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The Butlers the Anglo - Norman English Barons, were by now comprised of at least 13 individual families, who with their strong Anglo - Norman connection to the English Monarchy had continued to drive out or push out the remaining Irish Septs from their respective territories in Aur Mhumhain / Ormond / Eastern Munster in Mogha's Half. This had been composed of both the territories of the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlough O Kennedys in Co. Tipperary in the north - east of the Munster Province, and the adjoining territory nearby of the Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Ui Connla Mac Gilla Padraig / Fitz Patrick kingdom of Ossory in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster. The Butlers as the Norman English Earls of Ormonde, were to succeed in being in control of over 50,000 acres in these territories, by the use of English Military force over the Irish Septs there, including the frontier regions, surrounding the towns of Cahir, Callan, Gowran, Inistioge, Knocktopher / Co. Kilkenny, Nenagh, Roscrea and Thurles / Co. Tipperary, and the fertile middle country from Dunmore in the north to Jerpoint. As the English appointed Earls of Ormonde, they had originally emanated from Theobold Fitz Walter, who was the first of the Butlers / Le Buitleir, who was to use force in the Irish kingdom of Ormond, to set up at Nenagh / Aonach (The Fair), where they had previously constructed a castle, composed of a four - storied circular keep 100 feet high, which is now partially restored, and considered the finest in Ireland. They then set up at Carrick - on - Suir / Carraig na Siuire (The Rock of the River Suir) where there is also one of the best examples of a 16th Century Manor House still standing to be seen, and eventually in 1395 AD, they had moved to their main centre at Kilkenny City / Cill Chainnigh (St. Canice's Church) in the Valley of the River Nore, after purchasing it from the English Spencers.

Lord Mountgarret, who was also of Butler descent, was to control the lowlands on the frontier in the north with 20,000 acres, while other Anglo - Norman Butler supporters, such as the 6 Graces / Le Gros families, were to take over 5,000 - 10,000 acres each in the north - west, along with Edmund Butler, John Bryan, and Philip Purcell, and the 2 Cantwell families in the territory to the north - east. Other Irish territories there were also to be taken over by the individual Butler family members, and their other subordinates, such as the 4 families of the Comerfords. Also other Anglo - Norman families comprising, 3 individual families of the Blanchfields, 11 of the Shorthalls, and 8 of the St. Legers, took over the fertile lowland territories, along with the 6 families of the Archdeacons / Codys, while Henry Archer, also had 5,000 - 10,000 acres there, as did the 4 families of Rothes, and the 4 families of the Shees / Sheas, including Robert Shea / Shee, who all also controlled the economics of Kilkenny City, while the Bishop of Ossory had a further 5,000 acres in the lowlands. In the southern regions, there were at least 13 individual families of the Walshes (The Lords of the Mountain), who held the territory from Tibberaghny in the west to Rosbercon in the east, and where Robert Walsh on his own held 10,000 acres, and there also were the 5 Forestall families at Ballygurrim and Kilmakevoge, and 8 families of the Fitz Geralds at Brownfield and Gurteen, while of the 2 families of the Gaules, who were related to the Burkes, William Gaule had over 1,600 acres at Dunkitt and Gaulskill. Edmund Dalton who was near Piltown had over 2,000 acres, and there were 4 families of Denns, and 2 families of de Freneys, who had territory there also. Other landholders were the 5 families of Dobbins, and 2 families of Sweetmans and Waltons. 22 other Anglo - Norman families, also held 500 - 900 acres each, including William Drilling and Thomas Grant, and 29 others had 330 acres - 490 acres each, including James St. Leger and Joseph Walsh, while another 41 had 200 - 280 acres each. There were 2 families of Aylwards, Bryans, Cowleys, Howlings and Kealys also, who held territory there. Other families such as the 4 families of Grants and the Stranges, were along the rivers nearby adjacent to Co. Waterford in the south - east of Munster Province.

On the other hand the Irish territory of the O Brennans of Fassadmin, had shrunken down to 60 acres, and even that would also be finally taken away to be swallowed up by the English Wandesford Estates, centred on Castlecomer, while the O Ryans from Idrone in Co. Carlow in Southern Leinster, still held onto some of their territory in Leighlin in the east of Co. Kilkenny. In the far north - east the Bryans, who were kinsmen to the O Byrnes of Co. Carlow, had territory on the edge of the woods and bog lands towards the north - west. While the O Brennans, O Brophys, O Cahills, O Delaneys, O Hennessys, O Keefes, O Meaghers, O Murphys and the O Phelans were only just hanging in there in the surrounding villages.

Another 3,000,000 acres also of Irish land, had by now passed into the hands of the English Church of England and the Scottish Lowland Presbyterian Planters in the Ulster Province, with the balance of 500,000 acres still held by the Catholic Irish there, and some how, regardless of the previous oppression, overall the Catholic Irish and Old English / Anglo - Irish and New English, were still holding onto 60% of Ireland at this time. Less than half of Co. Monaghan in Southern Ulster was still in the hands of the Mere Irish, except for the Barony of Farney, which had been dominated by Gaelic Families, who had somehow manipulated the English ways, in order to continue to survive in Ireland.

Griffith Williams, was appointed English Church of England Episcopalian Bishop of Ossory / Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster this year until 1672 AD, while the majority of the "Landed Gentry" in Co. Kilkenny at this time were still Catholics of Anglo - Norman descent, but by the end of the 17th Century AD they were to be replaced by New English non - Catholic Land Lords, of which many would be officers, soldiers and supporters of Oliver Cromwell the English Protector.

April: Charles 1st, the 2nd French Stuart King of England, realising that he was now in real trouble, instructed Sir William Parsons and Sir John Borlase, his two newly appointed English Lord Justices in Ireland, to prepare the necessary Bills to confirm the 51 Graces on the Irish Catholics that he had previously promised, but never delivered on, on the previous bad advice of Thomas Wentworth.

May: The Royalist Bills to confirm the 51 Graces, which had been proposed originally for the Catholics in Ireland, to obtain more finance for Charles 1st, were forwarded from Ireland, by the two Lord Justices to London for Charles 1st to peruse personally.

May 11: The Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, despite the previous ruling of the recently deceased Wandesford, met again putting forward all their grievances that had been carried out against them under Thomas Wentworth.

May 12th: The English Long Parliament, under the leadership of the Puritan leader, John Pym, issued an Attainder against "Black Tom" Wentworth, and they then had him beheaded, and his new Irish Army was demobbed, without any problem. John Pym no longer needed the support of the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, as the permanent removal of Thomas Wentworth, had also removed the main agitation for the Ascendancy in Ireland to have anything more in common with the Catholic Irish and Anglo - Irish / Old English.

By now Charles 1st, the English King, had really worked himself into a corner, and was in desperate circumstances, so he had discussions with Mac Donnell the Catholic Earl of Antrim, to gain Catholic Irish support, and wanted the Mac Donnells to come out and support him and in return he would now support Catholic toleration. The Old English / Anglo - Irish, at this time in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament were basically still Catholics, and they were encouraged by the rebellion going on in the lowlands of Scotland, but despite this the Catholic Irish were not so sure that the Ascendancy English Parliament would give any toleration to Catholics at all.

In August: The English Civil War was soon to begin, between the Royalist forces of Charles 1st and the English Puritan Ascendancy Parliament, and the English Dublin Castle authority in Ireland was to eventually come out declaring for the Puritan Parliament, who were also to be desperate for finance, and who were to offer the previous Confiscated land in the Ulster Province in Ireland to Adventurers for 100 pounds for 1000 acres, and the same amount of acreage in Munster Province for 600 pounds, with its real value at the time more in the vicinity of 2500 pounds. They were also to forge letters, to suite their own agendas, and have them printed in England, proposing that the facts contained in the letters were the true news coming out of Ireland. The Mere Irish leaders, Rory O More in Southern Leinster, Sir Phelim O Niall, who was a Royalist from Kinard in the Ulster Province, and Conor Maguire the English appointed 1st Baron of Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh in the south - west of Ulster, had a meeting on Loch Ross at Cross Maglen in Co. Armagh in the south - east of Ulster. They decided, that any internal conflict in England for control there, was to be a great opportunity to recover some of their lost Irish territory, especially in the Ulster Province and the Leinster Province. They saw the events now occurring in England, as a chance to free Ireland from the continual ethnic and religious oppression of England, and also by now Rannall Mac Donnell, the Catholic Earl of Antrim, had led them to believe that the desperate Charles 1st would finally back them against the Puritan Ascendancy Parliament in England. They made contact with Eoghan / Owen "Roe" O Niall, who at this time was involved in fighting for the Spanish forces in Spain. He was the nephew of Hugh "Dubh" O Niall (The O Niall) the deceased English appointed 2nd Earl of Tyrone, who had previously stood up to Elizabeth 1st in Ireland, and had been Attainted by Charles 1st's father, James 1st. The 3 Irish Chiefs, decided to make their move for Irish Freedom during the following October, and this was to see the beginning of the combined Catholic Irish and Anglo - Irish Confederacy, which would last for 8 years during the English Civil War, until 1649 AD.

September: The English Puritan Ascendancy Parliament, some how found out about the agreement between Charles 1st and the Irish forces, and he was forced to withdraw his support once again in the interests of his own survival.
September 23rd: The Irish people, especially the tenants generally in Ireland, feeling the mood of the moment, took advantage of this present opportunity of predicament in England, to also try and regain their own Irish land. They considered that this was their individual chance to finally free themselves from the constant English authoritarian oppression and Confiscations, and they began to retaliate, and in the ongoing turmoil and confusion that followed, they turned their anger against many of the Planters who were still on their Native Irish lands and because of the massive Confiscations there they were to be especially extreme in the Ulster Province. Meanwhile, Rory O More the Irish Chieftain in Co. Offaly in the north - west of Southern Leinster, and Conor Maguire in Co. Fermanagh in the south - west of the Ulster Province decided between them that they would first have to gain control over the Puritan Parliament's stronghold in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre)

October 22nd: Owen Connolly, informed Sir William Parsons and Sir John Borlase, of the plan by the Irish leaders to seize the Dublin Castle, and the English garrison there was made ready for an attack, and therefore an attempt could not be made to capture it, and although most of the Old English / Anglo - Irish were not involved in the original Uprising plans at this stage, they were now also under suspicion, because they were Irish Catholics. The pressure, that was now to be brought on them by those in the English authority, because of this, was to alienate them also further from the Dublin Castle authorities, and pushed them further towards supporting the Mere Irish. Sir Phelim O Niall and the other Irish Chiefs, were to take over control of Charlemont and Dungannon in the Ulster Province, and their Irish troops, under Sir Con Mac Gennis there, were to capture Newry in Co. Down in the south - east of Ulster. During these skirmishes, many of the Planters there were also killed, as most of Ulster, and parts of the Leinster Province, were to come under their control.

October 27th: Charles 1st, the English King, who was now in Edinburgh, was informed of the Irish Uprising, that was now being carried out by the Mere Irish.
October 31st: The English Puritan Ascendancy Parliament, was also informed of the Irish Uprising, and their leader, John Pym, used this information to further discredit Charles 1st the English King, and advised him that he must be guided by them or else. As Puritans they now also pushed on with their Great Remonstrance against the Established Episcopalian Church of England, and made Charles 1st approve their own appointed Ministers in the English Parliament, who were to take over control of the English Military Forces also in Ireland. A great division now occurred, among the populations in both England and Ireland, as to who actually supported the Puritan Ascendancy Parliament, and who among the Royalists supported Charles 1st the English King, and the English Civil War was by now further along in the making. James Butler the 12th English Earl of Ormonde, came out as a committed Royalist, while the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament came out for the Ascendancy Puritan Parliament. All of the English Planters, in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province, fled to Bally Alla Castle near Ennis, and their cattle were driven off, and Barnaby O Brien, who was now the English appointed 5th Earl of Thomond, acting out his role as an English agent, went around demanding that all the Mere Irish, who were involved in the Irish Uprising be hung.

November: Sir Con Mac Gennis, with an Irish force of several thousand men, attacked Lisburn / Lisnagarvey in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province, that had been previously granted to Conway the English Viscount by Charles 1st, who had built a castle there in 1627 AD, against the Irish Septs there, but he was not able to take it and suffered a great many casualties. At Portadown in Co. Armagh in the south - east of Ulster, where there was also a castle that had been built by the English Obins against the the Irish Septs there, the Mere Irish seized 100 people there and threw them into the River Bann, where many of them were subsequently killed.

James Butler, the Royalist English 12th Earl of Ormonde, took over command of all the English troops in "The English Pale," surrounding Dublin, while Sir Henry Tichborne was in charge at Drogheda in Co. Louth in the north - east of Northern Leinster, but being a Royalist he too was under suspicion also, by the English Puritan Ascendancy Parliament.

The Heremonian Ui Laoghaire Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge O Byrnes, from Co. Wicklow in the south - east of Southern Leinster, also joined in the Irish Uprising, and were able to come within a whisker of reaching Dublin, while other revolts were also occurring within "The English Pale" itself, followed by another further down along the coast in Co. Wexford , which was also in the south - east of Southern Leinster. Other Irish forces made it into Co. Louth in the north - east of Northern Leinster, were they took Dundalk, and were on their way to try and take Drogheda there, and were joined by many of the Mere Irish people there also.

November 29th: James Butler, the Royalist 12th Earl of Ormonde, sent 600 of his men north out of Dublin, to assist those English now under siege in Drogheda, but the Irish forces were able to defeat them at Julianstown, and cut off any chance of further support being sent up there.

Thomas Preston, an Anglo - Irish Catholic, now realising that there was no hope of the English Puritan Ascendancy Parliament allowing any toleration for the Catholic Irish, approached the Mere Irish leaders in the Ulster Province for an "Oath of Allegiance" to Charles 1st, which they gave, and the Old English / Anglo - Irish now joined in with the Mere Irish in this particular Irish Uprising. They all feared the Puritan Ascendancy Parliament's intentions, and all they wanted from Charles 1st was the restoration of their previous privileges, while all the Mere Irish wanted was recognition of their Catholic faith, and the restoration of their Confiscated Irish land.

+On to 1641 AD / 2

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