost destroyed the entire crop, and
a frightful famine ensued, in which it was estimated that 400,000
persons perished of starvation.
In 1747 George Stone succeeded Dr. Hoadley as Primate of
Ireland. His appointment was made evidently more in view of
temporals than spirituals, and he acted accordingly. Another
undignified squabble took place in 1751 and 1753, between the
English and Irish Parliaments, on the question of privilege. Fcr a
time the " patriot " or Irish party prevailed ; but eventually they
yielded to the temptation of bribery and place. Henry Boyle, the
Speaker, was silenced by being made Earl of Shannon ; Anthony
Malone was made Chancellor of the Exchequer ; 'and the opposition
party was quietly broken up.
An attempt was now made to form a Catholic Association, and
to obtain by combination and quiet pressure what had been so
long denied to resistance and military force. Dr. Curry, a phy-
sician practising in Dublin, and the author of the well-known
Historical and Critical Review of the Civil Wars of Ireland; Charles
O'Connor, of Belanagar, the Irish antiquary, and Mr. Wyse, of
Waterford, were the projectors and promoters of this scheme. The
clergy stood aloof from it, fearing to lose any liberty they still pos-
sessed if they demanded more ; the aristocracy held back, fearing to
forfeit what little property yet remained to them, if they gave the
least excuse for fresh " settlements n or plunderings. A few Catholic
merchants, however, joined the three friends ; and in conjunction
they prepared an address to the Duke of Bedford, who was ap-
pointed Lord Lieutenant in 1757. The address was favourably
received, and an answer returned after some time. The Govern-
ment already had apprehensions of the French invasion, and
it was deemed politic to give the Catholics some encouragement,
however faint. It is at least certain that the reply declared, " the
zeal and attachment which they [the Catholics] professed, would
never be more seasonably manifested than at the present juncture."
Charles Lucas now began his career of patriotism;. for at last
Irish Protestants were beginning to see, that if Irish Catholics suf-
fered, Irish interests would suffer also; and if Irish interests suffered,
they should have their share in the trial, A union between Eng
land and Ireland, such as has since been carried out, was now pro-
posed, and violent excitement followed. A mob, principal^ com*
posed of Protestants, broke into the House of Lords; but the affair
soon passed over, and the matter was dropped*
George II. died suddenly at Iv o, and was succeeded by
his grandson, George III, But I shall request the attention of
reader to some remarks of considerable importance with regard to
foreign events, before continuing the regular course of history* The
predilections of the late King for his German connexions, had led
him into war both with France and Spain ; the imprudence of mi-
nisters, if not the unwise and unjust policy of colonial government,
involved the country soon after in a conflict with the American
dependencies, In each of these cases expatriated Irishmen turne
the scale against the country from which they had been so rashly
and cruelly ejected. In France, the battle of Fontenoy was won
mainly by the Irish Brigade, who were commanded by Colonel
Dillon ; and the defeat of England by the Irish drew from George 1L
the well-known exclamation : '■ Cursed he the laws that deprive me
of such subjects 1" In Sr>aint where the Irish officers and soldiers
had emigrated by thousands, there was scarcely an engagement in
which they did not take a prominent and decisive part* In Canada,
the agitation against British exactions was commenced by Charles
Thompson, an Irish emigrant, and subsequently the Secretary of
Congress ; Montgomery, another Irishman, captured Montreal and
Quebec; O'Brien and Barry, whose names sufficiently indicate
their nationality, were the first to command in the naval eng
merits ; and startled England began to recover slowly and sadly from
her long infatuation, to discover what had, indeed, been discovered
by the sharp-sighted Schomberg* and his master long before, that
Irishmen, from their habits of endurance and undaunted courage,
were the beat soldiers she could find, and that, Celts and Papists
* Sdiomberg.^H* wrote to William of Orange, from before DundaJk, thai
the English nation made the worst soldiers he had ever seen, because they
could not bear hardships ; ** yet," he adds, 4f the Parliament aud people have a
prejudice, that an English new-rained soldier can beat above six of his ene-
mies."— Dairy in pie's Memoir*, vol ii p. 178. According to tho records of the
War Office in Frauce, 450,000 Irishmen died in the service of that country
from 1691 to 1745» and, in round numbers; aa many mom from 1745 to the
Revolution.
lOt YOUNG'S REMEDY FOR IRISH DISAFFECTION.
585
as they were, her very existence as a nation might depend upon
their cooperation.
The agrarian outrages, the perpetrators of which were known at
first by the name of Levellers* and eventually by the appellation
of Whiteboys, commenced immediately after the accession of
George HI. An English traveller, who carefully studied the sub-
i and who certainly could have been in no way interested in
misrepresentation, has thus described the cause and the motive of
the atrocities they practised. The first cause was the rapacity of
the landlords, who, having let their lands far above their value, on
condition of allowing the tenants the use of certain commons, now
enclosed the commons, but did not lessen the rent. The bricks
were to be made, but the straw was not provided ; and the people
ere told that they were idle. The second cause was the exactions
of the tithemongers, who were described by this English writer as
41 harpies who squeezed out the very vitals of the people, and by pro-
GM, citation, and sequestration, dragged from them the little which
the landlord had left them/' It was hard for those who had been once
Owners of the soil, to be obliged to support the intruders into their
property in affluence j while they, with even the most strenuous
efforts, could barely obtain what would keep them from starvation.
It was still harder that men, who had sacrificed their position in
society, and fcheyr worldly prospects, for the sake of their religion,
I should he obliged to support clergymen and their families, some of
whom never resided in the parishes from which they obtained tithes,
and many of whom could not count above half-a-dozen persons as
regular members of their congregation,
Mr. Young thus suggests a remedy for these crimes, which, he
says, were punished with a "seventy winch seemed calculated for
the meridian of Barbary, while others remain yet the law of the
land, which would, if executed, tend more to raise than to quell an
insurrection. From all which it is manifest, that the gentlemen of
Ireland never thought of a radical cure, from overlooking the real
cause of disease, which, in fact, lay m themselves, and not in the
1 retch-OS they doomed to the gallows. Let them change their own
conduct entirely, and the poor will not long riot, Treat them like
mm, who ought to be as free as yourselves; put an end to that
i of religious persecution, which, for seventy years, has
'I the kingdom against itself— in these two circumstances lies
the cure of insurrection ; perform them completely, and you will
have an affectionate poor, instead of oppressed and discontented
vassals*"5
How* purely these outrages were the deeds of desperate men, who
had been made desperate by cruel oppression, and inseTu
cruelty by cruel wrongs, is evident from the dying doctoral
five Whiteboys, who were executed, in 1762, at Waterford, und
who publicly declared, and took God to witness, ■ that in all thm
tumults it never did enter into their thoughts to do anything
against the King or Govern men t,M*
It could not be expected that the Irish priest would see the people
exposed to all this misery— and what to them was far more pain fa f,
to all this temptation to commit deadly sin — without making some
effort in their behalf There may have been some few priest
in their zeal for their country, have sacrificed the sacredness of ttmt
office to their indignation at the injury done to their people
have mixed themselves up with feats of arms, or interfered pfft
more ardour than discretion in the arena of politics; but
instances have been rare, and circumstances have generally
them in some degree excusable. The position of the Irish pi
regard to his flock is so anomalous, that some explanation d it
iegmi necessary in order to understand the accusations m*^»
against Father Nicholas Sheehy, and the animosity with which h*
was hunted to death by his persecutors. While the prkst w«i
driven from cave to mountain and from mountain to cave, he wa*
tin* consoler of his equally persecuted people. The deep re*
which Catholics feel for the office of the priesthood, can scarcely be
understood by those who have abolished that office, as far as the la*
of the land could do so ; but a man of ordinary intellectual
meuts ought to he able to form some idea of -the feelings of othn,
though he may not have experienced them personally ; and a man
of ordinary humanity should be able to respect those feelings, how-
ever unwise they may seem to him. When education was fori
to the Irish, the priest obtained education in continental colleges ;
and there is sufficient evidence to show that many Irish priests of
* VawfiU.— Yonngfi Tour, vol ii. pp, 41, 42. It should be rememberedtlill
Mr, Young waa an Englishman and a Protestant, and that be had no •
in Ireland to blind him to the truth,
fl Government*— Curry1* ffittorical ifctfitiff, voi ii p. 274* edition of 179&
This work affords a very valuable and accurate account of the timet* written
from personal knowledge*
THE IRISH PRIEST — HIS DEVOTION TO HIS PEOPLE. 587
that and of preceding centuries were men of more than ordinary
abilities. The Irish, always fond of learning, are ever ready to pay
that deference to its possessors which is the best indication of a
superior mind, however uncultivated. Thus, the priesthood were
respected both for their office and for their erudition. The land-
lord, the Protestant clergyman, the nearest magistrate, and, perhaps,
the tithe-proctor, were the only educated persons in the neighbour-
hood ; but they were leagued against the poor peasant ; they de-
manded rent and tithes, which he had no means of paying ; -they
refused justice, which he had no means of obtaining. The priest,
then, was the only friend the peasant had. His friendship was
disinterested — he gained nothing by his ministration but poor fare
and poor lodging ; his friendship was self-sacrificing, for he risked
his liberty and his life for his flock. He it was —
•' Who, in the winter's night, 0
When the cold blast did bite,
Came to my cabin door,
And, on the earthen floor,
Knelt by me, sick and poor ;"
and he, too, when the poor man was made still poorer by his
•' Gave, while his eyes did brim,
What I should give to him."7
But a time came when the priest was able to do more. Men
had seen, in some measure, the absurdity, if not the wickedness, of
persecuting the religion of a nation; and at this time priests were
tolerated in Ireland. Still, though they risked their lives bf it,
they could not see their people treated unjustly without a protest.
The priest was independent of the landlord; for,' if he suffered
from his vengeance, he suffered alone, and his own sufferings
weighed lightly in the balance compared with the general good. The
priest was a gentleman by education, and often by birth ; and this
gave him a social status which his uneducated people could not
, r 25Rf?t.— The ballad of Soggarth Aroon (priest, dear) was written by John
Banim, in 1831. It is a most true and vivid expression of the feelings of the
Irish towards their priests.
possess,8 Such was the position of Father Nicholas Sheehy, the
pinifa priest of Clogheen. He had interfered in the vain hop© of
protecting his unfortunate parishioners from it) justice j and, in
return, he was himself made the victim of injustice. He was ac-
cused of encouraging a French invasion — a fear which was always
present to the minds of the rulers, as they could not hut know that
the Irish had every reason to seek for foreign aid to free them from
domestic wrongs. He was accused of encouraging the Whiteto
because, while he denounced their crimes, he accused those who
had driven them to these crimes as the real culprits. He was ac-
cused of treason, and a reward of £300 was offered for his appre-
hension. Conscious of his innocence, he gave himself up at once
to justice, though he might easily have fled the country. He waa
tried in Dublin and acquitted. But his j tors ecu tors were not satis*
fied. A charge of murder was got up against him j and although
the body of the man could never be found, although it was sworn
that he had left the country, although an aiibi was proved for the
priest, he was condemned and executed. A gentleman of pro-
perty and position came forward at the txial to prove that Father
Sheehy had slept in his house the very night on which he was
9 Powesj, — While these pages were passing through the press, a circuni-
stance has occurred which so clearly illustrates tbe position of the Irish priest*
tb at t cannot avoid mentioning iL A gentleman has purchased some property,
and his first act is to give his three tenants mitice to quit. The unfa
uate men have no resource but to obey the cruel mandate, and to turn out upoQ
the world homeless ami penniless. They cannot go to law, forfche law would
be against them. They are not in a position to appeal to public opinion, W
they are only farmers. The parish priest ia then- only resource and their only
friend, He appeals to the feelings of their new landlord in a most courteous
letter, in which he represents the cruel sufferings these three families r
AQdnFli The landlord replies that he has bought the land as a "commercial spe*
dilation," and of course lie has a right to do whatever he considers miwt for his
advantage ; but offers to a I law the tenants to remain if they consent to jay
doable their former rent — a rent which would be double the real value of
laud. Such cases are constantly occurring, and are constantly exposed by
I ; and we have known more than one instance in which fear of such
posnre has obtained justice. A few of them are mentioned from time to time
in the Irish local papers* The majority of cases are entirely unknown, except
to the persona concerned ; hut they are remembered by the poor sufferers and
their friends. I believe, if the people of England were aware of one-half of the**
uienta, and the sufferings they cau»c, they would rise up as a body and
demand justice for Ireland and tbe Irish ; they would marvel at the patience
with which what to them would be so intolerable has been borne »o h>us
his EXECUTION. 589
accused of having committed the murder ; but the moment he
appeared in court, a clergyman who sat on the bench had him
taken into custody, on pretence of having killed a corporal and a
sergeant in a riot The pretence answered the purpose. After
Father Sheehy's execution Mr. Keating was tried ; and, as there
was not even a shadow of proof^ he was acquitted. But it was too
late to save the victim.
At the place of execution, Father Sheehy most solemnly declared,
on the word of a dying man, that he was not guilty either of murder
or of treason ; that he never had any intercourse, either directly or
indirectly, with the French ; and that he had never known of any
such intercourse being practised by others. Notwithstanding this
solemn declaration of a dying man, a recent writer of Irish history
says, " there can be no doubt" that he was deeply implicated in
treasonable practices, and " he seems to have been " a principal in
the plot to murder Lord Carrick. The " no doubt " aud " seems
to have been " of an individual are not proofs, but they tend to
perpetuate false impressions, and do grievous injustice to the
memory of the dead. The writer has also omitted all the facts
which tended to prove Father Sheehy's innocence.
In 1771 a grace was granted to the Catholics, by which they
were allowed to take a lease of fifty acres of bog, and half an acre
of arable land for a house ; but this holding should not be within a
mile of any town. In 1773 an attempt was made to tax absentees ;
but as they were the principal landowners, they easily defeated
the measure. A pamphlet was published in 1769, containing a list
of the absentees, which is in itself sufficient to account for any
amount of misery and disaffection in Ireland. There can be no
doubt of the correctness of the statement, because the names of
the individuals and the amount of their property are given in full.
Property to the amount of £73,375 belonged to persons who never
visited Ireland. Pensions to the amount of £371,900 were paid
to persons who lived out of Ireland. Property to the amount of
XI 17,800 was possessed by persons who visited Ireland occasionally,
but lived abroad. Incomes to the amount of £72,200 were pos
sessed by officials and bishops, who generally lived out of Ireland.
The state of trade is also treated in the same work, in which the
injustice the country has suffered is fully and clearly explained.
The American war commenced in 1775, and the English Parlia-
ment at once resolved to relieve Ireland of some of her commercial
r
-^
disabilities. Some trifling concessions were granted, just enough to
show the Irish that they need not expect justice except under the
compulsion of fear, and not enough to benefit the country* Irish sol-
diers were now asked for and granted ; but exportation of Irish
commodities to America was forbidden, and in consequence the
country was reduced to a state of fearful distress. The Irish debt
rose to £994,890, but the pension list was still continued and paid
to absentees. When the independence of the American States was
acknowledged by France, a Bill for the partial relief of the Catholics
passed unanimously through the English Parliament, i.
were now allowed a few of the rights of citizens. They were
mitted to take and dispose of leases, and priests and schoolmasters
were no longer liable to prosecution.
G rattan had entered Parliament in the year 1775. In 177^ ht*
addressed the House on the subject of a free trade* for Ireland ;
on the 19th of April, 1780, he made his famous demand tor Irish
]*endence* His address, his subject, and his eloquence *
irresistible. 4£ I wish for nothing/1 he exclaimed, M but to breathe
in this our land, in common with my fellow-subjects, the air of
liberty. I have no ambition* unless it be the ambition to hv
your chain and to contemplate your glory. I never will be satisfied
m long as the meanest cottager in Ireland has a link of the British
chain clinging to his rags; he may be naked, but be shall nor
in irons. And I do see the time is at hand, the spirit is gone forth,
the declaration is planted ; and though great men ah^uldap
yet the cause will live ; and though the public speaker should
yet the immortal fire shall outlast the organ which conveyed it;
and the breath of liberty, like the word of the holy man, will not
die with the prophet, but survive him/'
The country was agitated to the very core. A few links of the
chain had been broken. A mighty reaction set in after long bond;
The newly-freed members of the body politic were enjoying all the
delicious sensations of a return from a state of disease to a
partial health. The Celt was not one to be stupefied or numbed by
long confinement ; and if the restraint were loosened a little more,
u Frm trade, — A very important work was published in 1779, called The
Commercial Restraint* of Ireland Votuidertd, It is a calm and temperate
statement of facts and tigtirea. The writer shows that the agrarian outrage
of the Whiteboys were caused by distress, and quotes a speech of Lunl
Northumberland to the earn© effect, — Cam, ires, p. 59.
THE VOLUNTEERS. 591
he was ready to bound into the race of life, joyous and free, too
happy to mistrust, and too generous not to forgive his captors.
But, alas ! the freedom was not yet granted, and the joy was
more in prospect of what might be, than in thankfulness of what
was.
The Volunteer Corps, which had been formed in Belfast in 1779,
when the coast was threatened by privateers, had now risen to be
a body of national importance. They were reviewed in public, and
complimented by Parliament. But they were patriots. On the
28th of December, 1781, a few of the leading members of the
Ulster regiments met at Charlemont, and convened a meeting of
delegates from all the Volunteer Associations, at Dungannon, on
the 15 th of February, 1782. The delegates assembled on the
appointed day, and Government dared not prevent or interrupt
their proceedings. Colonel William Irvine presided, and twenty-one
resolutions were adopted, demanding civil rights, and the removal
of commercial restraints. One resolution expresses their pleasure,
as Irishmen, as Christians, and as Protestants, at the relaxation of
the penal laws. This resolution was suggested by Grattan to Mr.
Dobbs, as he was leaving Dublin to join the assembly. It was
passed with only two dissentient votes.
The effect of this combined, powerful, yet determined agitation,
was decisive. On the 27th of May, 1782, when the Irish Houses
met, after an adjournment of three weeks, the Duke of Portland
announced the unconditional concessions which had been made
to Ireland by the English Parliament. Mr. Grattan interpreted
the concession in the fullest sense, and moved an address, " breath-
ing the generous sentiments of his noble and confiding nature."
Mr. Flood and a few other members took a different and more
cautious view of the case. They wished for something more than
a simple repeal of the Act of 6 George I., and they demanded an
express declaration that England would not interfere with Irish
affairs. But his address was carried by a division of 211 to 2 ;
and the House, to show its gratitude, voted that 20,000 Irish sea-
men should be raised for the British navy, at a cost of £100,000,
and that £50,000 should be giveii to purchase an estate and build
a house for Mr. Grattan, whose eloquence had contributed so
powerfully to obtain what they hoped would prove justice to
Ireland.
& *%.
■itfe,
GOLDSMITHS WELL
:':
CHAPTER XXXV.
Celebrated Irishmen of the Eighteenth Century— BcaEE— Hih School and
College Lift? — Early Hatred of Oppression— Johnson's Estimate of B'ir!
E*m*j on file SuUitne and Beautiful — Commencement of Mb
"Vxi'^r— Opinions on the American. Question— English Infatuation and In-
justice— Irishmen Prominent Actors in the American Revolution— Its Cause*
and Effects— Burke on Religious Toleration— Catholic Emancipation — Hi*
Indian l\.li -y— Moork — His Poetry and Patriot ism— Cur rax— Swift—
L Q 0 41 — F luo d — G R att A N — Ea r l g f Cha rixm o NT— t rish Artista, A nthori,
and Art-irH— St[ eh ri>AN— Scene in the Home of Lords during the Impeach-
ment of Warren Hastings— Goldsmith,
[a,D, 1700—1800,]
ACH century of Irish history would require a <
lume of its own, if the lives of its eminent m€
were recorded as they should be ; but the eight
J^f century may boast of a host of noble Irishmen,
fame is known even to those who are nn
rent to the history of that country. It was in
century that Burke, coming forth from the Qu
sch ool of Ballitore, his min d stren gth en ed h
discipline, his intellect cultivated by il
ten preached [political wisdom to the Saxons, who
were politically wise as far as they foil
teaching, and politically unfortunate when the
failed to do 6u+ His public career dem i
t careful ation from every statesn
who may have any higher object in new
mere fact of having a seat in the cabinet ; uor
CELEBRATED WRITERS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 093
should it be of less interest or value to those whose intellectual
capacities are suoh as to enable them to grasp any higher sub-
■ ject than the plot of a sensational novel. It was in this century
also that Moore began to write his world-famed songs, to amaze
the learned by his descriptions of a country which he had never
seen, and to fling out those poetical hand grenades, those pasqui-
nades and squibs, whose rich humour and keenly-pointed satire had
so much influence on the politics of the day. It was in this century
that Sheridan, who was the first to introduce Moore to London
society, distinguished himself at once as dramatist, orator, and
statesman, and left in his life and death a terrible lesson to his
nation of the miseries and degradations consequent on indulgence in
their besetting sin. In was in this century that Steele, the bosom
friend of Addison, and his literary equal, contributed largely to the
success and popularity of the Spectator, the Guardian, and the Tatter,
though, as usual, English literature takes the credit to itself of what
has been accomplished for it by Irish writers.1
Burke is, however, unquestionably both the prominent man of his
age and of his nation in that age ; and happily we have abundant
material for forming a correct estimate of his character and his
works. Burke was born in Dublin, on the 1st of January, 1730.
His father was an attorney in good business, and of course a Pro-
testant, as at that period none, except those who professed the re-
ligion of a small minority, were permitted to govern the vast majo-
rity, or to avail themselves of any kind of temporal advancement.
The mother of the future statesman was a Miss Nagle, of Mallow, a
descendant of whose family became afterwards very -famous as the
foundress of a religious order.2 The family estate was at Castle-
town-Eoche, in the vicinity of Doneraile ; this property descended
to Garrett, Edmund's elder brother. A famous school had been
1 Writers. — Aa a general rule, when Irishmen, succeed either in literature,
politics, or war, the credit of their performances is usually debited to the
English : when they fail, we hear terrible clamours of Irish incapacity. Thac-
keray commences his " English Humourists of the Eighteenth Century " with
Swift, and ends them with Goldsmith ! I do not suppose he had any intention
of defrauding the Celtic race ; he simply followed the usual course. Irishmen
are, perhaps, themselves most to blame, for mucl* of this is caused by their
suicidal deference to a dominant race.
* Order.— The Presentation Order was founded by Miss Nano Nagle, of
Cork.
2 P
founded by a member of the Society of Friends at BaUitore, and
thither young Burke and bis brother were sent for their education,
The boys arrived there on the 26th May, 174L A warm fri
ship soon sprang up between Edmund and Richard Shacklet on t the
son of his master, a friendship which only terminated with de
We have happily the most ample details of Burke's school-days in
the Annals of Balliiorzt a T/ork of more than ordinary interest,
written by Mrs. Leadbeater, the daughter of Burke's special
His native talent was soon developed under the care of liis excel-
lent master, and there can be little doubt that the tolerant idea* of
his after life were learned, or at least cultivated, at the Qu
school*
One instance of the early development of Ms talent for humour,
and another of bis keeu gnuse of injustice, must find record hem.
The entrance of the judges to the county town of A thy was a s]
taclo which had naturally special attraction for the boys. All \
permitted to go, but on condition that each of the senior pts
should write a description of what he had seen in Latin versa,
Burke's task was soon accomplished — not so that of another hapless
youth, whose ideas and Latinity were probably on a par. When he
had implored the help of his more gifted companion, Edmund
determined at least that he should contribute an idea for his theme,
but for all reply as to what he had noticed in particular on
festal occasion, he only answered, "A fat piper in a brown coal"
However Burke's ideas of fi the sublime" may have predominated,
his idea of the ludicrous was at this time uppermost ; and in a
moments a poem was composed, the first Hue of which only has been
preserved —
" Piper erafc fattus* qui brownum tegmeu nabebat."
u He loved humour,11 writes Mrs* Leadbeater,* " and my Hither
was very witty. The two friends sharpened their intellect ami
sported their wit till peals of laughter in the schoolroom often
caused the reverend and grave master to implore them, with sup-
pressed smiles, to desist, or he should have to turn them out, as
their example might be followed, where folly and uproar would 1
the place of humour and wisdom,"
5 Leadbeater,— Anml* of BaUltortx vol L p. 50, second edition* 1862,
shall refer to this interesting work a^ain.
HIS EARLY DAYS AND COLLEGE LIFE. 595
His hatred of oppression and injustice was also manifested abont
this time. A poor man was compelled to pull down his cabin,
because the surveyor of roads considered that it stood too near the
highway. The boy watched him performing his melancholy task,
and declared that, if he were in authority, such scenes should never
be enacted. How well he kept his word, and how true he was in
manhood to the good and holy impulses of his youth, his future
career amply manifests.
Burke entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1744; Goldsmith
entered college the following year, and Flood was a fellow-com-
moner ; but these distinguished men knew little of each other in
early life, and none of them were in any way remarkable during
their academic career. In 1753 Burke arrived in London, and
occupied himself in legal studies and the pursuit of literature.
His colloquial gifts and his attractive manner won all hearts, while
his mental superiority commanded the respect of the learned.
Even Johnson, who was too proud to praise others, much as he
loved flattery himself, was fain to give his most earnest word of
commendation to the young Irishman, and even admitted that he
envied Burke for being " continually the same," though he could not
refrain from having a fling at him for not being a " good listener" —
a deadly sin in the estimation of one who seldom wished to hear
any other voice but his own. Burke, sir, he exclaimed to the
obsequious Boswell — Burke is such a man, that if you met him for
the first time in the street, and conversed with him for not five
minutes, he'd talk to you in such a manner, that, when you parted,
you would say that is an extraordinary man.4
Some essays in imitation of Dr. Charles Lucas, and a translation of
part of the second Georgic of Virgil, which, in finish of style, is, at
least, not inferior to Dryden, were among the earliest efforts of his
gifted pen ; and, no doubt, these and other literary occupations gave
him a faculty of expressing thought in cultivated language, which
was still further developed by constant intercourse with Johnson,
ever ready for argument, and his club, who were all equally desirous
to listen when either spoke. His Essay on the Sublime and Beautiful,
4 Man.— The exact words are : •' If a man were to go by chance at the same
time with Burke, under a shed to shun a shower, he would say : ' This is an
extraordinary man. * "— BosweWs Johnson, vol. iv. p. 246. Foster's version
is as above.
694
EDMtTNB BUI
founded by a member of the Society of Frier-
tl all tor young Burke and hi* brother wore &
The boys arrived there on the 26th Ma<
ship soon sprang up between Ediri imd *
son of his master, a friendship whit 1
We have happily the most ample <'
the Annals of BoUtim*
written by Mrs. Le*dbt
His native talent was Boon d
lent master, and thei* etui * ,
his after life wen
school.
One Instance of th
and a
The entrance of V
taclc whii
permitted to
.jbahly never can
kdj la
ijvdllian i
power of mw
tfathy to touch i1 AlAi*"*
'i or major key — winch produces a ton* *
and now brimming over wit!
•r"*
the same imu ml yet all
royed, in held in abeyant
InU shadow of its
because the spirit is still allied to the flesh, an*
Jenifer with it.
was something more than perfect rpst required in such i
Rest would, indeed, recruit the body, worn out by th* m
fraction, but the mind also process.
hand should soothe th* lifted chorda of though
touch them just anffidanily to stimulate tlu-ir action with gvntM
suasion, while it carefully avoided all that might irritate or •
And such help aud heating was found for Burke, or, haply
debility, mental weakness might have developed
mental mal I the irritability of weakness, to which cull I
often most subjected, might 1
time, if net wisely treated, in the violence of lunacy* It was
ral that the doctor's daughter should assist in
and, perhaps, not less natural that the patient should be fasc;
by her. In a short time the cure was perfected, and Burl,
the greatest earthly blessing for which any man can cravt — a de-
voted wife, a loving companion, a wise adviser, and, ;i l
sympathizing friend, to whom all which interested her hii
^m
^H
COMMENCEMENT OF HIS POLITICAL CAREER. 597
iblic or private, was her interest as much as, and, if pos-
ore than his. Burke's public career certainly opened
spices. He was introduced by the Earl of Char-
Hamilton in 1759, and in 1761 he returned to
acity of private secretary to that gentleman,
-quired, as is well known, the appellation
it is thought he employed Burke to com-
"obable that he required his assistance
3ut the connexion was soon dissolved,
j words on both sides. Hamilton taunted
taken him out of a garret, which was not true,
*al position was scarcely inferior to his own ; Burke
«u ready wit that he regretted, having descended to know
In the year 1765, when Lord Grenville was driven from office
by the "American Question," the Marquis of Rockingham suc-
ceeded him, appointed Burke his private secretary, and had him
returned for the English borough of Wendover. His political
career commenced at this period. Then, as now, Reform, Ireland,
and America were the subjects of the day ; and when one con-
siders and compares the politics of the eighteenth and the nineteenth
centuries, the progress of parliamentary intellectual development is
not very encouraging. The speeches of honorable members, with
some few very honorable exceptions, seem to run in the same
groove, with the same utter incapacity of realizing a new idea, or a
broad and cosmopolitan policy. There were men then, as there are
men now, who talked of toleration in one breath, and proclaimed
their wooden determination to enforce class ascendency of creed
and of station in the next. There were men who would tax fresh
air, and give unfortunate wretches poisonous drinks on the cheapest
terms. There were men whose foreign policy consisted in wringing
all that could be wrung out of dependencies, and then, when the
danger was pointed out, when it was shown that those dependen-
cies were not only likely to resist, but were in a position to resist-
in a position in which neither shooting nor flogging could silence, if
it did not convince — they hid their heads, with ostrich-like fatuity,
in the blinding sands of their own ignorance, and declared there
could be no danger, for they could not discern it.
I have said that there were three great political questions which
occupied the attention of statesmen at that day. I shall briefly
unfortunately better known in the present day by than by
its contents, at once attracted immense attention* and brought con-
siderable pecuniary help to the author. But the constant pr
of intellectual labour soon began to tell upon a constitution alway
delicate* His health gave way entirely, and he appeared likely
sink into a state of physical debility, entirely incompatible with any
mental exertion. Hef applied for advice to Dn Nugent ; the skilful
physician wnr at once that something more was required than medi-
cine or advice. It was one of fchftfte suffering to which the
most refined and cultivated minds are especially subjected — on
those instances which prove, perhaps, more than any others, I
poor humanity has fallen low indeed The maater-mind was the
the brilliant gems of thought, the acute power of reasoning, to
exquisitely delicate sense of feeling, which has never yet been ace
rately defined, and which probably never can be — which waits to
some unseen mystic sympathy to botch it, and decide whether I
chord shall be in minor or major key— which produces & ton-
thought, now sublime, and new brimming over with corusea
wit from almost the same incidents ; and yet all those faculti.
the soul, though not destroyed, are held in abeyance, because the
body easts the dull shadow of its own inability and
over the spirit — because the spirit is still allied to the ttasb, ;
must suffer with it.
There was something more than perfect rest required in such
case, Best would, indeed, recruit the body, worn out by the mind's
raotrenj but the mind also needed some healing process. Son
gentle hand should soothe the overstrained chords of thought, and
touch them just sufficiently to stimulate their action with gen:
suasion, while it carefully avoided all that might irritate 01
And such help and healing was found for Burke, or, haply, fi
bodily debility, mental weakness might have developed itself i
mental malady ; and the irritability of weakness, to which cult iv
minds are often most subjected, might have ended, even !•
time, if not wisely treated, in the violence of lunacy* It n
ral that the doctor's daughter should assist hi the do
and, perhaps, not less natural that the patient should he fascinat
by her. In a short time the cure was perfected, and Burke <
the greatest earthly blessing for which any man can crave — a ■
voted wife, a loving companion, n wise adviser, and, ab
sympathizing friend, to whom all which interested her hush.
either in public or private, was her interest as much as, and, if pos-
sible, even more than bis. Burke's public career certainly opened
with happy auspices. He was introduced by the Earl of Char-
Kmont to Mr. Hamilton in 1759, and in 1701 he returned to
Ireland in the capacity of private secretary to that gentleman,
Mr, Hamilton has acquired, as is well known, the appellation
of H single speech/' and it is- thought he employed Burke to com-
pose his oration ; it is probable that he required his assistance
in more important ways. But the connexion was soon disso3\
not without some angry words on both sides, Hamilton taunted
Burke with having taken him out of a garret, which was not true,
for Burke's social position was scarcely inferior to his own j Burke
replied with ready wit that he regretted having descended to know
him.
In the year 176a, when Lord Grenville was driven from office
by the "American Question/1 the Marquis of Rockingham sue
ceeded him, appointed Burke his private secretary, and had him
Jined for the English borough of Wendover, His political
career commenced at this period- Then, as now, Ueform, Ireland,
and America were the subjects of the day ; and when one con-
siders and compares the politics of the eighteenth and the nineteenth
centuries, the progress of parliamentary intellectual development is
not very encouraging. The speeches of honorable members, with
some few very honorable exceptions, seem to run in the same
or®, with the same utter incapacity of realizing a new idea, or a
broad and cosmopolitan policy. There were men then, as there are
men now, who talked of toleration in one breath, and proclaimed
ilif.ir wooden determination to enforce class ascendency of creed
and of station in the next. There wctc men who would tax fresh
air, and give unfortunate wretches poisonous drinks on the cheapest
terms* There were men whose foreign policy consisted in wringing
all that could be wrung out of dependencies, and then, when the
danger was pointed out, when it was shown that those dependent
were not only likely to resist, but were in a position to resist —
in a position in which neither shooting nor flogging could silence, if
it did not convince — they hid their heads, with ostrich-like fatuity,
in the blinding sands of their own ignorance, and declared there
could be no danger, for llwy could not discern it,
I have said that there were three great political questions which
occupied the attention of statesmen at that day. I shall briefly
glance at each, aa they form a most important standpoint in ou
national history, and are subjects of the first interest to Irish
and to Irish history ; and as Burke's maiden speech in the Houa
of Commons was made in favour of conciliating America, I aha
treat that question first. The facts are brief and rig , but
by no means as thoroughly known or as well considered aa they
should be, when we remember their all-important results — results
which as yet are by no means fully developed6 The actual confc
between the English nation and her American colonies commenc
soon after tjie accession of George III. ; but, as early as the mi«i
of the eighteenth century, Thomas Pownal, Governor and Com-
mander-in-Chief of Massachusetts, South Carolina, and New Jersey,
came to England, and published a work on the administer
of the colonies* He seems even then to have had a clear me*
of the whole case. There is an old proverb about the laat ,
of rice breaking the back of the camel, but we must rememb
that the load was made up of many preceding grains. The
Stamp Act and Tea Duty were unquestionably the last links
an attempted chain of slavery with which England ventured
fetter thfl Dottiest of her colonies, but there were many precedis
links, Pownal's work affords evidence of the existence of many.
The crown, he said^ tn theory considered the lands and plantations «
the colonists its own, and attempted a far greater control over
personal liberty of the. subject than it dared to claim in England.
people* on the other hand, felt that they had by no means forfeit
tin: right* of Englishmen because they had left England ; and that, if
they submitted to its laws, they should at least have Bome share ic
making them. A series of petty collisions, which kept up & i
5 Dcvrfoptd. — Since this sentence was penned, I find, with great satisfaefcio
that a similar view has been taken by a recent writer. See Stcularia ; er,
pi on the Main Stream of IFi#ioryf by 8. Lucas^ p* 250, He op
a chapter on the revolt of the American States thus : " The relation* i
Great Britain to its colonies, past and present, are an important part of 1
history of the world ; and tbe form which these relations matf hereafter tat
uiU bt no small dement in th? political Jvtore. Even our Professors of
, , . abstain from noticing their system of government, or the. predigpo
motives to their tubtetptrnt reroUtn The italics are our own- Nqgl
*tudy of Irish history is, I believe, also, one of the causes why Irish gr
are not remedied hy the English Government* But grievances may get settle
in a way not always satisfactory to the neglectex* of them, while they
waiting the ir leisure to investigate their cause,
of constant irritation, prepared the way for the final declaration,
which flung aside the bonds of allegiance, and freed the people
from the galling chains by which that allegiance was sought
to be maintained. A wise policy at home might have averted the
fatal disruption for a time, but it is doubtful that it could have been
averted for many years, even if the utter incapacity of an obstinate
sovereign, and the childish vindictiveness of a minister, had not
precipitated the conclusion.
The master intellect of Burke at once grasped the whole question,
and his innate sense of justice suggested the remedy, Unfortu-
nately for England, but happily for America, Burke was beyond fall
age in breadth of policy and in height of honour. Englishmen of
the nineteenth century have very freely abused Englishmen of the
eighteenth century for their conduct on this occasion ; and more
than one writer has set down the whole question as one in which
11 ri-lit " was on the side of England, but he argues that there are
circumstances under which right should be sacrificed to policy. I can*
not agree with this very able writer/ The question was not one of
right, but of justice ; and the English nation, in the reign of George
IILj failed to see that to do justice was both morally and politically
the wisest course. The question of right too often develops itself
into the question of might. A man easily persuades himself that
he has a right to do what he has the power and the inclination to
do ; and when his inclination and his opportunities are on the same
side, his moral consciousness becomes too frequently blinded, and
tie question of justice is altogether overlooked*
It was in vain that Burke thundered forth denunciations of the
childish policy of the Treasury benches, and asked men to look to
first principles* who could hardly be made comprehend what first
principles were. He altogether abandoned the question of right, in
which men had so puzzled themselves as almost to lose sight of the
question of" policy. The King would tax the colony, because hts
nature was obstinate, md what he had determined to do he would
do. To sucli natures reasoning is much like hammering on iron — it
* nv»fer, — M-orley; Edmund Burke* an Historkal Study : Macmillan and
Co,, 1867. A masterly work, and one which every statesman and every
thinker would do tiretJ to peruse carefully. He aaya : "The question to be
uked by every statesman, and by every citizen, with reference to a measure
that ia recommended to him an the enforcement of a public right, is whether
the right m one which It is to the public advantage to enforce/7— p. 146.
600
BURKE'S VIEW OF RIGHT AND JUSTICE.
only hardens the metal. The minister would tax the colony beeaus
the King wished it ; and he bid neither the strength of mind nc
the conscientiousness to resist his sovereign. The Lords st
on their dignity, and would impose the tax if only to show their
power. The people considered the whole affair one of pou i
shillings, and pence> and could not at all see why they should
not wring out the last farthing from a distant colony— could not
be taught to discern that the sacrifice of a few pounds at the
present moment, might result in Uw acqukitioa of a few mil-
lions at a future day.
Burke addressed himself directly to the point on all these ques-
tions. He laid aside the much-abused question of right; he did
not even attempt to show that right and justice should not he
separated, and that men who had no share in the government of
country, could not he expected in common justice to assist in
support of that country. He had to address those who could onlj
inderstand reasons which appealed to their self-interest, and
tawwed himself to his audience. The question he said was, "no
whether you have a right to render your people miserable, bu
whether it is not your interest to make them happy. It is nc
what a lawyer tells me I may do, but what humanity, reason, and
justice, tell me I ought to do/'
The common idea about the separation of the States from En|
hind, is simply that they resisted a stamp duty and a tax ou I
fact is, as I have before hinted, that this was simply the lasi dreg
in the cup. Previous to this period, the American colonies we
simply considered as objects of English aggrandizement They
were treated as states who only existed for the purpose of 1
ing England. The case was in fact parallel to the case of Ireland,
and the results would prohably have been similar, had IreL
a little nearer to America, or a little further from England. Fo
many years the trade of America had been kept under the most
vexation^ restrictions. The iron found there must be sen1
England to be manufactured ; the ships fitted out there must be at
least partly built in England j no saw^mills could be err
colony could trade directly with another colony, nor with any
nation except England. This selfish, miserable policy met with j
well-deserved fate. Even Pitt exclaimed indignantly, in the Hous
of Commons: " We are told that America is obstinate — that Americ
is almost in open rebellion. I rejoice that she has resisted, Th
THE IRISH ASSIST IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 601
millions of people, so dead to all sentiments of liberty as voluntarily
to become slaves, would have been fit instruments to enslave their
fellow-subjects."
In 1765 an agitation was commenced in Philadelphia, by Mr.
Charles Thompson, an Irishman, who, after ten years devoted to the
cause of his adopted country, was appointed the Secretary of Con-
gress. It has been well remarked, that the Irish, and especially
the Irish Catholics, were, of the three nationalities, the most
devoted to forwarding the Revolution ; and we cannot wonder that
it was so, since the Government which had driven them from their
native land, ceased not to persecute them in the land of their exile.7
The first naval engagement was fought under the command of Jere-
miah O'Brien, an Irishman.8 John Barry, also an Irishman, took the
command of one of the first American-built ships of war. The
first Continental Regiment was composed almost exclusively of
Irish-born officers and men, and was the first Rifle Regiment ever
organized in the world. Thompson, its first, and Hand, its second
colonel, were natives of Ireland. At the siege of Boston the
regiment was particularly dreaded by the British.
In 1764 Franklin came to England9 for the second time, and was
7 Exile. — Maguire's Irish in America, p. 355: "It would seem as if they
instinctively arrayed themselves in hostility to the British power ; a fact to be
explained alike by their love of liberty, and their vivid remembrance of recent or
past misgovernment." The italics are our own. The penal laws were enacted
with the utmost rigour against Catholics in the colonies, and the only place o:
.refuge was Maryland, founded by the Catholic Lord Baltimore. Here there
was liberty of conscience for all, but here only. The sects who had fled
to America to obtain "freedom to worship God," soon manifested their
determination that no one should have liberty of conscience except them-
selves, and gave the lie to their own principles, by persecuting each
other for the most trifling differences of opinion on religious questions,
in the crudest manner. Cutting off ears, whipping, and maiming were in
constant practice. See Maguire's Irish in America, p. 349; Lucas* Seat-
laria, pp. 220-246.
8 Irishman.— See Cooper's Kacal History.
9 England. — He wrote to Thompson, from London, saying that he could
effect nothing : " The sun of liberty is set; we must now light up the candles
of industry." The Secretary replied, with Celtic vehemence : "Be assured
we shall light up torches of a very different kind." When the Catholics of the
United States sent up their celebrated Address to Washington, in 1790, he
alludes in one part of his reply to the immense assistance obtained from them
in effecting the Revolution : " I presume that your fellow-citizens will not
examined before the House of Common b on the subject of the Stamp
Act. He was treated with a contemptuous indifference, which be
never forgot ; but he kept his court suit, not without an object;
and in 1783, when he signed the treaty of peace, which compelled
England to grant humbly what she had refused haughtily, he wore
the self-same attire. Well might the immortal Washington say to
Governor Trumbull : ** There was a day, sir, when this step fi
our then acknowledged parent state, would have been accepted
with gratitude ; hut that day is irrevocably past."
In 1774, Burke was called upon by the citizens of Bristol to
represent them in Parliament, and he presented a petition from
them to the House in favour of American independence ; but* with
the singular inconsistency of their nation, they refused to re-elect
liini in 1780j bec*ttfie he advocated Catholic Emancipation.
The same principle of justice which made Burke take the side of
America against England, or rather made him see that it would be
the real advantage of England to conciliate America, made Mm also
take the side of liberty on the Catholic question. The short-sighted
and narrow-minded politicians who resisted the reasonable demand*
of a colony until it was too late to yield, were enabled, unfi>
nately, to resist more effectually the just demands of several millions
of their own people.
It is unqo ly one of the strangest of mental phenon
that persons who make liberty of conscience their boast and t
watchword* should be the first to violate their own principles, and
should be utterly unable to see the conclusion of their own favourite
premises. If liberty of conscience mean anything, it must surely
mean perfect freedom of religious belief for all; and such freedom ia
certainly incompatible with the slightest restraint, with the most
trifling penalty for difference of opinion on such subjects. Ag
Burke had recourse to the argumentum ad kominum, the only ar«
ment which those with whom he had to deal seemed capabli
comprehending.
After the suppression of the great rebellion of Tyrconnel by
William of Orange/' writes Mr. Morley,1 " ascendency began in all
forget the jtatriotic part which yoa took in the accomplishment of 1
revolution and the establishment of their government, or the important
assist ance they received from a nation in which the Roman Catholic raligioa
is professed. "
1 Morley* — Edmund Burke, an Hbtvrkat Study, p. 181.
CHESTERFIELD AND ADAM SMITH ON IRELAND. 603
its vilene8s and completeness. The Revolution brought about in
Ireland just the reverse of what it effected in England. Here it
delivered the body of the nation from the attempted supremacy of
a small sect ; there it made a small sect supreme over the body of
the nation." This is in fact an epitome of Irish history since the
so-called Reformation in England, and this was the state of affairs
which Burke was called to combat. On all grounds the more power-
ful party was entirely against him. The merchants of Manchester
and Bristol, for whose supposed benefit Irish trade had been ruined,
wished to keep up the ascendency, conceiving it to be the surest way
of replenishing their coffers. The majority of Irish landlords, who
looked always to their own immediate interest, and had none of the
Car-sighted policy which would enable them to see that the pros-
perity of the tenant would, in the end, most effectively secure the
prosperity of the landlord, were also in favour of ascendency, which
promised to satisfy their land hunger, and their miserable greed
of gain. The Protestant Church was in favour of ascendency :
why should it not be, since its ministers could only derive support
from a people who hated them alike for their creed and their
oppressions, at the point of the sword and by the " brotherly
agency of the tithe-procter," who, if he did not assist in spreading
the Gospel, at least took care that its so-called ministers should lack
no luxury which could be wrung from a starving and indignant
people T1
There were but two acts of common justice required on the part
of England to make Ireland prosperous and free. It is glorious to
say, that Burke was the first to see this, and inaugurate the reign of
concession ; it is pitiful, it is utterly contemptible, to be obliged to
add, that what was then inaugurated is not yet fully accomplished,
fiurke demanded for Ireland political and religious freedom. Slowly
some small concessions of both have been made when England has
feared to refuse them. Had the grant been made once for all with
manly generosity, some painful chapters of Irish history might have
* People.— Chesterfield said, in 1764, that the poor people in Ireland were
used " worse than negroes." "Aristocracy," said Adam Smith, "was not
founded in the natural and respectable distinctions of birth and fortune,
but in the most odious of all distinctions, those of religious and political
prejudices — distinctions which, more than any other, animate both the in-
solence of the oppressors, and the hatred and indignation of the oppressed.'* —
Morley's Edmund Burke, p. 183.
604
BURKE'S INDIAN POLICY,
been omitted from this volumes-some moments, let us hope, of honest
fhame might have been spared to those true-hearted Englishmen
irho deplore the fatuity and the folly of their countrymen, In
J 732 the Irish Volunteers obtained from the fears of England what
had been vainly asked from her justice. BurkeV
government may be summed up in the words, " Be just, and tear
not." In his famous Letter to Sir Hercules Langrwh*, written in
1792, upon the question of admitting the Catholics to the elec
franchise, he asks; "Is your government likely to be mora S6CttT6
by continuing causes of grounded discontent to two-thirds of its
subjects X Will the constitution be made more solid by depriving
this large part of the people of all concern or share- in the rej
sentation r
His Indian policy was equally just "Our dealings with India," sayt
an English writer," originally *nd until Burke's time, so far from b<
marked with virtue and wisdom, were stained with every vice which
can lower and deprave human character. How long will it t
only to extirpate these traditions from the recollections of the
natives 1 The more effectually their understandings are aw&kej
by English efforts, the more vividly will they recognize, and tha
more bitterly resent, the iniquities of our first connexion with
them/1 The Indian policy of England and her Irish policy mi
be written with advantage in parallel columns. It would, at least,
have the advantage of showing Irishmen that they had been by no
means worse govern ed than other dependencies of that professedly
law and justice loving nation,
I have treated, briefly indeed, and by no means as I should wish,
of two of the questions of the day, and of Burke's policy !
of the third question a few words only can be said. Burke's idea
of Reform consisted in amending the administration of the i
tion, rather than in amending the constitution itself. Unquestion-
ably a bad constitution \veli administered, may be incomparably
more beneficial to the subject than a good con stituti-u red
corruptly. Burke's great leading principle was : Be just— and can
a man have a nobler end 1 To suppress an insurrection cruelly, to
tax a people unjustly, or to extort money from a nation on fako
pretences, was to him deeply abhorrent. His first object was
secure the incorruptibility of ministers and of members of parlia
ment When the post of royal scullion could be confidt
member of parliament, and a favourable vote secured by appoint in
IRISH POKTS — MOORE. 605
a representative of the people to the lucrative post of turnspit in
the king's kitchen, administration was hopelessly corrupt. There
were useless treasurers for useless offices. Burke gave the example
of what he taught ; and having fixed the Paymaster's salary at four
thousand pounds a year, was himself the first person to accept
the diminished income.
He has been accused of forsaking his liberal principles in his
latter days, simply and solely from his denunciations of the
terrible excesses of the French Revolution. Such reprobation was
rather a proof that he understood the difference between liberty
and licentiousness, and that his accusers had neither the in-
tellect nor the true nobility to discriminate between the frantic
deeds of men, whose bad passions, long indulged, had led them
on to commit the crimes of demons, and those noble but long-'
suffering patriots, who endured until endurance became a fault,
and only resisted for the benefit of mankind as well as for their
own.
So much space- has been given to Burke, that it only remains
to add a few brief words of the other brilliant stars, who fled
across the Channel in the vain pursuit of English patronage —
in the vain hope of finding in a free country the liberty to
ascend higher than the rulers of that free country permitted in
their own.
Moore was born in the year 1780, in the city of Dublin. His
father was in. trade, a fact which he had the manliness to acknow-
ledge whenever such acknowledgment was necessary. He was
educated for the bar, which was just then opened for the first time
to the majority of the nation, so long governed, or misgoverned, by
laws which they were neither permitted to make or to administer.
His poetical talents were early manifested, and his first attempts
were in the service of those who are termed patriots or rebels, as
the speaker's opinion varies. That he loved liberty and admired
liberators can scarcely be doubted, since even later in life he used to
boast of his introduction to Thomas Jefferson, while in America,
exclaiming : " I had the honour of shaking hands with the man who
drew up the Declaration of American Independence." His country-
man, Sheridan introduced him to the Prince of Wales. His Royal
Highness inquired courteously if he was the son of a certain baronet
of the same name. " N<>. your Royal Highness," replied Moore ; " I
am the son of a Dublin grocer/1 He commenced writing Ma immor-
tal MrlvJks in 1807, soon after his marriage. But be by no mean*
confined himself to such subjects. With that keen sense of humour,
almost inseparable from, and generally proportionate to, the mart
exquisite sensibility of feeling, he caught the salient points of coutro-
y in his day, and no doubt contributed not a little to
obtaining of Catholic Emancipation by the telling satires which be
poimxl forth on its opposers. His reflections, addresed to tbe
Quarterly Bmewt who recommended an increase of the Cb
Establishment as the grand panacea of Irish ills, might not be an
inappropriate subject of consideration at the present moment* It
commences thus :
M I'm quite of your mind ; though these Pats cry aloud,
That they I much Church, tis ail nonsense and Stuff ;
For Church is like love, of which Figaro vowed,
That even too much of it's not quite enough,"
Nor was his letter to the Duke of Newcastle, who was an obstinate
oppose r of Catholic Emancipation, less witty, or leas in point at the
present time, for the Lords would not emancipate, whatever the
Commons might do :
11 While intellect, Tmongst high and low,
Is hastening on, they say,
Give me the dukes and lords, who go,
Like crabs, the ether way."
Cnrran had been called to the bar a few years earlier. He
the son of a poor farmer in the county of Cork, and won his
to fame solely by the exercise of his extraordinary talent. Cumin
was a Protestant ; but he did not think it necessary, because ho
belonged to a religion which professed liberty of conscience, to deny
its exercise to every one but those of his own sect. He first
tinguished himself at a contested election. Of his magniti
powers of oratory I shall say nothing, partly because their fame is
European, and partly because it would be impossible to do jusl
to the subject in our limited space. His terrible denunciations of
the horrible crimes and cruelties of the soldiers, who were sent to
govern Ireland by force, for those who were not wise enough or
SWIFT — LUCAS — FLOOD — ORATTAN. 607
humane enough to govern it by justice— his scathing denuncia-
tions of crown witnesses and informers, should be read at length
to be appreciated fully.3
Swift's career is also scarcely less known. He, too, was born in
Dublin of poor parents, in 1667. Although he became a minister
of the Protestant Church, and held considerable emoluments therein,
he had the honesty to see, and the courage to acknowledge, its many
corruptions. The great lesson which he preached to Irishmen was
the lesson of nationality ; and, perhaps, they have yet to learn it in
the sense in which he intended to teach it. No doubt, Swift, in
some way, prepared the path of Burke ; for, different as were their
respective careers and their respective talents, they had each the
same end in view. The " Drapier " was long the idol of his coun-
trymen, and there can be little doubt that the spirit of his
writings did much to animate the patriots who followed him —
Lucas, Flood, and Grattan. Lucas was undoubtedly one of
the purest patriots of his time. His parents were poor farmers in
the county Clare, who settled in Dublin, where Lucas was born, in
1713; and in truth patriotism seldom develops itself out of purple
and fine linen. Flood, however, may be taken in exception to
this inference ; his father was a Chief Justice of the Irish King's
Bench. When elected a member of the Irish House, his first
public effort was for the freedom of his country from the atrocious
imposition of Poyning's Law. Unfortunately, he and Grattan
quarrelled, and their country was deprived of the immense benefits
which might have accrued to it from the cordial political union of
two such men.
But a list of the great men of the eighteenth century, however
brief, would be certainly most imperfect if I omitted the name of the
Earl of Charlemont, who, had his courage been equal to his honesty
of purpose, might have been enrolled not merely as an ardent, but
even as a successful patriot. He was one of the Hibernis ipsis
Hibernians,— one of those who came to plunder, and who learned to
respect their victims, and to repent their oppressions. It is probable
that the nine years which the young Earl spent in travelling on the
Continent, contributed not a little to his mental enlargement. On
his return from countries where freedom exists with boasting, to a
s Fully.See Curraris Letter* and Speeches • Dublin, 1865.
fiANTKV MT WQVfM OF TR* L*1TD12?0
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The Volunteers deserted by tbeir Leaders — Agrarian Outrages and their Cause
— Foundation of the United Irishmen— Cruelties of the Orangemen— Go-
vern meat Spies and Informers— Lord Moira exposes the Crnelty of the Yeo-
manry in Parliament — Mr. Orra Trial and Death— Details of the Atrocities
enacted by the Military from a Protestant History— Tom the Devil—
Cruelties practised by Men ol Kank— Licentiousness of the Army— Death of
Lord Edward FitzGerald—The Rising- Martini Law in Dublin— The Insur-
rection in Wexford— Massacres at Scullabogue House and Watford-bridge
by the Insurgents— How the Priests were rewarded for saving Lives and
pfl rty— The Insurrection in Ulster— The State Prisoners— The Union.
[a.D. 178&— 1800.]
^ AHLIAMENT was dissolved on the 15th of July, 1783,
and summoned to meet in October. The Volunteers
now began to agitato on the important question ol
parliamentary reform, which, indeed, was necessary,
for there were few members who really represented
the nation, The close boroughs were bought and sold
openJy and shamelessly, and many members who were
returned for counties were not proof against place or
bribes. But the Volunteers had committed the fatal
mistake of not obtaining the exercise of the ekcl
franchise for their Catholic fellow-subjects : hence the
Irish Parliament obtained only a nominal freedom, as
its acts were entirely in the hands of the Government
through the venality of the members. On the 10th of
November, one hundred and sixty delegates assembled
mt the Royal Exchange, Dublin. They were headed by Lord
Ciiarlemout, and marched in procession to the Rotundo. The Earl
of Bristol, an eccentric, bat kind and warm-hearted character, who
was also the Protestant Bishop of Derry, took a leading part in the
deliberations. Sir Boyle Roche, an equally eccentric gentleman,
brought a message from Lord Kennmre to the meeting, assuring thee
that the Catholics were satisfied with what had been g<
them. He had acted under a misapprehension ; and the Bishop
of Deny, who was in fact the only really liberal member of the
corps, informed the delegates that the Catholics had held a meeting,
with Sir Patrick Bellew in the chair, in which they repud
this assertion. Several plans of reform were now proposed ; and i
Bill was introduced into the House by Mr, Flood, on the 29th <
November, and warmly opposed by Mr, Yelverton, who was noi
Attorney-General, and had formerly been a Volunteer, A stormy
scene ensued, but bribery and corruption prevailed. The fate of 1
Volunteers was sealed, Through motives of prudence or of pol
Lord Charlemont adjourned the convention sine dU; and the flame,
which had shot up with sudden brilliancy, died out even more
rapidly than it had been kindled. The Volunteers were now de-
serted by their leaders, and assumed the infinitely dangerous form
of a democratic movement. Such a movement can rarely succeed,
and seldom ends without inflicting worse injuries on the nation
than those which it has sought to avert.
The delegates were again convened in Dublin, by Flood and
Napper Tandy, They met in October, 178i, and their discussions
were carried on in secret, Everywhere the men began to arm them-
selves, and to train others to military exercises. But the Govern*
mejit had gained a victory over them in the withdrawal of their
leaders, and the Attorney-Genera! attempted to intimidate them
■till further by a prosecution. In 1785 a Bill was introduced for
removing some of the commercial restraints of the Irish nation
passed the Irish House, but. to satisfy popular clamours in England,
it was returned with such additions as effectually marred its use-
fulness, Grattan now saw how grievously he had l> iken
in his estimate of the results of all that was promised in 1783> and
denounced the measure with more than ordinary eloquence, h
rejected by a small majority, after a debate which lasted
; o'clock in the morning; and the nationality of the small
majority purchased the undoing hatred of the English mini
William Pitt. The people were still suffering from the cruel exac-
tion b of landlords and tithe-proctors. Their poverty and misery
were treated with contempt and induTereiice^and they were driven
to open acts of violence, which could not be repressed either by the
fear of the consequences, or the earnest exhortations of the Catholic
bishops and clergy.*
In the north some disturbances had originated as early as 1775,
amongst the Protestant weavers, who suffered severely from the
general depression of trade, and the avariciousness of commercial
speculators. Their association was called H Hearts of Steel." The
ior of the United lri$km6H mentions one instance as a sample of
ly others, in which the ruling elder of a Presbyterian congregation
had raised the rents on a number of small farms, and excited in con-
aence severe acts of retaliation from therm s In 1784 two parties
commenced agrarian outrages in Ulster, called respectively Peep-o'-
I>ay Boys and Defenders. As the Catholics sided with one party,
and the Protestants with another, it merged eventually into- a r i
gious Feud, The former faction assumed the appellation of Protes-
tant Boys, and at last became the Orange Society, whose atrocities,
and the rancorous party- spirit which they so carefully fomented,
was one of the principal causes of the rebellion of 179S. The
Catholics had assumed the name- of Defenders, from being obliged
to band in self-defence ; but when once a number of uneducated
his are leagued together personal feeling and strong passions
will lead to acts of violence, which the original associates would
have shrunk from committing.
Pitt was again thwarted by the Irish Parliament on the Regency
question, when the insanity of George III. required the appoint-
ment of his hejr ;»s governor of England. The Marquis of Buck-
ingham, who was then Loid Lieutenant, refused to forward their
address; but the members sent a deputation of their own. Tim
nobleman was open and shameless in bis acta of bribery, ami added
£ 13,000 a-year to die pension list, already so fatally oppressive to
the country. In 1700 he was succeeded by the E:irl of Westmore-
land, and various clubs were formed ; but the Catholics were still
* fT0y.— Bamogtwi saya, in bii Hi* and FaU of the Irish 2fotf0*, \> 67.
the Catholic clergy had svery inclination to restrain their flocks within jno]*r
hunts, And found no difficulty in effecting that object, The first statement in
unquestionably true; the second statement it unfortunately disproved ly
many painful facts,
» Thtm.— Vol. ii. p. 03.
excluded from them all. Still the Catholics were an immense
majority nationally ; the French Revolution bad manifested «
the people could do ; and the rulers of the land, with such terrible
examples before their eyes, could not for their own sakes afford to
ignore Catholic interests altogether. But the very cause which
gave hope was itself the means of taking hope away* The act
of the Irish Catholics was paralyzed through fear of the demonlikit
cruelties which even a successful revolution might induce ; and
the aristocratic party had of giving freedon:
the uneducated classes, influenced them to a fatal silence. Again
middle classes were left without leaders, who might have tem-
pered a praiseworthy nationality with a not less praiseworthy
prudence, and which might have saved both the nation and bo
of its best and bravest sons from fearful suffering, A Cain
meeting was held in Dublin, on the 11th of February, 1701, ai,
resolution was passed to apply to Parliament for relief from tl
I ulities. This was in truth the origin of the United Irishmen.
For the first time CathoEcfi and Protestants agreed cordially and
worked together harmoniously. The leading men on the Catholic
committee were Keogh, M'Cormic, Sweetman, Byrne, and Brang*
hall ; the Protestant leaders were Theobald Wolfe Tone and the
Hon. Simon Butler, Tone visited Belfast in October, 1791, and
funned the first club of the Society of United Irishmen. He was
ji pined there by Neilscm, Simms, Russell, and many others. A
was then formed in Dublin, of which tapper Tandy became a lead*
ing member. The fundamental resolutions of the Society were
admirable. They stated : *' L That the weight of English ianui
in the government of this country is so great* as to require a
cordial union among all the people of Ireland, to maintain
balance which is essentia! to the preservation of our Jibertiesand the
■ usion of our commerce. 2. That the sole constitutional m
by which this influence can be opposed, is by a complete and raj
reform of the representation of the people in Parliament, 3, That
no reform is just which does not include every Irishman of t
religious persuasion."
Tone had already obtained considerable influence by his politic
pamphlets, which had an immense circulation. There can be
doubt that he was tinctured with republican sentiments ; but
impossible for an Irish Protestant, who had any real syrapa
with his country, to feel otherwise ; it had endured nothing bo
MEETING OF THE CATHOLIC DELEGATES DT DUBLIN. fil5
misery from the monarchical form of government. The Catholics,
probably, were only prevented from adopting similar opinions by
their inherent belief in the divine right of kings. In 1791 the fears
of those who thought the movement had a democratic tendency,
were confirmed by the celebration of the anniversary of the French
Eevolution inBelfast, July, 1791; and in consequence of this, sixty-
four Catholics of the upper classes presented a loyal address to the
throne. The Catholic delegates met in Dublin in December, 1792,
and prepared a petition. to the King representing their grievances.
It was signed by Dr. Troy, the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, and
Dr. Moylan, on behalf of the clergy. Amongst the laity present
were Lords Kenmare, Fingall, Trimbleston, Gormanstown, and
French. Five delegates were appointed to present the petition,
and they were provided with a very large sum of money, which
induced those in power to obtain them an audience. They were
introduced to George III. by Edmund Burke. His Majesty sent a
message to the Irish Parliament, requesting them to remove some
of the disabilities; but the Parliament treated the message with
contempt, and Lord Chancellor FitzGibbon brought in a Bill to
prevent any bodies from meeting by delegation for the future.
In 1793 a Relief Bill was passed, in consequence of the war with
France;- a Militia Bill, and the Gunpowder and Convention Bills,
were also passed, the latter being an attempt to suppress the
Volunteers and the United Irishmen. A meeting of the latter was
held in February, 1 793, and the chairman and secretary were brought
before the House of Lords, and sentenced to six months' imprison-
ment and a fine of £500 each. The following year, January, 1794,
Mr. Rowan was prosecuted for an address to the Volunteers, made
two years before. Even Curran's eloquence, and the fact that the
principal witness was perjured, failed to obtain his acquittal. He
was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and a fine of £500. His
conviction only served to increase the popular excitement, as he
was considered a martyr to his patriotism. An address was pre-
sented to him in Newgate by the United Irishmen, but he escaped
on the 1st of May, and got safely to America, though £1,000 was
offered for his apprehension.
The English minister now appears to have tried the old game of
driving the people into a rebellion, which could be crushed at once
by the sword, and would spare the necessity of making concessions ;
or of entangling the leaders in some act of overt treason, and
quashing the movement by depriving it of its heads. An oppor*
tunity for the latter manoeuvre now presented itself. A Protestant
clergyman, who bad resided many years in France, came to the
;itry for the purpose of opening communications between the
French Government and the United Irishmen, This gentler
the Bev. William Jackson, confided his secret to his solicitor, a man
named Cockayne, The solicitor informed Mr, Pitt, and by his
re continued to watch his victim, and trade on his open-hearted
candour, until he had led him to his doom. The end of the nn-
fcrtunafta clergyman was very miserable. He took poison when
brought up for judgment, and died in the dock His object in
committing this crime was to save his property for hie wife and
children, as ii would have been confiscated had his sentence been
pronounced.
The Viceroy*] ty of Earl Fitz William once more gave the Irish
nation some hope that England would grant them justice. But he
was soon recalled ; Lord Camden was sent in his stead; and the
country was given up to the Eeresford faction, who were quite
willing fco co-operate in Mr. Pitt's plan of setting Protestants and
ii olios against each other, of exciting open rebellion* and of pro-
fit in g by the miseries of the nation to forge new chains for it, by
its parliamentary union with England. Everything was dpne bow
t hat could be done to excite the Catholics to rebellion. The Orange-
men, if their own statement on oath* is to be trusted, were actually
bribed to persecute the Catholics ; sermons7 were preached by Pro-
testant ministers to excite their feelings : and when the Catholics
resisted, or offered reprisals* they were punished with the utmost
* Oath.— I give authority for these defruk In the spring of 1796, three
jran^etnen swore before a magistrate of Down and Armagh, that the Orange-
men frequently met in committees, amongst whom were some members of Par-
liament, who gave them money, and promised that they should not suffer for
any act they might commit, and pledged themselves that they should be pro-
vided for by Government. The magistrate informed the Secretary of State,
and asked how he should act ; but he never received any answer. For further
details on thin head* see Flowden's Htttory of the Inmrrtctian*
7 Sermon*.— On the Ufcof July, 1795, the B*v, MlV Monsell, a Protestant
clergyman of Fortadown, invited his flock to celebrate the anniversary of the
battle of the Boyne by attending church, and preached such a sermon against
the Papists that his congregation fell on every Catholic they mot going borne,
beat them cruelly, and finished the day by murdering two farmers sobs, who
were quietly at work in a bog,— Mooneyes HUiory of Irttand* p, 87ft
TESTIMONY AGAINST THE MAGISTRATES, BT LORD GOSFORD. 617
severity, while their persecutors always escaped. Lord Carhampton,
a grandson of the worthless Henry Luttrell, who had betrayed the
Irish at the siege of limerick, commanded the army, and his cruelty
is beyond description. An Insurrection Act was passed in 1796 ,
magistrates were allowed to proclaim counties ; suspected persons
were to be banished the country or pressed into the fleet, without
the shadow of trial ; and Acts of Indemnity8 were passed, to shield
the magistrates and the military from the consequences of any un-
lawful cruelties which fanaticism or barbarity might induce them
to commit.
Grattan appealed boldly and loudly against these atrocities.
IC These insurgents," he said, " call themselves Protestant Boys —
that is, a banditti of murderers, committing massacre in the name
of God, and exercising despotic power in the name of liberty." The
published declaration of Lord Gosford and of thirty magistrates,
who attempted to obtain some justice for the unfortunate subjects of
these wrongs, is scarcely less emphatic. It is dated December 28,
1795 : " It is no secret that a persecution, accompanied with all the
circumstances of ferocious cruelty which have in all ages distin-
guished this calamity, is now raging in this country ; neither age,
nor sex, nor even acknowledged innocence, is sufficient to excite
mercy or afford protection. The only crime which the unfortunate
objects of this persecution are charged with, is a crime of easy proof
indeed ; it is simply a profession of the Roman Catholic faith. A
lawless banditti have constituted themselves judges of this species of
delinquency, and the sentence they pronounce is equally concise and
terrible ; it is nothing less than a confiscation of all property and im-
mediate banishment — a prescription that has been carried into effect,
and exceeds, in the number of those it consigns to ruin and misery,
every example that ancient or modern history can supply. These
horrors are now acting with impunity. The spirit of justice has
disappeared from the country ; and the supineness of the magis-
tracy of Armagh has become a common topic of conversation in
every corner of the kingdom."
One should have supposed that an official declaration from such an
authority, signed by the Governor of Armagh and thirty magistrates,
8 Indemnity. —.Lord Carhampton sent 1,900 men on board the fleet, on mere
suspicion. They demanded a trial in vain. An Act of Indemnity was at once
passed, to free hii Lordship from any unpleasant consequences.
would have produced some effect on the Government of the day ;
but the sequel proved that nwh honorable exposure was as inefleo
B as the rejected petition of million! of Catholics. The forma-
of the yeomanry corps filled up the cup of bitterness. The Uii
1 1 mtii. seeing no hope of constitutional redress* formed themselves
into a military organization* But, though the utmost prr.j
were used to conceal the names of members and the plans oi I
association, their movement* were well known to Government
from an early period Tone, in the meantime, came to France from
America, and induced Canxot to send an expedition to IreLr
under the command of General Hoche. It ended disastrously.
A few vessels cruised for a week in the harbour of Bantry 1
but, as the remainder of the tieet, which was separated by a
did not arrive. Grouchy, the second in command,
France,
iiwhtle, the Society of United Irishmen spread rapidtj
especially in those places where the Orangemen exercU
. Lord Edward FitzGerald now joined the movemi
even those who cannot commend the eause, are o
the perfection of his devoted self-sacrifice to what In believed i<
the interests of his country, His leadership seemed all that
needed to secure success, His gay and Frank manner made him
popular; his military bearing demanded respect; his superior
tainments gave him power to command ; his generous d
ness was patent to all. But already a paid system of espionage
been established by Government. A set of miscreants md
who could lure their victims to their doom — who could
drink, and talk and live with them as their bosom friends* and *
sign their death-warrant with the kiss of Judaa. There was a
glllar gang of informers of a low class, like the infamous Jemnir
O'Brien, who were under the control of the Town-Majors, Sirr and
8 wan. But there were gentlemen informers also, who, h) m
cases, were never so much as suspected by their dupes* M.
the advocateof the United Irishmen, and Mr. Graham, theirs
were both of that class* Thomas Reynolds, of Killeen Castle
their body on purpose to betray them, Captain Armstrong did
same, John Hughes, a Belfast bookseller, had himself arrest<*J
several times, to allay their suspicions* John Edward Nevill wa*
equally base and treacherous. However necessary it may b*
the ends of government to employ spies and inform*] uo
LORD MOIRA EXPOSES THE CRUELTY OP THE YEOMANRY. 619
necessity for men to commit crimes of the basest treachery. Such
men and such crimes will ever be handed down to posterity with
the reprobation they deserve.
Attempts were now made to get assistance from France. Mr.
O'Connor and Lord Edward FitzGerald proceeded thither for that
purpose ; but their mission was not productive of any great result.
The people were goaded to madness by the cruelties which were
committed on them every day ; and it was in vain that persons
above all suspicion of countenancing either rebels or Papists, pro-
tested against these enormities in the name of common humanity.
In 1797 a part of Ulster was proclaimed by General Lalor, and Lord
Moira described thus, in the English House of Lords, the sufferings
of the unhappy people : " When a man was taken up on suspicion,
he was put to the torture ; nay, if he were merely accused of con-
cealing the guilt of another, the punishment of picketing, which had
for some years been abolished as too inhuman even in the dragoon
service, was practised. I have known a man, in order to extort
confession of a supposed crime, or of that of some of his neighbours,
picketed until he actually fainted ; picketed a second time, until he
fainted again ; picketed a third time, until he once more fainted ;
and all upon mere suspicion. Nor was this the only species of tor-
ture; many had been taken and hung up until they were half
dead, and then threatened with a repetition of this cruel treatment
unless they made confession of the imputed guilt. These," con-
tinued his Lordship, " were not particular acts of cruelty, exercised
by men abusing the power committed to them, but they formed part
of a system. They were notorious ; and no person could say who
would be the next victim of this oppression and cruelty." As re-
dress was hopeless, and Parliament equally indifferent to cruelties
and to remonstrances, Mr. Grattan and his colleagues left the Irish
House to its inhumanity and its fate.
In the autumn of this year, 1797, Mr. Orr, of Antrim, was tried
and executed, on a charge of administering the oath of the United
Irishmen to a soldier. This gentleman was a person of high cha-
racter and respectability. He solemnly protested his innocence ;
the soldier, stung with remorse, swore before a magistrate that the
testimony he gave at the trial was false. Petitions were at once
sent in, praying for the release of the prisoner, but in vain ; he was
executed on the 14th of October, though no one doubted his inno-
cence ; and " Orr's fate" became a watchword of and an incitement
DETAIU3 OF THE ATROCITIES OF THE MILITARY. 621
allowing themselves to participate in or to enact such deeds of
blood. Historical justice, too, demands that they should be related.
Englishmen have heard much of the cruelties of Irish rebels at
Wexford, which I shall neither palliate nor excuse. Englishmen
have heard but little of the inhuman atrocities which excited that
insurrection, and prompted these reprisals. And let it be remem-
bered, that there are men still living who saw these cruelties enacted
in their childhood, and men whose fathers and nearest' relations
were themselves subjected to these tortures. To the Celt, so
warm of heart and so tenacious of memory, what food this is
for the tempter, who bids him recall, and bids him revenge,
even now, these wrongs! What wonder if passion should take
the place of reason, and if religion, which commands him to suffer
patiently the memory of injuries inflicted on others, often harder
to bear than one's own pain, should sometimes fail to assert its
sway I1
I shall give the account of these atroeities in the words of a Pro-
testant historian first. The Rev. Mr. Gordon writes thus, in his
narrative of these fearful times : u The fears of the people became
1 Sway. — An important instance of how the memory or tradition of past
wrongs excites men to seize the first opportunity of revenge, if not of redress,
has occurred in our own times. It is a circumstance which should be very,
carefully pondered by statesmen who have the real interest of the whole
nation at heart. It is a circumstance, as a sample of many other similar cases,
which should be known tc every Englishman who wishes to understand the
cause of " Irish disturbances." One of the men who was shot by the police
daring the late Fenian outbreak in Ireland, was a resectable farmer named
Peter Crowley. His history tells the motive for which he risked and lost his
life. His grandfather had been outlawed in the rebellion of '98. His uncle,
Father Peter O'Neill, had been imprisoned sm&Jlogged most barbarously, with
circumstances of peculiar cruelty, in Cork, in the year 1798. The memory of
the insult and iujury done to a priest, who was entirely guiltless of the crimes
with which he was charged, left a legacy of bitterness and hatred of Saxon
rule in the whole family, which, unhappily, religion failed to eradicate. Peter
Crowley was a sober, industrious, steady man, and his parish priest, who at-
tended his deathbed, pronounced his end " most happy and edifying." Three
clergymen and a procession of young men, women, and children, scattering
flowers before the coffin, and bearing green boughs, attended his remains to the
grave. He was mourned as a patriot, who had loved his country, not wisely,
but too well ; and it was believed that his motive for joining the Fenian ranks
was less from a desire of revenge, which would have been sinful, than from a
mistaken idea of freeing his country from a repetition of the cruelties of '98, and
from bor present grievances.
bo great at length, that they Forsook their houses in the night, and
slept (if, under such circa m stances, they could sleep) in the dit«
and the women were even delivered in that exposed condition.
These facts were notorious at ihi, time Some abandoned I
house from fear of being whipped ; and this infliction many persoa*
appeared to fear more than death itself, Many unfortunate man
were strung up as it were to be hanged, but were let down now and
then, to try if strangulation would oblige them to become inform-
He then goes on to relate h how the ma
smiths and carpenters at once, because it was supposed from t!
trade they must have made pikes ; and how they, at taat,
feseed to know a United Irishman by his face, and " never
any person whom they deigned to honour with this distinction
pass off without convincing proof of their attention/' He also men*
tiuns the cage of a hermit named Driscoll, whose name and the same
details of his sufferings are given in Clancy's account of t;
recti on. This man was strangled three times, and flog:
times, because a Catholic prayer book was found in his p<
on which it was , that he used to administer oaths of dis-
loyalty.
I shall now give the account of another historian. Plowdeo
writes thus: "Theae military savages [the yeomanry corps— it will
be remembered what Lord iMoira said of them in Parliament] v
permitted, both by magistrate* and officers, in open day,
every man they wished or chose to suspect as a >lrag
him to the guardhouse, where they constantly kept a supply of
coarse linen caps, besmeared inside with pitch ; and when j
was well heated, they forced the cap on his head ; and somet
the melted pitch, running into the eyes of the unfortu un\
superadded blindness to his other tortures, They generally
him till the pitch had so cooled, that the cap could not be del
from the head without carrying with it the hair and bli
they then turned him adrift, disfigured, often blind, and
with pain. They enjoyed with loud bursts of ku^ Hike
sport — the agonies of their victim. At other times, they rubbed
moistened gunpowder into the hair, in the Form of a cross, and
fire to it ; and not unfrequently sheared off the ears and hosm* ol
the unfortunate Croppy/1 Flowden then details the al
sergeant of the Cork Militia, who was called Tom / He
concludns : (i It would be imcandid to detail only instance* of
LICENTIOUSNESS OF THE ARMY. . 623
brutality of the lower orders, whilst evidence is forthcoming of per-
sons of fortune and education being still more brutalized by its dele-
terious spirit/' He then mentions an instance, on the authority of
both an eyewitness and the victim, in which Lord Kingsborough,Mr.
Beresford, and an officer whose name he did not know, tortured two
respectable Dublin tradesmen, one named John Fleming, a ferry-
man, the other Francis Gough, a coachmaker. The nobleman super-
intended the flagellation of Gough. and at every stroke insulted
him with taunts and inquiries how he liked it. The unfortunate
man was confined to his bed in consequence, for six months after
the infliction. On Whit-Sunday, 1 798, these men were again tor-
tured with pitchcaps by the gentlemen. Other instances might be
added, but these will suffice to show the feeling which actuated the
rulers who permitted, and the men who perpetrated, these deeds of
blood. " With difficulty," says Mr. Plowden, " does the mind yield
reluctant consent to such debasement of the human species. The
spirit which degrades it to that abandonment is of no ordinary
depravity. The same spirit of Orangeism moved the colonel in
Dublin, and his sergeant at Wexford. The effect of that spirit can
only be faintly illustrated by facts. Those have been verified to the
author by the spectator and the sufferer."2
From a letter of Lady Napier's, never intended for publication,
and above all suspicion of any sympathy with the lower order of
Irish, it will be seen how the tenantry of the Duke of Leinster were
driven to revolt. It is dated Castletown, 27th June, 1798, and
addressed to the Duke of Richmond. "The cruel hardships put
on his tenants preferably to all others, has driven them to despair,
and they join the insurgents, saying: ' It is better to die with a pike
in my hand, than be shot like a dog at my work, or to see my chil-
dren faint for want of food before my eyes.* "
Sir Ralph Abercrombie was appointed to command the army in
Ireland, in 1797 ; but he threw up his charge, disgusted with atro-
cities which he could not control, and which he was too humane
even to appear to sanction.8 He declared the army to be in a state
* Sufferer. — Plowden, Hut. p. 102.
3 Sanction. — His son says : " His estimate of the people led him to appre-
ciate justly the liveliness of their parts. But while he knew their vices, and
the origin of them, he knew that there was in their character much of the
generosity and warmth of feeling which made them acutely sensitive when they
were treated considerately and kindly. His judgment of the upper classes of
of licentiousness, which made it formidable to every one bat the
enemy, General Lake, a fitting instrument for any cruelty, was
appointed to take his place ; and Lord Gastlereagh informs us
** measures were taken by Government to cause a prematui
sion." It would have been more Christian in the tirst place* and
more politic in the second place, if Government had taken measure*
to prevent any explosion at all.*
i >u the 1 2th of March, 1 798, the Lein&fcer delegates, who had been
long since betrayed, were seized by Major Swan, in Dublin, Fifteen
loo* were present, the greater lumber of whom were Pro
& Emmet, MacNevin, Jackson, and Sweet man , were seized tfc
same day* Arthur O'Connor had already been arrested on h i
France, with Father Coigley* The latter was convicted on
at Maidstone, and hanged on evidence so inconclusive, that I
Chancellor Thurlow said : " If ever a poor man was murder* ■..
was Coigley f The arrest of Lord Edward FitzGerahl occurred
soon after. The room in which he was arrested and the bed od
winch he lay is still shown, for the brave young noble had wun
hi ni self the heart's love of every true Irishman, The si
would occupy more space than can be given to it, To ah
would be to destroy more than half of its real interest, A se
wound which he received in the struggle with his captors, a
with the effects of excitement and a cruel imprisonment,
his death* He was a chevalier mnf peur tt mm rtp\
his enemies, and the enemies of his country, could find no v>
to say agaiust him. With him died the best hopes of the
h ishmen, and with his expiring breath they lost their best prospect
of success,*
society, and of the purity and wiadom of the government, wm less favorah
He sn w that the gentry were imperfectly educated ; that 1 1
to the pursuit » of pleasure and political intrigue ; and that they wore ? _
neglectful of the duties imposed on them u landlords, and m the frienda and
protectors of those who depended an them for their eii^r
Sir Ralph Atfirromhie, p, 72.
* Alt.— Lord Holland says, in hie Mtmotr* of the Whig Party: "Tkefac
incoutestable that the jieople of Ireland were driven to resistance, vh
^f'lfi, they meditated before, hy the free quartern and excesses of the noli
which are not permitted in civilized warfare, even in an enemy's country/
The state pi boners declared the immediate cause of the rising wan ■ '
quartern, feh* kwMtamungp, the tortures, and the militai m&"
* ftcotti* — The teal betrayer of this brave but unfortunate uoblet
Lord Edward died on the 4th of June. The 23rd of May had
been fixed for the rising ; but informations were in the hands of
the Government, Captain Armstrong had betrayed the Sheares,
two brothers who had devoted themselves to the cause of their
country with more affection than prudence. The base traitor had
wound himself into their confidence, had dined with them, and was
on the most intimate social relations with their family. On the
12th of Juiy he swore their Eves away ; and two days after they
were executed, holding each other's hands as they passed into
eternity.
The rising did take place, but it was only partial. The leaders
were gone, dead, or imprisoned; and nothing but the wild despera-
tion, which suggested that it was better to die fighting than to die
inch by inch, under inhuman torture, could have induced the people
to rise at all The ferocity with which the insurrection was put
down, may be estimated by the cruelties enacted before it com-
menced. Lord Cornwallis, in his Government report to the Duke
of Portland, declared that " murder was the favourite pastime" of the
militia. He declared that the principal persons in the country
and the members of Parliament were averse to all conciliation, and
u too much heated to see the effects which their violence must \
duce," To General Boss he writes : "The violence of our friends
and their folly in endeavouring to make it a religious war, added to
the ferocity of our troops, who delight in murder, must powerfully
counteract all plans of conciliation ; and the conversation, even at
my table, where you will suppose I do all I can to prevent
always turns on hanging, shooting, burning, &c.; and if & priest
only been discovered of late years. Dr. Madden was the first to throw light
u pon the 5ii bject He discovered the item of £1,000 entered in t] i rt**c*
Monetf-hoQkt as paid to F. H. for the discovery of L. E. F. The Ft H, wm
undoubtedly Francis Higgini, better known as the Sham Squire, whose infa-
mous career has been fully exposed by Mr. Fitapatrick. In the fourth volume
of tho United Irishmen, pf 579, l*r. Madden still expresses bis doubt as to
who was the person employed by Higgins as ** setter." It evidently was
some one in the accrets of Lord Ed ward's party. The infamous betrayer hm
been at last discovered, in the person of Co an sell or Magon, who receive
various times large sums of money from Government for his jiertidy, *See the
Sfutm Sifidre, p. 114. Higgms was buried at Kil barrack, near L'lniitart In
oon&eqtience of the revelations of his vdeiiess, which have been lately brought
ire the public, tho tomb woa smashed to pieces, and the insCriptXOD
destroyed. See Mr, FiUpatriok's Ireland before the Union, p. 152.
2 R
has bean put to death, the greatest joy is expressed by the whole
company/1
On the 23rd of May, Dublin was placed under martial law
citizens were armed, the guard was trebled, the barristers pleaded
with regimentals and swords, and several of the lamplighters
hung from their own lamp-posts for neglecting to light the lam;
The country people were prepared to march on the city, but I
Eoden and his Foxhunters soon put down their attempt. The
i morning the dead were exhibited in the Castle-yard, and the
prisoners were hanged at Carlisle-bridge. Sir WatMns Wynn and
his Ancient Britons distinguished themselves by their cruelties.
The Homsperg Dragoons and the Orange Yeomanry equalled them
in deeds of blood The fighting commenced in Kildare, on
24th, by an attack on Naas, which was repelled by Lord Gasp
Two of his officers and thirty men were killed, and the people were
shot down and hanged indiscriminately. "Such was the brutal
ferocity of some of the King's troops,'1 says Plowden, " that they
half roasted and eat the flesh of one man, named Walsh,
had not been in arms." At Prosperous the insurgents attacked
and burned the barracks, and piked any of the soldiers wL'
tempted to escape from the flame*. This regiment, the North (
Militia, had been spe«ially cruel in their treatment of the
who were only too willing to retaliate* A troop of dragoons, com
manded by Captain Erskine, was almost annihilated at Old
Kilculiem But reverses soon followed At Carlow the in
gents met with a severe defeat ; and the defenceless and i
inhabitants, who fled into their houses for shelter from the
tire, were cruelly and ruthlessly burned to death in tlu-ir own
habitations by the military.
A body of St000 men, under a leader named Perkins, i
on the Hill of Allan, and agreed with General Douglas
down their arms. The General was honorable and hum.
his subordinates were not so. Major-General Duff, to whom
arms were to have been delivered up, ordered his troops to fir<
the people, when they bad assembled for that purp
Koden's cavalry cut them down, and an immense numl'
slaughtered in cold blood. Another attack took place at Ta
where the Irish were again defeated. The insurrection now
out in Wexford. The people in this part of the country h
joined the movement in any way, until the arrival of the ':
Cork Militia, commanded by Lord Kingsborougfa. The men pa-
raded in orange ribbons, fired at the peaceful country people, and
employed pitchcaps and torture, until their victims were driven
i desperation. The county was proclaimed on the 27th of April,
by the magistrates \ and before any riot had taken place, Mr.
Hunter Gowan paraded through Gorey at the head of his yeomanry,
with a human finger on the point of hia sword, which was subse-
quently used to stir their punch in the evening.
On Whit-Sunday , the 27 th of May, the yeomen burned the
Catholic Chapel of Boulavogue. Father John Murphy, the parish
priest, who had hitherto tried to suppress the insurrection, placed
himself at the head of the insurgents. The men now rose in num-
bers, and marched to Enniseorthy, which they took after some
fighting. Vinegar Hill, a lofty eminence overlooking the town, was
chosen for their camp. Some of the leading Protestant gentlemen of
the county had either favoured or joined the movement ; and several
I of them had been arrested on suspicion, and were imprisoned at
Wexford, The garrison of this place, however, fled in a panic,
caused by some successes of the Irish troops, and probably from a
very clear idea of the kind of retaliation they might expect for their
cruelties, Mr* Harvey, one of the prisoners mentioned above, was
now released, and headed the insurgents ; but a powerful body of
troops, under General Loftus, was sent into the district, and
eventually obtained possession of New Ross, which the Irish had
taken with great bravery, but which they had not been able to
hold fur want of proper military discipline and command, They
owed their defeat to insubordination and drunkenness. A number
of prisoners had been left at Scullabogue House, near Carrickburno
Hill, Some fugitives from the Irish camp came up in the afternoon,
and pretended thai Mr, Harvey had given orders for their execu-
tion, alleging, as a reason, what, indeed, was true, that the royalists
massacred indiscriminately. The guard resisted, but were over-
powered by the mob, who were impatient to revenge without jus-
tice the cruelties which had been inflicted on them without justice.
A hundred were burned in a barn, and thirty-seven were shot or
piked This massacre has been held up as a horrible example of
Irish treachery and cruelty. It was horrible, no doubt, and cannot
be defended or palliated; but, amid these contending horrors of
cruel war, the question still recurs: Upon whom is the origin*]
guilt of causing them to be charged I
THE INSURRECTION IN ULSTER— THE STATE PRISONERS. 629
saved so many Protestant lives, was now chosen for the scene of
slaughter ; and all this in spite of a promise of amnesty. Father
Eoche and Mr. Keogh were the first victims of the higher classes ;
Messrs. Grogan, Harvey, and Colclough were hanged the following
day. A mixed commission was now formed of the magistrates, who
were principally Orangemen, and the military, whose virulence was
equally great. The Rev. Mr. Gordon, the Protestant clergyman
whose account I have principally followed, as above all suspicion,
declares that " whoever could be proved to have saved an Orange-
man or royalist from assassination, his house from burning, or his
property from plunder, was considered as having influence amongst
the revolters, and consequently as a rebel commander." The reward
for their charity now was instant execution. The Rev. John Red-
mond, the Catholic priest of Newtownbarry, had saved Lord
Mountmorris and other gentlemen from the fury of the exasperated
people, and had preserved his house and property from plunder.
He was now sent for by this nobleman ; and, conscious of his inno-
cence, and the benefits he had rendered him, he at once obeyed the
summons. On his arrival, he was seized, brought before the court,
and executed on the pretence of having been a commander in the
rebel army. He had, indeed, commanded, but the only commands
he ever uttered were commands of mercy. Well might Mr. Gordon
sorrowfully declare, that he had " heard of hundreds of United Irish-
men, during the insurrection, who have, at the risk of their lives,
saved Orangemen ; but I have not heard of a single Orangeman who
encountered any danger to save the life of a United Irishman."
With equal sorrow he remarks the difference in the treatment of
females by each party. The Irish were never once accused of having
offered the slightest insult to a woman ; the military, besides shoot-
ing them indiscriminately with the men, treated them in a way
which cannot be described, and under circumstances which added
a more than savage inhumanity to their crime.
The next act of the fatal drama was the execution of the State
prisoners. The rising in Ulster had been rendered ineffective,
happily for the people, by the withdrawal of some of the leaders at
the last moment. The command in Antrim was taken by Henry
M'Cracken, who was at last captured by the royalists, and exe-
cuted at Belfast, on the 17th of June. At Saintfield, in Down, they
were commanded by Henry Monroe, who had been a Volunteer,
and had some knowledge of military tactics. In an engagement at
Ballinahincb, he showed considerable ability in the disposal of hit
forces, but they were eventually defeated, and he also paid the
forfeit of his Hfe, A remnant of the Wexford insurrection was all
tliU remained to be crushed. On the 21st of June, Lord Corn*
waliis was sent to Ireland, with the command both of the milit
forces and the civil power. On the 17th of July an amnesty
proclaimed; and the majority of the State prisoners were permi
eventually to leave the country, having purchased their pardon by
an account of the plans of the United Irishmen, which were so
entirely broken up that their honour was m no way compromised
by the disclosure,
Several men, however, were executed, in whose fate the country
had? for many reasons, more than ordinary interest. To have par-
doned them would have been more humane and better poi
These were the two Sheares, M*Cann, and Mr. William Byrne,
Their history will be found in the Lives of the United Iruhmcn, by
Dr. Madden, a work of many volumes, whose contents could not
possibly be compressed into the brief space which the limits of tb
work demands.
Some painfully interesting details of this fearful period may
found in the Anruds of fiallifare, a work already referred to in
volume. The writer being a member of the Society of Friend
must be beyond all suspicion of partiality for rebels or Papi
happily, like many members of that Society, was distinguished for
humanity and toleration for the opinions of others. Her accou
Of *98, being the annals of a family and a village, is, perhaps, ahj
better ttilffnlftted to p?e an exact idea of the state of the times t .]
a work comprising a more extended range of observation ; and ye
what was suffered in Eallitore was comparatively trilling whe
■ared with the sufferings of other villages and towns,
first trial was the quartering of the yeomen, "from whose bo
wntes this gentle lady, " pity seemed banished." The SmToU
Feneibles and the Ancient Britons were next quartered on the un-
fortunate inhabitants. Then commenced the cruel torturing, for
which the yeomen and militia obtained an eternal reprobation ; tb
public floggings, of which she "writes thus — " the torture was ei
aive, and the victims were long in recovering, and in almost every <
it was applied fruitlessly f yet these demons in human form neve
relaxed their cruelty* M The village, once so peaceful, exhibited
scene of tumult and dismay; and the air rang with the shrieks <
the sufferers, and the lamentations of those who beheld them
suffer.1'7 Then follow fearful details, which cannot be given here,
bat which prove how completely the people were driven into re-
bellion, and how cruelly they were punished. Reprisals, of course,
were made by the unfortunate victims ; and on one occasion, Mrs
-1 beater relates how Priest Cullen begged the life of a young
man on his knees, and, as a reward of his humanity, was appre-
hended soon after, and condemned to death. The most cruel scene
of all was the murder of the village doctor, a man who had devoted
himself unweariedly to healing the wounds of both parties; but
mse he attended the il rebels,'* and showed them any acts of
common humanity, he was taken before a court-martial, and '
£* hacked to death " by the yeomen with their swords. M He was
alone and unarmed when seized/' writes Mrs, Lead beater, '* and I
believe had never raised his hand to injure any one."
The French allies of Irish insurgents appear to have a fatality for
arriving precisely when their services are worse than useless. On
the 22nd of August, 1798, Humbert landed at Killala with a small
French force, who, after a number of engagements, were eventually
obliged to surrender at discretion.
Ireland having been reduced to the lowest state of misery and
servitude, the scheme for which much of this suffering had been
enacted was now proposed and carried out. The first parliamentary
intimation was given in a speech from the throne, on the 22nd
of January, 1799 ; a pamphlet was published on the subject by
Mr. Cooke, the Under-Secretary ; but it required more cogent argu-
ments than either speeches from the throne or pamphlets to effect
the object of Government. Mr. Pitt had set his heart upon the
Union, and Mr. Pitt had determined that the Union should be carried
out at any expense of honour. The majority of the Irish lawyers
protested against it. The Irish people, as far as they dared do
opposed it. At a meeting of the Irish bar, on the 9th of December*
there were 166 votes against the Union and only thirty- two in
favour of it The published correspondence of Lord Cornwallis
and Lord Castlereagn has revealed an amount of nefarious corrup-
tion and treachery at which posterity stands aghast. " These noble-
men," writes Sir Jonah Earrington, ** seemed to have been created
for such a crisis, and for each other. An unremitting perseverance-
an absence of all political compunctions, an unqualified contempt
of public opinion, and a disregard of every constitutional prinn
were common to both" But Lord Corawallis had some compunc-
tions ; for he wrote to General Boss, describing his office as *' the
st cursed of all situations/' and expressing, in language more
forcible than gentlemanly, his ardent desire to "kick those whom
his public duty obliged him to court."
The immediate arrangements made for carrying out the Union
were extremely simple. A scale of "compensation" was arranged — ♦
a word which could, by a slight perversion of the ordinary
meaning of the English language, be used as a new form of ex-
pressing what was formerly called bribery. Every one was pro-
mised everything that he wished for, if be would only cou
to the measure. The Catholics were to have emancipation, the
Protestants ascendency, the bar promotion, the people higher
wages, the boroughmongers magnificent compensation* FiU-
Gibbon, who had been made Lord Clare, and was then Chan-
cellor, bribed, threatened, and cajoled the Upper House ; Mr. Se-
cretary Cooke employed himself with equal ability in the Lower
House. Gratt&n bad left Ireland ; Flood was in retirement ; the
members of the bar who had voted against the Union were dis-
missed from office, and the Prime Serjeant, Mr. FitzGerald, was the
first victim* The thirty-two who formed the minority were at
once removed. I have not space for the details of the various at*
tempts which were made to pass the unpopular measure. Ban j
ton has given a list of the members for the Union, and the rewards
they received. His description of the last night of the Irish Par-
liament is too graphic to be omitted ; —
" The Commons1 House of Parliament, on the last evening, af-
forded the most melancholy example of a fine, independent people,
betrayed, divided, sold, and, as a State, annihilated. British clerks
and officers were smuggled into her Parliament, to vote away the
constitution of a country to which they were strangers, and in which
they bad neither interest nor connexion, They were employed to
cancel the royal charter of the Irish nation, guaranteed by the
British Government, sanctioned by the British Legislature, and un*
equivocally confirmed by the words, the signature, and the Or
Seal of their monarch.
M The situation of the Speaker on that night was of the most
distressing nature, A sincere and ardent enemy of the measure, he
headed Its opponents ; he resisted with all the power of his mind,
the resources of hie experience, his influence, and his eloquence. It
was, however, through his voice that it was to be proclaimed and
consummated. His only alternative (resignation) would have Keen
unavailing, and could have added nothing to his character. His
expressive countenance bespoke the inquietude of his feeling;
solicitude was perceptible in every glance, and his embarrassment
was obvious in every word he uttered.
4 'The galleries were full, but the change was- lamentable ; they
vrere no longer crowded with those who had been accustomed to
witness the eloquence and to animate the debates of that devoted
assembly, A monotonous and melancholy murmur ran through
benches, scarcely a word was exchanged amongst the members,
aobody seemed at ease, no cheerfulness was apparent, and the ordi-
nary business, for a short time, proceeded in the usual manner.
41 At length the expected moment arrived, The order of the day
for the third reading of the Bill for a * Legislative Union between
Great Britain and Ireland/ was moved by Lord Castlereagh, Un-
ied, tame, coldblooded, the words seemed frozen as they issued
from his hps ; and, as a simple citizen of the world, he seemed to
have no sensation on the subject*
u At that moment he had no country, no God but his ambition ;
he made his motion, and resumed his seat with the utmost com-
posure and bditierv
" Confused murmurs again ran through the House - it was visibly
affected. Every character in a moment seemed involuntary rushing
to its index — some pale, some flushed, some agitated; there were
few countenances to which the heart did not despatch some
nesseuger, Several members withdrew before the question could
be repeated, and an awful momentary silence succeeded their de-
parture, The Speaker rose slowly from that chair which had been
the proud source of his honours and of his high character ; for a
moment he resumed his seat, but the strength of his mind sustained
him in his duty, though his struggle was apparent. With that
dignity which never failed to signalize his official actions, he held
up the Bill for a moment in silence; he looked steadily around him
on the last agony of the expiring Parliament. He at length re-
peated, in an emphatic tone, * As many as are of opinion that this
BUI do pass, say aye/ The affirmative was languid but indispu-
W?J
im?
SWORDS' CASTLE, OOVSn DUDLIN.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The State of Ireland before and after the Union— Advancement of Trade before
the Union— Depression after it—Lord Clare and Lord Castlereaqh in the
Eni*Iiah Parliament— The Catholic Question becomes a Ministerial Difficulty
—The Vefeo— The O'Connell Sept— Early Life of Dame! O'CoDaeli— The
Donenile Conspiracy— O'Connell as Leader of the Catholic Party— The
Clare Election— O' Con nell in the EnglUa House of Parliament— Sir Robert
Peal— George IV. visits Ireland — Disturbances in Ireland from the Union to
the year 1834, and their Causee— Parliamentary Evidence— The "Second.
Reformation "— Catholio Emancipation— Emigration^ its Causes and Effects
—Colonial Policy of England— Statistics of American Trade aod Population
-1 m^rtance of the Irish and Catholic Element in Amerka— Conclusion*
[JLD. 1800—1668.]
^T is both a mistake and an injustice to suppose that
the page of Irish history closed with the dawn of that
summer morning, in the year of grace 1800, when the
parliamentary union of Great Britain and Ireland
was enacted* I have quoted Sir Jonah Bamngton's
description of the closing night of the Irish Parlia-
ment, because he writes as an eyewitness, and be-
cause few could describe its a last agony" with more
touching eloquence and more vivid truthfulness ; but
I beg leave, in the name of my country, to protest
against his conclusion, that l( Ireland, as a nation, was
extinguished," There never was, and we must almost
fear there never will be, a moment in the history of
our nation, in which her independence was proclaimed
more triumphantly or gloriously, than when O'Connell, the noblest
and the best of her sons, obtained Catholic Emancipation,
The immediate effects of the dissolution of the Irish Parliament
were certainly appalling. The measure was carried on the 7th of
June, 1800. On the 16th of April, 1782, another measure ha
been carried , to which I must briefly call your attention. 1
measure was the independence of the Irish Parliament* Wl
it passed, Grattan rose once more in the House, and exclaimed:
"Ireland is now a nation ! In that new character I h
and
bowing
to her
presence, I aay. Est a perpe&i&f A
period of unexampled prosperity followed, The very effects of a
reaction from conditions under which commerce was purposely r<s
stricted and trade paralyzed by law, to one of comparative freedom,
could not fail to produce such a result. If the Parliament had been
reformed when it was freed, it is probable that Ireland at this mo
ment would be the most prosperous of nations* But the Parlia-
ment was not reformed. The prosperity which followed W&B rather
the effect of reaction, than of any real settlement of the Irish
qnqptioiL The land laws, which unquestionably are
of Ireland, were left untouched, an alien Church was allowe*
continue its unjust exactions j and though Ireland was delivered,
her chains were not all broken ■ and those which were, still hung
loosely round her, ready for the hand of traitor or of foa Though
nominally freed from English control, the Irish Parliam>
less enslaved by English influence. Perhaps there had never been
a period in the history of that nation when bribery was Wv i
used, when corruption was more predominant. A considerable
number of the peers in the Irish House were English by
and by education ; a majority of the. members of the Lower
I base were their creatures, A man who arabitioned a place in Pa
lianient, should conform to the opinions of his patron ; the patron
was willing to receive a l< compensation" for making his opini
if he had any, coincide with those of the Government. Marr
the members were anxious for preferment for themselves or their
friends '; the price of preferment was a vote for mu Tho
solemn fact of individual responsibility for each individual act, had
yet to be understood. Perhaps the lesson has yet to be lear
On* of the first acts of the Irish independent Parliament, was to
order the appointment of a committee to inquire into the state of
the manufactures of the kingdom, and to ascertain what might be
STATISTICS OF TRADE AND PROPERTY BEFORE THE UNION. 637
necessary for their improvement. The hearts of the poor, always
praying for employment, which had been so long and so cruelly
withheld from them, bounded with joy. Petitions poured in on
every side. David Bosquet had erected mills in Dublin for the
manufacture of metals; he prayed for help. John And Henry Allen
had woollen manufactories, in the county Dublin ; they prayed for
help. Thomas Reilly, iron merchant, of the town of Wicklow, wished
to introduce improvements in iron works. James Smith, an Eng-
lishman, had cotton manufactories at Balbriggan ; he wished to
extend them. Anthony Dawson, of Dundrum, near Dublin, had
water mills for making tools for all kinds of artisans; this,
above all, should be encouraged, now that there was some chance
of men having some use for tools. Then there were requests for
aid to establish carpet manufactories, linen manufactories, glass
manufactories, &c; and Robert Burke, Esq., of the county Kildare,
prayed for the loan of £40,000 for seven years, that he might
establish manufactories at Prosperous. These few samples of peti-
tions, taken at random from many others, will enable the reader to
form some faint idea of the state of depression in which Ireland was
kept by the English nation— of the eagerness of the Irish to work
if they were only permitted to do so.
The Irish revenue for the year 1783 was, in round numbers,
£900,000, which amounted to a tax of about six shillings per annum
on each person. It was distributed thus :
For the interest of the National Debt, - - - £120,000
Army and Ordnance, Civil Government, and
other funds, 450,000
Pensions, grants, bounties, and aids to manu-
facturers, 250,000
Surplus unappropriated, 80,000
Total, £900,000
More than £200,000 was spent during that year in erecting forts,
batteries, and other public buildings, which gave employment to the
people in certain districts. Large sums were granted to the poor
of Cork and Dublin for coals ; and large grants were made to en-
courage manufactures. I have observed, however, in carefully exa-
mining these grants, which are by far too numerous for insertion,
that they were principally, and, indeed, I might say exclusively*
made to persons in Dublin and its neighbourhood, in the north of
Ireland, and in the cities of Cork and Limerick. Hence, the pros-
it nty of Ireland was only partial* and was confined exclusive
though, probably, not intentionally, to certain districts. This will
explain why the misery and starvation of the poor, in the less
favoured parts of the country, were a principal cause of the fearful
insurrection which occurred within a few short years.
Lord Clare proclaimed, in the House of Parliament, that 4* no
nation on the habitable globe bad advanced in cultivation, com-
merce, and manufactures, with the same rapidity as Ireland, ;
1782 to 1 SOU/' The population I from three million* tafiie.
Them were 6,00p carpenters fully employed in Dublin ; there were
15,000 silk-weavers. Nor should we be surprised at this
Dublin possesses at the present day substantial remains of he
former prosperity, which are even now the admiration of Eurof
All her great public buildings were erected at this period. The
Custom-house was commenced, and completed in ten years, at a cost
of a quarter, of a million sterling. The Eotundo was commei.
in 1784. The Law Courts, the most elegant and extensive in the
Li itish Empire, w an in 1786. In 1788 there were 14.
dwelling-houses in Dublin, and IIG3GG0 inhabitants. Two hundred
and twenty peers and three hundred commoners had separate l
dences* Dublin was fashionable, and Dublin prospered*9
I have already said that corruption soon did its fatal work. It
toned, nay, it compelled, the persecution of tl>.
nation for their religious creed ; and with this persecution the
flame of national prosperity expired, and the persecutors and the
persecuted shared alike in the common ruin. In 1 792 Lord Edward
FitzGeraid denounced the conduct of the House in these ♦
memorable words : **I do think, sir, that the Lord Lieutenant
the majority of this House are the worst subjects the King has ;,f
and when a storm arosej the more violent from consciousnes
his words were but too true, for all retraction he would only say:
8 PrwptrptL — This give* an average of about eight persons to each hon
There were 22,276 inhabited houses la Dublin in 1861, and the population 1
254*480. This would leave tin average of eleven persoua to each bouse.
Are only seventy-five carpenters in Thuiu* Directory, and sixty -four a
makers : if we give theiu an average of ten nun each in their employ meat, i
would not give more than 6 SO at the trade in all
GAXHDU0 QCTSUDS A M3ISIKBIAL DCmCTLTT. 639
44 1 am accused of having said that I think the Lord Lieutenant and
the majority of this House are the worst subjects the King has. I
said so ; 'tis true ; and I am sorry for it."
On the 1st of January, 1601, a new imperial standard was exhi-
bited on London Tower, and on the Castles of Dublin and Edin-
burgh. It was formed of the three crosses of St. George, St. Patrick,
and St. Andrew, and is popularly known as the Union Jack. The
jUwr de ft* and the word France were omitted from royal preroga-
tives and titles ; and a proclamation was issued appointing the
words Dei Gratia, Briianiantm Bex> Fuiei Defensor. The Dublin
Gazette of July, 1800, contained the significant announcement of the
creation of sixteen new peerages. The same publication for the last
week of the year contained a fresh list of twenty-six others. Forty-
two creations in six months were rather an extensive stretch of
prerogative ; and we cannot be surprised if the majority of the
nation had more respect for the great untitled, whose ancestry were
known, and were quite above accepting the miserable bribe oi a
modern peerage.
Strangely enough, from the very day on which the Union was
proclaimed, the Catholic question became a ministerial difficulty.
Pitt's administration failed on this very point, although it had
seemed invincible a few weeks before. The obstinacy of the Kiii£,
which, indeed, almost amounted tc a monomania, was the prin-
cipal cause. He made it a personal matter, declared it the " most
Jacobinical thing he had ever heard of;" and he informed the
world at large that he would consider any man who proposed it
his personal enemy. Pitt resigned. Opinions varied as to 'his
motives. He returned to office in 1804, having promised that he
would not again press the subject ; and he adhered to his determi-
nation until his death. The Irish nobles, who had worked hardest
to carry the Union, were somewhat disappointed as to the result.
Lord Clare was told by the Duke of Bedford, that the Union had
lot transferred his dictatorial powers to the Imperial Parliament.
He retired to Ireland deeply chagrined, and was soon borne to his
grave, amid the revilings of the people whom he had betrayed.
Lord Gastlereagh, who had been less accustomed to command, and
had less difficulty in stooping to conquer, succeeded hotter with his
English friends, and in a few years he ruled the cabinets of Europe ;
while the Iron Duke, another Irishman, dictated to their armies.
In 1803 the flame of insurrection again broke out, and again
French aid was expected, and the expedition ended in disappoint-
ment. Napoleon himself regretted that he had turned his armies
towards K^ypt, instead of towards Ireland, Emmet's career was
brief, and would probably have been almost forgotten, but for his
famous speech at the moment of receiving sentence, and for the
history of his love and her devoted attachment to his memory.
In 1805 Grattan entered the Imperial Parliament, at the
request of Fo*. An English constituency was found for him.
the same time, Plunket was brought into the house by Pitt ; and
thus these two f anions men, the one so full of the brilliant,
.and the other so full of the powerful, gifts of mental science,
again pleaded their country's cause together, and in perJ
harmony, though differing on some political points. Vs
Grattan first rose to address the British Senate, there was a hushed
attention to his every word ; as his eloquence kindled with
subject, there were suppressed murmurs of approbation ; whei;
had concluded, there were thunders of applause. His subject was
a petition from the Irish Catholics, which was presented to h
Houses in 1805* The division gave 339 to 124 against going i
committee ; still it was sometliing gained, when Englishmen ei
listened to Irish grievances, or made some effort to undeiv.
them.
The Feia was now suggested. The object of this was to alio
the crown a passive roice, if not an active one, in the nominatio
of Catholic bishops. Happily for the Catholic Church in Irel
the proposal was steadily rejected, though with a determine
which brought even members of the same Church into collision.
Connexion with the State might have procured temporal a<h
tages, but they would have been in truth a poor compensation
the loss of that perfect freedom of action so essential to the
spiritual advancement of the Church.
The Duke of Richmond came to Ireland in 1807, wit,
Arthur We lies ley as Chief Secretary* The young man, whose t
was yet unattained, showed himself as clearheaded in tl^
as in the camp. He made every attempt to suppress the party
demonstrations which have be«n the curse of Ireland,
duced the Wexford people to discontinue their annual celebration
of the battle of Vinegar Hill. If he could have suppressed a
other anniversaries in the north, it would have been a bh
the United Kingdom. In 1806 Mr. Grattan waa returned
O'CONXELL'S CHARACTER.
641
Dublin, and generously refused the sum of £4,000, which his cod*
atituents had collected to pay his expenses. The Catholic question
was now constantly coming up, and more than one cabinet was
formed and dissolved according to the views of the different mem-
bers on that matter, A new element of vitality had been intro-
duced by the relaxation of the penal laws. Men were no longer
afraid to ask for a grace which they wanted, lest they should lose
a grace which they had. The people found that they might speak
their real opinions without apprehensions of attempts at conversion
in the shape of pitehcaps and halHiangings ; and when the people
were ready for a leader, the leader was ready for the people ; and
Daniel O'Connell took the place in the guidance of the Irish
nation, which he will never lose in their memory and in th«ir
affections.
The history of Ireland and the life of O'Connell are convertible
terms for five-and-forty years, O'Coanell represented Ireland, and
Ireland was represented by O'CoanelL We have had our great
men and our good men, our brave men and our true men \ but, to
my poor thinking, the greatest of our men was CfConnell — for
who ever approached him in his mighty power of ruling a nation
by moral suasion onlyl the best of our men was O1 Council, for
who dare assert that he was ever unfaithful to his country or
to his country's faith! the bravest of our men was O'Connell,
equally fearless in every danger, moral or physical ; and the truest
i>f our men was O'Connell, dying of a broken heart in a faraway
nd, because he saw his country's cause all but ruined — because
tie knew that with his failing breath one of his country's surest
helpers would pass from her for ever, A thoughtfully written
" History of the life and Times of O'Connell," by some one really
competent to do justice to the subject, is much wanted 1 believe
that posterity will do justice to his memory as one of the best
and noblest patriots which the world has ever seen — a justice
which as yet has been scarcely accorded to him as fully as he has
merited. Had O'Gonnell accomplished no other work for Ireland
than tins — the giving of a tone of nationality and manliness to the
people — he had accomplished a most glorious work. He taught
Irishmen that chains do not make the slave, but rather the q
in which the chains are worn. lie awoke, in the hearts of his
countrymen, that love of freedom, which is the first step towards
making a successful effort to obtain it He showed them how
2s
v tni -lit intimidate their oppressors without injuring them*
^8 — a lesson eminently necessary where the oppressors ait
ruMy more powerful than the oppressed.
The sept of O'Comiell, from which this noble man was -
I a prominent position among the early MiJ< Oft. Pore
Celtic blood ran in hia veins ; the tire of Celtic wit sparkle! i.
utterances ; the li <ppinesa of a Celtic spn his
ions; and the undaunted liMwryof a Celtic warrior's courage
looked out of his clear beaming eye. A nobleman, u waa
Daniel (Vrnunell— a nobleman of whom any nation
be proud — a nobleman to whom we must hope that In ■;.
yet raise some monument of enduring fame, Th
arm drift* from their ancestral homes, in 1172, by Raymond,
Strongbow'a somindaw. Their territory lay aJr
They wvre now compelled to take refuge in a wild and desolate
part tit Kerry, too wild and too desolate to attract English
A MS, is still preserved in tho British Museum, writfi
the O'Connull family; it is in the Irish langn
1245, In this document mention is made of a Daniel 0'(
who i lie north of Ireland, at the head of a
of men, to resist an invading force, The Celts were successful j and
when they had won the day, the chieftain and bis vanquished '.
feasted together. In 1586 Richard O^Connell was U fof
ry ; but, from the accession of William III., until t
Liberator obtained some degree of freedom for his con
O'Connells were prescribed from positions of emolument, for h&\
held with unswerving fidelity to the old faith,
O'Connetl was born on the 6th of August, 1775, l
year," as he himself says, in a letter to the Dublin
which the stupid obstinacy of British oppression
Hint people of America to seek for security in arms,
commence that bloody struggle for national ind* e, «
1ms been in its resuitc d, whilst it has si
inferred liberty, pure and sublime, on America.*
was educated at St Omers, and it is said manifested some ir
d ; but there can be no
m another direction, as he was incon
deep us and too thoroughly honest not to b
dl of God at any cost, had such a favour been vouch-
hiiu. It is said, whatever his dislike of physical fore* may ha?
'o'oonnell's college ufb. 643
been in after-life, that he unquestionably knew how to use the
argumentwn baculinum in his early days ; and that more than one
student was made to feel the effects thereof, when attempting ill-
natured jokes on the herculean Celt. During his residence abroad
he had some opportunities of witnessing the fearful effects of the
French Revolution ; and it is probable that a remembrance of these
scenes, added to his own admirably keen common sense, saved him
from leading his countrymen on to deeds of open violence. He was
called to the Irish bar in the memorable year of 1798. For some
time he failed to obtain practice ; for who would confide their case
to a young Catholic lawyer, when the fact of his creed alone would
be sufficient to condemn his client in the eyes of Protestant juries,
judges, and attorneys 1 His maiden speech was made in opposition
to the Union, even as his life was spent in the most strenuous efforts
to obtain the reversal of that most fatal measure. A meeting was
held in the Royal Exchange, Dublin, at the close of the year 1799,
to petition against it ; but even as O'Connell was denouncing, in his
most eloquent language, the new attempt at national degradation,
Major Sirr and his file of military rushed into the apartment, and
separated the assembly. O'Connell now retired into private life,
and, with the marvellous foresight of true genius, devoted himself
to storing up that forensic knowledge which he felt sure he should
one day use for the benefit of his countrymen.
One of the most important instances in which O'ConnelTs legal
acumen saved the lives of his countrymen, is known as the " Done-
raile Conspiracy ;" and as all the facts are eminently illustrative
of the history of Ireland at that period, and of the character
and abilities of one of her most distinguished sons, I shall relate,
the circumstances. Several Protestant gentlemen in the neigh-
bourhood of Doneraile, had been making those abortive efforts to
" convert " their tenants from Popery, which usually end in no small
amount of ill-feeling on both sides ; another of these gentlemen,
with equal zeal and equal want of common sense and common hu-
manity, had devoted himself to hunting out real or supposed rebels.
- This gentleman had at last brought on himself an armed attack, for
which he deserved little pity. He contrived, however, to capture
one of his assailants, who, of course, was hung. The gentlemen
having thus excited the unfortunate peasantry, pointed to the
results of their own folly as though these results had been the
cause of it; and an informer came forward, who, with the
046 O'COXNELL AS A LEADER.
on the very same evidence, a verdict of guilty had been given on
Saturday. As an act, however, of great clemency, the men who
had been sentenced to be hanged in six days, were now <Wjr trans-
ported.
During the time of O'Connell's retirement and study, he had bat
too many opportunities of knowing how little justice was likely to
be meted out to Irishmen accused, justly or unjustly, of political
crimes; and, doubtless, he directed his studies to those special points
most likely to be helpful hereafter. Robert Emmet's execution
took place in October, 1803 ; and from that hour, until the accession
of the Whigs to office, in 1806, Ireland was ruled by martial law.
The Habeas Corpus Act and trial by jury were suspended, and the
jails and transport ships were crowded with the victims of mili-
tary ferocity and magisterial vengeance. In the debate of 1805,
when the Catholic petition was brought into the House of Com-
mons by Mr. Fox, and treacherously opposed by Pitt, Mr.
Ponsonby exclaimed, speaking of the Irish Catholics: "I know
them well ; and I know, at the same time, that whatever is good
in them, they owe to themselves ; whatever is bad in them, they
owe to you, and to your bad government." Mr. G rattan accused
the English Tories of " running about like old women in search of
old prejudices ; preferring to buy foreign Mies by subsidies, rather
than to subsidize fellow-subjects by privileges" He might have said
by justice, for the Irish have never asked for privileges ; they ask
simply for the same justice as is shown to Engli.sk subjects.
Mr. Foster, the last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, de-
clared that, " under the Union Act, by compact, the Protestant
boroughs were suppressed, and a compensation of £1,400,000 paid
to Protestant owners, and not one shilling to the Catholics."
OVor.nell came prominently forward as a leader of the Catholic
party in 1 8 1 0. A meeting was held in the Royal Exchange, Dublin,
to petition for Repeal of the Union, at which the High Sheriff of that
city presided, and many distinguished men were present — a proof
that, however corrupted Irish Parliaments may have been by English
gold, there was still some advantage to be gained to the country by
possessing even a partial independence. O'Connell's speech was pub-
lished, and circulated widely. To give the full details of his career
as a leader of the people, would require a volume the size of the
present work ; to give even a sufficiently comprehensive outline,
would require several chapters : I can but hope that some able hand
0'eormcU refusing to tshe the ©ath.
THE CLARE ELECTION. 647
will take up the subject, and with equal earnestness do I hope that it
may be some one really capable of doing justice to it. One who would
write the "Life and Times of O'Connell" as such a work should be
written, would require to bring more than ordinary abilities to the
task, and would deserve, at the hands of his countrymen, the highest
expression of gratitude which they could give. Such a work would
be incomparably the noblest monument which could be dedicated to
his memory.
The Clare election fa undoubtedly the culminating point in
O'Connell's career. Men stood aghast in amazement at the bold-
ness of the man who presumed to make such an attempt. Even
his friends could scarcely believe that he was in earnest, or
that he was wise. His success was a splendid example of what
the energy and determination of one single man could accom-
plish. Well might the Lord Chancellor declare that " this busi-
ness must bring the Roman Catholic question to a crisis and
a conclusion." The words were prophetic; the prophecy was* real-
ized. On the 5th of March, 1829, Mr. Peel moved a com-
mittee of the whole House, "to go into the consideration of
the civil disabilities of his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects."
The motion was carried by a majority of 188. On the 15th of
May, 1829, O'Connell appeared in the House to take his seat.
He was introduced by Lords Ebrington and Dungannon. The
House was thronged. The very peeresses came to gaze upon the
arch-agitator, expecting to see a demagogue, and to hear an
Irish brogue. There were whispers of surprise when they saw a
gentleman, and a man who could speak, with the versatility of true
talent, to suit his audience. The card containing the oath was
handed to O'Connell ; he read a portion of it over in an audible
voice — the portion which required him to say that " the sacrifice of
the Mass, and the invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and other
saints, as now practised in the Church of Rome, are impious and
idolatrous ;" and to deny the dispensing power of the Pope, which
never existed, except in the imagination of its framers. With
a courteous bow he said, in a voice to be heard throughout the
House : " I decline, Mr. Clerk, to take this oath : part of it I know
to be false ; another part I believe not to be true."
Again he sought the votes of the electors of Clare, and again he
was returned by them. On the 13th of April, 1829, the royal sig-
nature was affixed to the Act of Emancipation, and Irishmen were
f 48 VISIT OF GEORGE IV. TO IRELAND.
no longer refused the rights of citizens because they respected the
rights of conscience.
In the year 1812, the late Sir Robert Peel came to Ireland
as Chief Secretary, unfortunately destitute of the enlargement
of mind and the native genius of his predecessor, Sir Arthur
Wellesley. His abilities, however great, were not such as to enable*
him to understand a nationality distinct from his own ; and hence
he could not deal with the Irish, either to his credit, or for their
advantage. From the year 1815 to 1817 the conduct of the Eng-
lish Parliament towards Ireland was regulated with the nicest
attention to the movements of the General who ruled the Continent.
In 1817 an Act was passed, which, with admirable policy, excused
Catholic officers, naval and military, from forswearing transubstan-
tiation. In 1821 George IV. visited Ireland. It was the first
time that an English King had come to Ireland as the acknow-
ledged sovereign of the people. Their hopes were high ; and the
deference for royalty, so eminently characteristic of the Celt, had
at last found an opportunity of expressing itself. All that loyalty
could do was done; all that the warmest heart could say was
said. The King appeared impressed by demonstrations so entirely
new to him ; he wore a large bunch of shamrocks constantly during
his brief stay ; but before the shamrocks were faded, Irish wants
and Irish loyalty were alike forgotten.
In the year 1824 the subject of Irish disturbances was carefully
inquired into by Select Committees of both Houses of Parliament.
Some extracts from their reports will give the best and most correct
idea of the state of the country from the Union to the year 1834,
when another investigation was made. In 1807 the county Limerick
was alarmingly disturbed. In 1812 the counties of Tipperary,
Waterford, Kilkenny, Limerick, Westmeath, Roscommon, and the
King's county, were the theatre of the same sanguinary tumults.
Limerick and Tipperary remained under the Insurrection Act until
1818. In 1820 there were serious disturbances in Gal way, and in
1821, in Limerick.
These disturbances are thus accounted for Maxwell Blacker,
Esq., Barrister, who was appointed to administer the Insurrection
Act, in 1822, in the counties of Cork and Tipperary: "The
immediate cause of the disturbance I consider to be the great
increase of population, and the fall in the price of produce after the
war ; the consequence of which was, that it was impossible to pay
THE "SECOND REFORMATION." 649
the rent or the tithes that Bad been paid when the country was
prosperous." Sir Matthew Barrington, Crown Solicitor of the
Munster Circuit for seventeen years, was asked : " Do you attribute
the inflammable state of the population to the state of misery in
which they generally are V " X do, to a great extent ; I seldom
knew any instance when there was sufficient employment for the
people that they were inclined to be disturbed ; if they had plenty
of work and employment, they are generally peaceable." John
Leslie Foster, Esq., MP., in his examination, states : " I think the
proximate cause [of the disturbances] is the extreme physical
misery of the peasantry, coupled with their liability to be called
upon for the payment of different charges, which it is often per-
fectly impossible for them to meet." Matthew Singleton, Esq.,
Chief Magistrate of Police in the Queen's county, said, on his ex-
amination : "I have seen, and I know land to be set one-third above
its value."
It would be useless to give more of this evidence, for the details
are always the same. The people were almost starving. They
could scarcely get a sufficiency of the poorest food, yet they were
compelled to pay rent and tithes far above the value of their land.
If they were unable, they were thrown out upon the wayside to
die like dogs.
There can be no doubt that the outrages thus perpetrated were
very fearful. Every man's hand was against them, and their hand
was against every man. They shot their landlords, and they
" carded " the tithe-proctors. Gentlemen's houses were barricaded,
even in the daytime. Many families of the higher classes lived in a
state of siege. The windows were made bullet-proof; the doors
were never opened after nightfall. It was a fearful state of society
for a Christian country, and the guilt and disgrace of it was surely
on those who had caused it. Yet we do riot find that the knowledge
of these facts produced any effect upon the men who heard them,
and who alone had it in their power to apply the remedy. Still
something was done ; and although it is one of the stern facts of
history, one can scarcely choose but smile at the simplicity of those
who planned and carried out such a scheme for the improvement of
Ireland.
The " second reformation" was commenced in 1827. The Ca-
tholic priests were challenged to controversy ; even laymen inter-
fered. Theology and theological differences became the town and
650 EMIGRATION, ITS CAUSES AND EFFECTS.
table-talk of Ireland. Bibles and tracts were distributed in all
directions amongst the starving poor, food and clothing were occa-
sionally added ; yet, notwithstanding these powerful inducements,
the people starved and remained Catholics. Writs of ejectment
were then tried ; and the Irish poor had their choice between the
Bible and beggary — but they chose beggary.
So far did the Bible craze go, that it almost amounted to a mono-
mania. One noble lord, to show his reverence for that book, and
to convince his tenantry of the estimation in which he held it, flung
every volume of his library into the lake of his demesne, and with
the Bible in his hand, which commanded him to feed the hungry,
refused to feed them unless they complied with his commands.
Moore's satires were, unquestionably, the best weapons against such
fanaticism. Sheil wrote in the Gazette de France, and hundreds of
pens wrote in the American papers. A loud cry of " Shame t9 arose
in every quarter of the world ; the echo reached the ears of the pro-
moters of the movement ; and the force of public opinion succeeded
in suppressing the futile attempt.
The influence of Irish emigrants in America was already begin-
ning to be felt. Large sums of money poured in from that country
to swell the Catholic rent, and a considerable portion of the funds
were employed by O'Connell in providing for men who had been
ejected by their landlords, for refusing either to believe a creed, or
to give a vote contrary to their conscience. He even threatened to
buy up the incumbrances on some of these gentlemen's estates, to
foreclose their mortgages, and to sell them out. His threat, added
to his well-known determination, was not without its effect.
The "whole subject of Irish emigration may be safely predicted
to be the key which will unlock the future fate of Great Britain.
It is true that, at this moment, every effort is being made by the
English nation to conciliate America ; it remains to be seen how
Americans will be disposed to accept present flattery as a com-
pensation for past injustice, and scarcely past contempt. A better
knowledge of Irish history might prevent some fatal mistakes on
both sides, of the Atlantic. I have, therefore, felt it a duty to
devote the concluding pages of this History to this impoitant
subject.
The great tide of western emigration was undoubtedly caused, in
part, by the sufferings of the famine year; but these sufferings
were in themselves an effect, rather than a cause; and we must
THE CAUSES OF EMIGRATION. 651
look to more remote history for the origin of the momentous exodus-
It has, indeed, been well 6bserved, that " when a man leaves his
country for one subject to foreign rule, it must, in general, be that he
does not care for it, or that it does not care for him ; it must either
be that he is so little attached to the institutions of his own
country, that he is willing to submit to those of another ; or that he
despises the latter sufficiently to look forward to replacing them by
those of his own."9 No unprejudiced person can for a moment
doubt which of these causes has been most active in producing Irish
emigration. The Irishman's love of home and of his native land, is
a fact beyond all dispute : his emigration, then, can have no other
cause than this, that his country, or the country which governs
his native land, does not care for him ; and when we find noble
lords and honorable members suggesting " the more emigration
the better," we cannot doubt that he is the victim to indifference,
if not to absolute dislike. Undoubtedly, if the Irishman did not
care for his country, and if the Englishman, when planted in
Ireland, did not become equally discontented and rather more in-
dignant than his predecessors under English rule in Ireland, the
arrangement might be a very admirable one ; but Irishmen, to
the third and fourth generation, do not forget their country,
neither do they forget why they have been compelled to leave
it. A work has been published lately on the subject of the
Irish in America. It is much to be regretted, that the very
able writer did not give statistics and facts, as well as inferences
and anecdotes. A history of the Irish in America, should in-
clude statistics which could not be disputed, and facts which
could not be denied. The facts in the work alluded to are abun-
dant, and most important; but they should have been prefaced
by an account of the causes which have led to emigration, and as
accurate statistics as possible of its results.
Some few English writers have had the honesty to admit that
their colonial policy has not been the most admirable ; "nor should
we forget," says the author of the History of the United States, " that
the spirit in which these colonies were ruled from England was one,
in the main, of intense selfishness. The answer of Seymour, an
English Attorney-General under William and Mary, or towards
9 Own.—HUtQryofthe United States, p. 3. Ludlow and Hughes ; Macmillan,
London, 1862. The title of this work is singularly infelicitous, for it is merely
a sketchy and not very clear account of the late war in America.
652 OPINIONS OF ENGLISHMEN ON ENGLISH POLICY.
the close of the seventeenth century, to the request of Vir*
ginia, for a college, when her delegate begged him to con-
sider that the people of Virginia had souls to be saved as well
as the people of England : " Souls ! damn your souls ! plant to-
bacco!" is scarcely an unfair exponent of that spirit.* Another
writer says : " Historians, in treating of the American rebellion,
have confined their arguments too exclusively to the question of
internal taxation, and the right or policy of exercising this pre-
rogative. The true source of the rebellion lay deeper — in our
traditional colonial policy."3 One more quotation must suffice:
" The legal rights of those colonies have been perpetually violated.
Those which were strong enough were driven to separation ; those
which adhered to us in that great contest, or which we have sub-
sequently acquired or founded, are either denied constitutions, or,
if the local authorities oppose the will of the Imperial Parliament,
find their constitutions changed, suspended, or annulled."4 It will
be remembered that the original colonists of America were princi-
pally Englishmen, who were driven from their own country by
religious intolerance; yet no sooner had they established them-
selves in their new home, than they commenced to practise even
more fearful persecutions on others than those from which they
had fled. There was one honorable exception ; the Roman
Catholics who fled from persecution in England, never, even in the
plenitude of their power, attempted the slightest persecution,
religious, social, or legal.
It will be seen, then, that the first emigrants to America from
the British dominions, could not have had any special attachment
to the country they had left ; that, on the contrary, their feelings
were embittered against the mother country before their departure
from her shores ; and after that departure she did nothing to allay
the irritation, but much to increase it. For several centuries after
the arrival of the " May Flower," the number of emigrants from
England and Ireland were, probably, tolerably equal, and by no
means numerous. It was not an age of statistics, and no accurate
statistics can be given.
The disruption between the States and England, or rather the
2 Spirit. —History of the United Slates, p. 7.
3 Policy. — Morley's Burke, p. 153.
4 Annulled. —Historical and Philosophical Essays, Senior, voL i. p. 197.
STATISTICS OP AMERICAN POPULATION. 653
causes which led to it, re-opened whatever feelings there may have
been against the mother country, and at the same time increased
its bitterness a hundredfold. The tide of Irish emigration had
set in even then — slowly, indeed, but surely; and it will be remem-
bered that the Irish in America, few though they were, became the
foremost to fan the flame of rebellion, and were amongst the first
to raise the standard of revolt. The States obtained a glorious free^-
dom — a freedom which, on the whole, they have used wisely and
well; and even their bitterest enemies cannbt deny that they
have formed a powerful nation — a nation which may yet rule the
destinies of the world. Let us endeavour now to estimate in some
degree the influence of Irish emigration on American society. If the
history of Ireland were written in detail up to the present day, fully
one-fourth the detail should comprise a history of the Irish in
America. Never in the world's history has an emigration been so
continuous or so excessive ; never in the world's history have emi-
grants continued so inseparably united, politically and socially, to the
country which they have left. The cry of " Ireland for the Irish," is
uttered as loudly on the shores of the Mississippi as on the shores of
the Shannon. It is almost impossible to arrive at accurate statistics
of the number of Irish in America, but a fair approximation may be
obtained. The population of America, according to a recent writer,
was, in 1840, 17,063,353 ; in 1850, it had risen to 23,191,876; it
is now [1868], 35,000,000. In 1842, the imports were in value,
$100,162,087; the exports, $104,691,534; and the tonnage was
2,092,391. In 1859, the imports were $383,768,130 ; the exports
were $356,789,462; and the tonnage was 5,146,037. This in-
crease is beyond all historical precedence, and a future his- ^
torian, who found such amazing statistics of increase, and £
knew nothing of emigration, would be strangely puzzled ^
to account for it. But if he searched the files of an old ^
English or Irish newspaper office, whatever might have been
the creed or politics of its proprietors, he would soon ar-
rive at a satisfactory solution. In the Irish Times, the leading
Irish paper of the day, he would find the following reference to the
present history of Ireland : " The Emigration Commissioners notice
with some surprise the fact, that, during the past year [1867], the
emigrants from Ireland were better clothed, and carried with them
better furnished .kits, than either the English or foreign emigrants.
During the past year, 51,000 Irish emigrants left Liverpool alone —
IMPORTANCE OF THE IRISH ELEMENT IN AMERICA. 655
journey too long or too dangerous, when even a single soul may be
concerned. Let him judge for himself of the prudence of the same
priests, even as regards the temporal affairs of their flocks, and see
how, where they are free to do so, they are the foremost to help them,
even in the attainment of worldly prosperity. Let him send for
Sadlier's Catholic Directory for the United States and Canada, and
count over the Catholic population of each diocese ; read the names
of priests and nuns, and see how strong the Irish element is there.
Nay, let him send for one of the most popular and best written
of the Protestant American serials, and he will find an account of
Catholics and the Catholic religion, which is to be feared few Eng-
lish Protestants would have the honesty to write, and few English
Protestant serials the courage to publish, however strong their con-
victions. The magazine to which I refer, is the Atlantic Monthly; the
articles were published in the numbers for April and May, 1668, and
are entitled " Our Roman Catholic Brethren." Perhaps a careful
perusal of them would, to a thoughtful mind, be the best solution of
the Irish question. The writer, though avowing himself a- Protes-
tant, and declaring that under no circumstances whatever would he
be induced to believe in miracles, has shown, with equal candour
and attractiveness, what the Catholic Church is, and what it can
do, when free and unfettered. He shows it to be the truest and best
friend of humanity $ he shows it to care most tenderly for the poor
and the afflicted ; and he shows, above all, how the despised, exiled
Irish are its best and truest supports ; how the " kitchen often puts
the parlour to the blush ;" and the self-denial of the poor Irish
girl assists not a little in erecting the stately temples to the
Almighty, which are springing up in that vast continent from shore
to shore, and are only lessened by the demands made on the same
willing workers for the poor father and mother, the young
brother or sister, who are supported in their poverty by the alms
sent them freely, generously, and constantly by the Irish servant-
girl.
Nor have the Catholics of America overlooked the importance of
literary culture. A host of cheap books and serials are in circula-
tion, and are distributed largely and freely in convent schools,
collegiate establishments, and country parishes; and with a keen
appreciation of the religious necessities of the great mass of non-
Catholics, of which, unfortunately, English Catholics are oblivious,
tracts are published in thomaadi for general reading, and given to
656 IMPORTANCE OF THE CATHOLIC ELEMENT.
travellers in the railcars, and steamboats. Nor has a higher class
of literature been overlooked The gifted superior of the Congre-
gation of St. Paul has been mainly instrumental in getting up and
superintending the labours of the Catholic Publication Society, which,
in addition to the multitude of valuable works it has published,
sends forth its monthly magazine, well entitled The Catholic World,
which is unquestionably the best serial of its kind, and may vie
with those conducted by the most gifted Protestant writers of the
day, while it is far superior to anything which has as yet been
published by the Catholics of this country.
Such is a brief outline, and scarcely even an outline, of the present
history of Ireland, in which the hearts of so many of our people
are in one country, while their bodies are in another. There is
another phase of this present history on which I could have wished
to have dwelt much longer; I mean the political union between
America and Ireland. So long as Irish emigration continues — I
should rather say, so long as real Irish grievances are permitted to
continue — so long will this state of things be dangerous to England.
Justice to Ireland may be refused with impunity just so long as
there is peace between England and America ; but who shall dare
predict how long that peace will continue, when, as must assuredly
happen in a fe\ short years, the Irish in America, or their direct
descendants, shad form the preponderating class, and therefore
guide the political affairs of that mighty people 1
The maps which are appended to this edition of the Illustrated
History of Ireland, will, it is hoped, be found not only interesting,
but important. Irishmen in America will see, by a glance at the
map of family names, the territories in Ireland formerly held by
their ancestors. Statistics showing the fearful depopulation of the
country, which, notwithstanding all the boasts of those who advo-
cated it, has not benefited those who remain, will be found in
another map. The third map is not less important ; by that will
bo seen the immense preponderance of Catholics to Protestants;
and it will suggest, no doubt, to thoughtful minds, the injustice
of sacrificing the multitude to the individual few.
A few words must also be said about the two full-page illus-
trations which have been added to this Edition. One of the most
important events in the life of O'Connell has been chosen for ;he
one ; and, alas ! one of the most frequent occurrences in Irish
history, from the first English invasion to the present day, ha.*
CONCLUSION.
Co?
been chosen for the other. In the engraving of O'Connell, it was
impossible to preserve the likeness, as the expression demanded by
the incident could not be produced from any of the portraits ex-
tant; with regard to the eviction' scene, it is unfortunately true to
the life. Those who have read Mr. Maguire's Irish in America, will
recognize the special subject represented. Those who read the Irish
local papers of the day, may continually peruse accounts of evic-
tions; but only an eyewitness can describe the misery and despair
of the unfortunate victims. When shall the picture be reversed ?
When will Irishmen return from America, finding it possible to be
as free and as prosperous here 1 Finding that a mfen who is wil-
ling to toil may obtain a fair remuneration for his labour, and that
a man may have the rights of men ; — then, and not till then, may
we hope that Irish history will, for the future, be a record of past
injustice, amply compensated for by present equity.
2t
APPENDIX.
The letter given below, which is from the pen of a distinguished
Protestant clergyman, appears to me of such importance, that I
place it here to be a permanent record for the future historian of
Ireland, as an important opinion on the present history of this
country, but too well supported by facts.
TO ISAAC BUTT, BQ., LL.O.
Mr dear Bott,— If every other man in the world entertained doubts of
my sincerity, you, at leant, would give me credit for honesty and just inten-
tions. I write to yon accordingly, because my mind has been stirred to its
inmost depths by the perusal of your address in my native oity of Limerick.
I do not regard the subject of your address as a political one. It ought to be
regarded solely as a question of humanity, justice, common sense, and common
honesty. 1 wish my lot had never been cast in rural places. As a clergyman,
I hear what neither landlords nor agents ever heard. 1 see the depression
of the people ; their sighs and groans are before me. They are brought so low
as often to praise and glorify those whom, in their secret hearts, are the objects
of abhorrence. All this came out gradually before me. Nor did I feel as I
ought to have felt in their behalf, until, in my own person and purse, I became
the victim of a system of tyranny which cries from earth to heaven for relief.
Were I to narrate my own story, it would startle many of the Protestants of
Ireland. There are good landlords— never a better than the late Lord Down-
shire, or the living and beloved Lord Roden. But there are too many of
another state of feeling and action. Tnere are estates in the north where the
screw is never withdrawn from its ciicuitous and oppressive work. Tenant*
right is au unfortuuato and delusive affair, simply because it is invariably used
to the landlord's advantage. Here we have an election in prospect, and in
many counties no farmer will be permitted to think or act for himself. What
right any one mau has to demand the surrender of another's vote I never
could see. It is an act of sheer felony — a perfect " stand-and-deliver " affair.
To hear a man slavishly and timorously, say, •• I must give my vote as the
landlord wishes," is an admission that the Legislature, which bestowed the
right of voting on the tenant, should not see him robbed of his right, or sub-
sequently scourged or banished from house and land, because he disregarded
a landlord's nod, or the me u ace of a land-agent At no little hazard of losing
the frieudship of some who are high, and good, and kind, I write as I now do.
Yours, my dear Butt, very sincerely,
Thomas Dbiw.
Dundnun, Clough, oo, Down, Sept 7, 1868.
V...
iilnE'toqli/ft,
INDEX.
Abbey, the Black, Kilkenny, 318.
of Mellifont, 231.
of St. Maty, 317.
of Holy Cross, 317.
of Dunbrody, 289.
of Tintern, 317.
of St. Saviour's, Dublin, 31&
of St Thomas the Martyr, 287.
of Boyle, 316.
Abercrombie, Sir Ralph, 623.
Act of Emancipation passed, 647.
Adamnan, St, 172.
Adrian's Bull, 274.
Aedh, St, 221.
Aengus, St, 179-bisFestology, 180—
his Chronicle, 41.
Aengus Grove, Synod at, 227.
Aengus, King, baptism of, 123 — his
death, 130 — ancestor of the
. O'Keeffes, O'Sullivans, O'Cal-
lahans, and MacCarthys, 130.
Africa, Phoenician circumnavigation
of, 69.
Agrarian outrages and their causes,
613.
Agricola, 95.
Auleadh Chonchobair, legend of. 127.
Ailbhe*, Princess, 106.
A in mire. Hugh, 167.
All Hallows Eve, 88ft.
Altan, St., 177.
Amalgaidh, King, and his seven sons,
123.
Amato, prelate who consecrated St
Patrick, 116.
Amlaff the Dane, 195— in Dublin, 191.
Ancient pitcher, 240,
H replaces, 240. >
shoes. 252.
brooch, 2701
boot, 251.
I Andrew, St., Church of, in Henry II. 'a
time, 272.
Anglo-Irish and old Irish, their diffe-
rences at Kilkenny, 487.
Annals of Ulster, 39— compiled by
Four Masters, 51 — accounts in,
confirmed ab extra, 68— poetry
from, 198— kept with great care,
233-— dedication of 53— quotations
from, 58, 59, 75, 88, 90, 94, 132,
144, 198, 199, 218, 232*, 265, 283,
388, 307, 312n, 313.
of Tighernach, 48.
of Inis MacNerinn, 39.
of Innisfallen, 39.
of Boyle, 39. •
of Clonmacnois, 60n.
of Loch C6, 1 15.
of Ballitore, 630.
preserved by Celtic Race, 67.
Anseltn, St., commends the Irish
prelates, 229.
Antiquities of pre-Christian Erinu,
148.
Antwerp, Irish soldiers in, 478.
Aqua vioi and *qua vitar, 245.
Architecture of Tara, 167.
A rdmore round tower, 237.
Armagh, See of. 114— founded, 126—
streets of, 187n.
Arnold on pedigree, 85 n — on history
taught by verse, 86n.
Athlone, siege of, 568— castle of, 314
—bridge built, 308/*.
Attacotti, revolt of the, 96.
Augustiniana, Order of, 316.
B.
Bachall Isu, St. Patrick's, 114— its
wanton destruction, 115.
Ballitore, sufferings in, 630.
Balor of the Evil Eye, 64.
/
660
INDEX.
Banbha, the Lady, 43.
Banqueting hall at Tara, 166.
Baptism, ceremonies at, 229.
Baraid, a Scandinavian chief, 195.
Barbadoes, the Irish sent as slaves to,
515.
Bards of Erinn, or files, 40.
Barretts, feud between Cusacks and,
332.
Barrington, Sir Jonah, on the last night
of Irish Parliament, 639.
Barry, an Irishman, 601.
Barrys and Roches, 445.
Battle of Magh Tuireadh, 61.
ofSliabhMis, 75.
at Taillten, 75.
between the Firbolgs -and Tuatha
De* Dananns, 62.
Connor, 343.
of Geisill, 78n.
of Bealagh Mughna (Ballaghmoon),
Kildare, 193.
ofDundalk, 201.
of Sulcoit, near Tipperary, 205.
of Belach-Lechta, near Macroom,
co. Cork, 207.
of Glen-Mama (Glen of the Gap),
near Dunlavin, 208.
of Clontarf, 214.
of Downpatrick, 325.
of Benburb, 493.
df the Boyne, 563.
of Aughrim, 570.
of the Ford of Comar, Westmeath,
160.
ofMagh-Kath, 171.
of Almhain (near Kildare), 186.
of Desertcreaght, 332.
of St. Callixtus' day, 352.
of Ford of the Biscuits* 451.
Beare, O'SulIivan, his History, 534.
Beasts, the three, to be hunted, 517.
Bede's account of Ireland, 79 — on Irish
saints, 173.
Belgium, MSS. preserved in, 46.
Beltinne, or fire of Baal, 119 — origin
of, 164.
Benignus, St., St Patrick's successor
in the See of Armagh, 1 16.
Berchan. St., 162.
Beresford faction, 616.
Bill, curious, of a play, 547n.
rJishops, Protestant, indifferent about
regular ordination, 536.
Black Death, 86,
Blefed or pestilence, 162.
Bog butter and cheese, 246.
Bohun, Humphrey do, 270.
BonneU, his statistics, 540.
Book, a, given for a ransom, 377*
Books preserved, list of, 39, 44— list
of lost, 39, 40.
Book of Chronicum Sootorum, 39.
of Laws, 40.
of Ballymote, 37.
of Leinster, 40.
of Leeain, 37— when written, 50*.
Annals of Ulster, 39.
of Innisfallen, 39.
of Boyle, 39.
of Four Masters, 51,
of Tighernach, 39.
of Ims MaoNerinn, 39.
of Clonmacnois, 60w.
Speckled, 37.
Cuilmenn, 40.
Saltair of Tara, 39— when written
40.
of Uachongbhail, 39.
Cin Droma Snechta, 39— when com-
piled, 43.
Saltair of Cashel, 39— when oom-
J riled, 44.
tair of Cormac, 41.
of St. Mochta, 44.
of Cuana, 44.
of Dubhdaleithe, 44.
Saltair of Temair, 4a
Saltair-ua-Raon, 41.
of Leabhar buidhe Slaine, 44.
of Leabhar na h-Uidhre, 44.
of Eochaidh O'Flannagain, 44.
of Luis au Duiu. 44.
Short, of St. Buithe s Monastery, 44.
of Flaun of St. Buithe's Monastery,
44.
of Flaun of Dungeimhin (Dnngiven,
co. Derry), 44.
of Dun da Leth Ghlas (Down-
patrick), 44.
of Doire (Derry), 44.
of Sabhall Phatraic (co. Down), 44.
of Uachongbhail (Navan), 44.
Leabhar dubh Molaga, 44.
Leabhar buidhe Moling. 44.
Leabhar buidhe Mhic Murchadha,
44.
Leabhar Arda Macha, 44.
Leabhar ruadh Mhic Aedhagain,
44.
Leabhar breac Mhic Aedhagain, 44.
of (VScoba of Clr.ain Mhic Nois
(or Clonmacnois), 44.
of Leabhar fada Leithghlinne, 44.
INDEX.
661
Book of Invasions, 54.
of Duil Droma Ceata, 44.
of Clonsost, (Queen's county), 44.
of Trias Thaumaturgas, 52.
of Hispania Illustrata, 70.
of AcailL 104.
of Armagh. 109
of Rights, 253n.
Boromean Tribute, the origin of, 98—
remitted, 185.
Boulter, Dr., 581.
Bran Dubh, bravery and stratagem of.
16a
Bravery of the Dalcassians, 218.
Breas, the warrior, 62.
Brehon laws, 147— by whom compiled,
144.
Brendan\ St. and his voyages. 169.
Brian Boroimh6, 205 — avenges the
death of Mahoun, 207 — deposes
Malachy, 209— his wife. 211— his
death, 217— romantic ballad of
the lady, 209— originator of sur-
names, 21 On.
Brigid, St.. her birthplace. 131.
Briton, origin of name, 60.
Brodir, the apostate Dane, 212 — kills
Brian Boroimh6, 217.
Browne. Dr., 395.
Bruce, invasion of, 350.
Bruce's. Edward, campaign, 342— his
death, 345.
Brunehalt, Queen, 173
Burke. MacWiliiam, 299— head of the
Burke family in Ireland, 299.
Burke, MacWiliiam, 326 — wars of.
with the FitzGeralds, 326— defeat
of, by O'Connor, 32a
Burke, celebrated statesman of 18th
century, 593— his school days, 594
— his hatred of oppression, 595 —
his marriage, 596 — becomes secre-
tary, 597— his maiden speech, 598
— on Indian policy, 604.
Burkes and Geraldines, 333.
Burgat, Dr., his Brevis Relatio, 518n.
Burgo, Richard de, 309.
Burnt Njal, quotations from, 217.
Butlers, the, their history, 354.
C.
Caesar, his accounts of the Druids, 13a
Cairbrfi, Satire of, 63.
Cairbrti, Cinn-Cait, 97.
Cairbrtfs, the three, 102.
Caligraphy, Irish skilled in, 185.
Callaghan of Cashel, 196.
Cambndge. treatise on origin of, 71.
Camden on Ogygia, 72.
Cannibalism, charge of, refuted, 74.
Cannon -balls tirst used, 38 In.
Canons. St. Patrick's, 117.
Carew's, Sir P , claim, 428.
Carbarn p ton, Lord, cruelties of, 617k.
Carmelite monasteries, 323.
Cashel, the Saltair of, 44.
the Synod of. 275.
massacre at, 496.
Castlehaven Memoirs, 482a.
Casts for celts, 246.
Cataldus, St.. 178.
Catalogue of lost books, 44.
Cathair Crotinn, a circular fort, 165.
Cathal Carragh, 296.
Cathal Crovderg, 296.
Catholic Emancipation, 647.
worship publicly restored, 411.
Association, 583.
priests, their peculiar position and
difficulties, 586.
question, a ministerial difficulty,
639.
delegates met in Dublin, 615.
Catholics, Orangemen bribed to perse-
cute, 616#i— penal laws against,
576.
Cauldrons as tribute, 241.
Cavalry, 309n.
Ceann Cruach, great ancient idol of
the Irish, 121.
Ceasair. taking of Erinn by, 54—
landing in Ireland of, 57.
Celedabhaill, his quatrains, 1 98.
Celestrae, Poj>e, sends Si. Patrick to
Ireland, 115.
Celsus, St., 227— when buried, 227.
Celtic language, antiquity of, 147—
remains of, 46.
Celtic literature, 37.
Celtic and Roman history, 81.
Celts, description of, 1G0.
Chariots used in Ireland, 167.
Charlemont, Earl of, his life, 607.
Charles I., reign of, 473— his •* faith,"
475.
Charles II., reign of, 520— his treat-
ment of the loyalists, 521.
Chesterfield and Adam Smith on Ire-
land, 603.
Chichester, Sir John, 580.
Chichester's Parliament, 471.
Chieftains, Irish, 303.
1 Child,* Interment of a, 157*.
662
INDEX.
Christ, the age of, 94.
Christian missions, 108.
Christianity, introduction of, 112.
Chronicle of Cormac MacCullinan, 41.
of Aengus Ceil* D4, 41.
of Richard of Cirencester, 139.
Chronicum Scotorum, 58— compiled
by, 50 — account in, 57— on Par-
tholan'g landing in Ireland, 58
Chronology, difficulties of, 44 — Irish,
80.
Cin Droma Snechta, 39— quotations
from, 43 — on Irish immigration,
58.
Circular forts, 165.
Cistercians, Order of, 316.
Cities and Cemeteries of E^niria, 155.
Cianrickarde, Earl of, 356.
Ckre, Lord, on Irish cultivation, 638.
Clare election, the, 649.
Clarence, Duke of, 371
Clergy, state of the Catholic, in the
reign of Elizabeth, 426.
Clonmacnoi*. the Annals of, 60n.
Clubs in the seventeenth century, 545
Clynn, the annalist, 319.
Cobhthach Cael, 90.
Codex, containing Venerable Bede*s
works, 47.
Coigley, Father, arrested and hanged,
624.
Colgan, his labours, 52 — mention of,
534.
College of Physicians, establishment
of, in Dublin, 543.
Colleges, continental, established for
Irish students, 535.
Colonists — Scythians, Greeks, 68.
Colonization, proofs of our early, 55—
the last, 75.
Col urn ba, St., and the Bards, 168.
Columbanus, St., his rule, 173 — on
papal supremacy, 176.
Commercial status of Irish towns, 540.
Corny u, John, Archbishop of Dublin,
291— his imprisonment, 295.
Conchessa, 112.
Confessions, St. Patrick's, 113.
Conaire* II., 103— collects laws, 104.
Conn of the Hundred Battles, 101.
Conn's half of Ireland, 102.
Connaught, ancient, 64 — massacre in,
297— three claimants for, 307—
rising of the men, 323— plantation
of, 475.
Conor Mac Nessa, iegend of, 127 —
death of, 128.
Controversy, theological, of the
••Three Chapters," 175.
Cooke, Mr., publishes a pamphlet, 631.
Coote's cruelties, 482.
Cork Militia, cruelties of the. 626.
Cormac author of Saltair of Tara, 104.
Council at Tara, 172.
Courcy, John de, in Ulster, 286 — his
valour, 286 — his defeat in An-
trim, 288— his death, 298.
Oaf tine, the poet, 91.
Crannoges, 159.
Cranmer, Archbishop. 410.
Cremation not usual in Erinn, 155.
Crom Chonaill, the, 162.
Cromlechs, 155— in the Phoenix Park,
161.
Cromwell arrives in Ireland, 500 —
marches to Drogheda. 500 — mas-
sacre at Drogheda. 501 — letters,
502— bis cruelties, 503— brutality
of his soldiers, 503— his massacre
at Wexford, 503
Cromwellian settlement in Ireland,
512».
Crovderg, Hugh, 307— his death, 308.
Cruelties of English officers, 417.
Crystede, his account of Ireland, 363.
Cuilmenn, the, 40.
Culdees, the, 182 — question on the,
179n.
Curia Regis, held at Lismore, 273.
Curragh of Kildare, 255.
Curran, his life, <>'*(>
Cusack, Sir Thomas, 409— favours
O'Neill. 421.
Custom- house built, 638.
Da Derga, destruction of the court of,
91.
Dagges, 4l3n.
Dalriada, the Irish, 131
Da ue.s. Malachy's exploits against the,
207— in Ireland. 204— cruelties of
the, 190— divided into Black and
White Gentiles, 191— found sea-
port towns, 200 — supposed con-
version of, 204— pipes, 241— the
Dalcassians tight the, 205.
Danish fortress in Dublin, 278m— the
first invasion, 188— attempted
second invasion, 224— pirates,
first raid of the, 188 — valour,
battle of Ciontarf, 215.
Dante, 385.
WD EX.
663
D* Alton on the Round Towers, 153 —
on History , Religion, &o., of An*
cient Ireland, 68a.
Dathi, 107.
Defective Titles, Commission of, 475.
Derry, siege of, 558.
Dervorgil, the Lady, 234.
Desmond, Earls of, their ancestors
and descendants, 282n.
Castle, 221.
Earl of, his witty reply, 384.
Destruction of the idols, 121.
Details of the atrocities of the military,
621.
Diarmaid, Princess, pursuit of, 106.
Diarmaid*s reign, misfortunes of, 1671
Dicho, St. Patrick's first convert, 116.
Dinnseanchus, a topographical work,
I64.
Dog, story of a faithful, 571.
Domhnach, Gaedhilic term for Sunday,
121.
Domhnach Airgid, 134*.
Dominican Order in Ireland, 318.
Donatus, St., 178.
Doneraile Conspiracy, 643.
Dowdall, Dr.. opposition of, 410.
Down patrick, battle of, 325.
Drapier's Letters, the, 581.
Dress of the poorer classes in Ireland
in seventeenth century, 552.
Drink of the ancient Irish, 243.
Drinking vessels of different kinds,
243
Druids and their teaching, 137.
Drumceat, first convention held at,
167
Drury. his cruelties, 443— his death,
443
Dubhdaleithe, Book of, 44.
Dublin in the seventeenth century,
544.
Dublin, fashionable and prosperous,
638
Dubtach salutes St. Patrick at Tara,
121.
Duke of Clarence, Viceroy, 371.
Duke of York, viceroyalty of, 375.
Dunboy. siege of. 460.
Duncheadh. St., 221.
Dundalk, battle of, 201.
E.
Early missionaries, 108.
Eber, 84.
Ecclesiastics, cruelties practised on, 452.
Ecclesiastical property, confiscation of,
403.
Edward L, reign of, 329.
Elisabeth, Queen, accession of, 412—
martyrs in the reign of, 416.
Emania, Palace of, 89.
Embargo laws, 578.
Emmers career, 640.
Ends, SI, 169.
English, invasion of the, 257.
come to Ireland for instruction.
.178.
quarrels of, barons, 300.
law refused to Ireland, 362.
writers, mistakes of, 361.
schism, real cause of, 394.
Irish emigrants defeat the, 584.
Enniskilleners, cruelties of the, 559.
Eras, three, in Irish .history, 387.
Eremon, reign of, 77— his death, 78 —
families descended from, 84.
Erie, or compensation for murder,
146.
Erinn, St. Patrick's mission to, 112.
ancient chronicles of, 48n.
pre-Noahacian colonization of, 55.
takings of, 57.
early geographical accounts of, 72.
social accounts of, 73.
ancient laws of, 144.
religion of, 137.
customs of, 139.
language of, 147.
antiquities of, 153.
five great roads of ancient, 101.
Essex, Earl of, tries to colonize Ul-
ster, 432— his interview with
O'Neill, 456— his death, 433.
Ethnea, Princess, 128.
Eva, her marriage with Strongbow,
264.
Exchequer of the King of England in
Dublin, fourteenth century, 339.
Exiled Irishmen, 478.
Fairs, Irish, seventeenth century, 53&
Falkland, Lord, suspected of favour-
ing the Catholics, 473.
Fauna, description of, 253.
Fen6-men, the, 42n.
Fenian poems and tales, 87— ascribed
to, 105.
Fes, or triennial assembly, 163.
Fethlimia, Princess, 122.
Fiacc's Hymn, Scholiast on, 111.
664
INDEX.
Fidh Aengussa, the Synod of, 227.
Fifth taking of Ireland, 62.
Fiacre, St, 177.
Finnaohta Fleedhach, the Hospitable,
171.
Finnan, 81, 162.
Fintan, son of Boohra, the Irish histo-
rian, 4a
Firbolg chiefs, division of Ireland by,
60-batties of, 62.
Fish in Ireland, 80i»— anecdote on, 72m.
FitzAldelm, his vioeroyalty, 286— his
death, 299.
KtzGerald, war between De Borgo
and, 326.
FitsGerald, war between De Vesci
and, 333.
FitaGerald, Lord Edward, joins the
United Irishmen, 618— arrest of,
624— his death, 624,
Fithil the poet, 40.
FiU&aurice obtains foreign aid, 441 —
his death, 443.
FitsStephen, 260.
Fits William, Earl* vioeroyalty, of 616.
Flahertach, Abbot, and King of Mon-
ster, 194.
Flann, his Synchronisms, 49— ayn-
chronizes the chiefs and monarehs
with the kings of Erinn, 60.
Flann, King, his reign, 192.
Flint used to make weapons of de-
fence, 160.
Flood, his life, 607.
Flora, description of, 253.
Foillan, St, 177.
Fomorians, the, 60-64.
Food of the ancient Irish, 241— of
poorer classes in seventeenth cen-
tury, 553.
Ford of the Biscuits, battle of. 451.
Fothadh of the Canons, 180.
Franciscan Order in Ireland, 319 —
their patriotism. 344— their con-
vents. 31*2 — remarkable spring,
319— persecution of, 474.
Friars Preachers, Order of. 318.
Fridolin, St., 178.
Froude's History of England, quota-
tion? from his account ot the
English clergy, 440.
Fursey, St., 177.
Gall, St, 177.
Galls, description of, 187««
Gallic Church, labours of the Iriah in,
177.
Gaul, the Celts of, 73.
Irish saints venerated in, 183.
GeMU, battle of, 78*.
Genealogies, differences between, and
pedigrees, 80-82.
Milesian, 79.
peculiar historical value of, 80.
and pedigree*, 61.
General Assembly at Kilkenny, 485.
Geographical accounts of Ireland, 72.
George L, 682.
GeraTdines, rising of, 1534, 390 — an-
oestor of the, 3133 — their wan,
334— defeated at Kenmare, 326.
Germanua, St, his Canons, 117.
Gertrude, St., daughter of King Pepin,
177.
Gherardini, letter from the, 384.
Gilla Caemhain, an Irish writer, 49 —
gives annals of all times, 49.
Ginkell, General, 568.
Glundubh, Nial, lamentation for, 196.
Gold ornaments, 157-
Goldsmith, his life, 609.
Gordon's, Mr., account of the atrocities
of the military, 628, 629.
Gormgal, St, 221.
Gormnaith. Brian Boroimhe"s wife,
510.
Gospels, the, used by St. Patrick, 134.
Graces, the. 474.
Grammatics Celtics, 46.
Granard and Staieue, 237.
Grattao's demand for Irish indepen-
dence, 590— his life, 607— en-
trance into the Imperial Parlia-
ment. 640.
Grainne, pursuit of, and Diarmaid,
106
Greeks said to have visited Ireland. 139.
Grey. Lord, desecrates churches, 133.
Grey. John de 301
Guaire. nis hostility to St Columba,
167
H.
Harp, when first used as an emblem,
249
Haverty's History of Ireland, 22 In.
Henry U lands in Ireland, 270 — pro*
duces the Bull, 274 — makes his
"oo Lord ot Ireland, 287 — holds a
synod at Cashel, 273 — his palace,
INDEX
666
Henry IV., ma reign, 368— his death,
294.
Henry V., 869.
Henry VI., Wan of the Roses, 871.
Henry VII., 379.
Henry VIII., 387— persecutions dur-
ing the reign of, 401 — Dr. Browne's
letter to, 399.
Herodotus, quotations from, 69.
Hibernia, the first buried in, 57.
Himantiliginos, game of, 141.
Himerus and Iberus, 70.
Hispania Illustrate, 70.
Historians of Erinn, 40.
Historians of the seventeenth century,
531.
Historic Tales, 86.
Historical value of genealogies, 80, 87.
History, Ecclesiastical, 227. %
JBistory of the Exile, 91.
Hoggeu's Butt, and Le Hogges, 272.
Holy wells not superstitious, 143.
Honorius III., 305.
Howth family founded, 298n.
Hua Alta, race of, 125.
Hy-Figeinte (Minister), 125.
Hy-Kinsallagh (co. Car low), 129.
Hymn of St Fiacc, 117.
of St. Patrick, 120.
Hy-Nials, contention between the, 223
— palace of, 224 — the northern,
192— divided into two clans, 204.
I.
Idols, worship of, 88.
Immoralities of the reformed clergy,
Imperial standard, 639.
Inchiquin, 488— massacre at Cashel
by, 496.
Innocent I., 100.
Innocent X., 490.
Insult to the Irish peeresses, 608.
Insurrection in Wexford, 626.
in Ulster, 629.
Ireland, climate of, 80.
colonization of, 57.
article on, in Rees* Cyclopaedia,
67.
last colonization of, 75.
ancient laws of, 144.
antiquarian remains in, 15&
first mill in, 165.
fauna and flora of, 258.
literary ladies in, 374.
persecutions in, 388.
Ireland, ecclesiastical property for-
feited in, 403.
plantations attempted in, 429, 432.
social life in, seventeenth century,
529.
before the Union, and after, 637.
early geographical acoount of, 72.
early social account of, 73.
Bede's account of, 79.
the Romans feared to invade, 95.
Saxon invasion of, 185.
first Danish invasion of, 188— se-
cond invasion, 224.
the circuit of , 197.
Murtough's circuit of, 224.
Spenser 8 account of, 439.
division of, by the Firbolg chiefs,
60.
receives the faith generously, 111.
given the name of Hiberuia, 70.
the first writer who names, 71.
called Iernis, 71.
Ireton's cruelties and miserable death,
507.
Irish genealogies, their rise, 85.
keen, 141.
painters, 608.
musicians, 608.
MSS., 45.
authors, 608.
actors, 608.
missionaries, 173.
missionary saints, 178.
poetry, 180.
poets, 605.
bishops at the Council of Lateran,
289.
war-cries forbidden, 383..
pedigrees, their importance, 81.
people transplanted as slaves to Bar-
Dadoes, 514.
chronology compared with Roman,
81.
schools and scholars, 183.
alphabet, 152.
butter and cheese, 246.
fireplace, 247.
clothing, 250.
priests, their devotion to the peo*
pie, 587.
communications with Rome, 490;
old, the, and the new English, 491.
priests, their peculiar position, 586.
history, materials for, 89.
martyr, the first, 125,
saints, 167.
religions, 221.
MG
IKDXZ.
Irish king sent to the I«1e of Man, 2S6.
JLinuccini's account of the, 491.
Catholic landowners, injustice*
towards, 609.
Brigade, formation of, 574.
Irishmen, celebrated, of the eighteenth
century, 592.
Iron Duke, 639.
Island Magee, masaaore of, 481.
Ita, St7l&.
Jackson, Rev. William, his miserable
death, 616.
James 1. , his reign, 46S.
James 1L, his reign, 555— Arrival in
Ireland, 557.
Japhet, Milesians descended from, 84.
Jerome's, St., statement on Ireland, 74.
John of the Shamrocks, 434.
John, Prince, receives title of King of
Ireland, 287— his visit to Ireland,
292— second visit to Ireland, 302
— sneoeeds to the, English crown,
296— etarves a bishop to death,
301 -letter of Innocent III. to,
295-death, 304.
Josephus, 68.
Judgment of a king, 103.
K.
Kadlnbeck, historian of Poland, 48.
Keating, the historian, 531.
on Erinn, 43n.
quotations from, oo the division of
Ireland, 60.
on descent from the Scythians, 68.
on the battle of Bealagh Mughna, 193.
books referred to by, 45.
on colour, as a distinction of rank,
89*.
on battle of Dundalk, 203.
burial-place, 532.
inscription in honour of, 533.
Kennedy, Prince of Munster, 202.
Kildare, Earl of, and Henry VII., 384.
accused of treason, 384.
last Catholic Earl of, 3S7.
letter of, 388.
Kildare, Monastery of, 132.
Kilian, 8t. 177.
Kincora, Bruin's "Happy Family" at,
209— destruction of, 226.
Knights of the Royal Branch, 125.
Kunrann the poet, 187. I
Lacy, De, made Viceroy of Ireland,
289— endeavours to become King
of Ireland, 291— cruel death, 293
— family become extinct, 311.
Lady physicians, 66.
Laeghaire, King, holds a pagan festi-
val, 119— receives St Patrick at
Tara, 120— his oath, 129— his
death, 129— his burial, 129m.
Lammas-day, 164.
Landing of the Picts, 79.
of Partholan, 68.
of Oeasair, 57.
Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury,
228.
Langton, Stephen, Archbishop of Can-
terbury, 301.
Language of ancient Erinn, 147—
writing in pre-Christian Erinn,
148—&ham writing, 150.
Laws, the Brehon code of, 144 — its
peculiarities, 145.
of the Innocents, 172.
of succession, 146.
of ancient Erinn, 144. %
Leix, St. Patrick's visit to, 124—
cruelties of the deputy of, 417.
Lewis, Sir Q. C, 85*.
Lhind, quotations from, 95*.
Lia Fail, 76— or Stone of Destiny, 165
. — mention of, 165.
Life, social, previous to the English
invasion, 237.
Limerick, 9iege of, by Ireton. 506 —
by William of Orange, 566— by
GinkelL 571.
Linen trade, 251. 540.
Literary ladies in Ireland, 374.
Literary men of the seventeenth cen •
tury. 531.
Livin, St., 178.
Londres, Henry de, made Governor of
Ireland, 306 — surnamed Scorch
Villain, 306.
Lou vain collection, 46— friars, 52.
Loyola, St. Ignatius, 120a.
Lucas, his life, 607.
M.
Macaille, St., 131.
MacArt's, Cormac, Saltair, 40 — his
reign, 103— his death. 105.
Macaulay, Lays of Ancient Rome,
247n.
INDEX.
667
Macoallin, Si. 22L
MacCarthy, King of Desmond, 229.
MacCarthy More murdered at Tralee,
367,
MacCullinan, Cormac, priest and king,
192— his reign, 193— hit death,
193».
MacCumhaill, Finn, 105 — his courtship
with the Princess Ailbhe, 105.
MacFirbis, quotations from, 54, 58—
his book on pedigrees, 85— his
pedigrees of the ancient Irish and
Anglo-Norman families, 50— mur-
dered, 51.
MacGilluire, Coarbof St Patrick, 315.
MacLiag, the poet; 21 On.
MacMur rough, Dermod, Kins of Lein-
ster, 233— attends synod at Mel-
lifont, 234— his interview with
Henry II., 258 — Henry grants him
letters-patent, 259— his death, 266.
MacMurrough, Art, ,367— his death,
370.
MacNally, advocate of the United
Irishmen, 618.
MacuteniusonSt. Patrick's Canons, 118.
Maelmuire, ''servant of Mary," 227n.
Maelruain, St., of Tallaght, 179.
Magna Charta, 305.
Magog and his colony, 68 — his de-
scendants, 84.
Magrath, Miler, the apostate, 78.
Mahoun, brother to Brian, 204 — is
murdered, 206.
Mailduf, St., 178.
Malachy, St., 229— visits Rome, 231
-death of, 231.
Malachy II., 198— exploits against the
Danes, 208— wins his "collar of
gold," 208— Brian deposes, 209—
his death, 218.
Manners and Customs of Ancient
Greece, 141.
Marco Polo, 46.
Marisco, De, his treachery, 311— his
death, 312.
Mary, Queen, 410.
Massacre of a prelate, priest, and
friars, 402— of a bishop, 466— at
Wexford-bridge, 628— at Cashel,
496— at Wexford, 503— of three
priests, 445— of three Franciscans,
453— at Drogheda, 501— at Mul-
lamaat, 438 -at Fort del Ore, 444
—at Scullabogue House, 627.
Mellifont, Abbey of, 231— Synod at,
284— founded, 317.
Meloughlin, Ring of Meath, 191.
Metalogicus, the, of John of Salisbury.
275n.
Milcho, St Patrick's master in cap*
tivity, 116.
Milesian genealogies, 84, 88.
Milesians, landing of the, 75 — they
conquer, 77.
Milford Haven, 292.
Milidh, fleet of the sons of, entrance
into Ireland, 75.
Mississippi Scheme, 584.
Mochta, St.,. 151.
Moira, Lord, exposes the cruelty of the
yeomanry, 619.
Moling, St., 109.
Monastery of Kildare, St Brigid's,
132.
Kilcrea, 321.
of Bob bio, 176.
of Timoleague, 321.
of Tallaght, 179.
of St. Columbkille, 293.
of Cluain Eidhueacb, 179.
of Donegal, > 321— desolation and
plunder of, 189.
of Clonbroney, 188n.
of St. Columba, 230, 234.
of lbrach (lvragh), Kerry, 230.
of Lismore, 226.
of St. Kevin, 235.
of Dunbrody, 289.
of St. Peter's of Lemene, near Cham-
bery, 381.
of Clonfert, 170.
of Mellifont, 234.
of Clonmacnois, 221.
Irrelagh (Muckross), 322.
Clonmel, 322.
Drogheda, 322.
Cill-Achaidh,374.
Montgomery, 584.
Montmarisco, 237— becomes » monk,
289
Monroe, 493.
Monroe, Henry, 629.
Moore, his History, 37— his partiality
for Malachy, 209— on religion,
111— his life, 605.
Morann the good, and his collar of
gold, 97.
MSS. preserved in Trinity College, 44.
of ancient Irish history, 39*.
Celtic, preserved in Belgium, 46.
Continental, 45*. •
in British Museum, 46.
Stowe collection of, 45ft.
668
INDEX.
MSS., Latin, 46.
Loftus, 415.
Burgundian, 46.
-legendary and historical, of Irish
history, 39.
Muckrosft Abbey, 322.
Muircbeartach, first Christian king of
Ireland, 131.
Muircheartach, his circuit of Ireland,
197— killed by Blacaire, 197.
Murphy, Father, killed, 628.
Miirrough's game of chess, 211.
Murtough of the Leathern Cloaks, 196.
N.
Neamhnach, the well, 164.
Napier's, Lady, letter respecting the
tenantry of Duke of Leinster, 623.
Nathi, King, 116.
National joy at the restoration of
Catholic worship, 464.
Nemedh, arrival of, 59.
Nemenians, emigration of, 60, 62.
Nenithur, St. Patrick's birthplace, 110.
Nennius, 69.
Nesta, her beauty and infamy, 259.
Nestor, 48.
Netterville, John, Archbishop of Ar-
magh, 318.
Newspapers in seventeenth century,
545.
Newtown butler, engagement at, 595.
Nial of the Nine Hostages, 106.
Nial Black Knee, 194.
Nicholas, St., College of, 51.
Niebuhr, his theory of history, 82.
on the story of Tarpeia, S2n.
ou learning by verse, 86.
Noah, genealogies from, 58.
Normans, their arrival in Ireland, 257.
their luxurious habits, 272.
Cambrenais' account of them, 277.
the, ridicule the Irish nobles, 293.
feuds of the, in Ireland, 300.
their treachery, 311.
Viceroys, 285.
Nuada of the Silver Hand, 61— his
privy council, 64.
Numa Pompilius, 89.
O.
O'Brien, Turlough, Monarch of Ire-
land, 222— his death, 223.
O'Brien, Donnell, King of Thomond,
271.
O'Briens, from whom descended, 64.
O'CWry, Michael, one of the Four
Masters, 52 — his literary labours
and piety, 54»-his first work, Trias
Thaumatargas, 52 — rewrote the
Boek of Invasions, 54— patronised
by Fearghal O'Gara, 53.
O'ConneU, Daniel, in the House of
Parliament, 647 — obtains Catholic
Emancipation, 647 — represented
Ireland, 641— his life, 642— his
maiden speech, 643 — Doneraile
Conspiracy, 643.
O'Curry, when Moore visited, 37 — his
opinion of early Irish civilisation,
104— his labours, 38— on Erinn,
48n— on Reating'a statement of
Irish descent, 68 — on Cormac's
writings, I04n — on the Bachall
Ian, 115 — on Brehon Laws, 145 —
on Irish saints, 178 — on musical
instruments, 250— on Irish mar-
tyrs, 416.
O'Connor, Hugh, 308.
Felim, 309, 313.
of Offaly, 339.
Roderic, 235.
expelled from Offaly, 408 — returns
to Ireland, 411.
Margaret, a literary lady, 374.
Nuala, 321 — establishes the monas-
tery of Franciscans at Donegal,
321— her death, 322.
Arthur, 624.
O'Connor Faly, Margaret, visits Eng-
land, 411.
O'Daly, the poet, 303.
0'Donnell, Hugh, entertainment of, at
Windsor, 387.
O'Donnell, Hugh Roe, his treacherous
capture, 447 — leaves Ireland, 459.
O'Donnell More, died at Assaroe, 313.
O'Donovan, Dr., quotations from, on
Brehon laws, 144.
Odran, St., 147.
O'Duffy, Catholicus, 304.
O'Duffy, Donnell, 233.
O' Flaherty, his Chronology, 81.
Ogham writing, 149.
Oghma, Danann prince, invented the
writing called Ogham Craove, 76.
Ogygia of tne Greeks, 72.
Ogygia, account in, of ancient writings,
148n.
O'Hagan, the Abbot Imar, 229.
O'Hartigan, Kenneth, 221.
O'Hurly, Dr., 453.
INDEX.
069
Ollamh Fodhla, 89.
Ollamh, offioe and qualifications of a,
83,86.
O'Loughlin, Donnell, 226.
O'Loughlins of Tyrone, 231.
O'More, Rory Oge, 437.
Roger, 480.
0'Ne2l, Donough, 207.
O'Neill, Shane, 409— feared by the
English, 418— attempts to poison
him, 419— Lord Chancellor Cuaaek
persuades him to forget the [miaou-
ing, 420— he is killed treacher-
ously, 422.
O'Neill, Hugh, marriage of, 450— his
insurrection, 454— defeats Bagnal,
455 — his interview with Essex,
456— attempts to assassinate him,
458* — his power decreases, 461 —
plot to entrap him, 468— his flight
and death in Rome, 469.
O'Neill, Sir Phelim, 480— marches
X'nst Monroe, 493.
Owen Roe, 480.
O'Neill, Hugh Boy, slain in 1283, 332.
O'Neill, Donnell, 198.
Ormonde, the Duke of, 483— his in*
trigues, 492.
Orpheus, first writer who mention
Ireland, 71.
Orr, Mr., his trial and death, 620.
OToole, St. Laurence, Archbishop
of Dublin, 234— his genealogy,
235— Abbot of St. Kevin's mo-
naatery, at Glendalough, 235—
his patriotism, 267— his journey
to France, 290— sent as ambas-
sador to Henry II.- 281 — his
death, 290.
Oirdnidhe, Hugh, the legislator, 179.
P.
Palatines, the, 580.
Palladius, St., mission of, 109.
Palliums, 231.
Partholan, landing of, 58. ,.
Partholyan, English traditions of, 71.
Patrick, St., his birthplace, 112—
visits Tara, 120— his successful
preaching, 123 — relic of his hand,
134— his copy of the Gospels, 134
—his burial-place, 133— devotion
of his servant, 125— his death,
126— his vision, 113— his prayer
for Ireland, 135 — destruction of
the idols, 121— his Hymn, 120—
his captivity, 113.
Peep-o'-Day Boys and Defenders, 613.
Pelasgian remains, 158
Pembroke, Earl of, plots against, 311.
Penal Laws, enactment of, 576.
Perrot, Sir John, 417.
Petrie, Dr., quotations from, oo Brehon
laws, 115.
Petty, Sir William, 541.
Philosophical Society, the Dublin, 546.
Phoenician colonization of Spain, 70—
circumnavigation of Africa, 69.
Physicians, establishment of their col*
lege in Dublio, 543
Picts, landing of the, 79.
Pitt, William, 613.
Plantation of Connaught, 510 — of
Ulster, 469.
Plowden's account of the atrocities of
the military, 602.
Plunkett, Dr.9 his trial and execution,
528.
Plunkett, Lord, in parliament, 640.
Poyning's Parliament, 379— law, and
its effects, 382. ,
Presentation Order, 593n.
Priests, cruel massacre of, 496 — their
efforts to save Protestants, 483.
Protestant Church, state of, 425.
Quipus used as a register by the In-
dians, 150.
R.
Raith Beltbaigh (Rath Beagh), an
ancient burial-place, 78.
Raleigh, Sir Walter, 439.
Rath at Leighlin, 200— of the Synods,
165.
Reformation, attempts to introduce
the, 415.
Reformed clergy, preaching of, 405.
Religious houses and their founders,
316.
Remonstrance to the Holy See, 341.
Reports on the state of Ireland, 64&
Richard 1., accession of, 294.
Richard II. visits Ireland, 365.
Rinuccini, 489n— lands at Kenmare,
490— reception in Kilkenny, 491—
returns to Italy, 497.
Rock of Cashel, 193.
Rodanus, St, 162.
Romantic Tales, 91«
Rose Tavern, 544.
Rotundo built, 6381
C70
JUDEX.
RonBfl Tow controversy. 153b
Kowan, A. Hamilton. 616
Koine, William, boast of, 257.
Sacramental toft, 678.
£altair of Temair, 41.
na-Kaan. 41.
of Casket. 44.
of Comae. 41.
Sao Jot*, arrival of, 44*.
Saviour's, St . Dublin. 618.
Scbumberg s camp, disease in, 660.
Scots, 69
Scraball, 164.
8cytbiaa colonista, 66— Iriak daim
descent from, 66.
Seancbaidhe, poet, 83*.
Seanchus Mor, Ungnsaw of, 146—
translator of, 146.
Sedulua, St., 178L
Segetius, priest, 116.
Senchaa Toqeist, 4a
Severe winter* and pestilences in Ire-
land, 223L
Sheehy, Father Nicholas, judicial mur-
der of, 589.
Sheridan, his life, 606.
Shrines of the three saints, 133.
Sidney's official account of Ireland,
423 — his interview with Granu-
aile,434
Silken Thomas, his rebellion, 391— his
execution, 392.
Silver shields, 89.
Simnel crowned in Dublin, 380.
Simon, Rabbi, 68.
Sitric arrival of, 195— treachery of, 201.
Smith. Adam, on Ireland, 603.
Smith held, origin of the name, 24 iw.
South Sea Bubble. 581.
Spenser 8 Castle, 423— grandson, 513—
description of Irish misery, 439.
Sreng, warrior, 62.
Statements in our annals confirmed by
a Jewish writer, 68.
Statute of Kilkenny andits effects, 359.
Stierman. 48.
Sterne, Dr.. 544.
Stratford, Earl of, 77.
Strougbow, Earl of Clare, arrives in
Ireland, 263— genealogy. 263—
marriage of, and Eva. 264 — pro-
claims himself king of Leinster,
266— returus to England. 268—
death of. 282- his seal, 284
Succession, law of. 146.
Snperstitioe* Iriak, 14
Swan, Major, 6*4
Swift Dean, 68 1 -his i
his life, 607.
Swords and chariot* of
167.
Tacitus, 95.
Tain bo Chns%ae, the
92— the awry of, ML*
Talbot, Archbishop, 526.
fanaiste, 147.
Tandy, Xapper, 612L
Tan, account of ancient, 163 — aita a€,
41 — cursing of, 162.
Taverns and ooffry houses, 644.
Theatre, the first, in Dublin, 647.
Thomas, St., of Canterbury, 268L
Thompson, Charley Secretary of Con-
gress, 601.
Threnodia Hiberno-Cathobca, 51L
Tighernack's Annals, 49— nana the
dominical letter, 49 — mentions
the lunar cycle, 49— quotes his-
torical writers, 49— his none, 4&
Tighearnmaa, 88.
Timoleagne, Monastery of, 321.
Tithes introduced into Ireland, 232.
Tom the Devil, 622.
Tone, Theobald Wolfe, 614.
Tradition, its use in history, 40.
Trias Thaumaturgas, 62.
Trinity College, foundation of, 462.
Tuatha Dr Dananna, tilth taking of
Ireland by, 61— their skill as arti-
ficers, 61— battles of, 62, 76—
dynasty passed away, 76.
Tuathal, reign of, 98.
Tuite, Richard (the great baron), 333.
Turgesius the Dane, 189.
Tussach, St, 126.
U.
Ugain§ M6r, reign of, 90.
Uitao, St., 171.
Union, the. 632.
United Irishmen, the, 618.
Usher, Archbishop, 534— his indiffe-
rence about orders. 536— on St.
Patrick's Canons, 117 — as ao his-
torian, 534
Usher's Island, 318a.
V.
Veto, the, 643.
V icteric us, 113a.
INDEX.
Vinegar Hill, the battle of, 627.
Volunteers, the, 591.
Virmliiis, St, 17&
Vivian, Cardinal, 286— entombs the
relies of the three saints anew, 294
W.
Warbeok's plot, 38b
Ware, 415.
Ward, Father, 52.
Waterford rags, 539.
Wellesley, Chief Secretary, 640.
Wesley, John, his remark about Moira
' House, 318n.
Wheat planted early, 243.
White and Black Gentiles, 19L
Whiteboys, the, 584.
Wilde, Sir W„ 79*.
Wives purchased in Erinn, 4
changed, 229.
Words and Places, 58n.
Wood's halfpence, 581.
Wren, veneration for the, 140.
Yeomanry, fearful cruelties of th<
York, house of, 371— Duke of,
Viceroy, 375.
Yorkists, popularity in Ireland,
insurrection of the, 378.
Youghal, foundation of Conve
318 — College oft 378 — I
down, 443.
Young's remedy for Irish disaffe
685.
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