Westropp — Ancient Castles of the County of Limerick. 67 



Cromyth; Wrgidy (part of Uregare) ; and Grene in 1292, while 

 Thomas Fitzmaurice held Glenogra (with Cathirgilmore and Athlecath). 

 Eeginald Russell and his wife, widow of Thomas Fitzmaurice, held 

 Shanid (with Kilcosgrave), Eathronan, and iS^ewgrange, in 1293. 

 The other manors of Fitzmaurice were ^^ewcastle, Corkoigh, Moy- 

 taunagh, Kilnehyhyn/ Ardagh, Kilhradran, JS'ewgrange, and Moycro 

 or Croagh.- 



The castles alleged to have been built by the Templars, find no 

 support for their origin in extant records. That hapless Order seems 

 to have possessed only a small plot of land in Limerick in 1308.^ 



The FouiiTEENTH Centuet. 



The story of this century is that of the collapse of the Xorman 

 power. At first the strong organization of Edward I. held its own. 

 We hear for the first time of the Manors of Meane or Mayne, 1307, 

 and Garth or Ballingarry, in Oconyll ; but records of castle-building 

 become rarer. A late authority " states that Kathmore Castle was 

 built in 1306. Limerick Castle was repaired in 1313, and other works 

 followed, probably from fear of the Scotch invasion. As the Eruces 

 advanced, the long quiescent Irish tenants rose in revolt. Most 

 dangerous were those of Maurice Fitz Thomas, who rose at Eathkeale 

 and destroyed jS'ewcastle Oconyll in 1315 ; but the Scotch princes fell 

 back, and, instead of a second Eannockburn, Edward Eruce found a 

 Faughart Field, and fell, exulted over by the Irish he had helped no 

 less than by the IS'ormans he had ravaged.* 



After the danger had passed the English found everythicg out of 

 joint. The de Clares and their colony in Thomond were " wiped 

 out" by the battle of Dysert, though Bunratty was reoccupied. That 

 same year (1318) Therly or Durlas near Garth is named. In 1320 

 the castles of Corcomoyth belonged to Eobert de Welle and his wife. 



^ Perhaps " Killanohwne," which surrendered to the English, 1569, and is 

 evidently Glenquin or " Glannohwyn," Kilnehylin Inq. 1299. 



Doubts as to the identity of these names are removed by Inq. Chancery, 

 Car. L, 240, " Maner cas. vil. et ter de Crowagh als de Moycrowagh." The 

 heading in Black Book of Limerick (see Proc. E.I. A. xxv. (c), p. 374) seemed of 

 too slight authority to overbear other notices, as the headings belong to the 

 copyists, not to the grantors. 



^ See R. S.A.I. , vol. xii., pp. 331, 333, the original document being in Brit. 

 Mus. Plut. c. Ixxix., D., p. 375. 



^ See exultation of the Annalist of Clonmacnoise." 



