APHSource: Connaught Telegraph 10 December 1887
And cloud-like the glories of Connaught rolled by.
Till they sank in the horrors of grim Athenry.
On a lonely, part of the road with a dreary, treeless plain on either aide, as you journey from the town of Loughrea, the time worn walls and crumbling battlements of Athenry break on the view. The town wall. which ls preserved almost in its entirety, presents a very imposing appearance and as you approach in view of a lofty gate tower which is a splendid specimen of medieval architecture. you feel that you are on historic ground. Skirting the town are the ruins of at old castle, which was built by the first Baron of Athenry, John de Bermingbam, about the year 1317, when be also founded as abbey close by, amid the ruins of which he lie buried, The town itself-probably one of the oldest in Ireland-bas a quaint aspect from its several winding street diverging from a square. round which the principal shops are situate and not withstanding that it is an important railway station and that the shrill whistle of the steam-engines is often heard, yet it has an air of quiet repose which is most suitable to its years.
According to Ware this is the “illustrious city” mentioned by the great geographer, Ptolemy, who described it as the capital of the Anteri. We find it mentioned in our annals as early as A D 191. when a fierce battle was fought on the plain to the West of the town between Mac Con. An exiled prince, and Art, the reigning monarch son of Con of the Hundred Battles. Mac Con landed in Galway, and with a large invading force of Scots Saxons, end Albanians at once marched towards Athenry with the avowed intention of dethroning the monarch. King Art, assisted by Oilliol Ollum, the King of Munster with all his forces advanced from Tara to oppose him, both armies met at Magh Macruimhe, on the plain near Athenry, and here bloody battle was fought, in which the monarch was entirely defeated, and himself and seven sons of the Munster King slain.
In the year 1312 a charter was granted to the ” bailiffs and good men of Athenry. and permission given them to collect money for the purpose of fortifying their town.In tbe early part of the reign of Elizabeth several works were commenced but in the year 1565 the sons of the Earl of Clanrickarde threw off their allegiance to the old Cailleach – ss they most irreverently designated England’s Virgin Queen- and advanced on her loyal subjects in Athenry, laying waste the surrounding country. The Mac-an- Earlas-as the young De.Burghs were called-at once invested the town, which they carried by assault, demolished the fortifications, and put the garrison to the sword. The Irish clans flocked to their standard, andd to formidable was the insurrection, that the Viceroy himself. Sir Henry Sidney, marched with a great army into Connaught. Having taken prisoner the old Earl in Portumna he intrigued to create disunion among the rebels. and held out many inducements to the Mac-an Earlas to abandon their Irish allies. With the prudence and cowardice wbich have often been characteristics of this great family, the eldest of the De burghs readily acceded to his wishes and betrayed into his hands many of their unfortunate associates However, William De Burgh, the youngest son of the Earl. Scorned the Deputy’s offer and remained faithful to his allies. For a long time, he led the life of an outlaw, but at last in the year 1510 he was taken prisoner. and was hanged in the market-square of Galway, where his body was afterwards exposed to the public gaze. To reward the perfidious by the highest emoluments. and to punish the brave and virtuous-such has ever been the policy of an Irish Viceroy !
But the student of Irish history will ever associate the name of Athenry with the bloody battle fought there on St Lawrence’s Day in the year 1316. On the 10th of Angust in that year, over that sloping plain to the North of the town, came the young and chivalrous King Felim, with big army of kerns and galloglaches, to attack Sir John de Bermingham and Sir William Leigh De Burgh, who had concentrated their forces at Athenry. The Irish though wearied after a long march from Ballymoe, near which they fought a bloody battle with the stubborn clansmen of Brefni, were nothing daunted by the sight of the mail-clad Normans drawn up in battle array before the walls of the the town. Their young King-then only in his twenty.third year-
Full waxing in the Sprlngtide of dazzling beanty,
Of features gentle, yet of proportions bold-
was at their head, surrounded by the twelve chiefs of Sil” Marray, and as he waved them on with his bright battle- axe, it was little wonder that the breasts of those proud “scorners of armour” were aflame with the generous resolve in his defence to do or die that day.
But the Anglo-Normans presented an impenetrable wall of steel to the impetuous charges of the Irish, and with their skilled cross bowmen had the advantage from the first. Charge alter charge was led by King Felim and Mc Dermet, the young Chief of Moylurg both of whom performed prodigies of valour on that fatal dav but all in vain-the light javelin of the kern harmlessly glanced from the bright armour and though. many a knight went down before the dread battle-axe of the galloglach. still the Norman ranks remained unbroken. All through that August day the Irish kept up the fight, while the deadly missiles of the archers, against which they had no protection, struck down the noblest of their chiefs. It was a deadly struggle, and dreadful was the carnage among the brave clansmen, before the shadows of evening crept over the field, and the few survivors turned their faces from the foe.
The young and gallant Felim-the last King of the race of Turloch O’Connor-lay dead upon the field, and around him the chiefs of Hymany and Moylurg. and all the chivalry of Connacht. Eleven thousand of the Irish are said to have been slain in that fierce battle, Eleven thousand ! Truly, this ” ground which we tread is haunted, holy. ground,” and little wonder that there exists a tradition of a dark cloud over-hanging Athenry since that fatal day.
For nigh three centuries after that battle Athenry continued to be a prosperous English town, chiefly peopled by the De Burghs and De Berminghams, with their numerous followers and retainers. On the 15th of January. 1596. The celebrated chiel Hugh Roe O’Donsell, being joined by the Anglo-Irish leaders, Kittagh Burke and Talbot McWalter laid siege to Athenry. After a desperate assault they succeeded in taking the town which they burnt to the ground, demolishing the walled towers and laying waste the surrounding country. It never afterwards recovered from the blow it received at the hands of O’Donnell and soon sunk into a little village from which the present town slowly grew.
