Above : Irish Family Map (Click for larger image) Nothing was of greater importance to the clans of Ireland than the records of their ancestry. Until the time of the final destruction of the clan system itself, every tribe jealously preserved the tradition of its descent from some famous ancestor. In early times these records were of vital importance : they were the title deeds of the clan to the territory it occupied ; they formed the bond which united various clans into ... Read More

Above: Robert Devereux Matters had now become very serious in Ireland ; and at this grave juncture the queen, in March, 1599, appointed as lord lieutenant Robert Devereux, second earl of Essex, son of Essex of the Plantations (412). He brought an army of 20,000 men, and got distinct instructions to direct all his strength against the earl of Tyrone and the other rebels of Ulster, and to plant garrisons at Lough Foyle and ... Read More