Kavanagh: Revival Leader of Ireland

Art    Mac    Murrough ” Caomhanach ” (or ” Kavanagh “) descended from Domhnall” Caom-hanach,” son of Diarmuid na n-Gall {page 123), became King of Laighin in 1375 at the age of 18 years.   His father, also named Art, had, we have seen, retaken much of the ancient territory of ” Ui Cinnsealaigh,” and was still paid his ” black rent ” of eighty marks. 

Above:  Map of Kildare

  Soon after young Art^s accession he married Eliza le Veele, daughter of the Earl of Kildare.   This was a violation of the ” Statute of Kilkenny,” and the Government seized the lands to which the lady was heiress, and stopped the payment of the ” black rent” to Mac Murrough.  

Art declared war, and was loyally and enthusiastically supported by all his subordinate clans from the outskirts of Dublin to New Ross.    West and east they fell upon the English, and repeatedly blocked the roads from Dublin to the  south. The Leinster clans in the midland ” island ” also assisted. The leader of the latter was Murrough O’Connor, chief of Ui Failghe, who attacked the English of ” Offaly ” on one frontier and those of Meath on the other

 Aided by Mac Geoghegan and O’Molloy, he defeated the English at Croghan (1385).    Between the pressure of these chiefs on the south, and that of O’Farrell on the north, the frontier of the Meath colony was being steadily driven in.  

 The greatest biaw, however, was struck when Mac Murrough sacked the strong walled town of New Ross (1394).   The destruction of this important ” bridge-head ” on the Barrow cut in two the territories of the Earl of Ormonde and isolated the English in ” County Wexford.”