Catalogue description THE COUNCIL OF IRELAND to CROMWELL.

We advertise you of our proceedings in this journey, now finished, since our other letters sent to you by your servant Thomas Allen. The other battery piece, with the necessaries for the ordnance, were brought to Limerick on the Sunday before the Assumption, by me James Butler and Donaugh O'Breene. On our Lady Day we marched with all the army and ordnance to Karyckogynnell, which castle was fortified, and manned with the gunners and men of James, the pretended Earl of Desmond, and the Brennes, late possessors of the same, who would in no wise surrender the castle. The ordnance was bent upon one of the gates of the base court, which court was won by the Deputy. The ordnance was then bent upon the dungeon of the great castle, and divers assaults were given by the Englishmen. The next night following a company of my Lord Deputy's retinue entered into a tower of the castle, and kept the same until it was daylight, when others of the army entered it, and so won the whole castle, with all the persons therein, to the number of 46. 13 had been slain with our ordnance and 4 with arrows, whom the others had burnt. As the Lord Deputy, before the siege, had summoned them to surrender, on pain of being put to death, if they killed any of the army, all the said persons were put to death accordingly, except certain of the chief of them, who were gentlemen of the Brenes, and for redemption of whose lives great intercession was made and good sums of money offered. These gentlemen were conveyed to Limerick, where the Lord Deputy caused them to be arraigned, and after to have execution as traitors. In this enterprise there were killed and wounded about 30 Englishmen. The keeping of the castle is committed to us the Earl of Ossory and James Butler, as is mentioned in our other letters.

In this mean season, and whilst the ordnance was in conveying to us, we had divers communications both with O'Brene and the said pretended Earl of Desmond. Notwithstanding O'Brene's letters and promises of subjection, "we could neither get him to condescend to any conformity according to the same, ne yet to deliver the Earl of Kildare's plate and goods, but having the same and the Earl of Kildare's second son, with divers traditors of the servants of the said Earl and Thomas FitzGerald, and retaining them (as it were under his protection), both therein, and otherwise in his communication and deeds, useth himself after that sort, as he thinketh it not to be his duty to recognize the King's Majesty, neither yet to abide any indifferent or reasonable order upon any wrong by him done to the King and his subjects."

The Earl of Desmond showed himself very reasonable, and consented that his two sons should be delivered as hostages, and divers sureties be bound for his obedience, and to perform the order of the Deputy and Council "about the right of the earldom." Nevertheless he would not finally accomplish the same, pondering his oath to O'Brene, that the one of them should not make an agreement with us without the assent of the other, "and peradventure suspecting his title to the earldom, and also perceiving that we could not demore in the country there." We therefore purposed to advance the army and ordnance over the water for the destruction of O'Brene's country, but the army refused to go further without their wages. "Albeit that no shift could be made for money to pay them, we offered unto them to leave them in the cities of Limerick and Cork, and the town Kilmahallock, in which places, upon our bands and sureties, they should have had meat and drink until the King's money had come;" which offer they rejected. Thus "the castle of Loughgyr (being in the midst of the strength of the said pretended Earl of Desmond, wherein I, James Butler, kept a garrison twenty days together before,) is left void, for that none of my men ne any others of this country (except James FitzMorice had been here to have received the same,) would in no wise take the custody thereof, unless the Englishmen had demored in the places aforesaid."

As we do not write to the King, we beseech you to advertise him thereof, and to signify to us his further pleasure, for, unless the rebellion of O'Brene and Desmond be suppressed, great commotion will grow thereby; nor will the King be able to recover the lands which lately belonged to the Earl of Kildare. The King's Deputy with a great part of the army must continue in Limerick, Cork, and other places in those parts for a quarter of a year at least. James FitzMorice should be sent hither to the Lord Deputy and Council, that the King may have assurance of his fidelity, and that he may be made, with the aid of the Deputy and army, an instrument for the suppression of the said pretended Earl.

The Parliament is adjourned to Dublin, there to begin on the 15th September. We have left the demi culverin and much of our artillery in Limerick, and the demi curtall with other ordnance in Clonnell, [Clomell in "State Papers."] to the intent that, as soon as money comes, we may again advance into the parts aforesaid--Would you had seen the countries we have seen in this our journey, and then you would say, you had not seen not the like, and think it much pity that the same were not in subjection.

Cashell, 24 miles from Limerick, 12th [Sic. "22nd" at the beginning, and in the original in the Record Office.] August.

Signed: J. Lord Trymeleteston, Chancellor; P. Ossery; James Butler; Edmund of Cassall; Gerald Aylmer, Justice John Allen, Mr. of the Rolls.

Copy. Addressed: Lord Privy Seal, &c.

Printed from the original in the Record Office, in "State Papers," II. 361.

Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. I, document 88.