The Fall of the House of Kildare

He made his way with a small band of armed retainers to St. Mary’s Abbey, on the north side of the Liffey, and then outside the boundaries of the city of Dublin. The Council was assembled there, when Thomas rushed into the room and, after a defiant speech, in which he accused King Henry of his father’s murder, he flung the Sword of State, the emblem of his official authority, on the table, and renounced his allegiance. Cromer, the Primate, ventured to remonstrate with him, but hardly had he finished his exhortation, when one of the young lad’s followers, Niall O’Kennedy, the harper, struck his instrument, and began to sing of the past glories of the Geraldines, and to urge their descendant to emulate their valour.

This for Thomas decided the question in favour of rebellion.   With a few rough words he silenced the Archbishop, and before the members of the council  had  fully  recovered  from  their  amazement  at  this extraordinary scene, he and his retainers had mounted their horses and  galloped off.
In July (1534) Thomas appeared before Dublin, and the citizens, feeling themselves not strong enough for resistance, allowed his troops to enter the city and lay siege to the Castle. Amongst those who had taken refuge in the Castle at the beginning of the rebellion was John Alen, Archbishop of Dublin.

He had been on the Council one of the chief enemies of Garrett Og, and now dreaded his son’s vengeance, in case the Castle were captured. Before the siege began, he endeavoured to escape by sea, but his boat was driven ashore at Clontarf, and he himself was dragged into the presence of Thomas. The young lord regarded him with contemptuous pity, and turned away, with the remark, ” beir uaim an bodach,”*but his followers, wilfully misinterpreting this order, proceeded to murder the Archbishop in cold blood.