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the Anglo-Normans to evacuate it, and afterwards defeated them at Limerick, and at Kilfeacle, where they had erected a castle. The Irish allies, however, soon fought among themselves. In 1201 De Burgh led a large army of O'Briens and MacCarthys into Connaught, and de- vastated the monastery of Athdalaarg, on the river Boyle, After this the O'Briens again fell out among themselves, and also fought against the Anglo-Normans, by whom, in 1208, Murtough was taken pri- soner and blinded. He died in 1239. ^^^ O'Brien, Sonough Cairbreach, King of Munster, was upon the deposition of his brother, in 1208, allowed by the Anglo-Normans to succeed him, and sub- mitting to King John, Thomond was conferred on him and his heirs, with the fortress and lordship of Garrigogonnell, which had belonged to William de Braosa. Donough fixed his residence at Clonroad, near Ennis, and commenced the erection of the beautiful Franciscan abbey, the ruins of which still remain. He was engaged in constant wars with the princes of Con- naught. His death took place in 1242. -^^ O'Brien, Conor na Sindaine, King of Munster, succeeded his father in 1242. With twenty other Irish princes, he was summoned by Henry III. to aid him in an expedition against the Scots, and after- wards, the Four Masters record that "a great battle broke out between him and the English of Munster." The territories of all the Irish princes but the O'Neills, the O'Conors, and the O'Briens had long before this been partitioned amongst the descendants of the Norman invaders. In 1258 a conference was held at Caeluisce (Narrow- water) on the Erne, between Hugh O'Conor and Teige O'Brien, on behalf of their respective fathers, and Brian O'Neill, to concert measures for mutual safety. They made peace with each other, and conferred the sovereignty of the island upon Brian O'Neill. Little practical re- sult followed this compact ; several Irish princes were soon detached from the alli- ance by the Anglo-Normans, and next year, when O'Neill and O'Conor collected their forces, no representative of the O'Briens joined them. The battle of Drumdearg, near Downpatrick, ensued, in which the Irish were defeated with the loss of Brian O'Neill, and a large number of Ulster and Connaught chieftains. On the other hand, O'Brien defeated the English at Kilbarron, in Clare, where many of the Welsh settlers of Mayo were slaughtered. He was then strong enough to compel several of the ancient tributaries of his house to acknow- ledge his authority. He fell at the battle

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of Siudan, in Clare, in 1267, in an expedi- tion against the O'Loughlins and O'Conors of Corcomroe. =^^

O'Brien, Brian Roe, King of Munster, Conor's second son, succeeded on the death of his father in 1267. Violent contentions immediately ensued between him and his nephew Turlough, in the course of which Brian called to his assistance Thomas de Clare, a young knight, to whom Edward I. had granted Thomond. When in 1277, De Clare, armed with Edward's grant, arrived at Cork from England with a numerous band of followers, Brian met him on land- ing and conveyed to him as the price of his assistance the district comprised in the present barony of Lower Bunratty, Ac- cording to a note in the Four Masters, they swore "to each other all the oaths in Munster, as bells, relics of saints, and croziers, to be true to each other for ever, and not endamage each other ; also, after they became swome gossips, and for con- firmation of this their indissoluble bond of perpetuall friendship, they drew part of the blood of each of them, which they put in a vessall and mingled it together." De Clare immediately erected Bunratty Castle. The same year O'Brien and De Clare were defeated by the De Burghs of Connaught and the Irish of Burren in a bloody en- gagement at Maghgresain, and fled to Bun- ratty. There, in vexation at his defeat and at the instigation of his wife, De Clare caused O'Brien, in the words of the chroni- cler, to be " bound to sterne steedes and tortured to death" [1277]. '^^

O'Brien, Mnrrongh, 1st Earl of Thomond, was a descendant of preced- ing. In 1 540 he met O'Neill, O'Donnell, and O'Conor at Fore in Westmeath, and concerted joint operations against the Anglo-Irish power ; but they were shortly afterwards defeated by Sir William Brere- ton, Lord-Justice. This defeat and one at Bellahoe the previous year, opened the way for a general pacification through the sub- mission of the Irish chieftains. A Par- liament in 1 541 proclaimed Henry VIIL King of all Ireland, and declared it high treason to impeach this title or oppose the royal authority. Murrough O'Brien re- nounced all idea of opposing Henry, and ofiered to support the King in his con- test with Rome, provided his estates were confirmed to him. The King and Council joyfully accepted his conditions. One hun- dred pounds was lent to O'Brien to enable him to visit London ; and on Sunday, ist July 1543 he was received by Henry at Greenwich, and created Earl of Thomond, with remainder to his nephew Donough. Other Irish chieftains were ennobled at 36s