Story of Castle Magne (continued) Author(s): James Carmody Source: Kerry Archaeological Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr., 1909), pp. 49-79 Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30059592 Accessed: 27-06-2016 10:23 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Kerry Archaeological Magazine This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:23:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms TakenbyMajorJ.McGillyeudy CASTLEMAINEBRIDGE(SeenfromtheEast). This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:23:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms YtoRy of Castle iOaPne, Co. terry. BY TEE REV. JAMES CARMODY, P,P, (Continued.) ESMOND is once more Lord in Munster. Castle Magne is in his hands, and Perrott's great achieve- ments in the south have been rendered fruitless. He realises to the full, however, the seriousness of recent events, for which he will be held responsible, and lie tries to smooth over difficulties with the Government. The situation was nlo easy one, nor was Desmond well fitted to cope with it. He was naturally rash and self-willed, and now smarting under past wrongs; still after his long imprisonment hie had no wish to come into collision with the Government; neither had Elizabeth, just yet, a desire to force into rebellion a chieftain whose name was a talisman in Munster. On the third day after Christmas Desmond wrote to Chief Justice Walshe a most friendly note:- " Mr. Justice-I recommend me to you. Since the receipt of your letter of the xxth of this month certain of my men have taken the Castle of the Mayne: and as the p This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:23:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 50 STORY OF CASTLE v GNE. same was taken without my consent, so I thought good to apprehend the takers and also to put my Ward in the Castell until I receive resolutions of my letters sent to the Queens Matie and ye Honorabel Council .... And so fare you well from the Island of Kerrie this xxviii of December 1573. "Yor lovinge friende, " GERROT DESMOND." The Queen became duly informed of what had taken place in Munster,-all her castles taken, her authority gone, and Desmond now the only ruler in the land. On the 31st January she wrote Fitzwilliam an angry letter complain- ing of Desmond's undutiful behaviour in taking Castle Magne, reproves the Deputy for lying still in Dublin and allowing the Earl " scope to do what he list," and adds, " If the Earl, after conference held with our servant Edward Fitzgarrard, shall not render himself simply and without condition to our order, and give up all our castles, you shall confer with the Council how you may best make head against him." The Queen felt it necessary to make this show of firmness against Desmond, but she took good care the Deputy would not bring matters to an issue with him. Accordingly the Privy Council hasten to inform Fitzwilliam that " Her Majesty's intention has been to reduce him to obedience by a merciful means rather than by force." Meanwhile Fitzgarret held a conference with the Earl on behalf of Her Majesty, and as a result Desmond put away his gallowglass, and offered to give his security to the Earl of Essex to keep the peace. Negotiations so far satisfactory. A schedule with six interrogatories was then drawn up, one of which was-Whether he was willing to disband all his forces and companies, and to give up Castle Magne and Ballymartyr. (1,) 14. Ballymartyr, now Castlemartyr, between Midleton and Yenghal, The remains of the old Desmond stronghold are still to be seen, and owned onee more by a mer baer of the old Geraldine stock- This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:23:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms STORY OF CASTLE MAGNE. 51 Desmond agreed to sign the six articles; but then fresh articles were put forward, and these he would not sign. The Earls of Essex and Kildare approached him and tried by every means to win him over to submission, but he remained obdurate. The situation became critical, and the Lord Deputy and Council prepared to take the field. On the 1st August a Proclamation was drawn up offering k1,000 reward, and a pension of o40 for life, to whoever would bring in Desmond alive; or half the reward, and half the pension, to the person who would bring in his head. Hopes of a settlement seemed now at an end. As a last resource, however, Essex again went to the Earl to implore him to submit. At the last moment Desmond yielded; he agreed to sign all the articles at the Queen's pleasure, and on the 3rd September repaired to Cashel, and made his submission to the Lord Deputy. This happy result gave entire satisfaction, and the Pro- clamation was cancelled. Desmond disbanded his forces, and delivered up Castle Magne to Captain Apsley. Elizabeth was delighted with the issue, and wrote a letter of thanks to Fitzwilliam for his success in reducing Desmond to submission. For the present, war, and in those savage times, its invariable accompaniment, promiscuous slaughter, were happily averted. How long this was to continue we shall see. Captain Apsley was made Constable at the Castle. Among the State Papers, in a Memorandum entitled " Charges of Ireland ending last of March, 1576," this entry is given: " William Appsley, Constable of Castle Magne, 3 horse- men, 13 footmen." When his service expired is not certain, but we find Andrew Martyn discharging the duties of Constable in 1579. Things looked now settled in Munster. Desmond made many professions of loyalty to Elizabeth, and appearances gave hope of a continuance of peace. The This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:23:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 52 STORY OF CASTILE MAag . Earl was naturally anxious to recover his former power and influence, and as not a single fort of importance remained with him, he longed to recover Castle Magne. Accordingly, on the 15th February, 1578, he "petitioned to be restored to the possession of Castle Magne, and that certayn abbey lands belonging to Her Majesty in Kerry be granted to him and his heirs for ever in fee-farm." Desmond was evidently not aware of the importance the Government had learned to attach to this stronghold. After Sir John Perrott had returned to England in 1573 he was ordered by the Queen to make a report of the state of this Province. This he did, and among the " necessarie considerations for the quiette mayntayning of the State of Munster" is the following-" That the Castle of the Magne may be re-edified, which will be done with one 200 markes ("; charge, and that the Priory of Kylla (") be annexed to it, whereby it will mayntayn the Captain and twelve men, defraying her Majestie's charge for the keeping thereof, which should not be suffered to pass from the crowne, because it will always master Kerrie and the Earl of Clancartie's country." "This advice seems to have been duly attended to," says a writer in the " Kerry Magazine," " and so the petition of Desmond lies in the State Paper Office with a note on it in Burleigh's own hand:- 'The Council of Englonde doth not think it convenient, for sondrie good consideracions that the said Castel be restored to the possession of the Erle, or of anie subject.' " Later on, as we shall see, the Queen did contemplate giving up the place, but ultimately decided on holding it, influenced probably by the advice of Perrott. The peace of Munster was not of long duration. Soon reports reached Dublin that Desmond was again 15 The value of the old English Mark was 13s. 4d. 16 Kylla was the Abbey of Killagha, now Kilcoletmaq, This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:23:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms "sGoU or aCUSet ngBon. 68 making himself troublesome. The fact was, the Earl had many enemies, who were but too anxious to represent him as a danger to the Government. It may be more truly said his great sin lay in being owner of 574,628 acres of the fairest land in Munster, for which he was in receipt of the enormous rental,--a9,039 2s. 51d. "He had a prodigious revenue," says Richard Cox(9)" for those times, and perhaps greater than any other subject in her Majesty's dominions." Many looked with a covetous eye on his vast possessions, and it was their dearest wish that he should rise in revolt. When Shane O'Neill rebelled in Ulster, Elizabeth in a letter to Lord Sussex wrote: if O'Neill should rise, "it would be for the advantage of her liege subjects, for there will be estates for them who want." Nor was the lesson lost on her liege subjects now.