mother, all his predecessors and successors, Beatrice de Villers, his own, Africa his wife, and of all that had died or should die in his service, he granted the ferry of the Lough of Strangford, towards the Duffren; the ferry of Carlingford; the ferry of Cragfergus and that of the Bann; and all the ferries in his several conquests in Ireland, that between Lethcathel and Arte alone excepted: Witnesses, M. bishop of Down; R. bishop of Connor; E. abbot of Ynes; G. abbot of Holm; P. abbot of Saul; G. prior of St. Thomas; P. prior of Muckmor; feet and a half wide, and placed on a level with the surface of the ground." The ground around the round tower must have been raised by the accumulation of rubbish, for the doors of such towers are placed at a considerable height-that of the tower of Kilmacduagh is placed at an elevation of twenty-six feet from the ground. The destruction of this venerable monument of antiquity was determined on in consequence of the rivalry between Lord Downshire and Lord de Clifford. The latter, who was proprietor of the tower, opposed this piece of vandalism; but Lord Downshire, taking advantage of his rival's absence, caused it to be pulled down, under pretence that its fall might endanger the cathedral. This occurred in the Autumn of 1789. When the tower was thrown down a wall was discovered running directly across its site, which was supposed to have been the foundation of an earlier church. A.D. 1026—“ Maolpatrick O'Alecain, lector of Dunlethglas, died." A.D. 1048-"Gillacoluin O'Heighnigh, lord of Airghialla, died, and was interred at Dun-da-Leathglas." A.D. 1043-"Ecmarcach, son of Cernach, erenach of Dunlethglas, went on a pilgrimage.' A.D. 1067-"Scolaige, son of Indrechtach, erenach of Mucknoe (county Monaghan), and the erenach of Dunlethglas, died." A.D. 1068-" Domhnall O'Cathusaich, erenach of Dun, died." A.D. 1069-"Dun-da-leathglas was burned." A.D. 1078-"Senoir. son of Mal-Molua, chief anchorite of Ireland, ended his days in peace at Dundalethglas." A.D. 1083-"Muircertach O'Cairill, erenach of Dun, the most learned judge and historian of Ireland, died." A.D. 1086" Maolkevin, venerable bishop of Ulidia (Down), died." A. D. 1089-O'Cernach, comarba of Dundalethglas, rested in Christ." A.D. 1099-"Diarmaid O'Maolathgen, erenach of Dun, died on Easter night." A. D. 1102-" Cooey O'Cairill, erenach of Dun, died." A.D. 1111—“Dun-da-leathglas was burned, both fort and trian, by lightning."Trian signifies the third part. or a division of a town, but it seems frequently to signify the part occupied by the inhabitants as distinguished from the military or the clergy. A.D. 1117-"Maolmaire, bishop of Dunda-lethglas, died." A.D. 1136" Maolmaedog (St. Malachy) O'Morgair retired from the cowarbate of Patrick (Primacy) to serve God." It was to Down that St. Malachy retired, where he established a house of Regular Canons which is supposed to have been on the site now occupied by the old jail. A.D. 1157-" Cuuladh O Duinsleibhe O Eochadra, King of Ulidia, died, after penance, at Dun-da-leathghlas, and was interred at Dun itself." A.D. 1158—“Gilla_Odar O’Cathusaich, erenach of Dundaleathghlas,” was a subscribing witness to the charter granted by Muircheartach MacLoughlin to the Abbey of Newry, about the year 1158. A.D. 1177 Cardinal Vivian arrived in Ireland." He was sent by Pope Alexander III., as Apostolic Legate. After having remained during Christmas with Gothred, King of the Isle of Man, he arrived at Downpatrick after Epiphany. "An army was led by John de Courcy and the knights into Dalaradia and to and W. prior of Cragfergus.-In another he granted the tithe of all his hunting throughout his whole lands: Witness, Will. prior of Cragfergus.-In another, he granted the power of holding a court, with certain privileges attending it, and appointed D- to be then prior.-In another he confirmed the donation which Amauric de Hanehhe had given of his land of Ballcrou: Witness, Malachy, bishop of Down.In another charter the prior is named Andrew; and Sir John Dun-da-leathghlas; they slew Donnell, the grandson of Cathasuch, Lord of Dalaradia. Dun-da-leathghlas was plundered and destroyed by John and the knights who came in his army. A castle was erected by him there, out of which they defeated the Ulidians twice, and the Kinel-Owen and Oriels once, slew Conor O'Carellan, chief of Clandermot, and Gilla-macliag O'Donnelly, chief of Feardroma (in county Tyrone around Castlecaulfield), and Donnell O'Laverty, chief of Clann-Hamill, in the county of Derry, was so wounded by arrows on this occasion, that he died of his wounds in the Church of St. Paul, at Armagh, after having received the Body and the Blood of Christ, and after extreme unction and penance. Many other chieftains were also slain by them besides these." John de Courcy, a warlike but cruel man, set out from Dublin, with less than four hundred men, in the month of January, A.D. 1177, and in four days arrived at Downpatrick, without meeting an enemy to oppose him. The town, which was taken by surprise, was given up to plunder, and the streets were wet with the blood of the citizens. The Pope's legate, having in vain endeavoured to prevail on De Courcy to withdraw his soldiers, on condition that Rory MacDunlevey, King of Ulidia, should pay tribute to the King of England, urged the native Prince to defend his territories against the aggressors. In the meantime, according to the Dublin copy of the Annals of Innisfallen, De Courcy erected a strong fort of stones and clay at Down, and drew a ditch or wall from sea to sea, or, in other words, he cut a deep trench in front of the site of the present market house, which completely insulated that portion of the town, which was afterwards called "the English Quarter," and which, probably, at that period constituted the entire town. In order to defend the drawbridge which connected the insulated town with the mainland, he erected a castle which stood at the junction of English-street and Church-street. In the beginning of February, MacDunlevey collected in a week, according to Giraldus, ten thousand warriors to attack the English, who marched out of the town to meet them. Giraldus says the Ulidians, who, like the northern inhabitants of every country, were the bravest of its people, fought manfully with spears and battle-axes, but were defeated by the foreigners, who mustered less than four hundred, a circumstance which, though it does not enhance their bravery or their discipline, tends to lessen the credibility of Giraldus, who, however, ascribes the victory of his countrymen to the direct interference of God. The princes of the Kinel-Owen and Oriel, finding that the common enemy was approaching too near to their own confines, so far forgot their old enmity to the Ulidians as to muster all their available forces against the Normans. The united forces, amounting to fifteen thousand men, sustained, on the 24th of June, 1177, the crushing defeat mentioned in the extract already given from the "Annals of the Four Masters." They seem to have been a multitude, without arms or discipline, opposed to the mail-clad Norman warriors; or, as MacNamee, the poet of Kinel-Owen, speaking of another battle, fought at Down, says : In this battle, according to the Annals of Inisfallen, "the Archbishop of Armagh, the Bishop of Down, and all the clergy were taken prisoners, and the English got possession of the croziers of St. Comgall (founder of Bangor), and St. Dachiarog grants them every tenth cow and tenth animal on all his farms, excepting in the Ardes, for the health of the souls of all who had contributed to advise or assist him in the conquest of Ulster Witness, Jordan de Courcey, his brother. The bishop Malachy granted to the abbey Lochmonne, Messesarech, Ferrochen, Ballinscanlan, Arthgothin, Balinrothan, Telagnocrossi, Balienbrethnaghe, Belgach, Delen, (the founder of Errigalkeeroge, in the County of Tyrone), and the Canoin Phatruic (the Book of Armagh), besides a bell called the Ceolan an Tighearna. They afterwards, however, set the bishops at liberty, and restored the Canoin Phatruic (the Book of Armagh) and the bell, but they killed all the inferior clergy, and kept the other noble relics, which are still in the hands of the English. De Courcy was extremely superstitious, and thought that he was designated in a prophecy, said to have been delivered by Ambrosius Merlin, of Caermarthen, who lived in the 5th century, which declared that "a white knight, sitting on a white horse, and bearing birds on his shield, would be the first that, with force of arms, would enter and invade Ulster." He likewise held, it is said, the prophecies attributed to St. Columbkille in such veneration that he slept with the book concealed under his pillow, because there was one of those prophecies which foretold that a certain pauper and beggar, and fugitive from another country, would come to Down with a small army and obtain possession of the town, and that such would be the slaughter of the citizens that the enemy would wade up to their knees in their blood. John de Courcy founded the Cathedral, which was then called the Church of the Most Blessed Trinity, possessed by a prior and convent of secular canons, who were the chapter of the diocese. He caused the church to be called the Church of St. Patrick, and he determined to substitute Benedictines instead of the secular canons. For this purpose he obtained from the Benedictine Abbey of St. Werburg, at Chester, a prior and a body of monks, for which he made to that abbey a grant of lands, the record of which, in the Registry of St. Werburg's, ran thus:-"John de Courcy has given to the Church of St. Werburga, at Chester, Hurmach along with ten carucates of land beneath Thewet of Chenelfernan in perpetual alms . . in order that the Abbot of Chester may select from his house a prior and community, to erect an abbacy of his Order in the Church of St. Patrick of Down; so that the aforesaid Church of Down remain free from every subjection to the Church of Chester, in consideration of the same forementioned ten carucates. Witness, Malachy, Bishop of Down, &c." In consequence of this, as we are informed by an annalist of Chester, whose entry has been preserved by Ussher-"In the year 1183 a certain monk, named William de Etleshale, went from Chester into Hulvester (Ulster) to Down, and he received the priory of the Church of St. Patrick from Malachy, Bishop of Down, and Lord John de Courci." Shortly after this, De Courcy induced or compelled the bishop to make the following grant, which is preserved in a Patent Roll, 42 Edward III. :-" Know all men present and to come, that I, Malachy, Bishop of Down, have granted, for the honour of God and of holy religion, the Church of St. Patrick of Down, with all its rights, for the use of the prior and the Black Monks, of whom I, the Bishop, shall be the guardian and Abbot, as is the case in the Church of Wynton or Coventry. Wherefore, I have granted and confirmed to them and to their successors the towns belonging to the Church, viz., &c." Then follow the names of forty-seven townlands and three rectories, most, or perhaps the whole of these vast possessions, was the property of the Prior and Convent at the period of the suppression. After enumerating the townlands and rectories, the document concludes:-" Moreover, for the honour and reverence of my episcopal dignity, I have retained in my hands the one-half of the oblations on these five festivals of the year, and no others, namely, on the Nativity of the Lord. on the Purification of the Holy Mary, on the festival of St. Patrick, at Easter and Penticost. Of this grant these are the witnesses. L. Archbishop of Dublin, T. Armagh, and many others." There is preserved among the papers formerly belonging to Sir James Ware, a copy of an ancient roll of the four Tipermeni, Balmiechethe, Dunnovere, Balienlirnoni, Telaghmethan, Balinbothan, Molrath, Kno, Chengar, Monenmor, Nochenduf, Chemard, Tirgore, Tirestruther, Balioconevi, Cremse, Crochbalindethdume, Balima, Celendre, Balmangatha, Balinculter, Balmiackelli, Keloker, Balienscruthi, Balinzimurgam, Kelliohan, Baliowosan, Lesconan, Kortef, Cronoch, teenth or fifteenth century, which was lent to him from the muniments of the See of Down, which purports to be an extract from ancient documents read by the Bishop of Down in the year 1210, before King John, and confirmed by that king. It states "that the Bishop of Down is Abbot of the Convent of the Monks of the Church of Down, and has the same pre-eminence over the Prior and the Convent of St. Patrick as any other abbot has over his own convent. And in the Church of Down the same bishop has the half of all the oblations of that church and chapels on the festivals of Easter, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Nativity of the same, and on the festival of St. Patrick and of the Nativity of our Lord. Item. He has in the same church on the north side a hall and kitchen, with chambers above and beneath, and before the gate of the cloister a little passage which leads to the lower chambers, and behind the said hall chambers on the north side, towards the parish church of said city." It would seem from this document that the cloisters and cells were to the north of the Cathedral, which corresponds with what Harris says-" Large pieces of stained glass and window lead have been lately turned out of the ruins of the building; the glass but rudely painted and scarce transparent, probably done in the infancy of the invention; but the lead was like pewter, and far beyond any used in the present times. Several cells have been discovered behind the abbey, one whereof was floored with small painted tiles, something like mosaic work, but the figures small and ill done." On account of the peculiar relations that existed between the Bishop and the Prior and Convent, the election to the see on each vacancy rested with the Prior and Convent, subject to the approbation of the king and the Pope; however, we shall find an attempt on the part of the abbey of Bangor to set up a claim to that privilege. The Terrier says:-"The Prior of the said Abby and Convent is Dean, and the monks of the said Abby or Cathedral Church are Cannons Cathedrall, and, as it were, a Chapter.' It is on this account that we do not meet in ancient documents reference to any of the officers, usually connected with other dioceses, except the archdeacon. In the year 1185 the relics of St. Patrick, St. Brigid, and St. Columbkille were discovered in the Cathedral, in a spot where they had been concealed, lest they might fall into the hands of the Danes. The following account is given of this discovery :-It being well known that the three bodies were in Down, the bishop, Malachy III., used to pray fervently to God that he would vouchsafe to point out to him the particular place in which they were concealed. On a certain night, when praying in the Cathedral Church, he saw a light like a sunbeam traversing the church, which stopped at a certain spot. Immediately procuring the necessary implements, he dug in that spot, and found the three bodies, which he then put into three boxes, and placed them again under ground. Having communicated this discovery to John de Courcy, then Lord of Down, they sent messengers to Pope Urban III, for the purpose of procuring the solemn translation of these relics to a more dignified part of the church. The Pope, agreeing to their request, sent as his legate on the following year Cardinal Vivian, who had been in Downpatrick nine years before. On his arrival the relics were solemnly translated to a more respectable part of the church, on the 9th of June, the festival of St. Columba. They were deposited in one monument, according to the well known distich given in the Office of the Translation "Nunc tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno "In Down three saints one grave do fill, Besides the Cardinal Legate there were present at this translation fifteen bishops, together with abbots, deans, archdeacons, priors, and an innumerable con Lanne, Karenlatheri, Feod, Balimagereg,· Karenesche, Challenimien, Rathoop, and the churches of Killecleth, Brichter, and Stethian, in Dalibinu, Latrath, Donenath, and Kellagkinere; reserving to the bishop the moiety of the oblations made on the several feasts of the Nativity, the Purification, St. Patrick, Easterday, and Whitsunday. Witnesses, L. Archbishop of Dublin; T. Armagh, and many others.1 Mon. Angl., vol. 2, p. 1020. course of the inferior clergy and laity. It may seem strange that the "Annals of the Four Masters" record, at the year 1293, "It was revealed to Nicholas MacMaelisa, Coarb of Patrick (Primate), that the relics of Patrick, Columbkille, and Bridgid, were at Saul. They were taken up by him, and great virtues and miracles were afterwards wrought by means of them; and after having been honourably covered, they were deposited in a shrine." We are inclined to believe that the Saul referred to in this entry is the Church called Saul at Armagh. It obviously refers to a portion of the relics which had been given to some church, and most likely that portion which we know the Church of Armagh was long possessed of. A Patent Roll (41 Ed. III.) preserved in the Tower of London, contains copies of charters to St. Patrick's, of Down-one from Malachy, the Bishop, and six from De Courcy. In one he granted to this abbey the ferry of the Lough of Strangford, towards the Dufferin; the ferry of Carlingford, that of Carrickfergus, that of the Bann, and all the ferries in his several conquests, except that between Lecale and Ards. This grant he made for the good of the souls of his father, mother, predecessors, and his niece, Beatrice de Villiers; for that of his own, of Africa, his wife, and of all who died in his service, or who should die in it. The witnesses to this charter were M., Bishop of Down; R., Bishop of Connor; E., Abbot of Ynes (Inch); G., Abbot of Holm; P., Abbot of Saul; G., Prior of St. Thomas; P., Prior of Muckamor; W., Prior of Carrickfergus. In another charter he granted the tithe of all cattle whatsoever he had on his lands, and of all his fisheries. Witness, Will., Prior of Carrickfergus. In another he granted power to hold a court and some other privileges, and appointed D- to be prior. In another charter he confirmed the donation made by Amuric de Hanehhe (probably now modernised into Hanna), of the land of Ballcrou. Witness, Malachy, Bishop of Down, Malachy, the third bishop of that name who presided over the See of Down, after witnessing the ruin of his country and the spoliation of the native clergy of his diocese to enrich English ecclesiastics who had come in the train of the conquerors, died about the year 1201; and "The Annals of the Four Masters," at the year 1204, record, evidently with satisfaction, that " John de Courcy, the plunderer of churches and territories, was driven by the son of Hugh de Lacy into Tyrone to seek the protection of the Kinel-Owen. He arrived at Carrickfergus, and the English of Ulidia slew great numbers of his people." It appears that De Courcy had incurred the displeasure of King John by speaking too freely of the murder of Prince Arthur, and Hugh de Lacy, the justiciary, was ordered to arrest him. The popular tradition of Downpatrick, and a romantic story told in the "Book of Howth," now preserved in the Lambeth Library, relate that De Lacy proclaimed De Courcy a rebel, and bribed his servants to betray him. These traitors informed De Lacy that their master was a man of such gigantic strength, and always well armed, that no one durst lay hands upon him; however, that upon Good Friday of each year he wore no arms, but remained alone doing penance in the graveyard of Down, when he could be seized. This suggestion was followed, and De Courcy was attacked unarmed. Seeing no other weapon at hand, he ran to a wooden cross that stood in the churchyard, and tearing its shaft from the socket, he killed thirteen of his assailants upon the spot. He was, however, finally overpowered, and delivered into the hands of De Lacy, who conveyed him a prisoner to the Tower of London. De Lacy inherited his possessions, with the title of Earl of Ulster, as a mark of Royal approbation, but, instead of rewarding the betrayers, he caused them to be hanged. |