When the news of the capitulation of Galway arrived in England, it gave infinite satisfaction to the queen and ministry, and the articles were soon after ratified, by their majesties. The event was perpetuated by a medal, on which is represented a bust of the king crowned with laurel, and inscribed with his usual titles. On the top of the reverse are the arms of Galway fixed against two palm branches, placed on saltire between a cap and a bible, the emblem of liberty and religion. The bottom is ornamented with two laurel branches twined together, and the area of the field filled with the following inscription :-" Galloway rebellium et Gallorum penultimum refugium, post plurimas strages Gulielmo III. magno restitutori religionis et libertatis, cum armamentariis simul ac navibus redditur."—" Galway, the last refuge but one of the rebels and the French, is, after much slaughter, surrendered, with all its magazines and ships, to the great William III. the restorer of religion and liberty."

Henceforth the affairs of the town will be found to present a very different appearance from that which they held for many years before. For some time before and during the siege, it was agitated by three distinct parties; first, those who were inclined for moderate proceedings; next, the more violent, who adopted the measures of Sarsfield and Tyrconnell; and lastly, the French, who generally favored the latter. These were succeeded after the surrender by two parties, the Protestants and Catholics, whose opposition to each other became so violent, that the governor, at first, found it extremely difficult to regulate matters between them. The Catholics, by the articles of capitulation, were entitled to carry arms, and their number, which was considerable, exciting the suspicion of the governor and the fears of the Protestants, he was persuaded to apply for an order to hold courtsmartial for inflicting summary punishment on such as should disturb the peace of the town. The inclinations and disposition of the governor soon became manifest. On the 1st of August, he informed general Ginckle, by letter, that he kept "a watchful eye on the Papists." On that day a new mayor was to be elected: the Catholics, under the articles, insisted on the right, and the Protestants resolved to oppose them: each party separately proceeded to election, and both, after.

h

his service; that he was the first Roman Catholic in Ireland that received his majesty's commission, for Limerick was not at the time reduced, and most of the garrison of Galway (according to the provision in the articles of capitulation) went thither, except himself and some others, who were afterwards officers in his regiment; that until the surrender of Limerick he was stationed on the frontiers, between his majesty's quarters and the Irish, where he and his men behaved themselves with great care and fidelity; that he continued in his majesty's service until disbanded; and that he had been at great expense and trouble in raising the regiment, but never received or

sought for any recompence, although it was the expectation of his majesty's favor that induced him to quit the service he was engaged in, his fortune in Ireland being but small. The object of his petition was, that the king would be pleased to direct the lords justices to consider petitioner's services in favor of his father-in-law, Mr. John Kirwan, concerning some forfeited wool-bonds; Mr. Kirwan " being a man who deserved well, and performed many services to his majesty's subjects in their calamities."-Orig. MS.

Clarke's Correspondence, MS. Trin. Col. Dub.

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much tumult and confusion, made choice of the governor, who immediately appointed alderman Revett (the last acting Protestant mayor in 1685,) his deputy; and then described "the Papists in these parts" as "the most dangerous fellows in the world." They were soon after deprived of all influence in the corporation; and the mayor, availing himself of a pretext for the purpose, disarmed every individual of the persuasion within the town. As an instance of his intentions towards these people, he recommended an order to issue, that some merchants, who were robbed near Athenry, should be remunerated by the Catholic inhabitants, and quoted the good effects of a similar measure in the town the preceding winter. They, however, relying upon their articles, appealed from his proceedings, and he was himself obliged, as governor, to transmit their petition for redress to the general. This had the desired effect, and obtained for them a temporary respite from the persecutions which they were afterwards doomed to experience.

To secure the conquest of Galway after the departure of the army for Limerick, all the batteries and other works about the town, raised both by the English and Irish forces, were levelled; but the fort formerly commenced on the hill beyond the south-east corner of the wall was repaired, and some fortified works were thrown up at the east gate, (thenceforth, in honor of his majesty, called William's gate,) and at the west end of the bridge. The governor also recommended that a fort should be built, and the castle repaired on Mutton-island, without which, he stated, that the shipping could not be secure in the bay. This was accordingly ordered, and one thousand pounds were granted for the purpose. The castle was fortified, and the fort provided with ten pieces of cannon: a company of soldiers was then stationed on the island, another was sent to Arran, and the fort there was likewise repaired. The island and castle of Bophin (the latter

Clarke's Correspond.-Colonel Toby Purcell, who was all this time in the town, openly arraigned the conduct of the governor, and, on the 2d of August, informed the lords justices, "that as long as Sir Henry Bellasyse remains in Galway, his unpopularity and covetousness will produce mischief.” He then recommended a proclamation of security to be issued, to encourage the people to bring in provisions, which they were then deterred through fear from doing.--Id.-Col. Purcell, who, on all occasions, appears to have stood forth an advocate for moderate measures, by letter of the 6th of September following, complained to general Ginckle of the conduct of Edward Eyre, one of the governors of the county of Galway, describing him as "the unfittest man in the country to be in that station, and am much afraid his violent proceedings will ruin that side of the country. He violated protections, and asserted that the articles of Galway signified but little, being against an act of parliament,

and that their excellencies did not understand the law.” Same collection.-These remonstrances, however, were unavailable, and the outrages complained of were suffered to go on with impunity.

He charged them with "growing insolent, expecting Sarsfield and O'Donnell's men to join."--Id.-About the 25th of August, some countrymen were tried in the town, by court martial, for stealing dragoon horses, for which three were found guilty, and accordingly executed. On this occasion the governor informed general Ginckle, that "there was a priest at their meeting, but they did not condemn him, because the executing a priest would have made a mighty noise at the time. I took this occasion to disarm the Papists of this town, and shall do the same to the country as soon as the commission of array arrives, and that the justices of the peace come into the country."-Same collection.

built by Oliver Cromwell, and then commanded by colonel Timothy O'Riordan,) having surrendered by capitulation, were also preserved in a state of defence, this island being considered a place of great importance, and particularly so during a war with France, whose privateers could easily shelter in the harbour had the fort been demolished.-Thus, in the district of Galway, as in all other parts of the kingdom, every necessary precaution was taken to secure the fruits of the sanguinary and disastrous war which had just terminated, and which established a free constitution and a system of laws calculated to secure the peace and advance the prosperity of the country, if their beneficial effects had not been destroyed by the bigoted persecutions which soon afterwards took place, and which will for ever remain an indelible disgrace to the times immediately succeeding this period.

CHAP. VII.

FROM THE YEAR 1691 TO THE PRESENT TIME.

After the surrender, the greater part of the old natives and Catholic inhabitants are obliged to quit the town-Measures taken to prevent their departure-Articles of Galway respected during the reign of William III.-Accession of Queen Anne—Commission of array issues-Town militia raised, and the fortifications repairedAct to prevent the further growth of Popery-Roman Catholics prevented from purchasing houses or tenements in the town or suburbs-Those already residing give security pursuant to the act-On the rumour of an invasion by the Pretender, they are turned out of the town-Afterwards admitted-Again turned out during the rebellion in Scotland-Disputes between the members of the corporation-Galway act passes-Commerce of the town-Clandestine trade-Penal visitation in 1731Town militia newly arrayed, and officers appointed—Arms delivered out, and state of the ordnance returned to government--Strict discipline observed in the town during the Scottish rebellion of 1745-Particular account of the fortifications, and their decayed state reported to government―They are suffered gradually to decay— Disputes between the governor, the corporation, and the merchants, about shutting the gates-Description of the town at the time-Trade declines-The merchants petition parliament against the corporation-Resolutions of the house-New schedule of duties and customs agreed upon-Corporation disputes-Volunteers-Non-importation resolutions-East India fleet arrives in the bay-Town yeomanry-UnionPopulation of the town and liberties-Disputes and proceedings concerning nonresident freemen, the independence and parliamentary representation of the town.

HAVING now passed over the turbulent transactions which distinguish the seventeenth century above all others in our national history, the tumults of war henceforth entirely cease; but the reader, though no longer doomed to dwell on a continued narrative of sieges and battles, or to hear of the constant streaming of human blood in the field, is destined to encounter the no less destructive evils of civil bigotry and persecution, which, for more than half a century after this period, waged legislative war against the population of Ireland, and particularly against that part of it whose actions are detailed in the following pages. Those impolitic laws, however, which exiled so many thousand of Ireland's bravest sons to fight in every clime, and to conquer for every king except their own; which compelled its clergy to seek foreign education, and, consequently, to return with foreign prejudices; and which left uncultivated the fields, and uneducated the

children, of one of the finest countries on earth, are now no more; the wiser councils of our present venerable sovereign at length prevailed, and those dismal times have long since passed by, never again to return. However desirable, therefore, it might be that the veil of oblivion were for ever drawn over these melancholy scenes, a faithful narrative of local transactions, free from any feelings of political or religious prejudice, (which are here totally disclaimed,) can have no other effect at the present day, than that of exciting the surprise and commiseration of every liberal and enlightened mind, at the excesses committed by one party, and the miseries endured by another, in those distressing times.

The treatment which the old natives and Catholic inhabitants of Galway experienced after the surrender, caused so many families to depart the town, that a general assembly of the corporation was convened on the third of April, 1693, for the purpose of devising means to prevent an evil of so serious a tendency, and particularly one which, if persevered in, would nearly depopulate the town. They accordingly resolved that the mayor and recorder should take the subject into their immediate consideration, and ordered that no passes should thenceforth be granted to any of the inhabitants; and, particularly, that coercive measures should be taken to repress the licentiousness of the soldiery, and prevent their outrageous conduct towards the town's-people. Whatever local injuries and inconveniences they might thus endure, their rights, however, under the articles of capitulation, were publicly allowed during the reign of William III. and in some instances acknowledged even by parliament. In the act, passed in the 7th year of that reign, for the better securing the government, by disarming Papists, it was provided, that any gentlemen of estate, belonging to the town and garrison on the day of their surrender, might carry the arms therein specified; and in a subsequent act, to hinder the reversal of attainders, all persons comprised in the articles were particularly excepted. In a little time, however, all restraint was laid aside; in the succeeding reign they were entirely infringed, and the rights of the inhabitants became totally disregarded.

The accession of Queen Anne to the throne was proclaimed in Galway, on the 24th of March, 1701. Her majesty's commission of array soon after issued, under which three companies of foot, consisting of two hundred and fifty men, were raised in the town and liberties. a Mutton-island was again fortified; the town gates were repaired, and the building of a new exchange was proceeded on.