O'BR
O'BR
the same time, and all were granted resi- dences in Dublin, so that they should be able to attend Parliament. On the death of the Earl in 1 55 1, Thomond and Desmond were again involved in a war regarding the succession ; and nominal peace was not restored until 1558, when the Lord- Deputy, Sussex, entered Thomond at the head of a large army, and placed the right- ful Earl in power. ^^^
O'Brien, Conor, 3rd Earl of Tho- mond, in 1570 broke out into rebellion, was defeated, and passed over into France ; but was afterwards received back into favour by Elizabeth, and returned to Ire- land with commendatory letters to the Council. In October 1 5 'j']^ after another period of civil war, he visited the Queen, and again obtained several advantages for himself and his descendants. He died in 1580, aged 46, and within five years Tho- mond was completely settled into counties and shire ground, all old rights and cus- toms abolished by law, circuits established, and the powers of the O'Briens restricted to those enjoyed by the nobility in England. "^^^ O'Brien, Donongh, 4th Earl of Thomond (the "Great Earl"), son of preceding, was brought up at the court of Elizabeth, and succeeded to the titles and estates on the death of his father in 1580. In July 1597, at the head of his clansmen, he joined the Lord-Deputy at Boyle for an attack on O'Donnell. In crossing the Erne in the face of O'Donnell's troops, the Baron of Inchiquin, the Earl's relative, was killed. The reduction of the castle of Ballyshan- non was unsuccessfully attempted, and the Lord-Deputy and O'Brien were compelled to beat an ignominious retreat, abandoning some of their artillery and baggage. In the following January the Earl was de- spatched by the Lords-Justices to inform the Queen of the true position of aflfairs in Ireland, and to be the bearer of the condi- tions upo'- which O'Neill and O'Donnell were willing to lay down their arms. After O'NeiU's victory of the Yellow Ford, the flame of insurrection spread into Tho- mond. The Earl, in 1599, visited his domains at the head of a considerable body of the Queen's troops, and inflicted a terrible retaliation on the insurgents — hanging the garrison of the castle of Dun- beg in couples on the nearest trees, and reducing Dunmore, Derryowen, Cloon, and Lissofin. Later in the same year he attended the Earl of Essex in his progress through the south of Ireland — parting from him at Dungarvan, and returning by Youghal and Cork to Limerick. In the summer of 1600 O'Brien joined Sir George Carew in his victorious expedition 366
through Desmond, and was present at the reduction of Glin Castle and other strongholds. In 1 60 1 the Earl again visited England, and returned with reinforcements for Mountjoy, thea engaged at the siege of Kinsale. After the surrender of Don Juan d'Aguila, and the settlement of the country, he had leisure to look after his own afiairs, and the historian of the O'Briens quotes documents to prove that he still exercised or claimed almost regal authority over the other members of the sept. In May 1619, he was made Governor of Clare and Thomond ; but we do not often find his name in connexion with public affairs. The Great Earl died, 5th September 1624, and was buried in Lim- erick Cathedral. ^^
O'Brien, Mnrrongh, 6th Baron and Earl of Inchiquin, known as " Mur- rough-an-tothaine" (the Incendiary), was born about 1 6 1 8. His grandfather perished at the Erne, in 1 5 97, fighting for the English against Hugh O'Donnell. His father died while he was a minor, and Murrough did not enter into the enjoyment of his estates until 1636. Inchiquin served for some years in the Spanish army, and returning home in 1639, took his seat among the peers. He early attracted the notice of Strafi'ord ; he was commended by Charles I. for his loyalty; and in April 1640 was ap- pointed Vice-President of Munster, under Sir William St. Leger, his father-in-law. On the breaking out of the War of i64i-'52, he distinguished himself against the Confederates at Rathgogan and Bally- hay, near Charleville. On 13th April 1642, he defended Cork with gi-eat ability, and soon afterwards the entire civil and military administration of Munster devolved upon him. On 2nd September 1 642, with 2,000 foot and 400 horse, he defeated Mountgarret and a superior force at the battle of LiscarroU. The Irish on this occasion lost 800 men besides their ordnance, colours, and baggage. After the armistice of September 1643, Inchiquin was enabled to despatch five regiments for the service of the King. Subsequently he proceeded to Oxford to solicit the post of President of Munster ; but finding that reports had been circulated to his disad- vantage, and that Charles was prejudiced against him, he returned to Ireland, " de- termined to assert his own importance, and prove the value of those services to which little regard had been paid." In 1644 he appears to have put himself under the protection of the Parliament, and to have received from it the appointment he coveted. He joined Lord Broghill in the campaign of 1645, driving out the
