70 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academij, 



The legend of the defence of Ball's Bridge/ by John de Gallwey, in 

 1361, may be noticed, and is very probable, as the family owned 

 house property at that bridge in a later generation ; but the exploit 

 of this Horatius of Limerick has not been celebrated in the Annals 

 known to us. The bridge does not appear in the escutcheons on the 

 monument of 1405-1420, but only on Elizabethan tablets. 



The later Cej^tueies. 



Little is recorded about the building of the castles, and nearly as 

 little of their history for about a century and a half. The walls 

 and towers of Limerick were repaired in 1407, and Ballingarry in 

 Oconyll walled, and perhaps the castle rebuilt, in the following year. 

 Tradition asserts, with the greatest support from probability and the 

 architectui'e, that Askeaton Castle was enlarged and the great hall 

 built by the seventh Earl of Desmond, from 1420 to 1460.- In 

 1452 was compiled the invaluable rental of Oconyll. It covers the- 

 Desmond's manors of Shened, Kyllyde, Corcoith, Bathn (Ui Baithin 

 or Meeban), Ardagh, JSTewcastle, Eobertstown, Eathgalwey,^ 

 Moytawenagh, Iniskefty, and Offargus (Kilscannell and Clonagh). It 

 only mentions four castles, Iniskefty, Castle Eobert of Doondonnell,. 

 Eobertstown, and jS'ewcastle. 



The city seems to have prospered, and extensive additions and 

 costly monuments adorned its cathedral. In the county the beautiful 

 monasteries of tbe Franciscans at Adare, and additions to the other 

 convents of Adare, Kilmallock, and Askeaton, show that leisure and 

 money were available for art and peaceable pursuits. 



To this century, too, and especially to its latter half,* we must 

 attribute the majority of the peel towers raised in the county, the 

 greater works at Cappagh and Askeaton, and some additions to the 

 castle of Adare. Kot only in this county, but all over Ireland, broke 

 out tbis passion for building and repair. In the case of Limerick we 



^ Chancery Inquisition, No. 8. John Galwey of Kinsale held the house of 

 the cross ... in 1576, and the Tye Bridge, alias Droghedmoyle." The name was 

 evidently "Bald Bridge." It is also called the "Tide Bridge" in Hardiman's 

 map 63, about 1590. 



- This is borne out by the old documents used by Teige Ui Xeachtuin in 1723,. 

 in his curious " Abhallghort," now in possession of Mr. M. J. M'Enery, P. K.O.I, 

 who showed me the passage. 



^ At Galway and Ballycullen near Askeaton. 



^ An Act of the Irish Parliament, 1453 (xxxii Hen. YI.), offered to him " that 

 shall build a castle upon a border," a sum of £10 (Carew MSS., vol. i.). 



