7 ai5 R.AR.Y OF THE UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS 94-I-5 Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. University of Illinois Library rFD " - ]^[ ' >'[ *.■• NOV 9 1! 81 \ j m. ; i ' r L161— H41 ^^ UBmi OF THE "^ Cui'jTlslit, 1878, 1/ Tlioniu Kelly, >"«w York. ■u A CATECHISM ^ OF THE HISTORY OF IRELAND. Ancient-i Mediceval^ and Modern^ BY THE REV. JAMES J. BRENNAN, OP THK DIOCESE OF NEWARK. NEW YORK: THOMAS KELLY, PUBLISHER, 17 Barclay Street. 1878. .i&Sfl^.v. . .•:. ' " h. Copyright, 1878, by JAMES JOSEPH BRENNAN. Press of THOMAS KELLY, NEW YORK. 575-c i ^ CONTENTS. "ns ft r4 .. I «^ 3 PACK ^ Preface. 9 Introduction 11 Explanatory Chapter. 13 PART^I. THE PRIMITIVE PERIODS. First Period. CHAPTER I. From Partholan to the Milesians 21 II. Heremon and Heber 24 III. From the Death of Heremon to Ollave Fola. 27 rl IV. From Ollave Fola to Sedna II 30 ^ V. From Sedna II. to Kimbaeth 34 r Second Period. I. From Kimbaeth to Aengus III 38 II. From Aengus III. to Conafari M^. 41 ■<5M^.. 71214:4 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER PACK III. • From Conair^ M6r to Tuathal Tectmar 45 IV. Tuathal Tectmar 48 V. From Feilim II. to Connac Ulfada 52 VI, Cormac Ulfada 55 VII. From Carbr6 II. to Eocha XII 58 VIII, From Eocha XII. to Laegaire II 61 » PART II. THE MIDDLE AGES. First Period, I. Laegaire II 67 II. From Olioll IV. to Dermid 1 71 III. From Dermid I. to Hugh II 75 IV. Hughll 78 V. From Hugh III. to Domnall II 81 VI. From Domnall II. to Finnacta II 84 VII. From Finnacta II. to Domnall III 89 Vin, From Domnall in. to Hugh VI 93 Second Period. I. From Hugh VI. to Malachy 1 97 II, From Malachy I, to Flann lOO III. From Flann to Congall III 104 IV. From Congall III, to Malachy II 107 CONTENTS, 7 CHAPTER PAGE V. Malachy II. and Brian Bom Iio VI. From Donncad III. to Murthogh II 114 VII. From Murthogh II, to Thurlogh II 117 Villi From Thurlogh II. to Roderick II 120 * ♦' PART III. THE MODERN PERIODS. 1 First Period. I. Roderick II 127 II. Domestic War, 133 III. Feilim O'Connor and his Contemporaries 137 IV. The Era of Richard de Burgh, " the Red Earl ". 141 V. From King Edward Bruce to Art McMurrogh. 145 VI. Art McMurrogh /. . . ^ 150 VII. Richard, Duke of York 156 VIII. Unchristian Laws 160 IX. The Earls of Kildare , 164 Second Period. I. JohnO'NeiU 169 II. The Geraldine League 175 IIL Hugh O'Neill ...., i8i IV. Confiscation and Extortion - 188 V. The Catholic Confederation 194 -J^ 8 CONTENT^. CHAPTRR MGB VI. Protestant Ascendency. 204 VII. The Civil War 208 VIII. Penal Laws ' 21$ IX. At Home and Abroad , . . . 221 X. The Era of Independence 225 XI. Tyranny and Rebellion 231 XII. Catholic Emancipation 239 XIII. Recent Events. 244 y ■Si : PREFACE. |HE history of each nation has its useful and instructive lessons. This is true especially of that of Ireland, on account of her ancient renown, her unshaken faith, and the part she has taken in the affairs of the world. Yet, perhaps, there is no other country of equal importance, about which men in general know so little. Even her own children are actuated mostly by sentiment in regard to her, and are almost wholly destitute of that accurate knowledge which inspires true patriotism. The objeftt of this little book, therefore, is to give the outlines of Ireland's history — to tell of her traditions and her heroes, her glories and her sorrows — and thus, if possi- ble, to lead us to admire this long afflicted land. The plan of the work is simple and partly new. It embraces three parts : the Ancient, the Mediaeval, and the Moderi^. Each of these is subdivided into two periods : the first, into the Traditionary and the Heroic Eras ; the second, into the Ages of Literature and of the Danish Wars ; and the third, into the epochs of Ireland's struggle against the English Catholic kings, and finally, I* lo PREFACE. against English Protestant rule. These divisions enable us at once to take a clear view of the whole history. Most writers on this subject have confined themselves almost entirely to the more recent events, but this is an oversight, for, as Dr. Johnson remarks, they begin too late. " The ages," says he, " which deserve an exact inquiry are those — for such there were — when Ireland was the school of the West, the quiet habitation of sanc- tity and literature." In the beginning of the book there is a separate chap- ter explaining the plan of the work, and before each of the three parts there is another to prepare the way for what follows it. The chapters indeed are brief, but, on an average, each of them includes the events of a generation. In the third part, they have been grouped according to events, because the reigns of the English sovereigns mark no epochs in our history. The form into which the work has been put, seems best adapted for the object in view, as we see from the practice of the Church, which always makes use of the Catechism in imparting elementary instruction. In conclusion I may add, that my best wishes for the success of this little venture, are that its pages may spread as far and wide as the Irish race itself, and that they will be read with the same care, and in the same spirit with which they were compiled. Newark, N, J., March 7th, 1878. ,;«iS^.' INTRODUCTION |1TH her cliffs beating back the waters that threaten her on every side, Ireland presents a striking image of the contest which her chil- dren have waged for ages, against the bigotry and the brute force that would rob them of their faith, their liberty and lives. Yet, despite her long sad story, this famous sea-girt island is singularly blessed by the hand of the Creator. Though little more than three hundred miles long, and one hundred and fifty broad, she has elements of greatness that give her much more influence than her size and population would lead us to suppose. Thus, her site is unrivalled, her climate mild and healthful, her bright ver- dure perennial. Her coast abounds in rich fisheries, and her bosom in precious and useful minerals. Large rivers give easy access through all the land, and numerous har- bors invite the commerce of the world. She possesses also every variety of surface. Hill and dale, lough and plain, mountain and valley lie close together, and to the charms of delightful scenery, add the blessing of wonder- k" 13 INTRODUCTION. ful fertility. With all these advantages, Ireland would seem destined by Providence to be the seat of a great empire. But how different has been her lot I After having known glory of old and learned to love it ; after having been the home of sanctity and science, she was made the victim of an impious policy, and was despoiled for ages, that she might become a dependent on English bounty. Yet, even in her desolation, Ireland is still a wonder- land of sweet and pleasant memories. At every step we meet some noted relic of the past. At one time it is a little ivy-clad chapel nestling in a valley, or a spacious monastery in an island-retreat^ or a ruined castle that seems like a guardian spectre seated on a hill ; at another, it is some ancient rath, or cairn, or cromlech, or round tower whose origin and history are now so strangely mingled and confused. The places remarkable for beauty are numerous through- out the country, but the most famous are the Lakes of Killarney in Kerry, the vicinity of Glendalough in Wick- low, and the Giant's Causeway on the coast of Antrim, This last is a splendid work of nature, and is reckoned among the wonders of the world. It is composed of thousands of massive pillars standing close together, and the whole mass of columns rising to a height of two hun- dred feet, slopes down gradually six hundred feet to the • sea, and presents one of those rare, sublime spectacles, in which God centres and manifests His power. ■■f??^> r V- EXPLANATORY CJEiAPTER. HAT is the real signification of the word " His- tory ? " A. It means inquiry . Q. In what sense is the term commonly employed ? A. It has come to mean a written narrative of past events; an account of the rise, progress, and fail of nations. Q. Into how many parts is history sometimes divided ? A. Into three parts ; Ancient, Mediaeval, and Modem History. Q. What is meant by the term " Ancient History ? " A. By Ancient History is meant the narrative of events which took place before the introduction of Christianity. Q. What is the duration of Ancient Irish History ? A. It begins at the colonization of Ireland about two thousand years B.C., and ends with its conversion to Chris- tianity, A.D. 432 — a space of more than two thousand four hundred years. Q. Into how many periods is this part divided? 14 EXPLANATORY CHAPTER. A. Into two ; the first called the Traditionary Era, extends from the settlement of the country, B.C. 2035, to the building of the Palace of Emania, B.C. 350 ; the sec- ond, known as the Heroic Era, embraces all the years from this last event to the mission of St. Patrick, a.d. 432. Q. What do you understand by the phrase " Mediaeval History ? " A. By Mediaeval History is "liuderstood the relation of facts that occurred in the country between her conver- sion, A.D. 432, and the invasion of the Anglo-Normans, A.D. 1 169. Q. What is the length of this second part ? A. Seven hundred and thirty-seven years. Q. How is it divided ? A. Like the preceding, this part is also divided into two periods, the first of which extends from the year of grace, 432 to a.d. 795, when the Danes appeared in the island ; the second, from the arrival of these invaders to that of the Anglo-Normans, a.d. 1169. Q, What was the character of these two eras ? A. The latter was one of incessant war ; whereas the former won for Ireland the glorious title of " Isle of Saints," on account of the number and extent of her schools, and the piety and learning of great multitudes of her children. Q. What is the third and last grand division of Irish History ? A. The last great division includes all the events that ^ EXPLANATORY CHAPTER. 15 befell the land from the Anglo-Norman Invasion to the present time. Q. How many years does this embrace ? A. About seven hundred. Q. Is this part divided ? A. Yes ; it is separated into two periods by the Protes- tant Reformation which was introduced into Ireland in the year 1537. Q. Are these periods specially noted ? A. Yes ; like each of the others, they have their dis- tinguishing characteristics- The first is the era of Ire- land's visitation by English Catholic kings ; the second, that of her martyrdom under English Protestant rule. t' -V I CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. |)art Imt ANCIENT HISTORY. From the Colonization of Ireland, b.c. 2035, to ITS Conversion to Christianity, a.d. 432. THE PRIMITIVE PERIODS. I O W is Ancient Irish History divided ? A. Into two periods. Q. What are they ? A. The Traditionary and the Heroic Eras. Q. What is the extent of the former ? A. It extends from the settlement of the country to the building of Emania — a period of about one thousand six hundred and eighty-five years. t Q. What space of time does the latter include ? A. About seven hundred and eighty-two years — from the end of the first period to St. Patrick, a.d. 432. Q. Is the history of these periods generally received ? A. The history of Ireland goes back so much farther than that of most modern nations, and the events re- l8 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. corded of early times are often so remarkable, that, after a cursory glance, many persons have doubted its credi- bility altogether. Q. Is this reasonable ? A. No ; for although those remote ages are compara- tively unknown to us, still, the facts recorded of them must not be wholly disregarded, since many of them are not without testimony and probability. Q. On what subject is there just ground for doubting ? A. On the subject of dates, especially with regard to those in this first part, where they are mostly hypotheti- cal. Q. Does this militate against the truth of the narra- tive itself? A. No ; because this uncertainty does not destroy the facts, but only leaves us ignorant of the precise time of their occurrence. Q. Can you demonstrate this in the case of the periods in question ? A. Yes ; for instance, though uncertain as to the date, still, all well-informed men acknowledge that Ireland was colonized long before the Birth of Christ, and that its early inhabitants had their own language, manners, cus- toms, laws, traditions, rulers, and great men. Q. What does Father Th6baud, the learned Jesuit, say on this subject ? A. "There can be doubt," says he, spiking of Ire- land, "that this nation has preceded in time all those which have flourished on the earth, with the exception, perhaps, of the Chinese, and that it remains the same to- day." Q. What testimony is there to prove the early settle- ment and civilization of Ireland ? :'^W?C- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 19 A. " The ruins which are now explored, the relics of antiquity which are often exhumed, the very implements and utensils preserved by the careful hand of the anti- quarian—everything, so different from the lude flint arrows and barbarous weapons of our North American Indians and of the European savages of the Stone Period^ denotes a state of civilization, astonishing indeed, when we reflect that real objects of art embellished the dwell- ings of Irishmen probably before the foundation of Rome, and perhaps when Greece was yet in a slate of heroic barbarism." — Preface to Th'ebaud's Irish Race in the Past and the Present. Q. Are there any written documents to support this view ? A. Yes ; the same author adds : " In no nation in the world are there found so many old histories, annals, chronicles, etc., as among the Irish ; and that fact alone suffices to prove that in periods most ancient they were truly a civilized nation, since they attached such impor- tance to the records of events then taking place among them." Q. Mention a few of these existing authorities. A. The Synchronisms of Flann of Monasterboice, a.d. 1056 J the Chronicon Universale, or Universal Chronicle of Marianus Scotus, 1086 ; The Annals of Tighemach, Abbot of Clonmacnoise, 1088 ; the Annals of Ulster by Cathal MacGuire, 1498 ; the Annals of the Four Mas- ters, so cdled from the number of their compilers, 1636 ; the Chronicum Scotorum by Donald Mac Ferbis, 1670 ; etc., etc. Q. What works preceded these ? A. T'ie great national register called the " Saltair of Tara," compiled in the time of Cormac Ulfada, a.d. 26/ 20 CATECim^M OF IRISH HISTORY, the " Senchus M6r," a vast collection of Brehon Laws, compiled a. d. 438, the " Saltair of Cashel," by Cormac Mac CuUenan, King of Munster and Bishop of Cashel, 903 ; and more than thirty other works whose titles are known to us. Q. From what other sources did the annalists obtain their information ? A. From historic poems, tales, monuments, and re- mains ; and from the books of genealogies and pedigrees which the Milesians were always careful to preserve. Q. Why did" they take special care to preserve these documents ? A. Because, as one of their historians remarks, " Their whole system of society — every question as to right of property — turned upon the descent of families and the principle of clanship ; so that it cannot be supposed that mere fables would be tolerated* instead of facts, where every social claim was to be- decided on their authority. A man's name is scarcely mentioned in our annals with- out the addition of his forefathers' for several generations — a thing which rarely occurs in those of other countries." — Haverifs Hist, of Ireland. Q. Is their truth proved in any other way ? A. It is ; for, says the same authority, " When we arrive at the era of Christianity in Ireland, we find that our ancient annals stand the test of verification by science with a success which not only establishes their character for truthfulness at that period, but vindicates the records of preceding dates involved in it." FIRST PERIOD, m OK TRADITIONARY ERA. From the Colonization of Ireland, b.c. 2035, to the Building of the Palace of Emania, b.c. 350. CHAPTER I. From Farlholan, B.C. 2035, to the Jfilesians^ B.C. 1234. ^•' jHEN and by whom was Ireland first colonized ? A. Tradition informs us that about two thousand years before Christ, Ireland was settled for the first time, by a colony under the command of a chief called Partholan. Q. What w^ the fate of this colony ? A. After a residence of two hundred and seventy-eight years in the country, all the inhabitants to the number of nine thousand perished miserably by a plague. The island then remained uninhabited for thirty years. Q. Who succeeded Partholan ? A. About the year b.c, 1727, a chief named Nemedius, and his four sons led a thousand colonists into Ireland, from the shores of the Euxine Sea. The Nemedians lived undisturbed for two hundred and sixteen years, when 22 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. another band of adventurers appeared to dispute the soil with them. Q. What is said of these new-comers ? A. They are known as Fomorians, but they are gener- ally supposed to have been Carthaginian pirates who harassed the country but made no permanent settlement. Q. Who were the next invaders ? A. A tribe called Firbolgs, whose origin is not accu- rately known, next took possession of the island under the command of the five sons of Dela. They divided it into five provinces, and are said to have founded Tara ; but their dominion lasted only eighty years, when they were driven by a new enemy into that part of the country called Con naught. Q. What was the character of these last ? A. The people that dispossessed the Firbolgs are thought to have come originally from Greece, and are known as Tuatha de Danains. They were idolaters, skilled in magic, and in all the superstitious arts practiced in the East. Their sway over Banba, as Ireland was then called, lasted one hundred and ninety-seven years. Q. What did they bring with them to Ireland? A. The Lia-fail, or " Stone of Destiny," which served for ages as the coronation seat of the Irish monarchs. Q. What virtue was supposed to be aftached to this stone ? A. This is shown by the Latin inscription upon it, which is thus translated, " Or fate is false, or prophecy is vain. Or where this stone is found, a Scotic* king shall reign. " * In ancient times Ireland was called Scotia, and its inhabitants, Scots. mrr CATECniSM OF IRISH 112 STORY. 2$ Q, Were there any traces left on the institutions of Ireland by these various colonies ? A. Yes ; the Tuatha de Danains had some influence on the religion of the country in after ages. They likewise established annual national games, which were celebrated at Tailten in Meath, during thirty days, from the fifteenth of August till the middle of September. Q. In what did these games consist ? A. The exercises consisted in feats of skill and prowess, horse-racing, hunting-matches, wrestling, foot-racing, mili- tary exercises, games at chess, and contests in music and poetry. In after times, also, parents were wont to "match-make," or negotiate marriages for their children. Q. How were the victors in these games rewarded ? A. Besides receiving valuable prizes, their fame was sung by the bards, and thus their names and exploits were echoed throughout the land. Q. What is to be said of the influence of these games ? A. To them, in great measure, must be attributed the excellence in literature and arms which afterwards sig- nalized the Irish race. Q. When did these peaceful contests decline ? A. Towards the end of the eighth century ; and, on the invasion of the Anglo-Normans, they were discontin- ued entirely. However, vestiges of them may still be traced in the pastimes common to the various districts of Ireland, and, even now, though there is no bard to cele- brate their praise, the victors in these rural sports gener- ally receive some prize in token of their skill. CHAPTER II. THE MILESIANS. Heremon and Heber, B. C. 1234- I HO were the Milesians ? A. The Milesians were a nomadic colony which fifially established itself in the north- western part of Spain, under the leadership of a famous chief called Milesius. Q. What origin do they claim ? A. Their annals claim for them a very high antiquity, and even trace them to Fenius Farsa. a Scythian prince, who invented the first alphabet, and was the fourth in de- scent from Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah. Q. What is their history as recorded in their annals ? A. These state that, after leaving Asia under the name of Gedalians, they wandered for many years among the isles, and along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, and that they at last settled in Spain, where they took tlie name of Milesians. Q. By whom were they led into Ireland ? A. After the death of Milesius in Spain, his wife Scota, accompanied by her sons, led the colony into Ireland, and subdued the Tuatha de Danains, B.C. 1234. Q. What was the condition of the Milesians on their arrival in Ireland ? A. They were completely civilized, and possessed of a CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 2$ knowledge of navigation, husbandry, and manufactures. They were also skilled in the arts of weaving and dyeing, and in working metals. _ Q. Who were the first rulers of the island after the Con- quest ? A. Scota was killed while directing her troops in the first battle with the inhabitants, and was succeeded by her two sons, Heremon and Heber, who divided the country and reigned conjointly. Q. Were these the only children of Milesius ? A. No ; there was a third brother, Amergin, who seems to have taken no active part in the invasion. To him was assigned the office of supreme bard and druid of the island. From Ir, who perished in a storm on the coast, with four of his brothers, while attempting to land, there descended another branch of the family, and at various times its members also obtained the sovereignty. From tWs Ir, the country received its name of Ireland, because, as it is said, he was the first Milesian interred therein. Q. What dissensions arose between the two brothers ? A. The wife of Heber coveted a rich and beautiful valley near by in the territory of Heremon, and not being able to obtain it in any other way, she incited her husband to a war in which he was defeated and slain. Heremon then extended his sway over the whole island. Q. What occurred during the reign of Heremon ? A. A colony of strangers arrived in Ireland ; but not being allowed to make a settlement there, they betook themselves to Albania, as Scotland was then called. Though originally from Thrace, they had dwelt for some time in Gaul, where they founded the city of Poitiers be- fore going to Ireland. Q. What is recorded of them ? a6 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. It is said that they had no women among them, and that the Milesians suppUed them with wives on condition of their paying an annual tribute, and of vesting the sover- eignty in the female line forever. Q. What was the fortune of these needy adventurers ? A. They took possession of Albania or Scotland, and under the name of Picts, afterwards became formidable to the Roman power in Britain. Q. How were the Milesians occupied at this time ? A. They were chiefly employed in hunting and fishing for a sustenance, and in building roads and cutting down the vast forests which covered the island. Q. What animals then abounded in Ireland ? f' A. The wolf, the red deer, the wild boar, the wolf-dog, the greyhound, and the gigantic Irish elk. Q. Name some species of fish frequenting its waters. A. Herring, pike, salmon, trout, sunfish, and some- times, seals and whales. CHAPTER HI. From the Death of Heremon, B.C. 1220, to Ollave Fola^ B.C. 918. HAT is to be said of the age following the reign of Heremon ? A. The accounts that have reached us concerning this epoch are very meagre, and relate chiefly to battles, the enactment of laws, the clear- ing of forests, to phenomena in nature, and to the succes- sion and death of various princes. Q. What was the general character of the Milesians ? A. They were brave, religious, hospitable, and impul- sive. Q. To what did they principally devote themselves ? A. They devoted themselves almost exclusively to arms, and the vanquished tribes were compelled to labor and to provide them with the necessaries of life. Q. How were these necessaries procured ? A. By fishing and hunting, pasturage and agriculture. The chief articles of food were fish, flesh, milk, butter, honey, hesbs, and bread baked in ashes. As stimulants they had mead, and later on, usquebaugh^ or whiskey. Q. What was the Milesian dress ? A. At first they used pelt, but afterwards their clothing was generally made of wool and dyed in a varie»^y of colors with saffron predominating. Up to the sixteenth 28 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. century the men wore a yellow cota or shirt ; a irttis or tight-fitting garment, covering from the waist to the ankles ; a geochal or vest, sometimes embroidered with silk ; a haradh or conical cap ; also sandals or shoes, and a falluinn or purple toga with a fringed border and a large collar of a different color. This cloak reached al- most to the knees, and was fastened on the breast by a clasp, buckle, or brooch, which was often of silver or of gold. They wore their hair long, and suffered it to grow on the upper lip, but not on the rest of the face. Q. Describe the dress of the women ? A. The dress of the women differed somewhat from that of the men. Kfileadh or linen cap was their glory ; but their chief garment was a cloth mantle reaching to the knee and variously fringed and ornamented. The maidens wore their hair braided and interwoven with ribbons. Q. What is said of the habitations of the Milesians ? A. When they first landed in the island they dwelt mostly in tents ; but, when well secured in their posses- sions, they erected dwellings of wood. These were in- geniously constructed of timber and wicker work, and were furnished with utensils of the same materials. Q. Were the Milesians remarkable for enterprise ? A. Yes ; this is proved by their daring invasion of Ire- land, and by the exploits and enactments of various kings. Q. Mention a few of their acts. A. Among other things, it is related that gold was dis- covered and worked in the reign of Tigemmas ; that Eocha I. distinguished the different grades of society by prescribing a fixed number of colors for the dress of each ; that Eocha II. invaded Albania and forced the Picts to CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 2g —^- - pay tFJbute, and that Aengus I. brought them entirely under his authority. Q. What other facts are recorded of this era? A. Wonderful as it may appear, it is also affirmed that Enna I. caused shields ornamented with silver to be made for his military officers ; that Munemon distributed gold chains among his favorites ; and, finally, that Alder- goid directed the ollamhs^ or learned men of the realm, to wear finger-rings of the same precious metaL CHAPTER IV. From Oltave Fola, B.C. 918, to Sedna JI., B.C. 650. |0W many reigns are included in this section of Irish histpi7 ? A. There are sixteen Ardrighs or Su- preme Monarchs, with an average reign of sixteen years. Q. Which of these effected a great improvement in the general legislation of the country ? " A. OUave Pola, the famous legislator, who organized the system by which Ireland was governed for many cen- turies. Q. By what means did he accomplish this improve- ment ? A. By establishing a Feis, or national assembly, to meet at Tara every third year about the feast of Samhain^ the first of November, to regulate the affairs of the whole kingdom. ' Q. Of whom was this assembly composed ? A. It was composed of the most exalted of the nobles, the druids and the chiefs, together with the four provin- cial kings, and was presided over by the Ardrigh in person. Q. What regulations governed its meetings ? A. It met in a religious season, and was opened with great solemnity. The members took seats according to their rank and descent, and during the session were »WB?-'^'': CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 31 secured from violence by a law inflicting the penalty of death on disturbers of the peace. Even the monarch could not pardon a person guilty in this respect. Q. What were the chief duties of the Feis ? A. It decreed and annulled the laws ; examined and certified the genealogies of families; compared" the annals of the different provinces ; and, if found authentic, approved them, and entered the portions of general inter- est in the National Register called the Saltair of Tara. It also dedased peace and war, regulated the offices and occupations of the people, and attended to the general welfare of the nation. Q. What other wise acts are recorded of OUave Fola ? A. He assigned lands to the professors of the various arts then known ;' founded a school at Tara, which was afterwards celebrated as the " house of the learned," and instituted coats of arms for all the great chiefs of the realm. Hjs reign lasted thirty-eight years. Q. What is said of the progress of the country after the death of OUave Fola ? A. After his death many of his enactments fell into disuse, and no great progress was made for some years. Q. Kame a few of his more noted successors ? A. Fiacha III., who built the city of Kells in Mealh, and caused wells to be dug ; Rotheacta II., who was the first in Ireland to use horse-chariots both in war and in travelling ; and Art I., who erected seven large ratfis or forts in his dominions. Q. What was the residence of the Ardrigh ? A. The Ardrigh usually resided at Tara, in the prov- ince of Meath, over which he had sole rule. His palace, or national house, is described as being five hundred feet long, sixty feet wide, and one hundred high. It had four- 32 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, teen entrances, accommodated one thousand persons, and was provided with courts, banqueting rooms, and a library. Q. What was the authority of the Ardrigh ? A. Besides possessing many extensive local rights throughout the island, he exercised supremacy over the four provincial kings. Q. What attendants were considered necessary to his dignity ? A. Namely : a druid to offer sacrifice ; a doctor to guard his health ; a gentleman companion to give him wise counsel ; a bard to sing his glory ; a brehon to administer justice in his name ; an oUamh to preserve his genealogies, alliances, and noble deeds ; and three stew- ards to superintend the affairs of his royal household. Q. What law regulated the succession to all dignities in Ireland ? A. The law of Tanistry. Though the eldest son or nephew of each prince usually succeeded him, this law provided that the candidate for power should be elected by the clansmen ; after which he might assume the name of Tanist or successor, during the life-time of the actual ruler. If, however, as was frequently the case, the heir apparent was not acceptable to the people, any one of his kindred might be chosen in his place. Thus the dignity was hereditary' as to the family, but elective as to the person. The successor to the Ardrigh was styled Roy- damna or King Successor. Q. What was the general effect of this law ? A. It was a fruitful source of frequent strife in the supreme government, and in the provincial kingdoms, as well as in the smallest principality in the land. Q. Who were the provincial kings ? i CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 33 A. They were the rulers of Leinster, Ulster, Munster, and Connaught Although independent of each other, and possessing the title of Righ or King, nevertheless they owed submission to the Ardrigh or High King, and were chosen in accordance with the law of Tanistry. Q. Mention the ancient capitals of these rulers. A. Leighlin for the province of Leinster ; Emania for that of Ulster ; Cashel for Munster ; and Cruchain for Connaught. Q. Were these provinces subdivided ? A. Yes ; these were again, divided into districts, and ruled by a multitude of princes who acknowledged the authority of their respective provincial kings. CHAPTER V. From Sedna II., B. C. 650, to Kimbaeth, B. C. 350. HAT is the average duration of the reigns of this epoch ? A. From Sedna II. to Kimbaeth twenty supreme rulers held the sceptre during an average reign of fifteen years each. Q. Couple the names and deeds of a few of them. A. Sedna II. was the author of a military code^and the first to compensate soldiers for their services. Enna II. had silver money coined, some of which is still preserved. On one side they have an impression of that monarch's head ; on the other the figure of Erin bearing in her hand a wand entwined with a serpent. There are also other ancient coins, some in the form of rings, and others flat, with a horse on one side and a head encircled with a hel- met on the obverse. Eocha VI. is likewise worthy of mention as the inventor of the curragh, a species of wicker-boat. Q. What was the religion of the Milesians ? A. It was a system of druidism, probably the same as prevailed at Tyre and her colonies, but without its revolt- ing sacrifices. Q. Mention their chief deities. A. Baal or Beal was the god of the sun, and R6, the goddess of the moon. The former was honored espe- cially on the eve of the first of May, the great feast of CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 35 Beltain6 (the fires of Beal), the latter on that of the first of November, the festival of Samhain (peace-fires). The only artificial object of devotion was an idol called Crom, which they venerated for a time as the symbol of the Creator. Q. Were there any other gods honored in Ireland ? A. Yes ; the Tuatha de Danains had their own divini- ties. They worshipped Danaan as the mother of all the gods, Buanann as the queen of warlike heroes, and Man- a-nan as the god of the waters. The latter was also called MacLir, that is, son of the sea. Bridh or Bride was honored by the learned as the goddess of wisdom and poetry. ' Q. Besides the gods, in what did the people firmly be- lieve ? A. They believed that besides the great deities, nume- rous other spirits dwelt in the heavens, the earth, and the sea. and in the fire, the air, and the clouds. Their favorite haunts, however, were supposed to be wells, fountains, streams, rivers, lakes, groves, woods, and mountains. Q. Which are the best known of these spirits ? A. The Phooka, a malignant sprite, who assumed various shapes, and delighted to lure people to destruc- tion ; and the Banshee, a female spirit, that came to an- nounce some approaching death by sobs and other signs of grief, Q. What sacrifices were offered by the Milesians ? A. In peace they offered the fruits of the earth ; in war, the spoils of their enemies ; and in times of special 267. HAT is said of the reign of Cormac Ulfada? A. His reign is generally regarded as one of the brightest eras in the history of Pagan Ireland. Q. What was his first care ? A. His first act was to establish his authority firmly over the whole island by reducing some refractory princes. Q. What did he then do ? A. He invited several learned chroniclers to Tara, and directed them to write the annals of the kingdom from the earliest period. Their work, called the *' Saltair of Tara," is now lost, but much of its contents is known to us. Q. How did he encourage learning ? A. By establishing a military school, and two colleges, one for history, and another for law. Q. Give another proof of his enlightenment ? A. He collected the laws of the kingdom, and published the code which was in use till after the English invasion. Q. What is said of the splendor of his court ? A. Instead of the old palace he erected a grand edi- fice, three hundred feet long, one hundred broad, and sixty in height. This new building had fourteen large en- trances, and was illuminated by lamps at night. It be- came the centre of all the wealth, splendor, and enlighten- ment of the kingdom, ani the poets tell with rapture how N;. -^2J^,Vi3f 56 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Cormac sat in regal state surrounded by his wise men and warriors. Q. Was Cormac engaged in a foreign war ? A. Yes ; but he only continued the operations begun in Albania by his predecessor. Q. What was the duration of his reign ? A. He reigned during twenty- three years, and then, having lost an eye, resigned the throne. Q. Why did he give up his sceptre ? A. He did it in obedience to a law which declared that the monarch should have no personal blemish. ' Q. What manner of life did he lead after his abdica- tion? A. He retired to a pleasant retreat where he gave him- self up to study and contemplation. Here he wrote a tract called *' Advice to a Prince," for the instruction of his son, Carbr6 H. This work is still extant. Q. What is said of his religious belief? A. Before his death he is said to have renounced druid- ism, and to have had a knowledge of the true God^ whom he worshipped despite the druids. Q. State the manner of his death. A. He was choked at table by a salmon bone, and, according to the druids, this was his punishment for hav- ing forsaken their deities. Q. Describe the funeral ceremonies of the Milesians. A. After being washed and clothed, the body was laid in state for a few days, and, during this interval, all the friends and neighbors assembled to do honor to the de- parted. The bards sang his pedigree and exploits ; the druids recited prayers ; and the mourners raised the keen {caoine) or funeral song,- which was kept up till the re- mains were consigned to the earth. The grave usually CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 57 faced towards the East, and was lined with smooth stones. No coffin was used ; but a cloak was wrapped around the body. Over the grave was placed a mound or slab with the name of the deceased. The most famous burial place in ancient times was Relignaree, near Cruachan, in Connaught, where the kings were usually interred. CHAPTER VII. From Carbri II., A.D. 268, to Eocha XII., A.D. 350. HO was Carbrg II. ? A. He was the son of Cormac Ulfada. Q. How long did he rule ? A. During sixteen 3'ears. Q. What is said of him ? A. He was a patron of letters, and the author of a history of the kings, his predecessors. Q. What celebrated men flourished in his reign ? A. Ossian, the great bard of Ireland, and his son Os- car, both descendants of the warrior Fingal and leaders of the Fiann of I.einster. Q, What war did Carbr^ carry on ? A. He went to war with Leana, King of Munster, for receiving the Fiann of Leinster, whom he had disbanded and outlawed on account of their crimes. Q. Who supported Carbr6 and his cause ? A. The P'iann, or military order of Connaught. Q. Where was the contest decided ? A. At the battle of Gabra, a.d. 284. Q. What is said of this battle ? A, The slaughter was so great that the two rival mili- tary orders were almost exterminated. Among the slain were Carbre, and Oscar, the son of Ossian. Q. How many monarchs held sway between Carbrd and Eocha XII. ? CA TECHISM OF IRISH HISTOR Y. 59 A. Five, with an average reign of twelve years. Q. Were these rulers remarkable in any way ? A. No ; at least there is no evidence that they were. However, it must not be imagined that they led indolent or sensual lives like their contemporaries, the Roman emperors. Such a course was impossible under the Irish system, which demanded the election of the ruler, and recognized merit rather than hereditary right. Por this reason the monarchs were always active and energetic, and they never became mere effeminate figure-heads, like some of the kings of France and England in after ages. Q. What event now took place in Ireland ? A. The destruction of the Palace of Emania, in Ulster, by the men of Connaught, in the reign of Muredach II., A.D. 331. Q. Why is this noteworthy ? A. Because, as has been remarked, after this event the annals of the kingdom become much more clear and reli- able. Q. Was the country prosperous at this time ? A. Yes ; the people were enterprising, and as a conse- quence the country increased rapidly, both in wealth and power. Q. What is said of the literary orders ? A. We are told, even by English writers, that they were " the most learned body of men in Europe ; " that " they M'ere eminently versed in astronomy and Grecian litera- ture," and that " they stood unrivalled in the cultivation of letters."— See Camden and Stillingfleet. Q. What else is asserted of them ? A. They are also said to have been the masters or *n- structors of the other European bards. A. Is this true ? "^^^ 6o CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. Yes; "at this era," says another British author, " the Irish were the most enlightened cultivators of letters in Europe ; and so great was the respect in which their learning was held, that the druids of Britain were initiated for ages into their arts, knowledge, and mysteries by the Irish druids. — Toland Hist. Brit. Druids. Q. Who confirms this ? A. The English historian Whitacker, who remarks of the following age : " In the reign of the celebrated mon- arch Niall, the arch-druid of Ireland was acknowledged the sovereign pontiff of the order of the druids of Gaul, Britain, and Scotland." Surely no better testimony can be demanded. CHAPTER VIII. From Eocha XII., A.D. 350, to Laegaire II,, A.D. 428. I HAT is said of Eocha XII. ? A. He was the progenitor of nearly all the Ardrighs who flourished during the Chris- tian era. Q. Was his own career a prosperous one ? A. No ; on the contrary, during the ten years of his reign he was repeatedly defeated by Eana, King of Lein- ster. Q. How many nionarchs ruled between Eocha XII. and Laegaire 1 1. ? A. Three, with an average reign of twenty-two years. Q. What was the character of these rulers ? A. They were remarkable for valor and enterprise. Q. What other governments existed in Europe at this time ? A. There was none but the Roman Empire. Britain was still a province of Rome, and, with the exception of Ireland, all the other European countries were under the same despotic sway. Q. How many emperors governed the Roman Empire during this same era ? A. There were as many as nine, Q. What does this show ? A. It proves that, compared to them, our old warrior- nionarchs were also m6n of wonderful endurance. 62 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. Who succeeded Eocha XII. ? A. Crimthan III., who during a reign of seventeen years led expeditions to Albania, Britain, and Gaul, whence he returned with much treasure. Q. Who was the next monarch ? A. Niall I., sur named of the Nine Hostages. Q. What is said of Niall ? A. About ten years after his accession he sailed from Ireland with a large army and landed in Albania. Then, after ravaging Britain and Wales, he seized the Isle of Man and crossed into Gaul, from which he returned with glory. Q. What did these attacks force the Romans to do ? A. We learn from a passage of the poet Claudian, that Stilico, the general of Theodosius the Great, was forced to send additional troops to protect Britain : " When Scots came thundering from the Irish shores. And the ocean trembled, struck with hostile oars." Q. What was the fate of Niall ? A. Having undertaken a new expedition to Gaul, he was killed near the river Loire by Eocha, King of Leinster, whom he had deposed on account of his crimes, a.d. 403. Q. How is this last expedition rendered memorable ? A. Among the captives taken on this occasion, there was a young Christian called Succat, who was destined, under the name of Patrick, to introduce the light of faith into the land of his captivity. Q. Who succeeded Niall IV. ? A. King Dathy, who reigned twenty -three years, and was the last monarch of pagan Ireland. Q. What is said of him ? A. He was brave and warlike, and led a victorious army CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. (t^ to the extremity of Gaul, where, at the height of his suc- cess, he was killed by lightning at the foot of the Alps, A.D. 428. His troops carried his body back to Ireland, where it was interred at Cruachan in the ancient cemetery of the kings. Q. What was the effect of these expeditions ? A. Besides deterring the Romans from invading Ire- land, these frequent incursions had no little influence in causing them to abandon Britain, which they did entirely, A.D. 428. I Q. Have we any remains of the civilization of this period ? A. Yes; for, exclusive of historic testimony, several ancient reliques of this period have been dug up from time to time. These consist chiefly of clay sepulchral urns ; bronze swords, spear-heads, and javelins; and rings, gob- lets, bits, brooches, torques, circlets and crowns of solid gold. MEDIEVAL HISTORY. From the Introduciton of CHRisTiANixy, a.d. 432, TO THE Anglo-Norman Invasion, a.d. 1169. THE MIDDLE AGES. JHAT is generally meant by the term " Middle Ages ? " A. It means that period of history inter- vening between the fall of the Western Empire, a.d. 476, and the discovery of America, a.d. 1492. Q. What was the general character of this period throughout Europe ? . A. It was an era in which ignorance, violence, disor- ders, invasions, and revolutions were mixed up in endless . confusion with noble deeds, religious devotion, and the conversion and civilization of nations. Q. By what system were most nations governed during this time ? A. By the feudal system, which gave arbitrary power to a multitude of petty princes, and kept the mass of the people in the vilest slavery. So universal was this state of things throughout Europe, that no man was suffered CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 65 to be his own master. All but property-holders had to become serfs, and to do homage to some " lord," whom they were bound to serve and obey. Q. Did this iniquitous system exist in Ireland ? A. No ; it was radically opposed to the Irish Consti- tution, which recognized each clansman as free and inde- pendent in both person and property. Q. What trait, therefore, distinguishes the Irish clans- men from the European serfs ? A. The spirit of freedom or personal independence which they evinced in dealing with their rulers. Q. In what else did the Irish differ from the rest of Europe ? A. Elsewhere the identity of the individual was lost amid pompous titles taken from the land ; and, secondly, his personal freedom was wholly destroyed because he was a mere chattel, from the fact that he was absolutely dependent on his superiors ; whereas, in Ireland, both the liberty and the individuality of the clansmen were l)reserved, for the contrary reason, that the chiefs were dependent on the people, and the family name was pre- served with pride. Q. What is the duration of this part of Irish historj' ? A. Seven hundred and thirty-nine years. Q. Into how many periods is it divided ? A. Into two : the first, from the mission of St. Pat- rick, A.D. 432, to the arrival of the Danes, a.d. 795 ; the second, from the Danes to the Anglo-Normans, a.d. 1 169. Q. What was the character of the first period ? A. During this period the renown of Ireland for sanc- tity and learning was such, that, by common consent, she received the glorious title of " Island of Saints" " For- 66 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. eigners flocked to her shores to be instructed in religion and letters, and a residence in Ireland was considered as almost essential to establish a literary character. Not content with affording an asylum to those strangers at home, the sons of Hibernia crossed the seas to diffuse the same blessings abroad ; all the neighboring nations — England, France, Germany, and Switzerland, profited by the zeal and learning of Irish missionaries, and the most celebrated nurseries of science in those remote ages were founded or improved by Irish scholars."— Fredet. Mod. Hist., p. 22. Q. What is to be said of the second period of mediajval history ? A. The second period is marked by the attacks of the Danes, " those terrible Northmen who, for above two hundred years, proved so formidable to several nations of Europe. In Ireland, as elsewhere, ruin and desolation marked the progress of the invaders ; the country was ravaged ; churches, monasteries and universities were plundered and destroyed. From time to time, it is true, the Danes were bravely attacked and defeated, but fresh swarms succeeded, and committed new outrages and dep- redations throughout the island," till they were finally driven out by a crushing defeat, a.d. 1014. — Id. FIRST PERIOD. IRELAND THE ISLE OF SAINTS. From her Conversion, a.d. 432, to the Arrival or THE Danes, a.d. 795. CHAPTER I. Laegaire II., A.D. 428 to 463. HO occupied the throne of Ireland at the in- troduction of Christianity into the counT^y ? A. I.aegaire II., son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who reigned thirty-five years. Q. Were there Christians in the country before his time ? I A..,^es;^there is a tradition that St. James the Great labored there ; Ditt however this may be, it is certain that many of the Irish were Christians long before the final conversion of the country. The most noted among these early converts were Mansuetus, afterwards first Bishop of Toul in Gaul, a.d. 375 ; Caslestius, the great champion of the Pelagian heresy, a.d. 412 ; and the four young men, Ailbe, Declan, Ibar, and Kiaran, who were baptized abroad and afterwards made bishops under St. Patrick. Q. What is said of Caelestius ? A. He was a law-advocate of vast learning and great A 68 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. abilities. Having crossed over to Gaul, he became a Christian, but his love of speculation led him into diffi- culties, and, though still a layman, he was soon looked upon as the main supporter of Pelagianism throughout Europe and Africa. Before his death he became a priest, but he never retracted his errors, and, as he had proved a match for every opponent, the fame of his name lingered long in the field of his labors. Pelagius himself, also, the prime author of this heresy, is thought to have been born in Ireland, but this is disputed. Q. What is said of the first mission to Ireland ? A. In the year 431, Pope Celestine I. sent St. Palla- dius to Ireland as bishop "to the Scots believing in Christ," a proof that there were already many Christians in the island. This mission, however, was unsuccessful, and Palladius retired to Albania, where he died in the sanie year. Qr Who had the glory of converting Ireland ? A. The great Apostle St. Patrick. Q. Give an account of his early life. A. This glorious missionary was born near Boulogne, in Armorica, a province of Gaul, in the year 387. At the age of sixteen, he was made captive with many of his countrymen, by the troops of Niall of the Nine Hostages, and taken to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery, a.d. 403- Q. Sketch his career up to the time of his mission. A. After six years of servitude, he escaped to his own country, and entering the monastery of St. Martin at Tours, began to prepare himself for the sacred ministry. In the course of time he jiroceeded to Rome, where he studied for three years. Then he returned to Gaul and placed himself under the direction of St. Germain CA'IECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 69 at Auxerre, a.d. 418. By the advice of this holy master he retired to the monastery of Lerins, where he lived in prayer and contemplation during nine years. On leaving Lerins, he again returned to St. Germain, whom he accompanied into Britain in order to check the Pela- gian heresy, a.d. 429, Finally he proceeded to Rome a second time to consult Pope St. Celestine I. about the mission to Ireland, which was always uppermost in his mind. Q. What was done for him by this holy pontiff? A. Recognizing his merit and zeal, Celestine approved his design, and, as a mark of esteem, raised him to the rank of a Roman prince, and gave him the name of Patri- cius, signifying patrician, a.d. 431. Q. When did St. Patricius or Patrick arrive in Ire- land ? A. After being consecrated bishop at Evreux, in Nor- mandy, in the forty-fifth year of his 9%*t, he set out for Ire- land, where he arrived in the year 4.^2. Q. Give an account of his missionary labors. A. When he arrived in the island, the National Assem- bly was in session at Tara, and St. Patrick, presenting himself before it, briefly set forth his mission and the principal truths he came to teach. On this occasion he converted the arch-druid Dubtach, and gained the admira- tion of the whole assembly by his simple and earnest elo- quence. Then, entering heartily on his work, he went on foot through all the cities of the different provinces, and preached with so much unction, that vast multitudes were everywhere converted and baptized. Q. What great work did he soon afterwards accom- plish ? A. Under the patronage of the monarch Laegaire, he -:>,$: 7o CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. had the statutes of the kingdom revised, and entered on the "Senchus M6r," or great book of laws, a.d. 438. Q. What happened soon afterwards in the neighboring island of Britain ? A. In the same year in which St. Patrick established the Metropohtan see of Armagh, a.d. 455, the natives of Britain were forced to call in the Saxons to assist them against the Scots and the Picts, who continued to keep them in a deplorable state by frequent incvirsions. CHAPTER II. From Olioll IV., A.D. 463, to Dermid /., A.D. 544. |0W many sovereigns ruled between Olioll IV. and Dermid I. ? A. Three, with an average reign of nine- teen years. Q. What honors did the Christian clergy receive under Olioll ? A. They took the place of the druids in the National Assembly, and in all other offices held by them. Q. How did OHoU IV. die ? A. After reigning twenty years, he was slain at the bat- tle of Ocha by his successor, Lugaid VII,, a,d. 483. Q. What great poet did Ireland produce at this time ? A. Sedulius the Elder, who travelled through France, Italy, and parts of Asia, and then lectured at Rome, where he was greatly esteemed for his learning, a.d. 490. He became a priest, and wrote several works, among which is a Latin poem called " Carmen Paschale" on the life of Christ. From this the Church takes some of her most beautiful hymns, as, '* A solis ortus cardine" for the feast of the Nativity, '^ Jlostis Herodes itnpie,^' for the Epi- phany, and *' Salve, sancie parens," which is used in masses of the Blessed Virgin, etc., etc. Q. What notable event took place under Lugaid VII. ? 72 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. The death of the great Apostle St. Patrick, which occurred at Saul on the 17th of March, a.d. 493. Q. Give a summary of his labors. A. During the sixty years of his missionary career, he founded three hundred and fifty churches, consecrated over three hundred bishops, and raised up three thousand priests, who directed immense multitudes of the faithful, of both sexes, in the practice of Christian perfection. (J. What was the character of St. Patrick ? A. His most prominent traits were meekness, dignity, great faith, and a love for prayer and mortification. So intense was the devotion enkindled by his preaching and example, that all his disciples and attendants, and nearly all who received ordination at his hands, became remark- able for the holiness of their lives. Q. Mention a few of his disciples. A. St. Secundinus, first Bishop of Dunseglin, a.d. 447 ; St. Asicus, first Bishop of Elphin, 450 ; St. Benignus, his first successor in the see of Armagh, 468 ; St. Jarlath, of the same church, 481 ; St. Mael, first Bishop of Ardagh, 488 ; St. Maccartin, first Bishop of Clogher, 506 ; and St. , Conlaeth, first Bishop of Kildare, 519, etc., etc. Q. What new species of literature now made its ap- pearance in Ireland ? A. There appeared little works called penance books, which were compiled by different saints for the instruc- tion and guidance of the clergy. As these were the first attempts towards establishing enlightened rules for the treatment of penitents, they may be said to mark the be- ginning of the science of Moral Theology. Q. Were there also dogmatic or controversial treatises ? A. No ; because there existed no diversity of creed* and such expositions were not required. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 73 Q. Was the faith of Ireland the same as that of Rome ? A. Yes ; it was the same in every particular, except that afterwards, during a brief space, a difference arose as to the time of celebrating Easter. Q. What important colony was sent out from Ireland ? A. In the year 503 Fergus, Prince of Dalradia, emi- grated from Ulster, and settled with numerous colonists on the west coast of Albania. In the course of time this colony increased, and gradually obtained possession of all that country. Q. Who is the principal female saint of Ireland ? A- The Virgin St. Brigid, " the Mary of Ireland," who is venerated as the patroness of the whole island. Q. What is said of her ? A. She was born during the lifetime of St. Patrick, and in the year 480 founded the celebrated monastery of Kil- dare, where she died in her seventieth year after innumer- able miracles and good works, a.d. 525. Q. For what is this age remarkable ? A. For the numerous monastic schools which were founded throughout the country. Q. Mention a few of these. A. Besides the school of Armagh, which existed since St. Benignus, a.d. 468, the principal ones were Mayo, founded by St. Ailbe in 515; Clones, by St. Tigernach in 520; Arran "of the Saints," by Sl Enda in 525 ; Clo- nard, by St. Finian, the wise " tutor of the saints of Ire- land," in 530 ; and Louth, by St. Mochta in 534. Q. Were there many diier saints and founders besides those mentioned ? A. Yes ; between the years 432 and 534 there flourish- ed as many as three hundred and fifty saintly bishops, 4 74 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. "wdrofounded churches, and excited the admiration of the faithful, by the eminent holiness of their lives. Q. What was the chief aim of these founders ? A. Their main object was to establish holy retreats where men might give themselves to prayer and medi- tation, to labor and study, to penance and works of sanctification. Q. What else may be said of these pious abodes ? A. " There, also, were trained an entire population of philosophers, of writers, of architects, of carvers, of paint- ers, of caligraphers, of musicians, poets, and historians; but, above all, of missionaries and preachers, destined to spread the light of the Gospel and of Christian education, not only in all the Celtic countries, of which Ireland was always the nursing mother, but throughout Europe, among all the Teutonic races — among the Franks and Burgundi- ans, who were already masters of Gaul, as well as amid the dwellers by the Rhine and Danube, and up to the frontiers of Italy." — Montalembert's Monks of the -West^ vol. iii., lib. viii., p. 68. m CHAPTER III. From Dertnid I.y A.D. 544, to Hugh II., A.D. 572. HAT was the character of Derniid I. ? A. He was remarkably able and brave, but his great love of justice led him into dif- ficulties with the clergy on account of his excessive rigor. Q. What afflicted the country soon after his accession ? A. A terrible pestilence called the Yellow Plague, which carried off nearly one-third of the people. Q. What celebrated schools were founded during his reign ? A. Clonmacnoise, by St. Kiaran in 548 ; Bangor, by St. Comgall in 549 ; and Glendalough, by St. Kevin in 560. Q. What is said of these institutions ? A. The buildings composing them were generally small, but numerous, and were usually made of timber, wattles, and clay, though stone and cement were sometimes used. In this case the cells of the monks were circular, with arched stone roofs without mortar. Each monastery cover- ed a large extent of ground, and was surrounded by a walL Q. Wliat were the usual occupations of the monks ? A. While some worked in wood, in bronze, and in leather, others were employed as copyists, or in studying or teaching Latin, Gaelic, Greek, Hebrew, and Sacred Scripture. Music, poetry, logic, history, philosophy, and astronomy were also taught by them. 76 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. How were they supported ? A. By ofTerings, collections, endowments, and the labor of their hands. Q. What great man flourished at tliis epoch ? A. St. Columba, the Apostle of the Picts. Q. Sketch his early career. A. This celebrated missionary was born at Garten, Kilmacrenan, in Ulster, on the 7th of December, a.d. 521. After completing his studies at Clonard and other schools, he gave himself to the service of God, and in quick succession, founded monasteries at Derry in 545 ; at Kells in 550, at Duleek in 551, at Swords in 553, and at Durrow in the same year. Q. What course did he then pursue ? A. In consequence of a breach between himself and the monarch Dermid I., he left Ireland with twelve disci- ples, and landed at lona, an isle on the west coast of Scotland, where he built a monastery, and entered on his missionary labors among the Picts, a.d. 564. Q. How did Dermid violate the rights of the clergy ? A. At the National Assembly held at Tara, a certain prince drew upon himself the penalty of death by an act of violence which he committed during the session. The guilty man fled for safety to a church near by, but even this sacred asylum did not save him, and being brought out, he was put to death by order of Dermid, Q. What resulted from this ? A. To punish this violation of the right of sanctuary claimed by the clergy, St. Ruadan went in solemn proces- sion with his clergy around the hill of Tara, the home of the monarch, and invoked the malediction of God upon the place. "From that day," says the annalist, "no king ever sat at Tara." CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 77 Q. What chastisement overtook Dermid himself? A. He was killed in battle two years after the desertion of Tara, after reigning twenty years. Q. How did the abandonment of Tara affect the country ? A. After that event the nionarchs usually dwelt at Aileach in Ulster ; but their influence was weakened by the gradual estrangement of the other provinces, each of which contended for the honor of having the chief capital within its own borders. Q. Was the right of asylum better observed after this ? A. Yes ; the fate of Tara caused this custom to be re- spected, and it was soon afterwards introduced by Irish missionaries into various countries of Europe, where it did good service during the middle ages. Q. What noted foreigner studied in Ireland during this age? A. St. Gildas, the first British writer, 494-570. Hav- ing gone to Ireland " to drink from its pure streams of sacred learning," he at length became professor at Ar- magh. After some years he made a pilgrimage to Rome, and presented Pope Agapetus with a beautiful Irish bell, but he soon returned to his adopted country, where he is said to have ended his life. Q. What native saints are worthy of mention ? A. St. Kieran, first Bishop of Ossory, a.d. 550 ; and St. Colraan, first Bishop of Cloyne, 570. CHAPTER IV. Hugh II., A.D. 572 to 599. HAT National Assembly was held by Hugh II.? A. The great Convention of Drumceit, A.D. 577. Q. For what purpose was it called ? A. First, to take measures for the suppression or banish- ment of the bards, who of late years had become trouble- some by their numbers and insolence ; second, to lay a larger tribute on the Irish colony in Albania ; and thirdly, to depose the prince of Ossory for refusing to pay tribute to the supreme monarch. Q. Of whom was the assembly composed ? A. It was composed of bishops and abbots, of princes and provincial kings, and was presided over by the su- preme monarch in person. The great St. Columba and Aidan, King of Dalradia, were also present to plead the cause of the Albanian colony. Q. What resulted from the deliberations of this assem- bly ? A. Through the influence of St. Columba the bards were spared, though subjected to certain useful restrictions. Thus, land was assigned to them on which they were to reside permanently, and they were required to give free instruction to all who sought it ; secondly, the colony of Dalradia was declared free, independent and exempt CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 79 from all tribute to the monarch of Ireland. The third question remained unsettled. Q. Mention some of the labors of St. Columba in Al- bania. A. Besides transcribing several copies of tRe Sacred Scriptures, he founded many churches and monasteries, and ruled his principal foundation at lona with so much wisdom during thirty years, that, in a short time, the fame of this new institute spread far and wide. Crowds flock- ed from Ireland to join the community, and St. Columba set them an example of zeal by carrying the light of the Gospel to the Picts whose apostle he became. Q. When did St. Columba die ? A. On Sunday evening the 9th of June, a.d. 597, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. Q. What fame was acquired by lona ? A. During more than three hundred years it continued to be the abode of sanctity and letters, and a light to all the northern regions. It acquired especial fame, how- ever, for the number of remarkable missionaries which it sent forth to convert the different Saxon kingdoms of Britain. Q. What caused lona to decline ? A. It began to decline on account of the invasion of the Danes, who at different times massacred several of its inmates. Finally, it was deserted altogether. Then dur- ing several centuries its name and its greatness were alike forgotten. At length, however, it is again remembered and revered. Dr. Johnson, who had the honor of calling attention to it, speaks of it thus : " That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain, of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer upon the niins of lona." 8o CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. Mention some of the saints of this era in Ireland. A. St. Ida, abbess, 569; St. Brendan of Birr, 571; St. Brendan of Clonfert, 577 ; St. Fachnan of Ross, 580 ; St. Fergus of Down, 583, and St. Canice of Kilkenny, 527-598. Q. What is related of St. Brendan of Clonfert ? A. It is said that in his zeal for souls he sailed forth in quest of pagan lands and discovered America, which he penetrated as far as the Ohio River. Q. What do antiquarians say of America ? A. They assert that North America was known to the Irish a thousand years ago, and that the country was then called Irland it Mikla, or Greater Ireland. Q. What Irish saints sojourned in other lands at this time ? A. St. Fridolin, " the Traveller," who founded several monasteries in France and Switzerland, and that of Sekin- gen on an isle in the Rhine ; St. Fregidian, Bishop of Lucca in Italy, a.d. 587 ; and many others less known. Q. What was a noted trait of the Irish saints in gen- eral? A. Their love of pilgrimages. Q. What else was still more remarkable in them ? A. They were remarkable for the rigor of their mortifi- cations and penances, and for the zeal with which they sought to bring heathen nations to a knowledge of Christ. Q. What was the effect of this twofold character ? A. They spread over Europe and founded more than one hundred monasteries outside of Ireland ; but the extreme severity of their discipline afterwards induced their suc- cessors to adopt the milder rule introduced by St. Bene- dict. CHAPTER V. From Hugh III., A.D. 599, to Domnall II., A.D. 628. I HAT is noticeable in the history of this era ? A. But little of the political history of the country is recorded. In accordance with the spirit of the times, the annalists, who were generally monks, gave more importance to ecclesi- astical than to civil matters. Q. Is this to be regretted ? A. Yes ; for leaving other considerations aside, it would have been extremely interesting to note the effect pro- duced on the princes and people of the countr)' by the hosts of saints that flourished at this time ? Q. What event now took place in Britain ? A. In the year 596, Pope St. Gregorj' the Great sent St. Augustine with a body of monks to preach the Gospel to the Saxons. These missionaries succeeded in convert- ing Ethelbert, King of Kent, the smallest of the eight kingdoms into which the country was divided. Q. What was the final result of this mission ? A. After the death of St. Augustine, a.d. 607, the greater part of the newly-baptized relapsed into their old superstitions, and the country became almost entirely pagan once more. Q. By whom was Britain finally drawn from the dark- ness of paganism ? A. Mostly by zealous monks from Ireland and lona. 4* 82 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. These traversed the country, built numerous monasteries, and, finally, after great labors, succeeded in imparting a knowledge of the true God to the inhabitants. Q. What does Camden, an English historian, say of these missionaries ? . A. He says that " the disciples of St. Patrick made such great progress in Christianity, that in the following age Ireland was called the "Island of Saints," and none could be more learned and holy than the Irish monks in their own country, in Britain, and on the continent of FAirope." Q. What is the testimony of Venerable Bede, the Father of English history ? A. He declares that, during this age, Ireland supplied all Europe with multitudes of zealous missionaries, who announced the name of Jesus Christ among some nations, and revived it among others. Q. Who is the most celebrated of these missionaries ? A. St. Columban, who was born in Leinster, a.d. 543, and trained at Bangor, where, under St. Comgall, he drank in piety and knowledge as from a holy well. The scenes of his labors were Gaul and Italy. Q. Give a sketch of his career in Gaul. A. About the year 585, St. Columban left Ireland with twelve companions and passed into Gaul. On account of the invasions of the barbarians and the negligence of the bishops, many abuses existed in that country, and the discipline of the Church was entirely neglected. Mortifi- cation and penance were wholly unknown, though the people still thought themselves good Christians ; but St. Columban preached wherever he went, and the sanctity of his life added weight to his instructions, and induced many persons to lead true Christian lives. His reputa- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 83 tion at length reached the court of King Gontran, of Burgundy, who gave him land, on which he built the famous monastery of Luxeuil, and afterwards that of Fontaine. His labors in this province have caused hira to be looked upon as the Apostle of Eastern France. Q. Why did St. Columban leave Gaul ? A. After laboring twenty-five years in Gaul, he was forced to go elsewhere on account of the persecutions of Theodric, King of Burgimdy, whom he reproved severely on account of his scandalous life. Q. What did Columban then do ? A. He went to preach to the pagans of Switzerland, and then to Italy, where he was well r£ceived by King Agilulph of Lombardy. Here he founded the great mon- astery of Bobbio, where he died on the 21st of November, A.D. 615. Q. What is said of his character and abilities } A. He was just the man for the age. Firm, bold, and zealous, he admonished pope and king as readily as he did the poorest peasant. He is the author of commenta- ries on the Psalter, several small poems, some letters, six- teen homilies, and a work against the Arians. Q. Mention other saints of this age. A. In Ireland, St. Comgall, abbot, 601 ; St. Colman, Bishop of Dromore, 616 ; St, Eugenius, Bishop of Deny, 618, St. Builhe, founder of the great school of Monaster- boice, 621 ; and St. Luanus, who built several monaster- ies, 622 ; in France, there flourished St. Maxentia, virgin and martyr ; and St. Osmanna, virgin and recluse. CHAPTER VI. From Domnall II., A.D. 628, io Finnacta 11, A.D. Oj^. HAT controversy arose under Domnall II.? A. In his reign a dispute arose as to the proper time for celebrating Easter. The custom prevailing in Ireland was introduced by St. Patrick, and had long been followed at Rome, but as it was faulty, a more perfect calculation was adopted by the popes. The new system used the Alexandrian cycle of nineteen years, to ascertain the age of the moon, and made Easter fall on the Sunday following the four- teenth day of the moon ; whereas the old method employed the Jewish cycle of eighty-four years, and often celebrated Easter on the fourteenth day itself. Q. What did Pope Honorius do ? A. In the year 630 he addressed a letter to the Scots or Irish, exhorting them " not to continue to celebrate an Easter contrary to the Paschal calculation, and to the synodal decrees of all the bishops on earth." Q. Did this letter produce a good effect ? A. Yes; a synod was held near Leighlin, and it was agreed to send a deputation to Rome to examine the practices of" the mother of all the churches." The prin- cipal opponent of the new system was St. Fintan, Abbot of Taigmon ; and its strenuous advocates were St. Lase- rian and St. Cummian. The latter defended the Roman custom in a learned treatise addressed to Segenius, Abbot of I on a. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 8$ Q. What was the result of the controversy ? A. On the return of the deputation, the Roman prac- tice was adopted throughout the southern half of Ireland, A.D. dT,^ ; but the north continued to adhere to the ancient usage for a few years more. Q. How was the peace of the country disturbed for a moment ? A. Congall, Prince of Ulidia, coveted the kingdom of Ulster, and, to satisfy his ambition, called to his standard several bands of Picts, Britons, Saxons, and Albanian Scots ; but the monarch, Domnall II., marched against this horde and defeated them with great slaughter. Q. What great nurseries of learning were founded under Domnall II. ? A. The monastery of Devenish was established by St. Laserian, who died a.d. 638, and the celebrated, school of Lismore in Munster, by St. Carthagh, who also went to his reward in that year. Q. Give the number of students in some of the monas- tic schools at this time. A. Lothra had 150 students j Taghmon, 152 ; Foure, 300 ; Cong, 300 ; Balysadare'^ 300 ; Louth, 480 ; I^is- more, 800; Rathin, 860; Clonfert, 900; Leighlin, 1,500; Arran, 1,500; Devenish, 1,500; Bangor, 3,000; Clonard, 3,000 ; Annadown, 3,000 ; and Armagh, 4,000. Later on, the last mentioned had as many as 7,000, with one hundred lecturers. Q.' By whom was Switzerland converted ? A. By St. Gall, who accompanied St. Columban to that country and remained there after him. After estab- lishing a monastery, and bringing the inhabitants to the faith, he died in the year 646. Q. What natives of Ireland were laboring in Britain ? 86 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. The most noted is St. Aidan, who came from lona with twelve monks, and preached to the pagans of North- umbria at the request of Oswald, their king. The saint built a monastery at Mailross, and another on the Isle of Lindisfarne, a.d. 635. After a laborious life of seventeen years as bishop, he died in 651, and was succeeded by St. Finian, another monk of lona. This new apostle had the happiness to baptize Penda, King of Mercia. and Sigebert, of East Anglia, together with many of their courtiers and subjects, a.d. 660. Q. What affliction visited Ireland meanwhile ? A. In May, 656, a remarkable solar eclipse took place, and in August of the same year a pestilence, called the Yellow Plague, broke out ; and, continuing its ravages for several years, swept away two-thirds of the inhabi- tants. Q. What important conference took place in Britain ? A. That of Whitby, held a.d. 664, to decide, as in Ireland, as to the proper time of celebrating Easter. Q. What was the result ? A. The monks of lona upheld their ancient custom, and the great body of the Saxons favored their old mas- ters ; but, the influence of Rome was too great, and the assembly, or rather the king, decided against them in favor of St. Peter. Q. What did St. Colman, the successor of Finian, do? ■ A. Rather than give up the custom of his forefathers, he resigned his see, and withdraw with thirty Saxon and all his Irish monks to the Isle of Inisboffin on the west coast of Ireland, a.d. 667. Here he built a monastery for his countrymen, and afterwards another in Mayo for his Saxon followers. The latter soon became known as CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 87 " Mayo of the Saxons," and had as many as three thou- sand students. St. Colman died in 676. Q. Did many other strangers go to reside in Ireland ? A. Yes ; Bede tells us that in the time of Finian and Colman, many nobles and others of the English nation were living in Ireland, whither they had gone either to cultivate the sacred studies or to lead more chaste lives. Some became monks, and others merely attended the monasteries to hear the lectures of the professors. But all were cheerfully received by the Irish, who supplied them gratis with books and teachers. — Eccl. Hist., Hi., 27. Q. How does Camden, the English historian, confirm this ? A. He tells us that anciently the English Saxons flocked to Ireland as to the mart of sacred learning, and that this fact is frequently mentioned in the lives of the eminent men among them. Thus, of a certain Salgenius we read that, " With love of learning and examples fired. To Ireland, famed for wisdom, he retired." Brit, de Hibern., p. 730. Q. Mention a few of those who studied in Ireland. A, Eanfrid, King of Bernicia, a section of Northum- bria, a.d. 6^^ ; Oswald, King of Northumbria, 635-642 ; and Alcfrid, King of the same realm, 685-705, were in Ireland during sixteen years, from a.d. 617 10633; Dago- bert II., King of Austrasia, 673-679, resided there from the year 655 to 670. Q. What missionaries did Ireland send to Gaul ? A. St. Eustasius, Abbot of Luxeuil, a.d. 625 ; St. Psal- modius, hermit, near Limoges, 630 ; St. Deicola, Ab- bot of Lure, St. Plechelm, Apostle of Guelderland, 632 ; r*- 88 CATECHISM OF IRISff HISTORY. St. Wiro, confessor of Pepin of Herstal, and St. Farsey, who first labored in Britain under Sigebert, King of East Anglia, and then went to Gaul, where he died after found- ing the monastery of Lagney, near Paris, 650 ; St. Folian, martyr, 655 ; St. Caidoc, priest, "to whom Ireland gave birth and the Gallic land a grave ; " and St. Fiaker, an- choret and confessor, near Paris, 670. To these must be added St. Livin, who suffered martyrdom in Flanders in the year 6^^. Q. What is said of the saints that died in Ireland dur- ing this era ? A. They are so num&rous that it is impossible to name them all ; and what is truly surprising is, that nearly all were remarkable for their literary acquirements. Among those best known are St. Finbar, first Bishop of Cork, A.D. 570-630; St. Edan, first Bishop of Ferns, 560-632 ; St. Pulcherius, founder of the monastery of Leathmore, 550-656 ; and St. Aileran, Regent of the school of Ar- magh, 665. CHAPTER VII. From Finnada II., A.£>.6J5, to Domnall III, A.D. 743. |0W long did Finnacta II. reign? A. During twenty years. Q. What was his character ? A. He was a pious and hospitable mon- arch, and is honored as a saint in the Irish calendar. Q. What was the first important occurrence of his reign ? A. In the year 680 the Picts made a descent upon Ire- land, but they were totally defeated at Rathmore in An- trim and obliged to leave the country. Q. What other incursion soon took place ? A. Egfrid, King of Northumbria, sent Berctus, his gen- eral, to ravage the coast of I^einster. After slaying sev- eral of the clergy and the people, the invaders made good their escape with numerous captives and considera- ble booty, A.D, 684. Q. What is the principal event in the reign of Fin- nacta II. ? A. The abolition of the Boru or Leinster tribute, by this good monarch, at the request of St. Moling of Ferns, A.D. 687. Q. What other act shows the influence of the clergy ? A. Through the influence of St. Adamnan, Abbot of lona, in the following reign a law was passed for the pro- 90 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, tection of women and children in time of war and civil strife. Q. Mention a few other occurrences of this time. A. In 700 and 712 bands of adventurers from Britain made descents on Ireland in quest of plunder, but they were driven oflf before inflicting serious injury. Q. Did the country then enjoy peace ? A. No ; the monarch Hugh V. carried on a war against Leinster, and, in a battle fought at Emania, nine thousand men were left on the field, a.d. 733. Q. What is said of the religious state of the country ? A. It was in a very flourishing condition. Marianus Scotus, the annalist, tells us that at this period Ireland was full of learned men. Q. Did many of them go into other countries ? A. Yes ; Venerable Bede informs us that in his time they were daily coming into Britain, preaching the word of God with great devotion. — Eccl. Hist.^ Lib. JIT., Cap. 3. Q. Did any repair to France ? A. Yes ; as we learn from Eric of Auxerre, who cries out, "What shall I say of Ireland, which, despising the dangers of the deep, is migrating with almost her whole train of philosophers to our shores." — Letter to Charles the Bald. Q. Give the testimony of Thierry. A. This author declares that Ireland counted a host of saints and learned men venerated in England and Gaul ; for no country had furnished more Christian missionaries uninfluenced by other motives than pure zeal to commu- nicate to foreign nations the opinions and faith of their own land. — Hist, de la Conqnete de l Angleterre, Lib. X, Q. Mention some of those who labored in England. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 9I A. The most famous are St. Maildulf, pLv>. 675, and St Cuthbert, a.d. 687. The latter was Bishop of Lindis- farne, and the former, founder of the monastery of Maild-- ulfsbury, from which the city of Malmesbury takes its name. Maildulf was also master of St. Aldhelm, and the first to introduce Latin rhyme into England. Q. What learned Irish monk flourished in Albania ? A. St. Adamnan, ninth abbot of Jona, and author of a work on the Holy Land, and a life of St. Columba, which is said to be the best piece of Latii^ writing of the middle ages, A.D. 704. Q. Name some Irish saints honored on the continent. A. At. Strasburg, St. Arbogast, bishop, 646-679; in Austrasia, St. Rouin, founder of the abbey of Beaulieu, 594-680 ; in Picardy, St. Maguil, recluse, 685; at Fosse iu Gaul, St. Ultan, abbol> 686 ; also at Strasburg, St. Florence, bishop, 687 ; iu Franconia, St. Kilian, bishop, St. Colnian, priest, and St. Totnan, deacon, martyrs, 688 ; at Disenberg, in Germany, St. Disen, apostle and abbot, 715; and, in the same country, St. Albuin, Bishop of Buraburg and Apostle of Thuringia, a.d. 742. Q. Are these all that are known to us ? A. No ; there were numerous others ; but these fiew will show with what zeal the Irish sought to spread the Gospel throughout Northern Europe. Nor did they confine themselves to the North, for we also find them in Catho- lic Spain and Italy. Thus St. Cataldus became second Bishop of Tarentum. His image at Rome had an in- scription which is thus translated : ?' Hibernia gave me birth ; thence wafted o'er I sought the sacred Solymean shore. To thee, Tarentum, holy rites I gave. Precepts divine; and thou to me a grave." 9« CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. What native of Ireland acquired honor in Spain ? A. Sedulius the Younger, who travelled to Rome, and took an active part in a council held by Gregory II., a.d. 721. He then became Bishop of Oreto in Spain, and acquired fame by his " Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul," and other learned works. Q. What custom had now come into use in Ireland ? A. That of gossipred, which means that the different chiefs were wont to stand as sponsors at the baptism of the children of their clansmen. Q. What is to be said of this custom ? A. It gratified the people and served to knit still more closely the affectionate ties which bound them to their chiefs. CHAPTER VIII. From Domnall III., A.D. 743, to Hugh VL, A.D. 797. HAT gives us an insight into the character ot this new era ? A. The fact that several monarchs and princes resigned their crown and retired to monasteries, where they gave themselves up to prayer and mortification. Among these were Domnall III., who after reigning twenty years, closed his life at lona, and Niall II., who died a monk at the same place, a.d. 778. Q. Did many of the people imitate these good mon- archs ? A. Yes ; it is calculated that about one-third of the in- habitants of the island gave themselves to the service of God in religion. Q. Who succeeded Niall II. ? A. Donncad I., who ruled for twenty-seven years, a.d. 770-797. Q. What new religious order sprang up about this time ? A. The Culdees, who were a species of lay monks. At first they had no fixed rule or habitations, but about the middle of this century they were formed into regular communities. They were celebites, and lived on the charity of the faithful and by the labor of their own hands. Q. Did learning continue to flourish ? A. Yes ; the different monastic schools were now filled to overflowing, and the extent and profundity of 94 CATECHISM OF IRISH HIS TOR Y. their course of instruction is best shown in the many learned men they sent forth into other countries. Q. What new work was now brought out ? A. The first prayer book was compiled by St. Colgu, who died a.d. 791. Q. What native of Ireland is classed with the heretics of this era ? A. Clement, who opposed St. Boniface in Germany, and rejected the canons or ecclesiastical laws. He also erred concerning predestination, and taught that Christ, in his descent into hell, delivered all the souls of the damned, a.d. 745. Q. Who was St. Boniface ? A. The apostle of Germany. According to some au- thors he was a native of Ireland, but however that may be, it is certain he spent several years in its schools. — See Pertz, Marianus, and Trithemhis. Q. What other great man studied in Ireland ? A. St. Willibrord, who converted the inhabitants of Friesland. This saint lived in Ireland for twelve years, during which he prepared himself for his future labors by prayer and the study of the Sacred Scriptures. Q. Mention a few of the native saints of this era.* A. St. Cuchumne, author of a Latin hymn in honor of the Mother of God, a.d. 746 ; St. Rumold, bishop, mar- tyr, and Patron of Mechlin in Brabant, 775 ; and St. Vir- gilius. Patron of Carinthia and Bishop of Salsburg. Q. What fame was acquired by the latter ? A. After leaving Ireland about the year 746, he so- journed in France for two years, and then went to Bava- ria, where he won a great reputation in controversy with St. BonifacCj by his superior knowledge in astronomy and theology. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 95 Q. What was the result of this dispute ? A. Having been accused of heresy to Pope Zachary, for maintaining first that the earth was a sphere and in- habited on the other side, and secondly for teaching that 'n baptism an ungrammatical form is valid, provided there IS an intention of baptizing, the pope approved of the lat- ter proposition, but advised that a council be held, and, should the first charge prove true, the offender was to be expelled from the Church. It is probable, however, that Virgilius gave a satisfactory explanation of his doctrine, for, instead of suffering excommunication, he was made Bishop of Salsburg, a.d. 766. Q. Give the subsequent life of this learned man, . A. After his elevation to the episcopate, he built a magnificent basilica at Salsburg in honor of St. Rupert ; but the greatest service he rendered to religion was the part he took in the conversion of Carinthia. Having educated and baptized two princes of that province, he was thus enabled to bring its inhabitants to the faith. He died about the year 785, and was canonized by Gregory IX., A.D. 1233. He is honored as Apostle of Carinthia. Q. What great universities did Irish scholars found on the Cohtinent? A. Those of Paris and Pavia. Q. When were they established ? A. In the time of the Emperor Charlemagne. Q. Give the names of the founders. A. They are known as Clement and Albin. Q. What do the annalists say of them ? A. They tell us that in the year 792, when learning was almost everywhere lost, two men from Ireland landed in France. Seeing the people busy buying and selling, they cried aloud, " If anybody wants wisdom, let him come to 96 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. I US and receive it, for we have it to sell." On hearing these words frequently repeated, the crowds were aston- ished and thought them mad. But the strangers knew what they were about, for Charlemagne, hearing of the affair, sent for them, and finding them in truth very learned, received them in his palace. After a time, Cle- ment began to teach at Paris under the patronage of the emperor, and Albin was sent into Italy, where he organ- ized a school near Pavia for the instruction of the young nobility. Such are the circumstances connected with the origin of the first universities of the world. Q. What other foundations were made by Irishmen outside their own country ? A. It has been calculated that about this time the Irish monks had established twelve monasteries in England, thirteen in Scotland, nine in Belgium, nineteen in France, ten in Alsace, seven in Lorraine, sixteen in Bavaria, six in Italy, and more than fifteen in Switzerland and Thuringia. Q. Mention the most famous of these. A. lona in Scotland, Glastonbury, Malmesbury and I.indisfarne in England ; Luxeuil and Fontaine in France ; St. Gall in Switzerland ; Ratisbon in Germany ; and Bobbio in Italy. Q. Give the number of Irish saints honored throughout Europe. A. There were forty-four venerated in England ; forty- five, in France, of whom six were martyrs ; thirty in Bel- gium ; one hundred and fifty in Germany, of whom thirty-six were martyrs ; thirteen in Italy ; and eight, all martyrs, in Norway and Iceland ; besides several in Scotland and elsewhere. SECOND PERIOD. THE DANISH -WARS. From the Arrival of the Danes, a.d. 795, to that OF THE Anglo-Normans, a.d, 1169. CHAPTER I. From Hugh VI., A.D. 797, to Malachy /, A.D. 845. HO occupied the throne at the opening of this period ? A. Hugh VI., who ruled for twenty-four years. Q. How was the country disturbed in his reign ? A. It was disturbed by the attacks of the Northmen or Danes. Q. Who were the Danes ? A. The Danes were natives of Norway and Denmark, who lived by piracy and by plundering the coast of Europe, under the guidance of sea-kings. Q. Describe their religion and character. A. They were pagans of the most bitter and supersti- tious type, and, as they believed that future happiness depended on valor in battle, they were also extremely venturesojne and brave. S 98 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. How were they armed. A. They carried either a heavy battle-axe and a twc»- edged sword, or a long bow and javelin, together with a large leather or wooden shield. Q. What was their career in other lands ? A. After ravaging France for several years, many of them at length settled in that part known as Normandy, A.D. 912. They subdued England and gave several kings to the throne, a.d. ioi 6-1066. In distant Italy they estab- lished another kingdom, a.d. 1018 ; but in Spain and Ire- land they were stopped in their conquering career. Q. When did they appear in Ireland ? A. At the close of the reign of Donncad I., a.d. 795, they made their first descent on the Isle of Rathlin, upon the northern coast. Q. What took place soon after this ? A. As if anticipating approaching danger, the clergy sought and obtained exemption from military service from the monarch Hugh VI. about the year 800. Q. When did the Danes arrive in force ? A. In the year 812 they began to ravage the South of Ireland, but, on this occasion, four hundred of them were slain as they retired to their ships. Q. What able chief took command of the invaders ? A. Turgesius, the Tyrant, who arrived in Ireland about the year 818. Q. What took place in that year ? A. They surprised the monastery of Bangor and put nine hundred monks to the sword. Q. What other excesses did they commit ? A. During the next twenty-five years the island was in- fested by the invaders, and all who fell into their hands had to pay a tax called airgiod srone, or nose money^ CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 99 if they would save their noses. Ruin and desolation fol- lowed their track ; and churches, sacred shrines, and mo- nastic schools were everywhere destroyed by them. Q. Mention some of the places thus ravaged. A. They plundered lona, a.d. 798 ; Bangor, 824 ; Down, 825 ; Armagh, 832 ; Lismore, ^t^t, ; Kildare, 837 ; Dublin, 838 ; Ferns, 838 ; Cork, 840 ; and Clonfert, 842. Q. What was the fate of Turgesius ? A. Having been captured by Malachy, King of Meath, he was drowned in punishment of his crimes, a.d. 843. His followers were then attacked on all sides, and after great numbers of them had been slain, the rest thought it prudent to leave the island. Q. K[ow did their invasions affect the country ? A. They were the source of manifold evils. Libraries were destroyed, piety declined, and many learned men took refuge on the continent. Q, Mention a few of these. A. Dicuil, author of a geographical treatise styled Dg Mensura Orbis TerrcB ; Dongal, who wrote in defense of sacred images, and addressed an epistle to Charlemagne i on the solar eclipse of the year 810. After residing at St. Denis, near Paris, this learned man became a professor of the University of Pavia in Italy, where he died ; St. Findan, founder of the monastery of Richnaw in Germany, A.D. 82 7 ; and Claude Clement, who went to France, where he wrote an accordance of the Evangelists, and commentaries on the Pentateuch, the Books of Josue, Judges, Ruth, and the Psalms ; and on the Gospel of St. Matthew, and the Epistles of St. Paul. Some homilies and historical memoirs are also attributed to him. CHAPTER II. From Malachy L, A.D. 845, to Flann, A.D. 879, I OW long did Malachy I. reign ? A. Like his successor, Hugh VII., he reigned sixteen years. Q. What marked his accession ? A. The beginning of his reign was signalized by as many as seven victories, in which more than five thousand of the Danes were slain. Q. What favored the success of the natives ? A. The dissensions that arose among the invaders. The adventurers from Denmark attacked and dispersed those from Norway, and the consequence was that as long as they remained divided, they ceased to be really formidable to the country. On one occasion both parties lost one thousand men, and on another, a still greater number. Q. What means were adopted by the natives to protect their lives and treasures ? A. Massive stone round-towers were everywhere erect- ed, and in these, women, children, and other noncom- batants found the needed security. Q VVhat transpired in Albania ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. loi A. Keneth MacAlpine subdued the Picts, and, fixing the seat of power at Scone, became the first king of all Albania, or Scotland, a.d. 850. Q. State the relations held with France. A. Malachy I. sent an embassy to Charles the Bald, King of France, and the friendship then mutually pledged has been cherished by the two nations even to recent times. Q. How did Hugh VH. illustrate his reign ? A» By a decisive victory which he won over a force of five thousand Danes. Q. How did the invaders avenge this defeat ? A. They burned Armagh, and put one thousand per- sons to the sword. I Q. What was now the general condition of the coun- try ? i A. On account of home-feuds and the ravages of the Northmen, the former happiness and prosperity of the country were fast disappearing ; but, despite the ravages of war, we often meet with men and deeds that are wor- thy of the highest praise. Q. What great man flourished in this age ? A. John Scotus Erigena, the first scholastic philosopher of the middle ages. Q. Sketch his life. A. This learned doctor and extraordinary thinker passed from Ireland into France, some time before the year 847. Charles the Bald welcomed him to his court, and placed him at the head of the school of the palace. After a most brilliant career, he died about the year 873. Some few, however, maintain that he retired to England, where he lived till 884. Q. Why is he especially remarkable ? I02 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. After the barbarous ages which followed the north- ern invasions in Europe, Erigena rose suddenly to the heights of metaphysics, reduced the Christian faith to a scientific system, and acquired special fame as the founder of the system of scholastic philosophy, which prevailed in the middle ages. He was also, it is said, the first to hold heretical opinions concerning the August Sacrament of the Altar. Q. Mention some of his works. A. Besides translating into Latin the Greek works of the pseudo Denis the Areopagite, he composed tracts "On Predestination,"' *' On the Vision of God," "On the Body and Blood of Christ," and philosophical treatises "On the Division of Nature," and " On the Creation of the Soul and its Return to God." Q. What other philosopher was a contemporary of Erigena ? A. Macarius, who also lived in France, where he pub- lished a treatise, De Anima, " On the Soul," maintaining the singular doctrine that one soul animated all man- kind. I Q. Mention a few of the saints who flourished at this era. A. Among the most noted are St. Donatus, St. Andrew, and St. Modvvina, virgin, who built several mon- asteries in England and Scotland ; St. Moengal, who taught at St. Gall, in Switzerland ; St. Patrick, Abbot of Glastonbury, in England, and St. Helias, Bishop of An- goulome, in France, a.d. 876. Q. What is related of St. Donatus and St. Andrew ? A. These two saints made a pilgrimage to Rome, and St. Donatus was made Bishop of Fiesole in Italy, and St. Andrew, Archdeacon in the same church. The former CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. laj died about the year Zd^t-) ^'^^ left several tracts, of which the following is a sample : " Far westward lies an isle of ancient fame. By nature blessed, and Scotia is her name ; An island rich, exhaustless is her store Of veiny silver and of golden ore. Her fruitful soil forever teems with wealth. With gems her waters, and her air with health. Her verdant fields with milk and honey flow. Her woolly fleeces vie with virgin snow. Her waving furrows float with bearded com. And arms and arts her envied sons adorn. No savage bear with lawless fury roves. No rav'ning lion through her sacred groves ; No poison there infects ; no scaly snake Creeps through the grass, nor frog annoys the lake. An island worthy of its pious race, In war triumphant, and unmatched in peace." CHAPTER III. From Flann, A.D. 879, to Congall III., A.D. 919. I OW long did Flann reign ? A. During a term of thirty-seven years, A.D, 879-916. Q. Who occupied the throne of England ? A. Alfred the Great, a.d. 871-900. Q. What is said of the reign of Flann ? A. Though the Danes continued their dissensions, and the monarch gained several victories over them, still this did not prevent them from plundering Clonard, a.d. 887, Armagh, 888, Cork, 913, and Lismore in the same year. However, notwithstanding all this, the reign of Flann was comparatively prosperous and tranquil. Q. How is this fact explained ? A. At this time Harrold, who ruled Norway (885-934), turned his arms against the sea-kings, and, attacking them in their northern strongholds, pursued them with so much vigor during fifty years, that these pirates were unable to give much attention to foreign expeditions. Q. What is recorded of one of the historians of Ice- land? A. A historian of Iceland relates that in the reign of Harrold a body of his enemies fled for safety to that island. Here, says he, they found Christian men who, " being unwilling to remain with heathens, went away forthwith, leaving behind them Irish books, small bells CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. XOS and staffs ; whence it was easy to perceive that they were of the Irish nation." Moreover, the names of Buo, John and Ernulph are given as those of Irish missionaries who labored in Iceland. — Vide Ara Multiscius in Scheda de Jslandia, Cap. II. ^ Q. Did the love of virtue and knowledge still prevail in Ireland ? A. Yes ; and despite the disorders of the times, many monasteries on the continent continued to be regularly supplied with abbots and monks from Ireland. Thus, among those who went to France, we may mention St. Anatolius, bishop and confessor, who died at Salins about the middle of the tenth century. Q. What was done by Alfred the Great ? A. In his projects for the advancement of literature, Alfred sought the advice and direction of three natives of Ireland, who were remarkable by their piety and learning, A.D. 891. Q. Who occupied the throne of Munster at this time ? A. Cormac Mac Cullenan, Bishop of Cashel, who was crowned king of that province, a.d. 900. Q. What work is ascribed to him ? A. The historical compilation known as the •' Saltair of Cashel," a.d. 903. Q. Describe his character and fate. A, Cormac was a lover of learning and a man of peace, but, at the instigation of others, he undertook an expedi- tion into Leinster, and there at Ballaghmoon, in a battle foiisht against the forces of the rest of Ireland under Flann, he was defeated and slain with six thousand men, A.D. 907. Q. What is related of Flann on this occasion ? A. When the head of his adversary was brought to him I* lo6 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. after the victory, Flann rebuked the bearer, and, rever- ently kissing the lips of the dead, ordered the remains to be decently interred. Q. What is said of his own death ? A. As became his virtue, and the peaceful tenor of his reign, Flann ended his life in a religions house in the sixty-eighth year of his age, June 8th, a.d. 916. Q. Who succeeded to the throne ? A. Niall IV., a brave monarch, whose short reign of three years is memorable only by his heroic death in an assault on Dublin, then held by the Danes, a.d. 919. Q. What class of saints was most numerous at this pe- riod? A, They were mostly martyred ecclesiastics. Q. Why was this the case ? A. Because the Danes hated Christianity, and hence they took special delight in putting to death bishops, priests, and monks. J CHAPTER IV. From Donne ad II., A.D. 919, to Malachy II., A.D. 979. I HAT was the condition of Ireland in the tenth century ? A. Like the rest of Europe, Ireland was at this period still harassed by the Danes, Hjwho inflicted the greatest miseries on the inhabitants. The most crying evils of all, however, were due to the jealousy and broils of the native princes struggling for supremacy. Q. What lias been deduced from this state, of things ? A. It is sometimes said by the enemies of Ireland that her history is but a catalogue of brief and bloody reigns. Q. Is this charge true ? A. No, it is not. Such a charge springs from igno- rance, and its falsity will appear if we compare the annals of Ireland with the contemporary history of other coun- tries. For instance, during this era, embracing sixty years of the tenth century — one of the most turbulent in Irish history — only three monarchs occupied the throne, so that each reigned on an average fully twenty years ; whereas, at the same epoch, in a shorter space of time, there died seven English kings, and as many as thirteen popes, who had not to battle against fierce Danes, as had the Irish monarchs. Q. How did Donncad II. signalize his accession? A. In the first year of his reign he attacked and slew a lo8 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. large body of Danes who were returning from the plunder of Kells. Q. What other victory took place soon afterwards ? A. Several Irish vessels united under Faile Finn, and attacked the Danish fleet under Sitrick, in the harbor of Dundalk. After a desperate struggle, in which both parties lost their principal leaders, the enemy was dispersed with great loss. Q. Who, above all others, was the hero of this age ? A. Murkertach, the roydamna, or heir apparent of the throne, who is styled the *' Hector of the West " by the annalists, on account of his valor. Q. Mention some of his exploits. A. In the year 926 he slew eight hundred Danes, and afterwards, by other victories, kept them in check for a time. In 936 he stormed Dublin, expelled its garrison, and levelled its walls. In 940 he attacked the Northmen in their strongholds in the Hebrides, and returned to Ire- land loaded with spoils. Then after making a progress through the island and receiving hostages, he hastened to Ardee to oppose a new force of Danes under Earl Blacair, and there fell in battle, March 4, 943. Q. How was his death avenged ? A. In the year 944 Congall III. succeeded Donncad II. as monarch, and, three years later, he avenged Mur- kertach by slaying the victor of Ardee and one thousand of his followers. Q. For what is Congall's reign noted ? A. It is noted for the conversion of many Danes to Christianity, and for the breaking up of the clans into families which adopted separate names in order that they might be more easily distinguished. Q. Who succeeded Congall III. ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 109 A. Domnall IV. who was hailed Ardrigh in the year 955. He was the first to employ armed boats on the inland lakes, and by this means he did good service against the common enemy. Q. What princes reigned in Munster ? A. Kellachan, the hero of bardic tales, a.d. 942-960 ; Mahon, the victor in many battles, a.d. 960-976,, and Brian, who was destined for more general fame, a.d. 976. Q. What ambition swayed these rulers ? A. They all adopted the one policy and had the same end in view — to grasp the sovereignty of the whole island and fix it in their own Southern dominions. Q. What battle was fought in the reign of Domnall IV.? A. In his last year, a.d. 979, the Danes of Dublin en- tered Meath, but they were met and defeated at Tara, by Malachy, king of that province, who slew five thousand of them, and thereby gained such renown that he was chosen Ardrigh. Q. Name a few of the literary men of this era. . A. Cormacan Eigeas, poet of Ulster, a.d. 948 ; Probus, biographer of St. Patrick, a.d. 948 ; and Keneth O'Hart- igan, poet, a.d. 975. CHAPTER V. Malachy II. and Brian Boru, A.D. 980 to 1022. ^OW did Malachy II. begin his reign ? A. Immediately on his accession he cap- tured Dublin, and liberated two thousand persons held in bondage there by the Danes ; but this stroke did not intimidate the invaders, and in a few years he was again obliged to attack them in their stronghold, a.d 994. An exploit performed on the latter occasion is the subject of the stanza, '* Let Erin remember the days of old, Ere her faithless sons betrayed her ; ^ When Malachy wore the collar of gold, Which he won from the proud invader. — MoORE. Q. What provincial ruler held sway in the South ? A. Brian Boru, King of Munster, a.d. 976 to looi. Q. Give a sketch of this prince. A. Brian was born in the year 941, and at the death of his brother Mahon in 976, he succeeded to his crown. But this did not satisfy him. His passion was for war, and such was his ability, that in ten years, despite the opposi- tion of Malachy, he extended his authority over half the island. Q. How did he assist the monarch against the Danes ? A. Seeing the growing power of the invaders, Malachy CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Hi induced his rival to conclude an alliance for three years. Both accordingly united their forces, and compelled the Banes of Dublin to give them hostages and jewels. In the following year, at Glen-Mama, in Wicklow, they won a substantial victory, and slew six thousand of their ene- mies. Q. What served to arouse the ambition of Brian ? A. The foreign garrison of Dublin refused to pay trib- ute to the lawful monarch, and then intimated that, if Brian were willing, they would give hostages to him, and submit to his authority. Q. What step did Brian take ? A. He immediately joined the Danes a!gainst Malachy, and soon after, at a conference held at Athlone, a.d. iooo, he gave that monarch the alternative of battle or of abdi-^ eating within a year. Q. What was the result ? A. Malachy was unsupported by his subjects, and at the expiration of a year, he met his rival at Tara, and quietly acknowledged him as Ardrigh. Q. How did Brian establish his authority ? A. He caused his authority to be respected throughout the island by making frequent circuits or visitations of the provinces during the first seven years of his reign. Q. What custom did he establish ? A. He enacted a law concerning surnames, which he brought into general use, by obliging the clans to^ take the name of softie ancestor, with the prefix " Mac " or " O," which signify respectively son and grandson. Q- What improvements w^ere carried out ? A. Roads and bridges were repaired ; fortresses and towers were erected ; and schools, churches, and monas- teries were rebuilt. 112 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, Q. What is said of Brian's court ? A. He held court at Kincora, in his native province, and there he was surrounded and flattered by poets an(i, ])rinces, and by the learned and the great, who flocked from all sides to enjoy his generous hospitality. All things promised well for the future, and festivities were the order of the day, till a taunt offered over a game of chess to Maelmurra, Prince of Leinster, changed the scene to one of warlike preparation. Q. What league was now formed ? A. Maelmurra opened negotiations with the Danes, and sending his agents to England, Denmark, and the Isle of Man; to the Orkneys, the Hebrides, and the coast of Scotland, a grand league was organized for the invasion and conquest of Ireland. Q. How did Brian act in this emergency ? A. He set to work with his usual energy, and being nobly seconded by Malachy, the ex-monarch, and by nearly all the other native princes, he was soon ready to meet the invaders with twenty thousand men. Q. Describe the battle that followed?. A. The forces of the enemy numbered twenty-one thousand, including fourteen hundred in chain armor, and were under such brave warriors as Anrud, Brodar, Sigurd, and Canuteson ; the Irish hosts were led by Murrogh, Ma- lachy, and the princes of Munster, Meath, and Connaught. The conflict took place at Clontarf near Dublin, about dawn on Good Friday, April 23d, a.d. 1014 ; and a most sanguinary one it proved to be. Nearly all the leaders on both sides were slain. At length, at eventide, the Danes were routed, and thirteen thousand of their num- ber were left upon the field. The victors lost seven thou- sand, but they would have good reason to rejoice at the CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. IIJ lesult, were it not for the death of th? aged Brian, who was slain by a fugitive Dane while kneeling at prayer in -his tent. Q. What was the effect of the battle ? A. It crushed the power of the Danes, destroyed their hope of conquest, and gave prestige to the arms of Ireland throughout Europe. Q. Who succeeded Brian ? A. After the death of Brian at Clontarf, Malachy II, reascended the throne, and during eight years rivalled his early fame by his success in rooting out the last remnants of the Danes. One month before his decease he gave them a severe blow at Athboy, a.d. 1022. Q. What noted men flourished at this time ? A. Eocha, rhyming chronicler, aJd. 984 ; St. Donncad Abbot of Clonmacnoise, a.d. 988 ; SL Fingen, Abbot at Metz, on the continent, a.d. 991 ; St. Hugh, Lector of Armagh, a.d. 1004 ; St. Cohnan, Patron of Austria, mar- tyr, A.D. 1012 ; and Mac Laig, chief poet and physician of Brian Boru, a, d. 10 15. "^ CHAPTER VI. From Donncad III., A.D. 1022, to Murthogh IL, A.D, 1086. OW did the successful ambition of Brian Boru affect Ireland? A. His success in seizing the throne broke the spell investing ancient usages, and made the monarchy the prize of the most successful in arms. After him every ambitious prince had a hope that one day, if fortune favored, he too might grace the chair of state. Q. What was the consequence ? A. The land was pestered with rival candidates for national supremacy, and the consequence was civil war. As no one of these claimants held undisputed sway, all of them might justly be excluded from the list of monarchs. Q. How are such princes designated by the annalists ? A. The annalists style them very properly Ardrighs " with opposition." Q. Who was the first of these ? A. Donncad IH., son of Brian Boru, a.d. 1022-1063. Q. What events took place at this time ? A. In his reign Christ Church was erected in Dublin, by Sitrick, chief of the Danes, a.d. 1038, and an impor- tant synod was held, to take measures for the protection of life and property. Q. What was the condition of religion ? ■.-js---.'. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. IIS A. Many abuses existed, as was natural, after two hun- dred years of warfare against the Danes. Laymen held benefices, simony prevailed, and the morals of both clergy and people were much relaxed. In fact religion was almost in as bad a state as it was on the continent. Q. Did this state of things continue ? A. No ; a decided improvement took place immedi- ately after the close of the war. Q. How is this revival proved ? A. It is shown by the many fine religious edifices which were now erected. Thus, the great church at Killala was built in 1060 ; St. Patrick's, Dublin, in 1070 ; Holy Cross Abbey, in 1080 ; and the Cathedrals of Cork, Limerick, and Waterford about the same time. Q. What species of punishment had now come in use ? A. Criminals, and sometimes even aspiring princes, were punished by the loss of sight, and in this way hinder- ed from doing much harm. Q. What was the end of Donncad III. ? A. After a supremacy of forty years he was defeated in battle, a.d. 1063. He then went to Rome, where he died in the following year. Q. Who was the next Ardrigh with opposition ? A. Dermid III., who reigned in Leinster, a.d. 1063- 1072. Q. What is said of this prince ? A. Little is recorded of him, except that he was a wise and valiant ruler, and that he died in battle while defending his title against the men of Meath, under Connor, son of Malachy II. Q. What fate did England now experience ? A. England was invaded by the Normans, and was en- tirely subdued by them in a single battle fought at Has- Il6 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. tings under William, surnamed the Conqueror, a.d. 1066 This was the fourth time that Britain fell an easy prey to foreign invaders. Q. Who succeeded Dermid J 1 1. ? A. Dermid was succeeded in his disputed sovereignty by Thurlogh I., King of Munster, who ruled at Cashel, A.D. 1072-1086. Q. What were the events of his reign ? A. The descendants of the Danes did homage to the new monarch, in 1073, ^"^ henceforth, followed the lead of the native princes. In the year 1075, Thurlogh re- ceived a check at Ardee, from Domnall, Prince of Aileach in Ulster ; but, four years later, he was more successful against Roderick, King of Connaught. He died a.d. 1086, one year after Pope St. Gregory VII., who had ad- dressed him in a letter as " the Illustrious King of Ireland." Q, Name some of the writers of this time. A. Cuan, chief poet, a.d. 1024, Corcran, anchorite and civil administrator, 1040 ; Flann of Monasterboice, chron- icler, 1056, and Gilla Keevin, metrical annalist. Q. What noted men flourished on the continent ? A. Helias, who introduced the Gregorian chant into France, a.d. 1022, and died Abbot of St. Martins, at Cologne, in 1042 ; St. John, Bishop of Mecklenburg, and Apostle of Sclavonia, 1065 ; and Marianus Scotus, annal- ist and commentator on the Sacred Scriptures, 1018-1086. Wy^~r^-.^ ' - i"^' ?KT.'T»^'^ ■ '^'?;:^«"je5F7?5*JWW>*jw^^5a*^5wr7?W'Tr^ TtTT*^^ "^rr?^'- ^,y (I'^HcwTi CHAPTER VII. i^r<7;w Murthogh II., A.D. 1086, /<» Thurlogh 11, A.D. 1 136. |0W long did Murthogh II. reign ? A. He reigned during thirty-three years, from A.D. 1086 to 1 1 19. Q. Where did he hold his court ? A. At Cashel, in Munster. Q. Who braved his authority ? A. Domnall, Prince of Aileach, in Ulster, a.d. 1082 to 1121. Q. What is said of these two rulers ? A. Both were remarkable for talent and ambition, and peace was preserved between them only by the most strenuous efforts on the part of the clergy. Q. What act of munificence is recorded of Murthogh 11. ? A. In the year iioi he presented to the Church the entire city of Cashel, with all its revenues. Q. Was this gift well deserved ? A. Yes ; for although there were yet some abuses un- corrected, still, as a class, the clergy were, exemplary and faithful to God and their country. Q. What was the condition of the religious orders ? A. Owing to a variety of causes, but especially to the extreme severity of their rule, the Columban, or native monks, had dwindled down in numbers, and we are soon ■II 8 CATECHISM OF IRISH history: I I to see them disappear forever — absorbed in the new and less severe orders introduced from the continent. Q. When did the Danes make their last descent upon Ireland ? A. About this time Magnus, King of Norway, subdued the Orkneys, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man, and parts of Scotland and Wales. He then landed in Ireland, which he proceeded to ravage ; but he was speedily attacked and slain with many of his followers, a.d. 1103. This is the last scene in the Danish wars — now waged for three hundred years — and the result must be ever glorious for Ireland, since, of all Europe, she alone battled success- fully against the hordes of the North. Q. Did the Danes disappear altogether from Ireland after their defeat ? A. No J many of their descendants settled in the coun- try and quietly submitted to the native princes. Q. What claim did they make ? A. While acknowledging the authority of the native princes, their bishops claimed to be under the jurisdiction of the See of Canterbury, in England. And this claim being allowed by the Irish, may have afterwards served to suggest the reduction of Ireland to the authority of Eng- land. Q. What Welsh prince held friendly relations with his Irish neighbors at this time ? A. Griffith ap Conan, who introduced the music and instruments of Ireland into North Wales about the year 1 100. Q. What synods were now held by the Irish clergy ? A. At Usny, a.d. iiii, and at Rath-Brazil, in 11 18, the clergy held synods for the correction of morals and discipline. The former assembly was attended by fifty CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 119 bishops and three hundred priests ; the latter, by twenty- seven bishops and numerous other ecclesiastics. Q. How did Murthogh and his rival end their lives ? A. Each of them died in a religious house while on re- treat in actual preparation for their last hour. Q. What troubles then arose ? A. Every one of the five provincial kings claimed the throne, and during fifteen years, a war of succession was carried on between them. Q. Give some of the events of this epoch. A. In the year 1121, Thurlogh, King of Connaughl, celebrated the national games at Tailten, in assertion of his claim to sovereignty. Some years later he obtained a decided advantage over Connor O'Brien, of Munster, who was his most formidable rival. This latter prince is noted for having made large gifts to the abbey of St. Peter, at Ratisbon, and to the Emperor Lothaire in aid of the Second Crusade. Q. What other synod was convened at this epoch ? A. That of Cashel, held at Cormac's chapel in the year 1 1 34, when Cormac McCarthy was king of Desmond, A.D. 1118-1138. Q. Mention some of the eminent men of this era. A. Tigernach, Abbot of Clonmacnoise, annalist, 1028- 1 088 ; Gilbert, Bishop of Limerick, author of a treatise on the ritual, and of another on the state of the Church, 1090; and St. Celsus, Archbishop of Armagh, a.d. 1130. CHAPTER VIII. From Thurlogh 11.^ A.D. 1136, to Roderick II., A.D. 1 1 66. lOW long did Thurlogh II. reign ? A. After a struggle of fifteen years, Thur- logh of Connaught at length gained the throne, and reigned during twenty years, from A.D. 1 136 to 1 1 56. Q. What was the condition of the country in his time ? A. All the land was under the authority of native princes, and though the descendants of the Danes still dwelt by themselves in the seaport towns, they were thor- oughly identified with the country, and they contributed to its prosperity by the commerce which they carried on. Q. What distinguished ecclesiastic did much good by his labors ? A. St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh, a.d. 1148. Q. What else is said of him ? A. He was the bosom friend of the great St. Bernard, and introduced the Cistercian rule into Ireland, a.d. 1139. Q. For what is Thurlogh II. noted ? A. He was the first monarch of Ireland who maintained a regular navy. Q. What powerful rival did he subdue ? A. In the year 1151 he encountered Thurlogh of Mun- ster, successor of Connor O'Brien, and defeated him at Moanmore with the loss of seven thousand men. :"-T^55«!iP'- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. I2I Q. Mention other events of this reign. A. In 1 153 Devirgail, wife of O'Ruark, Prince of Breffni, eloped with Dermid MacMurrogh, King of Lein- ster, an act which was to entail much misery on Ireland. In the following year the monarch won a naval victory over Murthogh of Aileach. About this time also, numer- ous synods were held by the clergy. Q. Which was the most important of these ? A. That held at Kells, a.d. 1152. This assembly, com- posed of twenty-seven bishops and several abbots, was presided over by John Cardinal Paparo, Legate of the Holy See. In it the bishops of Dublin and Tuani were raised to the dignity of Metropolitans, and received the pallium, as did likewise the archbishops of Armagh and Cashel. Q. What was the last and most important occurrence in the reign of Thurlogh ? A. In 1 154 Henry II. succeeded to the English throne, and in the same year, Nicholas Breakspere, an Englishman, was elected Pope, under the title of Adrian IV. Seeing his opportunity, Henry is said toliave asked and obtained permission from the liew pontiff to invade and conquer Ireland. A bull, giving the requisite au- thority, is indeed attributed to Adrian, but historians are about equally divided as to its authenticity. If the pope did issue the document, he had no right whatever to do so, as Ireland never belonged to Rome, and such^ an action on his part would be wholly unjust. Adrian IV., however, was a man of piety, and, as long as we are wi-thout positive proof of his guilt, it is wrong to blacken his character by attributing to him the lies and the base motives contained in the bull in question. After stating falsely '* that the kingdom of Ireland, and every island upon 122 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. which Christ the Sun of Justice shone, belong of right to St. Peter and the Holy Roman Church," the pretended bull adds, that in consideration of " an annual tribute to St. Peter of one penny from each house in Ireland," Henry might enter that country, and, for his own glory and the honor of God, eradicate vice, implant virtue, promote religion, and extend the Church. Q. What was the character of the reformer, ? A. He was like most of the English kings, without piety, honor, or common honesty ; but he excelled them all in vice by his superstition, his unnatural lust, and his fierce ungovernable rage when in a passion. This is the man that was to reform Ireland — the murderer of St. Thomas a Becket. Q. Did Ireland need reforming ? A. By no means ; Gerald Barry, a contemporary Nor- man historian bears this testimony : " The clergy of that country are highly to be praised for their religion ; and among the other virtues with which they are endowed, chastity forms a peculiar feature. Those who are intrust- ed with the divine service do not leave the church, but apply themselves wholly to the reciting of psalms and prayers and to reading. They are extremely temperate in food, and never eat till towards evening, when their office is ended." Witli such masters and models the great body of the faithful must have been all that could be desired, according to the proverb : As the priests are, so will the people be. . Q. Who succeeded Thurlogh II. on the throne ? A. At the death of Thurlogh, Murthogh of Aileach obtained the sceptre, but his arbitrary acts aroused oppo- sition from his subjects, and he was attacked and slain after a reign of ten years, a.d. ii66. . - i^^l^rw- CATECHJSM OF IRISH HISTORY. 1 23 Q. What was the general character of the monarchs who held sway during the eventful period marked by the Danish wars ? A. During this entire period there Were only eighteen monarchs, and every one of them, without exception, showed himself a remarkably able and valiant ruler. What is surprising in such troublous times is the fact that each of the eighteen ruled on an average during twenty years. This is truly gratifying, especially when we bear in mind that within the same space of time, there were eighteen kings in peaceful France, twenty-three in Germany, twenty-five in England, and more than seventy popes in Italy. MODERN HISTORY. From the Anglo-Norman Invasion, a.d. 1169, to THE Present Time, a.d. 1878. THE MODERN PERIODS. 1 jHAT is the duration of Modern Irish History ? A. About seven hundred years. Q. How is it divided ? A. It is divided into two periods, the first embracing three hundred and sixty-eight years, from the Norman Invasion, a.d. 1169, to the introduction of the Protestant Reformation, a.d. 1537 ; the second from the Reformation to the present time — a space of about three hundred and fifty years. Q. What is the character of these periods ? A. The first is distinguished for the sanguinary warfare waged by Catholics against Irish nationality ; the second has equal celebrity from the religious phase which the contest assumed. The one is the era of the Penal Code ; the other, of the exterminating sword ; of the two, per- haps the latter is the more creditable to religion, because then, when the invaders became heretics, the sympathies of the papal court were on the side of right and justice. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 12$ Q. Who were the first invaders of Ireland after the Danes were driven out ? A. TTie first invaders came from Wales, but these were soon after followed by a still greater number from England. Q. By what name are they known ? A. They are styled Anglo-Normans. Q. Why are they termed Anglo-Normans ? A. They are called Normans because they were de- scendants of the Northmen who settled in France under RoUo, a Danish sea-king, a.d. 912. After their conquest of England under William, surnamed the Conqueror, a.d. 1066, the word Anglo was prefixed to their name, to de- note their residence in England. Q. How long did they rule over that country before invading Ireland ? A. During one hundred and three years. Q. What fact is worthy of note (Concerning them ? A. We must remember that the Normans were not Englishmen, but the late conquerors of England. They heartily despised that people — whom they had reduced to serfdom by a single battle ; and the greatest term of reproach among them was to be called an Englishman. Hence it is not surprising that they did not unite and form one people with the poor despised Saxons, till more than two hundred years had passed away. Q. What was the character of the Anglo-Normans ? A. They were very brave and warlike, but equally cruel and grasping. However, if they coveted gain and glory, they fought for them ; and in this they differed from their English successors, who compassed their ends by penal laws and foreign mercenaries. Q. How were they prepared for the invasion of Ire- land? 126 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. They were well prepared for that undertaking. Their natural genius was for war, and in their campaigns in France, Italy, England, and Palestine, they had learned- all the secrets of the art, as then practised. Q. What weapons did they use ? A. Their ordinary weapons were the sword, the lance, the knife, and the destructive long-bow. As means of defense, they carried shields, erected castles, and envel- oped themselves in coats of mail. For purposes of attack they used scaling ladders, battering rams, movable towers, and other devices. Q. Were the Irish equally prepared ? A. No ; religion had greatly modified their ancient warlike spirit. Besides, they were divided among them- selves, and they had no standing army, and no experience in war save that acquired at home. Q. What kinds of arms did they have ? A. They used the sword, the lance, the javelin, and the battle-axe, which last was their principal weapon. They despised armor, and in assaults employed only the scaling ladder. Q. What was the policy of the Anglo-Normans ? A. Their motto was " Divide and conquer," and hence their policy was to foment strife among the natives, to pa- cify one prince while they subdued another. Q. Was the contest softened in the first period by iden- tity of religion on the part of the combatants ? • A. No ; but this circumstance seems rather to have im- bittered the struggle. The Irish were indignant at the policy of the popes, while on the other hand the invaders felt authorized to commit all sorts of excesses in the hal- lowed name of religion. FIRST PERIOD. IRELAND AND THE ENGLISH CATHOLIC KINGS. From the Anglo-Norman Invasion, "a.d. 1169, to THE Introduction of Protestantism, a.d. 1537. :? CHAPTER I. Roderick II., A.D. 1166 to 1186. I HAT gave occasion to the Anglo-Norman in- vasion ? A. As has been stated, Derniid, King of Leinster, seduced the wife of the Prince of Meath, and then, to be revenged for the punishment which his crime drew upon him, he fled across the sea,, and sought the assistance of Henry II., who ruled England from A.D. 1 154 to 1 189. Q. What resulted from his flight ? A. The renegade met a favorable reception and was authorized to raise troops to reestablish his authority in Leinster, on condition ofrecognizing the authority of Henry. By large promises, Dermid induced some impoverished Welsh noblemen to join his fortunes, and then, after or- ganizing an expedition, he returned to Ireland. Q. When did the first invaders arrive ? laS CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. On the nth of May, 1169, Robert Fitzstephen landed near Wexford, with thirty knights, sixty men in armor, and three hundred men at arms. Next day he was joined by ten knights and sixty archers under Mau- rice de Pendergast. Q. What was done by the invader ? A. Being joined by five hundred natives under Don- ald, son of Dermid, the combined force appeared be- fore Wexford, which surrendered to them. Ossory was next reduced, and then the progress of the invaders be- gan to alarm the Ardrigh. Q. What agreement was now drawn up ? A. A treaty was signed at Ferns by which ^Roderick acknowledged the sovereignty of Dermid over Leinster ; and Dermid, on his part, promised to dismiss his Anglo- Norman allies. Q. Did this treaty bring peace ? A. No ; for in the same year, in violation of his oath, the traitor welcomed to his standard Maurice Fitzgerald with ten knights, thirty esquires, and one hundred foot- men ; and, afterwards, another force of ten knights and seventy archers, under Raymond le Gros. Q. What was next done by them ? A. Having intrenched themselves near Waterford, they repulsed an undisciplined multitude of its inhabi- tants, and slew five hundred of them. Q. How did the victors mar their triumph ? A. " In order to strike terror into the natives " they broke the legs of seventy, captive citizens of Waterford, and hurled their mutilated victims to death down the rocks into the sea. Q. What famous leader now arrived to take command of the invaders? •Vv:- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. X29 A. On the 23d of August, 11 70, Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, surnamed Strongbow, landed at Dun- donolf with two hundred knights and one thousand two hundred infantry, and assumed the leadership of the in- vaders. Q. How did he begin his career ? A. Having taken Waterford by assault and put to death many of its inhabitants, he immediately esppused Eva, daughter of the recreant Leinster king, in accordance with a previous agreement. Q. What ambition did the traitor Dermid cherish ? A. He aspired to the sovereignty of the island. Hence, with about ten thousand native troops and nearly all his foreign allies, numbering one thousand eight hun- dred, he proceeded to lay siege to Dublin. The citizens repelled two assaults, but though the Ardrigh was close at hand with an army, they were at last obliged to surren- der ; but, while the conditions were being drawn up, the Anglo-Normans suddenly broke into the city and slew many of the inhabitants, September 2 1, a.d. i i 70. Q. How did the clergy look upon the invasion ? A. These pious men regarded it as a visitation from heaven on account of the occasional traffic carried on in slaves, and, therefore, in a synod held at Armagh, in this year, they declared that all the English slaves in the land were free to return to their homes. Q. Did Dermid reap the fruits of his treason ? A. No ; in less than a year from his success at Dublin he died miserably. May 4th, 1171. Most of his followers then took sides with their countr3rmen against their late allies. Q. What attacks were made on the inVaders ? A. Three attempts were made to expel them from 6* 13© CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Dublin in the course of the year, but the invaders were successful in every case. Q. What was the next event of importance ? A. The next event was the visit of Henry II. Saihng from Milford Haven with a fleet of four hundred vessels and an army of five hundred knights and four thousand men-at-anns, he landed at Crook, near Waterford, Octo- ber i8th, A.D. 1 1 71. In his train were Hugh de Lacy, Theobald Walters, the first of the Butlers, William Fitzal- delm, ancestor of the Burkes, and many others of equal fame. Q. How long did Henry remain in Ireland ? A. The period of his sojourn was seven months, till April 17th, 1 1 72. Q. Give a summary of his transactions during this time. A. Some chiefs did homage ; Cork, Wexford, Water- ford, and Limerick surrendered ; a council was held at Cashel to advance his interests ; Dublin was generously granted by him to the surplus population of Bristol ; cas- tles were erected to protect the country already in his power ; and, finally, all Ireland was apportioned by the tyrant among ten of the English nation, *' and though the invaders had not gained possession of one-third of the kingdom, yet, in title, they were owners and lords of all, so that nothing w^ae left to the natives. — Davies' His- torical Relations. Q. What was done to win over some of the native princes ? A. Through motives of policy, protection was extended to five Irish families, who were styled in law, de quinque sanguinibus, persons "of the five bloods." These were the MacMurroghs, of Leinster; the O'Neills, of Ulster; ">' , W'llfip'j-" CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 13X the O'Briens, of Thomond ; the O'Connors, of Con- naught; and the O'Malachys, of Meath. The mere Irish, as the mass of the people were termed, could expect no favors from a despot who sought only their possessions. Q. What defeat did the invaders suffer ? A. They entered Munster in 11 74, but they were met at Thurles, and seven hundred of them slain by Donald O'Brien, of Thomond. This loss, however, was partly remedied by the arrival of four hundred and thirty new adventurers under Raymond le Gros. Q. What use was now made of the Bull of Adrian IV.? A. At a synod held at Waterford, a.d. 1175, the Bull of Pope Adrian was made public for the first time. The influence of this document must have been great, as is seen from the fact that before the close of the year, Rode- rick sent his chancellor, St. Lawrence, at the head of an embassy to Henry II. The result was the Treaty of Windsor, in which the Ardrigh yields precedence to the king, while retaining both the emblems and the substance of his former power. Q. Which of the invaders was among the first to die? A. Strongbow, who was carried off by an ulcer in the foot, A.D. 1 1 76, after founding a priory for the Knights Templars at Kilmainham, near t)ublin. Q. What other leaders in the struggle were carried off by death ? A. On the side of the Irish, Tiernan O'Ruark died in 1 1 73, Donald Kavenagh, son of MacMurrogh, in 1175 ; whilst the invaders lost Maurice Fitzgerald, the ancestor of the Earls of Desmond and Kildare, in 1177, Hervy de Montmorency in 11 79, and Milo de Cogan and Robert Fitzstephen in 1182. 132 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. Mention the events of the next few years. A. Dissensions sprung up among the Irish leaders ; John de Courcy led a band of adventurers into Ulster, where they committed great depredations ; and in a synod at Dublin, a.d. 1177, the officious Cardinal Vivian ex- horted the natives to obey Henry II., who had lately in- sulted him. Q. What other occurrences took place ? A. In 1 184 Pope Lucius III. released Dublin, already an Anglo-Norman see, from the authority of Armagh, which was still Irish. In the following year, John, the son of Henry II., arrived at Waterford with the title of Lord of Ireland. During eight months this prince indulged his royal nature by levying taxes, insulting the native princes, and disregarding the original invaders, of whom he was jealous. Q. What was the fate of Roderick II. ? A. In the year n86 he was deposed by his sons, and forced to retire to the monastery of Cong, where he died November 9th, 1198. Q. What saints flourished at this era ? A. St. Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh, a.d. 1173; Blessed Cornelius of the same See, 1 1 76 ; St. Lawrence, Archbishop of Dublin, 1 180. ^j-: j»v?^FHysvT(Sr^^;T~.*^v "-"^^ -v ■■- ■ ■^*. 7«n«6^ ■ »"r ri -, ,yH,fi.j| ' w "^ CHAPTER II. Domestic War, A.D. 1186 /^ 1230. I HO ruled Ireland after Roderick II. ? A. After Roderick, Ireland had no Ard- righ. The provincial kings carried on the struggle against the Anglo-Normans, but, as they acted separately and were often at variance, their efforts were unsuccessful, and they themselves were finally swept away one by one. Q. What is to be remarked concerning this epoch ? A. The history of this age is but the record of the ambition and sway of a few great families who fought for power and plunder, rather than for the welfare of the nation. Q. What change took place among the invaders ? A. Henry II. died miserably, a.d. 1189, and was suc- ceeded by Richard I., surnamed Coeur de Lion. Dissen- sions sprang up among the invaders, and this would have been their destruction, were it not for the wars raging among the princes of Connaught. Q. What was the character of these wars ? A. They were a series of petty fratricidal contests^ "for which," says McGee, "history has no memory and no heart." At length, by his great ability, after great waste of life and property, Cathal Crovderg, son of a younger brother of Roderick, assumed the sovereignty of Con- naught, A.D. 1200. 134 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. What losses did the invaders suffer ? A. In 1 20 1, seven hundred of them were slain in Con- naught, and later on three hundred more near Dublin. Q. Who were the most noted among the native princes ? A. Donald O'Brien, the last king of Limerick, 1194, Connor Moiimioy of Connaught, 1189, and Cathal Crov- derg, also of Connaught, a.d. 1224. Q. Mention some of the rival leaders ? A. Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, 1186, and John de Courcy, " Conqueror of Ulidia," or Down, 1205. Q. What great armament now arrived in Ireland? A. In 1 199, John succeeded his brother Richard on the throne of England. In Ireland his authority was hardly recognized. Therefore, in the year 12 10 he col- lected seven hundred ships, and crossed the channel with a large army. His visit lasted about two months, from the 20th of June until the 25th of August. Q. What was the result of this expedition ? A. It accomplished little or nothing. The king did not march against his enemies, but he mapped out twelve counties, namely : Dublin, Meath, Louth, Kildare, Car- low, Wexford, and Kilkenny, in the province of Leinster; and Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Tipperary, in that of Munster. Then he rested from his labors, and in due time returned to England. Q. Were these counties entirely subject to the Anglo- Normans ? A. No ; only the portion of them that were garrisoned. The districts still held by the Irish constituted at least two- thirds of the whole island. Q. Who held the highest authority among the colon- ists ? A. It was exercised by lords-justices, or lords-deputies, ■ ■Wt^Et ■ W 7-;?Jp.T7I-W»?r»np^ •^ CATECHISM OF IRISH history: 135 lords-lieutenants, etc., etc., who represented the king of England, and ruled in his name. Q. What was the character of these representatives ? A. With few exceptions, they were unprincipled royal favorites, worthy of their mission, which was to plunder and oppress the natives. Their usual residence was Dub- lin Castle, erected a.d, 1205. Q. When were English laws introduced ? A. In the first year of Henry III., who succeeded John, A.D. 12 16, the Magna Charta, or Great Charter of Liberties, was introduced among the Anglo-Norman set- tlers. Q. Wh.at was this charter ? A. It was an act extorted from King John by the barons of England at Runnyniede, June 15th, 1215. It is called " the keyston^ of liberty," because it is said to protect every freeman from the loss of life, liberty, or property, except by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land. It also declared that right or justice should not be sold, denied, or delayed to any man. In Ireland, how- ever, it was a dead letter as far as the natives were con- cerned ; for these were considered without the pale of the law. Q. What was the condition of religion at this time ? A. Religion seems to have made some progi'ess outward- ly, in the foundation of religious houses, but its spirit and principles seem to have been forgotten amid the strife that filled the land. Q. What religious orders were introduced into the country ? A. In the year 1224 the Dominicans established their first foundation at Dublin, under the patronage of the Anglo-Normans. The Franciscans, on the other hand, 136 CATECHISM'JOF IRISH HISTORY. were in favor with the natives, and founded their first home at Cork, through the liberaUty of Florence Mc Carthy, a.d. 1229. "• Q. What change took place in the religious houses, founded by the Irish, in Europe ? A. Owing partly to jealousy, and partly to a want of subjects, the Irish monasteries in England and France passed gradually into the hands of natives of those coun- tries. Those in Germany fell under the control of the Scotch, who now flocked to that country and claimed to be the original Scoti referred to in the monastic grants. Q. Did any Irish monks still remain on the continent ? A. Yes ; a few of them still survived, among whom was St. Marron, who suffered martyrdom in Flanders, A.D. 1202. f. ^.I'ffflii^jrr'" CHAPTER III. Feilim O Connor and his Contemporaries, A.D. 1230 to 1274. I HAT was the character of this era ? A. It was one of ceaseless war. The Anglo-Normans were at open strife among themselves, and, while some of the native princes imitated their example, others seized the opportu- nity to vindicate their rights, to battle against the common enemy. Q. Is this age otherwise remarkable ? A. Yes ; it is also noted for the immense number of religious houses founded everywhere throughout the country. On this subject it is curious to contrast the zeal of the invaders in destroying native monasteries, and the pious munificence with which they used the spoils to found others for the good monks of their own race. Q. Who was Feilim O'Connor? A. Feilim was the son of Cathal Crovderg, and reigned as king of Connaught, a.d. 1230 to 1265. Q. How did he begin his career ? A. In the early part of his reign he was made prisoner by his enemies, but he soon regained his liberty, and at once took the field against them. In 1233 he defeated an aspirant to his throne, and demolished several Anglo- Norman castles. 138 CATECHISM OF IRISH fflSTORY. Q. What experience did he reap from his enemies ? A. In 1235 he learned by experience that the most dauntless valor was not a match for the wiles of an insa- tiable enemy. Next year he received the same lesson, and barely saved himself by flight, from the lord-justice and Richard de Burgh. Q. Did Feilim recover his patrimony ? A. Yes; he reentered his kingdom and defeated the lord-justice in the following year ; but, the victory was fruitless, for, in 1238, several Anglo-Norman barons entered Connaught, sword in hand, and took possession of a large portion of his dominions. Then to secure their plunder they erected castles at various points. Q. How did Feilim get rid of the intruders ? A. Knowing that it would be difficult to expel them by force, he had recourse to policy, and went to England to lay his case before Henry III. Strange to say, his mis- sion was successful, and his enemies were forced to quit his territory and leave him in peace. Q. How did Feilim requite this kindness of the king ? A. He assisted Henry in a war against Wales, and thus he was enabled to take parital vengeance on that country for the part it had taken in the invasion of Ire- land, A.D. 1245. Q. What princes were contemporary with Feilim ? A. Brian O'Neill, Lord of Tyrone, and Godfrey O'Don- nell, Lord of Tyrconnell. Q. What is said of them ? A. In 1252 O'Neill submitted to Maurice Fitzgerald, the lord justice ; but Godfrey, on the contrary, attacked and defeated that nobleman with great loss at Credran. Both leaders were mortally wounded in the battle, and died within a few months. 'I'^^^giPf-' CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 139 Q. What incidenfshows the usual policy of the native princes ? A. Hearing that O'Donnell was wounded unto death, O'Neill sent to him for hostages, as a token of submission ; but the answer of the dying chieftain was an order for a general muster of his forces. Q. What was the result ? A. O'Donnell caused himself to be placed in a litter and carried at the head of his army. In this condition he was borne to battle, and thus, while encouraging his sol- diers, he expired in the very hour of victory, on the banks of Lough Swilly, a.d. 1258. Q. How did O'Neill atone for his conduct ? A. Having been elected Monarch of Ireland by native princes assembled at Beleek, a.d. 1259, he died like a true king while defending his title in battle against the lord-justice Stephen de Longespay, a.d. 1260. Q. What losses did the Anglo-Normans suffer in Mun- ster? A. In less than a year after the death of O'Neill, the Geraldines, or retainers of the Fitzgeralds, were defeated at Kilbarran in Thomond by Connor O'Brien, and again at Ca.llan-Glen with great loss by Florence McCarthy, Prince of Carbery. Q. What defeat did they suffer in Meath ? A. In Meath the invaders received a severe check from Art, the lord of that province, a.d. 1264. This prince likewise repulsed Walter de Burgh at Shannon harbor in 1268, and still later, he acquired fame as the destroyer of not less than twenty-seven Anglo-Norman castles. Q. What other events may be noted ? A. In 1272 Henry III. of England was succeeded by I40 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, Edward I., and in the following yeafthe colonists in Ire- land petitioned that king for English law. About this time, according to Galleli, the Italians first began to use the Irish harp, which had been introduced among them in 1073. Q. Mention some of the literary men of this time. A. Peter Hibernicus, professor in the University of Naples, and master of St. Thomas of Aquin, 1 240 ; John, surnamed De Sacro Boscho, mathematician in the schools of Paris, 1256 ; and Thomas Palmerian of Naas, professor in the University of Paris, and author of several ascetic works. ^ >"* fbf. ■ *^j^wt^'^ii!.yi-«w^ v'i" ■"^'■^'•'T^y^^ '^"^^'wmR^fi^ltVV CHAPTER IV. 77ig Era of Richard de Burgh, " the Red Earl," A.D. i274/<7i3i5. I HAT was the state of Ireland at the beginning of this epoch ? A, One hundred years had now elapsed since the invasion of the Anglo-Normans, and Ireland was still unconquered. Only about one-third of the country was in the hands of the invaders, whereas, all the rest remained subject to the native princes and laws. Q, Did any of the Irish submit to English laws ? A. In the year 1280 some of the natives near the Anglo-Norman settlements petitioned for English law ; and they even oflfered eight thousand marks for the favor, because, being outside the law, they were plundered at will by every English adventurer. Their petition was not granted. Q. Who was the most potent lord in Ireland at this time? A. Richard de Burgh, " the Red Earl " of Ulster. Q. What is said of his power ? A. In Ulster and Connaught he was all but supreme. His home at Trim was a veritable court enlivened by sumptuous entertainments. He imposed taxes, levied men, conferred knighthood, and exercised nearly all the prerogatives of royalty. He was also commander-io- 14a CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. chief of the army, and the writs of the English king were addressed to him and not to the lord-justice. Q. Give the result of the first twenty years of his career ? } A. By the year 1291 he had humbled the house of O'Connor in Connaught, and crushed O'Neill and O'Don- nell in Ulster ; but in 1294 he was made prisoner by the Fitzgeralds, whose possessions in Meath he had invaded. In the following year,' however, he was set at liberty by order of an Anglo-Norman parliament, and he became more powerful than ever. Q. -For what is this parliament noted? A. It is noted as the first assembly of the kind held in Ireland by the Anglo-Normans. The place of meeting was Kilkenny, and, among the regulations, provision was made for a body of militia to defend the colony. Q. What events occupied the Red Earl for the next few years ? A. In 1296 he joined Edward I. of England in a suc- cessful expedition against Scotland ; and, three years later, he accompanied the same king, when, at the head of eight thousand horse and eighty thousand infantry, chiefly Irish and Welsh, he defeated William Wallace at Falkirk. Four years after this event, de Burgh was again an ally of King Edward, against the same enemy. Q. Was Ireland neglected by the Anglo-Normans dur- ing the Scotch wars ? A. It appears not. On Trinity Sunday, 1305, about thirty native chiefs were massacred at a banquet to which they had been invited in Kildare by Piers Bermingham, an Anglo-Norman lord. Hence, very naturally, the sympathies of the Irish were with the Scotch in their struggle against Edward L, and as many as seven hun- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 143 dred of them went in a body to the assistance of Robert Bruce, and lost their lives in his cause, a.d. 1306. Q. What fate befell the Knights Templars ? A. The Knights Templars was a religious military order instituted at Jerusalem in 11 18, to defend the Holy Places. It was introduced into Ireland by Sfrongbow, and, from the first, was ever ready to assist in the work of murder and spoliation. In 1308, the second year of Edward \l., it was discovered that the order had become grossly corrupt throughout Europe, and it was publicly charged with impiety, intemperance, profligacy, and apostasy. Pope Clement V. abolished it in 13 12, and its priory castle of Kilmainham and other benefices passed to the order of St. John of Jerusalem. Q. Were the Templars alone in their wickedness ? A. They were not. The Norman leaders and law- makers were equally guilty, as appears from the records of the time. Thus, Sir John Davies, Attorney General to James I., bears witness that in the fourth year of Edward II, " the mere Irish were not only accounted aliens, but enemies, and altogether out of the protection of the law ; so that it was no capital offense to kill them ; which was frequently done without cause, and this is manifest by many records," which he cites. — Hist. Tracts^ J>. 82. Q. What part did the Irish take in securing the inde- pendence of Scotland ? A. In 13 14 Edward II. invaded Scotland with seventy thousand men ; and many Anglo-Norman lords from Ire- land accompanied him. The native Irish, on the contrary, favored the cause of Robert Bruce, who could muster but tfiirty thousand, including a body of Irish archers sent to him by Donald O'Neill, King of Ulster. The two armies 144 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, met at Bannockburn, and, afler a short struggle, the invading host was driven from the field with great loss. Concerning this battle Chaucer says curtly : " To Albion Scots we ne'er would yield. The Irish bowmen won the field." Q. What became of the Earl of Ulster ? A. The eail saw his power gradually undermined by the lord-justice, and, though he lived to take part in the war against Edward Bruce, his rank was rather subordi- nate. His death occurred in the year 1326. Q. What other noted men lived at this era ? A. Nicholas McMelissa, the patriot-primate of Armagh, A.D. 1303; John Duns Scotus, a ^Franciscan monk who taught with applause at Paris and Cologne, and who is styled the " subtle doctor," on account of the acuteness of his intellect, a.d. 1308 ; and Malachy of Ireland, also a Franciscan, who was professor at Oxford, and chaplain to Edward II. S'-'JUB?'- CHAPTER V. From King Edward Bruce, A.D. 1315, /t; Art McMur' rogh, A.D. 1367. HAT influence did the battle of Bannockbum have in Ireland ? A. It created a spirit of union among the native princes. Hence, Donald O'Neill of Ulster immediately organized a confederacy of native chiefs, and invited Edward Bruce, brother of the hero of Bannockbum, to undertake the deliverance of the coun- try. Q. Did Bruce accept the invitation ? A. Yes ; on the 25th May, a.d. 13 15, he landed near Glenarm in Antrim, with six thousand men, and was at once joined by O'Neill and the allied chiefs. Q. What was the result of his first campaign in Ire- land? A. His first campaign was remarkably successful. Dundalk, Ardee, and other towns were taken ; the famous Red Earl was defeated at Castle Connor, and, except Carrickfergus, all Ulster fell into his hands. Q. What assembly was held by the Irish ? A. A large assembly of native chiefs was convened at Dundalk, and Bruce was elected King of Ireland, and crowned amid great pomp and rejoicings. Q. Did this step alarm his enemies ? A. Yes ; the king of England appealed to the Pope, 7 146 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. and extraordinary exertions were made to meet the crisis. Kichard Berniingham and de Burgh levied a large army, and at Athenry, on the loth of August, they fell upon an Irish division and slew eight thousand of them, together with their leader, P^eilim O'Connor, King of Connaught, in the twenty-third year of his age. Q. What was done by Donald O'Neill ? A. This talented and patriotic prince addressed an able letter to Pope John XXII. After speaking of the early history of Ireland and the invasion of Henry II. he described the sad condition of his country, and the cruel rapacity of the Anglo-Norman invaders. " They obliged us," says he, "to give up to them our houses and lands, and to seek shelter like wild beasts upon the mountains, in woods, marshes, and caves. Even there we are not secure against their fury ; they even envy us those dreary and terrible abodes ; they are incessant and unremitting in their pursuit after us, endeavoring to chase us from among them ; with unwarranted audacity and injustice they lay claim to every place in which they can discover us ; they allege that the whole kingdom belongs to them of right, and that an Irishman has no longer a right to re- main in his own country." Q. How was the war of Bruce brought to a close ? A. Having taken Carrickfergus in 131 7 and next year made a " progress " through the island in imitation of the ancient monarchs, he alienated the natives by his ex- cesses, and his army was speedily reduced to about three thousand men. Without waiting for reinforcements, he engaged at Faughard with a superior army under John Bermingham, and being slain at the outset of the battle, his followers were put to flight, October 14, a.d. 1318. The death of the gallant Bruce put an end to the war. ^nf»PV^[^:^T^3fBf?^■■|ral^ « '^^-' ■■' r^-^^'- A-i:^?\--»-!:*^'u.*R!».' ' -v^ ■:.r^-^r^,:s7-r--r^-^'<.''-/'y^'}i^/i^ :.-^ •■»■-.: ^ ■ • ■ '-r^r^rw? i ).}ii ^ ^ i».Jiiyp|p|^^»y CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 147 Q. How were the Anglo-Norman lords rewarded for their services ? A. Richard Bermingham was made Baron of Athen- ry and John, the conqueror of Bruce, was created Earl of Louth. After the accession of Henry HI., in 1527, James Butler became Earl of Ormond, a. d. 1328, and Thomas Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond, 1330. Q. Did the country enjoy peace after this war ? A. No ; dissensions continued to multiply among both natives and Anglo-Normans. Thus at Ardnocher, in West Meath, a.d. 1328, William McGeoghan defeated Lord Butler with a loss of three thousand five hundred men, and in 1329 the Earl of Louth was slain at Bally beagan with two hundred of his adherents. But battles are not the worst feature of the times, for we read that eighty persons were burned in a church in Leinster in 133 1, and three years later, two priests and one hundred and eighty worshippers met the same fate in Thomond ; finally, in 1339, about twelve hundred natives were slain in Kerry by the Earl of Desmond, Q. Is there nothing cheering in the annals of this time ? A. Yes ; a few noble acts on the part of the Irish princes have come down to us. Thus, because Thurlogh O'Connor of Connaught sent away his wife, and took up with another woman, the Irish chieftains deposed him after a three years' struggle. Later on, Brian McMahon of Ulster was guilty of a like crime, and was punished in the same manner by his indignant clansmen, a.d. 1365. Q. What change had taken place in England ? A. The Saxons and the Normans had now become one people with a common language, and from this time forth they are known to us as Englishmen. 148 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. How did Edward III. incense the Anglo-Norman lords in Ireland ? A. These lords had gradually adopted the language of the Irish, and now they began to act as if they were in- dependent of the royal authority. Hence, to punish them, Edward revoked all the privileges and grants of land made to them by himself or his ancestors, and ordered that all debts due by them to the crown should be paid, even if they had been formerly remitted, a.d. 1341. Q. What other enactment was made by the king ? A. In the following year he issued an ordinance pro- hibiting the public employment of men born, married, or possessing property in Ireland, and declared that all offices of state should be filled by fit Englishmen, having estates in England. Q. Were these laws enforced ? A. No ; because the lords met together at Kilkenny and set forth their just rights in a spirited remonstrance, and Edward, being on the eve of war with France, found it necessary to yield for a time. Q. Did the policy of the king have any effect ? A. Yes ; it excited the apprehension of the Irish -born Normans, and induced them to seek the friendship and alliance of the native princes. Q. What other occurrence took place ? A. An Irish force won distinction at Cregy in 1347, and also at Calais, twelve months later ; at which time a frightful pestilence broke out on the continent, and ex- tended to Ireland, where it carried off thousands of the English settlers. Q. How did the king seek to destroy the harmony existing between the natives and the old Norman settlers ? '-■f-ifi^mS&f"' CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 149 A. In 1357 it was declared treason to intermarry or hold relations of fosterage with the natives ; and, two years later it was enacted that " no mere Irishman could be a mayor, or bailiff, or officer of any town within the English districts;" nor could he <* hereafter, under pre- tence of kindred or other cause, be received into holy orders or advanced to any ecclesiastical benefice." Q. What learned men flourished at this time ? A. Maurice Gibellan, poet and philosopher, 1327; Adam of Ireland, philosopher and theologian ; David O'Bugey, author of a treatise on law ; John Clynn, annal- ist, 1349; William of Drogheda, author of the "Golden Summary " and a treatise on civil law ; Ralph Kclley, Archbishop of Cashel, canonist, a.d. 1361. *- %■ CHAPTER VI. Art McMurroghy A.D. 1367 to 1417; I HO was lord-deputy at the beginning of this era? A. Lionel, the second son of Edward ni., was created deputy and sent over with a force of fifteen hundred men in 1361. Like a tnie princeling, he despised the troublesome natives, and pro- ceeded into Clare to exterminate them ; but, to his great surprise, his army was routed with considerable loss. Soon after this he took the title of Duke of Clarence, as a reward probably for having saved his life in Clare by the fleetness of his horse. Q. What law was enacted under Lionel ? A. The statute of Kilkenny, A.D.1367. Q. What were the provisions of this act ? A. It declared that *' whereas many English of the land of Ireland, forsaking the English language, manners, mode of riding, and usages, live and govern themselves according to the manners, fashion, and language of the Irish enemies, and, also, have made divers marriages and alliances between themselves and the Irish enemies aforesaid, it is therefore enacted," among other provi- sions, " that all intermarriages, fosterings, gossipred, buy- ing or selling with the * enemie ' shall be accounted treason ; that English names, fashions, and manners shall be re- sumed under the penalty of the confiscation of the delin- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. ISt > quent's lands ;* that March-law and Brehon law are illegal, and that there shall be no law but English law ; that the Irish shall not pasture their cattle on English lands ; that the English shall not entertain Irish rhymers, minstrels, or newsmen ; and, moreover, that no * mere Irishman ' shall be admitted to any ecclesiastical benefice or re- ligious house situated" within the English districts." Q. What was the effect of this act ? A. It showed the Irish that they were to be utterly ex- terminated, 'and forced them to unite against the common enemy. Q. What was their success ? A. In 1369, O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, defeated Garret, Earl of Desmond, near Adare, and slew many of his followers. Limerick was then captured, and Carrick- fergus shared the same fate. In 1375 Burke and Talbot, two English commanders, were defeated and slain at Downpatrick by Niall O'Neill of Ulster. It was at this time also that Art McMurrogh entered on his long con- test with the English spoilers, and became the great cham- pion of national independence. Q. What was the condition of the English settlements ? A. The condition of the English was so desperate that William de Windsor, who was appointed lord-lieutenant in 1374, would consent to accept the office only on con- dition that he be allowed to act on the defensive, and not be forced to undertake new expeditions. As compensa- tion for his services, he was to be paid annually eleven thousand two hundred and thirteen pounds, six shillings and eight pence, a sum exceeding the whole revenue of the " Pale," as the English districts in Dublin, Louth, Kildare, and Meath began to be termed. Q. Who was Art McMurrogh ? 152 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. Art was born in 1357, and at the death of his father he became the lawful king of Leinster. In 1377 he com- l)elled the English colonists to pay him tribute, or ** black mail," as they termed it ; and his successors continued to receive the* same down to the year 1603. Q. Who was his contemporary in Connaught ? A. Roderick, the last sole king of that province, a.d. 1384. Q. What ill fortune overtook Art McMurrogh ? A. In 1392, James, the third Earl of Ormond, slew six hundred of his followers at Tiscoffin. Q. Who undertook the task of entirely exterminating the Leinster king ? A. Richard II., who was king of England since 1377. Feeling the burden of the tributes paid to the Irish by his subjects, he determined to put an end to them forever by exterminating McMurrogh. Q. Did Richard proceed to Ireland in person ? A. Yes ; he crossed into Ireland with four thousand men-at-arms and thirty thousand archers, and many native chiefs, overawed by this force, came to terms with him, A.D. 1394. Q. What offer did Richard make to McMurrogh ? A. On condition that Art would deliver up all his pos- sessions in Leinster, Richard was kind enough to offer him the right to all the land he could conquer from the other Irish princes throughout the kingdom. Q. Did Art accept the offer ? A. No ; he did not entertain it for a moment. He preferred to ^eep his own and to fight his enemies. Q. What followed his refusal? ,^-. A. Richard advanced against him ; but McMurrogh and his little army retired before him. After a weary march CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 153 the royal army returned to Dublin for refreshments, and Richard, already tired of his war, adopted another policy and invited Art to a conference. Q. Was the invitation accepted ? A. Yes ; the two kings met at Dublin, an3 Richard showed himself more successful at wiles than at war. Though Art protested that he had already been knighted at the age of seven, he was constrained to receive that honor at the hands of his royal brother. This appearance of friendship, however, was feigned on the part of Richard, and the Irish king was virtually, a prisoner till he made good his escape from the city, a.d. 1394. Q. What did Richard then do ? A. He intrusted the government to his kinsman and heir, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, and returned to England. Q. Did peace continue ? A. No ; soon after his departure, McMurrogh was again in arms. In 1397 he captured Carlow, and next year at Kenlis he put Lord Mortimer and his whole army to the sword, a.d. 1398. Q. How did this news affect Richard ? A. He was filled with anger, and proceeded once more to Ireland with twenty-four thousand men, to chastise McMurrogh, who now called himself "most excellent King and Lord of great Ireland," a.d. 1399. Q. What course did Richard first pursue ? A. He offered terms to McMurrogh, who sent back word that " he would neither submit to nor obey him in any way ; that he himself was the rightful king of Ireland, and that he would never cease from war and the defence of his country, until death." Q. Did Richard then take the field ? >.* 154 CATECHISM OP IRISH HISTORY. A. Yes ; but his rival retired before him, and laid waste the country, so that hunger and fatigue forced the royal invader to return to his supplies on the coast. In his anger at this failure, and to save further trouble, he offered "one hundred marks in pure gold" for McMur- rogh dead or alive. Q. What obliged Richard to return hastily to Eng- land ? A. He was forced to hasten to England to oppose Henry, Duke of Lancaster, who had landed in that country to claim the crown. The adventurer was suc- cessful and was crowned as Henry IV., a.d. 1399. Q. Did the late expedition improve the English inter- ests ? A. No ; the Irish chiefs' continued to encroach on the possessions of the English, and to exact tribute from them to the amount of seven hundred pounds, a vast sum in those days. Even the Irish lords of English descent be- came more national in thought and action, though, as a body, they never verified the phrase, Ipsis Hibernis Hi- berniores, "more Irish than the Irish themselves." Some of the old leaven always remained in them, and they could never be depended upon in a crisis. Q. Mention the closing events of this epoch. A. In the year 1407 the Irish suffered a loss of eight hundred men at Callan in Munster ; but this defeat was more than counterbalanced in the following year by a great victory which Art gained at Kilmainham over an English army numbering ten thousand men. On the loth of May, 1414, O'Connor of Connaught defeated the enemy at Killucan, and three years later the aged Mc- Murrogh died after forty years of warfare against the enemies of his country. - - -' CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 155 Q. What literary men were contemporary with Art Mc- Murrogh ? A. Hugh of Ireland, author of a book of travels ; Geoffrey O'Hogan, annalist, 1370 ; Henry Crump, a learned divine, 1390 ,; and Augustin Magradan, hagiog- rapher. CHAPTER VII. Richard, Duke of York, A.D. 1417 to 1460. IN what condition was Ireland after the death of McMurrogh ? A. It was without a leader and at the mercy of a horde of needy adventurers, both lay and clerical. Q. What was a common spectacle at this time ? A. It was a common thing for English ecclesiastics to hold civil office, and for priors, bishops, and archbishops to march with armed bands to rob and plunder the hap- less Irish. Q. Did they sanction any other policy ? A. Yes ; they heartily approved of the laws and penal enactments made in parliament against the Irish people. Q. Mention one of these statutes. A. In the fourth year of Henry V., a.d. 141 7, the English parliament forbade " all Irish adventurers what- ever " to remain in England ; at the same time, the as- sembly of the Pale decreed that no one should depart from Ireland without special permission. Q. Were these enactments really necessary ? A. No ; for instead of leaving their country in despair, the natives were now in a fair way of obtaining entire possession of it. Thus we read in a municipal petition to Henry VI., who obtained the throne in 1422, "that the enemies and rebels, aided by the Scotch, had con- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. IS 7 quered or rendered tributary almost every part of the country except the County of Dublin" a.d. 1430. Q. Did this state of things discourage the English ? A. No ; they resolved to regain by " laws " what they could not retain by arms ; hence, two years later, the par- liament passed a statute entitled, " An act that no person, liege or alien, shall take merchandise, or things to be sold, to faire, market, or other place, amongst the Irish enemies, etc., under pain of imprisonment, confiscation of goods, and felony." Q. Were the natives secure from the violence of the English in time of peace ? A. No ; as is evident from a statute whereby it was en- acted, A.D. 1442, " That it should be lawful for every liege man to take all manner of Irish enemies, which, in time of peace and truce, should come and converse amongst the English lieges " (mark the excuse), *' to spy their secre- cies, force, ways, and subtilties, and to make 0/ them as of the king's enemies" that is, put them to death immediately without judge or jury. Q. What enactments show the petty spirit of the Eng- lish laws ? A. In 1447 a law was enacted declaring that men should shave the upper lip, or be treated as Irish enemies ; and another, that the sons of artisans should follow the occupa- tions of their fathers. Q. Mention a crying abuse of the time ? A. Under the name of Coyn and livery, a practice anal- ogous to the Irish bonaght, the English, when able, were accustomed to quarter themselves upon the natives, and to exact food, forage, money, and entertainment, free of all charge. Q. Who was now made lord-lieutenant ? 1S8 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. Richard, Duke of York, a descendant of Edward III., was appointed to that office for the term of ten years, A.D. 1449. As he aspired to the English throne, his ene- mies wished to place him in honorable exile in Ireland, and hence, they granted him the full revenues of the island, together with an annual salary from England. Q. What was the character of this prince ? A. He was able and affable, and easily won the affec- tions of the people by his justice and munificence. On this account, Ireland afterwards favored the house of York in its struggle against the Lancaster dynasty. Q. What disturbance arose in England ? A. In England, an Irishman, named John Cade, col- lected twenty thousand nlen, and defeated the king's arm}'. Then he took possession of London, but after a brief career, he was deserted by his followers and put 'to death. Q. What resolution did the Duke of York take ? A. He returned to England with the design of seizing the crown, but, owing to adverse circumstances, he did not openly make the attack until five years later. Q. What happened at the expiration of that term ? A. The duke then proceeded to England, where he levied an army, and defeated the royal troops at St. Albans, a.d. 1455. This battle inaugurated the long and bloody struggle known as the "War of the Roses." Q. Was the duke entirely successful ? A. No ; the supporters of the house of Lancaster soon forced him to fiee to Ireland for safety, and the English Parliament, always sure to favor the uppermost party, pro- claimed him a traitor. Q. How was he received in Ireland ? A. Though the term of his commission as lord-lieuten- ant had expired, the people received him with joy, and • ^^p?;- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 159 the Anglo-Irish parliament made it treason to seek or im- agine his death, ad. 1460. Q. What declaration did this parliament make ? A. It declared that " Ireland is and always has been incorporated within itself by ancient laws and customs ; and is only to be governed by such laws as, by the lords and commons of the land in parliament assembled, have been advised, accei^ted, affirmed, and proclaimed :" more- over, " that by custom, privilege, and franchise, there has ever been a royal seal peculiar to Ireland, to which alone the king's subjects are to pay obedience." Q. What became of the Duke of York ? A. He again went to England with many Anglo-Irish adherents, and, though at first successful, he was finally defeated and slain at the battle of Wakefield, a.d. 1560. Q. What men of this era are worthy of mention ? A. William of Waterford, writer, 1433; Richard O'He- dian, the patriotic Archbishop of Armagh, 1440 ; and Philip Norris, the author of seveaal learned works, 1458. ■ ;*■:*' CHAPTER VIII. Unchristian Zaivs, A.D. 1460 to 1500. HAT side did the Irish take in the War of the Roses ? A. With few exceptions, they adhered to the house of York. Q. How long did the struggle continue ? A. From the battle of St. Albans, a.d. 1455, to that of Tewkesbury, a.d. 1485. Q. Who succeeded to the claim of Richard Duke of York? A. His son Edward, who afterwards reigned as the Fourth of the name, a.d. 1461. Q. Did the Irish princes take advantage of the dis- sensions in England? A. They did to some degree, and, though acting with- out concert, they reduced the English possessions to very narrow limits. The old Anglo-Norman families, however, were left undisturbed, because looked upon as friends and equals, since they had adopted the manners and the language of the country. Q. How did the government try to make up for this defection of the colonists? A. In the third year of Edward IV. an act was passed, which forced every Irishman within the Pale " to take to him an English surname of one town ; as, Sutton, Chester, CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. l6l Trim, Skyrne, Corke, Kinsale; or color; as, White, Blacke, Browne ; or art or science ; as, Smith, or Car- penter ; or office j as, Cooke, or Butler ; and that he and his issue shall use this name under penalty of forfeiture of his goods yearly." Q. Did many natives settle within the Pale, and change Iheir names ? • A. It would seem not ; for, in such a case, they would be in constant danger of being put to death at any mo- ment, because, in 1465, a law was made, entitled, *'An act, that it shall be lawful to kill any Irishman that is found robbing by day or night, or going or coming to rob or steal, having no faithful man of good name or fame in their company in English apparel." Thus, in truth, the only fact necessary to be ascertained, was that a person was an Irishman ; for, if he were not robbing, or coming from robbing, who could say but that he might be going to rob. Therefore, he might always be put to death. Q. What encouragement was offered to secure the execution of this act ? © A. It was afterwards enacted that after the Englishman had murdered his man " going to rob," he might levy a tax on every household in the barony where the said thief was taken. Q. Give another sample of English laws. A. In a parliament held in Dublin by William Sher- wood, Lord-lieutenant, and Bishop of Meath, it was de- creed that any Englishman injured by a native beyond the Pale, might take vengeance on the entire sept of the ag- gressor, A.D. 1475. Q. What order did merchants receive ? A. The significant order was issued that every mer- chant trading in Ireland, should bring twenty shillings' l62 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. worth of bows and arrows into the country, for every twenty pounds' worth of goods he imported from England. Q. What law only was favorable to the Irish ? A. The one declaring that the inhabitants of the Pale should hold no intercourse with them. Q. How was England again disturbed by civil strife ? A. Edward IV. died in 1483, and was succeeded by his eldest son, styled Edward V. ; but this young king reigned only two months, when he was dethroned by Richard III., who after two years was slain in battle by Henry VII., a.d. 1485. Q. What caused a gradual change in the ancient mode of Irish warfare ? A. The introduction of hand-guns which were invented about 1430. They were first used in Ireland by Hugh Roe O'Donnell in 1487, and great guns, or cannon, were used in sieges about ten years later. Q. What occurred at this time ? A. In i486 the Earl of Kildare, then lord-lieutenant, and othrf great lords of the Pale embraced the cause of an impostor named Lambert Simnel, who passed himself off as Edward, Earl of Warwick, whom Henry VII. held in confinement because, as son of the Duke of Clarence, he was the reputed heir of the house of York. Q. What steps did the adherents of the pretender take? A. They led six thousand Irish and two thousand Ger- man auxiliaries to invade England ; but they were defeated at Stoke by a more numerous force under King Henry. Q. What other impostor appeared in Ireland soon after this ? A. Perkin Warbeck, who called himself the Duke of York, the second son of Edward IV., a.d. 1492. After i^ATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 163 a few weeks spent at Cork, he went to France, whence he afterwards returned to meet defeat at Waterford. Q. What famous act was now passed ? ' A. In 1494 Edward Poynings was lord -lieutenant, and, having assembled a parliament at Drogheda in the follow- ing year, an act was passed, which provided among other things, that thereafter no legislation whatever should be enacted in Ireland, until the bills proposed were first sub- mitted to the king and council in England, and returned approved under the great seal of the realm. This meas- ure is known as " Poyning's Act." Q. DesO-ibe the general condition of the country ? A. The authority of the Earl of Kildare was paramount within the Pale ; the native chiefs were wasting their energies in frequent strifes, and the condition of affairs was, on the whole, far from encouraging. Q. Mention a few of the prominent men ? A. Thaddeus O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, a.d. 1466 ; Philip Higgins, poet, 1487 ; Charles McGuire, annalist, 1495 ; and James Keating, prior of the Knights of St. John at Kilmainham, 1461-1491. CHAPTER IX. The Earls of Kildare, A.D. 1500 to 1537. |ID Henry VII. give much attention to his Irish possessions ? A. No ; he merely appointed the deputies and occasionally settled the dissensions aris- ing among his subjects within the Pale. Q. Who was lord-lieutenant at the beginning of the sixteenth century ? A. Gerald, the eighth Earl of Kildare, a.d. 1513. Q. How did this nobleman use his power ? A. Having quarrelled with his son-in-law, Ulick de Burgh, Lord of Clanricarde, Kildare called to his aid all the Geraldines, together with many lords of the Pale, and several native chieftains of the north. Q. Who assisted de Burgh ? A. O'Brien of Thomond, and many other chiefs of Munster. Q. Which party was victorious ? A. A battle was fought at Knocktow near Galway, where Kildare routed his enemies, who lost two thousand men. Q. What incident shows the undying hatred cherished towards the natives by the Anglo-Irish ? A. After the battle William Preston, Viscount of Gor- manstown, said to the Earl of Kildare, "We have CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 165 slaughtered our enemies, but to complete the good deed, we must proceed still further — cut the throats of those Irish of our party." — See Leland, vol. ii., p. 120. Q. Was this advice followed ? A. No ; to do so would undoubtedly have given them great pleasure, but, knowing that the Irish had arms in their hands, they thought better of it, especially as the Irish were not inclined to die just then. Q. What happened within the next few years ? A. In 1509 Henry VII. was succeeded by Henry VIII., and in the following year, Kildare, the lord-lieutenant, was defeated at Monetrar in Munster by O'Brien of Tho- mond, assisted by the Earl of Desmond. Three years later Carrickfergus was taken, and its garrison put to the sword by Hugh O'Donnell of Tyrconnell. At this time also, the Earl of Kildare died and was succeeded by his son Gerald, the ninth and last Catholic earl of the name. Q. How much of Ireland was held by the EngUsh at the accession of Henry VIII. ? A. Only half of the five counties of Dublin, Meath, Louth, Wexford, and Kildare. Even the bulk of the in- habitants of these districts were Irish in birth, habits, and language. Q. What is said of the Geraldines or Fitzgeralds of Munster? A. The Geraldines of Munster were gradually extend- ing their possessions by encroaching upon the native chiefs, but at last Mac Carthy of Carbery, and O'Brien of Thomond, united their forces and defeated them with a loss of two thousand men, a.d. 1520. A less pleasing victory was that at Knockavoe in Ulster, where O'Neill lost nine hundred of his clansmen in a contest against his rival O'Donnell. l66 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. What foreign alliance was made by the Earl of Desmond, the chief of the Geraldines ? A. Desmond assimied the dignity of a sovereign prince, and in 1523 formed an alliance with Francis I., of France, who promised to land in Ireland with fifteen thousand men to expel the English from the Pale. Q. Was the project carried out ? A. No ; Francis was taken prisoner at Pavia by his rival Charles V. of Spain, and Desmond had to moderate his ambition. Q. Was Desmond punished for his conduct ? A. The Earl of Kildare was ordered to chastise him, but, disliking the office, he proceeded to Ulster under pre- text of restoring order in that province. Q. Was the king satisfied with the conduct of his deputy ? A. No ; he called Kildare to England to account for his disobedience. Before his departure, the earl placed the government in the hands of his son, liOrd Thomas Fitz- gerald, surnamed Silken Thomas, who was but twenty years of age. Q. \Vhat happened to the earl in England ? A. On his arrival in London he was imprisoned in the Tower on a charge of treason. Q. What did his enemies then do ? A. In order that his son, the young Lord Thomas, might bring ruin on all his house by some rash act, they forged despatches to Ireland, reporting that the earl had been executed by order of the king. Q. What action did Lord Thomas take upon hearing this report ? A. He proceeded at once to the privy-council chamber with one hundred and forty of his followers, and flinging ■••-j.jjJMf",;' • ■ ■ - '■:,-- ■■-■-■-'■-■■:■■■ ■ -■~:--,-y-_- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. .167 the sword of state on the council-table, he indignantly re- nounced his allegiance to Henry VIII. Q. What was his next step ? A. He took up arms against the royal authority. Hav- ing fixed his headquarters at Maynooth, he overran the neighborhood of Dublin ; but after some time he lost this stronghold by treachery, and his followers, becoming dis- couraged, dispersed. Q. Did Lord Thomas surrender ? A. After a formidable resistance among the woods and defiles of Leinster, the youthful rebel was induced to sub- mit, on the promise of pardon by Lord Grey, the king's deputy. Q. Did Grey keep his promise ? A. No ; he sent his prisoner to England, and then, having invited the five uncles of his victim to dine with him, he treacherously seized them all, and, though three of them had taken no part in the rising, all were sent to England, where they were hanged together at Tyburn, by order of Henry, February 3d, 1537. Q. What fate befell the treacherous Grey ? A. He lost the favor of his sovereign, and, by a just retribution, was himself hanged at Tyburn. Q. What important event took place meanwhile ? A. In consequence of being refus^ a divorce from his lawftil wife, Henry VIII. broke with the Pope, and, re- jecting his authority, set up his own claims as head of the Church, A.D. 1537. Q. What speaks well for the Iiish gentlemen of this age ? A. The fact that the English had to have recourse to law to prevent their maidens from espousing Irishmen, as appears from a law entitled, " An act against marrying ■with or fostering to Irishmen." x68 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. What writers flourished in this age ? A. ManusO'Donnell, biographer of St. Columba, 1520, and Maurice O'Fihely, also called Maurice a Portu, who was Archbishop of Tuam, and one of the most learned men of his age. Among other works, he wrote the life of Scotus, and commentaries on the latter' s works, together with an " P^nchiridion of the Faith," a dictionary of the Sacred Scriptures, &c., &c., a.d. 15 13. ;-'TO!W SECOND PERIOD. Ireland and Her English Protestant Rulers, a.d, 1537 TO A.D, 1878. CHAPTER I. John O'Neill, A.D. 1537 to 1567. HAT is the last division of Irish History ? A. The last section of Irish History is from the Reformation to the present time, a period of about three hundred and fifty years. Q. What do you mean by the Reformation ? A. By the Reformation is meant the great rebellion which took place in the sixteenth century against the doc- trine and authority of the Catholic Church. Q. Who were its leaders ? A. In Germany the principal leader was Martin Luther, a Saxon friar ; in Switzerland, John Calvin, a rigid fana- tic ; in Scotland, John Knox, an apostate monk ; and, in England, Henry VIH., a voluptuous tyrant. All these rejected the pope's authority over the Church, and as- serted their own supremacy in place of it. Q. When was the Reformation introduced into Ire- land ? A. In 1535 George Brown, an apostate priest, was 17© CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. made first Protestant archbishop of Dublin by Henry VIII. ; but it was not till the parliament of Dublin was convened two years later, that the reformed religion was introduced by law. Q. Did the Irish people embrace the new doctrines ? A. No ; with the exception of five bishops, three priests, and a few laymen, all continued to adhere to the ancient faith. Q. How did the reformers begin their work ? A. They seized several abbeys, convents, and monas- teries, and confiscated them for the benefit of the crown, or granted them as bribes to those who were willing to. re- form. Q. What did the Catholics do to prevent this spolia- tion ? A. Those in Ulster took up arms, but were defeated with great loss. Then they sent a deputation to James V. of Scotland, with an offer of submission from all the great men of Ireland, if he would aid them against the spoilers. The king consented and organized an expedi- tion consisting of fifteen vessels and two thousand men, but, unfortunately, it never landed in Ireland. Q. What followed this failure ? A. Henry VIII. assembled a parliament at Dublin and had himself elected *' King of Ireland." As there were but few natives present, the act, of course, was of no force. By the native annalists Henry would be classed among the kings '.'with opposition," a.d. 1541. Q. What chiefs acknowledged the new title ? A. Conn O'Neill of Ulster, who was rewarded with the title of Earl of Tyrone ; Murrogh O'Brien, who was made Earl of Thomond ; and Ulick Mac William Burke, who was dubbed Earl of Clanricarde. Brian Fitzpatrick and -;^ x:atechism of irish history. 171 Matthew the son of O'Neill. obtained each the dignity of Baron. Q. How were the new lords regarded by the people ? A. They were universally despised for their servility, and, on their return to Ireland, they were deposed or driven into exile as unworthy to command a free people. Q. What took place in Meath ? A. The ancient province of Meath was divided into the counties of Meath and West Meath. Henry VIII. died soon afterwards and was succeeded by his son Eki- ward VI., a boy of nine years, a.d. 1547. Q. What did the new government do ? A. Several septs that rebelled were crushed and their territory confiscated. Divine service began to be held in the English language, and the ancient church of Clon- macnoise was plundered of its books and sacred vessels. Q. What brought hope to the Catholics ? A. Edward VI. died in 1553, and wa^ succeeded by his sister, Mary Tudor, who was a Catholic. Q, What are the principal events of her reign ? A. In England the parliament and most of the refor- mers renounced the Reformation and returned to the Church. Many who refused to do so were put to death. Others sought refuge on the continent or in Ireland, where the Catholic corporation of Dublin generously provided them with houses. Q. What wrong was perpetrated under Mary ? A. The districts of Leix and O'Faily, which had been confiscate^d under Edward VI., were again pillaged and many of the inhabitants massacred. This territory was henceforth called "King's County" and " Queen's Coun- ty," and the chief towns were named " Maryborough " and '* Philipstown," in honor of Queen Mary and her 172 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, husband Philip II. of Spain, whom she had lately es- poused. Q. How long did Mary occupy the throne ? A. She held it but five years, and was then succeeded by her sister Elizabeth, a.d. 1558. Q. Who was the most noted Irish chieftain of this period. A. John the Proud, better known as Shane O'Neill, who took the title of " King of Ulster." Q. How did O'Neill first attract attention ? A. By deposing his father, who had accepted from Henry VIII. the English title of Earl of Tyrone. Q. What were the first acts of Elizabeth's reign ? A. On her accession she immediately rejected the authority of the pope, and had herself declared governess of the English Church. A new liturgy or prayer-book, called the *' Book of Common Prayer," was compiled, and all her subjects were forced to use it under severe penalties. Then the mass was abolished, the sacraments were re- duced to two, the clergy were expelled, and the images were removed from the churches. This was the fifth time that the religion of England was changed within thirty years. Q. What was done in Ireland by the queen's deputy ? A. The Earl of Sussex, the queen's deputy, introduced all the Protestant innovations into Ireland. Then he proceeded to reconstruct the country. He changed the territory of Annaly into the County of Longford ; and, six other counties, Clare, Galway, Sligo, Mayo, Leitrim, and Roscommon were formed within the province of Con- naught, A.D. 1562. Q. Was John O'Neill idle in the meanwhile ? A. No ; he was busy extending his authority over the whole of Ulster. ■ 't:^!^'-: : CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. I73 Q. How did he avoid hostilities with the government ? A. Being suspected of plotting against Elizabeth, and not being fully prepared to take up arms, he went to Lon- don to clear himself. So successful was he, that the queen received him among her favorites, and on his departure gave him rich presents. Q. Did this visit change his policy ? A. No ; he continued to assert his sovereignty over Ulster, which he defended valiantly against the attacks of both the English and the Scotch. Q. Did the English authorities fear him ? A. Yes ; he was greatly distrusted and feared by Sussex, who frequently reported his conduct to the queen. Q. What answer did she make ? A. She said, *' I^et not your suspicions of O'Neill give you uneasiness. Tell my troops to take courage, and that this rebellion may turn to their advantage, as there will be lands to bestow on those who have need of them." Q. Was O'Neill intimidated by this hint ? A. Far from it ; assembling his forces he assailed Maguire and O'Donnell, who were on friendly terms with the deputy. He then overran the English districts, and routed a body of Scotch, who had landed in Ulster. Q. What offer did Elizabeth make to O'Neill? A. In order to obtain peace, she offered him the title of Earl of Tyrone, and Baron of Dungannon, with a promise to annul the patents of Henry VIII., which secured to his brother, Matthew O'Neill, the right of suc- cession to the estates and honors of Tyrone. Q. What answer did O'Neill give the commissioners who brought this offer ? A. " If," said he, " your mistress, Elizabeth, be Queen of England, I am O'Neill, King of Ulster ; I never made 174 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. peace with her, without having been previously solicited to it by her. I am not ambitious of the abject title of Earl ; both my family and birth raise me above it ; I will not yield precedence to any one ; my ancestors have been Kings of Ulster ; I have gained that kingdom by my sword, and by my sword I will preserve it." Q. What resolution did the government adopt ? A. They resolved to undermine his influence and then destroy him. With this object in view, they planted a garrison of one thousand five hundred men at Derry, which was within his territory. But O'Neill attacked the town, and during the assault the powder magazine blew up accidentally, and seven hundred of the English were killed. The rest left the place. Q. How did the war end ? A. O'Neill slew four hundred men at the battle of Sagums, which was his last success, for meanwhile, Sussex succeeded in detaching his allies from him by bribes. Then he was defeated at Lough Swilly, and being with- out resources, he sought shelter with a Scotch force at Clanbuoy, where he was treacherously slain at the insti- gation of an English officer named Piers. This man received a reward of one thousand marks from the gov- ernment for his services. Q. What did this war cost Elizabeth ? A. In two years it cost her three thousand five hundred of her troops and the sum of one hundred and forty-seven thousand four hundred and seven pounds, which is equal to about eight million dollars of our money at the present valuation. CHAPTER II. Tlie Geraldine League, A.D. x^d"] to 1588. I HAT was the condition of Ireland at the death of John O'Neill ? A. Within the English Pale things were somewhat better under Elizabeth than under her predecessors. The greatest evils were excessive tax- ation and a debased silver currency, of which three- fourths was brass. The rest of the country was still dis- turbed by frequent strife and civiLwars. Q. Who were the chief promoters of discord ? A. The cutthroats and scum of England, who flocked into Ireland under pretence of loyalty, where, under the sanction of the government, they had ample liberty to rob and ravish to their heart's content. The cruelty they practised was fiendish and truly heartrending ; nor is this to be wondered at, since the very source of public justice was corrupt, and the crime of wholesale assassination was sanctioned by law. Q. What other class of adventurers now appeared in Ireland for the first time ? A. About this time a new band of fortune-hunters from England appeared in the country. They came with all sorts of rights and privileges from the queen, to dispossess the natives and establish English colonies. They were termed " Undertakers " by the people, and were akm to the " carpet baggers" who overran the Southern States after the 176 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Civil War. The first of these, bearing the name of Smith, landed in Ulster, but he was killed by the inhabitants, and his followers dispersed, a.d. 1570. Smith, however, had numerous successors who were much more fortu- nate. The most famous was Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex, who in 1573 arrived with six hundred men to seize vast tracts of land which had been granted to him in Ulster by the queen. Q. What crime did this nobleman commit ? A. " On the conclusion of peace," says a manu- script in Trinity College, he " invited Brian O'Neill of Clanbuoy, with a great number of his relations, to an en- tertainment, where they lived together in great harmony, making good cheer for three days and nights ; when, on a sudden, O'Neill was surprised with an arrest, together with his brother and his wife, by the earl's orders. His friends were put to the sword before his face, nof were the women or children spared. He himself, with his brother and wife, was sent to Dublin, where they were cut into quarters." Q. What trouble arose in Munster ? A. For several generations the houses of Ormond and Desmond, the Butlers, and the Fitzgeralds, struggled for supremacy in Munster. At length a dispute arose be- tween them about boundaries, and the question was re- ferred to Sidney, the lord-deputy. The Ormondists, al- ways noted for their diplomacy, obtained a decision in their favor. To this, Desmond, who was undoubtedly in the right, refused to submit, whereupon he was seized by Sidney, and sent to England to be confined in the Tower. Q. What league was then organized ? A. The princes of Munster formed a league, and then CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 1 77 took the field to defend their religion and possessions against the tyranny of the government. They also sent a deputation to solicit assistance from Pius V. and Philip II. of Spain ; but meanwhile, Sir Peter Carew, President . of Munster, acted with so much vigor that several chiefs were forced to submit. Q. Did the war then cease ? A. It did not. A cousin oi the Earl of Desmond, James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, the soul of the league, con- tinued the struggle, and obtained several victories over the royal troops under Sir John Perrott. Q. What effect did this have upon the queen ? A. Elizabeth, anxious to preserve her authority in Ire- land, released the Earl of Desmond from the Tower, and bound him to put an end to the rebellion of Fitzmaurice. Q. Did the earl keep his promise ? A. He could not be expected to do so ; for when he reached Dublin, he was forced to flee into his own country to escape the treachery of Fitzwilliam, the queen's deputy. Q. What added new bitterness to the struggle ? A. In 1577, with the approval of the deputy, Francis Cosby, President of Leinster, invited all the powerful na- tive families to MuUaghmast, in King's County, to confer with the English settlers. Then, as the Irish came to the place of meeting, four hundred of them were massacred by the government troops. On the following day the woods were scoured, and four hundred more were butch- ered by the same cutthroats. Q. How did Fitzmaurice seek to strengthen his cause ? A. Leaving Roderick O' Moore, and James Eustace, Vis- cuunt Baltinglass, to carry on the war, Fitzmaurice proceed- ed to the continent to obtain assistance from the Catholic 1 78 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. powers. Hosts of English spies watched his movements, but at length, with the assistance of Gregory XIIL, he or- ganized an expedition for the deliverance of his country. Q. How were his efforts frustrated ? A. The expedition was diverted from its object by Thomas Stiickely, an English adventurer, who had obtain- ed command of the fleet. Meanwhile, the brave GeraU dine hastened back to Ireland with eighty companions. Q. What became of Fitzmaurice ? A. On his arrival his little band was dispersed by the impolitic Earl of Desmond, and, a few days later, himself was mortally wounded in a skirmish with some of his own kindred, who were as base as he was noble. August i8th, A.D. 1579. Q. Who succeeded Fitzmaurice ? A. John, the brother of the Earl of Desmond, was made head of the League. After gaining several victories over his enemies, he was slain in the following year. Q. Did the Irish have other brave leaders ? A. Yes ; the Earl of Desmond himself, was now forced into the war, by the excesses of the English leaders, who desired to have an excuse for dividing his vast estates among themselves. About this time also Fiach Mac Hugh O' Byrne defeated the army of the deputy. Lord Grey, and slew eight hundred of his men at Glenmalure, in Wicklow. Among the dead were Sir Peter Carew and Col. Francis Cosby, who richly deserved their end. August 15th, 1580. Q. Did Desmond receive any foreign aid ? A. Yes ; in September, a Spanish force of eight hundred men landed at Smerwick, in Kerry. Q. What was their fate ? A. The place was invested by Lord Grey, and after CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. I79 forty days the garrison surrendered on condition of their lives being spared. When all were disarmed, Sir Walter Raleigh entered the fort with a body of troops, and order- ed these eight hundred prisoners of war to be massacred, and flung down the rocks into the sea. Among the apol- ogists of this crime is the English poet Spenser, who was present at the bloody scene. Q. What became of the Earl of Desmond ? A. After making a gallant struggle against overwhelm- ing numbers, he was forced to seek safety by concealing himself in a wood, where he was soon afterwards discov- ered and murdered in cold blood. His head was sent to England by his rival Ormond, for the gratification of Eliza- beth, who ordered it to be exposed on London bridge. His vast estates, amounting to five hundred and seventy- four thousand six hundred and twenty-eight acres, were confiscated by the queen, and divided among the enemies ■who had brought him to ruin by goading him into rebel- lion, A.D. 1584. Q. What was the condition of Munster after the war ? A. In the language of Edmund Spenser, that " most populous and plentiful country" was reduced to "a heap of carcasses and ashes." Q. By whom was this state of things brought about ? A. By the English authorities, who encouraged their soldiers to kill, burn, and destroy without restraint ; and so eager were these minions for slaughter, that "they spared neither man, woman, nor child, but all were com- mitted to the sword." — Hollinshed, iv., 430. Q. Mention some of the practices of these Evangelical Christians. A. After Desmond's death, and the entire suppression of his rebellion, unheard-of cruelties were committed ou i8o CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. the inhabitants of Munster by the English commanders. Great companies of these provincials, men, women, and children, were often forced into castles and other houses, whidh were then set on fire. And. if any of them at- tempted to escape from the flames, they were shot or stabbed by the soldiers who stood guard outside. It was a diversion to these monsters of men to take up infants on the points of the spear, and whirl them about in their agony, apologizing for their cruelty by saying, that "if they suffered them to live to grow up, they would become popish rebels." ** Many women were found hanging on trees, with their children at their breasts, strangled by the mother's hair." — Lombard. Comment, de Hibern., p. 535, in note apud Curry, Hist. Review, p. 2 7. Q. What illustrious personages were put to death on account of their religion ? A. Patrick Healy, Bishop of Mayo, racked and stran- gled, 1578; Dr. Hurley, Archbishop of Cashel, hanged, 1584; and Richard Creagh, Archbishop of Armagh, Pri- mate of all Ireland, poisoned in the Tower of London, 1585. Besides these, scores of bishops and priests were barbarously hanged, drawn, and quartered for the faith," in different parts of the country. CHAPTER III. Hugh ONeilly A.D. 1588 to 1615. jHAT revived the hopes of the Irish after the Geraldine war ? A. No sooner had the Geraldine League been washed out with the blood of its chiefs, than a new source of hope presented itself to poor bleed- ing Ireland. A vast naval expedition, known as the Spanish or invincible armada, was fitted out against England by Philip II., of Spain. It consisted of one hundred and thirty-five vessels of war, ten thousand sailors, and nineteen thousand soldiers, together with immense stores, Q. What was the fate of this expedition ? A. Soon after leaving Spain, the fleet encountered a violent storm, lost its admiral, and was partly defeated by the enemy. Then, on approaching England, it was dispersed in a great storm, and nineteen large vessels and several thousand men were lost on the coast of Ireland. y Q. What celebrated man flourished at this time ? A. Hugh O'Neill, nephew of Conn, the late Earl of Ulster. A. What was his character ? A. He was brave, able, and accomplished, and was the first Irish leader who knew how to use "policy" in his dealings with the crafty English. -.^ l8a CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. What caused him to be suspected by the govern- ment ? A. He was mistrusted because he gave shelter and assistance to the Spaniards, who had been shipwrecked on the coast of Ulster during the late expedition. Q. What led him to prepare for war ? A. He saw how English adventurers were plundering and executing one native chief after another ; and know- ing that his own estates were eagerly coveted by them, he determined to arm and be prepared for every emergency. Q. Did he rely solely on his own resources ? A. No ; he organized a confederacy which - included nearly all the Irish princes ; but his principal allies were Maguire of Fermanagh, and Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tyrconnell. Q. How did the war begin ? A. O'Neill surprised a fort on the Blackwater, and es- tablished an entrenched camp; while O'Donnell over- ran Longford, and, entering Connaught, drove out the undertakers, a.d. 1594. Q. Who won the first battle in the war thus inaugurated ? A. The first engagement took place at Clontibret, where O'Neill routed the army of Sir John Norris. The Irish were likewise successful at Stradbally Bridge, and at Armagh, a.d., 1595. Q. Did success continue to crown their efforts ? A. Yes ; they were victorious at Drumflinch, where Lord Borough, the deputy, and his chief officers lost their lives ; and in West Meath, where Captain Richard Tyrrell slew one thousand Anglo-Irish in the pass which still bears his name. In 1598 Ormond, the lord-lieutenant, was routed at Leix, and lost four hundred men ; but the greatest defeat suffered by the English was at Yellow -if''«f:-'5! CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 183 Ford, near Armagh, where Marshal Bagnal was slain with one thousand seven hundred of his men. The Irish on this occasion lost but eight hundred in killed and wounded. Aug. 15, 1598. Q. Who was now appointed to command the queen's troops ? A. Robert, Earl of Essex, son of the famous under- taker, was next sent against O'Neill. Besides two thou- sand horse and twenty thousand foot soldiers, he received the immense siim of three hundred and forty thousand pounds yearly with which to carry on the war. Q. Were the Irish able to oppose this force? • A. They were not ; but Essex divided his army, and the Irish, avoiding a general engagement, obtained several successes by cutting off his detachments. Q. Mention a few of the triumphs. A. In a skirmish with the O'Moores of Leix, Essex lost five hundred men, and, to this day, the place of the en- gagement is called "The Pass of the Plumes," from the number of feathers left there by his cavalrymen ; in Wicklow the O' Byrnes overthrew another detachment ; and in the Carlow mountains. Sir Conyers Clifford, gover- nor of Connaught, was killed with one thousand four hun- dred of his men, by O'Ruark and O'Donnell, whose loss was but one hundred and forty. Q. What did Essex do after these reverses ? A. He made a tnice with O'Neill, and then hastened to England to appease the queen ; but on his arrival he tvas sent to the Tower, where he was soon afterwards be- headed. Q. Who was the next lord-deputy ? A. Charles Blount, better known as Lord Mpantjoy, a. D. 1600. -i^; :;: l84 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. What course did this man pursue ? A. He made a freer use of " art and cunning" than of arms, thus carrying out Lord Bacon's advice, viz. : first, to divide his enemies, and then to conquer them. To accomph'sh this, various base means were used ; " sham and counterfeit letters," written by Sir George Carew ; bribes offered to the lesser princes ; prices placed on the heads of the leaders, and assassination when all else failed. Q. What was the effect of such wicked policy ? A. The result was most deplorable. Thus a " Queen's O'Reilly " was raised up in Cavan ; a " Queen's Maguire," in P'ermanagh ; and so on throughout the land. Among those lured by promises of reward was the able but impe- rious Niall Garve O'Donnell, who had up to this time done good service for his country. Q. What brave leader did the Irish lose ? A. The gallant Maguire, who was mortally wounded in single combat with Marshal St. Leger, whom he slew. Q. What assistance did O'Neill receive ? A. In 1 60 1, about three thousand Spaniards landed in Munster, and took possession of Kinsale. Q. How did the rival commanders act. A. Mountjoy hastened to invest the place with a large fleet, and an army of fifteen thousand men, while O'Neill and O'Donnell came to its aid with a force numbering about seven thousand. Q. Did the Irish risk a battle ? A. Yes ; urged by tee repeated entreaties of Don Joan, the Spanish general, O'Neill reluctantly consented to attack the superior force of Mountjoy, and, had not his plans been betrayed to the enemy, the result jnight have been successful. Q. Was O'Neill defeated ? ':/'?-w"''" CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. ' 185 A. He was, with the loss of one thousand two hundred men, besides several prisoners whom the English slew in cold blood. O'Neill then withdrew to Ulster, and Kin- sale was surrendered by the Spaniards. Q. How was O'Neill deprived of his principal ally? A. O'Donnell was dispatched to implore the king of Spain for further assistance, but he was stricken with fever at Simancas, and died on the loth of September, 1602, in the twenty-ninth year of his age ? Q. What took place at Dunboy ? A. At the castle of Dunboy one hundred and forty-three men under Richard Mac Geoghegan held four thousand English veterans in check during eleven days. In vain did Carew swear and offer his bribes; the brave defenders died one by one at their post till but fifty-eight survived, and these, overpowered by numbers, were haHged in the English camp, so that not one of that heroic band escaped alive. Q. To what condition had the war reduced the coun- try ? A. The whole island was in a frightful state of desola- tion ; and death, either by famine, or the sword, was the usual fate of the inhabitants. Q. Give an instance showing the perfidy of the English queen ? A.- Jn «6o2, she issued a proclamation that all priests should leave the country, and, to enable them to do so, she promised them a free passage. Fifty-one monks accepted this offer, but when they were in mid-ocean, all were flung into the sea, in accordance with private instnictions received from Elizabeth. Q. Were these ihe only ones put to death for the faith by this wicked queen ? 1 86 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. A. No ; all through her reign bishops and priests were slaughtered in great numbers. Q. Did Catholic education suffer much under Eliza- beth ? A. Yes ; Catholics were not permitted to have their own schools, or to educate their own children. They remedied this, however, by founding seminaries at Sala- manca, in 1582, at Lisbon, in 1595, at Douay, in 1596, and at Bordeaux, in 1603. Q. What institution did the Protestants found to pro- mote their views ? A. They established Trinity College, on the site of the ancient Monastery of All Hallows, a.d. 1601. Q. Did O'Neill continue the war ? A. He did for some time longer, but at length, being unwilling to increase the sufferings of his country by pro- longing the contest, he accepted honorable terms from Mountjoy, and submitted to Elizabeth, who died before the good news reached her. Q. Who succeeded Elizabeth ? "^ A. James VI. of Scotland, who took the title of "James the First, King of Great Britain and Ireland." Q. What measures did he carry into effect in Ireland ? A. He enforced the penal laws, abolished Tanistry and Gavelkind, and divided the whole kingdom into judicial circuits, presided over by English judges. Q, How did O'Neill become the victim of artifice ? A. An anonymous letter was dropped in the Council Chamber at Dublin Castle, containing charges of high treason against him and O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, on the ground that they had attended a meeting of Catholic gentlemen. Q. What course did the accused pursue ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 187 A. Although innocent of the charge of treason, they knew that the government had resolved on their destruc- tion, and that a jury could easily be packed fo convict them, and hence they fled to the continent, a.d. 1607. Q. What other event marks this year ? A. O'Doherty, Prince of Innishowen, received a gross insult from Paulett, Governor of Derry, and at once flew to arms, and, putting the garrison of Derry to the sword, wiped out the affront in the blood of its author. This outbreak lasted but a few months, and the young chief, who was scarcely twenty-one, atoned for his rashness with his life. Q. What was the fate of O'Neill and his companions ? A. The year made memorable by the "flight of the earls," is also noted for that of the death of most of them. In July, O'Donnell died at Rome ; in August, Maguire ex- pired at Genoa ; and in September, another was laid in his grave. O'Neill himself lingered on eight weary years at Rome, and died an exile among strangers, leaving only &i imperishable name, a.d. 16 16. CHAPTER IV. Confiscation and Extortion, A.Z>.,i6oS to 1641. I HAT occurred in Ulster after the "flight of the earls ? " A. All the six counties of Ulster were con- fiscated by a royal commission under Sir Wil- liam Parsons. L Q. How did the government dispose of them ? A. Certain regulations were drawn up under the title of " Orders and Conditions of Planters," by which the six counties were to be settled by " colonies of civil men well affected in religion." Q. Who obtained grants ? A. The Protestant bishops of Ulster got forty-three thousand acres ; Trinity College, thirty thousand acres ; the trades-union associations of London, two hundred and nine thousand eight hundred acres, including the city of Derry, which they rebuilt and called Londonderry. Pri- vate individuals received the remainder in sections of one thousand, one thousand five hundred, and two thousand acres each — in all, about three hundred and eighty-five thousand acres. Q. What was one of the conditions under which the land was given ? A. The main condition was, that no one refusing to CATECHISM OF tklSIt HISTORY. 189 take the oath of supremacy, should be suflFeied to reside thereon, thereby excluding all Catholics. Q. Was the confiscation just and lawful? A. No ; but contrary to all law and justice. To give some appearance of legality to his robbery, King James sought the sanction of his parliament in 1613. Q. Did this assembly approve of the king's conduct ? A. Not until he had packed it by the creation of forty new boroughs in one day. The new members, being his creatures, supported the king. Q. What new scheme for plunder did James concoct ? A. He formed " The Commission for the Discovery of Defective Titles," to detect pretended flaws in the deeds of property holders, in order that he might seize the land, or compel the owners to pay heavily for new titles. Q. Who presided over this commission ? A. Sir William Parsons, a great bigot, who had come to Ireland in a menial condition. Q. By what means did Parsons procure evidence ? A. By taking a horde of spies and "discoverers" into his pay, and by torturing witnesses in the most cruel man- ner. Thus, in the case of the O' Byrnes of Wicklow, one gentleman, named Archer, was placed on a gridiron over a charcoal fire, and had his body burned with hot irons till he testified whatever Parsons wanted. Q. What was the fruit of this barbarity ? A. The king obtained four hundred and fifty-one thou- sand acres in Leinster. Q. Did James meditate other confiscations ? A. Yes ; he had the Scotch itch for money, and it was his intention to confiscate Connaught also ; but before he could effect his purpose, he was cut off by death, and suc- ceeded by his son Charles I., a.d. 1625. 190 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. How did the new king treat his Irish subjects ? A. Like his father, he never ceased to rob and perse- cute them. Q. What step did some Catholic gentlemen take at this time ? A. They held a meeting in Dublin, and being joined by several Protestants of rank, they sent a petition to the king, requesting him to grant the people certain rights, mildly called "graces." Q. Enumerate these graces. A. Free trade ; equal justice ; security of property ; the prevention of military excesses ; a mitigation of the ex- cesses practised by the parsons ; the abolition of ecclesi- astical prisons, and a general free pardon for past of- fences. Q. What did the petitioners offer for these conces- sions ? A. They agreed to give the king the sum of one hun- dred thousand pounds, then equal to ten times that amount at present. Q. Did Charles take the money ? A. He did, and several thousand pounds sterling in ad- dition. Q. Did he grant the graces ? A. He did not ; for the reason that he feared the en- mity of the Protestant clergy. Q. How did the Protestant bishops meddle in this af- fair ? A. They declared with great bigotry and ill manners that •' to grant papists a toleration, or to consent that they may freely exercise their religion, and profess their faith and doctrines, was a grievous sin," therefore, they prayed God *• to make those in authority zealous, reso- .'■y^f^'^- ■_.- - ■•----'■■ ' ^\~-~ CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 191 lute, and courageous, against all popery, superstition, and idolatry," which terms they applied to the Catholic religion. Q. By whom was Charles guided ? A. By Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, who advised him not to grant the graces, and promised to take the blame upon himself. Q. How was this man rewarded ? A. He was made lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and was thus enabled to render other vile services to his master, which he did by remitting him several hundred thousand pounds sterling, which he had extorted from the Irish parliament under the title of " Voluntary Contributions." Q. In what other way did he obtain money ? A. He sent the "Commission on Defective Titles" into Connaught, and the result was that several counties were declared forfeited to the crown. Q. How was this brought about ? A. The judges were bribed with four shillings in the pound, on the first year's rental of all estates, if a verdict were found for the king ; the juries were packed, bribed, and intimidated, and, if conscientious in their decisions, they were fined, pilloried, and even mutilated ; the people, meanwhile, were overawed by a strong military force which surrounded these courts of injustice. Q. Did these measures always secure a favorable ver- dict? A. With few exceptions they did. On one occasion, in Galway, when the decision was against the government, the opposing lawyers were degraded, the juries fined four thousand- pounds each, and the sheriff, after being sen- tenced to pay one thousand pounds, was left to die in prison. 192 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Q. How could proprietors save their estates ? A. By redeeming them. Q. What new injustice did Strafford invent? A. He instituted a tribunal called "The Court of Wards," which had authority to take Catholic children, and bring them up in the Protestant religion. . Q. Wliat became of this tyrant ? A. After harassing Ireland for seven years, he was at length recalled to England, where he was soon afterwards impeached, and executed by order of the Puritan parlia- ment, for favoring the king, a.d. 1640. Q. What declaration was made by the Irish parlia- ment ? A. The parliament of Ireland, wrought into despera- tion by Strafford, at length resolved unanimously, in 1641, that the subjects of Ireland "were a free people, to be governed only by the common law of England, and the sta*ules made and established in the kingdom of Ireland, and according to the lawful customs used in the same." Q. What nobleman left his country to enjoy religious freedom in America ? A. Lord Baltimore, an Irish Catholic peer, who estab- lished a settlement on the Potomac, in Maryland, Febru- ary 24fh, A.D. 1634. Though Virginia had been settled by the Episcopalians, New York by the Dutch, and Mas- sachusetts by the Puritans, still the Catholic colony of Maryland was the only one, at that time, which granted religious liberty to all classes of Christians. Q. What Irishmen deserve honor for the part they took in preserving the history of their country ? A. Rev. Hugh Ward, of St. Anthony's, Louvain, who sent the Rev. Michael O'Cleary to Ireland, to collect ma- terials for a work on the Irish saints, a.d. 1655 ; Fergal CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 193 O'Gara, Prince of Cooloviun, and patron of Michael O'Cleary, chief of the Four Masters. Q. Who were the Four Masters ? A. They were the compilers of an immense work on the sacred and profane " AnnaU of the Ancient Kingdom of Ireland." Their names are Cucogry O'Cleary, Perfeasa O'Mulconry, Cucogry O'Duigenan, and Michael O'Cleary, 1580-1643. Q. When did they complete their labors ? A. They began in the Convent of Donegal, on the 22d of January, 1632, and finished on the loth of August, 1636. In memory of them, their great work is commonly called the "Annals of the Four Masters." CHAPTER V. The Catholic Confederation, A.D. 1641 to 1660. I HO were the Puritans ? A. The Puritans were a set of fanatics who rose to power in England and Scotland in the reign of Charles I. They were fol- lowers of Calvin, and so intolerant that they enforced their views by penal laws and the free use of the sword. Q. How did their success affect Ireland ? A. Having obtained control of the government, their leaders declared that •' they would not leave a priest in Ireland," and that " their conversion would be effected with the sword in one hand and the Bible in the other." Q. Were these threats made by those in authority ? A. Yes ; Lord Clarendon says that the Puritan leaders " had sworn to extirpate the whole Irish nation," and Carte affirms that " the lords-justices had set their hearts on the extirpation, not only of the mere Irish, but like- wise of all the English families that were Roman Catho- lics." Q. What measures did the Catholics take for their safety ? A. A gentleman named Roger Moore induced the native Catholics to unite for mutual defence. Accord- ingly, on the 23d of October, 1641, they anticipated their enemies, and took the field under Sir Phelim O'Neill. Q. What did O'Neill do on that day ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 1 95 A. He declared by proclamation that the object of the Catholics was not hostiUty " to any subjects, either Eng- lish or Scotch, but only the defence and liberties of the Irish natives of this kingdom." Q. Was this declaration true ? A. It was, most undoubtedly ; but, as a set-off to the wholesale slaughter committed by themselves during the war, the Puritans afterwards pretended that a great slaughter of Englishmen took place on the day of the rising. Q. Were there any grounds for this charge ? A. No ; there were none whatever, as is proved from the testimony of respectable Protestant historians, and from the contradictory and irreconcilable statements of those who afterwards made the charge. Besides, there is no mention of any such massacre in the despatches of the lords-lieutenants of the time, and these functionaries, certainly, would not miss the opportunity of exciting hate against the rebels, as they styled the Catholics, if the charges were true. Q. Where was the first massacre committed ? A. At Island Magee, where three thousand men, women, and children were put to death in one night by the Scotch garrison of Carrickfergus, which came upon them suddenly, November, 1641. Q. Who was the chief author of butcheries like this ? A. Sir Charles Coote, who declared that he would not spare even a babe, though " it were but a span long." This child-slayer kept his word faithfully ; but, as might be expected, he extended his hate to adults also. Thus, by his orders, nineteen persons were massacred near Dublin, and fifty -six drowned in the bay of that city. Q. What was the effect of these atrocities ? 196 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, A. The Catholic lords of the Pale met the native leaders at the hill of Crofty on December 8th, and, on. being assured that their object was " to maintain the royal prerogative, and make the subjects of Ireland as free as those of England," they, too, joined the national cause. Q. How did the English parliament raise money ? A. It confiscated two million five hundred thousand acres of land from Catholics, and then, having sold them to Protestants for one million pounds, it was thus enabled to put a large army in the field. Q. Who took command of the government forces ? A. James Butler, Duke of Ormond, one of the most crafty and treacherous characters that ever appeared in Irish history. Q. What orders did he receive for the conduct of the war? A. The Council at Dublin Castle sent him the following instruction : — " It is resolved that it is fit that his lordship do endeavor with his majesty's forces to wound, kill, slay, and destroy, by all the ways and means he may, all the said rebels, their adherents and relievers ; and burn, waste, spoil, consume, destroy, and demolish all the places, towns, and houses where the said rebels are or have been re- lieved or harbored, and all the hay and corn there ; and kill and destroy all the men there inhabiting, capable to bear arms." Given at the Castle of Dublin, on the 23d of February, 1642. Q. What encouragement did the native leaders receive from the clergy ? A. On the 22d of March, 1642, the bishops of the Synod of Kells pronounced the war "just and lawful," and forbade all unnecessary violence. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 197 Q. What convention was held by the Catholics ? A. On the loth of May following, the bishops, lords, and commons of Ireland held a convention, at Kilkenny, and organized a regular form of government, called " The Catholic Confederation." The supreme power was vested in a council composed of three archbishops, two bishops, four lords, and fifteen commoners. Lord Mountgarret was made president of this council. Q. To what did the Confederates bind, themselves ? A. They took an oath by which they bound themselves to maintain the fundamental laws of Ireland, the free ex- ercise of the Catholic religion, and never to accept any peace without the consent of the General Assembly of the Catholics of Ireland. Q. What accessions were made to the national army ? A. Hundreds of soldiers serving in France and Spain now hastened to the assistance of their struggling country. Thus, on July. 6th, Colonel Owen Roe O'Neill landed in Donegal with one hundred officers and a supply of ammu- nition ; and in September, Colonel Thomas Preston arrived at Wexford with five hundred officers, a number of engineers, and a quantity of military stores. Q. Who were flie prmcipal leaders on the Catholic side ? A. At a meeting of the General Assembly, held October 23d, Owen Roe O'Neill was appointed to carry on the war in Ulster ; Thomas Preston, in Leinster ; Gerald Barry, in Munster ; and John Burke, in Connaught. Q. Give a summary of the war for the first two years. A. Besides obtaining possession of the greater portion of the island, the Confederates were successful at Portles- ter, Kilworth, and Galway ; but they were defeated at Kilrush, Liscarroll, Ballynakill, Rathconnell, and Ard- I 1^ i CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. more, where one hundred and forty persons were massa- cred in cold blood. Q. What put an end to hostilities- for a time? A. On the 13th of September, 1643, the Anglo-Irish majority of the Supreme Council signed a twelve months' truce with Ormond at Castlemartin, and, in gratitude for this supposed favor, they agreed to supply King Charles with thirty thousand pounds in money, and provisions to assist him against the Puritans, who were up in arms. By the diplomacy of Ormond the truce was prolonged foi half a year. Q. How did the Puritans act in the meanwhile ? A. They protested loudly against making peace with papists, and ordered Gen. Monroe to break the truce, which he did by taking Newry, and putting to death sixty men, eighteen women, and two ecclesiastics. After this he enriched his own country by the immense booty he sent from Antrim to Scotland, one item alone being nine thousand head of cattle. * Q. Did the Catholics desire peace ? A. The native Irish did not, but those of English or Anglo-Norman descent desired ardently to be reconciled with their kin. Hence, by their influence, deputies were sent to the king to inform him that his dutiful Catholic subjects would lay down their arms if the penal laws were repealed. Charles would probably have promised this, had he not feared the Puritans, who demanded that all these enactments be strictly enforced. Q. What order did the English parliament issue to its officers carrying on the war ? A. It issued the " No Quarter Act," which is as follows : " The lords and commons, assembled in the parliament of England, do declare that no quarter shall be given to :tS^'-- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 199 any Irishman, or to any papist born in Ireland, which shall be taken in hostility against the parliament, either upon sea, or within the kingdom or dominion of Wales ; and, therefore, do order that the lord-general, the lord-admi- ral, and all other officers and commanders, both by sea and land, shall except all Irishmen and all papists born in Ireland, out of all capitulation hereafter to be made with the enemy, and shall, upon the taking of every such Irish- man and papist born in Ireland, as aforesaid, forthwith put every such person to death." a.d. 1644. Q. Did this infamous order open the eyes of the Catho- lics ? A. No ; despite this bloody edict of parliament, Or- n^ond, the king's representative, still managed to mis- lead the majority of the Confederates by his promises. Q. Were any Irish in the service of the king ? A. Yes ; at this time fifteen hundred of them were serv- ing in Scotland, where they won a succession of victories over the king's enemies. Q. Were the Confederates in Ireland equally fortu- nate? A. No ; the strong fort of Duncannon was surrendered to the Puritans, by an Englishman, and the town of Sligo was carried by assault, October 26th, 1645. Despite these losses, however, the Catholics were much encour- aged by the arrival of John Baptist Rinuccini, Archbishop of Fermo, who landed in Munster as nuncio of Innocent X., with a supi^ly of arms and money. Q. What took place within the next few months ? A. There arose two parties in the Supreme Council — the Anglo-Irish, who wished to deal gently with the govern- ment ; and the native Irish, headed by the nuncio, who advocated the vigorous prosecution of the war. The zoo CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, former had been deceived by Ormond ; but, nevertheless, like penitent children, they longed for a reconciliation. When, therefore, the king sent them Herbert, Earl of Glamorgan, they concluded a treaty with him which secured to them equal rights, civil and religious, March 28th, 1646. Then to show their loyalty, they voted six thousand troops to assist Charles against his enemies ; but to their astonishment, when the treaty was made pub- lic, the king disavowed it. Q. What misfortune overtook the faithless Charles ? A. His subjects rose in rebellion, and defeated his troops in several battles; at last he was forced to seek refuge among the Scotch, who sold him to his own parlia- ment for the sum of four hundred thousand pounds. Q. Which was the greatest battle fought during this war? A. That of Benburb, where Owen Roe O'Neill, with five thousand native troops, defeated General Monroe, at the head of eight thousand Puritans. In this battle the loss on the Catholic side was but seventy killed and two hun- dred wounded, whereas on that of the enemy it was three thousand two hundred and forty-three, with several pris- oners, thirty- two standards, and an immense quantity of guns, tents, ammunition, etc., June 4th, 1646. Q. Did the Confederates continue to prosper ? A. They did for a time ; but, at length, the rival par- ties in the Supreme Council came to an open rupture, and to this alone must be attributed their subsequent failure at Dublin and elsewhere. Then, owing to the influence of the Anglo-Catholics, the war languished for two years, when Rinuccini left the country in disgust, February, 1649. Six months later, the Puritans defeated Ormond at Rathmines, and then Oliver Cromwell, the ■^TsTi^f-' •"■ - " '--.f.-'-v-: ""«-.'-■ "/-.-' -^ .-7.:<-::;;ir:-|^--:?jiC--,- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 201 famous Puritan general, landed at Dublin with fovuleen thousand»men, to put an end to the struggle. Q. For what is Cromwell's career in Ireland noted ? A. It is remarkable for the amount of blood which he shed in a few months. Thus, at Drogheda, although quarter had been promised, the work of slaughter lasted five days, and the three thousand men comprising the garrison were put to the sword, together with one thou- sand unresisting victims, who had sought refuge in the great church. The few who escaped death were sent as slaves to the Barbadoes, September nth. At Wexford the enemy broke into the town during a truce, and " no distinction," says Lingard, "was made between the de- fenceless inhabitants and the armed soldiers ; nor could the shrieks of three hundred females, who had gathered round the great cross, preserve them from the swords of these ruthless barbarians." By Cromwell himself the number slaughtered here is put down at two thousand, including men, women, and children, October i6th. Q. Did parliament sanction the conduct of Cromwell ? A. Yes ; on the 2d of October it declared " that the house doth approve of the execution at Drogheda, both as an act of. justice to them and mercy to others who may be warned by it." Q. What great leader did the Irish lose at this crisis ? A. Owen Roe O'Neill, who was suddenly struck down by death at Clough- Oughter Castle, as he was marching to meet Cromwell ; and thus perished the only hope of his country, a victim, it is supposed, to the fear and mal- ice of his enemies, November 6th, 1645. Q. Did the* Irish endeavor to protract the struggle ? A. Yes ; after Charles I. had been beheaded by his subjects in 1649, the Royalists proclaimed the Prince of 202 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. Wales king, under the title of Charles II. The Irish leaders, however, withdrew their support from him for having violated his promises to them, when he found it necessary to court the favor of their Scotch enemies, and, as a last resource, they invited the Duke of Loraine to Ireland as protector ; but Ormond and Prince Charles found means to defeat this new move. Q. What acts of tyranny were now committed ? A. Cromwell was installed as lord-protector in 1653, whereupon he confiscated three million acres of land in Ireland, and drove the native owners into Con naught, where they were pent up in bondage for seven years, May ist, 1654. "All of them who after that time should be found in any other part of the kingdom, man, woman, or child, might be killed by anybody who saw or met them." The total amount of land confiscated from the Catholics under the Commonwealth was seven million seven hundred and eight thousand two hundred and thirty-seven acres. Q. What other events are worthy of note ? A. Forty thousand fighting men were forced to seek shelter in foreign lands ; and at least sixty thousand boys and girls, men and women, were sent as slaves to Vir- ginia, New England, and the West India Islands, a.d. 1655. In this year also regular posts were first estab- lished in Ireland. Q. When did Cromwell die ? A. Cromwell died in 1658, after having put to death three bishops, three hundred priests, and many thousands of people, besides those slain in battle. Q. Mention a few of those who were especially con- spicuous during this epoch. A. Among the Puritans were Ireton, Jones, and -''^TJP'P^- CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 203 O'Brien or Inchiquin, "the church-burner;" and on the side of the Catholics, Sir Richard Belling, David Rothe, Bishop of Ossory, Heber McMahon, Bishop of Clogher, Rev. Geoffry Keating, the historian, and Father Luke Warding, one of the most learned men of his age. CHAPTER VI. Protestant Ascendency^ A.D. 1660 to 1685. I HAT is meant by " the Restoration " ? A. This term implies that the Stuart line was restored to tne throne in the person of Charles H., a.d. 1660. Q. What was the policy of the new king ? A. He sought to promote Protestant interests by every means in his power. Q. How did he treat the Puritans, who had beheaded his father, and fought against himself? A. In England they received little favor ; but in Ire- land, strange to say, ihey were entrusted with the govern- ment, and confirmed in the possession of the lands they had seized, in order, it was pretended, that they might maintain Protestant ascendency in the country. Q. Who was the author of this policy ? A. The chancellor, Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. Q. Was Charles II. under obligations to the Irish ? A. Yes ; and his treatment of them was the more base, because, with few exceptions, they had always been loyal to him, and had died by thousands in the service of his father. Q. Whom did he make lord-lieutenant ? A. Ormond, the wily enemy of the Catholics. Q. What occurred under his administration ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY: 205 A. A parliament was held in Ireland for the first time in twenty years ; but the members were chiefly adventur- ers who had acquired estates from Cromwell. After securing the good-will of Ormond by a grant of thirty thou- sand pounds, they proceeded to legislate in their own favor, concerning the lands confiscated from the Catholics, A.D. 1661. Q. Did the Catholics try to recover their estates ? A. Yes ; under the leadership of such men as Sir Richard Nagle, Sir Nicholas Plunket, Sir Richard Talbot, and the Earl of Kildare, they sought to obtain their just rights; but the king, the deputy, and the Puritan majority were against them, and, of course, they did not succeed. Q. How did parliament mask its injustice ? A. It passed a *• Bill of Settlement," which provided that a special tribunal should decide all land claims ; but after settling eight hundred cases, the tribunal was abol- ished, leaving three thousand cases undecided, because the claims of the Catholics proved too strong, a.d. 1663. Q. How did the Protestants prevent these claims from being paid? ^ . A. They formed associations for mutual protection, and they even conspired to seize Dublin Castle, and the person of the lord-lieutenant, if their estates should be given back to the original Catholic owners. Q. In what new wickedness did the enemies of Ireland in the meanwhile engage ? A. In both England and Ireland the enemies of the Catholics were busy spreading reports of terrible popish plots, conspiracies, and intended massacres. Q^ Wh|3,t action did the Catholics think it prudent to take ? A. In order to vindicate their loyalty and explain their 2o6 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. relations with the Pope, some of them drew up a remon- strance ; but, as it was tainted with Gallicanism, it was condemned at Rome. Q. Mention an incident which shows the bigotry of the time ? A. Before the year 1666 the Irish annually exported into England sixty thousand beeves, and a proportionate number of sheep. In that year, however, in response to a petition, the English parliament passed a law to prevent the importation of Irish cattle, dead or alive, into Eng- land. Just then, also, the great fire occurred in London, and the Irish sent fifteen thousand bullocks for the relief of the sufferers. But even this act of generosity was mis- interpreted, and, though they kept the beeves, the English authorities represented the act as an attempt to evade the cattle law. Q. Did Ormond confer any benefit on Ireland ? A. Yes ; he introduced several establishments for the manufacture of woollen goods. Though his motives were selfish, his enterprise was beneficial to the whole country, A.D. 1667. Q. Did other industries^lso increase ? A. No ; for the government discouraged enterprise on the pretence that it would interfere with English interests. They thought that if Ireland were permitted to prosper, she would soon become independent. Q. What was the result of this policy ? A. Trade and manufactures never developed to any ex- tent. Even the mines and the fisheries were shamefully neglected, though they were sources of untold wealth, and might have given employment to several hundred thou- sand men. Q. In what condition was religion ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 207 A. During the last few years the Catholics had gained rapidly both in wealth and numbers. The ratio between them and the sectaries was as four to one in their favor. The government evidently feared for its army in Ireland, as we see from the following penalties : P'or hearing mass officers were fined ten pounds, troopers, five pounds, and private soldiers, four shillings. Q. What new plot was gotten up against the Catholics ? A. In 1678 great excitement was caused in England by Titus Oates, an infamous perjurer, who charged the Catholics of the kingdom with conspiring against the king and the Protestant religion. • Q. How did these false charges affect Ireland ? A. Although knowing them to be innocent, Ormond at once disarmed the Catholics, closed their chapels, sup- pressed their schools, and commanded all priests to quit the island by a certain day. Q. What illustrious man was executed on false charges ? A. Oliver Plunket, Archbishop of Armagh. Under pretence that he was an enemy to the state, he was taken to England, where he was hanged, drawn, and quartered, A.D. 168 1. Q. When did Charles II. die ? A. On the 6th of February, a.d. 1685. CHAPTER VII.' The Civil War, A.D. 1685 to 1702. |H0 succeeded Charles II. on the throne? A. His brother, James II., who was a Catholic. Q, What policy did the new king adopt ? A. He declared that all his subjects should have equal rights in matters of religion. Q. How did he excite the enmity of his people ? A. By his zeal in favor of his own religion. Though his motives were good, his measures were undoubtedly rash. Q. What did he do in Ireland ? A. He substituted for Ormond his own kinsman, the Earl of Clarendon, and admitted Catholics to the bench and to the privy council. Then, sifter the space of a year, Richard Talbot, Earl of Tyrconnell, who was a Catholic, was made lord-lieutenant. Q. What treason were the EngUsh Protestants guilty of? A. They offered the crown to William, Prince of Orange, who soon arrived in England with thirteen thou- sand men, to uphold Protestant supremacy, a.d. 1688. Q. How did James act in this emergency ? A. He fled to France without striking a blow in de- fence of his throne. In Ireland, however, his friends pre- pared to maintain his cause. Q. How did the English settlers in Ulster act ? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 209 A. They formed an association " for the maintenance of the Protestant religion, and the dependence of Ireland upon England." Q. Did James endeavor to regain his crown ? A. Yes ; he landed at Kinsale, in Ireland, with one thousand three hundred men, and was received with great rejoicings by the inhabitants, both Catholic and Protes- tant, March 12th, 1689. Q. What was the first important event after his re- turn ? A. In May, a parliament composed of Protestants and Catholics was held in Dublin. In the house of lords the Protestants predominated ; but in the commons the Catholics were in the majority. Q. What did this assembly do ? A. It granted the king twenty thousand pounds per month, repealed the iniquitous "Act of Settlement," and enacted that tithes should be paid by each person to the pastors of his own communion. Besides, it passed an " Act establishing Liberty of Conscience," and another declaring the judicial independence of Ireland. Thus, as Grattan says, " Though papists, they were not slaves ; t they wrung a constitution from King James before they] accompanied him to the field." / Q. What absurdity was James guilty of ? A. He issued a proclamation doubling the value of money ; but the traders and merchants were not to be deluded, and they immediately doubled the prices of their goods. Q. Mention the first important occurrences in the field. A. The raw levies of the king were defeated with loss, by the disciplined and well-armed garrison of Enniskillen ; ''^^ir*9ry-^ «'''»<"T'»?!W"!WBWP'"'WPW!IP?pili»^ 2IO CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. and at Deny, the rebels made so gallant a defence that the royalists were forced to retire, after losing six thou- sand men, a.d. 1689. Q. What did the Prince of Orange do for his adherents in Ireland ? A. He sent Gen. Kirke with six thousand men to their assistance, and afterwards an army of ten thousand men, under Marshal Schomberg, who signalized his arrival by taking Carrickfergus, which was gallantly defended by McCarthy More, August 28th. Q. How did King James show his incapacity ? A. At Dundalk he had an excellent chance to crush his enemies, suffering as they were from disease and fam- ine ; but his timid and vacillating spirit would not permit him to attack them, although his men were eager for battle. Q. What language did Marshal Rosen use to the king on this occasion ? A. "Sire," said he, "if your majesty had a hundred kingdoms, you would lose them." Q. How did the first campaign terminate ? A. It ended with the surrender of Charlemont, after desperate resistance by O' Regan, who was knighted by James for his valor. Q. Did William take part in the war ? A. Yes ; he landed at Carrickfergus with additional troops on the 14th June, i6po. Q. What was the character of his army ? A. It was composed of a medley of many nations, English, Scotch, Dutch, Swiss, Prussians, Danes, Hugue- nots, and Anglo- Irish. Though excellent soldiers, and well trained, the Rev. Dr. Gorge, who was chaplain to Schomberg, describes them as profligate and licentious, and wallowing in vices too odious to mention. •?-':5MBp.-. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 211 Q. What force had James ? A. They numbered twenty-three thousand, and were all Irish, except a body of French cavalry, for whom the king had exchanged forty-eight hundred native troops under Justin MacCarthy, Lord Mountcashel. Q. Describe the battle that followed. A. On tlje 1 2th of July the two armies met at the Boyne. The Irish had but six cannon, while the enemy, forty-five thousand strong, had fifty, and four mortars. William led his hosts in person, while James, surrounded by his French allies, viewed the contest from the hill of Donore, two miles away. " With admirable courage and gallantry," says the Duke of Berwick, " the Irish troops charged the English ten times after they had crossed the river." Seeing the enemy give way, the miserable James cried aloud, •' Spare, oh, spare my English subjects ! " Q. How did the contest terminate ? A. After fighting for seven hours, the Irish left about one thousand men on the field. The enemy lost Schom- berg, and four hundred killed, besides the wounded. Be- fore the battle was fairly over, James fled to Dublin, where he attributed his ruin to the Irish, " who," he said, " had run away," To this Lady Tyrconnell replied with spirit, ■' Your majesty, I see, has won the race." All now despised the coward, and the cry of his army was, " Change kings, and we will fight the battle over ! " Q. What transpired after the battle of the Boyne ? A. Drogheda surrendered with its garrison thirteen hundred strong ; Dublin and several other places fol- lowed this example, and then the terrified James fled to France, where he expired in merited obscurity, a.d. 1701. Q. Did the Irish continue the war ? A. Yes; the brave Col. Richard Grace repulsed the 212 CAT£ CHISM OF IRISH HIS TOR Y. enemy at Athlone ; the gallant Sarsfield blew their siege train to atoms at Ballanedy, and the garrison of Limerick, assisted by the women, forced William to retreat from before that city with a loss of eight hundred killed and twelve hundred wounded. Q. Where did the next operations take place ? A. At Cork, which yielded to tire renowned Marlbor- ough after a brave defence, and at Athlone, which Gen- eral Ginckle besieged with twenty-five thousand men, on the iSthof June, 1691. ,. Q. Describe this siege. A. During twelve days the incessant attacks of the enemy were met with heroic resistance. The great strug- gle, however, was at the town bridge, which the Irish endeavored to destroy. The enterprise was a desperate one. Nevertheless, a sergeant named Custume and ten companions volunteered to make the attempt, but they were all quickly slain. Then eleven others rushed forth to take their places, and of these but two returned alive after accomplishing their task. Q. What happened soon after this ? A. It is said that the enemy were retiring from the town, when, by chance, they heard that the place was intrusted to an ordinary garrison. Then, suddenly, they made another assault, and thus Athlone was taken, and its one thousand three hundred defenders were sacrificed in vain by the vanity of St. Ruth, the French commander, who imagined that the enemy would not dare renew the attack. Q. Which was the greatest battle of the war ? A. That fought at Aughrim, in Galway, on the 23d of July, 1 691. Q. Whom did victory favor ? ■-■=^;s?s!f^ CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 213 A. At first, the battle went in favor of the Irish, till, by some fatalitj', St. Ruth, their general, was killed, and then victory gave place to confusion and rout. The enemy lost three thousand men, or about one thousand less than the vanquished. Q. Was Limerick again besieged ? A. Yes ; and this time, after sixty days, for want of food and ammunition, the city agreed to surrender on con- ditions. Q. Did the garrison obtain conditions ? A. Yes ; a treaty was drawn up which provided, among other articles, that the garrison might march out with all their arms, guns, and baggage, " drums beating, matches lighting, colors flying," October 3d, 169 1. The soldiers were then to be free to leave the country, or to serve in the English army. Q. What were the other provisions of the treaty ? A. It guaranteed free trade, liberty of worship, the right to bear arms, exception from the oath of supremacy, and the privilege of sitting in parliament. Q. What choice did the soldiers make ? A. About one thousand of them enlisted under Wil- liam ; two thousand emigrated to foreign countries, and twelve thousand two hundred entered the service of France, thus increasing the number of Irish soldiers in that country to nineteen thousand and fifty-nine. Q. Who were the most noted leaders of their troops ? A. Major-General Patrick Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan, 1693 ; and Lieutenant-General Justin MacCarthy, Lord Mountcashel, 1694. Q. What course did William pursue after the war ? A. He confiscated one million sixty thousand seven hundred and ninety-two acres of land from the Irish, and 214 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. discouraged their woollen trade, at the prayer of parlia- ment, because, forsooth, it interfered with the interests of England. Q. Did the English observe the treaty of Limerick ? A. No ; they violated almost every one of its articles. Thus in 1 792 they passed an act to disarm the Catholics ; another, to banish all priests and prelates ; and a third, to prevent parents from educating their children at home or abroad, and to render them incapable of being guardians of any child whatever. Finally, in 1 795, the English par- liament struck out several articles altogether from the treaty. Q. What penal laws were passed ? A. In the seventh year of William III, it was enacted that no papist could own a horse worth more than five pounds ; no Protestant could instruct any papist ; and no papist should be permitted to go out of Ireland to receive instruction. Q. What eminent man wrote in defence of Ireland ? A. William Molyneux, author of the " Case of Ireland Stated," 1 6 14-1699. This work contained some plain truths, and the English parliament ordered it to be burned by the common hangman. CHAPTER VIII. Penal Laws, A.D. 1 702 to 1 740. |NDER what sovereign did Ireland suffer most from wicked and unchristian laws ? A. Under Anne Stuart, who succeeded William, a.d. 1702. Q. What does Edmund Burke say of the code known as the penal laws ? A. "It had," said he, "a vicious perfection — it was a complete system — full of coherence and consistency ; well digested and well disposed in all its parts. It was a ma- chine of wise and elaborate contrivance, and as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment and degradation of the people, and the debasement in them, of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man." Q. How does Montesquieu brand these same laws ? A, "This horrid code," says he, "was conceived by devils, written in human gore, and registered in hell." Q. Give a few extracts from them. A. In the first year of Queen Anne a bill was passed '* for discouraging the further growth of popery." Among other clauses it provided that if a Catholic child conformed to the Protestant religion, his father should be unable to sell or mortgage his estate, or dispose of any portion of 2l6 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. it by will. All was reserved for the young convert, to the exclusion of other heirs. By this act, also, no Catholic could be guardian to his own child ; and if such child, however young, pretended to be a Protestant, it was taken from its parents, and assigned to the care of the nearest Protestant relation. Q. What law was enacted in the second year of Anne ? A. In this year it was decreed that any priest coming to Ireland, and performing religious services, should be hanged. Q. How were Catholics hampered in regard to prop- erty? A. They were incapable of purchasing manors, tene- ments, etc., or of receiving rents or profits from the same, or of holding a lease for life interest, or any other lease whatever, for any term exceeding thirty-one years. More- over, if any Catholic held a farm producing greater net profit than one-third of the amount of the rent, his right to such ceased immediately, and passed to the first Prot- estant who discovered the rate of profit. Q. Were Catholics allowed to vote or to hold ofllice ? A. As a qualification for office and for voting at elec- tions, they should first take an oath renouncing the Pope, and another against the Blessed Sacrament. Q. Did the Catholics protest against these laws ? A. Yes; Counsellor Malone, Sir Theobold Butler, and Sir Stephen Rice, three of their ablest men, jDetitioned against them in vain. Q. How did the government cause the penal laws to be enforced ? A. In 1705 the Irish commons resolved that "inform- ing against papists was an honorable service to the gov- ernment," and that magistrates and others who failed to y^w^ CATECHISM OF IRISH HTSTORY. 217 execute the laws " were betrayers of the liberties of the kingdom." Q. Were any other penal laws enacted under Anne ? A. Yes ; in 1 709 another act was passed declaring thai no Catholic could hold an annuity for life, and that the child of a Catholic, on becoming a Protestant, shauld at once receive an annuity from the father. Q. What other enactments were passed in the same spirit ? A, Catholics were forbidden to teach ; priests were offered a bribe of thirty pounds sterling a year to become Protestants ; rewards were given for the discovery of prelates, priests, and teachers ; and priests were ordered to take the oath of objurgation, under penalty of death for treason. ^ Q. What punishment was inflicted on those who re- fused to take the oath ? A. They were put to death, hanged, drawn, and quar- tered, in the following manner : After hanging till half dead, the victim was cut down and disembowelled while still alive. His entrails were burned before his face, and his head was then chopped off, and his body, being cut into quarters, was exposed in some public place as a warning to others. Q. Did many priests suffer death ? A. Yes ; the large rewards offered by the government gave existence to an infamous class called priest-hunters, who supplied the gallows and the knife with many a victim. Q. Did the condition of the Catholics improve in the next reign ? A. Queen Anne died in 1714, andwas succeeded by George I., but the condition of the Catholics remained 10 2l8 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. the same. They still continued to be spoken of as the "common enemy," and those who sympathized with them were looke4 upon as enemies of the state. Q. Were any new penal laws enacted ? A. Yes ; any Catholic clergyman marrying a Protestant to a Catholic was to be hanged. Q. What did the English parliament do in this reign ? A, It usurped the judicial authority of the Irish legisla- ture, and declared that it had full power and authority to make laws and statutes for the kingdom of Ireland. Q. Did it enforce this clain^ ? A. It was enabled to do so till the year 1782, when the Irish parliament once more asserted its rights. Q. For what else is this reign remarkable ? A. It is noted for the'^evival and growth of a patriotic national spirit among the people, and for the beginning of emigration to the shores of the New World. Q. Did many emigrate to America at this early day ? A. Yes ; they went to escape the penal laws and to otherwise better their condition. Thus, in a single year, as many as five thousand six hundred Irish emigrants, landed at the port of Philadelphia alone, a.d. 1729, and during the next ten years Ihey formed a majority of the settlers in Georgia, and in North and South Carolina. Q. What other effect had the penal laws ? A. They caused thousands of young men to flee from Ireland, and join their coimtrymen in the service of France, Spain, Austria, and other European nations. Q. Did these exiles meet with a cordial reception ? A. Yes ; they were everywhere eagerly welcomed Louis XIV. spoke of them as " my brave Irish," and Francis I. of Germany wrote concerning them : " The more Irish officers in the Austrian army the better; our CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 219 troops will always be disciplined ; an Irish coward is an uncommon character ; and what the natives of Ireland even dislike from principle they generally perform through a desire of glory." Q. Did they merit this praise ? A. Yes ; this is proved by the fact that when Maria Theresa instituted fifty crosses of the Legion of Honor, forty-six of them were awarled to Irish officers on ac- count of their bravery and military skill. Q. In what battles did the Irish distinguish them- selves ? A. At Landen in Flanders, and at Massiglia in Savoy, 1 693 ; at Cremona, in Italy, 1 702 ; at Ramilles, in Flanders, 1 706 ; and at Almanza, in Spain, 1 707 ; at Viletry, in Italy, 1 713, and at Oran, in Sicily, 1733. Q. When did George I. die ? A. In 1627, when he was succeeded by George II. Q. Mention some of the laws enacted during the new reign. A. By a law of the 7th of George II. any barrister or attorney marrying a Catholic was to be discarded. By another in his 9th, papists residing in Ireland should make good to Protestants all losses sustained by the privateers of any Catholic king ravaging the coasts of Ireland ; and in his 29th, barristers and attorneys were obliged to waive their privileges and betray their clients, if the latter were papists. Q. Who rendered signal service to Ireland at this time ? A. The celebrated Jonathan Swift, Protestant Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, 1667-1745. During eighteen years (i 724-1 742) this able man made himself the champion of his countrymen against the tyranny and ' 1 2 20 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. exactions of the government, and to him is due the honor of preventing the establishment of a national bank, and the introduction of a debased copper coinage into the country. Q. What was the Agistment Act ? A. This was a law passed in 1735, by which pastures were exempted from paying taxes to the Protestanr clergy, who henceforth could claim tithes only from vil lage and meadow lands. Q. Mention a few of the eminent men of this epoch. A. George B'arquhar, comic writer^ 1678-1708 ; Thomas Parnell, who wrote The Hermit^ 1679-1718; Count An- thony de Hamilton, author of Memoires de Grammont, 1646-1720; Sir Richard Steele, essayist, 1675-1729; Carolan, the last minstrel, 16 70-1.73 1 ; and John Aberne- thy, divine, 1680— 1740. Among the military exiles the most noted were : Lieutenant-General Count Arthur Dillon, in France, 1733 ; and Lieutenant-General Pierce Butler, Third Viscount Galmoy, 1652-1740. . "!«^"- CHAPTER IX. At Home and Abroad^ A.D. 1740 /^ 1772. I HO continued the work of Swift? A. Anthony Malone and Charles Lucas, 1713, 1771- Q. Who was lord-lieutenant at this time ? A. Philip Dormer Stanhope, the famous Earl of Ches- terfield. Q. Was he a successful viceroy ? A. Yes ; he discouraged informers, and won popularity by mitigating the rigors of the penal code as much as possible. Q. Did the government enact new penal laws? A. Yes ; one dissolving marriages between Protestants and Catholics, and another inflicting death on any priest who should marry together two Protestants, or a Catholic to a Protestant. Q. What glory was won by the Irish in the service of France ? A. They saved the French army from the English, and turned defeat into a glorious victory at Fontenoy, May nth, 1745. Q. Were there many Irishmen in the armies of Eu- rope ? A. Yes ; but there were more in the service of France than in that of any other nation. From researches made in the French war office, it has been ascertained that aaa CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. from the arrival of the Irish troops in Franjce in 1691, to 1745, the year of the battle of Fontenoy, four hundred and fifty thousand Irishmen died in the service of France ; and between this period and the French revolution, thirty thousand more sacrificed their lives for the interests of the same country. Q. What does Fornman say of these troops ? A. " Wherever they served," says he, *' they always had the good fortune to distinguish themselves ; and it may be said to their eternal honor, that from the time they entered the service of France, they never had the least blot on their escutcheon." Q. What was the sum total of Irish emigration to France ? A. It amounted to about one million persons. Q. Mention some of the Irish soldiers that won distinc- tion abroad ? A. Lieutenant-General, Matthew Cooke, 1740; Major- General William O'Shaughnessy, 1744; Field Marshal Count Peter Lacy of Russia, 1678, 1751 ; Major-Gen- eral Richard Francis Talbot, Thiid Earl of Tyrconnell, and Ambassador from France to Prussia, 17 10-1752; Major-General John Nugent, Fifth Earl of Westmeath, 1754; Lieutenant-General Daniel O'Connor of Austria, 1664-1756; and Lieutenant-General Charles O'Brien, Sixth Lord Clare, Ninth Earl of Thomond, and Marshal of France, 1761. The most famous of all, however, was a man of Irish descent, Count Thomas Arthur Lally, who commanded the French army in India, 1 698-1 766. Q. What did the English government do after the battle of Fontenoy ? A. It decreed the penalty of death against any Irish' man who should enlist in the service of France. CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 223 Q. What other reverse did the English suflfer ? A. They were defeated at Wandiwash by the French under General MacGeoghegan, a.d. 1759. Q. Who was the pest of Ireland at this time ? A. The Protestant primate, Dr. Stone, an Englishman, who sought to proselytize Catholic children by means of the " Charter Schools " which he established. Q. What new measure was contemplated by the govern- ment ? A. The destruction of the Irish parliament, by uniting it with that of England. Q. Did this project succeed ? A. Not then ; the citizens of Dublin prevented it for a time by forcing the members of their parliament to take an oath against such a measure. Q. Give an instance illustrating the life and fate of many an Irish refugee who sought to serve his native land? A. In 1760 Carrickfergus was surprised by a small French force under Commodore Thurot, whose real name was O'Farrell. Like many more of his countrymen at that time, this brave leader sought preferment in France, only for the sake of Ireland-, and, like them, he was fateattles of their adopted country in such or- ganizations as could rightly bear to the front, by the side of the Stars and Stripes, the green flag and golden harp of Erin. "—/^. Q. Were there many such organizations ? A. Yes ; there were Irish regiments from Massachu- setts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. New York also sent out the Corcoran Legion and Meagher's Brigade, both exclusively Irish. Q. What was the total number of Irish soldiers in the Union armies ? A. Of Irish birth there were about one hundred and fifty-five thousand, and nearly double that number who were of Irish descent. Q. What generals in the war were Irish ? A. Butler, Corcoran, Guiney, Kearney, Logan,. Meade, Meagher, Patterson, Mulligan, Smyth, Sheridan, Shields, etc. ; on the Confederate side, besides a bri- gade, there were Cleburne, Mahone. Shield, Carroll, and McBride, Q. AVhat civilians rendered great service to the country during the war crisis ? A. Archbishop Hughes, of New York ; A. T. Stewart, /■ T'" 248 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY, the leading merchant of his day; and Charles O'Conor, the head of the American Bar. Q. What occurred after the Civil War ? A. In 1866 considerable excitement was caused by the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish national association, which sent about a thousand men to invade Canada, a depen- dency of the British Empire. Though successful, as far as it went, the movement came to nothing owing to the course pursued by the president of the United States. Q. Did the state of Ireland improve meanwhile ? A. Yes ; ejjperience and public opinion began to influ- ence her rulers, and they were induced to mete out to her some little favors. But it is too much to expect that she will ever obtain full justice, except by some means other than that of moral suasion. Q. Which was the principal of these measures ? A. The disestablishment of the Protestant Church, July 26th, A.D. 1869. Q. What eminent men died during this past decade ? A. John O'Donovan, Gaelic scholar and translator, 1809-1861 ; James Sheridan Knowles, dramatist, 1784- 1862 ; Eugene O'Curry, antiquarian, 1 794-1862 ; Francis Patrick Kenrick, archbishop and theologian, 1 797-1863; Very Rev. Daniel W. Cahill, preacher and astronomer, 1 799-1864; Sir William Rowan Hamilton, mathemati- cian, 1805-1865; Rev. Francis Mahony (Father Prout), 1800-1866 ; Nicholas Wiseman, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, 1802-1865 ; Leopold O'Donnell, Duke of Tetuan, and Marshal of Spain, 1809-1867 ; Samuel Lov- er, novelist, 1797-1868; and William Carleton, novelist, 1798-1869. Q. On what occasion was the influence of the Irish strikingly manifested ? jj»-ri»:- -rjjim^™™™— r!.Tfr--'-r T.,.- ,—.■:. ,--^'-^rWI%r'.V^'.\m;ff'.^^^^im^W';i'f>U-jr"im-Vy'lW!^ft"^- — !^ "• ■^IV^^If^JJSf^yt^"'. J- JPj'^irfJ* CATECHISM OP IRISH HISTORY. 249 A. At the Council of the Vatican, held on the 8th of December, 1869. Of the seven hundred and seventy-nine bishops present at this great assembly, about one hundred — hailing from all parts of the world — were Irish, either by birth or descent. Q. What recent events are worthy of note ? A. The visit of Father Burke to the United States, and his successful controversy with Froude, the eulogist of English misrule in Ireland. Q. Does emigration from Ireland still continue ? A. Yes ; thousands continue to depart every year for difiFerent countries. From 1857 to 1878, there arrived one million sixty-five thousand four hundred and twenty- nine at the port of New York alone. During the last thirty years about two millions seven hundred thousand Irish emigrants came to the United States. For the one hundred years just past, the total number that arrived in America amounted to about five millions. Q. In general, how are the interests of emigrants to the United States best promoted ? A. By settling in the great Western States or Territo- ries, where they will be clear of all corrupt influences, and can easily establish flourishing communities. Q. What is now to be saM of the condition of Ire- land? A. Despite the oppressive laws, the country is beginning to grow in wealth and population, and it is to be hoped that ere long there will be no need of her people emi- grating, and wandering homeless over the face of the earth. Q. How is this to be brought about ? A. By a definitive policy, by earnestness and union among all classes, and by carefully watching her repre- 25° CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. sentatives in the Imperial parliament, where they have often proved themselves so unworthy. Q. What is to be thought of the ''Home Rule" policy ? A. It is probably the best at present ; for, when Home Rule is once obtained, all else will follow if desirable. Q. Name some of the noted Irishmen that have died recently. A. Michael William Balfe, musical composer, 1808- 1870; Daniel Maclise, painter, 1811-1870; Charles Lever, novelist, 1806-1872 ; Sir Robert J. McClure, dis- coverer of the Northwest passage, 1807-1873; John Mitchel, historian and agitator, 1815-1875 ; John O'Ma- hony, revolutionist, 1816-1876. Q. Mention a few other personages of Irish birth or descent. A. Isaac Butt, statesman ; Barry Sullivan, tragedian ; Dion Boucicault, dramatic author ; Bishop Conroy, Papal Delegate to America ; James Gibbons, Primate of the United States ; John MacHale, Archbishop of Tuani ; John McCloskey, Cardinal Archbishop of New York ; Lord Dufferin, Governor-General of Canada; and Marshal Patrick McMahon^^resident of the French Republic. ^ Q. Besides these, are there others of almost equal emi- nence i* , A. Yes ; there are many others, filling with honor the highest departments of social and political life— ^men of worth, soldiers, heroes, poets, patriots, and divines, of whom Ireland may well be proud. But in a work like this it is impossible to mention them all. Q. What is to be thought of the future prospects of Ire- land? CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. 251 ' A. The future of Ireland is cheering. She possesses the same vitality, intellect, and resources that have dis- tinguished her in the past. She has learned much by experience, and her children were never so numerous as at present. Moreover, right is on her side, her history is being studied, and the sympathies of the world are with her. If, therefore, the generation rising up be as patriotic as their sires, no power on earth can keep the " old land " in slavery, and she will soon again become prosperous and great, if not entirely free. Q. What thought comes naturally to mind as we close this last page of our history ? A. Truly, we must say, after all, Ireland has been fortu- nate in her woe. Six hundred years of the bloodiest per- secutions in history have not been able to rob her of in- dividuality, faith, or nationality. Like the Church whose most faithful child she is, she has come forth victorious from her conflicts, and though bearing on her body tne scars of battle and bigotry, and in her hand the broken wand of national power, still, some rays of her ancient glory and the attraction of defeated right linger even now upon her majestic brow. Her sword is broken and her ancient trophies lie mouldering in the dust, but for all that she is yet a nation — a distinct nation. You may ca'l her subjected, but I deny that she is conquered. You may call her tranquil, but I deny that she is pacified. She still possesses her own characteristics, her own poetry and literature, her own patriotism and eloquence, and, above all, she cherishes still her panting aspirations for freedom, and her old, eternal, implacable hostility towards her arch- enemy, England. Ah ! Ireland — beautiful land of my own, even strangers have grieved at thy sorrows, and how then shall I forget 252 CATECHISM OF IRISH HISTORY. thee ? Forget thee ? Never ! Ever while there is life will I remember thee. Remember thee ? yes, while there's love in this heart, It shall never forget thee, all lone as thou art. More dear in thy sorrows, thy gloom and thy showers, Than the rest of the world in their sunniest hours. Were thou all that I wish thee — great, glorious, and free. First flower of the earth and first gem of the sea — I might hail thee with prouder, with happier brow. But O, could I love thee more deeply than now ? No ; thy chains as they rankle, thy Hood as it runs. But make thee more painfully dear to thy sons, " Whose hearts, like the young of the desert-bird's nest, Drink love in each life-drop that flqwsfrom thy breast. — MuORE. THE END. ■^^Jjpr :-'^3?fT?j'^.^r*?*^'rt:^=^|u*^^5*^^ •^^ APPENDIX. Table showing the number of Irish Emigrants who arrived at New York from May 5, 1847, to January i, 1878. Years. No, of Emigrants. Years. No. of Emigrants. 1847 52,946 1863 91.157 1848 98,061 1864 89.399 1849 "2,591 1865 70,462 1850 117,038 1866 68,047 1851 163,306 1867 65.134 1852 118,131 1868 47,571 1853 113,164 1869 66,204 1854 82,302 1870 65,168 1855 43.043 1871 65,506 1856 44,276 1872 68,747 1857 57. "9 1873 68,612 1858 25,075 1874 37,447 ? 1859 32,652 1875 19,924 i860 47,330 1876 13.253 1861 25,784 32,217 1877 Total. . . . . . 8,221 1862 . . 2,009,887 » m 254 APPENDIX. Table showing the number of Irish Emigrants who arrived at the Ports of the United States from Jan. i, 1820, to Jan.^ 1878. Ytmrs. No. of EntigraHts. 1 Years. No. of Emigrants. 1820 3,614 1849 151,398 1821 1,518 1850 164,004 1822 2,267 1851 - 221,213 1823 1,908 1852 V 159,548 1824 2.345 1853 '162,649 1825 4,888 1854 105,931 1826 5.408 1855 56,382 1827 9,766 1856 59, 008 1828 12,488 1857 7o,2H 1829 7.415 1858 34,4i