Athlone on the east bank of the Shannon. The castle and town on the west bank was defended by D'Usson, Colonel Grace, and Sarsfield, with obstinate bravery, for ten days—their Irish troops displaying desperate valour in the defence of the broken bridge, which the assailants made repeated efforts to cross. St. Ruth, in supreme command of the Irish army, had his head-quarters a few miles out of the town. With De Ginkell forage became scarce; and it was absolutely necessary he should either force a passage across the river or retreat. On the 30th June he consented that an effort should be made by 1,500 grenadiers, headed by a forlorn hope of 60 men in armour, to cross the ford in face of the guns of the castle. The Irish, fancying the English were about to retreat, kept guard carelessly; St. Ruth was in his own quarters; the grenadiers passed over in the face of every obstacle, and after a brave resistance, in which Colonel Grace fell, the Irish army was obliged to fall back into Connaught. St. Ruth resolved to risk an engagement, and took up a strong position near the village of Aughrim, on the slope of the hill of Kilcommadan, with a bog in front; and on Sunday, 12th July, the battle of Aughrim was fought. The numbers engaged on both sides are variously estimated. De Ginkell probably had 20,000 men, St. Ruth 15,000. The contest at first inclined in favour of the Irish, and St. Ruth, confident of victory, was heading a charge of cavalry, when his head was taken off by a cannon ball. He had not confided his plans to Sarsfield, second in command, and before long the Irish broke and fled in every direction. De Ginkell's loss in the engagement was about 2,000; that of the Irish twice or thrice as many. De Ginkell next marched to Gal way, which capitulated on the 21st July, the garrison marching out with all the honours of war, and joining Sarsfield at Limerick. On the 25th August De Ginkell appeared before Limerick. The particulars of the heroic defence of the town belong more properly to Sarsfield's life. The siege lasted to the 23rd September, when a truce was agreed upon, and the treaty under which the war was brought to an end was signed on the 3rd October. [See Sarsfield.] The victorious De Ginkell was received in Dublin with great honours, and on the 21st was entertained at a sumptuous banquet. As a reward for his services he was given the forfeited estates of the Earl of Limerick, comprising 26,480 acres, besides house property in Dublin. This grant, with grants to other Williamite officers, was afterwards reversed by Parliament, much to William III.'s chagrin. On 4th March 1692 he was created Earl of Athlone and Baron of Aughrim "in consideration of his great merits and services, in valiantly defeating her [the patent was signed by the Queen] enemies in several memorable battles, and by his conduct and courage enforcing them to lose and deliver up the several strong places of Ballymore, Athlone, Galway, and Limerick." De Ginkell afterwards distinguished himself in command of the Dutch horse in Flanders, and in 1702 was made Field-Marshal of the armies of the States-General. He died at Utrecht after a short illness, 11th February 1720, and was buried at his castle of Amerongen. His descendant, the 6th Earl, sat in the Irish House of Lords in 1795, and the title became extinct in 1844, on the death of the 9th Earl. 175 216 223 318
Delacour, James, an obscure poet, was born at Killowen, near Blarney, in 1709. He was educated at Trinity College, and before he reached his twenty-first year wrote his Letter of Ahelard to Eloisa, in imitation of Pope. In 1733 appeared his work entitled The Prospect of Poetry. Eventually he fell into intemperate habits and became deranged. The latter part of his life he pretended to have the gift of prophecy, and was regarded with some awe after a successful guess as to the day on which the garrison of Havannah, then besieged, would be compelled to surrender. He died in 1781, aged about 72. 36 42
De Lacy, Hugh, one of the most distinguished of the Anglo-Norman invaders, came over in Henry II.'s retinue, landing at Waterford, i8th October 1171. The estates that fell to his lot were chiefly in Meath and Connaught. He was appointed Lord-Justice more than once, and vigorously maintained the English authority, building castles at New Leighlin, Timahoe, Castledermot, Tullow, Kilkea, and Narragh. His rising power eventually brought him under the suspicion of Henry, and he was twice called to England to give account of his stewardship. On the last occasion De Braosa was appointed in his stead. De Braosa displayed great incapacity, and De Lacy, reinstated, had to put forth all his energies to amend the injuries done to the English interest by his predecessor's unwise proceedings. Under 1178 mention is made of Hugh de Lacy plundering Clonmacnoise, sparing, however, the churches and the bishop's house. Prince John, during his residence in Ireland, suspected him of using his influence to prevent the Irish chieftains from coming in to offer due submission. De Lacy's second wife, whom he married in 1180, contrary to the
