42 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



between it and the M ote.' The usual \-iew from the hills of Luaehair, magnifi- 

 cent in its spaciousness, lies to the e-ast, out to the circuit of distant hUls and 

 Knockfierna ; but few outstanding features are \isible. Shanagolden church 

 and ^illaffe, itathkeale, Kilbradran. the Shannon, a rich and diversified 

 country (more English than Irish in character), lie below it. In the estuarj- 

 farther away, the tall, narrow belfry of Canons Island Abbey rises within its 

 great ring-fort, with the Clare mountains beyond. 



Local tradition has little to say of Shanid, save that it belonged to the 

 Desmonds. Romantic -sasitors transfer to it all the picturesque story of that 

 powerful house and its tragic ending. To say that Shanid is nearly without 

 history brings angry contradiction from such persons ; but none have yet 

 answered the counter-challenge and given any accoimt but a few dry, isolated 

 facts. The origin, history, and destruction seem equally buried in silence or 

 forgetfulness.* 



' Peyton's Survey, p. 99, mentions a chapel — " capellam nuper edificatam cujus mura 

 tantummodo nunc remanent." Senode was granted by Thomas fitz Thomas to the see of 

 Limerick about 123tJ (Black Book of Limerick, p. 106). Xo ruin or tradition is 

 traceable. 



- y\y thanks are due to the late Col. Morgan of Old .\bbey, Mrs. Wardell, his sister, 

 and Professor John Wardell, who in various ways helped my work in Western Co. 

 Limerick ; and to Mr. M. J. M'Enery, Deputy Keeper of the Records of Ireland. 



