66 



Proceedinr/s of the Royal Irish Academy. 



rent in later years was threepence and a hawk to the Earls of Kildare. 

 About this time the connected records of Limerick Castle commence, 

 and it is very probable that the low fort on the marshy bank of the 

 Maigue, near the old " ford of the oaks," at Adare, was walled and 

 formed the germ of the miscalled " Desmond's Castle." At any rate, 

 the manor and market town of the de Yerdons flourished there ten 

 years later. Of even earlier date, to judge from its style and masonry, 

 was that strong tower which, from the summit of the high mote of 

 Shanid, looked across all northern Limerick and central Clare, and 

 guarded the passes towards Kerry. Its first appearance in our existing 

 records is merely to locate a smith's house in a deed of 1298. 



Bruree Castle, a singular round fortress, suggestive of Castle Hag 

 in Lough Mask and other "mortar-built cahers " of acknowledged 

 early date, was probably built by the O'Donovans before this time. 

 Towers were subsequently added. ^ Two Normans named Robert, 

 distinguished as " of Dundonill " and of Guer," founded two castles 

 bearing their names, at Cloghnarold near Rathkeale and on the tidal 

 creek near Foynes. The third Castle Robert, near Adare, only 

 appears about 1280. 



Besides these important strongholds, several lesser castles are 

 named : Blathac (not the Blathac at Drogheda, but one of the 

 castles given to the City of Limerick by John) was perhaps at Castle 

 Blake or Castle Blauke near the Thomond Bridge. Caslan Uilchin, 

 sacked by 0' Conor in 1201, lay apparently between Limerick and 

 Castleconnell ; it is named down to 1281 and then vanishes. Coon- 

 agh had a castle and tower,- built before 1246, which needed repair 

 in 1278. Castle Aqi or Agni is named with Cahernarry, and was 

 probably Aine ; the latter has undoubted records from 1287. A 

 Castle Amery, subject to the dower of Almerica de Bellofago, appears 

 in 1296. 



Of manors on which no castles are mentioned a list may suffice : 

 Mungret, 1225; Corcomoith, 1230; Ardagh, 1238; Rathkeale, 1252; 

 Iniskefty ; Reyns ; IToy Tauenach ; ^^'ewcastle Oconyll ; Corcoithe ; 

 Any (with Lough Our, Kilfrush, Knocklong, &c.) in 1287. Maurice 

 Pitz Gerald and his wife Agnes de Yalence held Adare ; Castle Robert ; 



Probably by the de Lacey family. 

 - Identified by Sweetman as Old Connaught near Bray, but evidently on the 

 border of Limerick or Tipperary in Coonagh — perhaps Castletown or Cullen. It 

 is stated in C. S.P.I. (3108) to have been the castle given by King John in 1215 ; 

 but in the original document the Cantred of Occonach and Tibrary alone appear. 

 {lb., 621). 



