The People’s History of Ireland, Volume I


DANIEL O’CONNELL


THE WORLD’S BEST HISTORIES

IRELAND

THE PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF IRELAND

IN TWO VOLUMES

BY

JOHN F. FINERTY

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED IRISH LEAGUE OF AMERICA

ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME I

THE CO-OPERATIVE PUBLICATION SOCIETY

NEW YORK AND LONDON


Copyright 1904

By P. F. COLLIER & SON

Ireland


HISTORY OF IRELAND

VOLUME ONE

Ireland—1

Vol. I


CONTENTS

BOOK I

Dealing with the Story of the Irish People from the Earliest Period to the Advent of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century[a]1]

CHAPTER I

Prefatory—Territorial Divisions of Ireland—Physical Features of the Country—Peculiarities of Soil, Climate, and Scenery[3]

CHAPTER II

Further of the Characteristics and Resources of the Island—Present Form of Government[12]

CHAPTER III

The Original Inhabitants of Ireland[19]

CHAPTER IV

The Religion of Ancient Ireland—Many Writers say it was Worship of the Sun, Moon, and Elements[24]

CHAPTER V

Advent of St. Patrick—His Wonderful Apostolic Career in Ireland—A Captive and a Swineherd for Years, he Escapes and becomes the Regenerator of the Irish Nation[29]

CHAPTER VI

Ancient Laws and Government of the Irish[35]

CHAPTER VII

Period of Danish Invasion[47]

CHAPTER VIII

Battle of Clontarf, A.D. 1014—Total Overthrow of the Danish Army and Power in Ireland[52]

CHAPTER IX

Desolating Civil Wars Among the Irish[58]

CHAPTER X

The Norman-Welsh Invasion of Ireland—Their Landing in Wexford[63]

CHAPTER XI

Superior Armament of the Normans—Arrival of Henry II[72]

CHAPTER XII

Prince John “Lackland” Created “Lord” of Ireland—Splendid Heroism of Sir Armoricus Tristram[79]

CHAPTER XIII

Ireland Under the Earlier Edwards—The Younger Bruce Elected King by the Irish—Battle of Athenry—Death of Bruce at Faughart Hill[86]

CHAPTER XIV

Prince Lionel Viceroy for Edward III—The Statute of Kilkenny[91]

CHAPTER XV

Richard II’s Invasions—Heroic Art MacMurrough[95]

CHAPTER XVI

Ireland During the Wars of the Roses[101]

BOOK II

Treating of Irish Affairs from the Period of the Reformation to the Exile and Death of the Ulster Princes in the Reign of James I[109]

CHAPTER I

The “Reformation”—New Cause of Discord in Ireland[111]

CHAPTER II

The Reformation Period Continued—Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth, and “John the Proud”[117]

CHAPTER III

The Geraldine War—Hugh O’Neill and “Red Hugh” O’Donnell[123]

CHAPTER IV

Confiscation of Desmond’s Domains—English Plantation of Munster[130]

CHAPTER V

Conditions in Ulster Before the Revolt of O’Neill[133]

CHAPTER VI

O’Neill Draws the Sword—Victories of Clontibret and Armagh[136]

CHAPTER VII

Ireland Still Victorious—Battles of Tyrrell’s Pass and Drumfluich[141]

CHAPTER VIII

Irish Victory of the Yellow Ford, Called the Bannockburn of Ireland[145]

CHAPTER IX

How O’Neill Baffled Essex—O’Donnell’s Victory of the Curlew Mountains[149]

CHAPTER X

King Philip Sends Envoys to O’Neill—The Earl of Mountjoy Lord Deputy[153]

CHAPTER XI

Ireland’s Fortunes Take a Bad Turn—Defeat of O’Neill and O’Donnell at Kinsale[158]

CHAPTER XII

Sad Death of O’Donnell in Spain—Heroic Defence of Dunboy[166]

CHAPTER XIII

Wane of Irish Resistance—O’Neill Surrenders to Mountjoy at Mellifont[170]

CHAPTER XIV

Treachery of James I to the Irish Chiefs—“The Flight of the Earls”[174]

BOOK III

Recording the Doings of the English and Irish, in Ireland, from the Time of James I to the Jacobite Wars in the Days of James II and William III[183]

CHAPTER I

Confiscations and Penal Laws—The Iron Rule of Lord Strafford[185]

CHAPTER II

Irish Military Exiles—Rory O’More Organizes a Great Insurrection[192]

CHAPTER III

Horrors of Civil War in Ulster—Battle of Kilrush—Rory O’More Disappears from History[200]

CHAPTER IV

Proceedings of the Confederation of Kilkenny—Arrival of Owen Roe O’Neill and Rinuccini[208]

CHAPTER V

Treason of Ormond to the Catholic Cause—Owen Roe O’Neill, Aided by the Nuncio, Prepares to Fight[218]

CHAPTER VI

The Famous Irish Victory of Benburb—Cruel Murder of the Catholic Bishop of Ross[221]

CHAPTER VII

Ormond’s Treacherous Surrender of Dublin—Ireland’s Choice of Two Evils[226]

CHAPTER VIII

“The Curse of Cromwell”—Massacres of Drogheda and Wexford—Death of Sir Phelim O’Neill[230]

CHAPTER IX

Sad Fate of the Vanquished—Cruel Executions and Wholesale Confiscations[236]

CHAPTER X

Ireland Further Scourged Under Charles II—Murder of Archbishop Plunket—Accession of James II[240]

CHAPTER XI

Well-Meant but Imprudent Policy of King James—England Invites William of Orange to Assume the Throne[245]

CHAPTER XII

Irish Soldiers Ill-Treated in England—Policy of Tyrconnel—King James Chosen by the Irish Nation[253]

BOOK IV

Chronicling Important Events in Ireland from the Arrival of James II in that Country until the Departure of the Duke of Berwick to France after the First Siege of Limerick, in 1690[259]

CHAPTER I

King James in Ireland—Enthusiastic Reception of Him by the Irish People—Military Operations[261]

CHAPTER II

Jacobites Foiled at Londonderry—Mountcashel Defeated at Newtown Butler—King James’s Irish Parliament[264]

CHAPTER III

King James’s Imprudent Acts—Witty Retort of a Protestant Peer—Architectural Features of Dublin[268]

CHAPTER IV

Composition of the Hostile Armies—King William Arrives in Ireland—Narrowly Escapes Death on Eve of Battle[271]

CHAPTER V

Battle of the Boyne—Death of Marshal Schomberg—Valor of Irish Cavalry—Inexcusable Flight of King James[277]

CHAPTER VI

Irish Army Retires on “The Line of the Shannon”—Douglas Repulsed at Athlone—King William Begins Siege of Limerick—Sarsfield’s Exploit[286]

CHAPTER VII

William’s Assault on Limerick Repulsed with Slaughter—Heroism of the Irish Women—Irish Humanity to the English Wounded[294]

CHAPTER VIII

Fall of Cork and Kinsale—Lauzun, the French General, Accused by Irish Writers—Sarsfield’s Popularity—Tyrconnel Returns to Ireland—Berwick Departs[302]

BOOK V

Recording Important Events from the Arrival of General St. Ruth in Limerick to his Glorious Death at the Battle of Aughrim, in July, 1691[311]

CHAPTER I

General St Ruth Arrives at Limerick to Command the Irish Army—His Marvelous Activity—Brave and Able, but Vain and Obstinate[313]

CHAPTER II

De Ginkel Besieges Athlone—Memorable Resistance of the Irish Garrison—The Battle at the Bridge—St. Ruth’s Fatuous Obstinacy—Town Taken by Surprise[318]

CHAPTER III

The Irish Army Falls Back and Takes Post at Aughrim—Description of the Field—Disposition of the Irish Forces—Baal Dearg O’Donnell’s Apathy[326]

CHAPTER IV

De Ginkel Marches After St. Ruth—The Latter Prepares to “Conquer or Die”—His Speech to the Irish Army on the Eve of Fighting[332]

CHAPTER V

Decisive Battle of Aughrim—It Opens Favorably for the Irish—Desperate Fighting in the Centre and at Urachree—Fortune or Treason Favors De Ginkel[336]

CHAPTER VI

Battle of Aughrim Continued—Its Crisis—The English Turn Irish Left—St. Ruth Killed by Cannon Ball—Confusion and Final Defeat of Irish Army[342]

CHAPTER VII

Mortality Among Officers of Rank on Both Sides—Acknowledged English Loss at Aughrim—English and Irish Comments on Conduct of Battle[350]

BOOK VI

Treating of the Period from the Second Siege of Limerick, in 1691, to the Dissolution of the Exiled Franco-Irish Brigade a Century Later[361]

CHAPTER I

Second Siege of Limerick—Terrific Bombardment—The English, Aided by Treachery, Cross the Shannon—Massacre of Thomond Bridge[363]

CHAPTER II

Capitulation of Limerick—Terms of the Famous “Violated Treaty”—Cork Harbor Tragedy[371]

CHAPTER III

The Irish Troops, as a Majority, Enter the French Service—King James Receives Them Cordially—His Testimony of Their Devotion and Courage[383]

CHAPTER IV

Early Exploits of the Irish Brigade in the Service of France—At Landen, Cremona, and Blenheim—Tribute Paid it by an English Historian[388]

CHAPTER V

The Irish Brigade in the Campaigns of North Italy and Flanders—Its Strength at Various Periods—Count Dillon’s Reply to King Louis XV[393]

CHAPTER VI

The Austrian Succession—Campaign of 1745—Magnificent Achievement of the Irish Brigade at Fontenoy—Prince Louis’s Adieu to the Heroes[399]

BOOK VII

Narrating the Many Penal Statutes Against the Catholics, and Carrying the Story Down to the Acquirement of a Free Commerce by the Irish Parliament, under the Leadership of Grattan, a.d. 1780[409]

CHAPTER I

Anti-Catholic Penal Laws—Their Drastic, Brutal and Absurd Provisions—Professional Informers, Called “Priest-Hunters”[411]

CHAPTER II

Restrictions on Irish Trade and Manufactures—All Creeds Suffer—Presbyterian Exodus to America—Death of Royal Personages—Accession of George I[424]

CHAPTER III

Further Commercial Restrictions—Continued Exodus of Working People—Jonathan Swift—“The Patriot Party”—Tyranny of Primate Boulter[431]

CHAPTER IV

Official Extravagance—Charles Lucas, Leader of Irish Opposition—Chesterfield Viceroy—His Recall—Dorset’s Vile Administration[439]

CHAPTER V

More Persecution of Catholics Under George II—Secret Committee Formed—Snubbed by the Speaker—Received by the Viceroy—Anti-Union Riot in Dublin[447]

CHAPTER VI

Accession of George III—His Character—Boasts of Being “a Briton”—Death of Dr. Lucas—Lord Townsend’s Novel Idea of Governing Ireland—Septennial Parliament Refused[452]

CHAPTER VII

The Peace of Paris—Agrarian Warfare in Ireland—Judicial Murder of Father Sheehy—All who Swore Against Him Die Violent Deaths—Secret Societies[457]

CHAPTER VIII

Flood and Grattan—Sudden Rise of the Latter—Speaks for a Free Commerce—The Volunteer Movement—England Yields to Irish Demand[462]