Page images
PDF
EPUB

Gaillve, is formed Gallway' and Galvia, whereby the town is now denoted. The occasion of the name a very antient Irish distick expresses thus, translated:

"Ludit aquis mersam deluserat amnis

Bressalii prolis, funere nomen habet".

The name of Jordan* Island on this river, gave occasion to the Anabaptists of the town, in Cromwell's days, to goe thither and dip themselves by the island's side, as alluding to the river of Jordan.

There is an island, where the river issues from the lake, now called Olen-na-mbra-har or the Fryar's Isle, but antiently Olen-na g-clereagh, i. e. the Clergy's Isle; for the Irish Anals mention that, anno 1178, from midnight to noon Galway river became dry' from

V

Gallway. This town was formerly so celebrated in foreign parts, that an English author, Heylin, writes of it," 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."

w Nomen habet.-The "antient Irish distick” is given in the "Dinn Seanchus," as follows:

Gailleam ingean breasail buain
Rus fuchraic 'sa lind lán-uair,
Ann po báidead in jeg jeal:

ро

Uaize ainmniżżeap Gailleaṁ.

Thus in English:

Gailleamh, daughter of lasting (prosperous)
Breasal,

Bathed in the full cool stream,

Clergy

Where the bright branch was drowned:
From her the (river) Gailleamh is named.

The original proceeds to state that the monument of this lady, Gailleamh, was to be seen on the brink of the river, where a large rock near its western bank is still pointed out as the site. Here it is intended, by some of the spirited inhabitants of the town, to restore that remarkable monument, by erecting a column on the spot, with the above inscription; in order to distinguish the place from which so large a portion of that part of Ireland has been named.

* Jordan.-The fanatics of the time found their way even to this "distant angle" of the dominions of the commonwealth, after its reduction by Cromwell's forces. But they soon began to persecute one another; of which see some curious instances in the Additional Notes.

Clergy Isle to the sea; and much fish and goods long afore drowned therein, found by the people of the town. It became dry the second time, anno 1190, wherein was found the head of a spear2, one cubit long (Ware, Ant. Hib., c. 12, pag. 65). It became suddenly dry in our own memory twice, first on Tuesday the 7th of September, anno 1647; the second time there was mighty great frost from the 28th of November, 1683, to the 3rd of February, whereby the river was all congealed, only the rapid streame from the wood-key of the town to the sea. This stream suddenly stoped on Wednesday, the 23rd of January, from the night before to the night after; so as the channell was all along dry during that time, and though the frost continued as much after as before, yet the stream runned the day after and filled its channell, so continuing as usually before; soe alsoe it did after the 7th day of September the first time".

This river hath the same fish with the lake whence it springs; and in the mouth thereof, where the sea flowes, abundance of yelvers or eele frey is yearly taken in Lent time, till they wax black and stiffe about May. On the bridge, over the river from the town to the west, salmons are taken up by casting trident spears' at them, with long ropes to draw up the spears again.

Y Became dry. This is related in the Annals of the Four Masters as follows: "a. C. 1178, Abann na Gaillme do tracchadh fri trí láithe aiceanta; na h-uile aidhme ро báidhid innte ó chen, co n-a h-iascc, do thionól la lucht an dúin, agus an tiri ig-coitċinne." "The river Gaillimh became dried for the space of three natural days, and all the accoutrements that had lain in it from the earliest period, with its fish, were gathered by the people of the fortress and country."

[ocr errors]

On

ZA spear.-See Ware's Ant. Hibernica, c. xii. In Annalibus Roscomanensibus, ad annum MCXC., fit mentio capitis Hastæ, ad longitudinem unius cubiti, reperti in fluvio Galivæ tum desiccato."

a The first time.—I do not find these occurrences elsewhere related. Although the river has frequently become shallow since the above was written, yet no one, at present living, remembers to have seen it entirely "dry."

b Trident spears.-This curious method

On the west side, it is mearing with the barony of Moycullin and west liberties of the town; on the east with the east liberties, and baronys of Clare and Dunkellin.

Galway, the chiefe town of the province of Connaught, fameous for its handsome contrivement and fortification, its antient great traffick and dealings with forreigners, and the worthy parts and qualities of its cittizens, ly's on the east side where the river meets with the sea on high water about the bridge. This bridge was built anno 1442, by Edmond Lynch Fitz Thomas. It borrowes its name from the river, and was called Dunbo na Gaillve, that is dun of Galway river's mouth. Dun is a fortified town, both with the ancient Gaules, Welsh, and Irish; and is the same that the antient Saxons called Burough, as Edenburow in English is Dun-Eden in Irish. It hath nothing to doe with the sense of hill or height, as Camden (Camd. Brit. titulo Wil shi.) and Sir Ja. Ware (Ware, Antiq. Hib. cap. 10, p. 51) thought; only that such as were so called were usually situated on heights.

Galway, therefore, was in antient times a burougha, and soe continued

of taking salmon was much practised in former times. The handle of the spear was about five feet in length, and was secured at the top by a rope of sufficient extent. The spearman generally took his stand on the battlement of the bridge (see Hist. Galway, p. 30, and the old map of the town there given), and having espied the fish he seldom missed his aim; but the practice has of late years been discontinued. Chiefe town. This was formerly the chief commercial town of Ireland. It is remarkable for its noble harbour, and other

с

natural advantages; and probably in process of time, it may become one of the principal emporiums for trade between these countries and America. In such an event, Iar-Connaught would necessarily participate in its prosperity.

d Burough. This town, or "burough," appears to have existed before the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, and even to have been a fortified town; though it never was built or inhabited by Ostmen, as Ware has boldly asserted of all the fortified towns of Ireland. See his Antiq. c. xxii.

tinued after the English invasion, being one of the Earles of Ulster their mannours, as appears by the ensuing annals and records.

Anno 1124°, the castles of Dun-leo (now Belanaslow), Galway, and Kulmaile (now Killoony, in the county of Sligoe), were built. Anno 1132, the castle of Galway demolished by Monstermen invading it by sea, and Conor O'Flaherty, Lord of West Connaught, slain by them.

Anno 1149, Tordelvac O'Bryan, king of Munster, invaded Connaught, and dismantled Galway Dun.

Anno 1154, the ships of Galway Dun, and of Conmacnymara, sent upon an expedition to the north.

Anno 1161, fantastical ships" were seen in the harbour of Gal

This assertion of Ware, in support of which he has not adduced any authority, will, it is hoped, attract the attention of some of the learned members of the Irish Archæological Society.

e Anno 1124. This, and most of the facts related in the text to A. D., 1271, inclusive, will be found detailed in the Annals of the Four Masters, at the respective years mentioned above. For that at A. D. 1230, see the Annals of Inisfallen.

f Dun-leo.-Irish, Dunleoòa, the dun or habitation of Leodha, now anglicised Dunloe, which gives name to a street in Ballinasloe. There is an old Irish family of the name of Low, still highly respectable, the head of which, I believe, resides at Low-ville, near Ballinasloe, in the Co. of Galway; but whether they descend from the Leodh, after whom this fortress was named, does not appear.

way

8 Kulmaile.-Ir. Cul Maoile, now Coloony, a small town about five miles south of Sligo. Another castle was erected there by Morogh, son of Cormac Mac Donogh, in A. D. 1408.-Four Masters.

h Fantastical ships. Our annalists, in recording this occurrence, call these ships longes demnacda, which Dr. O'Conor translates, "Naves bellica," Four Masters, p. 807. This does not, however, convey the meaning of demnacoa, which literally signifies devilish or diabolical, from deaṁan (demon), the evil spirit. But our author's phrase, "fantastical ships" (viz., visionary, or having the appearance of a phantom, not real), was happily chosen to express this instance of atmospherical refraction. The writer remembers to have seen, when a boy, a well-defined aerial phenomenon of this kind, from a rising ground near the mountain of Cruach-Patrick, in Mayo.

way Dun to saile against the wind, and the next day Galway Dun tooke fire.

Anno 1230, Richard de Burgo, Lord of Connaught and Lord Justice of Ireland, constituting Fedlim O'Connor King of Connaught, besieged Odo O'Flaherty, Lord of West Connaught, in the castle of Galway, on the east side of the river; and he being relieved on the west side by Odo, King of Connaught (son of Roderick, last King of Ireland), the besiegers quitted the siege.

Anno 1232, the same lord, Richard Burk, built a castle in Galway, having restored Odo O'Connor, and confined Fedlim O'Connor. Anno 1233, Fedlim, set at liberty, became King of Connaught, by the death of Odo, and broke down Galway, Kirke, Hag, and Dunoman castles.

Anno 1247, the town and castle of Galway burnt.

Anno 1271, Walter de Burgo, Earle of Ulster, and Lord of Connaught, dyed in the castle of Galway.

Anno 1312, Richard Cadell, sirnamed Black, of whom the Blakes of Galway are dessended, was bailiffe of Galway under Richard de Burgo, the Red Earl of Ulster.

Anno 1313, the Lord John Burk, son and heir of Richard the Red Earle of Ulster, dyed at Galway.

Anno 1333, in an office found upon William, Earl of Ulster (son to the said Lord John), his death, which begins, "Inquisitio capta apud Clare coram Johanne Morice, Escaetore Domini Regis in Hibernia,

It was on a serene evening in the autumn of 1798. Hundreds who also witnessed the scene believed it supernatural; but it was soon afterwards found to have been caused by the fleet of Admiral Warren, then in pursuit of a French squadron, off the

west coast of Ireland.

i The Red Earl.-For some curious documents concerning the "Red Earl" and the "Blakes of Galway," see the Additional Notes.

« PreviousContinue »