O'Rourke Excerpts from the Annals of the Four Masters - Page 5
Annals of the Four Masters
The O'Rourke Excerpts
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M1590.3 -
In the month of March a very great army was mustered by the Governor
against O'Rourke. This army was so numerous, that he sent a vast number of
his captains and battalions to Sliabh-Cairbre to oppose the inhabitants of
Muintir-Eolais; and another party of the chiefs of his army to the west of
the Bridge of Sligo, to invade Breifny; and these troops proceeded to burn
and devastate, kill and destroy, all before them in the country, until
both met together again. By this excursion O'Rourke was banished from his
territory; and he received neither shelter nor protection until he arrived
in the Tuatha, to Mac Sweeny-na-dTuath (Owen Oge, the son of Owen, son
of Owen Oge, son of Owen, son of Donnell); and with him he remained until
the expiration of this year; and such of his people as did not go into
exile came in and submitted to the Governor. Donnell, the son of Teige,
son of Brian O'Rourke, and Hugh Oge, the son of Hugh Gallda, assisted
the English in expelling and banishing O'Rourke. The whole territory,
both waste and inhabited, was under the power of the Governor until the
ensuing Michaelmas, when Tiernan Bane, the son of Brian, son of Owen
O'Rourke, and Brian-na-Samhthach, i.e Brian Oge (the son of that
O'Rourke who had been expelled), came into the territory. These and
the tribes of Breifny, and of Muintir-Eolais, and of the other
O'Rourkes who remained in the country, opposed the Governor, and
continued spoiling every thing belonging to the English, to which
they came, until the end of this year.
M1591.1 -
O'Rourke, i.e. Brian-na-Murtha, the son of Brian, son of Owen, was
banished, as stated before, into the Tuatha in Tirconnell, where he
remained upwards of a year with Mac Sweeny (Owen Oge). After that he
passed into Scotland, in hopes of obtaining protection or assistance
from the King of Scotland. A party of the Queen's people, however,
took him prisoner, and carried him into England and into London, where
he remained for some time in prison, i.e. until the ensuing November
Term. The law was urged against him, and he was condemned to death.
He was afterwards hanged, beheaded, and quartered. The death of this
Brian was one of the mournful stories of the Irish, for there had not
been for a long time any one of his tribe who excelled him in bounty,
in hospitality, in giving rewards for panegyrical poems, in sumptuousness,
in numerous troops, in comeliness, in firmness, in maintaining the
field of battle to defend his patrimony against foreign adventurers,
for all which he was celebrated, until his death on this occasian.
M1593.3 -
A warlike dissension arose in the month of May in this year between Sir
George Bingham of Ballymote and Brian-na-Samhthach, i.e. Brian Oge, the
son of Brian, son of Brian, son of Owen O'Rourke. The cause of this
dissension was, that a part of the Queen's rent had not been received out
of Breifny on that festival, Brian O'Rourke asserting that all the rents
not paid were those demanded for lands that were waste, and that he
Bingham ought not to demand rent for waste lands until they should be
inhabited. Sir George sent soldiers into Breifny to take a prey in lieu
of the rent; and the soldiers seized on O'Rourkes own milch cows. Brian
went to demand a restoration of them, but this he did not at all receive.
He then returned home, and sent for mercenaries and hireling troops to
Tyrone, Tirconnell, and Fermanagh; and after they had come to him, he
set out, and he made no delay by day or by night until he arrived at
Ballymote. On his arrival in the neighbourhood of the town, he dispersed
marauding parties through the two cantreds of the Mac Donoughs, namely,
Corann and Tirerrill; and there was not much of that country which he
did not plunder on the excursion. He also burned on that day thirteen
villages on every side of Ballymote; and he ravaged Ballymote itself
more than he did any other town. Their losses were of little account,
except the son of Coffey Roe Magauran, on the side of Brian; Gilbert
Grayne, a gentleman of Sir George's people, who was slain on the other
side. The son of O'Rourke then returned back to his own territory
loaded with great preys and spoils. This was done in the first month of
summer.
M1593.5 -
The Maguire (Hugh, the son of Cuconnaught) and the Brian O'Rourke before mentioned confederated during
the summer to war against and plunder the English. Brian, the son of Hugh
Oge, son of Hugh, son of John Boy Mac Mahon, from Dartry-Oriel; the sons
of Ever Mac Cooley, from Farney; and Richard, son of Ulick Burke, i.e. the
son of Deamhon-an-Charrain, were also in insurrection and rebellion against
the English. These people of Oriel made an attack upon a company of
soldiers who were stationed at Monaghan, and slew the greater part of them;
wherefore a proclamation was issued to every town in Ireland, declaring
the aforesaid persons and their confederates to be traitors.
M1595.22 -
When intelligence of the death of George Bingham, and the taking of Sligo,
came to the hearing of those of the province of Connaught who were in
insurrection, namely, the Lower Burkes, the Clann-Donnell, the Sil-Conor,
the Rourkes, and the Clann-Mulrony, and not these alone, but also those
who had been proclaimed, and roving after having been expelled and banished
into Ulster and other places, by the Binghams, they came to O'Donnell to
Sligo; and each of them went afterwards to his own patrimonial inheritance;
and every inhabitant whom the English had established in their lands during
the period of their proscription adhered to them as followers from that
hour forth. In the course of one month the greater part of the inhabitants
of the district, from the western point of Erris and Umhall to the Drowes,
had unanimously confederated with O'Donnell; and there were not many
castles or fortresses in those places, whether injured or perfect, that
were not under his control.
M1596.9 -
When this great army was threatening to come to this place, Mac William
Burke (Theobald) sent his messengers to O'Donnell, requesting of him to
come to his relief. Not negligently did O'Donnell respond to this request,
for he had been prepared to proceed into the province of Meave Connaught
before the messengers arrived. He sent letters and writings to the Irish
of the province of Olnegmacht Connaught, to request of them to meet him
at a certain place on the road, leading to the camp of the General, Sir
John Norris; and he himself set out on his journey with his army across
the Erne and the Sligo, keeping the stream of Sliabh-Gamh on the right,
through Leyny and the territory of Gaileanga. The Irish of the province
came at the summons to meet him; and, first of all, O'Rourke (Brian Oge,
the son of Brian, son of Brian, son of Owen); thither came O'Conor Roe,
O'Kelly, Mac Dermot of Moylurg; thither came the two Mac Donoughs, the
two O'Haras, and O'Dowda. When these Irish came together at one place,
they made no delay until they pitched their camp, confronting Sir John
Norris, on the opposite side of the same River Robe.
M1597.16 -
O'Donnell, however, had been in want of forces, and had only a small
number on the Saturday on which the Lord Justice came into the country
with this powerful force; but his people and forces were assembling and
flocking to him from every direction, so that the most of them had
reached him before the noon of Monday. On this occasion Maguire (Hugh,
the son of Cuconnaught, son of Cuconnaught) and O'Rourke (Brian Oge,
the son of Brian, son of Brian Ballagh) came to join him, with their
forces; and after these chiefs had assembled together, they allowed
the Lord Justice and his army neither ease nor rest, for they carried on
skirmishing and firing, conflict, assault, and onslaught, on the camp,
every day during the three days that they continued battering the castle.
O'Donnell's army frequently drove those who were on the outskirts of the
Connaught camp into the very centre of it, and those who were in the
centre to the outskirts; and they did not permit their horses or other
cattle to go forth outside the boundary camp to graze, nor did they
permit hay or corn to be carried in to them. The Governor and his army
were thus reduced to great distress and extremities; for, though they
should wish to depart, they could not approach any common ford on the
Erne from Cael-Uisge to Ath-Seanaigh. The chiefs, though numerous were
their forces, were much dispirited on finding themselves placed in such
peril by their enemies. When, therefore, the Governor, the Earls, and
the chiefs in general, had perceived the great danger in which they were,
they held a consultation from the beginning of night on Tuesday, to the
morning twilight of Wednesday, the 15th of August; and the resolution
they finally came to at the day-break was, to advance forward at once
from the place where they were at Sith-Aedha to the rough, turbulent,
cold-streamed, rocky ford over the brink of Assaroe, called
Casan-na-gCuradh, and they advanced to that to them unknown and
seldom-crossed trajectus, in troops and squadrons, without being noticed
or heard by O'Donnell. In consequence of the strength of the current,
and the debility of some of the army and the horses, from having been
deprived of food, a countless number of their women, and men of their
inferior, unwarlike people, of their steeds and horses, and of other
things they had with them, were swept out westwards into the sea by the
current of Assaroe. They left their ordnance and their vessels of meat
and drink in the power of the Kinel-Connell on this occasion. The
chiefs and gentlemen of the army, however, and such of them as were
strong, crossed the Erne after great danger and peril. The warders of
the castle continued firing on them as rapidly as they were able, and
pursued them to the brink of the river, in order to exterminate their
enemies; and intelligence of their movements reached O'Donnell and his
army. When O'Donnell heard the report of the firing, he immediately rose
up with his forces, and, having quickly accoutred themselves in their
fighting habiliments, they advanced to the river as speedily as they
could. When the Governor's army had cleared the opposite bank of the
river they went into order and battle array. They placed their women,
their calones, their unarmed people, their wounded men, and such of
their horses of burden as they had, between them and the sea. They
placed their warriors and fighting men behind them, and on the
other side towards the country, for they were certain of receiving
an attack by those forces who had pursued them. O'Donnell's people went
in pursuit of them across the river without delay; and they were so
eager to wreak their vengeance on the army that fled from them that
they did not wait to put on their armour or outer garments. They began
to surround them and sharpen the conflict against them, and both
parties continued shooting and attacking each other from the Erne
to Magh-gCedne in Carbury-Drumcliff. At this time there fell a shower
of rain in such torrents that the forces on either side could not use
or wield their arms, so drenched with wet were their powder-pouches and
the apparatus of their fine guns. These showers of rain did more injury
to O'Donnell's people than to the Governor's army; for they the former
had left their outer garments behind, as we have said before; but not
so the others, they wore coverings over their battle dresses.
M1597.17 -
The Governor proceeded with his forces to Sligo that night; from thence
on the next day to the abbey of Boyle, and on the third day to the
district of Athleague. The chiefs of Connaught, then dispersed from
their territories and houses, and the Governor went to Athlone.
M1597.20 -
O'Donnell was greatly chagrined that the Governor and the Earls should
have escaped as they did. There was, however, no attack from either side
until the end of Autumn. O'Donnell thought it too long that he had left
unattacked the English of Connaught and those Irish who had risen in
alliance with them, and who had previously made friendship with himself.
Among these was O'Conor Roe (Hugh, the son of Turlough Roe); and
he O'Donnell was meditating how he could plunder his territory. This
was very difficult for him to do; because the position he occupied was
secure and intricate, and he had near him a fastness into which he
could send his cattle and other possessions, beyond the reach of his
enemies, unless they should come upon him unawares; and O'Rourke had
promised him that he would not permit O'Donnell to march towards him
without sending him notice. O'Donnell assembled his forces, and proceeding
into Connaught, halted south-west of Gleann-Dallain, where he pitched his
camp. When he received intelligence that a friendship subsisted between
O'Rourke and O'Conor, he deceived O'Rourke by sending messengers to him
to invite him, to his camp where he was. O'Rourke promised to go to him
on the following day; for he thought that O'Donnell would not leave the
camp until he should arrive there; but O'Donnell did not act so; for,
after he had sent his messengers to O'Rourke, he left the camp at noon,
and, proceeding southwards across the Sligo, never stopped until he
arrived at the Curlieu Mountain. Here he made a short stay while his
troops were taking some refreshments and resting themselves, because he
did not at all wish to pass southwards over the mountain by daylight.
When the beginning of night came on them they proceeded southwards over
the mountain and across the River Boyle; and before morning they had
passed through Magh-Luirg-an-Daghda, and the upper part of
Machaire-Chonnacht. Early in the day they sent marauding parties into
the wilds and recesses of the country in every direction; and these left
not a single head of cattle from Ath-Slisean to Baghna, and they plundered
and burned all that lay between these limits. They then returned back with
their herds of kine and many other spoils. O'Rourke was ashamed that the
country should have been plundered without his knowledge; and the Governor,
Sir Conyers Clifford, was not less grieved that a country, which was under
his rule and jurisdiction, should have been thus plundered and burned.
M1598.5 -
Mac Donough of Tirerrill (Maurice Caech, the son of Teige-an-Triubhis) was
slain in Breifny-O'Rourke, as he was carrying off a prey from thence; upon
which Conor Oge, son of Melaghlin, from Baile-an-duin, was appointed the
Mac Donough.
M1598.13 -
O'Rourke (Brian Oge, the son of Brian, son of Brian Ballagh, son of Owen)
was angry with O'Donnell (Hugh Roe, the son of Hugh, son of Manus),
because of his having plundered O'Conor Roe against his wish, as we have
written before; and, moreover, he was not at all on terms of peace with
his own brother, i.e. Teige O'Rourke, the son of Brian, son of Brian
Ballagh, in consequence of a disagreement about the partition of their
territory and land. Wherefore, O'Rourke confederated and formed a league
of friendship with the Governor, Sir Conyers Clifford. O'Donnell was not
pleased at hearing this news, for the O'Rourkes had from a remote period
been the friends of his tribe, and he the present O'Rourke was his own
kinsman, and he did not wish to make an incursion against him, or plunder
his territory, as he would treat all others in Connaught; but he felt
certain that he must needs plunder him unless he should return to the
confederacy of the Irish, for he O'Donnell was not at peace with any one
who was under the tutelage of the English. For a certain time he privately
solicited him to return, and at another time he menaced and threatened to
plunder his territory unless he should come back. O'Rourke continued to
listen to these messages from the beginning of spring to the May
following, at which time he went to Athlone, and delivered up his hostages
to the Governor; and they made mutual vows and promises to be faithful
to each other; but though the engagement was sincere at the time, it was
not long kept.
M1598.15 -
After the Governor and O'Rourke had parted from each other in peace and
friendship, in May, at the town of Athlone, and when O'Rourke saw that
the English and Irish were not at peace with each other, and that
the English were not at this time more powerful than the Irish, he was
afraid that O'Donnell would plunder his territory; and therefore he
came at the first summons of O'Donnell, and did whatever he requested
him. This he O'Rourke did by advice of his people, for they felt it safer
to have the Governor in opposition, than to be pursued by O'Donnell's
vengeance for remaining under the protection of the Governor.
M1598.16 -
O'Rourke, after having confirmed his friendship with O'Donnell on this
occasion, proceeded with his forces, at the instance of O'Farrell Bane
(i.e. Ross, the son of William, son of Donnell), into Meath; and they
plundered Mullingar, and the country from Mullingar to Ballymore-Lough
Sewdy.
M1598.17 -
Another hosting was made by O'Rourke in the first month of autumn; and he
did not halt until he arrived at Tyrrell's-Pass, and the Pass of Kilbride
in Fertullagh. He seized a prey, and slew some persons at Tyrrell's-Pass,
and (then) returned home to his country without wound or danger.
M1599.15 -
O'Donnell Hugh: i.e. Roe, the son of Hugh, son of Manus, had resided at
Ballymote, in the county of Sligo, from the gaining of the battle of
Ath-Buidhe, in the beginning of August, to the festival of St. Bridget in
this year. He felt it long to have remained during this time without
going into some enemy's territory, but he knew not to what particular
place he should go; for he had not left a quarter, limit, wilderness,
or recess, in the whole province of Connaught the inhabitants of which
he had not plundered, or from which he had not taken pledges and
hostages, save Thomond alone wherefore, at the time aforesaid, he
ordered an army to be mustered in order to proceed into Thomond.
First of all assembled the Kinel-Connel, among whom were Hugh Oge,
the son of Hugh Duv, son of Hugh Roe, son of Niall Garv O'Donnell;
and Niall Garv, the son of Con, son of Calvagh, son of Manus, son of
Hugh Duv; O'Doherty (John Oge, the son of Felim, son of Conor Carragh);
O'Boyle (Teige Oge, the son of Teige, son of Turlough, son of Niall);
Mac Sweeny Fanad (Donnell, the son of Turlough, son of Mulmurry);
and Mac Sweeny Banagh (Donough, the son of Mulmurry Meirgeach, son of
Mulmurry, son of Niall): all these with their forces. Into the same
rendezvous came Maguire (Hugh, the son of Cuconnaught, son of Cuconnaught,
son of Cuconnaught, son of Brian, son of Philip, son of Thomas); the son
of O'Rourke (Thomas, the son of Brian, son of Brian Ballagh, son of Owen);
and the Mac William, whom O'Donnell himself had some time before nominated,
namely, Theobald, son of Walter Kittagh, son of John, son of Oliver.
M1599.17 -
As for O'Donnell and his forces, they marched forward to proceed into
Thomond, and made no delay until they arrived, without being observed,
inside the river in Clanrickard; and in the evening they pitched an
extensive camp of armed heroes at Ruaidh-Bheitheach, between Kilcolgan
and Ardrahin. Here they remained to consult with each other as to how
they should attack the strange territory towards which they had come;
and, having eaten some of their provisions, they all went to take a
sleep, except the sentinels, before they should undertake their great
journey and toil. Thus they remained until midnight, when O'Donnell
commanded them to rise up without delay, to march into the neighbouring
territory before the day should break upon them. They rose up forthwith,
and proceeded straight onwards by each direct road, until, by morning
twilight, they arrived in the eastern extremity of Coill-O'bhFlannchadha,
in the cantred of Kinel-Fearmaic, in Thomond. Here they formed marauding
parties, and sent one of them northwards into Burren, under the command
of Teige O'Rourke and Mac Sweeny Banagh; and another party southwards
into Baile-Ui-Ogain of Coill-mhor, to Tully-O'Dea, and to the gate of
Baile-Ui-Ghriobhtha. Maguire, with a strong body of his forces, went
forth towards Inchiquin. O'Donnell himself proceeded, with the flower
and main body of the army, through the middle of Coill-O'bhFlannchadha,
Bealach-an-Fhiodhfail, and, before mid-day, arrived at Cill-Inghine-Bhaoith,
in the upper part of Dal-gCais. Those who had gone to the south returned to
the north by Druim-Finnghlaisi and Corofin, and joined O'Donnell at
Cill-Inghine-Bhaoith. Thither the spoils of all Kinel-Fearmaic, from
Diseart to Glencolumbkille, and to Tulach-Chumann, and from
Cluain-Sailchearnaigh to Leim-an-eich, were brought to O'Donnell.
M1599.18 -
The son of O'Rourke and Mac Sweeny were not able to return to him on
that night with the spoils of Burren; nor was Maguire able to return
from the other direction, for they had pitched their camps wherever
the night overtook them.
M1599.19 -
O'Donnell remained that night encamped at Cill-Inghine-Bhaoith, and left
it before noon on the following day; and he then proceeded to Kilfenora,
in the cantred of Corcomroe. From thence he dispatched marauding parties
southwards to Eidneach, to Brentir of the Fearmacaigh, to Cormacaigh, to
the gate of Inis-Dimain,to Cill-Easbuig-Lonain,and to Baile-Phaidin,
who returned to him to Kilfenora, in an easterly direction, loaded with
spoils and booty. O'Donnell remained here until the following day, when
his troops came up with him from every quarter in which they had been
dispersed. The son of O'Rourke and Mac Sweeny Banagh came up with the
spoils of Burren; and Maguire came up from another direction with much
booty. When O'Donnell saw the surrounding hills covered and darkened
with the herds and numerous cattle of the territories through which
his troops had passed, he proceeded on his way homewards, over the
chain of rugged-topped mountains of Burren; and, passing by Nuachongbhail,
Turlach, the monastery of Corcomroe, and Carcair-na-gCleireach, arrived
at Rubha, in the west of Hy-Fiachrach-Aidhne, where he stopped for the
night. On the morrow he passed through the upper part of Clanrickard,
and by the gate of Athenry. His adventures from this forward are not
related, until he arrived at Ballymote, except that he was met by
Mac William and Niall Garv O'Donnell at the frontiers of Hy-Many,
with many preys, and spoils, and booty, which they had carried off from
Mac William's country.
M1599.41 -
O'Rourke was at this time in a separate camp on the eastern side of
Coirrshliabh. He had promised O'Donnell that he would be ready to
attack the English like the rest, whenever it would be necessary; and
when he heard the sound of the trumpets and tabors, and the loud and
earth-shaking reports of the mighty firing, he rose up from his camp
with his heroes, who put on their arms; and they made no delay, till
they arrived at the place where O'Donnell's people were engaged in the
conflict. They proceeded, like the others, to cut down champions with
their swords, and fire on them with their guns, arrows, and javelins,
until the soldiers left behind many heads and weapons. The governor,
Sir Conyers Clifford, was slain, together with a countless number of
English and Irish about him. He was left feebly stretched on the
mountain, mortally wounded in the commencement of the conflict. It
was not known to the soldiers who first wounded him (nothing was known
about his death, except only that it was a ball that passed through
him), and the soldiers did not recognise him, until O'Rourke at last
came up to the place where he was, and recognised that it was the Governor
that was there. He ordered him to be beheaded, which being done, his body
was left a mutilated trunk. The death of the person here slain was much
lamented. It was grievous that he came to this tragic end. The Irish of
the province of Meave Connaught were not pleased at his death; for he had
been a bestower of jewels and riches upon them; and he had never told them
a falsehood. The Governor passed not in one direction from this battle;
for his body was conveyed to be interred in the Island of the Blessed
Trinity in Lough Key, in the barony of Moylurg, in the county of
Roscommon, and his head was carried to Cul-Maoile, in the barony of
Tirerrill, in the county of Sligo.
M1600.40 -
As for O'Donnell, when he perceived that they were not in the habit of
going outside their encampments, through fear and dread, he made
no account of them, and assembled his forces, to proceed into the
south of Connaught, to plunder the countries that lay on both sides of
Sliabh-Echtge, and especially Thomond. He had good reason for this,
indeed, for it was these Earls, namely, the Earl of Clanrickard and
the Earl of Thomond, who had requested the Lord Justice and the Council
to send over this great army, to keep him in his own territory, away
from them, for they deemed it too often that he had gone into their
territories. Having adopted this resolution, he left O'Doherty,
chieftain of Inishowen, i.e. John Oge, the son of John, son of Felim
O'Doherty, to watch the foreigners, that they might not come to plunder
his territory. He also left Niall Garv O'Donnell, and some of his army,
encamped against them on the west side, between them and the cantred
of Enda, son of Niall. He then mustered his forces, to proceed westwards
across the River Erne. He took with him on this hosting, in the first
place, all those who were under his jurisdiction in Ulster; and the
Connacians, from the River Suck to the Drowes, and from the west of
Tirawly to Breifny O'Reilly, were expecting and awaiting his arrival
at Ballymote, whither they were gone at his summons. Among the
Connaughtmen who awaited him there were O'Rourke (Brian Oge, the son
of Brian, son of Brian Ballagh, son of Owen); O'Conor Sligo (Donough,
the son of Cathal Oge, son of Teige, son of Cathal Oge), together with
the people of the districts which lie from Coirrshliabh northwards to
the sea; O'Conor Roe (Hugh, the son of Turlough Roe, son of Teige Boy,
son of Cathal Roe), with all his muster; Mac Dermot of Moylurg, i.e.
Conor, son of Teige, son of Owen, son of Teige, with his people;
and Mac William Burke, i.e. Theobald, the son of Walter Kittagh,
son of John, son of Oliver, with his muster.
M1600.45 -
O'Donnell sent a large party of his warriors and soldiers with the
preys and people aforesaid, to clear the way for them; and he advised
O'Rourke and his people, and the other Connaughtmen in general, to
return home. O'Donnell retained five hundred heroes of his choice
soldiers, and sixty horsemen, of his own faithful people. They
remained in the camp in which they had been the night before until
after mid-day. They then proceeded through the province in a
south-easterly direction, and arrived, by the twilight of the
following morning, at Loughrea. This was the chief residence of the
Earl of Clanrickard. They sent out marauding parties in every direction
to plunder the country; and these collected all the cattle and herds
in their neighbourhood in every direction, and brought them to one
place. They came with their preys eastwards across the province, and
on Sunday pitched their camp with them near the borders of the
province, to the south of the Suck, where they remained until Monday
morning. On this day (Monday) they proceeded across Athleague, and
through the plain of Nai, son of Allgubha i.e. Machaire-Chonnacht,
and in the evening arrived at Seaghais, where they encamped northwards
of the river for that night. On the next day they crossed
Coirrshliabh-na-Seaghsa, and proceeded through the territory of
Corran to Ballymote. The forces then dispersed for their homes with
spoils and riches.
M1601.2 - ...
Thus they remained for four or five days, during which time some persons
not illustrious were slain between them, until Teige, the son of
Brian-na-Murtha, son of Brian Ballagh, son of Owen O'Rourke, arrived with
bold companies of sharp-armed soldiers to assist Redmond Burke. When these two
parties combined overtook the Earl, he left the camp in which he was, and
proceeded through the passes into Clanrickard. The others pursued him to
Loughrea; and, the Earl and his people escaping from them on this occasion,
they traversed, plundered, and burned the country from Leitrim to
Ard-Maeldubhain and as far as the gate of Feadán, in the west of Kinelea.
At this time they lost a Munster lord of a territory, i.e. MacDonough,
i.e. Donough, the son of Cormac Oge, son of Cormac. What brought him on
this expedition was this, he had been carried off as a hostage by O'Neill
in the spring of the preceding year, and had remained in Ulster until
having regained his liberty he set out with those sons of John Burke,
and so fell in this war of the Clann-William.
M1601.37 -
When O'Neill, O'Donnell, and the Irish of Leath-Chuinn in general, heard
the news of the arrival of this Spanish fleet (at Kinsale), the resolution
they came to, ..., was, that each lord of a territory among them should
leave a guard and protection over his territory and fair land, and
proceed, without dallying or delaying, to aid and assist the Spaniards,
who had come at their call and instance; ...
M1601.38 -
O'Donnell was the first who prepared to go on this expedition. Having left
guards over his creaghts and all his people in the county of Sligo, he set
out from Ballymote in the very beginning of winter. The following were
some of the chiefs who were along with him: O'Rourke ( Brian Oge, the son
of Brian); the sons of John Burke; Mac Dermot of Moylurg; the sept of
O'Conor Roe; O'Kelly; and the chiefs who had been banished from Munster, ...
M1602.20 -
Another hosting of the English and Irish was made by Niall O'Donnell to
Breifny O'Rourke; and he carried off a countless number of kine.
M1602.23 -
Rury O'Donnell, the son of Hugh, son of Manus, was he to whom O'Donnell
had, on the night before his departure, left the government of his people
and lands, and everything which was hereditary to him, until he should
return back again; and he had commanded O'Neill and Rury to be friendly
to each other, as themselves both had been. They promised him this thing.
M1602.32 -
Sir Oliver Lambert came in the summer to Sligo with a numerous army of
English and Irish, and there encamped against Rury O'Donnell, who was to
the south of them, and against the inhabitants of Lower Connaught in
general, to try whether they could seize on any of their property.
Caffar, the son of Hugh Duv O'Donnell, went and ratified his peace
and friendship with Sir Oliver. The place at which Caffar had his
residence and fortress at this time was Dun-Aille, to the west of
Sligo; and Sir Oliver and Caffar prepared to go with their forces into
Fermanagh, in search of preys and spoils.
As soon as Rury O'Donnell heard of this expedition, it grieved him that
his allies and friends should be plundered, without coming to their
relief, if he could; and he repaired to O'Rourke (Brian Oge), to request
of him to join his forces, that they might engage the English at a pass
where he expected to get an advantage of them. He also requested him to
assist him in the war until O'Donnell should return to relieve the Irish,
and to give him one of his strong, impregnable castles, as a resting-place
for his wounded, disabled, feeble, and sick people; and, moreover, that he
would allow his people to remove with their property and cattle into his
territory. O'Rourke refused the son of O'Donnell everything he requested
of him, and the other was grieved and insulted at his refusal; but, seeing
that he was not strong enough to cope with the English, he remained to
protect his own people.
M1602.34 -
Sir Oliver was informed of the proceedings of Rury O'Donnell, and how he
had requested of O'Rourke to join him, to obstruct him Sir Oliver in the
expedition which we have before mentioned, and his animosity against him
grew greater on account of it; and he, therefore, sent for additional
forces to Athlone, to wreak his vengeance upon Rury. As soon as Rury
heard that the English of Athlone were approaching him from the south
side, and the English of Sligo from the other side, he collected his
property, his cattle, flocks, and herds, and moved with them across
Coirrshliabh-na-Seaghsa into Moylurg, from thence across the Shannon
into Muintir-Eolais, and to Sliabh-an-Iarainn, in Conmaicne-Rein; so
that the English seized no portion of them; and the English of Athlone
returned to their homes without gaining any victory on that occasion,
The people of the son of O'Donnell then returned back again with their
cattle to the places from which they had set out, namely, to Corran,
Leyny, and Tireragh.
M1603.1 -
O'Neill (Hugh, the son of Ferdorcha) and most of the Irish of
Leath-Chuinn, except O'Rourke, came in under peace; for a
proclamation for a general peace, and a restoration of his blood
and territory to every one that wished for it, had been issued by His
Majesty King James, after he had been appointed in the place of the
Queen as King over England, France, and Ireland.
M1603.4 -
The people of Rury O'Donnell repaired to Tirconnell with all their
property, cattle, and various effects, in the first month of spring.
But Rury himself, with his gathering and muster of Irish and English,
with Captain Guest, went (before his people had removed from the west)
to revenge and get satisfaction of O'Rourke (Brian Oge), for the insult
and dishonour he had some time before offered him (as he had in
contemplation some time before); so that they plundered and ravaged
Breifny, both its crops and corn, and all the cattle they could seize
upon, for the greater part of them had been driven into the wilds
and recesses of the territory. A few persons were slain between them,
among whom were Owen, the son of Ferdorcha O'Gallagher, and Turlough,
the son of Mac Loughlin, who fell by each other on that occasion.
A party of the English were left in garrison at Dromahaire, for the
purpose of plundering the country around them. O'Rourke was thenceforward
obliged to remain with a few troops in the woods or precipitous valleys,
or on the islands in the lakes of his territory.
M1604.1 -
O'Rourke (Brian Oge, the son of Brian-na-Murtha, son of Brian Ballagh,
son of Owen) died at Galway on the 28th of January, and was buried in
the monastery of Ross-Iriala, with the Franciscan Friars. The death
of the person who departed here was a great loss, for he was the
supporting pillar and the battle-prop of the race of Aedh-Finn,
the tower of battle for prowess, the star of the valour and chivalry
of the Hy-Briuin; a brave and protecting man, who had not suffered
Breifny to be molested in his time; a sedate and heroic man, kind
to friends, fierce to foes; and the most illustrious that had come
for some time of his family for clemency, hospitality, nobleness,
firmness, and steadiness.
M1605.2 -
O'Rourke (Teige, son of Brian, son of Brian, son of Owen), Lord of
Breifny, a man who had experienced many hardships and difficulties while
defending his patrimony against his brother, Brian Oge; a man who was
not expected to die on his bed, but by the spear or sword; a man who had
fought many difficult battles, and encountered many dangers, while
struggling for his patrimony and the dignity of his father, until
God at length permitted him to obtain the lordship, died, and was
interred with due honour in the Franciscan Monastery at Carrickpatrick.
M1609.2 -
Brian-na-Samhthach, son of Art, son of Brian-na-mucheirghe O'Rourke, was
slain by the English.
Source: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online
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