In 1691, during the second siege of Limerick, after the battle of Aughrim, it was garrisoned by a Jacobite ward of a hundred and fifty men. Baron Ginle sent a strong party and four guns, under the command of Major-General Scravemore, to summon the castle, which was relinquished without a blow. An historian of the time, commenting upon this, says: “Which seems to have been rather from want of instructions what to do than courage to defend it; for, to give the Irish their due, they can defend stone walls very handsomely.” The garrison were marched as prisoners of war to Clonmel, and the following month both the Castle of Carrigogunnel and Castle Connell were blown up. Dean Story received £160 to purchase gunpowder for their demolition. During the Whiteboy disturbances frequent meetings were held amid the ruins. Mr. and Mrs. Hall relate at length a sad tradition about the daughter of a Palatine who was in love with one of the conspirators, and whose father, having tracked her to the ruins, was only saved from being put to death by her lover, whom she shortly afterwards married against her parents’ wish. Upon returning to bid farewell to them before going into exile with her husband, who was obliged to fly for his life, her father detained her. Her husband was unable to come openly to the house, and so she never saw him again, but gradually pined away, and died under the ash-tree growing among the castle ruins, where she used to meet him before their marriage. Since then her ghost is said to frequent the spot after nightfall. AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. J. Frost, “The County of Clare.” Croker, “Researches in the South of Ireland.” Croker, “Fairy Legends.” Ferrar, “History of Limerick.” Lenihan, “History of Limerick.” Bagwell, “Ireland under the Tudors.” Hall, “Ireland.” State Papers. Parliamentary Gazetteer. Shirley (with note by O’Brien), “Extracts from the Journal of Thomas Dineley,” in _Journal of Kilkenny Archæological Society_. _CASTLE BARNARD_ “Where Castle Bernard sees with glad surprise, At every wish successive beauties rise.” The former name for this stronghold was Castle Mahon. It is situated on the River Bandon not far from the town. The present castle is said to occupy the site of the former royal rath of the O’Mahonys, Kings of Munster. It was called Rathleann, and the great Saint Fin Barr was born there. This was much anterior to the English invasion, although an inquisition held in 1584 states that the O’Mahonys came from Carbery in 1460, and seized the Crown lands, which had been forfeited by the Barry Oges in 1399. They were, however, only returning to the country over which they had formerly ruled. The fortress is supposed to have been built by an O’Mahony.