Catalogue description STATE of IRELAND.

This record is held by Lambeth Palace Library

Details of
Title: STATE of IRELAND.
Description:

"A summary Report made of the estate of the Realm of Ireland at this present in the several Provinces, debated in Council 5 November anno 1597."

 

Ulster.--All the late rebellions in Ireland have had their beginning in Ulster. Like as when Sir William FitzWilliams surrendered the sword to Sir William Russell, and when Russell delivered up his charge to Lord Burghe, we advertised your Lordships [the Privy Council] of the bad state of that province, so now we have to report "that there is no part freed from the poison of this great rebellion, and no country or chieftain of a country, being Irish, whom the capital traitor Tyrone hath not corrupted and drawn into combination with him, so as from sea to sea beyond Dundalk, namely, from Karrickfargus in Clandeboye to Ballishanon in Tyreconnell, there is no part that standeth for her Majesty, except Karrickfargus, the Newrie, the fort of Blackwater, and the Cavan in the Breny, which are held with strong and chargeable garrisons to her Majesty, besides three or four petty castles in Clandeboyes and Lecall, namely, Belfast, Edendoghe, Carricke, Olderfleet, and Dondram, all which are maintained by wards." In Clandeboye two of the petty lords, Shane McBryon and Neale Oge McHugh McFeolem of the house of the O'Neales, made their submission, and are now returned into their countries pardoned, but they are not likely to stand fast longer than may serve their turn.

 

This bad estate of Ulster is like to grow worse by the late frequent practices of the two great lords of Kantyre in Scotland, Angus McDonnell and McAlane, "both labouring vehemently to come into Ulster, and bring with them 2,000 or 3,000 Scots; [and], under pretence to make offer to serve her Majesty, they will bend themselves against her, and convert their forces to serve the traitor, with whom it is to be doubted they have contracted underhand." In our opinion, their sudden reconciliation, "being before at deadly malice one against the other, should betoken some deep conspiracy against this State, either set on by Earl Huntley in Scotland, or drawn on by Tyrone in Ireland." These two Scottish septs were formerly "at pike" one with the other.

 

"We have directed Sir John Chichester, who hath charge at Knackfargus and those parts, to stand upon as good a keeping as he can against the subtility of those Scots, and to foresee specially that they come not into Karrickfargus, or any other house or castle kept for her Majesty, otherwise than he may be able to put them out when he will."

 

Connaught.--Her Majesty has to keep in this province a force of 2,300 foot and 75 (sic) horse; "and such is the waste and ruin, specially in grain, as we are driven to victual most of those companies out of her Majesty's store, sometimes by sending of corn by sea from Dublin to Gallawaie, which is very chargeable and casual, and sometimes by conveying of biscuit over land, when we can get garrans for carriage of it, which is not without difficulty and great murmur of the country, though they are paid ready money, according to her Majesty's usual rates."

 

"Albeit upon the drawing of Tibbott ne Longe [Burke], and the late expelling of the supposed McWilliam by her Majesty's forces twice out of that province, there were some appearance that the state of the country would grow to better settling, the rather for that upon the expulsion of McWilliam and the coming of Tybott sundry other septs of the Burghes, O'Kellies, and other nations that were loose and stood out before, came in to Sir Conyers Clifford, .... and he procured from the late Lord Deputy a general pardon for them all, and of some of them he took pledges: nevertheless, many of them fell to revolt afterwards, when they saw O'Donnell to countenance McWilliam, and attempt to set him in his place again." Till O'Donnell be taken down, it will be hard to reduce them.

 

Leinster and the English Pale.--The garboils are greater than ever. It was thought that, by cutting off Feoghe McHugh, they would have come to an end, but the quarrels have been renewed by his two sons. "They have been with Tyrone all the last summer, and have wrought him to send forces with them into Leinster under the conduct of sundry chief lords, some remaining about himself, as Captain Tirrell and one of the O'Neales, and others chosen out of Leinster, as Breon Reoghe O'More, the Nugents, and Feoghe's two sons themselves, .... to the number of 600 and upwards, divided and sorted into shot and pikes, and other short weapons.

 

"These have of late committed sundry burnings in Leax, Offaly, the Ranelaghe, the Byrnes' country, Kildare, and in some part near Dublin, where they have done several hurts upon the subjects, and especially upon the English, as they could come by them; whom they sought principally to expel out of their dwellings in Leinster, as the other rebels in Ulster and Connaught have; .... whereby it is apparent that this great rebellion in Ireland is a mere Irish war followed upon the English of purpose to root them out, and reduce the realm to the old Irish laws and tyrannical customs of Tanistry. To these are adherent sundry of these Irish families in Leinster, as the O'Mores, O'Conners, some of the Cavannaughes, some of the Birnes and Tooles, some of the McCaughlons, O'Malaghlins, O'Moloies, O'Dempsies, and others."

 

In the English Pale many are suspected of unsoundness, "even for that in ordinary warrants ... for her Majesty's service, they are far more backward than good subjects ought to be: .... besides, two base brethren of the Earl of Kildare, called the Bastard Geraldines, having drawn to them a number of loose people, do range up and down the English Pale, extorting meat, drink, and money at their own wills, and so terrify the subjects of the Pale as many do forsake their dwellings for fear of their violence. These Bastard Geraldines are now upon protection; and what will further become of them we know not, having often written to the Earl of Kildare to temper with them and to stay them, but we have not as yet heard anything from him."

 

Munster.--"The best tempered of all the rest at this present; for that, though not long since sundry loose persons, as some of the McShees, the Lord Roche's base sons, and others became Robin Hoods, and slew some of the Undertakers, dwelling scattered in thatched houses and remote places near to woods and fastnesses, yet now they are cut off, and no known disturbers left who are like to make any dangerous alteration upon the sudden. And yet we have intelligence that many are practised withal from the North, to be of combination with the rest, and to stir coals in Munster, whereby the whole realm might be in a general uproar: a matter which maketh good our former opinion that it is a universal Irish war, intended to shake off all English government."

 

Given at Dublin, 5 November 1597.

 

Copy.

Date: 5 Nov 1597
Held by: Lambeth Palace Library, not available at The National Archives
Former reference in its original department: MS 621, p. 57
Language: English
Physical description: 6 Pages.
Unpublished finding aids:

Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. III, document 277.

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