LIMERICK AND ITS SIEGES BY REV. JAMES DOWD, A.B., LCD. ILLUSTRATED. SECOND EDITION. LIMERICK : G. M'Kkrm ,"■ r/> v I - ' r v' - SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 61 members was standard bearer to Henry II, and in more recent times another was Viscount Kilmallock, and premier Baronet of Ireland. The military career of Sars- field commenced at an early age. He served as an ensign in Monmouth's regi- ment in France, and afterwards received his commission as lieutenant in the Eng- lish Guards. By the death of his eldest brother, he inherited the family estate near Lucan, which produced a consider- able income. He retired to France in 1688 with James, and accompanied that Monarch to Ireland in the subsequent year, when he was made Colonel of the King's Dragoons. He was with the army at the battle of the Boyne, but took no active part in the engagement, being ordered by the King to escort him to the left, where no fighting took place. His comment on James's conduct both during and after the en^a^ement is well known — " Change commanders, and we will fight the battle over again." Sarsfield was now in the prime of life. In person he was tall, well made, and graceful in his carriage. His face was handsome, and bore the im- press of every noble and manly quality 62 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. He was adored by the army, not only for his splendid military abilities, but for his genuine simplicity of character, transpa- rent honesty, and disinterested generosity. On the eighth of August, William sent forward from Cahirconlish an advanced guard of nine hundred men, to feel the strength of the Irish, and report upon their position. They advanced to within a short distance of the lines, and approached so near that the voices of the outposts were audible from one to the other. On the evening of the same day William made a personal inspection of the ground to be traversed by the army, and viewed the city from a distance. That night a council of war was summoned, and it was then decided to begin the march immediately, and to do so in order of battle. At daylight, on the morning of the ninth of August, the camp at Cahirconlish was broken up, and the English forces ad- vanced towards the city. A thousand foot and two hundred horse led the van, and pioneers in front levelled the ditches and tilled up the drains. The Irish, who were SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 63 watching the enemy's movements, kept falling back in good order, their numbers being too small to risk an attack. At length they halted a short distance from the walls, determined to interrupt the ad- vance. The position they had chosen was a strong one. The road in front was nar- row and difficult, bounded on each side by a morass. Three roads led directly to the gates, from where they stood. The central one, which was the broadest, was occupied by the Irish horse, the others were filled with infantry, and protected by the ditches. When William saw that his opponents were determined to make a stand, and knowing that neither his infantry nor his cavalry could force the j)osition, he brought up two field jneces, which opened fire be- yond the range of the muskets. The Irish had no artillery to silence these guns, every shot from which fell amongst the masses of cavalry and at length compelled them to withdraw. The infantry were then attacked in a similar manner, and after a conflict which lasted two hours the place was evacuated. The Irish regiments retired, disputing every inch of the way, 64 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. and took shelter under the walls. The Ens:- lish followed closelv, and towards evening gained the semicircular range of hills at Singland. Before them lay the pano- rama of the city, at a distance of about five hundred yards, the intervening slopes covered with the retreating squadrons. An Irish redoubt occupied the centre of the area, and behind this stretched the forti- fications. The citadel at St. John's Gate was immediately in front defended by four towers. At the extreme left stood a tall tower, mounting three guns, and to the right frowned the well-known Black Battery. The walls at this point turned Sharply towards Ball's Bridge, and in the centre was a sally-port. The Bridge was exposed to view, but outside the range of the guns of the period. Conspicuous in the English town rose the square massive tower of St. Mary's Cathedral, from whose summit floated the standard of King James. To the extreme right, and without the Avails, was the great fort constructed by Ireton, now by a curious change of circumstances, one of the most important of the defences, and the green sward of the King's Island was covered with the white tents of an Irish detachment. SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 65 As soon as the heads of the English columns appeared on the crest of the hills at Singland, every hattery and fort on the long line of the fortifications opened a terrific fire, till the very earth trembled beneath the feet. The first to gain the heights were the Dutch Blue Guards, con- sidered one of the finest regiments in Europe. They took possession of the elevation, and wheeling their field pieces into position, endeavoured to return the stern welcome they had received. The Danish contingent to the right mounted four guns on a fort their ancestors had occupied, if not erected, many centuries before. On both sides the cannonading was kept up till darkness and fatigue put an end to further hostilities. The English army had been in motion since five o'clock in the morning, and it was not till eight in the evening they were allowed to retire to their camp, which in the meantime had been pitched at Singland. William's acti- vity that clay was unceasing. He shared the toils and dangers of his soldiery, nor did he retire to rest till he had sent a troop of dragoons to try the ford at Annabeg. 66 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. These returned and reported that six regi- ments of foot, three of horse, and two of dragoons, were strongly entrenched on the opposite bank of the river. Next morning a French deserter brought information to the city that William's heavy guns and ammunition were on their way from Cashel, escorted only by two troops of dragoons. Immediately it suggested itself to Sarsfleld that here was a chance for cutting off and destroying the siege train. A little reflection shewed that the project was within the bounds of possi- bility, and that it was the only chance of paralyzing the besieging army and saving the city for the present. It was such an undertaking, also, as commended itself to the fearless and dashing cavalry leader. Calling his troopers together he informed them of his design, pointing out the utility of the enterprise, at the same time not con- cealing from them the great danger that attended it. The gallant band volunteered for the work with enthusiasm, and that night saw them steal secretly out under the guidance of a bold rapparee named Hogan, who knew every track and hiding SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 67 place as well by night as by clay. The strictest silence was preserved, and pro- ceeding by the Clare bank of the Shannon they crossed the river a little above Killa- loe at a place called Ballyvalley. The town and bridge were occupied by English soldiers; but so cautiously had the party proceeded that they passed over unob- served, and got into Tipperary in safety. Sarsfield then directed his route to Keeper Hill, and as the dawn was now approaching, halted his troopers safe from observation in the recesses of that mountainous district. When day was fully come, scouts were sent out in all directions who returned toward evening with the intelligence that the battering train was proceeding leisurely on its way, that the slender escort antici- pated no clanger, and were to encamp that night within the borders of the county, at Ballyneety, near an old castle. Sarsfield's departure from Limerick, and his nocturnal march, had not escaped the observation of two Clare gentlemen who brought the information to the Eng- lish camp. The generals did not consider the matter worthy of any attention ; but 68 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. not so the King, who divined at once that the secret expedition had for its object the destruction of his artillery. He ordered Sir John Lanier to take with him five hundred men and go to meet them. Lanier was rather dilatory in his movements, and looking upon his journey as unnecessary, did not set out till two o'clock in the morning, and arrived in time to he too late. The train upon which so much depend- ed, and which was an object of anxiety to both commanders, halted in the calm summer's evening on a jrieasant grassy plain, near the foot of a conical hill and close beside the castle of Ballyneety. The convoy, being within twelve miles of the English army, anticipated no danger, and consequently omitted some of the usual precautions. The cannon and waggons were left in the order of march. The horses were allowed to graze about loosely tethered, and only a few sentinels were posted around the temporary halting place. By an odd coincidence the watchword for the night was " Sarsfield." SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 69 When the approach of evening render- eel detection difficult, if not impossible, the Irish horse left their hiding place, and making a considerable circuit, got behind the convoy. They passed through the village of Cullen, lately vacated by the train, and moving with great rapidity, gained the summit of the hill which over- looked the sleeping camp. One of the scouts during the clay had managed to ascertain the password, and by its aid the first sentinel was passed without any alarm being raised. The next sentry challenged, and one of the party shouting " Sarsfield is the word and Sarsfield is the man," fired a pistol in his face. This was the appointed signal. The Irish now rushed to the attack with loud and exultant cries. The dragoons, suddenly roused from sleej), and confounded at the unexpected on- slaught, could make no resistance. Some tried to catch their horses and were cut down, others were sabred where they lay. With the utmost despatch the guns were collected together, crammed with powder and placed upright with their muzzles in the ground, the ammunition and waggons 70 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. were piled above and around in a huge heap and ignited. Soon a lurid flame shot heavenward, and a terrific explosion burst- ing on the silence of the night proclaimed to the distant camp and city that the siege train had been rendered totally useless. As soon as it was seen that the expe- dition had succeeded beyond his wildest expectations, Sarsfield gathered his men around him and departed as rapidly as he came. Just then Lanier came up in time to see the last of the Irish disappearing in the sdoom. Pursuit would be in vain but hoping to intercept the party yet, he wheeled to the left in order to cut off Sarsfield's retreat at Killaloe. But Sars- field did not go by way of Killaloe. He rode northward to Banagher, and there crossed the Shannon, breaking down the bridge to prevent pursuit. He got back to Limerick without encountering any danger, and he and his gallant troops were received with the loudest acclamation by the citizens and their comrades in arms. The utmost joy pervaded the city, and the entire army did honour to the skill, secrecy, and daring with which the enterprise had SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 71 been planned and executed. The midnight expedition saved Limerick for another year. It was a magnificent achievement, and deserves to he classed amongst the most brilliant exploits of modern warfare. Nothing danntecl by the unexpected disaster, William still determined to push on operations as vigorously as possible whilst waiting for the arrival of a second siege train. As there was no time to be lost, on the very morning of Sarsfield's arrival in Limerick, Ginkle was sent with five thousand men to force the passage of the river. It was anticipated that the operation would be attended with difficulty and danger, both on account of the state of the river and the large body of horse on the ojmosite side. Ginkle marched along the Park road, toward Corbally, his army being all the time exposed to a galling flank fire from the battery near Ball's bridge. A crossing was effected at a spot immediately above St. Thomas's island which is said to have been pointed out by a fisherman named Mac Adam. The Irish withdrew without striking a blow, and William had thus possession of both sides of the river. 72 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. On the thirteenth of August Brigadier Stewart had been despatched with four field pieces to capture Castle- Connell, then in possession of the Irish. It was held by Captain Barnwell, with a hundred and twenty men, who immediately surren- dered, and the place was occupied by a detachment of English troops. The loss of the siege guns delayed all offensive operations against the city for over a week. In the mean time the men were busily employed in constructing forts and excavating trenches. The English lines extended from Pennywell on the right, following the course of the heights in a horse shoe form, round by the back of the present Waterworks, and along the slight elevation now occupied by the Gaol and Iloches-street, the extreme left resting on the Shannon. Between this and the fortifications the sappers and miners were slowly working their way to the walls. By the seventeenth the trenches were occupied by seven regiments and the re- doubt in front of the citadel fell into the hands of the English. The place was of no use, for it was commanded bv the SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 73 walls, and a new Irish fort near the counterscarp commanded the trenches and put a stop to further progress for a time. Some heavy guns arrived the same day from Waterford and were mounted on Ireton's fort. On the night of the eighteenth an at- tempt was made to surprise the Irish fort before mentioned, but failed, owing to the gallantry of the few who held it. The re- pulse was followed by a sortie from the garrison. The night was dark and the besiegers, ignorant of the ground, were thrown into confusion and could not tell friend from foe. Two parties, one of Eng- lish and the other of Danes, kept up a fire upon one another for two hours without discovering their mistake. In the end the garrison retired into the city, having caused considerable damage, whilst suffer- ing scarcely any loss themselves. On the twentieth it was determined that the Fort must be taken at all hazards. All that day a battery of three pieces had been playing on it at a distance of only a hundred and fifty yards, and the walls 74 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. were greatly injured. At two o'clock in the afternoon the assault was ordered. A hundred and twenty grenadiers rushed from the trenches under a heavy musketry fire and succeeded in planting a ladder against the wall. Colonel Belcastle was first up, and into the fort, followed hy the grenadiers. A fierce hand to hand struggle took place in the narrow confines within, and sixty of the defenders were slain. The grenadiers also suffered severely, hut were continually reinforced hy parties from the trenches, though they were exposed to a vigorous fire from the defenders. For several hours the conflict was maintained and even threatened at times to hecome a general engagement. In order to clear the walls, two hatteries of eight guns each, swept the fortifications, and another, of twelve guns, kept throwing red hot shot into the city. In the midst of the terrible scene a large quantity of powder in an Irish battery ignited accidentally, and blew up with a great explosion killing many of the gunners and inflicting much loss. The garrison at length adopted more vigor- ous measures. A sally was made with two SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 75 thousand horse and foot under the com- mand of Colonel Luttrel at the hour of relieving guard in the trenches. The new regiments coming fresh to the front re- newed the battle, which was long and obstinately contested. So well directed was the Irish musketry, that of a detached party of twenty, not one came off without a wound, and the commander, Captain Lacy, was shot through the head. Many of the English were falling, and at last William drew off his forces, having first succeeded in demolishing the obnoxious tower. During this prolonged attack, the King exposed himself to every danger with his accustomed coolness and on one occasion had a very narrow escape. He was riding by Ireton's fort, and was about to enter a gap, when he was addressed by an officer who wished to speak with him. At that very instant a cannon shot, said to have been fired from a gun on the tower of St. Mary's, struck the spot towards which he was moving and so near that he was covered with dust. 76 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. By the evening of the twenty-first a new battery was completed almost under the walls and immediately opened fire so as to effect a breach. On the twenty-fifth all the English works were finished and an incessant cannonade was kept np on the part of the fortifications near St. John's Gate. Next clay the trenches were ad- vanced to within twenty paces of the ditch. A breach, twelve yards wide, was made in the walls and the pallisades in the counterscarp were beaten down. The engineers assured the King that the breach was practicable and could not be further enlarged for want of cannon balls. It was resolved to take the city by mines, and orders were given to attack the covered way and the towers on each side of the breach as soon as possible. Within the city every precaution was made for a conflict which it was well known must decide the fate of the cam- paign. The breach could not be repaired in time, but the space inside being clear of houses, an entrenchment was thrown up, and some light guns mounted whose fire swept the area and commanded the SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 77 opening. On either side nothing was left undone which the military skill and science of the period could effect. The morrow would tell the result. It was in the afternoon of the twenty- seventh of August that the grand assault was made on the breach. The storming party consisted of five hundred grenadiers, supported by ten thousand men. Exactly at half-past three o'clock every thing was in readiness for the final effort. The troops took up their respective positions in silence. Three signal guns boomed from Ireton's fort. Scarcely had the re- verberations ceased, when the grenadiers leaped from the trenches, fired their pieces, threw their grenades, and with loud shouts rushed towards the breach. Here a fierce hand to hand encounter took place. So impetuous was the attack of the grena- diers, that after a short and deadly strug- gle, the Irish troops fell back, the English succeeded to their place, and some of them pressed into the streets and lanes of the town. Those within became thus exposed to a cross fire from the entrenchments which checked their further progress. 78 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. The second line of attack, under Count Solmes, had advanced to the counterscarp and then halted in accordance with their orders. A brief lull ensued, such as pre- cedes the thunderstorm. The garrison, rallied by Sarsfield, recovered from their sudden surprise. They re-formed their broken ranks, drove their assailants before them out over the breach, and scarce one who entered survived to tell of his exploit. The walls were again in the possession of their defenders and the breach was held by firm and resolute men. Again the breach was assaulted, and the engage- ment renewed with great fury. More troops pressed up from the English lines, and on the other side reinforcements poured into the city from the Clare side and strengthened the garrison. Prom the fortifications a deadly hail was poured upon the advancing columns. The spirit of the defenders was now roused to des- peration and the enthusiasm communi- cated itself to the civilians and even to the women. These heroines, emulating the example of their sisters of Derry, took active part in the struggle. Undismayed by the terrible sights and scenes amid which SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 79 they moved, they tended the wounded, succoured the fallen, and carried ammu- nition to the walls. They stood within the deadly breach whose stones they hurled at their assailants. They even advanced in front of the Irish ranks, into the vacant space between the two contending armies, so that sometimes they were nearer the English regiments than they were to their own countrymen, and when all missiles failed, attacked them with their tongues. During the thick of the fight a part of the Brandenburgh regiment got possession of the Black Battery. According to one set of authorities, the powder accidentally took fire, according to others, a mine had been prepared for this contingency, and now exploded under them. At all events the battery blew up destroying all within it and upon it. The Brandenburghers were nearly annihilated and the adjacent ground was strewed with fragments of human bodies. Three attempts had now been made to storm the breach, and three times the ad- vancing columns had been driven back 80 SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. with great loss. Late in the evening the last effort was made. Again the attacking regiments were drawn np under the eyes of King William and hurled against the defenders who never yielded an inch. Standing shoulder to shoulder they flung hack their assailants, as a tall cliff repels the waves that dash against its massive front. William anxiously watched the result of his last movement. The courage and determination of the Irish extorted from him words of admiration, even though the repulse of his hest troops shewed him that to continue the engage- ment would only entail still greater loss. He therefore stopped all further opera- tions and recalled his hroken hattalions. The "boom of the cannon, the rattle of the musketry, the shouts of the comhafants ceased. The noise of the conflict died away in silence, and the light of the set- ting sun illumined the hattered walls and smiled upon the gallant hand who held them against the flower of the English army, led hy the greatest captain of his time. SIEGE BY WILLIAM III. 81 According to the official list, the Eng- lish lost on this occasion five hundred killed and eleven hundred wounded; hut other authorities put down the loss at a much higher figure. Next day the soldiers were anxious to renew the hattle hut William thought it prudent to raise the siege. The ahundant rain that had lately fallen rendered the ground so soft that movement was difficult. The Shannon was rising in such a manner as to endanger the fords, the season was now late, and the ravages of disease were beginning to make themselves felt. The batteries were kept in operation a little time longer, hut a storm of wind and rain on the twenty- ninth decided matters finally. The heavy guns were brought off with difficulty, and on the last day of August the camp was broken up and the army departed into winter quarters. William proceed to Eng- land, leaving the command, first to Count Solmes, then to General Ginkle. CHAPTER VI. SIEGE BY GINKLE, 1691. ~T"T was early Summer in the year 1691 before the rival forces were ready to take the field again. The English were collected at Mullingar, splendidly equip- ped, and commanded by Ginkle having under him Tollemache and Mackay who had just reduced the Scottish Highlands. The Irish were poorly clad and very badly supplied with the necessaries of war, and to complete their misfortune, the more important commands were bestowed upon a number of Erench officers whom James had sent over. The chief of these was St. Ruth, and under him were d'Usson and d'Tesse, whom it is customary to SIEGE BY GINKLE. 83 describe as capable leaders and able ge- nerals. An empty title rewarded the heroism and devotion of Sarsfield. The campaign opened with the siege of Ballymore Castle in Westmeath, the ad- vanced post of the Irish, which surrendered. Here Ginkle was joined by the Duke of Wirtemburg and Count Nassau with a body of foreign mercenaries. At the head of an army of eighteen thousand men he noAV marched upon Athlone, which was rightly regarded by both sides as the key of the position. Colonel Grace, who had so successfully defended the town in the previous year, had been removed, and his place was filled by a Frenchman, d'Usson- St. Ruth's head quarters were three miles distant. Ginkle appeared before the place on the 19th of June. " His master ought to hang him" remarked St. Ruth, "for attempting to take the town, mine ought to hang me if I lose it." The half of the town on the left bank of the river was easily taken, but that was of little conse- quence. The bridge which joined the two banks was broken down and the ford was almost impassable. At the end of the 84 SIEGE BY GINKLE. month Ginkle saw lie must either succeed or retreat at once. Whilst St. Ruth was persuading Sarsfield that the ford could not he attenrptecl, and contemptuously rejecting every suggestion of the Irish soldier, Mackay clashed across with two thousand men, and to his astonishment and anger St. Ruth saw the place taken under his very eyes. Amongst those who fell fighting gallantly at his post was the old grey headed veteran, Colonel Grace. St. Ruth fell hack on Aiighrim, thirty miles distant, where his troops occupied a rising ground defended in front hy a deep hog. Thither Ginkle followed him and gave hattle. St. Ruth shewed his jealousy hy ordering Sarsfield far to the rear, com- manding him not to stir from the spot till ordered to do so. The result of the en- gagement was the total defeat of the Irish army, as on the death of St. Ptuth hy a cannon hall the only person capahle of taking the command had heen kept in ignorance of everything. The fall of Gal- way followed, its garrison heing permitted to join the main body, as did also that of SIEGE BY TINKLE. 85 Sligo. All Ireland was now in possession of the English except the old city by the Shannon. During the previous twelve months the citizens of Limerick had clone all in their power to make good their losses. The fortifications had been strengthened. The breach was repaired. New works were erected on the site of the Black Battery. The walls received a lining of great thick- ness which rendered them bomb proof. Some supplies had been received from James which, though not in such quanti- ties as had been expected, were yet suffi- cient for all necessary purposes. The Irish army lay on the right bank of the Shannon, the outposts on the other side being aban- doned. The cavalry were encamped in Clare and the main body of the infantry were in Limerick. Here also were the Duke of Tyrconnell, Lord Lieutenant, and the chief officials of the Jacobite Govern- ment. d'Usson, who lost Athlone, was on the death of St. Ruth appointed Governor of Limerick and commander of the army. 86 SIEGE BY GINKLE. Ginkle, taught by the events of the previous year, resolved to act with great caution. He re-crossed the Shannon at Eanagher, and proceeding by way of Xe- nagh arrived on the fourteenth of August at Cahirconlish. On the same day Tyr- connell died of apoplexy, not without a dark suspicion of poison having been ad- ministered to him. His remains were interred the following night in St. Mary's Cathedral, hut the exact spot is unknown. The provisional government was nominally entrusted to Lords Justices, hut the real authority remained with d'Usson. On the second approach to Limerick care was taken that the siesce artillery should this time he provided with a suit- able escort and the train arrived in safety from Athlone. On the fifteenth, lluvigni, with fifteen hundred horse and a thousand foot, under the command of the Prince of Hesse, together with six pieces of artillery, was ordered to inspect the city, the Com- mander-in-chief accompanying them over the well known ground. They advanced to within a short distance of the fortifi- cations and viewed the place for a con- SIEGE BY GINKLE. 87 siderable time, noting carefully every change and every improvement. On the eighteenth, Sir William King, who had been previously Governor of Limerick and had been detained in prison effected his escape and arrived at the Eng- lish camp. The season was wet and delayed active operations for a short time, but the weather becoming more favourable it was consider- ed advisable to advance. The squadron which lay in the Shannon was ordered to take a position nearer the city. Each regiment had already two thousand fas- cines provided beforehand. The army was directed to advance without beat of drum, so as not to attract particular atten- tion. There was an advanced guard of nine hundred horse and dragoons, supported by a thousand foot and two hundred grena- diers. These marched in two divisions at the head of each wing, with four field pieces and twenty-five pioneers. Then came the main body of the horse, each soldier carrying his fascine before him on the saddle. Next appeared the solid 88 SIEGE BY GIXKLE. masses of the infantry, " their ranks one blaze of scarlet." The artillery and hag- gage were kept well in rear. The advanced guard proceeded from Cahirconlish to a house where the road divided and then halted till the infantry came up. The army then divided into two columns, one taking the road to the right, the other that to the left. Each wing was disposed in order of battle, and both proceeded slowly and cautiously towards the city. The Irish opened a well directed fire which killed several, including Colonel Donep, a Dane, and seriously checked the advance. The field pieces were then ordered to the front and a brisk cannonade opened before which the Irish gradually fell back, and the evening of that day, the twenty-fifth of August, saw the English army occupying the po- sition it had held the previous year. Next day a large quantity of war ma- terial arrived in camp in addition to all that had been provided. On the twenty- seventh, a body of horse under the Prince of Hesse was sent against Castle- Connell, SIEGE BY GINKLE. 89 which surrendered after two days, the gar- rison of two hundred and fifty men being marched into camp as prisoners of war. About the same time Carrig-o-Gunnell surrendered to General Sgavenmore. Both castles were shortly afterwards demolished by gunpowder. In the mean time the trenches were opened and other preliminary operations pushed on with vigour. Guns were mount- ed on their old positions and fortifications erected on the line of hills. On the thirteenth the siege guns opened a brisk fire on the Irish town the houses of which were speedily in flames and the inhabitants compelled to seek refuge in the English town or on the King's Island where a hasty camp was formed. That night the garrison made a sally to destroy the works then being constructed between Cromwell Port and the Great Battery, but without success. The Great Battery, by far the most formidable military work erected in Ire- land, was placed on the low ridge which runs towards Park. It was within three 90 SIEGE BY GINKLE. hundred yards of the English town from which it was separated by the Ahbey river and the swampy ground along its hanks. During its construction the workmen were exposed to a heavy fire both from the bat- tery at Ball's Bridge and the fort on the Island, but on the eighth of September the guns were placed in position. In the centre were eight large mortars. To the left extended a line of ten field pieces for throwing red hot shot, and to the right a similar range of twenty-five guns, all of the heaviest metal. No such display of artillery had ever been seen in Ireland before. Besides this the city was encircled with a ring of forts bristling with cannon, and all directed towards the devoted walls. On the eighth of September a terrific fire was opened all along the line, and was returned by the besieged to the best of their ability, but the guns were not as powerful as these of the English. The Great Battery quickly made a considerable breach in the walls of the English town, near where the Dominican Abbey stood. The red hot shot told with great effect,. The houses in many places were in flames SIEGE BY GINKLE. 91 which were with difficulty extinguished. Next day again the cannonading was kept up on the breach, which was considerably widened. It was debated by the generals whether an assault should be made on the breach, and preparations were going on for constructing a temporary bridge over this part of the Shannon. The universal opinion appeared to be that, even if the bridge were completed and a landing effected on the King's Island, yet the attacking force would be exposed to a destructive fire from the lines connecting the Great Irish Port with the Avails, which were manned by picked troops. Entrench- ments had also been constructed within the breach itself, and from the results of a similar attack the previous year it was decided that the enterprise might probably be attended with disastrous consequences. The consideration of this matter was brought to a definite conclusion by the Irish secretly sending over a few daring men avIio burned the materials which had been collected for the bridge. On the twelfth the chief fire was di- rected on the Cathedral toAver where a gun 92 SIEGE BY GINKLE. had been placed. The gun was dismounted and the gunner killed, but not before se- veral English lives were lost. The cannon were then turned away from the Cathedral. The prolonged resistance of the garri- son — the strength of the fortifications — the unceasing vigilance of Sarsfielcl and the near approach of winter, now compelled the English generals to consider their po- sition very carefully, for up to the present they had accomplished absolutely nothing. There were only two courses open to them, either to abandon the siege altogether or turn the siege into a winter blockade in the hope of reducing the city by famine. The first would be a confession of failure and defeat, and the second was very un- popular with the entire army who pre- ferred anything rather than a winter in the trenches. As a last resource Ginkle determined to try what fortune might have in store for him on the Clare side. He con- structed a battery at the most northern part of Corbally, to command the Parteen road. On the fifteenth of September he pretended to raise the siege and drew off some of his guns from the batteries, on SIEGE BY GINKLE. 93 which occasion Lord Lisburn was killed by a cannon shot. That night an advanced guard of four hundred grenadiers, with six hundred workmen, proceeded to the river under cover of the darkness. By midnight they commenced the erection of a pontoon bridge which was thrown across to a little island called Illainarone and completed before day break. The morning was dark and foggy and the grenadiers and dragoons passed over unperceived. A strong body of horse and foot had been posted here under Colonel Clifford, but they were sur- prised and driven towards the city. A feeble attempt at resistance was made by some dismounted cavalry but they were dispersed by a charge of dragoons. The cavalry fled to the shelter of a wood, from whence they retreated to Limerick, but admittance being denied them they re- turned and having secured their tents and cattle retired to Six Mile Bridge, being joined by the remainder of the Irish horse. Within the city the intelligence of the crossing excited the utmost consternation. Clifford was taken and imprisoned in the 94 SIEGE BY GINKLE. Castle. An attempt was made to break clown Quinpool bridge, on the causeway to Thomond bridge, but it did not succeed. The Lords Justices with their records and treasure barely escaped falling into the hands of the detachment sent forward to see what the Irish were doing. Ginkle being now within a mile of the city thought it prudent to issue a proclamation in the name of William and Mary, offering to all who should submit within eight days a free pardon, the restoration of their for. f eited estates, and other benefits previously offered by the Lords Justices. Some were disposed to accept these terms, but the majority, relying on the long promised succour from France, considered the over- tures unsatisfactory and rejected them. Seeing that there was no hope of effect- ing a peaceable settlement and having re- ceived a large quantity of military stores, Ginkle resolved upon an attack in force. The pontoon, bridge was removed from Illainarone to Carrig-a-Clouragh, where the army crossed the year before. Mac- kay and Talmash were left in command at Singland, and a system of signals was SIEGE BY GINKLE. 95 arranged between them. The general himself, accompanied by Sgavenmore, Ruvigni, and the Prince of Wirtemburg, with almost all the horse, ten regiments of foot and fourteen pieces of artillery, moved to the river early on the morning of the twenty-second. By noon the whole force had been transported across in safety and marched on the city. The advanced guard were repulsed at first by the Irish, but more reinforcements coming rapidly up the Irish were compelled to give way before the superior numbers of the enemy. The English fearing an ambuscade ad- vanced slowly and cautiously being care- ful to secure their line of march from all chance of surprise or disaster. It was not till four in the evening that the column came in front of Thomond bridge. The Clare side of the bridge was protected by two forts, one at each corner, but the strongest defence was a line of gravel pits and quarries a little distance off, which was then held by eight hundred picked men. Ginkle having carefully reconnoi- tred the position, ordered a body of grenadiers forward to drive out the de- fenders. The grenadiers, under a heavy 96 SIEGE BY GINKLE. and deadly fire, rushed onward with their accustomed dash, and such was the im- petuosity of the attack that the Irish gave way, though disputing every inch of the ground. A reinforcement under the command of Lacy arrived from the garrison to support them, and the conflict was renewed with great fury. The Irish charged their opponents again and again hut were ahle to make no impression on the masses of the English and were com- pelled to fall hack, home down hy the mere force of numhers, hut retreating in good order under the shelter of King John's Castle. The outworks were gradually evacuated and fell into the hands of the English. Thomond hriclge hecame filled with the remains of the gallant hand who for hours had checked the advance of an entire army. It was towards nightfall. So close and desperate had heen the con- flict that even in retreat and upon Thomond h ridge the fighting was still maintained hand to hand and English and Irish were mingled in confusion. A Erench officer commanded at the castle end of the hridge, and fearing lest the grenadiers might enter the city in the confusion, ordered the draw- SIEGE BY GINKLE. 97 bridge to be raised, leaving the Irish trooj)s to their fate. The drawbridge was raised. Into the yawning gulf were pushed head- long by their companions behind no less than one hundred and fifty men, who were swept away by the surging tide be- neath. Six hundred more were cooped up on the narrow bridge and in the works at its further extremity, and so closely wedged together as to be unable to defend themselves from the fury of their pursuers. Quarter was neither given nor asked. The bridge was piled with dead, till the corpses rose higher than the battlements. Eight hundred Irish were sacrificed to secure the safety of King James's Frenchman. This terrible slaughter and the horrible circumstances under which it took place destroyed all confidence in James's foreign allies. The spirit of the garrison was broken, and throughout the whole city were manifested indignation and disgust at the atrocious conduct of the French officer and the faithless nation to which he be- longed. On the evening of the next day Sarsfield and Wauchop, a brave Scotch- man, repaired to the English camp to seek 98 SIEGE BY GINKLTi. a cessation of hostilities. A truce for three days was arranged and the prisoners on both sides were exchanged. Negotiations for a permanent peace were entered upon with every desire on both sides to brin o; the sie^e to a termination. On the evening of the twenty-seventh Sarsfield and Wauchop dined with Ginkle and the chief officers of the English army and preliminaries were discussed. The Irish demanded an indemnity for past offences; that all Irish lloman Catholics should be restored to their estates which had been forfeited; that liberty of worship be granted to them ; that perfect equality should exist between them and their Pro- testant fellow subjects ; and that the Irish troops be placed on the same level as the rest of the royal forces, in case they were willing to serve against the enemies of England. These propositions were re- jected by Ginkle as being inconsistent with the laws of England and exceeding his power to grant. Negotiations were ac- cordingly broken off and orders were issued for prosecuting the siege. The garrison then requested to know what terms the SIEGE BY GINKLE. 99 General was empowered to grant and the conferences were resumed. On the twenty- eighth the officers of both armies met together and articles were mutually agreed upon, which Sir Theobald Butler was di- rected to reduce to writing. Sir Theobald is said to have made the articles more favourable than had been arranged, and this being detected in the draft some un- pleasantness arose, but the points were finally adjusted. It was conceded that all Irish Roman Catholics should enjoy such privileges in the exercise of their religion as they possessed in the reign of Charles II., and it was promised that their majesties would endeavour to procure such further security as would preserve them from any further disturbance on this head. All included in the capitulation should enjoy their estates, such as they were le- gally entitled to in the reign of Charles II., and might pursue their several call- ings and professions freely. Noblemen and gentry were allowed to carry and use arms. The oath to be administered to all Iloman Catholics who chose to submit was the oath of allegiance and no other. It 100 SIEGE BY GINKLE. was also agreed that all who wished to re- tire from the kingdom with their families and property and all soldiers who preferred foreign service should he conveyed to the continent at the expense of the government. Whilst the treaty was being framed the soldiers of the two armies were on the most friendly terms and visited one anothers' quarters. The officers of the garrison were entertained in a series of dinner parties by the English generals. On the third of October the famous treaty of Limerick was signed, most probably in the tent of the Duke of Wirtemburg, with whom the principal officers of both armies dined that evening, and most likely about sunset, as the formal occupation of the city under Tollemache was deferred till next day. The treaty consisted of two parts. The first related to the surrender of the city and was signed by the generals on both sides, the garrison being allowed to march out with all the honours of war. The second enumerated the conditions granted to the Irish nation and was signed by Ginkle and the Lords Justices. A clause in the latter which was omitted by the i '■'■ SIEGE BY GINKLE. 101 transcriber was inserted afterwards by William, who detected the omission, in his own handwriting. To the lasting disgrace of the English House of Commons the treaty was deliberately violated, though ratified by William and Mary. An act professing to confirm the articles was sub- sequently passed, but every stipulation of importance was carefully omitted. A few days after the signing of the treaty a French fleet arrived for the relief of the city. The capitulation being completed both Ginkle and Sarsfield endeavoured to secure the Irish regiments for their resjiective masters. The former sent an experienced officer to point out the great advantages possessed by the English service over that of a foreign monarch who had been but lukewarm in the cause of Ireland. Sars- field and the clergy strongly urged the soldiers in favour of Erance, adding that they might soon be able to renew the con- flict under more favourable circumstances. On the morning of the sixth of October the Irish army, to the number of fourteen 102 SIEGE BY GINKLE. thousand men, assembled on the Clare side of the river. About three thousand, in- cluding the Ulster Irish, either withdrew to their homes or joined the English army. By far the larger number volunteered for foreign service, and in accordance with the treaty were conveyed to France, where they formed the nucleus of the famous Irish Brigades, whose valour was con- spicuous on every battle field in Europe, and whose leaders were high in the con- fidence of princes. The noble Sarsfielcl died shortly afterwards, meeting a soldier's death on the field of Landen as he and his dragoons were victorious in the midst of a routed army. Nor in his dying moments was his country absent from his thoughts, for looking at the blood which flowed freely from his wounds he exclaimed — "Oh that it had been for Ireland ! " The defeats of the Irish army during the campaigns of 1690 and 1691 are not to be attributed to any want of valour in the soldiers. What they could do when left to their own commanders was shown in the first siege of Limerick, and after- wards on many a hard-fought continental SIEGE BY GINKLE. 103 battlefield. But no troops could succeed under such leaders as were forced upon the Irish. At the Boyne King James fled before the battle was lost. The neglect of d'Usson and the absurd self confidence of St. Buth lost Athlone, whilst the latter's ridiculous vanity, united to his childish jealousy of the brilliant Sarsfield, caused the defeat and subsequent slaughter at Aughrim. The conduct of the nameless French officer at Thomond bridge is be- yond comment. The wonder is that the Irish troops under such commanders were able to make the stand they did, and that in spite of everything they still remained faithful to such a contemptible creature as the Stuart King. CHAPTEE VII. OLD LIMEEICK. rpHE ancient city whose history has been briefly recorded in the preceding pages was a very different place from the Lime- rick of to-day. By far the larger portion of the present city had then no existence, nor was it called into being till very many years had passed away. The historic por- tion was then strictly limited to those parts called respectively the English town and Irish town. The English town situated at the western extremity of the King's Island, was the centre of the civil, military and ecclesiastical organisation. It was con- nected at an early period with the Clare side of the river by Thomond Bridge, and OLD LIMERICK. 105 ocr» with the Limerick bank by Ball's Britl A wall pierced with numerous gates and fortified with strong towers surrounded the whole area. Of these walls some con- siderable portions still remain. They may be traced from Thomond Bridge by the irravevard of St. Munchin towards Water- gate, when they turn sharply eastward, and may still be observed at the back of the Convent of Mercy, running nearly parallel to Island Road. Thence they continued to Ball's Bridge, but this portion has en- tirely disappeared. Prom Ball's Bridge they extended along the present George's Quay to the Potato Market, which occu- pies the site of the ancient harbour, the mouth of which was defended by batteries. The chief stronghold of the English town was King John's Castle, so-called from the monarch who ordered its erection. Even after the lapse of nearly seven centuries the castle is an imposing structure and one of the finest specimens of Norman military architecture to be found in the kingdom. The river front about two hundred feet in length is flanked by two massive round towers, each fifty feet in diameter, with 106 OLD LIMERICK. walls ten feet thick. That near the bridge is considered to be the more ancient and bears on its front the marks of severe cannonading. The original entrance now disused is remarkably narrow, and lies between two tall and very strong round towers, whose appearance is most striking and imposing. Another tower of similar construction defended the corner where the walls took a course parallel to the river. The modern entrance is in Nicholas-street. At the angle towards the town there for- merly stood a low square tower or platform capable of mounting five or six cannon, and in the lower story was the sally port of the fortress. The square tower has long since been demolished, but a considerable extent of the wall connecting it with the tower by the river's edge has been pre- served. The whole structure was sur- rounded by a deep broad moat supplied with water from the Shannon. Within the circuit of the walls a modern military barrack contrasting strangely with the an- cient and venerable pile was erected in 1751. The castle was committed to the custody of a Constable. The last who ... tiff KING JOHN'S CASTLE. JFrom a?i engraving in "Pacata Hibernia," 1623 OLD LIMERICK. 107 held the post was Lord Gort, on whose death in 1840 the office ceased to exist. Near the castle stands St. Munchin's Church, which occupies the site of an ancient cathedral of Limerick. The ori- ginal edifice is attributed to St. Munchin, or Manchin, in the middle of the seventh centurv, and is said to have been restored by the Danes during the time they held Limerick in their possession. The present Thomoncl Bridge is similar to that erected by King John with the exception of the drawbridge which was formerly at the city end. The old guard-house has long ago been demolished. A range of ancient houses opposite the castle, in one of which the Duke of Tyrconnell, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under King James, breathed his last in 1691, has also disappeared. Ancient Limerick was remarkable for the number, extent, and grandeur of its ecclesiastical edifices. The most imposing of these was the Dominican Convent. Two lofty ivy covered walls and an interesting doorway within the grounds of the present Convent of Mercy are all that remain of this once famous establishment. The Ab- 108 OLD LIMERICK. bey was founded in the early part of the thirteenth century by Donogh Cairbreagh O'Brien. Within its precincts were laid the bones of its founder, and many other Chieftains choose this as their final rest- ing place. At various times no less than six bishops were interred in this spot, and here in 1345, John O' Grady, Arch- bishop of Cashel, was placed in his last home. In 1162, James, Earl of Desmond, a munificent contributor, was laid in a tomb worthy of its tenant. The abbey had the honour of being erected into a university or place of general study in 1611. Prior to the suppression of the religious establishments by Henry VIII. the Dominican abbey possessed consider- able wealth. The community owned the celebrated Lax "Weir, St. Thomas's Island, Monabraher or the Friar's Bog on the Clare shore, as well as large territories in the neighbourhood. On the dissolution of the monasteries the edifice was allowed to fall into decay, and the lands were granted to the Earl of Desmond, and on his forfei- ture to the Earl of Tliomond. The Lax Weir was granted to the Corporation of OLD LIMERICK. 100 Limerick in 1583. In the reign of Charles II. a huge military barrack capable of holding eight hundred men, was erected in the grounds of the monastery, and doubt- less served to complete the destruction of the sacred buildings. The first regular religious community established in Limerick was that of the Canons of St. Augustine. According to Ware the Priory was founded in 1227 by Simon Minor, a citizen of Limerick. This establishment was situated near Ball's Bridge, between it and the Mall, but not a trace of it now remains. The head of this house had the first vote in the election of the Mayor and occupied a seat in the Court next the Mayor. At the time of the suppression the property of the Con- vent was granted to Edmond Sexton, in the hands of whose descendants it has since remained. Near the site of this building it may be remembered an Irish battery was erected which annoyed William's army on their march through Park. The Hermits of St. Augustine possessed an establishment in Quay Lane, on the site of the old City Courthouse. Some traces 110 OLD LIMERICK. of the building may be observed exactly opposite the principal entrance to the Ca- thedral grounds. The nuns of the same order had a religious house founded by King Donald O'Brien in 1171 and dedi- cated to St. Peter. The place is still called St. Peter's Cell. It was situated near the town wall at the lower end of Pump Lane. At the suppression it was granted to Lord Milton and in the last century the Chapel was used by the Presbyterians as a place of worship up to the year 1776. A dwelling house was afterwards built on the site. There was yet another famous abbey, the Franciscan, founded in the thirteenth century by William de Burgho, son-in-law of Donald O'Brien. It stood just without the city walls, and occupied the greater part of the space between Sir Harry's Mall and Athlunkard Street, which part is still called St. Francis's Abbey. Traces of the buildings connected with this great abbey may still be detected in the neigh- bourhood, but they are becoming fewer and fewer every day. Moroney,' who visit- ed Limerick in 1615, describes the build- ings as still standing but likely to fall. OLD LIMERICK. Ill Amid all the decay and destruction one memorable edifice still survives, having both escaped the hands of the destroyer and resisted the ravages of time. For close on seven centuries the lofty tower of St. Mary's Cathedral has looked down upon the busy life of the old fortress city crowded around its base. St. Mary's Ca- thedral was founded by the great Donald O'Brien, King of Limerick, about the time of the landing of the Normans. It is built upon the site of one of Donald's palaces which he gave up for the purpose. The entrance is so peculiar in ecclesiastical architecture, that of a pillared arch under the lofty tower in the middle of the west facade, as to lead some authorities to believe that this portion of the structure formed part of the original palace. The Cathedral was not originally as large as it is at present, many additions having been made from time to time. It was a basilica, consisting of nave, side aisles, transepts, and chancel, terminating not in a semi- circle but in a straight Avail. In the fif- teenth century very important changes were made. The round arch wherever 112 OLD LIMERICK. possible had to give way to tlie pointed, chapels were added not harmonising in style with the ancient building, but widen- ing the aisles and raising the interior walls. The tower is one hundred and twenty feet high. The upper portion is somewhat modern and replaced that injured during the sieges of 1690 and 1691. The Cathe- dral contains many ancient monuments. The most interesting is the lid of King Donald's stone coffin, which lies on the floor of one of the chapels. Here also may be found the altar stone removed from the east end. A monument to Richard Bultingf ord and Geoffrey Galwey bears the date 1414. In the south wall of the chancel may be observed a black marble slab commemorating Bishop O'Dea, a munificent benefactor, who died in 1431. In the north transept are found two in- scriptions, one in memory of John Efox, Dean, and Geoffrey Arthur, Treasurer of the Cathedral, who died in 1519. A huge memorial in the north wall of the chancel was erected in memory of Dono2;h O'Brien, Earl of Thomond and Lord President of Munster. Having been injured by the OLD LIMERICK. 113 soldiers of Ireton this monument was re- edified in 1678 as the inscription records. The two broken and defaced effigies re- posing in one of the compartments are evidence of their vandalism. The Earl of Inchiquin (Murrough of the Burnings) was interred in the Cathedral with mili- tary honours in 1674, and Richard Talbot, Duke of Tyrconnell, in 1691, but no me- morial marks the graves of either, nor is their position known.*" The Cathedral stood in the midst of, and was surrounded by, groups of eccle- siastical buildings which have been swept awav. These were connected with the central pile by underground passages. On the north side of Bow Lane stood the college for minor canons, erected in the thirteenth century by Hubert de Burgh, Bishop of Limerick, who was consecrated in 1221. The massively built walls are still standing though greatly shattered. * For a more detailed account the reader is referred to a handhook by the Eev. F. Meredyth, Precentor, entitled: A Historic and Descriptive Skekh of St. INIary's Cathedral. The present Dean, the Very Eev. T. Dunhury, has done more to improve the Cathedra] and its surroundings than has been accomplished by all other dignitaries in recent times. Ill OLD LIMERICK. Two round arched doorways still remain, and a curiously constructed window is pre- served by being built up. The small grated window used as a look out for the porter may be observed. The buildings in this quarter were also connected with the Cathedral by a house which spanned the lane, then much narrower than it is at present. The pathway has since been made considerably lower, as it now exposes the foundations of the minor canon's col- lege. Between the college and the castle formerly stood St. Nicholas's Abbey, which was destroyed during the siege of 1691, but some traces of it may yet be observed. The ancient episcopal palace was situated near St. Munchin's Church, but the site has long been occupied by small cottages. The streets of the English Town, with the single exception of the Main-street or St. Nicholas-street, were very narrow and crooked, and could only be traversed by foot passengers. On each side rose tall and lofty houses now crumbling into decay. In some places they have tumbled down, leaving empty spaces which have not been built upon. These old houses with their OLD LIMERICK. 115 quaint curved gables turned towards the street, give certain portions of the English Town a peculiarly foreign look. Some few years ago Mary-street might almost he mistaken for a piece of some old conti- nental city, hut the resemblance is now almost obliterated. The existing brick houses have been built upon the founda- tions of still older structures, whose ma- terials have been liberally utilised by the modern builder. The fall of the more re- cent portions often brings to light and exposes to view some relics and traces of the earlier occupant of the site. Whitta- more's castle, between Mary-street and the river, is a striking example of the old for- tified residences, strongly built of cut lime- stone and apparently constructed so as to stand a siege. The wall towards the river is still standing almost entire and the doors and windows are in very good preservation. It is popularly called the castle of Lime- rick and also Sarsfield's castle, from a tradition that it was occupied by that distinguished general during the two last sieges. At the head of Creagh Lane the demolition of some houses has brought 116 OLD LIMEllICK. to light a beautiful chimney piece still standing in a gable. In Athlunkard-street are the remains of a castle, one of the walls of which has been utilised in the erection of a drinking fountain. The formation of the street necessarily led to the destruction of the remainder of the castle. The most remarkable of the private residences which have lasted down to the present day is with- out doubt that at the corner of Nicholas- street, near where the Exchange stood till quite recently. It is said to have been so far back as 1600 the residence of Sir Geoffrey Gal way, Mayor of Limerick in that year, and tradition points it out as the house in which Ireton died of the plague in 1651.* Subsequently it was known as the Gridiron Hotel, but is now let in tenements and rapidly falling into decay. The lower story is of high antiquity and the not improbable conjecture has been hazarded that here we have existing before us the remains of the old palace of the Kings of Limerick, which we know once stood on the spot. * Ltuibau'b UibLory of Limerick, pag-e 127. OLD LIMERICK. 117 The Irish Town situated on the Lime- rick side of the Shannon is more modern than that portion just described, of which it was originally no more than a suburb. It was not till the fourteenth century that the walls were began, and St. John's Gate was not completed till 1495. Ball's Bridge formed the connecting link between the two parts of the city. The origin of the name is somewhat obscure. By some it is associated with a heathen prince called Baal, who is considered to have erected the first structure. The name in Irish means Bald Bridge, that is, " without battlements." It is quartered upon the arms of the Galway family in commemo- ration of an ancestor of theirs, John cle Burgho, commonly called John of Gal- way, who held the city in 1361 against an attacking force of the O'Brien's. Down to the period of the last siege Ball's Bridge supported two rows of houses upon it, thus leaving a very narrow passage between them. One of these rows was removed, but the other continued to stand as long as the old bridge remained, which was taken down in 1830, and the present structure occupies its site. 118 OLD LIMERICK. Of the old Avails which surrounded the Irish Town the eastern portion still remains in very fair preservation. The height in some parts is fully forty feet or more. The wall proper is hacked hy a rampart of earth about twenty feet in thickness. Trees were planted, many of which remain, and Ferrar states that this was a very fashionable promenade of the citizens in the last centurv. A small swivel gun and some iron cannon were discovered in the earthen mound and have been planted on the battlements. In the centre of this part of the wall was a sally port, the entrance to which is at the end of Father Quin's lane. A short flight of stone steps give access to the battlements. On the outer face of the wall may be observed traces of masonry which shows that this portion was strengthened by an external tower, probably that known as the Devil's Tower, which has been completely demol- ished. The present St. John's Hospital, formerly the Fever Hospital, identifies and preserves some most interesting remains of the old fortifications. The western wing of the hospital was the ancient guardhouse OLD LIMERICK. 119 of the citadel. The walls are of great thickness and the outer gate was defended with a portcullis, the groove in which it moved being easily discovered. Part of the ancient city wall is still attached and the entrance gate to the hospital was the town gate of the citadel. To the east of the hospital a considerable portion of the wall remains standing, at the end of which may be observed the stump of the famous Black Battery. This was the neighbour- hood in which the fierce contest of 1690 took place. "The masked battery was placed at what is now the extreme corner of Curry's lane, exactly opposite the breach."* The breach which is twelve yards wide may be distinguished from the adjacent parts of the fortifications, by having been built up with clay instead of mortar. In the front Avail of the hospital is a stone bearing the name of John Creagh, Mayor, with the date, 1st May, 1651. An old blackened and leafless pear tree in the yard of the hospital was till quite recently pointed out as having been in existence in the * Lenihan, page 289, 120 OLD LIMEHICK. time of the sieges and as having sup- plied Sarsfield with fruit during that time. Prom the corner occupied hy the Black Battery there may he obtained a fine view of the surrounding heights and of the ground occupied hy the operations con- ducted during the last two sieges. This line of hills has from time immemorial been intimately connected with the history of the city. Here St. Patrick is said to have seen the vision of an angel, and his well and rocky "bed" are still pointed out and held in reverence. Here he bap- tized Catha or Carthen, chief of a neigh- bouring distrct. Many conflicts with the Danes, as previously stated, were waged on these heights during the centuries in which these foreign aggressors were en- deavouring to push their conquests farther and farther inland. Here swept by the great northern army of invasion in 1088, which ravaged and burned the greater part of the country. They returned home to the north bringing with them the head of one of their leaders, O'Buarc, surnamed the Cock, who had fallen in battle a short time before and whose head was exposed OLD LIMERICK. 121 to public view on " the hillocks of Sing- land."* During each of the three sieges the range of hills formed the chief centre of the attacking forces. They were occu- pied during Ireton's time, but the range was rather far for the cannon of the period and closer quarters had to be sought. In 1690 and 1691 the heights were a line of batteries from whence a storm of shot was poured against the walls and into the city. The site of the principal battery is now occupied by the reservoir of the Water Works and a practised eye can detect the traces of others. Prom thence to the city walls extends a gently sloj^ing space, through which the trenches were pushed, and near the centre exists a very slight elevation, which was occupied with an Irish redoubt. Some short distance from the city, by the side of one of the old roads, may be found a pillar of masonry about five feet in height, but formerly much higher, on which it is traditionally reported the Royal Standard of England was displayed in 1690. A well still called * Annals of Innisfallen. 122 OLD LIMERICK. after King William may be found a little further off on the same road to the right, and the " Camp Pield " needs no explana- tion. The little river, Groody, a tributary of the Shannon, was a very important de- fence in former times, for its waters were not then confined between banks as they are now, but turned the adjacent fields into a morass. The spots memorable for the principal crossings of the Shannon by William and Ginkle are sufficiently marked by the island of Illainarone, and the "Chain Hock," near Kilquane churchyard, just above the mill- race. On the opposite side a similar ledge of limestone is pointed out as having se- cured the southern end of the bridge of boats or pontoons. The diminutive castle in the middle of the Lax Weir is still in good repair and is quite a curiosity from its size. To conclude our survey of the old city, the lines of the great entrenched camp constructed by Ireton in 1650 are yet discernible at the north east end of the King's Island. By a strange revolution of fortune the great fort during the two sub- sequent sieges formed one of the strongest OLD XIMERICK. 123 positions of the Irish and protected the city from attack on that side. The only trace now remaining of the Danish possession of Limerick is the name of the Lax Weir, from the Danish word lax, which means a salmon. This in itself is sufficient to show that the invaders took no permanent hold of the country and that they never conquered it or imposed a sovereign or monarch as they did in England. CHAPTER VIII. THE GROWTH OF MODERN LIMERICK. TjlOE/ seventy years after the last siege Limerick was regarded as a fortress. Sentries patrolled the ramparts, guards were posted at important points of the fortifications. The gates were locked at nightfall and kept locked all Sunday. It was not till 1760 that these precau- tions were considered unnecessary and that Limerick was declared to he no longer a fortress. The walls were dismantled and as if hy magic a new and extensive city sprang into existence. As if the energy of the citizens had "been accumulating all these years, the next decade witnessed a display of activity without a parallel in MODERN LIMERICK. 125 civic annals. During the seventy years before referred to no improvements had been carried out except the erection of some street lamps and the building of a market house on the site of an old castle in the Irish Town. But now a change takes place. George's Quay was constructed and lined with excellent houses. The tower and guardhouse on Old Thomond Bridge were demolished. The houses on one side of Ball's Bridge were thrown down. A new bridge on the site of the present Matliew Bridge was commenced, and Cornwallis-street the forerunner of the handsome thoroughfares of the present city was called into existence. This was the work of one single year. Then followed the erection of the Cus- tom House, and in 1761 of the City Court House. Lock Quay was completed. Charlotte's Quay connected Ball's Bridge with the New Bridge and was speedily occupied with tall brick houses and or- namented shortly afterwards with the Assembly Booms. Sir Harry's Mall fol- lowed in 1767 and in 1769 the Bight Hon. E. S. Pery mapped out the streets and 126 MODERN LIMERICK. squares whose regularity is so striking a feature in the modern portion. Before the close of the eighteenth century these streets were the scene of husy life and of unexampled commercial activity. In this expansion of enterprise the name of Mr. Patrick Arthur, of a family long identified with Limerick, stands pre- eminent. He transformed the swampy hanks of the Shannon into a nohle Quay, on which was speedily built a fine range of houses called to this day Arthur's Quay after their proprietor. Hutland Street, previously erected from the extremity of the new bridge, was by him extended into Patrick Street. Other wealthy merchants followed Mr. Arthur's example. Lines of Quays bordered the banks of the river and new streets were pushed out over the swamps where snipe found a refuge and over fields recently green with grass or vellow with the golden corn. The new residences were occupied by the merchants and traders whose places of business were in the other part of the town, but by little and little the private residences were pushed forward and onward by the ad- MODERN LIMERICK. 127 vancing tide of human life, till to-day the scenes of busiest activity are in these por- tions of the city, which were swampy meadows only a hundred years ago. The history of every city tells the same tale, but in very few has the transformation been so rapid and so complete. At the beginning of the present century the Corporation endeavoured to impose their authority upon the New Town as it was called. Their claims were resisted by a large body called the Independents, who desired self government and freedom from unjust taxation. After a long and stub- born resistance on the part of the Corpora- tion, the New Town was placed under the control of a body called the Commissioners of St. Michael's Parish. They continued to exercise authority till their powers merged into the Reformed Municipal Corporation. In 1805 the merchants of Limerick erected the Commercial Buildings, now the Town Hall, in Rutland Street, as a place of meeting. Ten years afterwards they were incorporated by royal charter into the Chamber of Commerce of Lime- 128 MODERN LIMERICK. rick. Later on the body removed from the Commercial Buildings to a more central situation in George Street. 1808 saw the foundation of the County Courthouse, which was ready for the trans- action of business in the summer of 1810. It is a quadrangular building of hewn limestone with a Doric portico of four massive columns. The architects, Messrs. Nicholas & William Hannon, were natives of the county. A Theatre was erected in George Street, which not proving a success was purchased by the Augustinian Order and converted into a church. In the next year the City Gaol replaced the old edifice in Mary Street, which had fallen into decay. It stands on the site of the old Deanery House and garden. The County Gaol, near the Cork road, was begun in 1817 and completed in 1821, at a cost of £23,000. A tower built of hewn stone forms the centre of the whole. It has ten sides, and is sixty feet in height. Five ranges of buildings extend from the tower in which are the cells. The whole is sur- rounded by a wall twenty feet in height, and two and a-half thick, and outside the MODERN LIMERICK. 129 entrance of the Gaol is a lofty iron palisad- ing. On the opposite side of the road is the County Hospital, opened for the recep- tion of patients in 1811. In the same neighbourhood is the Lunatic Asylum, which was completed in 1826 at a cost of £30,000. It is constructed of limestone, lined with brick. The centre is an octagon from which four wings diverge. Under the present Medical Superintendent (Dr. Courtenay), many important improvements have been effected, and the Limerick Luna- tic Asylum is regarded as one of the best managed institutions of the kind in the empire. TV Barrington's Hospital was founded by Sir Joseph Barrington and his sons in 1831 at a cost of £10,000. All donors of £20 and annual subscribers of 3 guineas are governors. The governors elect the com- mittee of management each year. The hospital has not received the amount of support it deserves. Though the Corpo- ration have lately given a grant, the funds of this most deserving institution are la- * Whilst going through the press we learn that Dr. Courtenay has been appointed Inspector of Lunatic Asylums. 130 MODERN LIMERICK. mentably deficient. Up to a short time ago a Mont de Piete, established in 1837, stood close by. The building was a long time disused and had fallen into decay. The cupola and pillars formed a peculiar object indeed, till the whole was demol- ished in 1884. In addition to the ancient Ball's Bridge and Thomond Bridge, which had existed for centuries, it was felt that the outlets of the city required to be improved. Com- munication was opened up in 1824 between Park Bridge and the New Bridge by the construction of Athruiikard- street. At the same time, that portion known as St. Prancis's Abbey, which jireviously belonged to the county, was now attached to the city and placed under control of the magis- trates. Communication with Clare and Galway was opened up by the erection of Athlunkard bridge, in 1830, at a cost of £7,000. Tolls were required from all crossing it till 1884, when they were abolished. Old Ball's Bridge was taken down and replaced by the present struc- ture in the following year. The Wellesley Bridge Act was passed in 1823. The MODERN LIMERICK. 131 Bridge took eleven years to build and the Commissioners spent nearly ninety thou- sand pounds on its construction. It was opened in 1835 by the Earl of Mulgrave, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The Bridge was not freed from toll till 1883, on which occasion the Corporation changed the name to Sarsfield Bridge. In 1826 a Company was formed for supplying the citizens with water, laid down into their houses by means of pipes. A large reservoir was constructed on the site of Cromwell's Port, with which water was pumped from the Shannon, from a point a considerable distance above the town. A second reservoir has been sub- sequently erected on the Ennis road. The old Theatre in Cornwallis- street was replaced in 1841 by the Theatre in Henry-street, which was erected by Mr. Joseph Eogerty, and now that the Dublin lloyal is destroyed, is probably the largest Theatre in Ireland. In the same year the Union Workhouse was opened for the re- ception of paupers, and the Jurisdiction of the Recorder was transferred to the Chairman of Quarter Sessions. The new 132 MODERN LIMERICK. town had been lighted with