Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 1 (of 3)Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 1 (of 3)
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 16th century
The youthful Lord Barry, who spoke very good English and was full of
complaints against the MacCarthies for keeping him out of his lands, also
came to Lord Butler at Cork. Cormac Oge was anxious to have all disputes
referred to the Lord-Deputy; but his son-in-law MacCarthy Reagh, the
chief of Carbery, who came in upon safe-conduct, said that he would do
nothing of the kind, but would hold by the sword what he had won by the
sword. Butler was very angry and told him he should repent, but MacCarthy
doubtless knew that, however good the will, the power to pursue him into
his own country was wanting. Mallow and Kilmallock, which Parry found a
very poor town, were next visited; and as the army approached Limerick,
O'Brien evacuated two castles in the neighbourhood and obstructed the
passes into Thomond with felled trees. Hearing that the invaders had no
cannon he restored his garrison, and encamped with a large force three
miles from the city walls. At Limerick Parry also found very good cheer,
'but nothing like the cheer that we had at Cork.' They then encamped at
Adare, where Donogh O'Brien, the reigning chief of Thomond's eldest son
and the husband of Lady Helen Butler, came to meet his brother-in-law.
The speech attributed to Donogh seems genuine, and is not without a rude
pathos:--'I have married your sister; and for because that I have married
your sister, I have forsaken my father, mine uncle, and all my friends,
and my country, to come to you to help to do the King service. I have
been sore wounded, and I have no reward, nor nothing to live upon. What
would ye have me to do? If that it would please the King's grace to take
me unto his service, and that you will come into the country, and bring
with you a piece of ordnance to win a castle, the which castle is named
Carrigogunnell, and his Grace to give me that, the which never was none
Englishman's these 200 year, and I will desire the King no help, nor aid
of no man, but this English captain, with his 100 and odd of Englishmen,
to go with me upon my father and mine uncle, the which are the King's
enemies, and upon the Irishmen that never English man were amongst; and
if that I do hurt or harm, or that there be any mistrust, I will put in
my pledges, as good as ye shall require, that I shall hurt no Englishman,
but upon the wild Irishmen that are the King's enemies. And for all such
land as I shall conquer, it shall be at the King's pleasure to set
Englishmen in it, to be holden of the King, as his pleasure shall be; and
I to refuse all such Irish fashions, and to order myself after the
English and all that I can make or conquer. Of this I desire an answer.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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