Owen Mac-an-Deaganaigh died.

Hugh Roe O'Donnell had ^now been in captivity in Dublin for the space of three years and three months. It was ^{a cause of} great distress of mind to him to be thus imprisoned; yet it was not for his own sake ^{that he grieved}, but for the sake of his country, his land, his friends, and kinsmen, who were in bondage throughout Ireland. He was constantly revolving in his mind the manner in which he might make his escape. This was not an easy matter for him, for he was confined in a closely-secured apartment every night in the castle until sunrise the next day. This castle was surrounded by a wide and very deep ditch, full of water, across which was a wooden bridge, directly opposite the door of the fortress; and within and without the door were stationed a stern party of Englishmen, closely guarding it, so that none might pass in or out without examination. There is, however, no guard whose vigilance may not some time or other be baffled. At the very end of winter, as Hugh and a party of his companions were together, in the beginning of the night, before they were put into the close cells in which they used to be every night, they took with them a very long rope to a window which was near them, and by means of the rope they let themselves down, and alighted upon the bridge that was outside the door of the fortress. There was a thick iron chain fastened to this door, by which one closed it when required; through this chain they drove a strong handful of a piece of timber, ^{and thus fastened the door on the outside}, so that they could not be immediately pursued from the fortress. There was a youth of Hugh's faithful people ^outside awaiting their escape, and he met them on coming out, with two well-tempered swords concealed under his garments; these he gave into the hand of Hugh, who presented one of them to a certain renowned warrior of Leinster, Art Kavanagh by name, who was a champion in battle, and a commander in conflict.

As for the guards, they did not perceive the escape for some time; but when they took notice of it they advanced immediateIy to the door of the castle, for they thought that they should instantly catch them. Upon coming to the gate, they could not open it; whereupon they called over to them those who happened to be in the houses on the other side of the street, opposite the door ^{of the castle}. When these came at the call, and took the piece of timber out of the chain, and threw open the door for the people in the castle, who ^then set out, with a great number of the citizens, in pursuit of the youths who had escaped from them ; but this was fruitless, for they ^{the fugitives} had passed beyond the walls of the city before they were missed, for the gates of the regal city had been wide open at the time; and they pursued their way across the face of the mountain which lay before them, namely, Sliabh Ruadh, being afraid to venture at all upon the public road, and never halted in their course until after a fatiguing journey and travelling, until they had crossed the Red mountain aforesaid. When, weary and fatigued, they entered a thick wood which lay in their way, where they remained until morning. They then attempted to depart, for they did not deem it safe to remain in the wood, from fear of being pursued; but Hugh was not able to keep pace with his companions, for his white-skinned ^and thin feet had been pierced by the furze of the mountain, for his shoes had fallen off, their seams having been loosened by the wet, which they did not till then receive. It was great grief to his companions that they could not bring him any further; and so they bade him farewell, and left him their blessing.

He sent his servant to a certain gentleman of the noble tribes of the province of Leinster, who lived in a castle in the neighbourhood, to know whether he could afford them shelter or protection. His name was Felim O'Toole, and he was previously a friend to Hugh, as he thought, for he had gone to visit him on one occasion in his prison in Dublin, when they formed a mutual friendship with each other. The messenger proceeded to the place where Felirn was, and stated to him the embassy on which he came. Felim was glad at his arrival, and promised that he would do all the good he could for Hugh; but his friends and kindred did not allow him to conceal him, from fear of the English government. These learned that he was in the wood, as we have said, and they (i.e. the people who had heard that he was in the wood) went in search of him, and dispersed with their troops to track him. When it was clear to Felim that he ^Hugh would be discovered, he and his kinsmen resolved to seize upon him themselves, and bring him back to the Council in the city. This was accordingly done. When he ^Hugh arrived in Dublin, the Council were rejoiced at his return to them; for they made nothing or light of all the other prisoners and hostages that had escaped from them. He was again put into the same prison, and iron fetters were put upon him as tightly as possible; and they watched and guarded him as well as they could. His escape, thus attempted, and his recapture, became known throughout the land of Ireland, at which ^tidings a great gloom came over the Irish people.

William Burke, the son of John, son of Oliver, son of John, was slain by a gentleman of his own followers, namely, by Alexander, the son of Hugh Boy Mac Donnell.

The son of Mac William Burke, namely, Walter of the Blows, the son of Rickard, son of John of the Termon, son of Myler, was slain, in an assault at night, by a party of his own tribe and kinsmen, and some of the Clann-Donnell.

O'Boyle (Turlough Roe, the son of Niall, son of Turlough), the most distinguished man that had come of his tribe for a long time, a sustaining pillar of the learned and the destitute, an exalter of sanctuaries, churches, and science, the Guaire of his tribe in generosity and hospitality, ^and the supporter of the poor and the feeble, died at his own fortress, about the festival of St. Bridget, and was interred with honour at Donegal, in the burial-place of his ancestors.

The daughter of Mac-I-Brien Ara, Honora, daughter of Turlough, son of Murtough, son of Donnell, son of Teige, and wife of Pierce, son of Edmond an-Chaladh, son of Pierce Roe Butler, died.

A great hosting was made by the Lord Justice; and he proceeded unperceived through the adjacent territories without any delay, until he arrived at Enniskillen; and he encamped around, and laid siege to the fortress; and the army proceeded to destroy its wall with the proper engines, and they never ceased until they finally took it. And the Lord Justice left warders in the castle, and then returned to his house.

When Maguire heard that the Lord Justice had returned back, he assembled the greatest number of forces that he was able, and beleaguered the same castle, and dispatched messengers to O'Donnell (Hugh Roe), requesting him to come to his assistance. This request was promptly responded to by him ^O'Donnell, for he went to join him with his forces; and they laid siege to the fortress from the beginning of June to the middle of August. ^{During this time} these forces plundered and laid waste all that that was under the jurisdiction of the English in the territory of Oriel, and in Breifny O'Reilly; and they gave their cows and flocks as provision stores to their soldiers.

O'Donnell, as we have stated, was encamped, laying siege to Enniskillen, from the middle of June to the month of August, until the warders of the castle had consumed almost all their provisions. Messengers came to O'Donnell from the Scots, whom he had before invited over, to inform him that they had arrived at Derry. And those who had come thither were Donnell Gorm Mac Donnell, and Mac Leod of Ara. O'Donnell then set out with a small number of his forces to hire them; and he left another large party of them with Maguire to assist him, and he ordered them to remain blockading the castle.

When the Lord Justice, Sir William Fitzwilliam, had received intelligence that the warders of Enniskillen were in want of stores and provisions, he ordered a great number of the men of Meath, and of the gentlemen of the Reillys and the Binghams of Connaught, under the conduct of George Oge Bingham, to convey provisions to Enniskillen. These chieftains, having afterwards met together, went to Cavan, O'Reilly's town, for provisions; and they proceeded through Fermanagh, keeping Lough Erne on the right, until they arrived within about four miles of the town.

When Maguire (Hugh) received intelligence that these forces were marching towards the town with the aforesaid provisions, he set out with his own forces and the forces left him by O'Donnell, together with Cormac, the son of the Baron, i.e. the brother of the Earl O'Neill; and they halted at a certain narrow pass, to which they thought they ^{the enemy} would come to them. The ambuscade was successful, for they came on, without noticing any thing, until they fell in with Maguire's people at the mouth of a certain ford. A fierce and vehement conflict, and a spirited and hard-contested battle, was fought between both parties, till at length Maguire and his forces routed the others by dint of fighting, and a strages of heads was left to him; and the rout was followed up a great way from that place. A countless number of nobles and plebeians fell in this conflict. Many steeds, weapons, and other spoils, were left behind in that place ^{by the defeated}, besides the steeds and horses that were loaded with provisions, on their way to Enniskillen. A few fugitives of Meath and of the Reillys escaped from this conflict, and never stopped until they arrived in Breifny O'Reilly. The route taken by George Oge Bingham and the few who escaped with him from the field was through the Largan, ^{the territory} of the Clann-Coffey Magauran, through Breifny O'Rourke, and from thence to Sligo. The name of the ford at which this great victory was gained was changed to Bel-atha-na-mBriosgadh, from the number of biscuits and small cakes left there to the victors on that day.

When the warders of the castle heard of the defeat of the army, they surrendered the castle to Maguire; and he gave them pardon and protection

Maccon, the son of Cucogry, son of Dermot, son of Teige Cam O'Clery, .Ollav to O'Donnell in history, an erudite and ingenious man, professed in history and poetry; a fluent orator, with the gift of elocution, address, and eloquence; a pious, devout, religious, and charitable man, died at Leitir-Maelain, in Thomond.

At the end of the month of February Sir John Norris, the Queen's general, came to Ireland with a force of eighteen hundred soldiers, to suppress the war in Ulster and Connaught.

A hosting was made by O'Donnell (Hugh Roe), to march into Connaught. He first crossed the Erne, on the third day of March, and moved on, keeping the lake of Melge, the son of Cobhthach, on his right, until he arrived at Ballaghmeehin, where he stopped that night. He then proceeded on through Breifny, until he came to Braid-Shliabh, where he stopped for one night. It was difficult for him at that time to get an advantage of or surprise the province of Olnegmacht, because the English held their abode and residence throughout the country in general, and especially in its chief towns and impregnable fortresses. In the first place, Sir Richard Bingham, the Governor of the province of Connaught, was ^stationed at Roscommon; another large party of the English ^{was stationed} in a monastery which is ^situated on the bank of the Boyle; another in Tulsk, in the very centre of Moy-Ai, to the north-east of Rathcroghan; another in the fort, a fortress erected by the English themselves between Lough Key and Lough Arrow; another at Ballymote; and a great party at Sligo. News having reached the Governor at Roscommon, that O'Donnell was on his march into the country, he made no delay until he arrived at the monastery of Boyle, and ordered all the English of the towns above mentioned to come to him at that place, for he thought that it should be by that way that O'Donnell would pass with his forces.

O'Donnell, on his way to Coillte-Chonchobhair, ordered his troops to halt, to be drawn out in array, and reviewed. This they accordingly did, and the number he had there was not great, being only four hundred men fit for valor and action; for no other forces joined his muster besides the Kinel-Connell, except a few from the province of Olnegmacht, who acted as spies and guides in pointing out the way to him, under the conduct of Conor Oge Mac Dermot, and Con, the son of Dubhaltach, son of Tuathal O'Conor. This host, after having been reviewed, marched on until they arrived at the River Boyle, and crossed it at the bridge of Cnoc-an-Bhiocara early in the evening. From thence they proceeded through Moylurg and Moy-Nai, and next morning, by break of day, arrived at Rathcroghan. Here, as he ^O'Donnell had instructed them before they arrived at that place, marauding parties were detached and sent forth; far and wide did these heroic bands disperse from each other, for one party of them proceeded to the country of O'Conor Roe and O'Hanly, another to the bridge of Bel-atha-Mogha, on the River Suck, and a third party west-wards, beyond Caislen-riabhach. The dense cloud of vapour and smoke which spread in every place where these forces passed, all around Rathcroghan, was enough to conceal their numbers. The party that had gone to Ath-Mogha ^Ballimoe, and those who had gone to Airteach and Clann-Keherny, returned to Rathcroghan before mid-day, though it was difficult for them to return in regular order, by reason of the immensity of their preys and spoils; and they could have procured more, if they had been but able to carry or drive them. O'Donnell and these went on with their preys to Elphin, and remained there for some time, awaiting the party who had gone to the country of O'Conor Roe and O'Hanly. He afterwards proceeded on from Elphin, keeping Ath-slisean on the right, until he arrived in Hy-Briuin, where he remained that night, until all his people had come to him with their spoils. None of the Irish had for a long time before collected (by one day's plundering) so much booty as he had there.

On the next day O'Donnell ordered his people to convey their preys across the Shannon; and he sent his recruits, and all those unfit to wield arms, with the preys and spoils, into Muintir-Eolais. When the rear of the army was crossing the ford, they were overtaken by the recruits and musketeers of the English; and a battle ensued, in which many were hurt and mortally wounded on both sides. The Kinel-Connell, however, crossed the river, and carried off their spoils, after triumph.

Another hosting was made by O'Donnell (Hugh Roe) into Connaught, on the eighteenth day of the month of April. He first crossed the Erne, and marched on, keeping Lough Melvin on the right, until he arrived at Ros-inbhir, where he stopped for that night. From thence he went to Cill-Fhearga, where he waited for the coming up of the rear of his army. Upon their arrival they proceeded through Breifny to Braid-Shliabh, and from thence into Machaire-Chonnacht; and such part of it as had escaped being plundered on the former expedition was plundered now; and they collected the preys together to him. After this he proceeded onward with these preys and spoils, and arrived the same night in Leitrim in Muintir-Eolais.

Now his enemies thought that he would return into Ulster; this, however, he did not do, but privately dispatched messengers to Maguire (Hugh), ^requesting that he would come to hin, in Annaly; and he sent spies before him through the country, and ordered them to meet him at a certain place. He himself then marched onwards, secretly and expeditiously, and arrived with his troops at the dawn of day in the two Annalys (these were the countries of the two O'Farrells, though the English had some time before obtained sway over them); and one of the English, Christopher Browne by name, was then ^dwelling in the chief mansion-seat of O'Farrell. The brave troops of O'Donnell and Maguire marched from Sliabh-Cairbre to the River Inny, and set every place to which they came in these districts in a blaze of fire, and ^{wrapped it} in a black, heavy cloud of smoke. They took the Longford, for they had set fire to every side and corner of it, so that it was ^only by the help of a rope that they conveyed Christopher Browne and his brother-in-law, and both their wives, out of it. Fifteen men of the hostages of that country (who had been in the custody of the aforesaid Christopher Browne) were burned ^{to death}, who could not be saved, in consequence of the fury and violence that prevailed.

George Oge Bingham, who was ^stationed at Sligo under Sir Richard Bingham, the Governor of Connaught, went with a ship and its crew north-eastwards, to commit depredations in Tirconnell; ^{and they sailed round}, keeping Ireland to the right, until they put into the harbour of Swilly. They obtained an advantage of the country at this time, so that they plundered Mary's Abbey, which was ^situated on the brink of the Strand, and carried off the Mass vestments, chalices, and other valuable articles. They then sailed to Torach (an island consecrated by St. Columbkille, the holy patron), and preyed and plundered every thing they found on the island, and then returned back to Sligo.

O'Donnell having been informed of the spoliation of his territory, in his absence, by strangers, he returned from Tyrone to revenge it; but his stay had not been long in Tirconnell when O'Neill's messengers came to him to inform him that the Lord Justice had arrived with an army in Tyrone. He, thereupon, went back to the place where O'Neill was, who rejoiced at his arrival. The army brought by the Lord Justice (i.e. Sir William Russell) was very immense, for he had with him Sir John Norris, the Queen's general in Ireland, and the Earl of Thomond (Donough, son of Conor O'Brien), with all their forces. These never halted until they arrived at Newry, from whence they proceeded to Armagh. Here they resolved not to delay, until they should reach the Abhainn-mhor, in the very middle of Tyrone. On their march over the direct road from Armagh to this river, they beheld the fortified camp, and the strong battle-array of the Kinel-Owen and Kinel-Connell, under the Earl O'Neill and O'Donnell; and when the English army perceived this, they remained where they were until the next morning, when they returned back to Armagh. The Irish went in pursuit of them, and pitched their camp near them. They remained thus face to face for the space of fifteen days, without any attack from either side; for the Lord Justice and his army were within the fortifications of Armagh, ^{engaged in} erecting towers, and deepening the trenches around the town. At the expiration of this time the Lord Justice left three companies of soldiers to defend Armagh, and he himself returned to Newry; and the Irish went in pursuit to the gate of Newry. In a week afterwards the Lord Justice set out with provisions, to ^victual Monaghan, and from thence he proceeded with his army to Dublin.

For some time after this the English did not dare to bring any army into Ulster, except one hosting which was made by Sir John Norris and his brother, Sir Thomas Norris, the President of the two provinces of Munster, with the forces of Munster and Meath, to proceed into Ulster. They marched to Newry, and passed from thence towards Armagh. When they had proceeded near halfway, they were met by the Irish, who proceeded to annoy, shoot, pierce, and spear them, so that they did not suffer them either to sleep or rest quietly for the space of twenty-four hours. They were not permitted to advance forward one foot further; and their chiefs were glad to escape with their lives to Newry, leaving behind them many men, horses, arms, and valuable things. The General, Sir John Norris, and his brother, Sir Thomas, were wounded on this occasion. It was no ^ordinary gap of danger for them to go into the province after this.

The aforesaid George ^Bingham returned to Sligo, after having plundered the monastery of the Blessed Virgin at Rath-Maelain, and the church of St. Columbkille on Torach; but God did not permit him to remain for a long time without revenging them upon him, for there was in his company a gentleman of the Burkes, who had twelve warriors along with him, namely, Ulick Burke, the son of Redmond-na-Scuab. Upon one occasion he was offered insult and indignity by George and the English in general, at which he felt hurt and angry; and he resolved in his mind to revenge the insult on George, if he could, and afterwards to get into the friendship of O'Donnell, for he felt certain of being secure with him. He afterwards got an advantage of the aforesaid George, one day as he was in an apartment with few attendants; he went up to him, and upbraided him with his lawlessness and injustice towards him, and as he did not receive a satisfactory answer, he drew his sword, and struck at him till he severed his head from his neck. He then took the castle, and sent messengers to Ballyshannon, where O'Donnell's people then were; and these dispatched messengers to Tyrone, where O'Donnell himself was. They relate the news to him, and he then went to the Earl O'Neill; and both were much rejoiced at that killing. On the following day O'Donnell bade the Earl farewell, and, setting out with his army, did not halt, except by night, until he arrived at Sligo. He was welcomed; and Ulick Burke delivered up the town to him, which made him very happy in his mind. This happened in the month of June.

When intelligence of the death of George Bingham, and the taking of Sligo, came to the hearing of those of the province of Connaught who were in insurrection, namely, the Lower Burkes, the Clann-Donnell, the Sil-Conor, the Rourkes, and the Clann-Mulrony, and not these alone, but also those who had been proclaimed, and roving after having been expelled and banished into Ulster and other places, by the Binghams, they came to O'Donnell to Sligo; and each of them went afterwards to his own patrimonial inheritance; and every inhabitant whom the English had established in their lands during the period of their proscription adhered to them as followers from that hour forth. In the course of one month the greater part of the inhabitants of the district, from the western point of Erris and Umhall to the Drowes, had unanimously confederated with O'Donnell; and there were not many castles or fortresses in those places, whether injured or perfect, that were not under his control.

O'Donnell then went to Donegal, and remained there till the middle of August. He was informed that a number of Scots had landed at Lough Foyle, with their chief, Mac Leod of Ara; he went thither to hire them. They were six hundred in number. After being hired by him, and after remaining some time to rest and recruit themselves, he assembled his forces and hirelings, and they marched across the Erne, the Drowes, the Duff, the Sligeach, and Easdara, across Sliabh-Gamh, into Leyny, and from thence into Costello. The English held at that time abode and residence in Castlemore-Mac-Costello. O'Donnell with his forces laid siege to this castle; and the warders were finally obliged to surrender it. He then proceeded to Dunmore-Mic-Feorais, and dispatched marauding parties into Conmaicne, Muintir-Murchadha, to the borders of Machaire-Riabhach, and to Tuam-da-ghualann. They took Turlach-Mochain, and a great number of the chiefs of the country, together with Richard, the son of Mac Feorais. They plundered and totally ravaged the country all around them, and carried off its flocks and herds, its wealth and riches, from all those they had met on their route, and ^then returned back.

When the Governor of the province of Connaught, namely, Sir Richard Bingham, heard that O'Donnell had passed by him westwards into Connaught, he assembled fifteen companies of soldiers, both horse and foot, and marched to the top of the Coirrshliabh ^{Curlieu hills}, with the intention of making an attack upon O'Donnell, on his return from his expedition. When O'Donnell received intelligence of this, he soon returned back, with his preys and spoils, from one encampment to the other, through Costello, Leyny, the lower part of Tirerrill, and over the three bridges, namely, the bridge of Cul-maoile, the bridge of Ballysadere, and the bridge of Sligo. Through these passages the English went in pursuit of him as quickly as they could. O'Donnell detached a troop of cavalry, and ordered them to fall to the rear of his army, to prevent the van of the English army from coming into collision with the attendants or unarmed portion of his people. He afterwards moved on with his preys, till he reached the neighbourhood of Gleann-Dallain, without any opposition. The Governor followed in his track, and took up his quarters in the monastery of Sligo, to besiege O'Donnell's warders who were in the castle. On the next day O'Donnell sent a party of cavalry to reconnoitre the English, and learn the state of the fortress, and of the men who were in it; and they advanced to the banks of the river, to the hill which is called Rath-Dabhritog, from which they espied the English moving up and down throughout the town.

There was at this time along with Sir Richard his own sister's son, a proud and haughty youth, Captain Martin by name, who was the commander of his cavalry. He could not bear to see his enemies so near him without attacking them, and proceeded with his squadron across the bridge of Sligo. When O'Donnell's people perceived them advancing, they returned back as speedily as they were able, as they were not equal to them in number. The English pursued them; but not overtaking them, they returned back. O'Donnell's people then related how they had been pursued, and how they had escaped by means of the swiftness of their horses. When O'Donnell heard this story, the resolution he came to was, to lay a snare for the foreigners on the same passage. He then selected one hundred of the best horsemen of his army, and three hundred infantry with their shooting implements, namely, bows with their arrow-quivers; he ordered them to lie in ambush within a mile of Sligo, and to send a small squadron of horse to the banks of the river, to decoy the English army; and should they ^{the foreigners} pursue them, not to wait for an engagement, until they should have come beyond the place where the ambuscade was laid. This was accordingly done. When Captain Martin perceived the small squadron of cavalry on the bank of the river, he advanced directly with a numerous body of cavalry, to wreak his vengeance upon them. The others at first moved slowly and leisurely before them, but these young heroes were soon obliged to incite their horses forward, the English having pursued them with such speed and vehemence. One of them, namely, Felim Reagh Mac Devit, was ^however compelled to remain behind, in consequence of the slowness of his horse; and, being unable to accompany his own people, he was obliged to disobey the orders of his lord, that is, to fight the English ^{before he had passed the ambuscade}. As he was certain of being immediately slain, he turned his face to the nearest of his pursuers, who was Captain Martin; and, as he ^{Captain Martin} raised his arm to strike his antagonist with his weapon, Felim placed his finger on the string of the javelin, which he had in readiness to discharge, so that he struck Captain Martin directly in the arm-pit, and pierced his heart in his breast. He was covered with mail, except in the spot where he was wounded. The English, seeing their champion and commander mortally wounded, returned back, carrying him, in his weakly condition, and in the agonies of death, in a recumbent posture, to the town, where he died on that night. When O'Donnell saw that the English had retreated, he was enraged, until the decoying party bore testimony in behalf of Felim, ^{that his horse was lame, which prevented him from keeping up with his party, and} that there was nothing to have saved him from being slain by Captain Martin, excepting the one ^chance thrust; but his anger afterwards subsided when news reached him on the next day that the Captain had died.

As for the Governor, he was filled with anger and fury after the killing of his kinsman; and he ordered his army to construct engines for demolishing the castle, to see whether they could take it from O'Donnell's people who were in it. This they constructed of the crannchaingel, and of the bed-chambers of the Culdees, and of other implements which they found befitting for the purpose in the monastery. They covered these engines on the outside with the hides of cows and oxen, and wheels were put under them to remove them to the fortress. They were afterwards filled with heroes, warriors, and artisans for the purpose of razing the castle. This mighty train was drawn by them in the beginning of the night to the corner of the castle; and they immediately proceeded to destroy the wall. At this time some artisans who were within the castle began to pull down the opposite wall, in order that the youths within might hurl the stones down on their enemies. Some of the warders also ascended to the battlements of the castle, and proceeded to cast down messy flags and ponderous, rough rocks, which broke and shattered to pieces every thing on which they fell. Others within the castle went to the windows and loopholes, and commenced discharging leaden bullets and showers of fire upon them; so that the soldiers who were in the wooden engines were bruised by that dropping of the stones, and by the incessant firing. The English did not remain to be wounded further; and, finding that they could effect nothing against the castle, they abandoned their wall-destroying domicile, and returned home, severely wounded, and glad to escape with their lives. It preyed upon the heart of the Governor, Sir Richard Bingham, that he was not able to wreak his vengeance upon the warders of the fortress, or on any of O'Donnell's people. He returned back ^homeward across the Curlieus, and over Moy-Nai, ^{never halting} until he arrived at Roscommon; and O'Donnell ^also returned ^homeward across the Erne, and discharged the Scots, having paid them their wages. He went back to Sligo, and demolished the castle, lest the English should inhabit it.

Theobald Burke, the son of Walter Kittagh, son of John, son of Oliver, son of John, laid siege to Bel-leice, a castle in the barony of Tirawley, in the county of Mayo, and it was then defended by the Governor's warders. When the Governor received intelligence of this, he ordered his brother, Captain John Bingham, Captain Foal, Captain Mensi, the son of William Boy Tuite, with many other gentlemen, to go to the relief of the castle with provisions and arms; but, before they could relieve the warders, Theobald had obtained possession of the castle. They then returned home in sorrow; and Theobald went in pursuit of them, piercing, surrounding, disturbing, and slaying them throughout that fair day, so that they lost many men, ^{and much} arms and armour. On this day he slew Captain Foal, Captain Mensi, and the son and heir of William Tuite, with many others, both of the gentlemen and common people, not enumerated; and all who escaped did so by virtue of their prowess, valour, and superior knowledge.

O'Neill (Turlough Luineach, the son of Niall Conallagh, son of Art, son of Con, son of Henry, son of Owen) died. He had bestowed most wealth and riches upon the learned, the Ollavs, and all those who sought gifts of ^{any of} the lords of Ireland in his time; for he had often issued a proclamation throughout Ireland to all those who sought gifts, ^{inviting them} to come to him on the festivals of the nativity of our Lord; and when they came, not one departed dissatisfied, or without being supplied. He was a lord who had many soldiers in his service for pay and wages,—a lord prosperous in peace, and powerful in war, until age and infirmity came upon him; and an heir had been appointed in his place, ten years before his death, at the parliament held in Dublin in the name of Queen Elizabeth, namely, Hugh (the son of Ferdorcha the Baron, son of Con, son of Con, son of Henry, son of Owen), who had been styled Earl at this parliament. O'Neill died at Strabane, and was interred at Ardstraw.

Magennis (Hugh, the son of Hugh, son of Donnell Oge), a man, of his patrimony, of greatest name and renown among the English and Irish of Ireland, died penitently.

Turlough, the son of Brian, son of Donough, son of Donough Bacagh ^{Mac Mahon}, Lord of West Corca-Bhaiscinn, a man of great fame and character throughout Ireland, considering his patrimony, for he had but one cantred, died; and his son, Teige Caech, took his place.

Redmond-na-Scuab, son of Ulick-na-gCeann, son of Rickard, son of Ulick ^Burke of Cnoc-Tuagh, died.

O'Conor Sligo, after his return from England, proceeded, on behalf of the English, to reduce Connaught; and he was joined by the Clann-Donough of Cul-muine, and he had also Ballymote in his power. The O'Harts also adhered to him, for they had always been faithful to the man who held his place; and they rejoiced at his arrival, and were filled with pride and arrogance, and began to defy and threaten the Kinel-Connell.

When O'Donnell heard this fact rumoured, and that these people had joined the English against him, he did not wait to muster an army, except his soldiers and mercenaries, and proceeded westward across the ^River Sligo, and plundered all those who paid obedience to O'Conor, wherever they were, ^{even those} in the wilds and fast recesses of the country; so that he did not leave a single head of cattle among them. He plundered but these only; and though he had often spared them on former occasions, on account of their littleness and insignificance, yet their own haughty words and animosity, which they were unable to repress, provoked O'Donnell to plunder them on this occasion.

Conor, the son of Teige, son of Conor O'Brien, of Bel-atha-an-chomhraic, went into insurrection, and began to plunder; for he, together with a party of the Clann-Sheehy, having been expelled from their patrimonies, were along with the Irish of the north. It came into their minds to return to their own territory; and they passed through Clanrickard, by Sliabh-Echtghe and the lower parting of Clann-Cuilein. They were pursued from territory to territory, until Conor was at last taken in the Wood of Coill-mhor, and brought before the President in the first month of autumn; and he was hanged at Cork in the ^ensuing November Term.

Teige, the son of Turlough, son of Donough, son of Conor O'Brien, after having been a long time engaged in plundering, was taken in the country of the Butlers, and executed by advice of the Earl of Ormond.

A new Lord Justice, Lord Borough, Thomas by name, arrived in Ireland in the beginning of the month of June, with much arms and many soldiers. After receiving the sword from Sir William Russell, who had been Lord Justice for three years before, he deprived Sir John Norris of the office which he held from his Sovereign, namely, the generalship of the war, and took that office to himself. After this he issued a proclamation to the men of Leinster and Meath, and to all those who were obedient to the Queen, from the Meeting of the three Waters to Dundalk, to meet him with all their forces, fully mustered, at Drogheda, on the twentieth day of the month of July. These orders were responded to by the Earl of Kildare, and by the English of Meath and Leinster. The Lord Justice came to the same place with as many men as he had been able to muster. After these forces had met together, they marched to Tyrone, and arrived at Abhainn-mhor without opposition or delay; and, what was seldom the case with O'Neill, an advantage was got of his vigilance, having, contrary to his wont, neglected to guard the pass, and the Lord Justice crossed the river without ^receiving battle or opposition, and landed ^safely at the other side of it. He then razed and demolished a watching-fort which O'Neill had on the bank of the river, and erected a new fort for himself on the opposite bank of the same river. But though this advantage was taken of O'Neill, through the guidance and instruction of Turlough, the son of Henry, son of Felim Roe O'Neill, neither the Lord Justice nor any of his forces dared to advance the distance of one mile further into Tyrone; for they were not allowed rest or ease, sleep or quiet, but a succession of skirmishes and firing was kept up on them, both by day and night. It would be impossible to calculate or describe the number of the Lord Justice's men who were killed and disabled, and the number of horses and ^other spoils that were taken from them, on this occasion.

On a certain day the Justice went upon a hill which was near the camp, to reconnoitre and survey the country around; but it would have been better for him that he had not gone thither, for a great number of his chief men were slain by O'Neill and his people. Among these were the brother of the Lord Justice's wife, and the chief officer of his army, together with a great number of captains and other gentlemen besides. Some of the Earl of Kildare's people were also slain there; and had not the camp of the Lord Justice been so near at hand, the number that escaped would have survived this engagement. The Earl of Kildare (Henry, the son of Garret), in consequence either of a wound or a fever, was obliged to set out on his return home; but when he had gone as far as Drogheda he died in that town. His body was carried to Kildare, and interred with great honour and reverence in the burial-place of his ancestors. His brother, William, was installed in his place.

The Lord Justice, after having finished the new fort on the bank of the Abhainn-mhor, and having observed his loss of men, and that he was not permitted to penetrate further into the country, he placed provisions and warders in this fort, and then set out to return back. He went first to Newry, and from thence to Dublin, and his army dispersed for their ^several homes.

At the time that the Lord Justice was engaged in the foregoing expedition, he sent a written dispatch to the Governor of Connaught, ordering him to proceed, with all the forces he could possibly muster, to the western extremity of Ulster, against O'Donnell, while he himself should remain in Tyrone. This order was promptly responded to by the Governor; for he sent for the Earl of Thomond (Donough, the son of Conor), for the Baron of Inchiquin (Murrough, the son of Murrough), for the Earl of Clanrickard (Ulick, the son of Rickard Saxonagh), and his son, Rickard, Baron of Dunkellin; and also dispatched orders to the gentlemen of the counties of Mayo and Roscommon, requiring them to collect and muster their forces. He ordered all the chieftains to meet him at the monastery of Boyle, on the twenty-fourth day of the month of July, precisely when he himself, with all his bands ^{of soldiers}, would be at that place. They all ^accordingly came on that day to the aforesaid place. When assembled, they amounted to twenty-two standards of foot, and ten standards of cavalry. They marched from thence to Sligo, and from thence to the Erne, and pitched their extensive camp on the banks of the limpid Samhaoir. The high spirit of this army was such, that they thought that all Ulster would be incapable of coping with them in battle.

On the following morning, by break of day, the Governor's army rose up to cross the river; ^but O'Donnell had posted guards upon all the fords of the Erne. However, they got an advantage at one difficult ford, namely, Ath-Cul-Uain, and to this they vigorously and resolutely advanced. The guards of the ford proceeded to shoot at them without mercy, and to defend the ford against them as well as they were able; but they were not able to defend it long against the numerous force and army opposed to them; so that the Governor and his army crossed it, and gained the other side. On this day, however, a lamentable death took place, namely, ^{that of} Murrough, the son of Murrough, son of Dermot, son of Murrough O'Brien, Baron of Inchiquin, as he was on horseback, in the depth of the river, outside the soldiers, saving them from drowning, and encouraging them to get across past him. But destiny permitted that he was aimed at by one of O'Donnell's people with a ball exactly in the arm-pit, in an opening of his plate armour, so that it passed through him, and out at the opposite arm-pit. No assistance could be given him; and he fell from his horse into the depth of the current, in which he was immediately drowned. The person who there perished was much lamented by the English and Irish, on account of the greatness of his wealth, and the nobility of his blood, though young as to age; and although it would have been meet that his body should have been taken up, and honourably interred, the army did not stop to do so, but proceeded directly to the monastery of Assaroe, which they reached the 31st of July, the day of the week being Saturday. They encamped around the monastery, and also within it, and thus remained from the forenoon of Saturday, when they crossed the Erne, until Monday morning. On the Sunday on which they were in the monastery the ships arrived which were promised to be sent after them from Galway, with ordnance and great guns, and other stores for their support, whilst they should remain in this strange territory. This fleet put in at Inis-Saimer, close to Assaroe, and landed their stores on the island, leaving a sufficient number to guard them. On Monday the ordnance were landed and planted against the castle of Ballyshannon. The troops were then removed from the monastery to Mullach-Sithe-Aedha, opposite the fortress, and about the ordnance. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, they continued to fire on the castle, with heavy balls, emitted with loud report and flashing flames from the loud-sounding, red, shot-vomiting guns of that heavy and immense ordnance which they had planted opposite the fortress, so that their reports and loud thundering in the regions of the air were heard far and distant from them. They sent large parties of their choicest soldiers to the base of the castle with wall-razing engines, and with thick and strong iron armour about their bodies, and bright-shining helmets on their heads, and with a bright testudo of round, broad, hard iron shields around them, to protect them from the shots of their enemies. The resolute attack they made upon the fortress, however, was of no avail to them; and it had been better for them that they had not come upon this journey against it; for from the castle were poured down upon them showers of brilliant fire from well-planted, straight ^aimed guns, and from costly muskets, and some rough-headed rocks and massive solid stones, and beams and blocks of timber, which were ^kept on the battlements of the fortress, in readiness to be hurled down ^{when occasion required}; so that the coverings of the razing party were of no shelter or protection to them, and great numbers of them were destroyed, and others who were severely wounded became so exhausted that they delayed not to be further slaughtered, and, turning their backs to their enemies, they were routed to the camp. The people of the fortress kept up a constant fire on them, and killed an unascertained number of them.

When the Lord Justice had left Tyrone, as we have before stated, after having placed provisions and warders in the new fort, which he himself had erected on the bank of the River Abhainn-Mhor, he went to Dublin. As for O'Neill and his people, he rested neither day nor night, but watched every opportunity of taking this fort by stratagem or assault, or wreaking his vengeance on the garrison. On a certain day he attacked the fort; but thirty of his men were slain, and he effected nothing against the fort. When the Lord Justice received intelligence that his warders were harassed in this manner, and that they were in want of provisions, he mustered a numerous army to place provisions and all other necessaries in the fort. When the Lord Justice, with his army, had arrived at Armagh, he went with the cavalry of the army about him along the public road, some distance before his foot-soldiers and companies, with the expectation of meeting some of O'Neill's people in an unprotected position. When he came near the Abhainn-Mor he fell in with a troop of horse and a body of infantry of O'Neill's people. A fierce conflict and spiteful engagement ensued between them, ^and many men and horses were lost by the Lord Justice in that sharp battle. When the foot soldiers had come up with the Lord Justice, he advanced to the fort, and some say that he was never well from that day forth. On the next day they left provisions and warders in the fort, and then prepared to return back, but went no further than Armagh that night. It was in a carriage or in a litter that his people (or his faithful friends and servants of trust) carried the Lord Justice on that day, without the knowledge of the greater part of his army. O'Neill kept up a constant fire and attack upon the Lord Justice's camp during the night, by which the chief leader of the army and several others besides were slain. From thence they proceeded to Newry, and he died of the wounds which he had received between Armagh and the new fort. The keeping of the sword of state was then intrusted to the Chancellor and the ^Chief Justice of the King's ^Queen's Bench, Sir Robert Gardiner, until a new Lord Justice should come from England.

O'Donnell was greatly chagrined that the Governor and the Earls should have escaped as they did. There was, however, no attack from either side until the end of Autumn. O'Donnell thought it too long that he had left unattacked the English of Connaught and those Irish who had risen in alliance with them, and who had previously made friendship with himself. Among these was O'Conor Roe (Hugh, the son of Turlough Roe); and he ^O'Donnell was meditating how he could plunder his territory. This was very difficult for him to do; because the position he occupied was secure and intricate, and he had near him a fastness into which he could send his cattle and other possessions, beyond the reach of his enemies, unless they should come upon him unawares; ^and O'Rourke had promised him that he would not permit O'Donnell to march towards him without sending him notice. O'Donnell assembled his forces, and proceeding into Connaught, halted south-west of Gleann-Dallain, where he pitched his camp. When he received intelligence that a friendship subsisted between O'Rourke and O'Conor, he deceived O'Rourke by sending messengers to him to invite him, to his camp where he was. O'Rourke promised to go to him on the following day; for he thought that O'Donnell would not leave the camp until he should arrive there; but O'Donnell did not act so; for, after he had sent his messengers to O'Rourke, he left the camp at noon, and, proceeding southwards across the Sligo, never stopped until he arrived at the Curlieu Mountain. Here he made a short stay while his troops were taking some refreshments and resting themselves, because he did not at all wish to pass southwards over the mountain by daylight. When the beginning of night came on them they proceeded southwards over the mountain and across the River Boyle; and before morning they had passed through Magh-Luirg-an-Daghda, and the upper part of Machaire-Chonnacht. Early in the day they sent marauding parties into the wilds and recesses of the country in every direction; and these left not a single head of cattle from Ath-Slisean to Baghna, and they plundered and burned all that lay between these limits. They then returned back with their herds of kine and many other spoils. O'Rourke was ashamed that the country should have been plundered without his knowledge; and the Governor, Sir Conyers Clifford, was not less grieved that a country, which was under his rule and jurisdiction, should have been ^thus plundered and burned.

An army was led by Maguire (Hugh, the son of Cuconnaught, son of Cuconnaught), and Cormac, the son of Ferdorcha, son of Con Bacagh O'Neill, at the instance of the O'Farrells, to Mullingar, in Meath, and they preyed the country around them, and totally pillaged Mullingar itself, in which they did not leave in the town any property of gold, silver, copper, iron armour, or foreign wares, or any other thing that could be carried or driven from the town, which they did not take away with them. Upon their return back they set the town in a dark, red blaze and conflagration; and they afterwards returned safe to their homes.

Ellen Butler, the daughter of the Earl of Ormond (Pierce Roe, the son of James, son of Edmond, son of Richard), and wife of the second Earl of Thomond (Donough, the son of Conor, son of Turlough O'Brien), died.

Murtough Ultach ^Donlevy, the son of John, died at Druim-na-loiste, on the 10th of February, after ^{having passed} the eighty-ninth year of his age.

Sir John Norris, who had been the General of the Queen's army in France and Ireland, was deprived of his office by the new Lord Justice, who had last arrived in Ireland, and went to Munster, where he remained with his brother, Sir Thomas Norris, who had been previously President under him of Munster for the period of twelve years. John was seized with a disease and died suddenly in the autumn of this year; and Sir Thomas was the heir to his property. Sir Thomas continued in the same office after the death of his brother.

Edmond (the son of Ulick-na-gCeann, son of Richard, son of Ulick of Cnoc-Tuagh), of Baile-Hilighi, died in the summer of this year.

Dubhaltach, the son of Tuathal O'Conor, died.

Con and Dermot, the two sons of this Dubhaltach, and the son of Mac Dermot of Moylurg (Mulrony, the son of Brian, was son of Rory, son of Teige), made an irruption into Glinske, the castle of Mac David, and took preys. On their return from the castle with their booty, the son of Mac David came up with them at a sinuous winding of the Suck, and defeated them, and slew Con O'Conor, by no means one of the least expert horsemen in Connaught, Mulrony Mac Dermot, already named, and many other gentlemen. The son of Mac David then returned home in triumph.

Mac William (Theobald, the son of Walter Kittagh) returned to his territory at Allhallowtide this year, and remained in the fastnesses of his country in despite of his enemies. During this time he plundered the Owles. His brother, Thomas, was slain in Clann-Muiris-na-mBrigh, on the same occasion.

John Oge, the son of Rickard, son of John of the Termon, was slain in a nocturnal assault by a party of the Clann-Donnell, on an island of Annies in Finnloch-Ceara.

At the time when the Baron of Inchiquin was lost in Tirconnell, as we have stated, he had in his possession, as his ancestors had before him, lands on the farther brink of the Shannon, called Port-croisi. When the Burkes of the Shannon side, the Clann-William of Aes-tri-Maighe, had heard of the death of the Baron, they resolved, on the authority of an old charter of their ancestors, to prevent the Baron's family and their mother (i.e. Margaret, the daughter of Thomas Cusack) from working on those lands. A party of the people of Kinel-Fearmaic, the Baron's territory, went to aid and assist Margaret, and she set out with them to her reapers and people to Port-croisi. When the aforesaid Burkes, namely, Thomas, the son of Theobald, son of William, son of Edmond, and Ulick, the son of William, son of Edmond, had learned this, they assembled as large a number as they were able, and attacked Margaret and the Baron's people. A fierce battle was fought between them; and though the Baron's people were few in number, they proceeded valiantly to defend themselves. Several gentlemen were slain between them on both sides. On the side of the Burkes fell Ulick, the son of William, son of Edmond Burke, and three or four other gentlemen. On the other side also there fell Hugh O'Hogan, by no means the least distinguished son of a chieftain, for goodness and wealth, in the county of Clare, with another gentleman, namely, Murrough, the son of Donough, the son of Murrough Roe, son of Brian ^O'Brien, and the son of Cruise, namely, Thomas, the son of Christopher.

Captain Tyrrell, Captain Nugent, the Kavanaghs, the O'Conors Faly, the O'Mores, and the Gavall-Ranall, were making great war, plunder, and insurrection in Leinster, and in the country of the Butlers, from the festival of the Virgin Mary to the Christmas this year; and it would be tedious to write of all they plundered and destroyed in these territories during this period. On the 7th day of December they slew two bands of soldiers that were stationed in Port-Leix.

About Allhallowtide this year the Governor of Carrickfergus and three companies of soldiers were slain in Clannaboy by James, the son of Sorley Boy Mac Donnell.

The Mac Sheehys, namely, Murrough Baclamhach, the son of Murrough Balbh, son of Manus Mac Sheehy, with his brother, Rory, and Edmond, the son of Murrough Bacagh, son of Edmond, son of Manus Mac Sheehy, were executed by the English for their war and insurrection.

After the Lord Justice, Thomas Lord Borough, had died of the effects of his wounds at Newry, and the keeping of the regal sword had been given to the Lord Chancellor and to Sir Robert Gardiner, Justice of the King's ^Queen's Bench, as we have stated, the person who was appointed to the generalship of war and peace in Ireland was the Earl of Ormond (Thomas, the son of James, son of Pierce Roe), and therefore an armistice was concluded between this Earl and the chiefs of the province of Ulster. Not long after this ^namely, in the month of December, and shortly before Christmas, this Earl of Ormond and the Earl of Thomond (Donough, the son of Conor), went into the province of Ulster, where they and O'Neill and O'Donnell passed three nights together at one place; and a treaty concerning a peace was carried on by those Earls, on behalf of the Queen, with the Irish of Leath-Chuinn; and the issue of their meeting was, that a peace was made between the English and the Irish, on the oath of these Earls, until the May following. The proposals and writings of the Irish aforesaid, and an account of the articles and conditions on which they would accept of peace for themselves and their confederates in the war, in every place where they were seated, were dispatched to the Queen to England by the Earl of Thomond; and whatever news should arrive from England in May should be acted upon here.

O'Conor Sligo (Donough, the son of Cathal Oge) went to England a short time before the Christmas of this year.

Murtough Cam, the son of Conor, son of Mahon, son of Thomas ^{Mac Mahon} of Cnoc-an-lacha, in the territory of East Corca-Baiscinn, died in the month of March.

Boethius, the son of Hugh, son of Boethius, son of Murtough Mac Clancy, from Cnoc-Finn, in the county of Clare, died in the month of April. He was a man fluent in the Latin, Irish, and English languages.

Dermot, the son of Edmond, son of Rory O'Dea of Tully-O'Dee, was killed in the month of July by the insurgents of the county of Clare.

The Earl of Thomond went to England in the beginning of the month of January. The proposals and letters of the Irish in general were also sent to England; and Rickard, the son of Ulick, son of Rickard Saxonagh, son of Ulick-na-gCeann, Baron of Dunkellin, also went to England in the spring.

After the concluding of the peace which we have already mentioned, from Christmas to May, between the Irish of Leath-Chuinn and the General, the Earl of Ormond, the Irish of the North issued orders to all the insurgents of Leinster and Meath, namely, the Kavanaghs, O'Conors, O'Mores, the Gaval-Rannall, the Tooles, Tyrrells, and Nugents, to desist for a short time from their acts of plunder and rebellion; and they did so, at the bidding of their chiefs. The General, the Earl of Ormond, permitted them to frequent Leinster, Meath, and the east of Munster, and to eat and drink ^{with the inhabitants}, until news should come from England, in May, respecting peace or war. By this instruction they continued traversing and frequenting every territory around them, from Cill-Mantain, in the lower part of Leinster, to the Suir; and from Loch-Garman to the Shannon. It was not easy for ^{the inhabitants of} these territories to bear their inordinate demands during this period.

James (i.e. the brother of the Earl of Ormond), the son of Edward, son of James, son of Pierce Roe Butler, and the son of Mac Pierce, sheriff of the county of Tipperary, and many other gentlemen, proceeded precisely at Easter on an incursion against Brian Reagh O'More, a gentleman of the Irish party, who was passing Easter in Ikerrin; but disaster and misfortune befell the assailants, for many of their gentlemen, of their followers, and of their soldiers, were slain; and James, the son of Edward Butler, was taken prisoner, but Brian Reagh delivered him up, in a week afterwards, to the Earl of Ormond, on account of the peace we have mentioned, and after it had been ascertained that it was not by the permission of the General (i.e. the Earl) this attack had been made.

O'Rourke (Brian Oge, the son of Brian, son of Brian Ballagh, son of Owen) was angry with O'Donnell (Hugh Roe, the son of Hugh, son of Manus), because of his having plundered O'Conor Roe against his wish, as we have written before; and, moreover, he was not at all on terms of peace with his own brother, i.e. Teige O'Rourke, the son of Brian, son of Brian Ballagh, ^{in consequence of a disagreement} about the partition of their territory and land. Wherefore, O'Rourke confederated and formed a league of friendshipb with the Governor, Sir Conyers Clifford. O'Donnell was not pleased at hearing this news, for the O'Rourkes had from a remote period been the friends of his tribe, and he ^{the present O'Rourke} was his own kinsman, and he did not wish to make an incursion against him, or plunder his territory, as he would treat all others in Connaught; but he felt certain that he must needs plunder him unless he should return to the confederacy of the Irish, for he ^O'Donnell was not at peace with any one who was under the tutelage of the English. For a certain time he privately solicited him to return, and at another time he menaced and threatened to plunder his territory unless he should come back. O'Rourke continued to listen to these messages from the beginning of spring to the May following, at which time he went to Athlone, and delivered up his hostages to the Governor; and they made ^mutual vows and promises to be faithful to each other; but though the engagement was sincere ^{at the time}, it was not long kept.

An answer arrived from England to the letters of O'Neill, O'Donnell, and the other Irish chiefs who were in alliance with them. The Queen and the Council did not consent to grant them the conditions they demanded; and, because they did not, the Irish exchanged their peace for war, their quietness for turmoil, and their tranquillity for dissension; so that they rekindled the ancient flame of hatred in the beginning of the summer of this year.

After the Governor and O'Rourke had parted from each other in peace and friendship, in May, at the town of Athlone, and when O'Rourke saw that the English and Irish were not at peace with each other, and that the English were not at this time more powerful than the Irish, he was afraid that O'Donnell would plunder his territory; and therefore he came at the ^first summons of O'Donnell, and did whatever he requested him. This he ^O'Rourke did by advice of his people, for they felt it safer to have the Governor in opposition, than to be pursued by O'Donnell's vengeance for remaining under the protection of the Governor.

O'Rourke, after having confirmed his friendship with O'Donnell on this occasion, proceeded with his forces, at the instance of O'Farrell Bane (i.e. Ross, the son of William, son of Donnell), into Meath; and they plundered Mullingar, and ^{the country} from Mullingar to Ballymore-Lough Sewdy.

Another hosting was made by O'Rourke in the first month of autumn; and he did not halt until he arrived at Tyrrell's-Pass, and the Pass of Kilbride in Fertullagh. He seized a prey, and slew some persons at Tyrrell's-Pass, and (then) returned home to his country without wound or danger.

After the peace before mentioned had been set aside, Redmond Burke, the son of John of the Shamrocks, son of James, son of Rickard Saxonagh, son of Ulick-na-gCeann, with a party of his young kinsmen, ^all of the first distinction, came to O'Neill to complain to him of the answer he had received from his father's brother, namely, the Earl of Clanrickard, Ulick Burke: that if Redmond would be satisfied with one mantle's breadth of his inheritance or patrimony, from Sruthair to Abhainn-da-Loilgheach, he ^{the Earl} would not give him so much, as a reward for war or peace. O'Neill hearkened to this complaint of Redmond, and promised to assist him, if in his power; and he gave him the command of some hundreds of soldiers, with permission to plunder and devastate any part of Ireland which had any connexion or alliance with the English. When Redmond Burke and his kinsmen left O'Neill, they went into the confederation of the Irish of Leinster, and remained with them during this summer.

Six hundred soldiers arrived from England in the south of Ireland, to assist in opposing the enemies of the Sovereign. On their arrival at Dungarvan, they resolved to proceed ^directly to join the General, i.e the Earl of Ormond; and as they passed along the borders of Leinster, a party of the Irish of that district met them; and a battle was fought between them, in which four hundred and ten of the soldiers were slain.

A hosting was made by the Earl of Ormond in the month of June, to proceed into Leix. His forces amounted to twenty-four companies of foot, and two hundred horse. In the evening he encamped on a high hill on the borders of the territory. The Earl was informed that night that there were only a few to guard the territory, ^and on the morning following he ordered his brother's son, i.e. James, the son of Edward, son of James Butler, to go with six or seven companies through the passes into the nearest part of the territory, to see whether he could perform any exploit or achievement; and although James was loth to go on that expedition early on Sunday morning, yet he set out at the command of the Earl. The first road he went by he found it cut down and deeply furrowed, Brian Reagh O'More having come with one hundred and fifty soldiers to defend it on the same day. Fierce and terrific was the salute which Brian and his forces here gave James and his soldiers. They were attacked in the front and in the rear, hemmed in and surrounded, speared and shot; so that in a short time bodies were left ^stretched mangled and pierced along the pass. A lamentable death occurred here, namely, James, the son of Edward, son of Pierce, son of Pierce, a man of whom greater expectations had been formed than of any other of his age of the Butlers living at that time. And such of his people as had not been cut off at that place returned as broken-shielded fugitives to the Earl and the camp. Brian Reagh O'More himself was wounded; and it was not long after till he died of the virulence of the wounds which he received on this occasion. On this very day, after the battle aforesaid, Owny, the son of Rury Oge O'More; Redmond, the son of John of the Shamrocks ^{Burke; and Captain Tyrrell, came and pitched their camp opposite the Earl's camp. Before the noon of the next day, Monday, when it was thought that the Earl would march into the territory, he returned to Kilkenny, and sent his soldiers into their garrisons.}

The New Fort, of which we have before written an account, was defended during the time of peace and war by the Queen's people; but when the English and Irish did not make peace ^{as had been expected} in the beginning of summer, O'Neill laid siege to the fort, so that the warders were in want of provisions in the last month of summer. After this news arrived in Dublin, the Council resolved to assemble together the most loyal and best tried in war of the Queen's soldiers in Ireland, ^{who were those} in the neighbourhood of Dublin and Athlone: and when these ^soldiers were assembled together, four thousand foot and six hundred horse were selected from among them, and these were sent to convey provisions to the New Fort. A sufficient supply of meat and drink, beef, lead, powder, and all other necessaries, were sent with them. They marched to Drogheda, from thence to Dundalk, from thence to Newry, and from thence to Armagh, where they remained at night. Sir Henry Beging, Marshal of Newry, was their General.

When O'Neill had received intelligence that this great army was approaching him, he sent his messengers to O'Donnell, requesting of him to come to his assistance against this overwhelming force of foreigners who were coming to his country. O'Donnell proceeded immediately, with all his warriors, both infantry and cavalry, and a strong body of forces from Connaught, to assist his ally against those who were marching upon him. The Irish of all the province of Ulster also joined the same army, so that they were all prepared to meet the English before they arrived at Armagh. They then dug deep trenches againct the English in the common road, by which they thought they ^{the English} would come to them.

As for the English, after remaining a night at Armagh, they rose next morning early; and the resolution they adopted was, to leave their victuals, drink, their women and young persons, their horses, baggage, servants, and rabble, in that town of Armagh. Orders were then given that every one able to bear arms, both horse and foot, should proceed wherever the Marshal and other officers of the army should order them to march against their enemies. They then formed into order and array, as well as they were able, and proceeded straightforward through each rood before them, in close and solid bodies, and in compact, impenetrable squadrons, till they came to the hill which overlooks the ford of Beal-an-atha-bhuidhe. After arriving there they perceived O'Neill and O'Donnell, the Ui Eathach Uladh. and the Oirghialla, having, together with the chieftains, warriors, heroes, and champions of the North, drawn up one terrible mass before them, placed and arranged on the particular passages where they thought the others would march on them.