School: Emly (B.) (roll number 16059)

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1. Sir John Burke of Brittas

   

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   The Burkes lived in Brittas Castle for generations and generations ever since the first of the English came to Ireland. They were Catholics and the people always liked them and they were very good to the people too.

   The last one of them ever to live in the castle was a Sir John Burke - a nice gentleman, kind to everyone around him, well liked by rich and poor. At the time I'm talking of he was fairly old and lived at home quietly in the castle. He was a rich man and when the wars and troubled times came he buried all his money and gold in a box somewhere near the castle.

   And so the wars went on and Cromwell came to Ireland and before long his soldiers were in Limerick and all round the country.

   Some one laid informations against Sir John Burke that he was a Catholic and that he had a Franciscan friar harboured in his house. A captan and a troop of horse soldiers came out from the town that evening. They asked for the priest and searched for him but they couldn't find a trace of him because he was gone off through a secret passage and escaped; for a little while anyhow, the poor man.

   The captain was savage with rage and he arrested Sir John himself and took him back with the soldiers to Limerick that night, seated on a horse, and with his hands tied behind him with a rope.

   That night they tried him in the town for keeping the priest in his house and for helping him to get away. He never

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   T.M. Loftus

   Address

   Emly, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Mrs M. Walsh

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Castle-erkin South, Co. Limerick