e were, Barrett, Bermingham, Burke, Butler, Crean, Fallon, Lambert, Nolan, Port, Quin and Tully. The Coleman family is also recorded, at an early period; and particular mention made of Edmond Coleman, from whom one of the Blake family, is said to have acquired the ancient castle and estate of Menlo. The name of Craddock occurs early in the fifteenth century, the Moores," Beggs, Sempersi and Tierneys, were also old natives of Galway; and many of the descendants of these different families, still reside in the town and its vicinity. f Having thus far treated of the names and origin of the former inhabitants of Galway, their manners and character next claim attention; and of these, the reader will be presented with the most satisfactory testimonies. Respectably descended, the citizens always preserved a due respect for their own dignity; and from the earliest period, ranked with the first orders of the community. Learning and science, were received and cherished, within the town, during periods, wherein the rest of the kingdom, with very few exceptions, was immersed in the most profound ignorance; and, in the reign of Elizabeth, we find the accomplished and celebrated Sir Henry Sidney, (who was then Lord Deputy of the kingdom, and who often visited Galway,) declaring, 'that for urbanity and elegance of manners, the inhabitants equalled those of the most refined community; and, that like the people of Marseilles, in France, they contracted no stain from their rude and unpolished neighbours. *-Sir William Pelham, Lord Justice of Ireland, who arrived in Galway, in 1579, states, that, "the townsmen and wemmen, present a more civil shew of life, than other townes in Ireland do ;" and, in Sir Oliver St. John's description of Connaught, in 1614, they are thus described, "the merchants are rich, and great adventurers As far back as our national records extend, the sept of the Barretts was numerous and opulent, in Connaught; and chiefly in the baronies of Errus and Tyrawley, in the County of Mayo. They frequently occur in various ancient documents during the reign of Henry III. and for centuries after that period, and were the most powerful of the numerous clans in that district, viz. the Bourkes, Linott's, Clanpadins, Cusacks, Carrownes, Clandonnells, and others. In 1607, died Pierce Barrett of Ballesekery, the son of Pierce, whose ancestor, Mc. Padin, was seized of considerable possessions.-Richard Boy Barrett, died in 1622, seized of Aghedowne and Akehill, in Errus. Edmond Barrett, died in 1623, seized of the castle of Duncroaghane and Dowlagh; and Edward Dorough Barrett, died in 1628, seized of Rathrogin, &c.-Ing.The civil wars, which afterwards ensued, deprived this sept of all their extensive properties. This family was, formerly, of the first rank and opulence, and is still wealthy and respectable. Thomas Nolan of the castle and town of Ballinrobe, Esq. who died 18th June, 1628, was possessed of most extensive landed possessions; to which his son Gregory succeeded, and out of which his widow Agnes Martin had dower.Ing.-This property was confiscated, in the civil war of 1641, but a considerable part still remains in the families of Loughboy, Ballinderry and Ballybanagher. Thomas Coleman, was public notary of the town, from 1561 to 1573.-Corp. Book; Lib. A. The Moores of Bryes, whose properties were formerly so extensive in the County of Mayo, were of this family. On 24th March, 1625, John Moore, of Bryes, Esq. sold six cartrons of land, in the town and fields of Dowra, in that County, to Patrick Ffrench Fitz Oliver, of Galway, merchant.-Ing. Edmond Semper, of Athenry, Gent. died 8th May, * Formerly Missilia, an ancient and renowned City of Provence in France, inhabited by a colony of Phænicians, who, flying from the Persian yoke, settled there, and for many ages afterwards retained their own manners, customs and laws, cultivated the arts and sciences, and were particularly distinguished for learning and philosophy, though surrounded by many barbarous nations. In these latter particulars, no comparison could be more exactly just, than that between this celebrated people and the former inhabitants of Galway. 1 Lambeth MS. at the sea; their commonaltie is composed of the descendants of the ancient English families of the towne, and rarelie admit any new English amonge them, and never any of the Irish; they keep good hospitalitie, and are kind to strangers, and in theire manner of entertainment, and in fashinninge, and apparallinge themselves and theire wives, do most preserve the ancient manner and state, as much as any towne that ever I sawe." m These are the highly respectable descriptions, given by the first characters then in the kingdom, of the former inhabitants of Galway; as to their actions, together with those of their descendants, their public spirit, wealth and independance, and the persecutions and sufferings, under which they long afterwards laboured, they will be found fully detailed in the subsequent parts of this work; to which, for the present, the reader is referred, this being considered the most convenient place to describe the former state and topography of the town. "The In the year 1610, Speed, the celebrated English antiquary, visited Galway; and his description of the place, sufficiently indicates its then importance. principal city," says this accurate writer, "of this province, and that, which may worthily be accounted the third in Ireland, is Galway, in Irish Gallice, built in manner much like to a tower: it is dignified with a Bishop's See," and is much frequented with merchants; by reason whereof, and the benefit of the road and haven, it is gainful to the inhabitants, through traffick and exchange of rich commodities, both by sea and land." ° About the same time, Heylin, the historian, describes Galway as the third city of the kingdom for extent and beauty; and relates an anecdote, worthy of recital in his own words, "Galloway, a noted Emporie, and lately of so great fame with foreign merchants, that an outlandish merchant, meeting with an Irishman, demanded in what part of Galloway Ireland stood; as if Galloway had been the name of the Island, and Ireland only the name of some town." But the most particular and interesting account, at this period, is that contained in the description of Connaught, by Sir Oliver St. John, in 1614, before alluded to: he states, "the Province of Connaught hath only two corporations, the antient monuments of the English conquerors, and inhabited only by English families and surnames; the one is Galway, a walled towne and port of the sea, latelie made a Countie, and governed by a Maior and two Sheriffs. The towne is small, but all is faire and statelie buildings, the fronts of the houses (towards the streets) are all of hewed stone, uppe to the top, garnished with faire battlement, in an uniform course, as if the whole towne had been built uppon one modle. It is built uppon a rock, invironed almost with the sea, and the river; compassed with a strong walle, and good defences after the ancient manner, such as with a reasonable garrison, may defende itselfe against an enemie. P q Such are the accounts given of Galway, upwards of 200 years ago, by visitors and strangers, who were eye witnesses of the state of the town, and describedit as it appeared to them at the time; but the enthusiasm of the old inhabitants, when mentioning their native place, their ancient pride and boast, and the source and centre of all their wealth, happiness and connexions, was almost boundless; one of these, after giving a short description of the town, bursts, forth into the following exclamation:—and, as Jerusalem seemed to the Prophet Jeremiah, the princess among provinces, the beauty of Israel; so, thou, O Galway, dost to me appear, of most perfect beauty: nor will the reader be surprised at this, when he hears the following description of the town, given even at a subsequent period, by Henry Cromwell and the Privy Council of Ireland: "we may be bold to say, that for the situation thereof, voisinage and commerce it hath, with Spaine, the Strayts, West Indies and other places; noe towne or port in the three nations (London excepted) was more considerable, nor, in all probability would more encourage trade abroad, or manufactures at home, than this, if well improved." The increase, improvement and continual additions of strength, to the town, by the erection of several strong bulwarks and fortifications, for nearly half the seventeenth century, and particularly, during the civil wars of 1641, will be found described in their proper places. The reader is here presented with a complete and curious delineation of the place, as it appeared in its most perfect condition, after these improvements were made, formed under the following peculiar and interesting circumstances, and which will, for ever, remain an indelible memorial of the former flourishing state of this once considerable town. r In the year 1651 the Marquis of Clanricarde, then Lord Deputy of the kingdom, entered into a treaty with the Duke of Lorrain, to obtain twenty thousand pounds for the King's service in Ireland; for this sum, he agreed to give the City of Limerick and town of Galway as security; and directed his Commissioners, Lord Viscount Taaffe, Sir Nicholas Plunket and Geoffry Browne, Esquire, "particularly to describe unto the Duke, the value of the security, the strength and situation of the places and the goodness and conveniency of the harbours, &c." for this purpose, a map of the town was made, which, after the restoration, (when the antient inhabitants were restored, by the Crown, to their freedoms and estates,) was finished blazoned and described by the Rev. Henry Joyce, then warden; and afterwards elegantly engraved, at the expense of the Corporation, and dedicated to King Charles II. 8 Lambeth MS. Lynch, (author of Cambrensis eversus,) in vita Kirovani. Council Book, A. 30. page 255, 7th April, 1657. |