Westropp — Ancient Castles of the County of Limerick. 203 



■whelming the old gentry and levying imposts on the Englishry, till 

 (owing to the ill-conceived, ill-fought, ill-fated rebellion of the weak 

 Earl, Gerald) it was broken up and given to strangers. Some of the 

 "submerged" Irish and old English families re-appear and attain 

 some local importance after the ruin of the Fitzgeralds ; but, in the 

 main, the 'Hwo very rich counties of Connello and Kenry" were 

 divided and colonised by the new Englishry. 



CONNELLO LOWER. 



ASKEATOlf. 



291. AsKEATON. Desmond's Castle (11). Marked. 902 The 

 tincient Eort of Geibthine, which probably was named from the 

 Gebtini, an ancient tribe in western Limerick, was claimed by the 

 King of Cashel (Eook of Rights). 1199 The C. of Easgepthine built 

 (Ann. Inisf alien). It was an important C. and manor from the thirteenth 

 to the sixteenth century. 1203 W. de Burgo was paid for the livery 

 of Hinniskefty C. given to Hamo de Valoignes. 1318-1321 Ric. de 

 Clare and his son and sister Matilda de AVelle held it. In 1346 a list 

 of the inhabitants is preserved. 1348 It was held by Maur. Earl of 

 Desmond. 1367-1383 J. Maultravers granted it to his son, through 

 whose death it lapsed to the Crown. 1383 The Earls of Desmond 

 held it for two centuries. 1440-59 James Earl of Desmond built the 

 great Hall of " Ardsceitin."^ 1452 The rental of Oconyll gives a 

 detailed account of^Iniskefty Manor and names the C. 1558 James 

 Earl of Desmond buried in Askeaton Abbey. 1569 The Government 

 negotiated to get the C. 1578 Malbie blockaded Gerald Earl of 

 Desmond in the C, and burned the town and abbey. The Earl of 

 Desmond rebelled. 1580 Pelham appeared before the C. ; the garrison 

 fled the following night, trying to blow it up, but doing little injury. 

 1589 The C. granted to Era. Berkeley,^ who, in 1598, was besieged in 

 t for 247 days by the followers of the Sugan Earl; the siege was 

 •aised by Essex. 1615 Sir Era. Berkeley died; his son Maurice 

 succeeded, and died 1622, when his brother Henry and sisters Elizabeth 

 Jrofton and Gertrude Taylor eventually succeeded to the estates. 



I ' See the " Abhallgort" of T. M. Neachtain, 1723, citing old records, The 

 laullamore built." See supra, p. 70. 



I 2 See R.S.A.I., xxxiii., xxxiv.; and Journal of Limerick Field Club," 1902. 

 lie was a scion of the Bruton Branch of the Barons of Berkeley. 



