The Supreme Council of the Confederates entrusted the seizure of both the castle and Earl to his relatives, the O’Briens, but in the meantime the Earl of Ormond had entered into a treaty with the Earl of Thomond whereby the latter was to surrender the castle of Bunratty to a governor they mutually agreed upon. The choice fell upon Colonel Adams, “a stout officer,” who, with upwards of six hundred men, took possession of the stronghold in 1645. The governor was a Scotchman whose family name was Adam, but upon settling in Ireland he seems to have been called Adams, and sometimes MacAdam. He was married to the Hon. Catherine Magennis, granddaughter of Hugh, Earl of Tyrone, therefore his wife was first cousin to Owen Roe O’Neill, which, no doubt, guided his selection as commander of Bunratty garrison. Before the castle was surrendered the Earl of Thomond built all his plate and money into the walls to the amount of £2,000, and had the place plastered and rough cast. Some of the servants betrayed the fact to the soldiers, and they seized the Earl and threatened to kill him unless he showed them the treasure, whereupon they took it before his face. He afterwards tried to recover it as a debt from the Government in vain. The castle was provisioned at the cost of £1,200 by John Davies. The Earl of Thomond left his fortress in the hands of the soldiers and sailed for England. Colonel Adams at once set to work to put the place in a state of defence by raising earthworks and fortifying outlying positions, as well as mounting cannon in the garden, his was much helped in his operations by the marshy character of the surrounding country. The Confederates sent an army to besiege the castle, which encamped in the park. They were shortly afterwards joined by Lord Muskerry, who seems to have been only half-hearted in attacking his uncle’s property, and it required the persuasion and presence of the Nuncio to push the siege to a victorious issue. Cardinal Rinuncini must have been much impressed by the beauty of the spot, as later he had scenes of the siege painted on the walls of his Italian palace. After some weeks a dam about half a mile from the castle was captured, but only held a few hours when deserted by its guards, who were hanged for the offence. Two pieces of cannon were then directed upon a small outlying castle, and at the end of two days’ firing Colonel Adams repaired to the place to see if it could be held any longer. A chance shot at the upper window mortally wounded him, and being carried out he died that night. When Muskerry heard this he decided to attack in force, “knowing how much discouraged they were at the loss of so valiant a person.” The Irish gradually gained position, and at length the garrison capitulated for their lives, and the officers their swords, and returned to Cork by water. This was in 1646.