It is also related how a young maiden imagining herself in love with the phantom prince, cast herself into the lake on a May morning and was drowned.
The O’Donoghues were succeeded at Ross by the M’Carthy Mores, through whom the castle passed in 1588 to Sir Valentine Browne, ancestor to the present house of Kenmare.
In 1651 Lord Muskerry was guardian to his nephew Sir Valentine Browne, who was then a minor of about twelve years old. Hence it was that after his defeat by the Parliamentary forces at Knockniclashy on the 5th of July he retired with his army, numbering some one thousand five hundred men, to Ross.
Ludlow, accompanied by Lord Broghill and Sir Hardress Waller, followed with four thousand horse and two thousand foot.
Lord Muskerry was the last Royalist commander in arms, and his submission was a matter of great moment.
Ludlow reports that the castle was only accessible by the causeway which the besieged had fortified, being otherwise surrounded by water and bog.
Finding that this made the reduction of the fortress a matter of difficulty, and probably hearing of the tradition which stated Ross Castle could not fall until a ship should sail on the lake, Ludlow asked for a small fleet of boats to be prepared for transport at Kinsale.
In the meantime he found that the besieged were obtaining supplies through the thick woods surrounding the island. A force of two thousand foot were, therefore, despatched to clear the thickets. Some of the enemy were killed, some taken prisoners, and the rest saved themselves “by their good footmanship.”
The rest of Ludlow’s forces were employed in fortifying the peninsular so that a few men could keep the besieged in, while a large company was despatched to Killorgan, on Castlemain Bay, to receive the boats and supplies.
The preparation for the expedition was undertaken by the Rev. Dr. Jones, and the command was given to Captain Chudleigh.