Recent Antiquarian Explorations. 35 



warded to King Henry the 4th, who by charter joined the two 

 boroughs under one authority, after which there was peace. In 

 1394, Richard the 2nd visited Drogheda, when he received the 

 submission of O'Neill and O'Donnell. Parliaments were fre- 

 quently held in Drogheda, in 1444, 1453, 1467, 1495- In the 

 wars of 1 64 1, it was invested by 20,000 Irish under Sir Phelim 

 O'Neill. In 1649, Oliver Cromwell attacked it with 10,000 of 

 his troops and took it, putting over 2,000 men to the sword. 

 In 1690, William the 3rd and James 2nd encamped within i\ 

 miles of Drogheda, where the battle of the Boyne was fought. 

 It was the principal town of the English pale. From the most 

 remote times the valley of the Boyne was the scene of some of 

 the most stirring events in Irish history. There is no part of 

 Ireland where there are so many ruins of Pagan and Christian 

 times, and of ecclesiastical and military Buildings. 



I was informed by an old lady who visited at the house of 

 Balfour of Townley Hall near Drogheda, that the buff leather 

 coat in which King William was wounded at the battle was in 

 their possession ; that at the time of her visit some 50 years 

 ago, it had been left in some attic or upper room, and it after 

 wards was found that some of the servants had cut off portions 

 of the skirt for cleaning the knives. This is a little bit of 

 unrecorded history, and I give the story just as it was told to 

 me. I made a call in Dundalk and informed a friend of my 

 visit to the ancient Church-yard at Drogheda and the very old 

 tombs that are in it. I was informed that tombs equally old and 

 interesting are to be seen in the Church yard of Saint Nicholas 

 in Dundalk. In the chancel of the Church there is a very 

 ancient stained glass window, with the following inscription in 

 very antique letters : — 



" Saint Andrew Faciolamus, Bishop, sprung from the noble 

 family Corsini, a man universally esteemed for his boundless 

 charity, and on account of his mildness the refuge of the people, 

 the father of orphans, the spouse of widows, so he was all things 

 to all people. Renowned by his miracles, having foretold the 

 day of his death j he died in the odour of sanctity, 1373." 



