164 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



the abbey at the opposite end of the bridge on his way to relieve 

 Fra. Berkeley, then besieged in Askeaton. 1600 The C. was ruined by 

 Piers Lacy ; it was held for the Sugan Earl, retaken by Carew, and 

 vainly blockaded by the Irish. In 1641 it was garrisoned by the 

 Confederates and taken by Lord Castlehaven. 1653 A garrison was 

 kept there; it was eventually dismantled. 1657 Athdare Manor, C, 

 bawn, castle-ploughland, and bridge owned by G., Earl of Kildare. 

 1684 Leased by the Earl to Thady Quini with the " old bawn." 1711 

 Purchased by Quin (under an Act of Parliament for the sale of Kildare' s 

 lands) ; his descendants, the Earls of Dunraven, still hold it. (See 

 C.S.P.L; B.B.L. ; Carew MSS. ; Eolls ; Accounts; Civil Survey, 

 xxiv., p. 32 ; Down Survey, A, 49 ; Memorials of Adare, &c.) 



Fabric. — The Desmonds' Castle, as it is inappropriately called, con- 

 sists of a keep, girt by an inner and an outer court, each protected by 

 a fosse, and the outer washed by the Maigue to the south. The inner 

 court (no less by its plan than by the objects found in it) was an early 

 ring-fort. The keep is about 40 feet square, with slight projections 

 at the angles ; the north wall is entire. The inner court is complete, 

 with battlemented walls and a strong gate-house for a drawbridge ;. 

 the garth is about 110 feet across. The outer couii has walls with a 

 round tower to the north-west, and a garderobe tower on the river to 

 the south-west ; between them is a large gateway. Along the river 

 runs a range of buildings of various ages, from the early thirteenth to 

 the fifteenth century. A strong gateway looks to the north, where 

 lay the church and old town of Adare. The whole building covers 

 about 300 feet east and west by 200 feet north and south.- (See 

 "Memorials of Adare," well illustrated, and a valuable paper by 

 the late Mr. G. Hewson in the " Limerick Field Club Journal," vol. i.) 



167. Fannixgstown (21). Marked. i^Tot to be confused with 

 Fanningstown in Fedamore {infra, jS'o. 203). It may be the Bally- 

 atheney or Ballyatneny [i.e. Bally-anhiny) held with Adare in 1285- 

 by Maur., father of Ger. f. Maur. (C.S.P.I.). 1567 Tithes of BaUy- 

 fenninge granted to Sir Warham St. Leger (Fi. 1143), and in 1592. 

 granted to Sir H. ^'allop (Fi. 5964). 1655 Fanningstown C. and 

 bawne held by Edm. Fanning^ (C.S., xxiv., p. 34). 



^ Thady Quin, in an extant paper, describes himself as born 1645, son of 

 Donogh Quin, grandson of Donogh, son of James Quin, of Kilmallock, and 

 nephew of Dr. John Coyn or Quin, Bishop of Limerick, who resigned 1551. 



2 VieM-, Plate XIY. Plan, Plate XV. 



3 The Fannings appear as living in Limerick County from 1297, whenH. Fanyn 



