Donald Kavanagh, with great difficulty, arrived in Dublin to inform Strongbow that FitzStephen could not hold out more than three days. It was on this occasion that Maurice FitzGerald made his famous speech, in which he said: “FitzStephen, also, whose courage and noble daring opened to us the way into this island, is now with his small force besieged by a hostile nation. What should we, therefore, wait for?” Stirred by his eloquence, the English forces, though of small numbers, set out and carried victory before them, but in the meantime Carrig had surrendered. Strongbow was warned that if his forces marched on Wexford all the prisoners would be at once slain, so that FitzStephen was not liberated until King Henry arrived in Ireland in 1172. Ferrycarrig is situated on the Earl of Donoghmore’s estate. AUTHORITIES CONSULTED. J. Ryan, “History and Antiquities of Carlow.” Brewer, “Beauties of Ireland.” Giraldus Cambrensis. Parliamentary Gazetteer. Proceedings of Royal Society of Antiquaries. Marquis of Kildare, “Earls of Kildare.” Joyce, “Irish Place Names.” “Ferrycarrig,” in _The People_. _GEASHILL CASTLE_ “Oh, sweetly rural is the scene Where Geashill Castle stands; Beneath the line of green old hills This lovely vale expands.” E. EGAN. The village of Geashill is situated in the barony of the same name, about eight miles south-east of Tullamore, in the King’s County. On a long ridge near are the ruins of the castle, adjoining a modern lodge usually occupied by the agent of the Digby estate. The ancient fortress is three storeys high, and a spiral stairway still leads to the summit, where there is an iron chair. An underground passage is said to run to the ruined Abbey close by. The date of the castle’s erection by the Fitzgeralds is ascribed to the twelfth century, and in 1203 or 1204 the King commanded it to be delivered to William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, as the guardian of Maurice, second Baron of Offaly, who was heir to Gerald FitzMaurice. In 1305 the sept of the O’Dempseys slaughtered a great number of the O’Connors near the castle, and the following year the stronghold was destroyed by these native Irish. The Book of Howth says: “The Lord of Offalye builded the castle of Geschell” in 1307, so it was, no doubt, rebuilt this year by Thomas FitzMaurice, “the crooked heir,” who died in 1298, and who is supposed to have been prevented from inheriting as head of the family on account of some deformity. Juliana FitzGerald granted the castle to his son, who was her cousin, and afterwards 1st Earl of Kildare.