Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 3 (of 3)Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 3 (of 3)
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 16th century
After the loss of Dunluce Sorley went to Scotland for help, and Perrott
agreed that Donnell Gorme should have a grant of the Bissetts' lands in
consideration of reasonable service. Donnell, on his part, undertook to
entertain none but Irish-born Scots, to book the men of his country and
be responsible for them, and to serve against his uncle or any other
foreign Scot. MacQuillin made a contract for victualling Coleraine,
and O'Donnell, whose wife was Donnell Gorme's sister, made a treaty
with Tirlogh Luineach, who agreed to maintain 300 English soldiers and
to perform other services. Magennis and the Clandeboye O'Neills also
made terms, and Perrott, finding no enemy in the field, returned to
Dublin.[124]
[Sidenote: Perrott, Ormonde, and Norris lift 50,000 cows.]
[Sidenote: The forest of Glenconkein.]
The war being at an end for want of an enemy, Perrott thought that
Scottish raids could best be prevented by clearing the country of
cattle. Norris and Ormonde entered Glenconkein, now the south-western
portion of Londonderry, but then considered part of Tyrone, and
50,000 cattle were collected in what was then an almost impenetrable
stronghold. Twenty-five years later Sir John Davies described
Chichester's march though the district, 'where the wild inhabitants
wondered as much to see the King's Deputy as the ghosts in Virgil
wondered to see Æneas alive in hell.' The woods were then said to be
among the best in Ireland, and to be as extensive as the New Forest;
but they had been wastefully treated, and it was feared that they would
soon be exhausted. So completely was the work of destruction carried
out that a report written in 1803 declared the county of Londonderry to
be the worst wooded in the King's dominions. In the sixteenth century
a considerable population inhabited Glenconkein, who tilled such
portions as were fit for tillage, and who looked upon the O'Neills as
their superior lords. As had been the case in Kerry, fires marked the
course of Ormonde's march. Norris took much the same view of the Ulster
problem as Sidney had done. Permanent garrisons must be maintained, and
this would be the cheapest way in the long run. 'Ireland,' he said,
'is not to be brought to obedience but by force; and albeit that some
governments have been performed with fewer men, yet have these times
served for nothing but to give breath for a further trouble, and then
the country ruled by entreaty and not by commandment.'[125]
[Sidenote: Perrott proposes to dissolve St. Patrick's,]
[Sidenote: and to endow a university.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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