AVestropp — Ancient C/iurches in Co. Limerick. 345 



and the weakening of the few Irish allies of the English. Along 

 with this disastrous war came the Scotch invasion. As the Eruces 

 approached Limerick, all the Irish in Desmond rose "in hostility to 

 the king and liis faithful subjects." The O'Donegans (tenants of 

 Maurice fitz Thomas) at Rathkeale, rose and destroyed IN'ewcastle, in 

 Oconyll, so that Fitz Thomas had to bring against them a force sorely 

 needed elsewhere.-^ The great muster against the Scotch, meanwhile, 

 lay at Ludden, without striking a blow, while the Scotch insulted the 

 City of Limerick, and lay almost unmolested, at Castleconnell, 1315. 

 Then the invasion ebbed, and Edward Eruce fell at Dundalk, unla- 

 mented by the Irish he came to assist. These events seem to have 

 told even against the writers of deeds and registers. The deeds in 

 the Black Book, and the entries of Limerick lawsuits in the Plea Eolls, 

 became very few, and the records dwindle almost to nothing after the 

 close of the century. The power of the Earls of Desmond next rose 

 to that height from which all the forces of the Crown alone deposed it, 

 after several years' war, and the desolation of a province in 1586. Other 

 traces of government, save in the fortified towns, are almost impossible 

 to discover. 



Limerick received a heavy blow in the middle of the fourteenth 

 century. 2 In 1369 Garrett, Earl of Desmond, endeavoured to support 

 O'Brien, of Thomond, who had been deposed by his nephew, Brian. ^ 

 Before the English army could be got together in proper force, the 

 formidable host of Thomond was at Monasternenagh Abbey. Desmond 

 attacked, received a crushing defeat, and was dragged out of sanctuary. 

 There was complete demoralisation among the English ; Limerick 

 opened its gates to the victors, and was partly burned: Sioda 

 Macnamara was made Governor, and his clan plundered even the books 

 and plate of the cathedral. It was, however, only a momentary 

 success : the citizens rose and slew Sioda, while Sir William de 

 Wyndesore brought up troops, and made the Macnamaras restore the 

 "books, ornaments, and chalices " of St. Mary's.* 



1 Plea Rolls, 124 of xi Ed. II., m. 44. 



- In 1358 Catheikenlyshe had a grant of murage for twentj' years, " asl)'ing 

 on the marches, with the Irish rebels on every side, and liable to their incursions. 

 Charter of £d. III., Nov. 9th, 13o8. 



2 Known to history as " Brian of the battle of (Monaster an) Aenagh," from 

 his victory over Desmond. 



^Annals F.M., 137(J. Fitzgerald and Macgregor's " History of Limerick," 

 vol. ii., p. 84; Journal R.S.A.I., vol. xix. (1889), p. 234. Also the facsimile of 

 an entry relating to this war in " iNatioual MSS. of Ireland," vol. iii., No. liv. 



[28*J 



