487 



King from Ireland, that O'Neill was * calling for his Black Rent inMeath, 

 and Mac Murrough and 0' Carroll in Wexford and Tipperary and 

 among the abuses set forth for reformation, one of the foremost is " the 

 black rentes and tributes by Irishmen obteyned of his Majesty's sub- 

 jects.'! That the same practice was still pursued in the reign of Elizabeth, 

 may be inferred from another proclamation of Council ; and it was re- 

 newed, though on a less regular footing, by the O'Hanlons and others, 

 during what is known as the ' Tory War in Ulster' after the Restoration. 



Rut it will be seen that the effect of this Mac Rannall covenant 

 would be to reverse the picture, and to exhibit a Sassenagh Earl (if, in- 

 deed, Kildare, the Hibernis Kibernior, may be so called) in the character 

 of a levier of Black Mail from the Irish, as the price of protection from 

 the aggressions of the Earl's own people. And, lest it should be supposed 

 that this exaction from the Mac Rannall was due to some special and ex- 

 ceptional circumstances, it might easily be shown, if time permitted, by 

 an examination of the so-styled "Duties upon Irishmen" in the Rental 

 Book of the Earls of Kildare, that the same or similar tributary relations 

 were extended over a large portion of the purely Irish territory ; — a vast 

 number of other Irish names — as the Mac Murroghs, around Mount 

 Leinster ; the O'Hanlons in Forth ; the O'Byrnes in Idrone ; the O'Tooles 

 inlmail; the O'Mores in Leix ; the Mac Gilpatricks in Ossory; the 

 O'Dones in Iregan; the O'Dempseys in Glanmalira; the O'Connors in 

 Offaly ; the O'Molloys in Eglish ; the Mac Geogbegans in Kinalea ; the 

 O'Melaghlins in Clancolman; the Shynnachs (Sionnach) in Muintir 

 Tagane (Kilconry) ; the Magauleys in Cabry ; the 0' Brians in Brawny ; 

 the O'Ferralls in Anally ; the O'Reillys in Brenny ; the Mac Mahons in 

 Oriel; and theMacDermodys inMoylurgj; — being all severally registered 

 in the Rental Book for their respective yearly payments in precisely the 

 same terms, and with the same formality as the 1 Mac Rannall of Moynte- 

 rolys.' The natural inference is, that, although the legal instruments may 

 have been lost or destroyed, these several payments must have been 

 founded on covenants similar to that with the Mac Rannall now under 

 consideration. The stipulated payments are of the most various kinds, 

 and may serve to illustrate the social condition of the time. Some were, 

 like that of Mac Rannall, in money ; the major part, however, were in 

 produce of various kinds — gerrans and capulls (horses), rudders (fat 

 kine), cows in calf, sheep, swine, fish, honey, butter, &c. The tribute 

 of the O'Dwyers of Killymeanagh, was a nest of goshawks; while the 

 Mac Mahons of Oriel acknowledged no payment beyond the military 

 service of eight sparrys, or spearmen. 



It is observable, too, that in some of the districts the payment is 

 apportioned by measurement of land; while in others, in which, as it may 

 be presumed, the herds of the sept were pastured in common, it is 

 regulated by the number of sheep or cattle. Amongst the covenants on 

 which the payments in the Rental are based, are several entered into by 



* " State Papers of Henry VIII.," vol. iii., p. 32. f Ibid., vol. ii., p. 163. 

 B.I. A. PEOC. VOL. X. 3T 



