The Story of Ireland
Irish history is a long, dark road, with many blind alleys, many sudden turnings, many unaccountably crooked portions; a road which, if it has a few sign-posts to guide us, bristles with threatening notices, now upon the one side and now upon the other, the very ground underfoot being often full of unsuspected perils threatening to hurt the unwary.
To the genuine explorer, flushed with justified self-confidence, well equipped for the journey, and indifferent to scratches or bruises, one may suppose this to be rather an allurement than otherwise, as he spurs along, lance at rest, and sword on side. To the less well-equipped traveller, who has no pretensions to the name of explorer at all, no particular courage to boast of, and whose only ambition is to make the way a little plainer for some one travelling along it for the first time, it is decidedly a serious impediment, so much so as almost to scare such a one from attempting the rôle of guide even in the slightest and least responsible capacity.
Another and perhaps even more formidable objection occurs. A history beset with such distracting problems, bristling with such thorny controversies, a history, above all, which has so much bearing upon that portion of history which has still to be born, ought, it may be said, to be approached in the gravest and most authoritative fashion possible, or else not approached at all. This is too true, and that so slight a summary as this can put forward no claim to authority of any sort is evident enough. National stories, however, no less than histories, gain a gravity, it must be remembered, and even at times a solemnity from their subject apart altogether from their treatment. A good reader will read a great deal more into them than the mere bald words convey. The lights and shadows of a great or a tragic past play over their easy surface, giving it a depth and solidity to which it could otherwise lay no claim. If the present attempt disposes any one to study at first hand one of the strangest and most perplexing chapters of human history and national destiny, its author for one will be more than content.
Emily Lawless
---
The Story of the Nations
THE
STORY OF IRELAND
THE HON. EMILY LAWLESS
WITH SOME ADDITIONS BY
MRS. ARTHUR BRONSON
1896
To
PREFACE.
CONTENTS.
PRIMEVAL IRELAND
THE LEGENDS AND LEGEND-MAKERS
PRE-CHRISTIAN IRELAND
ST. PATRICK THE MISSIONARY
THE FIRST IRISH MONASTERIES
COLUMBA AND THE WESTERN CHURCH
THE NORTHERN SCOURGE
BRIAN OF THE TRIBUTE
FROM BRIAN TO STRONGBOW
THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION
HENRY II. IN IRELAND
EFFECTS OF THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION
JOHN IN IRELAND
THE LORDS PALATINE
EDWARD BRUCE IN IRELAND
THE STATUTE OF KILKENNY
RICHARD II. IN IRELAND
THE DEEPEST DEPTHS
THE KILDARES IN THE ASCENDANT
FALL OF THE HOUSE OF KILDARE
THE ACT OF SUPREMACY
THE NEW DEPARTURE
THE FIRST PLANTATIONS
WARS AGAINST SHANE O'NEILL
BETWEEN TWO STORMS
THE DESMOND REBELLION
BETWEEN TWO MORE STORMS
BATTLE OF THE YELLOW FORD
THE ESSEX FAILURE
END OF THE TYRONE WAR
THE FLIGHT OF THE EARLS
THE FIRST CONTESTED ELECTION
OLD AND NEW OWNERS
STRAFFORD
'FORTY-ONE
THE WATERS SPREAD
CIVIL WAR
THE CONFUSION DEEPENS
CROMWELL IN IRELAND
CROMWELL'S METHODS
THE ACT OF SETTLEMENT
OPPRESSION AND COUNTER OPPRESSION
WILLIAM AND JAMES IN IRELAND
THE TREATY OF LIMERICK
THE PENAL CODE
THE COMMERCIAL CODE
MOLYNEUX AND SWIFT
HENRY FLOOD
HENRY GRATTAN
THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS
DANGER SIGNALS
THE FITZWILLIAM DISAPPOINTMENT
'NINETY-EIGHT
THE UNION
O'CONNELL AND CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION
"YOUNG IRELAND"
THE FAMINE
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUSION
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
THE STORY OF IRELAND.
I.
PRIMEVAL IRELAND.
II.
THE LEGENDS AND THE LEGEND MAKERS.
III.
PRE-CHRISTIAN IRELAND.
IV.
ST. PATRICK THE MISSIONARY.
V.
THE FIRST IRISH MONASTERIES.
VI.
ST. COLUMBA AND THE WESTERN CHURCH.
VII.
THE NORTHERN SCOURGE.
VIII.
BRIAN OF THE TRIBUTE.
IX.
FROM BRIAN TO STRONGBOW.
X.
THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION.
XI.
HENRY II. IN IRELAND.
XII.
EFFECTS OF THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION.
XIII.
JOHN IN IRELAND.
XIV.
THE LORDS PALATINE.
XV.
EDWARD BRUCE IN IRELAND.
XVI.
THE STATUTE OF KILKENNY.
XVII.
RICHARD II. IN IRELAND.
XVIII.
THE DEEPEST DEPTHS.
XIX.
THE KILDARES IN THE ASCENDANT.
XX.
FALL OF THE HOUSE OF KILDARE.
XXI.
THE ACT OF SUPREMACY.
XXII.
THE NEW DEPARTURE.
XXIII.
THE FIRST PLANTATIONS.
XXIV.
WARS AGAINST SHANE O'NEILL.
XXV.
BETWEEN TWO STORMS.
XXVI.
THE DESMOND REBELLION.
XXVII.
BETWEEN TWO MORE STORMS.
XXVIII.
BATTLE OF THE YELLOW FORD.
XXIX.
THE ESSEX FAILURE.
XXX.
END OF THE TYRONE REBELLION.
XXXI.
THE FLIGHT OF THE EARLS.
XXXII.
THE FIRST CONTESTED ELECTION.
XXXIII.
OLD AND NEW OWNERS.
XXXIV.
STRAFFORD.
XXXV.
'FORTY-ONE.
XXXVI.
THE WATERS SPREAD.
XXXVII.
CIVIL WAR.
XXXVIII.
THE CONFUSION DEEPENS.
XXXIX.
CROMWELL IN IRELAND.
XL.
CROMWELL'S METHODS.
XLI.
THE ACT OF SETTLEMENT.
XLII.
OPPRESSION AND COUNTER OPPRESSION.
XLIII.
WILLIAM AND JAMES IN IRELAND.
XLIV.
THE TREATY OF LIMERICK.
XLV.
THE PENAL CODE.
XLVI.
THE COMMERCIAL CODE.
XLVII.
MOLYNEUX AND SWIFT.
XLVIII.
HENRY FLOOD.
XLIX.
HENRY GRATTAN.
L.
THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS.
LI.
DANGER SIGNALS.
LII.
THE FITZWILLIAM DISAPPOINTMENT.
LIII.
'NINETY-EIGHT.
LIV.
THE UNION.
LV.
O'CONNELL AND CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION.
LVI.
"YOUNG IRELAND."
LVII.
THE FAMINE.
LVIII.
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT.
LIX.
CONCLUSION.
AUTHORITIES.