stance during the late Irish bloody Massacre, at which time it was very much demolished. The Castle and the Garrison of Catherlaugh. The Town is scituate upon and hath the benefitt of two Rivers, viz., the Barrow and the Burren, between wch it is. It hath two fair Bridges, is upon a riseing ground, so healthfull (for Ireland) that by severall I have heard it called ye Irish Montpelier. The river Barrow is very clear and pleasant, navigable by flatt bottom'd boats hither from Ross. The Church is fair also in its kind. It is served by a Reverend worthy Gentleman, Mr. [Thomas1] Weston, heretofore a student of the Middle Temple, London. tion, and in a moment completed its destruction, leaving but two of its towers and the wall between them. Their present height is 65 feet, and the length from one tower to the other is 105 feet. As the ruin is but one side of a square, it affords a correct idea of the large space the castle formerly occupied."—"Ireland, its Scenery, Character," &c., vol. i., p. 402. The two representations given by Dineley bear evidence of being very correct, and give us a good idea of the aspect of this ancient Anglo-Norman fortress as it stood in the reign of the second Charles. 1 We supply the Christian name of this "Reverend worthy Gentleman," from his signature as minister to the proceedings of a vestry "held in the parish church of Catherlogh on Monday the 13th day of Aprill, 1680, for the parishes of Catherlogh, Killeshin, Cloydagh and Slatv," in a MS. copy or transcript of "The Vestry Book of the united Parishes of Carlow and Killeshin," which is preserved amongst the MSS. in the "Jackson Museum," now deposited in the Mechanics' Institute, Carlow. Mr. Weston's predecessor appears, from the same source, to have been Richard Jones, who attested the proceedings of the vestry held the 5th May, 1679, as "minister." The last signature of "Thomas Weston" is that of the 11th January, 1685, after which date we find his place supplied by "Jo. Pinsent, Rector." The church of Dineley's time has disappeared. The present structure, a plain building in the Grecian style, of thick rubble masonry, plastered within and dashed" outside, was erected in 1731-2, the former tower and vane of The Manufacture here is very good Sheeps Grey Frize, not at all inferior to that of Kilkenny Citty, for that his Grace the Duke of Ormond, and his son ye Earle of Arran, are sayd to buy here of it of one Mrs. Quiglet, yeerly, though Kilkenny by [be] their own City. The Market here is good, twice a Week. The Buildings of this are not unlike those of an ordinary English market Town, encrease in number and beauty daily by the expence, Industry, and Diligence of Thomas Spaight and William Crutchley, Esqrs., the former whereof hath lately built the fairest Inn of the Town, of the best accomodacon, and adjoining to four of the principall roads. Mr. Crutchley, formerly but a miller and small Tennant (to the sayd Earle of Thomond, one of the best landlords of this Kingdom), and since High Sheriff of this County, a notable projector, and whose projects for the most part are attended with profitt, hath agreed with the Town and County for the building of a large stone Bridge to carry houses thereon on each side, over the river Burren.1 Among the remarkeables here is a Woman who professeth (besides Perruque making, poleing) cutting of hair, trimming and shaving of men, at which she hath a delicate hand, and is much resorted to by the Garrison and Country Gentlemen. Two English miles from this Town, and neer Cloghrenane Castle, following on the neer side the river Barrow, is a neat House, with an Estate,' of Captain Bradstone, one of the Captaines in his Maties Regiment of Foot Guards in Dublin, who beareth for Coat Armor thus:-Argent on a Canton Gules a Rose or barbed proper. By the name of Bradston, of the family of Bradstons, of Winterborne, in the county of Gloucester, in England. Within a mile and a half of Carlow, upon the River Barrow, is seen a castle built of brick and stone, belonging to the Earle of Arran, called which were taken down in 1833, and the present graceful and lofty spire, of native granite, raised in its stead, from designs of Mr. Cobden. The above extract from the Carlow vestry-book enables us to fix the date of Dineley's visit to Carlow between 1679 and 1685. The "stone bridge" over the Burren was taken down in the year 1827, and the present structure, which is of metal, erected in its stead. The present bridge over the Barrow, uniting Carlow with the Queen's County, is called Wellington-bridge, and was erected in 1815. 2 This "estate" would seem to be the lands of Mortarstown Lower (adjoining F Cloghna) in the parish and barony of Carlow. The family of Bradston, here at least, is extinct; and the neat house," described in the text, has disappeared, save some traces of its site, which are seen at Cloghna. "Francis Bradstown, of Morterstown, gent.," was amongst the list of those (illegally) attainted of high treason by the parliament convened by James II., at Dublin, on the 7th May, 1689. Mortarstown Lower is now the estate of Col. Kane Bunbury, of Moyle. 3 The MS. has a drawing of this coat set forth without the colours, but it is not necessary to engrave the shield, as the blazon is given. CLOGHRENAN,' ats Cloughgrenane (settled upon him [i. e. Lord Arran, see p. 41], by his father, the Duke of Ormond. The present Tenant is ST John Davalliere) remarkeable for lit tle but that in the year 1649, after the murther of our late King, the Lord Lieutent Ormond began a campaign in May, with his own creditt and propper moneys, with 8000 foot and 2000 horse, and appointed Cloghgre this nan for a generall Rendesvous and Parade for the whole Army, which altogether, as well Protestant as Irish, made up a Body of three Thousand Seven Hun dred Horse and 14,500 Foot, and a Train of 4 pieces of Cannon. A mile and half distant from Carlow is STAPLES TOWN, hereto 1 Clough-grianan, i. e., the stone grianan, or pleasant place. Anciently this townland was part of the territory called the Dulloghe, which was stated by Sir Peter Carew to have been included in Idrone, the fine baronial estate claimed by this renowned knight. It appears by a MS. record in Lambeth that one of the Earls of Ormond obtained possession of the Carew estate, by purchase, from the clan Kavanagh. In course of time it devolved on the rash and rebellious Sir Edmond Butler, and became the cause of "Carew's, or the Butlers' War." It would be interesting to publish the correspondence relative to the insurrection which resulted from the claim made by Carew to this property, some particulars of which have appeared in "the Ulster Journal of Archæology," vol. iii., p. 98, &c. Cloghgrennan Castle was surprised by Sir Peter Carew, and its garrison put to the sword. See Maclean's "Life, &c., of Sir Peter Carew," p. 93. This castle, now a picturesque and ivy-clad ruin, forms the entrance to the demesne of Clogrenane, the estate of Horace Rochfort, Esq., D.L., a descendant of Robert Rochfort, who was Speaker of the Irish House of Commons in 1695. A portion of the ancient edifice is still tenanted, and forms the residence of Mr. Rochfort's gate-keeper. 2 Sir John Davallier was one of the gentlemen named in the charter granted by King Charles II. to the borough of Catherlough on the 24th December, 1675,"to bee first and modern twelve fore belonging to St. John Temple,' Master of the Rolls in Ireland, purchased by John Tench, Esq., once of Lincolnes Inne in the county of Middx., now one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the county of Carlow, and sett by him to Capt". Edward Brabazon, one of his Maties, most Honble. Privy Councill in the Kingdome of Ireland, brother to the Rt. Honble the Earle of Meath. BURREN. This river aboundes with Pike, and a Silver Ele, second to none in the three Kingdomes. I cannot forgett the saying of Ingenious Mr. James More, heretofore caplain to Sr. John Temple : That Rivers and the Inhabitants of the watry Element were made for wise men to contemplate, and Fools to pass by without consideration. As I shall not be so immodest as to range myself with the first, so I shall endeavour to throw off the scandall of the last, by some small account as I go along. Mr. Moor observed to me that the Burren in its course differs from all the Rivers in this Kingdome, for, that it naturally runs from the sea, when all the others run to it. free burgesses of the said burrough." The worthy knight was chosen, with Sir Thomas Butler, Bart., Philip Isaac, and Robert Newton, as churchwarden for the (united) parishes of Catherlogh, Killeshin, Cloydagh, and Slaty, at the vestry held on the 13th April, 1680, to which reference has been made in a former note,-Clogrennan being then, as now, situate in the parish of Cloydagh. The "union" of parishes, however, does not now exist. 1 Sir John Temple was the author of "The Irish Rebellion, or, an History of the Attempts of the Irish Papists to extirpate the Protestants in the Kingdom of Ireland; together with the barbarous Crueties and bloody Massacres which ensued thereupon," published in the year 1646, by direction of the parliamentary party to which he was warmly attached. This book contains such gross exaggerations and numerous falsehoods, that, in 1675, he denied the authorship of it, and said that the work had been printed without his knowledge. Essex's "Letters," Dublin Ed., p. 2. This gentleman was nominated a free burgess of Carlow in the charter of King Charles II. already mentioned; and he was one of those who were subsequently included, with Francis Bradstown, and several others connected with the district, in the Act of Attainder passed by James the Second's parliament before alluded to. In the reign of William III. we find Mr. Tench returned with Sir Thomas Butler, "knight and baronet," as member for the county of Carlow in the parliament which met at Dublin the 5th of October, 1692. 3 The river Burren flows through the centre of the county of Carlow. It rises in the townlands of Raheenleigh and Coolasnaghta, in the parish of Fennagh, and near the borders of Wexford, and runs from south to north, dividing for a portion of its length the baronies of Forth and Idrone [East]. It discharges into the river Barrow immediately below the town of Carlow. There are three main outlets to the drainage waters of Carlow county-the Barrow on its western border, the Slaney on the east, and the Burren passing almost in a central line between the two; the rain basin of this river is very extensive, its own course being twenty-two miles in length, and its tributaries long and numerous," "Report to the Drainage Commissioners," by Charles S. Ottley, Esq., A. M., Civil Engineer, 1847. 4 Mr. Moor's observation is not profound. The course of an inland stream may quite unmarvellously point from the sea, if the land levels give it this direction. Mr. Moor seems to have studied exceptions in the same school that taught Fluellen to ruminate upon similarities. In this river are found some small stones clearer and harder than Christall. The Castle Hill,' whence this Prospect was taken of Staple's Town." B. Bennekerry, belonging to William Ewers, Esq. A. The Turrets belonging to "The Castle Hill," now called "the Pigeon Hill," was well laid out with walks, and planted, some years ago, by the late Philip Bagenal, Esq., of Bennekerry. 2 Staplestown at the present day is a |