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January 7th: During the night the remaining O Sullivan followers attempted the first crossing of the River Shannon with 30 in the large boat, while leading the remaining horses behind, but the small boat containing the 10 people in the O Malley's boat overturned and all aboard were subsequently drowned. Despite this terrifying attempt at this crossing, by daybreak they nearly had most of their fighting men across to the western side into the Connacht Province while Thomas Burke and 40 of their men remained behind in the Munster Province with pikes and muskets to try and protect the women and the other civilians. The Ui Maine Mac Egans then attacked those who were still their on the eastern side of the River, and the frightened women with no other alternative, fled into the safety of the river where they too were drowned, until eventually Thomas Burke and his men were able to drive the Mac Egans off, killing 15 of them including Donough Mac Egan, the son of Cairbre mac Egan. Although Thomas Burke then launched his boat it too was overloaded and it soon sank immediately near the bank where some of the occupants were cable of making it back to the shore, while others, who could swim swam across the river while the others just fled for their lives. He then relaunched his boat, but the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Ui Maine O Maddens, whose territory was only a few mile away also bordering on the Burkes, were waiting on the western side in Connacht to attack them also so, Donnell "Cam" O Sullivan and his followers then found that they had to fight their way across the Earl's Plains / Machaire an Iarla to reach the safety of the woods at Killimor 8 mile further on, were they come upon a small village from where the residents had fled and where they found further sustenance.

January 8th: The O Sullivan group now had 80 of their fighting men out in front and 200 more at the rear with the remaining women and civilians in the middle and Donnell "Cam" O Sullivan and his followers moved on again towards Aughrim in Co. Galway in Southern Connacht having already lost 120 of their 1,000 people since they had left Glengarriff. (The Meelick Weir was nearby where Co. Galway, Co. Offaly and Co. Tipperary meet in the centre of the River Shannon). They passed on through Brackloon, (which was also in the territory of the Ui Maine O Maddens), to Clonfert. (St. Brendan had originally been set up here with over 3,000 students at his monastery there that had since also been taken over in the confiscation of the Catholic Church Institutions by Henry V111 and then built onto as an Episcopalian Cathedral). From there they moved on towards Killimor Bridge, and Aughrim passing by Lismanny House, which is now also a ruin and Clontuskert Abbey.

January 9th: what was now left of the remaining O Sullivan followers camped at Killimor, which was 12 miles out of Aughrim with only 280 of their fighting men left.

January 10th: Meanwhile, a large English Military force led by Captain Henry Malby was waiting for them at Aughrim / Each Druim (The Ridge of the Horse) and their own frontal force of 80 men seeing them ahead of them panicked and retreated back to the main group and Donnell "Cam" O Sullivan told them to "fight for their lives" while he led them off into the safety of a nearby woods attempting to gain further shelter from the head on attack. As they fled the English Military forces continued to bear down on them killing 14 of them immediately with gunfire, but 11 of the English forces were also killed by the O Sullivan rearguard who had fought their way forward to the front where Richard Burke was also to be among those killed. Donnell "Cam" O Sullivan, Donough O Hingerdell, Maurice O Sullivan and Hugh O Flynn personally went after the English leaders and were able to kill their main man, Henry Malby, and with their leaders gone and 100 of their men also killed by now the English Military forces retreated back to their fort in Aughrim. Although very battle weary the O Sullivan group with only 100 of their previous 280 fighting men left moved on as quickly as they could leaving Aughrim behind and crossed over Mt. Mary / Slieve Fuire marching through what was now deep snow heading further west towards Glinsk to avoid any more confrontations while keeping on into the night towards Ahascrag village. From there they crossed the Killian River, then onto Ballingar which was 16 mile further on, and the territory of the Ui Maine O Kellys who had also gone over to the English side who were situated in Castle Kelly under the command of Mac William Burke / de Burgho the English appointed Earl of Clanricarde. (At Ballnakill there is now the ruined church and effigy of William de Burgo " Garbh" - the Rough to still be seen there) They continued on to Ballymoe were the River Suck flows southwards to Ballygar then onto Ballinsloe to reach the upper reaches of the River Shannon again. At Ballymoe the River Island, a tributary of the River Suck enters, (Queen Maeve the ancient Queen of Connacht had built a fort here and Finn mac Cool / Fionn mac Cumhail the outstanding Fianna Warrior leader had searched for game here.) This lead onto Co. Roscommon, (which had gained its name from Ros / wood and Common for St. Comman (The Wood of St. Comman) who originally brought the Catholic Faith to this region) and where Slieve O Flynn was across the other side of the great bog. Ahead lie Trien as they struggled though the heavy snow and the heavy rain that continued to come tumbling down in bucketfuls until they reached the safety of Slieve O Flynn where the Irish Septs there warned them that the English Military forces under Mac Davitt / Davie / Davy / a Burke / de Burgo branch were waiting ahead who had continued to follow them from Glinsk were they had tried to obtain provisions from his castle. The remains of the O Sullivan group pretended that they were settling down there for the night, and lit their camp fires, but instead they continued to push on through the woods, through the brambles and the heavy snow in fear of their lives to Ballinlough, which was still in Co. Roscommon, and that was also Ui Maine Mac Egan territory, and Loch O Flynn the beginning of the River Suck were there was 80,000 acres of bog. Loch Glinn lay ahead, and also Fairymount, where there was another English Military force already set up in Boyle Abbey to the east under Sir Oliver Lambert who was now the English appointed President in the Connacht Province. Ballymote Abbey to the west in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province had by now also been recaptured by the English Military forces. (This was after 13 years, since the Ui Briuin Clann Mac Donagh had sold it originally to the "The O Donnell" from the Cenel Conaill for 400 pounds and 300 sows and it was from there that Hugh "Roe" O Donnell had set out to go down to the Battle of Kinsale. Donnell "Cam" O Sullivan and his remaining followers decided to push on from here towards Co. Leitrim in Northern Connacht, crossing over the Curlieu Mountains where they came to rest near French Park, which was previously the territory taken over by the Anglo - Norman de Freynes. (Later on in the 20th Century AD Douglas Hyde the elected 1st President of Ireland who had also founded the Gaelic League would be buried under a Celtic cross in the Episcopalian Church of England / Ireland here.) Although now down to only 60 fighting men the O Sullivan followers were once again attacked also by the Mac Davitt / Burkes who they were able to drive off. Ahead was Ballaghaderreen / Bealach an Doirin (The Road of the Little Oak Grove), (which would see a town laid out there in the future, on the River Lung in Co. Roscommon, that flows into Loch Gara, by Charles Strickland the English agent who then was to live at Loch Glynn acting for the Absentee - Land Lord the English Viscount Dillon, and where during the Great Famine era there were to be 65 pubs). (He was also to build Charlestown / Baile Chathail in Co. Mayo in the mid - west of Connacht to try and outdo the Scottish Knoxs who were then to own the town there also of Bellaghy).

The remaining O Sullivan followers now moved on into the safety of the forests at Coolavin were they were able to rest once again, as this territory was now held by the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai Mac Dermots who previously had their territory in the Curlieu Mountains from where they had been driven by the English Military forces in 1601 AD after submitting to Mountjoy and had eventually settled here. (Just outside of Coolavin is the Holy Well of St. Attracta who had her church in Boyle who was visited there by St. Patrick who used to pass through there going to Croagh Patrick,) Monasteraden lie ahead, (Named for St Auden whose ancient monastery is submerged there beneath the present graveyard enclosed in a rath / fort.) The Irish Septs who were nearby brought them food and warned them that the English commander, Sir Oliver Lambert with English Military forces was also waiting for them up ahead and blocking the road. Ahead also lie Moygara Castle with the Keshcorran Mountain behind it in the territory of the Heberian Cianachta O Garas who were the Kings of Moygara and Coolavin situated in the territory near the Mac Dermots, with Boyle 10 miles further on, as the remaining O Sullivan followers crossed the Curlieu (Rough Mountains) to Ballinfad with the Bricklieve Range off to their left. While still expecting the worst, all of a sudden out of the dark appeared a stranger dressed in a white robe who was also barefoot walking in the snow with a white wreath on his head and carrying a long wand who told them that he had come to guide them to the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin O Rourkes, which was still another 15 mile further on, and as they were now totally desperate and lost they accepted his offer and rewarded him with a Spanish gold coin, which he accepted gracefully. He then lead them on over the mountains to a small settlement were they were able to purchase some food, but by now their original number of 1,000 had been reduced to less then 50 followers. All of their original 14 horses were now gone, so 4 of the men agreed to carry, "The O Connor "Kerry" on their shoulders as he could not walk, until eventually they came across an old stray horse to put him on. At dawn their mysterious white clad guide pointed out Brian "Oge" - the Younger O Rourke's castle to them in the distance and bade them farewell, and they proceeded on to Loch Arrow with the Bricklieve Mountains behind it in the distance. (Here there were many Megalithic Graves at the Bronze Age cemetery of Carrowkeel where the Cairns are on a plateau of the hills). (Of the 200 Passage Graves known throughout Ireland there are 13 together at Carrowkeel, which are now also submerged beneath the bog and also on Kesh there are 17 caves full of Stalactites, including the School Cave and the Robber's Hole and near the main cave was were the Celtic Lughnasa Festival was held at the beginning of the harvest time on the last Sunday in July). (The bare remains of 20 different types of animals where to be found in these caves also, including Reindeer, Wolves, Bears and Arctic Lemmings, but the only living thing ever to be found in there was a great ferocious spider.)

Ballinafad / Beal an Atha Fada (The Mouth of the Long Ford) in Co. Sligo was at the foot of the Curlieu Mountains on the edge of Loch Arrow with Castle Baldwin at the turn off on the way into the town, and near the lagoon in Ballinafad there are the ruins also of an ancient monastery and along the road around Loch Arrow is a large Bronze Age Cairn at Heapstown). (This was also the country of Balor of the Evil Eye the Fomorian Chief, and the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin Ai Mac Donaghs, and the ruins of Ballindoon Friary where the Mac Donaghs are interred along the water's edge, and of Inishmore Island also with it's monastery ruins.) At Loch Arrow and Loch Key, which are only separated by a small parcel of land about a mile wide, was where the remaining O Sullivan followers passed through. (On Castle Island there is also a ruined castle in Loch Key, while on Trinity Island is were Sir Conyers Clifford's headless body was buried after his clash with Hugh "Roe" O Donnell and where the "Annals of Boyle" were to be compiled). At Knockvicar on the River Shannon is where there is an old stone bridge and a weir, and this was where the O Sullivan followers next made their camp, before making there way through the thick forest that lie ahead. (This is now also gone after it was to be cleared later on by the English held Rockingham Estate that is now known as Loch Key Forest Park).

+On to 1603 AD - 3

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook and Denman the doorway to the Heart of Australia's "Horse Capital" in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales., Australia.

John & Sue Markham

RAINBOW FARMS 603 Roxburgh Road., Muswellbrook., 2333.

02 65 479 100 - Fax: 02 65 479 102 E - Mail: www.rainbowfarms@bigpond.com