BOOK THREE CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Two of Book Three of Dirty Birre extends from about 976 A. D. to about 1086 A. D., which is that period from the time of Domhnall (King No. 173) to the time of Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain (King No. 178) who mled with opposition from 1055 A. D. to 1086 A. D. The continuation of this history of in Chapter Three of Book Three will extend back three years or so, as the dates of the rule of the Irish kings overlap so that 1083 will be a noted date for the beginning of the mle of the next Irish Monarch. It is probably important to remind the reader that the High Kings (or Ard Righ) of Ireland at this time, all mled Ireland with opposition from others, and that started after the time of the , when Brian Bom and his son were killed by the Danes.

No. 179 1083 A. D. to 1121 A. D. DOMHNALL MAC LOCHLAINN (with opposition) He was also known as Donall MacLoghlin, son of Ardgal, King of Aileach, as Donall O'Loghlann, as Domnall macArdgar O'Lochlainn O'Neill, as Domnall Ua Lochlainn (by Byrne). He is listed as Domnall by O'Corrain in his table of the Kings of the Northern Ui Neill. He was also King of Aileach. He was the son of Ardgar macLochlain, the king of Aileach. He jointly contested with Muircheartach Ua Briain who would become King No. 180 In 1083 A. D., Domnall Ua Lochlainn assumed the kingship of Cenel Eoghain. He carried out a king's raid on the Conaille and he carried off a great prey of cattle. He gave stipends from that prey to the men of Fernmag. In 1086 A. D., The following were noted: Turlough O'Brien, (King No. 178), the King of Munster, and the previous High King who had mled with opposition, died. Murtagh O'Brien was the King of Munster from 1086 A. D. to 1114 A. D. He became ill during his kingship, and his brother, Dermot O'Brien, assumed command of Munster. However, Murtagh O'Brien, who was more warlike than his brother, Dermot, wrested control of Munster back again. In 1088 A. D., an army was led by Domhnall, the son of Mac Lochlainn, King of Ireland. In 1090 A. D., A great meeting was attended by Domhnall, the son of Mac Lochlainn, King of Aileach

No. 180 1101 A. D. to 1119 A. D. MUIRCHEARTACH UA BRIAIN (with opposition) He was also known as Muirceartach O'Brien, King of Munster, as Muircheartach Mor O'Briain, as Muircheartach, as Muirchertach II MacToirdelbaig O'Brien, as (by Byrne)and as Murkertach (or Murtough) O'Brien. He is listed as Muircertach by O'Corrain in his table of Dal Cais Kings. He was also King of Munster. He was the son of Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain (King No. 178) In 1088 A. D., a ransom was paid by Muircheartach ua Briain In 1089 A. D., the fleet of the men of Munster, under the conduct of Muircheartach Ua Briain arrived on the Sinainn (the ). became the seat of the Munster royalty, and the residence of the O'Briens, as Kings of In 1101 A. D., a great army was led by Muircheartach Ua Briain, King of Munster, with the men of Munster, , Osraighe (or Ossory), Meath and Connaught In 1106 A. D., Murtagh O'Brien gave Cashel in county Tipperary to the Catholic Church. In 1110 A. D., Gilbert (or Giselbert) was the first bishop of Limerick, and he was a friend of Saint Anselm, for whom the college in North Andover, Ma. was named. Gilbert presided at the Synod of Rath Breasil, where King Muircheartach Ua Briain wanted eccliastical reform, and had corresponded with Saint Anselm about it. This Synod began a new era of agreement with Rome, and the Synod of Kells, held in 1152 A. D. confirmed this. In 1114 A. D., A great fit of sickness attacked Muircheartach Ua Briain, so that he became a living skeleton, and he resigned his kingdom. Diarmaid Ua Briain assumed the after him without permission. In 1115 A. D., Diarmaid Ua Briain, King of Munster, was taken prisoner by Muircheartach Ua Briain, who re- assumed his kingdom again, and who set out with an army into Leinster and Breagha. In 1115 A. D., the O'Glanney clan was an ancient clan when they fought against the Danes and with the forces of Brian Bom at Clontarf. Their heredity was as the Lords of Sligo Rock in County Sligo. Sligo Rock was an old house at the mouth of a small harbor. The marriage barge of Mourne O'Glanny is occasionally seen as a specter in the area. See Page 30 of "Ghosts in Irish Houses" for old Irish marriage customs. Black O'Flaherty was the enemy of the O'Glanney clan. He sacked castles at Dunluce, Annoy and Canlough, and then spent the winter at Portglenone in County Down. His men killed Aran Roe, who was to be a groom. There was a seven day wake for Aran Roe, followed by a Viking funeral, which is to set a ship out to sea with the body aboard, and to set it ablaze. During the wake, the WARN WOMAN from out beyond the Kyles of Rak mixed up a brew. As a follow up, the O'Scanlan clan overcame the O'Flaherty clan at the Battle of Lifford Glen. In 1118 A. D., Dermot O'Brien, the brother of Murtagh O'Brien, died In 1119 A. D., Murtagh O'Brien died. The successors of these O'Brien brothers were called Kings of Thomond, or Kings of Munster, or Kings of Limerick. All three titles were applied, but Limerick remained as their capitol until the invaded Ireland.

INTERREGNUM 1121 A.D. to 1127 A. D.

O'Hart the Historian says that though many contested for fifteen years, none assumed the title of Monarch of Ireland. (Dates often do not coincide.)

During the Twelfth Century, every Irish captive was set free as the result of the SYNOD OF . No. 181 1106 A.D. to 1156 A.D. TOIRDHEALBHACH UA CONCHOBHAIR (with opposition) He was also known as Tirloch Mor O'Connor, as Turlough O'Connor, as Turloch O'Conor, as Toirrdelbach macRuaidri na Saide Buide, as Toirrdhealbhach Mor, as Toirrdelbach Ua Conchobair (by Byrne) and as Tordelbach Mor. He is listed as Tairdelbach by Corrain in his table of Sil Muiredai (or O'Connor) Kings of . He was also King of Connaught (1106 A. D. to 1156 A. D.). He was the son of Ruaidri na Saide Buide mac Aeda Gai (bom. 1092 A. D. and died 1118 A. D.), King of Connaught who was the son of Aed in Gai Bemaig (who died in 1067 A. D.) who was also a King of Connaught, and of a long line of kings of Connaught. In 1119 A. D., He was said to have become High King in a different listing, which was called The Periphery of Francia. In 1116 A. D., Domhnall Mor O'Brien came to power. He blinded his brother, Brian to prevent him from getting to the throne. He conducted a feud with the men of Connacht (or Connaught). He would later swear allegiance to King Henry II of England so that he could obtain allies that he badly needed. In 1118 A. D., an army was led by Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair and Muirchertach MacNeill MacLochlainnking of Teamhair (or Tara). Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair was described as the greatest of Brian Bom's successors. Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchubhair, with the strength of Connaught, Leinster and Meath, and of Feara Teabhtha and of O'Ruairc's (O'Rourke's) country, made another hosting into Munster, and they made a free circuit of Munster until they reached Gleann Maghair, where they met Toirdhealbhach O Briain, King of Munster, and the son of Conchobhar O Briain and the men of Munster with them. There were three battalions in all. The battle of Moin Mhor was fought between them and the Dal gCais, and the men of Munster were defeated there and a countless number of them fell. Toirrdhealbach O Briain was banished to Tir Eoghan (or Tyrone), and Toirdhealbhach O Conchobhair divided Munster between Tadgh O'Briain and Diarmaid, the son of Cormac Mac Carrthaigh, (according to Keating the Historian in Book II, section XXIX). Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhar was the father of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (King No. 183) In 1146 A. D., the following were noted: Geraldis Cambrensis said "Fire is the greatest of enemies to every sort of Phantom, in so much as those who have seen any sort of apparitions, fall into a swoon as soon as they are sensible of the brightness of fire". He would become the English chronicler of the invasion of Ireland by the Anglo-Normans. He would also write a lot of weird writings. At this time, there were four main festivals celebrated each year. They were Beltane, Midsummer Eve, Samhain and Midwinter Festival. - Except for knights, only prelates were allowed to have gold bridles and harnesses. At this time, Bishop Snell gave gloves, pontificals and sandals to a cathedral, along with silken robes interwoven with golden spots and adorned with precious stones. In 1152 A. D., in May, the first Normans invaded Ireland, beginning a war with the Irish that would last over 850 years. It went about like this: - The Normans placed their faith in the use of force to attain their objectives. - Robert Fitzstephen and Maurice De Prendergast were the first group to enter Ireland and they were accompanied by 600 men. - Then, Raymond Le Gros and Maurice Fitzgerald landed with a larger force. In 1154 A. D. the following are noted: - was the name of the infamous PAPAL BULL or order which was given by English Cisternian Monk Nicholas Breakspeare who was consecrated in 1154 A.D. as Pope Adrian IV. Under the Donation of Constantine, whereby the Holy See in Rome claimed ownership of all of the islands that had been converted to Christianity, Pope Adrian IV gave Henry II, who was the King of England, a Papal Bull which authorized him to invade and conquer Ireland as a fief of the Holy See, provided he procured payment of Peters Pence, (a payment to Rome), and provided that he instituted reforms to put an end to the "enormous disorders and unchristian practices in that island". The Papal Bull had been previously issued when, in 1155 A.D. it was used by King Henry II of England to authorize the Norman knights in England to invade Ireland. By the time that he used it, he had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church. - Next, Richard, Earl of Pembroke, called Strongbow, arrived in Ireland with a thousand men. Battles were fought with the natives, and the Irish were unable to oust these invaders. In 1156 A. D., Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair, King of Connaught, Meath and Breifne, of Munster and all of Ireland, with opposition, blood of the glory and splendor of Ireland, the Augustus of the west of , a man full of charity and mercy, hospitality and chivalry, died after the 69th year of his age, and he was interred at'duain-mic- Nois ( in County Offaly) beside the altar of (Saint) Ciaran, after having made his will, and distributed gold and silver, cows and horses among the clergy and churches of Ireland, in general.

No. 182 1156A.D. to 1166 A.D. MUIRCHERTACH MACNEILL MACLOCHLAINN (with opposition) He was also known as Muircearth MacLoghlin, king of the Ui Neill, as Muirchertach mac Neill mac Lochlainn, as Murkertach O'Loghlan, as Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn (by Byrne), and as Murkertach O'Lochlainn. He is listed as Muirchertach by O'Corrain in his table of kings of the Northern Ui Neill. He was the son of Niall who was the son of Domhnall Mac Lochlainn (King No. 179) who was the son of Ardgar who was the son of Lochlann (or Lochlainn). He was also King of Cenel Eoghan from 1136 A. D. to 1143 A. D when he was deposed, and from 1145 A. D. to 1166 A.D. In 1166 A. D., Keating the Historian says that he "held the sovereignty of Leath Cuinn (Conn's Half) and of the greater part of Ireland for eighteen years until he fell by the men of Fearnmhagh (or Farney) and by O'Briunn. The victorious army was led by Donnchadh Ua Cearbhaill (or O'Carroll), lord of Oirghillia. He was one of eight kings of the Ui Neill and four other dynasties called "Kings of Ireland" by the Annals of .

No. 183 1166 A.D. to 1186 A. D., RUAIDRI UA CONCHOBAIR (with opposition) He was also known as Roderick O'Connor, as Rory O'Connor, as Ruadri mac Toirrdelbaig O'Connor, as Rory or Roderick O'Conor, as Ruadri Ua Conchobair (by Byrne) and as Rudraide O'Concobair. He was King of Connaught. He was the son of Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair (King No. 181). In 1166 A. D., Roderick O'Connor, along with his allies, particularly Tiernan O'Rourke who was the king of Breifne, along with the Dubliners, drove Diarmaid (or Diarmait or Dermott) MacMurrough (or MacMurchadha) from Ireland. Diarmaid fled to Bristol, England, and then to London, where he swore homage to King Henry II of England, in return for permission to recruit mercenaries to restore himself to his Leinster throne. In 1167 A. D., Dermot MacMurrough also recruited Flemish refugees under Richard Fitzgodebest de Roche, and another Flemish leader named Maurice de Prendergast. In 1168 A. D., Domhnall mor O'Brien built Saint Mary's Cathedral at the site of his former palace. In 1169 A. D., MacMurrough had appealed for help to King Henry II of England . He had been sent to where he made a deal with Strongbow (or Richard Fitzgilbert de Clare) and his knights. One of them, Robert' Fitzstephen landed on May 1 at Bannow, and then he went toward Wexford, to bum it, to pillage it and to subdue it The first targets of the Norman knights were the Viking settlements in the south of Ireland. The Norman invaders of Ireland had lived in England for a hundred years, after conquering that country in their of 1066 A. D., which took them only a year to do. When they arrived in Ireland, and they took over control of the Viking ports, it did not matter much to the Irish, as those areas were virtually under foreign (Viking) control anyway and exchanging one foreigner for another in those areas did not greatly affect the remainder of the Irish nation and the Irish people. If there was a change of power in Leinster, it did not significantly affect events in Desmond, Thomond, Connaught or Ulster. After all, it was Normans against the Northmen (or ), which was somewhat of a local feud. When the Normans used their bases of power to expand into other parts of Ireland, a different situation faced the Irish. In 1170 A. D. the following are noted: On August 23, Strongbow arrived at Baginbun, Dundonald and took Wexford,which was then a Danish stockade, by October, and his forces pillaged the town. Then, he took Old Town and slaughtered and pillaged again, but left seventy of its citizens alive. These seventy were bound in chains, their limbs were broken and they were cast into the sea by catapults. In September, fell, and all of the places where the Vikings had settled were in Strongbow's hands. Diarmait MacMurchada gave the hand of his daughter in marriage to Strongbow. Bags of gold were also presented to him. Diarmaid had assembled about 3,000 men, of which about 2600 were from Leinster and from the Vikings, while there were about 400 Normans with them. When King Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (or Roderick O'Connor) intervened, Diarmaid promised to expel the Normans, but he did not. - Roderick O'connor gathered the men of Irelsnd together to besiege Strongbow in Dublin, but his forces were defeated, and they left. In 1171 A. D., the following are noted: Robert Fitzstephen arrived in Ireland with a troop of Anglo-Norman soldiers. King Dohmnall Mor O'Brien of Limerick had successes against his Irish enemies, and through his alliances, the Normans began to exert their influence in the Limerick area. - Strongbow built Christ Church in Dublin on the site of a Danish church. In accordance with the pledge of Dermot MacMorrough, the ousted king of Leinster, the hand of his daughter, Eva (or Aoife), had been given to Strongbow, with twenty bags of gold and a parchment, promising Strongbow's succession to the throne of Leinster upon the demise of MacMorrough. - Diarmaid would die on May 1. Then, Strongbow claimed to be the lord of Leinster. - King Henry II, to ensure that his authority would extend to mle over Ireland, landed with a large army at Crook in Waterford on October 17. He stayed until the following Spring, and he expanded upon his claim to be the overlord of Ireland. He accepted submissions from a few of the Irish, who were immediately given back their authority over their own lands, and so they thought that they had given up nothing. It was these accessions that were not understood by the Irish that the English used to make their later claims of ownership of parts of the country, which they granted to favorites to own, provided that they rid the lands of their native occupants, or drive them into serfdom. - Near the border of Tipperary and Limerick is Kilkenny Castle which was built in 1192 A. D. and was owned by MacMorrough, the exiled king of Leinster. His people had fought against the Quinns of Limerick. His daughter, Red Aoife (Eva), became Strongbow's (Richard Fitzgilbert de Clare, Earl of Pembroke) wife in Waterford and legends attended her. She bore him eight children, all boys. One legend was that she was eight feet tall. She is supposed to have had dark red hair, which was very long. She embedded hunks of iron in it and she swung it to stun a man, using it as a weapon. She wore a spiked cuirass, which was a kind of metal jerkin, grooved and covered with flexible plates. A wide V-shaped breastplate of metal, which ran from shoulder to waist, was bristling with long, lethal spikes, which were as sharp as razors. They were needle-pointed. - Red Aoife (Eva) built a fortress tower at Cappamore to reduce the effectiveness of the small tribes like O'Murtagh and Quinn. She is quoted as saying "my ghost will take the shape of a red Kerry cow". She was shot in the throat by one of Desmond Quinn's bowmen, and she is buried in the crypt of Kilkenny Castle, with a red deer sculpted in stone at her feet. Desmond Quinn was her arch enemy. The Kilkenny Chronicles have been deposited in the Castle Museum. The Curse of the Nunnally is said to be that the eldest son is strangled before his twenty first year, and that a stag rampant is incised in raw flesh, just under the chin. - Kilkenny Castle became the home of the "Proud Butlers". They were the Marquises of Ormond for centuries. - King Henry II had arrived in Ireland with an army of Englishmen. By then, the Norman lords and their followers, with their superior arms, had defeated some of the Irish armies. King Henry II left Robert Fitzbernard at Waterford with a garrison. - Many years later, Portpatrick would become the usual route in sending English troops to Ireland, as it is only 21 miles from the . In 1172 A. D. the following were noted: After the Battle of Thurles, the Ostmen (Vikings) of Waterford revolted. The Anglo-Norman governor and four hundred others were killed. - King Dermot MacCarthy submitted to King Henry II of England, but the effort did not save his kingdom. In 1173 A. D., Cork city was attacked by the Norman forces of Raymond Le Gros. In 1175 A. D., the following were noted: Under the Treaty of Windsor, King Henry II gave one half of Ireland, which he did not own to the Normans. Connacht became a tributary kingdom, according to this Treaty. Raymong Le Gros of the Normans and the King of Ossory invaded the City of Limerick.and they held it. Then, Domhnall Mor O'Brien turned against his Anglo-Norman allies, and in a battle that took place near the town of Thurles in County Tipperary, O'Brien slew 1,700 of them Domhnall Mor O'Brien returned to Limerick with his forces, and he drove the Anglo-Norman forces out of the city. He then declared that Limerick would no longer be a nesting place for Foreigners. In 1176 A. D., Donal Mor O'Brien founded Saint Mary's Cathedral in the part of Limerick that is called "English Town. It is to the east of the Mathew Bridge. The original church had been rebuilt at least nine times. After a fire had taken place in the town, the Church was confiscated by the English authorities, and it is now a Protestant Church was has important personages interred within it. In 1177 A. D. the following were noted: Cork was granted by King Henry II to Milo de Cogan and Robert Fitzstephen, when it was garrisoned with Anglo Norman soldiers. This grant reserved the City of Cork and the surrounding Cantred of the Ostmen (Vikings) to the English Crown.. John de Courcey and his forces invaded Ulster In 1185 A. D., The following were noted: - In some respects, the Catholic Pope of Rome was the owner of the Irish fief. This was because, under "The Donation of Constantine", Rome claimed the ownership of all of the Catholic islands of the world, and Ireland was one of them. Under that "Irish Bull" which had been issued by the only ever English Pope, Nicholas Breakspeare, to King Henry II, and King Henry II having been excommunicated from the Catholic Church some years prior to the terms of the Papal Bull being utilized, the English King Henry II still used that Papal Bull as his reason (or excuse) to authorize an invasion of Ireland by the Normans who were living in his country, and to undertake his own personal invasion of Ireland, and also as his claim to the ownership of Ireland, so as to be able to deed portions of it torn his subordinates. - While the City of Cork had been given to the Anglo Normans in 1177 A. D., control of the city had remained in the hands of King Dermot MacCarthy, until his death in this year, when Cork City became a dependency of the English Crown. - King John of England was 17 years old when he came to Ireland. - King John granted the greater part of the Province of Munster, which was land of the O'Briens, to his butler named Theobald Walter. Then Walter adopted the name of "Butler", and the Earldom of Ormond was founded. This is the origin of the Butler name in Ireland. Anne Butler Corcoran is from that family tree, and is our relative. - County Tipperary was given to William de Burgo, a name we know today as Burke. Aunt Julia married a Burke, and they lived in England until he died. - The Fitzgeralds were granted West Limerick and a large part of County Kerry for their services, and they were the ancestors of the Earls of Desmond. - John De Courcy was given Ulidia, which we know today as Ulster. Mary Lou Keating told me that the de Courceys were in her family line. De Courcy had married Affreca, the daughter of the King of the . - Bertram de Bardon was given the O'Carroll land that was known as the Territory of Oriel. - Tir Conaill (Donegal) went to the Fitzgeralds. - Tir Eoghan (Tyrone) went to Gilbert De Angulo which family later became the Costellos. Other information I have says that the MacOscars also became Costellos. - King John's Castle was built to keep watch over the O'Briens and the Kingdom of Thomond. - In the Limerick area, the forces of Domhnall Mor O'Brien defeated those of Prince John of England. - King John of England renewed the grant of the Kingdom of Limerick to Philip De Braose, but he excepted from that grant the City of Limerick, the cantred of the Vikings (or Ostmen) and the Holy Island. - King John, as a part of his grant of the Kingdom of Limerick, gave the custody of the holy Island to William De Burgo (or Burke). - Domhnall Mor O'Brien resumed his attacks upon the Connacht (or Connaught) area by attacking . His own territory had previously been attacked by Galway men. In 1186 A. D., Ruaidri Ua Conchobair was deposed. In 1188 A. D., the following were noted: Prince John of England as the Lord of Ireland, granted a charter to the City of Cork. John de Courcey and his followers invaded Connacht, and they were repulsed by the inhabitants. In 1189 A. D., King Richard the Lionheart was King of England, and he mled for ten years. During his mle, Limerick in Ireland became the second largest city to Dublin, and it was granted a charter to operate given by the English king, and to elect its own mayor. These privileges existed for 100 years prior to either Dublin or London receiving those privileges. In 1194 A. D., Domhnall Mor O'Brien died during this year. By this time, the Anglo-Norman forces had taken control of Limerick. In 1195 A. D., the City of Cork was besieged, and it was recaptured by the MacCarthys. In 1197 A. D., The City of Limerick was given its first charter. It was ten years prior to the City of London receiving its charter. In 1198 A. D., Ruaidri Ua Conchobair died, and he was interred at Clonmacnoise in County Offaly. He is referred to as being one of eight kings of the Ui Neill and four other dynasties who were called "King of Ireland by the . Byrne the Historian says that he was the last .

THE ANGLO NORMAN INVASION OF IRELAND

Following is an attempt to clarify some portions of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.

King Henry II of England was the grandson of William of Normandy, the Conqueror of England in the Norman Conquest of 1066 A. D., which was accomplished in one year. The Normans had intentions of conquering Ireland, as well as England, but they hadn't gotten around to it. For a hundred years, they had been consolidating their grasp on the lands in England that they had conquered.

Rome regarded Ireland as a nation that was in total turmoil. That was mainly because the Peter's Pence was not being collected from the Irish and forwarded to Rome for its operational needs. Reports were being forwarded to Rome by the English that were greatly exaggerated as to existing conditions in Ireland. At that time, Adrian IV (Nicholas Breakspeare) had become the only ever English Pope. King Henry II asked the Pope to sanction him to restore order in Ireland, and the Pope responded by issuing a Papal Bull with conditions attached to it. That Papal Bull no longer exists, and its contents have been misrepresented by English writers, hired by its government to rewrite English history, for many centuries. At the time that it was issued, it was stored away and it was not used. King Henry changed his pious attitude toward the Catholic Church, and his actions with regard to the murder of Saint Thomas a' Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury were such that the Catholic Church in Rome excommunicated him. It was after that happened that he used the fraudulently obtained letter from the English Pope to attempt to justify his invasion of Ireland. That Papal Bull was called "Laudabiliter".

In 1152 A. D., there was a feud between Tiernan O'Ruarc, the Prince of Breffni and Diarmaid MacMurrough, the Prince of Leinster. O'Ruarc had been dispossessed of his land, and it had been given to MacMurrough. Devorgilla, who was the wife of O'Ruarc and a great beauty, eloped with MacMorrough, who was her husband's most bitter rival and foe. Her father appealed to Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair (King No. 181), Ireland's High King, for justice in the matter, and he agreed that action was needed. MacMurrough's territory was surrounded, and Devorgilla was sent back to her husband. However, she was no longer his wife. She lived for another forty years, in penitence and in doing good deeds. An "eric" or fine was required to be paid under Brehon law by MacMurrough, but he refused to pay it, and that was a grievous offense against the society of that time. In 1166 A. D., Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (King No. 183) (or Roderick O'Connor) came to power. He was the son of Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair. He made his circuit of his Irish kingdom, collecting tribute and claiming hostages from appropriate areas, as was the custom of those times. Instead of acknowledging his allegiance to the High King, MacMurrough burned his base of operations at Ferns, and he retreated into his Wicklow stronghold. King Roderick passed by Wicklow, and he took hostages in the southern part of Ireland. Then, he returned to resolve issues with MacMurrough. O'Ruarc gathered his forces, and he marched upon the area controlled by MacMurrough from the north with a large army, while King Roderick closed in on him from the south. In 1168 A. D., the following were noted: MacMurrough left his people, and he fled to a seaport, and he sailed away to a forced exile in England. He vowed vengeance against his enemies. An assembly of the princes of Ireland placed a sentence of banishment upon him, and his cousin, of the same name, was installed as the King of Leinster. This new king of Leinster became known as MacMurrough of the Gael (or Morrough na Gael), while the banished king became known as MacMurrough of the Foreigners (or Morrough na Gall). Morrough na Gall went to the King of England who was in Aquitaine at the time, quelling a revolt among some nobles. He invited King Henry II to enter Ireland, so as to re-install him as the King of the province of Leinster. However, King Henry was too busy at the time. He gave Morrough na Gall a royal letter to anyone in his kingdom who might wish to aid the banished Irish king, that encouraged them to do so. Then, Morrough of the Gall returned to England, but he had trouble finding appropriate people to enlist in his cause. At this time, one of the men who would later become a part of Irish history was William fitz-Adlem de Burgo, who was also known as Adelmson or as Mac William Burke. His progeny would become mlers of a large portion of northwestern Ireland. Robert Fitzstephen was a Norman knight who was a relative of the Prince of Wales. He was in prison, and was held there by Cambrian kinsmen. His release was obtained, providing that he gave service to Morrough na Gall. Fitzstephen secured the services of several others. They included Maurice Fitzgerald, Meyer Fitzhenry and more. While these people were men of daring, their individual circumstances were poor. Also, Richard de Clare was enlisted to the cause. He was the Earl of Pembroke, and he was known as "Strongbow". He was a man of mined fortune, and was known to be greedy, needy and unscrupulous, but he had a following of Welsh knights at his service. He was between fifty and sixty years of age, and he was a widower. To obtain Strongbow's services, he was promised marriage to the daughter of Morrough, along with bags of gold, and the kingship of Leinster after the death of Morrough. Other members of the assemblage were promised large grants of land for their service, even though no one person could grant Irish land to anyone, as it was owned collectively by each tribe. Together, a force of adventurers was assembled for an Irish invasion, and the arrangements were completed in Chester, England.

Morrough na Gall returned to Wexford, where he feigned remorse and great humility for his previous actions, such that he did not constitute an immediate threat to anyone in Ireland. He said that his only wish was to regain his position as King of Leinster which was his leadership of the tribe of Hy Kinsella. He found some of his clansmen who were friendly toward him, and he gathered a following of the Leinster men. While doing so, he was making preparations for the Normans to follow him into Ireland, as a part of an invasion force. In early May, a group of strange vessels arrived in a small creek on the Wexford coast, near Bannow. It was the advance guard of an army, and it consisted of 30 knights, 60 men in armor and 300 footmen. They were led by Robert Fitzstephen. On the next day, Maurice de Prendergast, with an additional force of Welshmen, arrived, and they sent notice to Morrough na Gall of their arrival. He hastened to meet them, and he came with all of the men at arms that he could summon to his side.

The men joined forces, and they attacked and laid siege to Wexford. The town was occupied mainly by Vikings, and they fought against the invaders, but lost. The town capitulated to the attackers, and it was looted and pillaged. The joint force marched into Ossory, where they were confronted by Fitzpatrick, the Prince of Ossory, who commanded a small force of men. They were easily defeated, with much bloodletting. The Ossory men had defended well until they were tricked into an open area, and the Norman knights on their horses were able to carry the field.

High King Roderick O'Connor was informed of the invasion of Leinster. He did not know that English forces had arrived, and he thought that the battles were just the men of Leinster fighting against their neighbors. Upon being notified, he summoned the national army of Ireland to meet at Tara. For some reason, the northern contingent under MacDunlevy, the Prince of Ulidia, refused to join the forces. King Roderick marched to Ferns with the rest of his men, as that was the capital of Leinster at the time, and he tried to parlay with the invaders. His attempt at diplomacy seemed to work, as Morrough na Gall seemed to agree to any reasonable terms. Agreement was reached on a treaty between the parties, and the sovereignty of Leinster was returned to MacMurrough (or Morrough na Gall), who gave up his own son as a hostage to King Roderick. A provision of the treaty was that no additional foreigners would be allowed to enter into Ireland. With no indication of any further invasions from England, King Roderick O'Conner gave his support to Morrough na Gall, and he withdrew his forces.

Immediately, Maurice Fitzgerald arrived from England with an additional Norman group. They landed in Wexford, and they marched upon Dublin. At that time, Dublin was occupied mainly by Danes, as it had formerly been a Danish city before the Battle of Clontarf. It was mled by a Danish Prince, Hasculf MacTurkill, who was a representative of High King Roderick O'Connor. The Normans began to assert that they controlled the monarchy of Ireland at this time. Then, a third Norman force arrived, led by Raymond le Gros (or Raymond the Fat), which landed on a Waterford estuary, on its Wexford side, and they fortified themselves upon the Rock of Dundonolf in haste, awaiting another stronger force of Normans, led by Strongbow.

King Roderick O'Connor got ready to take his forces into action. At this time, Donogh O'Brien, who was Prince of Thomond, elected to dissolve his allegiance to the High King of Ireland. In the face of an invasion by Anglo Norman forces, this action amounted to insurrection. At this same time, Strongbow was at Milford Haven in England preparing his large force of invaders to enter Ireland. England's King Henry II did not trust Strongbow, and thought that he might be intending to set himself up as the King of Ireland, so he ordered that Strongbow's force not embark for Ireland.

In 1170 A. D., on August 23, Strongbow ignored the king's order, and his fleet landed at Waterford with a thousand men.. He was soon joined by the forces of Raymond le Gros from Dundonolf, and together they began a siege of Wexford, which was a Danish stockade, and they pillaged the town Then, they went to Waterford which was another of those Danish cities which still retained the influence of the Viking settlements, and it was governed and commanded by Reginald, who was a Danish prince. The Irish natives near the city came to its defense under the command of O'Felan. They fought bravely against the invaders, using the city walls to their advantage, but the Normans were very capable fighters, and skilled in the arts of war. They breached the walls, and they entered the city, butchering many that they found, and pillaged the place. The Normans had left 70 of the city's citizens alive. These 70 people were bound in chains, their limbs were broken, and they were cast into the sea by catapults.

Morrough na Gall arrived at the end of the battle, and he had his daughter, Aoife (Eva) with him. She was married to Strongbow in the middle of the ruined city. Then, Strongbow and Morrough na Gall marched to Dublin with their forces. King Roderick O'Connor tried to intercept them with his Irish forces, but he was not successful. The invaders reached the gates of the city, and they prepared to set siege to it.

The citizens of the city asked for a meeting to discuss terms for the local community. They had heard about the fate of Waterford, and they did not want the same thing to happen to them. Their Archbishop Lawrence (or Lorgen O'Tuahal), who was the first prelate of Irish origin, was sent to negotiate with the attacking force. He was 39 years old, and he was the son of the Lord of Imayle, and he was the chief of his clan. His sister was the former wife of Morrough na Gall, and she was the mother of Aoife (Eva), who was now Strongbow's wife. In his youth, he had been a hostage along with Morrough, and after that he had been the abbot of Glendalough. For the defenders, Maurice Regan, called "The Latiner" (or former secretary) to Morrough, had gone to the walls of the city to present "thirty pledges" to the attackers.. Asculph, who was the son of Torcall, and in charge of the city, was in favor of its surrender, but the citizens could not agree as to which ones of them would be the hostages of the attackers. No one was willing to trust anyone else.

While the archbishop was out of the city, talking over the details of its capitulation, and the people of the town were awaiting his return, Milo de Cogan and Raymond le Gros, with their forces, broke into the city. They began to put the occupants to the sword. Their whole army followed them, and a great slaughter took place. The archbishop hurried back into the city, in an attempt to end the slaughter, but he was not able to do so The Danish chief, Asculph, with many of his followers, escaped to their ships, and they fled to the Isle of Mann and to the for safety.

King Roderick O'Connor did not have forces that were suited to maintain an extended siege of Dublin, as it was already October, so he broke up his encampment in Clondalkin, and he returned with his forces to Connaught. Strongbow appointed Milo de Cogan as the governor of Dublin, and he attempted to pursue the army of King Roderick O'Connor in its retreat, as urged by Morrough na Gall. Strongbow plundered and burned churches at Kells, at Clonard and at Slane. He carried off hostages at east Meath. King Roderick, who had demanded that Morrough na Gall return to his allegiance and that he fight for the defense of his country, beheaded the son of Morrough, who was his hostage to ensure that the Treaty of Ferns was kept. Then, Morrough na Gall died of some unknown illness at the age of 81 years. He is also known as Diarmaid of the Foreigners. In 1172 A. d., the construction of Christ Church in Dublin was begun. Upon his demise, Richard de Clare, the Norman who was also known as "Strongbow" was entombed there. 1175 A. D. THE LORDSHIP OF IRELAND TO ENGLAND

O'Hart the Historian says that, after accepting the conditions offer to him by King Henry■ H of Englan* King Roderick O'Connor continued in the government of Ireland, (or at least the name of it), until 1186 A. D. when wet of Sew^d of its «™bles he forsook a" of itS P°mp and hC "*** " m°naS,ery' Tn mslt^ta^ tf wkk King Hen^ I. of England gave one half of Ireland to the Normans. f„ m5AbD.!Toehn Sceytd his forces invaded Ulster, and they conquered it. De Courc/s wife, Afireca, would later found the Cisternian Abbey in County Down and other abbeys, also. In 1177 A. D., the following were noted: De Courcy founded a castle at Dundrum. - The English Council of Oxford in England granted the Irish kingdoms Of Lmenck and Thomond to Philip De Braose. They probably had no authority to do so. p,MiaBj frftm - Prince John was the youngest son of King Henry II of England He was granted the UnUup' *^ £? this date forward. He held that Lordship during the reign of his father, King Henry II (1177 A. D. to 1189 A. D) through the reign of King Richard the Lionheart (1189 A. D. to 1199 A. D.) and his own (from 1199 AD. to 1216 AD), with the possible exception (through 1194 A. D. and 1195 A. D.) when he was deprived of his Norman and English lands for trying to usurp his brother's throne, while he was off to the Crusades. In 1188 A. D., John de Courcey and his forces invaded Connacht, but they were repulsed. In 1189 A. D. to 11 99 A. D., Prince John of England, one of the sons of King Henry II, was the Count of Mortain. In 1198 A. D., Rory O'Connor (or Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, King No. 183) died. In 1199 A. D. the following were noted: . - Prince John of England became King John of England, and he would mle until 1216 A. D. Dunng his reign, the "Constitution of the First Shires" (or counties) began. It was the English way of attempting to place English laws relating to ownership of land into effect in Ireland, so that it could be confiscated from the Insh. Under tribal law in Ireland, all land was owned by the tribes. Since no individual owned any of it, there was no one from whom the English could confiscate it. Establishing shires was a first step in the English confiscation process. «.„,.„. r^ ™ * +u~-~^u~e - Settlements had been established for Anglo-Normans under the auspices of William De Burgo to the north of Limerick and also in the Limerick area. A castle and a bridge had been constructed, and the Anglo-Normans had arrived in large numbers. They had established friendly relations with others in the Limerick countryside, and with their neighbors. It was beginning to become very difficult to attempt to dislodge them. They were blending into the area, and they had begun to adopt some of the customs, which they deemed to be practical for

Ushering in the 13th Century, there was no commercial activity in Ireland to speak of. The English interests did not want any competition for their own commerce from this Irish country that they deemed to be their underling.

In 1201 AD and in continuing years, the members of the De Burgo (or Burke) family fought many battles against the men of Connacht (Connaught) with varying results, and they established their town and their castle to assist them in defending their sites against the attacks of the men of Connacht. In 1203 A. D., the following were noted: - King John of England granted the City of Limerick to William De Braose. However, he would regret his action, and he would later try to reclaim the city from him, but he would intitially fail, and De Braose would retain his rights to mle the city. However, that would change at a later date. - In Connacht, the O'Scanlons were routed by the O'Haggerty tribe at Connellan Castle, and they fled to the Lakes of Menlo. Their last stronghold was at Castle Blake on the Corrib River in County Galway. In 1204 A. D., the forces of DeCourcy defeated those of King John of England (who was King Henry Ws son), but DeCourcy was later captured, and he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was released from his imprisonment, and he died in France. In 1206 A. D., King John of England would regain control of the City of Limerick. In 1210 A. D., King John's forces besieged the castle of William De Braose that was located in Meath. The wife and the son of William De Braose were captured, along with another (different) man named William De Braose and his daughter-in-law. Those captives were transported back to a prison in Winsor,England in chains. In 1216 A. D., the following were noted: On October 19, King Henry III became King of England. Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo was founded by King Cathal Crovdearg of Connacht. - Athenry was attacked by the forces of Cathal Crovdearg, but they were repelled in the first Battle of Athenry. In 1224 A. D., the following were noted: Cathal Crovdearg (O'Connor) also known as Cathal Oge and Cathal of the wine red hand, died. He was the king of Connacht, and he was the son of Turlough Magh O'Connor, who had commissioned the Cross of Cong. He was also the brother of Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (King No. 183) - He was immediately succeeded by his son, Hugh O'Connor, as king of Connacht without opposition, because he held hostages of Connacht previous to the death of his father. Another son, O'Brien, would become king of Thomond. Hugh O'Connor ordered the eyes of the son of Monaghan to be put out because he had committed a rape. He also ordered the hands and feet of another man to be cut off because he had committed a robbery. Hugh O'Connor would die on his journey home from Jerusalem, and the River Jordan. In 1225 A. D., the Normans invaded, and they conquered Connacht. Ireland had five provinces before their invasion, and four after it. In 1226 A. D., King John's Castle was attacked, and it was defended by Richard de Burgh, its constable. In 1228 A. D., Richard More, who was the son of William fitz-Adlem de Burgo, was the first of the Burkes to enter Ireland. He arrived, on behalf of the English Crown as the "Justiciary", or the Lord Deputy. In 1234 A. D., the following were noted: Dame Alice Kyteler was accused of being a witch. She escaped from her accusers, and her maid, Petronilla, was burned at the stake in her place. After a siege that lasted four days, Richard De Burgh, who was now the Earl Marshall of England, captured Limerick from his base that had been established on King's Island. The City of Limerick had begun to develop. It had survived the bloody strife of the O'Briens, the difficulties that it had with De Burgo and the problems of the De Clares and Fitzgeralds. - The area had become the County of Limerick under English law, and in accordance with the new system of control that was being introduced into Ireland to allow confiscation of the lands of the native Irish by English interests. In 1235 A. D., the Normans crossed the River Shannon to capture Galway and Mayo. They set out to develop settlements at Galway, Ballinrobe, Loughrea and Athenry. In 1241 A. D., the City of Cork received a Charter from King Henry III of England. In 1242 A. D., Donnchadh Cairbreach O'Brien died. He had become allied with the Anglo-Norman forces in Ireland, and he had paid homage to King John of England at Waterford. He had been granted the Kingdom of Thomond. He had lost Limerick to the Anglo-Normans.

No. 184 1258 A.D. to 1260 A.D. BRIAN O'NEILL He was also known as Brian O'Niall. O'Hart the Historian lists Brian O'Neill as 184th on his list based upon the submission to Brian by many of the Irish chiefs which is described in the Annals of the Four Masters as being in 1258 A. D. In 1260 A. D., With the Irish dissatisfied with their land losses, Brian O'Neill revolted. He was the King of Tir Eoghan (or Tyrone), and he was recognized by the O'Briens and the O'Connors as the Ard Righ of Ireland. The Annals record that "Brian O'Neill, the chief of Ireland" was slain at Downpatrick in County Down in a battle against the English (or Normans) of the north of Ireland. With him, many Irish chiefs were slain. In 1261 A. D., the MacCarthys, who were fighting for their land, defeated Fitzthomas' forces at the Battle of Callan, and they regained control of the Province of Leinster In 1262 A. D., the following were noted: The Irish chieftains invited King Haakon of to lead them in attacks against the Normans in Ireland, but he refused to join with them. The Irish chieftains began to employ the use of gall oglaigh (or foreigners) as gallowglasses. They were mercenaries that functioned as heavy infantry for the Irish. In 1270 A. D., The following were noted: Limerick had become a walled city, so as to defend itself against attacks. It was an isolated outpost for English interests in the middle of an Irish countryside and its Irish forces. Aodh O'Connor (or Hugh mac Felim O'Conor) wounded and captured William de Burgo, the Earl of Ulster, along with many other English nobles at the battle of Athkip. Later, O'Conor had them all killed. O'Connor defeated the forces of Walter De Burgo (Burke) to gain control of Meath. 1,1,28 M this to/^dSeTeriod prior to it, bands of mercenary soldier arrived in Ireland from . ' mt meTwe^7g8wT..PtrainedP well equipped and armed and they fought well against the.Norman

imraders for the Celts. Their leader was Donal O'Donnell who became the ruler of Breiffne. By 1281, there was an oneoine Ditched battle between the and the Gauls (or strangers). " forcVsTa tattk?rMoyne o7 Adam c£* of and Kilroe those in the of William barony Barrett,of Tirawley Barrett in County was wounded Mayo, which and taken was fought pnsoner. benveen He d,ed the from

his wounds. Adam Fleming was among the many others who died there. "■ 1M»wtSlSLM.lly.fWilta Barret,, was slain by Adam Cusak.

In"l294 A DRichardTta» me Red Earl of Ulster, was taken prisoner by John ftaThomas (01■ F.^erald, who was fte Baron 5rOA|y. and who was the leader of the Geraldines). He was released by order of the K.ng of England during the following year In 1284 A. D., Cork City had new walls built for its protection.

English interests had continued the subjugation of Irish industry through the previous century to.«»^> miastry ta£ own England would have no competition, and they extended that concept through the 14* Century.

In the earlv part of the 14* Century, those Anglo-Norman residents of Ireland that had attained prominence through fte ettaW shrnemofLordships and peerages were allowed to keep them, and to retain their status in the nsh tomm™ esTwh ch they flourished. Jealousy and competition brought explosions of interests from ttme to, .me, arid o^rruXarose for some of the Irish to gain back some of their losses when the "establishment" quarreled.

Inl300A D at Corran in Connacht, the Earl of Ulster began the construction of his castle at Ballymote. In" 1303 A. D.: after performing many "exploits" in Scotland, the Earl of Ulster returned to Ireland with many of his barons and knights. Tn 1306 AD was made king of Scotland at bcone. In 1308 a! D., Piers Gaveston, who was England's viceroy for Ireland, went to Limerick, and the O'Briens made

In^^D^^wmiamBurke had collected a great army of 5,000 men, and he marched his forces to me castle at BunZ (in Coun^Clare), to fight against Richard de Clare and Dermot O'Brien. He went there to hel,> Donough, UKsTof Turlough More A battle was fought there, and the first "slaughter" went against the forces of de Clare, wfthlny cSries. A second "slaughter" took place, and mis time, the forces of Sir William Burke were slam in great numbers. In a third "slaughter" that followed, Sir William Burke was taken prisoner by his opponents. He was released at the request of the Judiciary (or lord Lieutenant for Ireland). In 1314 A. D., the following were noted: ..... j -j j.„ Robert toe Bmce of Scotland defeated the English army at Bannockburn in Scotland He then decided to attack England through Ireland, by cutting off supplies that were being fed to the E ngh sh arm,*.from Irish farms. The Bmces are descendents of the "Scottish Milesians", (who were those Irish who migrated to Scotland from Ireland). De Clare burned the suburbs of the City of Limerick. In 1315 A D.. the following were noted: . , __ ...... Edward *e Bruce, L the Lord Earl of Murray, landed at in on *e 25 of May with 6 OOOScotand 300 ships. Belfast was one of the "good towns and strongholds" destroyed by . Many years later, the White Star Lines would launch their ships from there at Queen's Island. - sS after they arrived, Donall O'Neill, (who was the Irish Lord of TirOwen and the ■»« «f UhM)> »h° hated the English, gave Edward the Bruce his allegiance. The other Irish chiefs joined with Donall O Neill in the oledse to assist Edward (the) Bruce...... A - Their combined forces went to , where a fight took place against the forces of Sir Theobald Verdon and the town burgesses, and some of them were killed. The rest of them ran away. The town was sacked and

- ThTscot forces, led by Edward Bruce, entered into parts of Oriel, and they were confronted by the forces 0f Sir Richard the Earl of Ulster and judiciary of Ireland and those of both Sir Roger Mortimer and Sir William Burke, ready to give them battle. Sir Richard, the Earl of Ulster, ordered the English forces to retreat to their own lands, where they took no action against the Scots for five or six weeks. When the English were unable to resolve the issue of the Scotch forces being in Ireland against them, they advanced toward Connor in County Down. A battle was fought, and Sir William Burke was captured and taken prisoner. He was sent to Scotland. When his two sons were sent as hostages for him, he was released Among those who had also been captured and sent to Scotland were Philip Stanton and his brother, Richard, along with John Stanton. After some time had elapsed, all three were set free by Edward the Bmce, with the payment of ransom. Sir Richard, the Lord Earl of Ulster, returned home with the remainder of his army. - Just before Christmas, the Scotch forces of Robert the Bmce arrived at Kenlis in County Meath, where they were attacked by the English forces of Sir Roger Mortimer. The Scotch forces prevailed in the battle, and they slew Sir Roger Mortimer, and many of his army. In 1316 A. D., the following were noted: . . a<

- A battle' took place at Ardscoll with the forces of the Lord Judiciary of Ireland, who were joined by those of the leaders of the Munster and the Leinster English. William Prendergast was among some of the English Army members who fell in battle. After inflicting Leinster and Meath with burnings and many other depredations, the Scotch forces returned to Ulster. All of these things had occurred within a year of the landing of the Scotch forces. j^c-i - Rory O'Conor, the son of Cathal O'Conor, had been denied certain lands in Connacht by Sir Richard, the Earl of Ulster He joined his forces with those of Edward Bruce, and 7 days after the Catholic Feast of the Assumption, began his war against the lands of the Earl of Ulster by burning down the town of Ballymote at - BecausTof the fury and terror of Rory O'Conor, the burgesses of Sligo burned their own towns before he could reach them. , .»,. , ..u^-*. - A few days after his sack of Ballymote, Rory O'Conor marched a great army into the area of Slievelua, where he attacked the castles ofNangle (later known as Costello) at Castlemore and at Kilcolman. - He marched to Tubberbride (or the Bride's Well), and on the following day, he burned the town of Tubberbride. On the next day, he burned the Town of Dunamon and killed many of its inhabitants In that time period, those towns were occupied by the English, and the Irish were not allowed to live in them. He went to the Town of Roscommon on the same day, and he burned it, also. - After his actions against the English forces, Rory O'Connor was created King of the province of Ulster, and Felim, who was the son of Hugh O'Conor, was banished by him. - Rory O'Connor began to dress and act like a warrior, and he took military action against the town of Dunmore and the forces of the English Lord ofDunmore, sacking and burning the town. - Rory O'Connor, with his Kelly allies, attacked the forces of the Richard de Bermingham, the Lord of Atheny, and many ofdeBremingham's allies. - Rory O'Connor was slain in battle by the forces of Felim, the former king of Connaught, who was allied by Mulruana MacDermot, the chief of Moylburg, and with Richard de Bremingham., the Lord of Athenry. Many other English and Irish leaders had joined together to oppose Rory O'Conor. Among those who were killed with him were Dermot (gaul) MacDermot, Cormac MacKeharny and Donough MacRory. - King Felim returned to his former reign of Connacht for the second time. He gathered a great army, and they went to Ballylahan, where they sacked and burned the place. Among those who were killed there were Milo de Cogan, the leader of that family in Ireland, Stephen de Exeter, a principal in his family along with his brother Petrus Others who were killed included Sir William Prendergast, William Lawless, Nicholas Stanton, William Barrett and his brother Philip, Maurice de Rochford and his two sons, thirty six burgesses a n d m a n y o t h e r s . , - Then King Felim of Connacht gathered a greater army than before, and he marched to Athenry, where he fought the Second Battle of Athenry with the forces of Sir William Burke, who was allied with Richard Bremingham and all of the English chiefs of Connacht. It was said that about 7,000 men were involved in the fighting. During the battle, King Felim, Teigue O'Kelley and 28 other O'Kellys died. Art O'Hara, Manus macAndrias O'Conor, Conor O'Dowda, Melachlin O'Conorand very many others were also slain, as were many others. The rest of King Felim's forces were put to flight. Gerald Gannard was one of the English who were killed. - During this year, Edward the Bmce finished his career of conquests in Ireland in the area to the north ot the city of Limerick, and he "maintained his court" (rested his troops) in Limerick until Easter of 1917. In 1317 A. D., the following were noted: Lord Robert Bruce, the king of Scotland, landed in Ireland with another force to support his brother, and together they had 20,000 troops available. - Together with his brother, Edward, and a great army, they went into Meath, into Leinster and into Munster, as far as Limerick. - For five days, they waited near Limerick for English forces to attack them. The English forces avoided them, and it left them free to prey upon the spoils and riches of the area. After that, they returned along the same route to their original base of operations. - Because of the effects of Bmce's wars on the economy of the Irish nation and the famine that they caused, the Pope excommunicated all of Bmce's followers. - The English claimed that the forces of Roger Mortimer had been placed in command of a large force sent over from England, and that they repelled the forces of the Scotch army. - Lord Robert Brace went back to Scotland, but Lord Edward Bmce remained at . - When Robert Brace defeated the forces of Richard, the Red Earl of Ulster, he was crowned by some as King of Ireland. Edward Brace had defeated the English forces twice and together, the armies of the two brothers had ravaged the area known as the Pale. Lord Richard Burke, the Earl of Ulster was made a prisoner by the citizens of Dublin and the King of England's officers. After a short time, he was released on the security of the principal English leaders. - Edward Bmce was said to have defeated the English in eighteen battles in two years. Myler (Myles) de Exeter was slain at Drumcliff by Cathal Andrias and Brian O'Dowda. Members of the clan of Brian Rua (or Red Brian) who were killed in the battle of the Abbey of Corcumrua included Donough the son of Donall O'Brien, Murtagh the son of Donough, Brian of Berra who was the son of Conor O'Brien, and Teigue of Limerick who was the son of Donall. Teigue was also the grandson of Brian Rua O'Brien. All of these men and many more were slain by the forces of Dermot, who was the son of Turlough More O'Brien, together with the forces of Mac ConMara and their confederates. The Irish forces had decided to capitalize on Dermot's popularity, so they had joined with him, and Together, they managed to get back some of their lands that had been confiscated. On Rathlin Island, where Robert Bmce had watched a persevering spider, he learned a lesson of persistence. He had been a refugee from Scotland at that time. Strange things happened at Rathlin. Some were: One man saw a company of armed men going through their exercises at the beach Every morning, a woman used to see a large fleet sailing up the channel between Rathlin and the mainland Some believed that a green mystery island would rise out of the sea every seven years All of this is blamed on the Grey Man of the North That somewhat sums up the activities of the Scotch forces in Ireland during their second year there.

In 1318 A. D., the following were noted: Robert the Brace returned to Scotland. Edward Bruce remained in Ireland, and he marched his forces southerly. He was met by Norman (English) forces at Faughert, who were under the command of John de Bremingham, and the forces of Edward Brace were defeated. By this time, Edward Bruce had worn out his welcome in Ireland, as his troops had become detested by the Irish because of their plundering and their foraging of the Irish landscape. - There were new grants made to the Normans by the English. The County of Kildare area was given to John Fitzgerald, while Desmond became the property of Maurice Fitzgerald, and Ormond went to James Butler. In the autumn of the year, Ireland experienced great amount of rain, and it caused the loss of all of the wheat crop in Ireland. (In Ireland, wheat was called "com"). Lord Edmond Butler, who was the Justiciary (or Lord Lieutenant) of Ireland, and Sir William, who was the son of William Burke, went with an army into Ely O'Carroll in the Irish Midlands. They were met by the powerful forces of Brian Bane O'Brien and the O'Carroll in battle. A large number of the English forces were slain, and Sir William was said to have made his escape in "manly fashion". Lord Edmond Butler, together with the remainder of his forces, was driven from the area, and they had to flee for their lives. In 1326 A. D., Richard de Burgo, known as the Red Earl of Ulster, died. He was the grandson of Richard More, and he was the territorial lord (or the lord of possessions), and inherited what may have been all of Ulster and Connacht. This was, of course, land claimed by the English, but was owned by the Irish tribes. The parcel was described as being: All the way from Sollihid (near Tipperary Town) to Ballyshannon, (about 100 miles) From the Forbachs on the sea (at the west of Connemara) to Ballymacscanlan (by Dundalk in County Meath) From Limerick City to Materford His own "hereditments" which were in four parts (or English shires) County Tipperary and County Kilkenny In the 14th Century, the following is a description of a rich woman's dress: - A robe of vestal white, which was enfolded beneath the bosom with a narrow girdle, embossed with precious stones From the shoulder fell a mantle of scarlet silk, fastened at the neck with a silver bodkin, while her fine turned head was enveloped in a veil of point lace, bound round the brow with a band or diadem, ornamented with the same description of jewels as encircled her arms. Such was the Princess of Inismore. - Alternately, the Prince of Inismore wore clothes said to be closely adhering to the ancient costume of the Irish nobles as follows: , , Jf . . .. , - The only part of the undergarment visible was the ancient Irish "truis" which was closely adhering to the limbs from the waist to the ankle, and includes the pantaloon and the hose, and it terminates in a buskin, which is not dissimilar to the Roman "perones". A triangular mantle of bright scarlet cloth, embroidered and fringed around the edges, fell from his shoulders to the ground, and it was fastened at the breast with a large circular golden brooch of a workmanship, most beautiful. Around his neck hung a golden collar, which seemed to denote some order of knighthood, and a dagger, called a skeine, was sheathed in his girdle. His hat was a cap or berrad (beret) made ot velvet, richly embroidered. - The Irish carried the skeine, or a Turkish dagger, with which they can "dart" or throw very adroitly at fifteen paces. When they are masters in their field of battle, no enemy remains before them. When they are defeated, they fly (mn away) in such a manner, that it is impossible to catch them. - The heads of the elderly had several wreaths of white or colored linen wrapped around them. Others of the elderly had kerchiefs, which were tied under their chins, which they called "binnogues". - The English enemies of the Irish saw them as wild men, who: a. Had a little blue cap upon their head, which was raised the breadth of two fingers in front and behind, and covering their head and their ears. b. Their doublet has a long body, and it had four skirts. c Their breeches were a pantaloon of white frieze, which they call trousers. d Their shoes, which they call "brogues", were pointed. Their proverb about them was "Irish brogues for English dogs". This meant the shoes of Ireland for the dogs of England, or that their Irish shoes were worth more that of the English. , , , . . , e. Their cloaks were 5 or 6 yards of frieze, drawn about the neck, the body and over the head, and they never quit this mantle, either in eating, sleeping or working. f They often had body lice, which they dispose of without ceremony. g. The Northern Irish dressed differently. They have breeches and a covering for their back, without cap, shoes or stockings. The women of the North of Ireland dress differently: a They wear a double mg, which is girded around the middle, and is fastened at the throat. b. Those who border on the Scotland area, and even those living in the towns, have only a ribbon for their heads. c. If married, the women wear a napkin on their head, in the manner of the Egyptians. d. The body of their gown comes only to their breasts. e. When they work, they gird their petticoat with their sash, above their abdomen. f. They wear a hat and a very large mantle of a brown color g Their cape is made of coarse woolen frieze in the fashion of the women of lower Normandy, h! The dress of a woman of the Aran Islands was grey Frieze cloth, and it became a red dress when she was married.

In 1331 A. D., the Earl of Desmond became the Marshall of limerick, but he had to do battle with the O'Briens. In 1332 A. D.! the followers of the Earl of Desmond captured king John's Castle in limerick, but were not able to keep control of it. ... , A)llI .„ ^ n A In 1333 A. D., William, who was the Earl of Ulster, was killed by his tenants. At that time, the O Neills controlled the northern part of Ireland. In 1337 A. D., there was open hostility between Limerick and Galway in a dispute over the payment ot tolls by merchants. Donald Kavanaugh had proclaimed himself as the King of Leister. In 1348 A D., the "Black Death" or "The Plague" was rampant in Ireland in this year and the one that followed. The number of people that died was very high. The people of the towns were affected more than those who lived m the country. By 1350 A. D., only Munster and the Dublin area were under the control of the Viceroy.