Westropp — Earthvorks and Ring- Walls in Co. Limerick. 37 



cantred. It is very probably a fortification of about 1200. As to FontimeP — 

 the name in the best attested, because local, records is Fontymchyll or 

 Fontimychyll. The constituent is evidently Michael, Michil, not that of 

 Tinnakilla, Tigli na cille according to O'Donovan. Tinnakill in the 1336 

 Eental is Kyllsynkyll.- I based my former identification on the elaborate and 

 detailed record of the Crown cases in the Plea Eolls of 1289,' and not merely 

 on the accidental fact that it and " Ardpatric were connected in the grant of 

 September 6th, 1199." In this document,* Thomas Fitz Maurice was granted 

 " five knights fees in the tuath of Eleuri, which is in the cantred of Fontimel," 

 and five others in the tuath of Huanierith in Thomunt, which is upon the 

 water of Sinan.* Ardpatric, with the residue of the cantred of Fontemel, 

 was granted to "William de Burgh. Were it even (as I believe) absolutely 

 certain that this is Ardpatrick near Kilmallock, and not Knockpatrick in 

 Connello, the evidence would not be decisive, as the places might be apart, 

 like Fontemel and Huamerith ; but my identification rested on another 

 document, which leaves one in no doubt. We have the returns of the 

 Crown cases in 1289, the first return (27) for Carbry and Fontymchill, the 

 last (40) for the latter cantred alone. The roll (No. 13), though faded (and 

 in the latter part badly injured, as too often, by ill-managed attempts to 

 revive the writing with acid), is legible. I have to thank the Deputy Keeper, 

 Mr. M. J. McEnery, for his kind help long since, and on re-examination for 

 this paper.'^ In this, Fontymchyll' cantred is connected with Kilmallock and 



^ The chief references, besides the grant of 1199 and the Plea Rolls of 1289, are the 

 (Irish) Rolls Close, anno li Edw. Ill, No. 73 ; Patent, anno xx Edw. Ill, No. 50, 

 anno xxxii, No. 10, anno v Ric. II, No. 167. 



^ Bishop Maurice de Rupefort's Rental, Black Book of Limerick. 



^ Plea Rolls No. 13, anno xviii Edw. I, mem. 27, mem. 40. 



* Rotuli Chartarum (ed. T. Dufi'us Hardy, 1837), anno i John, p. 19. 



° Cal. Documents, Ireland, vol. i. No. 93, No. 95. Eleuri is perhaps "Clari," Clare, 

 or Dun Clare in Coshlea. 



* It is a record of much social interest. The escapes of prisoners, helped or hindered 

 by the Irish chiefs, on the borders, the seeking of sanctuary in the churches, and the 

 violent deaths, are curious. Besides the usual disasters common where bridges were 

 rare, of people falling off horses (worth os.) and getting drowned at Gortskathe, in mid 

 stream, and children falling down wells, there are three cases of men sitting by fires and 

 scalded to death by boiling pots (worth 4d.), and the "murder" of a man 

 (Hugh White) by three sows (worth 4s.). In these hopeless times we can only wish that 

 the Plea Rolls were properly calendared for their vivid pictures of the obscure dwellers 

 in this country. 1 may note that capitnlum may simply be a " chapter " or heading in 

 the record, and not a chapter or council of the "union" of parishes, as I regarded it 

 formerly, the words "chapter of Fontymchyll " being equivocal. 



' I prefer this form to Fontemel, which is evidently remodelled on the name Fontemel 

 n Dorset. So also Escloun on the Shannon was changed to Askelon ! What originated 

 the cantred name I have no means at present to discover, unless it be Kilmihil, near to 

 and south of Kilmallock, with a well Tobervekeel (see Ord. Survey Letters, vol. i, 

 p. 313), not far from Ivuockauiiacumsa luote. 



