Chapter I: Front Matter

DANIEL O’CONNELL ]

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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

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COPYRIGHT 1904
BY P. F. COLLIER & SON

Ireland

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HISTORY OF IRELAND

VOLUME ONE

Ireland—1

Vol. I

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_CONTENTS_

BOOK I

DEALING WITH THE STORY OF THE IRISH PEOPLE FROM 1
THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE ADVENT OF THE
REFORMATION IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

The Original Inhabitants of Ireland 19

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

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

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 52
the Danish Army and Power in Ireland

CHAPTER IX

Desolating Civil Wars Among the Irish 58

CHAPTER X

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

CHAPTER XI

Superior Armament of the Normans—Arrival of Henry 72
II

CHAPTER XII

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

CHAPTER XIII

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

CHAPTER XIV

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

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 109
REFORMATION TO THE EXILE AND DEATH OF THE ULSTER
PRINCES IN THE REIGN OF JAMES I

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

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

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

Conditions in Ulster Before the Revolt of O’Neill 133

CHAPTER VI

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

CHAPTER VII

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

CHAPTER VIII

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

CHAPTER IX

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

CHAPTER X

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

CHAPTER XI

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

CHAPTER XII

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

CHAPTER XIII

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

CHAPTER XIV

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

BOOK III

RECORDING THE DOINGS OF THE ENGLISH AND IRISH, IN 183
IRELAND, FROM THE TIME OF JAMES I TO THE
JACOBITE WARS IN THE DAYS OF JAMES II AND
WILLIAM III

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

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

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

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

CHAPTER VI

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

CHAPTER VII

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

CHAPTER VIII

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

CHAPTER IX

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

CHAPTER X

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

CHAPTER XI

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

CHAPTER XII

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

BOOK IV

CHRONICLING IMPORTANT EVENTS IN IRELAND FROM THE 259
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

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

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

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

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

CHAPTER VI

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

CHAPTER VII

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

CHAPTER VIII

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

BOOK V

RECORDING IMPORTANT EVENTS FROM THE ARRIVAL OF 311
GENERAL ST. RUTH IN LIMERICK TO HIS GLORIOUS
DEATH AT THE BATTLE OF AUGHRIM, IN JULY, 1691

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

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

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

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

CHAPTER VI

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

CHAPTER VII

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

BOOK VI

TREATING OF THE PERIOD FROM THE SECOND SIEGE OF 361
LIMERICK, IN 1691, TO THE DISSOLUTION OF THE
EXILED FRANCO-IRISH BRIGADE A CENTURY LATER

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

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

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

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

CHAPTER VI

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

BOOK VII

NARRATING THE MANY PENAL STATUTES AGAINST THE 409
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

CHAPTER I

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

CHAPTER II

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

CHAPTER III

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

CHAPTER IV

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

CHAPTER V

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

CHAPTER VI

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

CHAPTER VII

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

CHAPTER VIII

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

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