Westropp — Ancient Castles of the County of Limerick. 249 



Concluding Remarks. 



This survey having run to such a length, it seems best to hold back 

 the fuller architectural notes and the history of the Castles from 1530 

 to 1690. Another intended appendix on the early families has been 

 embodied more briefly as notes and additional matter in the two 

 later portions of the paper. The substitution of an index of family 

 names will more than supply its place. The occurrence of the oldest 

 Norman names among the present peasantry is very interesting. In 

 tlie treatment of the material, a few points arise. The too common 

 gap in the records of the Castles between 1390 and 1560 is probably 

 a less serious loss than any other period of equal length. All our 

 existing material shows that time to have been one of comparative 

 quiet and prosperity in County Limerick ; and the fact of so many 

 families, which appear as holding the lands and castles in 1390, 

 holding the same lands in the time of Elizabeth, renders it certain 

 tliat the loss is rather to the genealogist than to the liistorian. 

 The period is comparable to that between the sales of 1703 and 

 those of the Encumbered Estates in 1858. 



That there is no " Castle Founders' List " for County Limerick, is 

 a great loss ; but that list for Clare enables us to date the style 

 and ornament of the peel towers of both counties with fair accuracy. 



The length of time over which the collection of these notes extends 

 renders it hard to verify them in all cases, though the original 

 notes are minute. It is, I fear, too possible that misconceptions and 

 mistakes may be found in so large a mass of facts dealing with 

 over 400 sites. In giving the references to the Castles in the 

 Ordnance Purvey Letters, I do so for reference to those valuable 

 sources, but have tacitly added to and corrected their material. 

 The authors of these letters are wonderfully accurate, despite their 

 manifest (and often confessed) ignorance of architecture; much to 

 their credit, it rarely vitiates any tiling save a theoiy as to date. 

 The description of complex castles (like Adare and Carrigofiunnell) 

 Avas entirely beyond their power, and not attempted by them on 

 that account. Their conclusions as to the names were largely based 



^ "We may still liope that some day the lost documents of the Desmonds may be 

 recovered. A number were taken l>y the English after the capture of Rathtnore, 

 and the Revinue Excheiiuer Oideis (16i;^-18, p. 24) show that in 161-) liti^^unts 

 were able to s< ar( h in the *' Writings and fc^vidents of Gerald Earl ot Desmond" 

 for material relating- to estates in Co. Limerick. 



R. I. A. VKOC, VOL. XXVI., SEC C. [-3] 



