Dear Sir, LETTER XXI. Limerick, January, 28, 1842. Antiquarians living in America, should visit these old countries, once at least in their lives, and treat themselves to one year of luxuriant feasting upon all that is ancient and curious. In accordance with your wish I proceed to give you a brief description of this old city. Limerick is seated on the noble river Shannon, about sixty miles from the ocean, and ninety-four from Dublin. The river is navigable for ships of a large size to the city wharfs. Situated as the heart of a rich and fertile country, it is a place of considerable commerce. The city annals are full of stirring incident. Some have supposed its foundations were laid before the birth of Christ. Ptolemy gave it the name of Regia, and in other ancient documents, it is called Rosse de Naileagh. Its earliest name is allowed to have been Lum-neach, an Irish word signifying a place made bare by the grazing of horses. It seems that at a very early period the Island upon which part of the city stands, was the resort of a set of outlaws and vagabonds, who subsisted by plundering the neighbouring counties on both sides of the river. (think of ancient Rome.) Here they drove their stolen horses. Hence the name. The Island was at that time accessible only by a ford; now two majestic stone bridges span the river, uniting the county Clare with the town. Its present modifica tion of name was by the English. The place was taken and plundered by the Danes in the year of our Lord, 812, and soon after, they constituted it one of their principal maritime stations. They encompassed it with walls and towers, and for more than a century, maintained it as a place of great importance to their interests in Ireland. At the time, denominated in history, "The English Invasion," A. D. 1169, it fell into the hands of the English, and soon after, the Danes were banished from the kingdom. Previous to this time, much blood had been shed within and outside its walls. There is an account of a successful siege against it, by Brien Boroimhe, (can you get your American tongue around this?) King of Munster. It became the residence of the King of Thomond or North Munster; and arrived at such dignity, as to be called in history, "The Kingdom of Limerick." I find, that during a few centuries, it suffered no less than eight bloody sieges. The last two were the most important, as they resulted in its complete subjugation to the Protestant British Throne. These sieges took place, A. D. 1690—1. On the accession of James II the inhabitants proclaimed the event with great rejoicings. The same year, King William, the antagonist of James, laid siege to the city. It was then a walled town, three miles in circumference, with a castle, citadel, various towers, and seventeen gates; the whole strongly fortified. William approached the walls, with twenty thousand veteran troops, and commenced the siege. The place was well garrisoned with Irish and Danish troops, largely supplied with munitions of war; with the advantage of a free access to the ocean. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, together with the lateness of the season, this monarch pressed the siege with great vigour. A breach was made, and through it did his valiant soldiers several times penetrate into the city; but as often were they driven back. This desperate contest lasted four hours, when William was forced to retreat, leaving behind him sixteen hundred men, principally slain. A few months afterwards, King William sent General Ginkell against the place, with a large army. The siege was bloody and desperate. I stood near the place yesterday, at the Thomond bridge, where six hundred Irish troops were cut to pieces, and one hundred and fifty drowned. It seems, the Irish had made a sally; but meeting with a hot reception, and being severely pressed by the English, they retreated in great disorder. The officer in charge of the gate, fearing the English might gain an entrance with the fugitives, ordered the bridge to be drawn, and the gate shut; thus the poor fellows were left to be butchered like so many cattle. On the 1st of October, the city surrendered under certain articles of capitulation. The treaty was signed on a large stone, on the Clare side of the Shannon, close to the bridge. This stone is an object of interest to the inhabitants, as well as a curiosity to visitors. About this time, the city was declared to be no longer a fortress, and the dismantling of its walls immediately took place. The other day, I walked upon fifty yards of the old wall. It is about twenty-five feet high. The effects of the cannonading are still visible in the shattered and broken stones of the front. A gentleman, who accompanied me, pointed out the place where King William made the first breach, and the spot where the Irish and Danes played off a small battery, which did terrible execution among those who were pressing in. Here was the place too, where the good ladies of Limerick came up to the help of their valiant husbands. Strong affection for those they loved, drew them to the scene of conflict, weaponless of course, but seeing the dreadful crisis, they resolved to go into action so pulling off their stockings, and putting a few stones therein, they rushed into the ranks, and assisted in turning the tide of battle. The heavy footed stockings were seen swinging in all directions; with these they hammered the heads of the wounded, or those who had fallen in the pell-mell of retreat. Oh, the horrors of war. Into what demons does it transform our race! Pardon the digression, but Limerick, wall-less as it is, is once more besieged by a small army under the command of Jesus Christ. Several skirmishes have already taken place, and more than thirty sinners have been wounded by the sword of the Spirit; but the Captain of our salvation has healed them again, as he did poor Malchus, who had been deprived of his ear by the keen sword of Peter. We are expecting a general engagement one of these days, but it is not necessary to contrast the consequences; I mean with those bloody conflicts I have been just describing. Should we have the victory, it will be a bloodless one; and the effects so much more glorious, that they cannot be brought into comparison; but if we are unsuccessful, the results to many hundreds of the enemies of the Lord, may be as awfully terrific as the horrors of hell surpass those of the bloodiest battle that has ever stained our globe. I was much interested the day after my arrival here, with the ruins of the city fortress, formerly called King John's Castle; consisting of three towers of considerable magnitude. Two of these stand near each other, are circular and lofty. I believe they once comprehended and defended the great Thomond gate, and have long since been chosen as the device of the city arms, and continue to adorn the seals. These towers are warlike antiquities of a very ancient order, and give one a fine idea of the military architecture of bygone centuries. In several parts of the city, I have noticed dilapidated portions of the old walls. The ancient Cathedral of St. Mary's is a venerable and noble structure, in plain Gothic. The walls are surmounted by a line of graduated battlements, and the whole finished off with a square tower, one hundred and twenty feet high, singularly castellated at the top; besides, four turrets, twenty feet high, which adorn the angles. The interior is ornamented with a variety of monuments and inscriptions. The sculpture, however, possesses but little interest beyond being very ancient. The figures, with one or two exceptions, are very coarse. I understand, it is on the continent, where this art is seen in perfection; you will therefore excuse further descriptions of this kind, until I visit the continental countries, which I intend doing, if God permit, before I return to America. I was amused and surprized to find the following inscription upon a plain slab in this church; especially as it dates the latter part of the seventeenth century: MEMENTO MORY HERE LIETH LITTEL GREAT VNDERTAKER OF FAMOVS CITTIS CLOCK AND HIS OWN TIME GOE EAR- THE 19 NOVEMBER THEN HE SEEST AND FOR HIS MEMORY THIS HERE IS PLEAST BY HIS SON BEN 1693. |