PREFACE.

THAT Ireland is not so well known to Great Britain as the interest of both countries requires, is fully evinced by the numerous errors into which some of the best-informed English writers fall when treating of this island; but that it is not, even yet, sufficiently acquainted with itself, is a truth, which, though equally incontestible, appears not to be so generally felt or considered. These defects, which must be evidently prejudicial to the empire at large, have been ascribed to many causes: the only one, however, deemed necessary to be mentioned here, is, that scarcity of useful topographical information, which may be pronounced as great an obstacle to the improvement of this country, as it is an unquestionable reflection upon its literature. While every city and town, nay almost every village and hamlet, in Great Britain, can boast of its history, or illustrative description, the efforts of the pen or the pencil, in a similar way, in Ireland, may be enumerated in a summary note; and to this deficiency it is that the imperfect knowledge of this part of the empire, above alluded to, may be principally attributed.—To elucidate this by a single example: the whole of the western province, in which the subject of the following attempt at topographical delineation is situate, its natural advantages, former transactions, numerous and respectable families, &c.

have hitherto remained almost unnoticed and unknown; insomuch, that it is a fact, no less singular than certain, that the public in general is better acquainted with every particular relating to the most obscure district in the East Indies, or the most insignificant island in the southern Archipelago, than with the affairs of this extensive and populous province. An inclination, in some measure, to remedy this defect, has induced the compilation of the following History of Galway, the ancient, and formerly celebrated, capital of the West of Ireland, which is now, with every degree of deference and respect, submitted to the impartial judgment of an enlightened public.

Amidst the avocations of professional and official duty, the author has spared neither labor nor expense to render the work which he had undertaken as perfect as possible. A desire to become acquainted with the past state and transactions of a place, which presents so many monuments of former opulence and respectability, originally led to the idea, and the intention was afterwards promoted by an incident that could not have been previously anticipated. His Majesty's Commissioners for the regulation of the Public Records of Ireland were pleased to appoint the author one of their Sub-commissioners: this circumstance, which threw open many valuable sources of national information, at once determined and enabled him to investigate with greater accuracy the history and antiquities of this ancient and respectable town, and the leisure hours that could be spared from other more immediate and necessary pursuits have been devoted to the purpose. After gleaning considerably from the invaluable archives of Trinity College, the Record Tower, (now comprising the former contents of Birmingham Tower, the parliamentary papers, and those of some of the offices of State,) the Rolls, Auditor-general's, Chief-remembrancer's, and other offices in Dublin, including, through the kindness of Sir William Betham, that of the Herald at Arms, he personally visited and carefully explored the principal record repositories in England; and the rich and inexhaustible stores of the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the British Museum, and the Tower of London, have largely contributed to complete his undertaking. The town records of Galway, (including the venerable volume which contains the early acts of the corporation, and which the present possessor values at several hundred pounds,) with the most authentic annals in the Irish language, and many private manuscripts of an interesting nature, have likewise been procured; and every printed work has been perused which was

known or supposed to throw any light on the present or former state of the town and province. From the documents thus collected the following work has been compiled; and, whatever may be the opinion formed of its arrangement or execution, it will be found to contain the only embodied portion of local and historical information ever given to the public concerning any part of the West of Ireland.

However curious or interesting works of this nature may appear to resident individuals, they can seldom be expected to excite general attention. Instances might, notwithstanding, be adduced, in which the histories of particular places have been deservedly held in high estimation; and, although the author has no expectation that the following work will ever be numbered among such instances, yet he cannot help thinking that many matters interspersed throughout its pages may be found worthy of consideration, even beyond the narrow limits of the place that gave them birth. While the descendants of those, whose actions are here recorded, will dwell over the memorials of former days, with that lively desire of knowing their ancestors, which, according to the historian, must depend on the influence of some common principle in our nature; every Irishman, concerned for the honor and prosperity of his native land, may perhaps feel a more general interest in the annals of an Irish city of ancient celebrity, in which so many affairs of public importance had formerly been transacted. If taken in a commercial point of view, it will be found that the former inhabitants of Galway, (availing themselves of those natural advantages which their situation afforded, and with which this neglected island, in every direction, so amply abounds,) gradually rose from a state of comparative insignificance to a high degree of national consideration, and that the town, however extraordinary it may now appear, arrived to a pitch of mercantile greatness superior, with the single exception of London, to any other port in the British dominions. Even to an English reader, the progress of so flourishing a colony of his own nation, or, as described by itself, "an ancient colonie of English, planted in this nook of the country," among a people then considered as "English enemies," may not be altogether unacceptable. To the

politician and philosopher it may be useful to detail the various circumstances which led to the decline of a town formerly so celebrated. At the present crisis, also, when so many of his majesty's subjects are endeavoring, by constitutional means, to become emancipated from those penal inflictions under which they have so long and so patiently labored, the following pages will demonstrate, by many examples, that the principles of Catholics are not incompatible with the strictest observance of loyalty to monarchs of a different persuasion. They will also shew that no diversity of religious opinion, or even severity of treatment under the most rigid enforcement of the penal laws, could ever weaken the allegiance of the Catholics of Ireland as subjects, or influence their demeanor as peaceable citizens. Several most honorable proofs will likewise be found of their unalterable attachment to the Protestant monarchs of Great Britain, and their representative rulers in this country.—For these, and other reasons, the author has ventured to hope that his labors may not be altogether useless, and even that they may be attended with results superior to those of satisfying mere antiquarian research, or gratifying the impulse of fruitless curiosity.

From the golden rule, Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat, laid down by Cicero as indispensible for every writer who interferes in any of the provinces of history, the author has not intentionally departed; it has been his constant guide; and the anxiety to adhere to it rigidly has, perhaps, extended even to a fault, by the too frequent introduction of the very words of the author or authority, and in many places by encumbering the pages with entire documents; but for this the best apology that can be offered is, the information which these documents will be found to contain. The author's highest expectation was, that of being classed amongst those writers approved of by Montaigne, who have nothing of their own to insert, and who only take the care and pains to collect every thing that comes to their notice, and to make a faithful register of all things, without choice or distinction, leaving the discovery of the truth entirely to the judgment of their readers. He therefore considered that a narrative, whose real value thus depended on its truth, could dispense with the labored ornaments of style; and hence no fact,

however apparently trifling, has been sacrificed to brilliancy of sentiment or elegance of diction. The incipient efforts of an individual, but little versed in the art of elaborate composition, must betray defects; but the labor of investigating ancient records, decyphering the rude and mutilated remnants of former times, and the abstracting, arranging and connecting of events, collected with much toil, through the dark periods of antiquity, will, it is hoped, induce the reflecting reader to overlook such inaccuracies, and even entitle this work to a portion of that indulgence, which the most finished productions of human industry are often found to require.

To few only of the living does the author lie under any obligation; but to those few he is largely indebted. The zeal and persevering industry with which his highly respected and valuable friend, Edmund Costello, esq. assisted in obtaining information, particularly concerning the modern state of Galway, can never be forgotten. John Lynch Alexander, esq. with the kind disposition which always marks his character, obligingly communicated several curious documents concerning the ecclesiastical history of the town. From his lamented friend, the late William Nash, esq. of the Rolls Office, Dublin whose goodness of heart was only equalled by the extent of his knowledge, the author received much valuable information. The friendship of William Shaw Mason, esq. (to whom Ireland is much indebted for the measures taken to preserve its ancient legal records, and for the first pervasive effort to develop the actual state of the country,) has also aided his researches. To Charles Blake, esq. of Merlin Park, near Galway, he is obliged for the use of the old corporation-book, before alluded to, which contains many curious entries concerning the town for a period of nearly one hundred and seventy years. To the Provost, Vice Provost, and Senior Fellows of Trinity College, he returns his sincere thanks for the condescending attention which he has experienced from that learned body; and to the Reverend Doctors Nash and Wilson he is particularly indebted. To those friends, also, who kindly wished to provide against the heavy expenses attending this work, by promoting a subscription, he is likewise thankful; and, although he declined their offers, he feels grateful for the motives which dictated them. Finally, the author begs leave here to repeat, what he once before expressed at a most respectable meeting in Galway, "that he had voluntarily undertaken the task, without any other view than a hope that it might tend to the honor, and perhaps

to the benefit, of their native town; and that, if his work should not possess sufficient merit to support itself, it would, and ought to fall into oblivion; but if otherwise, he entertained no doubt of its favorable reception by a discerning public."