Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 279 



XLIII. — On the Identification of the Site of the Engagement 

 at the " Pass of Plumes." By the Rev. John O'Hanlon, 

 M.R. I. A. (With a Map, being Plate XIII., Pol. Lit. & Antiq.) 



[Read May 11, 1874.] 



It seems strange, that it should have hitherto baffled the attempts of 

 modern historians and topographers to determine the exact site of an 

 event so famous in Irish history as the engagement at the ' ' Pass of 

 Plumes." I have had the advantage of a two years' residence on the 

 spot, in Pass House, during my school-boy days, and although familiar 

 with much of the popular lore about the neighbourhood, only a few 

 years have passed since I learned from a native of the place that the 

 story of a great battle having been fought there was quite vivid in 

 the recollection of all the old peasantry. Since then I have taken 

 care to examine into and verify the accuracy of this statement, by 

 a study of historic documents, by making a special visit to the 

 spot, and by conversing, among others, with an aged and intelligent 

 herdsman and small farmer of my acquaintance, who cheerfully 

 accompanied me over the ground where occurred the actual encoun- 

 ter. Although this person, named Garret Kehoe, (living in July, 

 1872, and then over seventy years old), was able to describe from 

 local tradition the spots where this action commenced, continued, 

 and ended — his account being well attested all along the line by the 

 frequent upturning of human remains — yet he and the native pea- 

 santry had preserved no information regarding the time when this 

 "great battle" was contested, or of the opposing leaders or forces 

 engaged in it. 



Many writers, in attempted identification, have described sites far 

 from the actual spot. They have very generally placed the locality 

 of this celebrated battle near the village of Ballybrittas, in Lea parish, 

 Queen's Co. People there have lately repeated this erroneous state- 

 ment, in presence of the writer. " The neighbourhood of Ballyroan," 

 justly observes Mr. Herbert F. Hore, " seems a more likely locality;" 

 See "Notes on a Fac-simile of an Ancient Map of Leix," &e., in 

 "Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeol. Soc," Vol. iv., New Ser., Part ii. f 

 n. 1., p. 371. The Rev. £>r. Kelly came nearer to the site, when he says, 

 "The scene of this action is a mile beyond Croshy Duff hill." See 

 his note to 0' Sullivan's " Hist. Cath. Ibernise Compendium," Tom. 

 iii., p. 207. 



When the Earl of Essex landed in Ireland, on the 15th of April, 

 1599, as commander of Queen Elizabeth's forces,* he soon resolved on 

 an expedition to subdue the Munster Geraldines. He deemed it inex- 



* Sir Richard Cox states that Essex, when he landed in Ireland, had a large 

 army, " as well furnished as his heart could desire for that service, being at first 



8BR. II., VOL. I., POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ.. 2 R 



