Ardfert — Ardfert

The historic town of Ardfert was described in the Urban Survey of Kerry as follows; ‘Throughout the Middle Ages, however, Ardfert was one of the most important settlement sites in Kerry an episcopal see, and, under the Normans, a borough. The placename, "Ard Ferta", means the height of burial mounds. Sometimes it is referred to as Ard Ferta Brenaind, after its patron saint. The church of Ardfert is generally regarded as a sixth century foundation of St. Brendan of Clonfert but nothing is known of its history until the eleventh century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 62). In 1031 a reference occurs to one MacMara fasting 'aginst' Brendan at Ardfert (Ann. Inisf.) while in 1032 the death of Ailill Ua Flaithim, "erenagh of Ard Ferta …..leading jurist of Mumu" is recorded. In 1046 the stone church (dam liac) Ardfert was destroyed by lightning (Ann. Inisf.) and the burning of Ardfert is recorded in 1089 (AFM). In 1111 at the Synod of Raith Bressail Ratass was chosen as the centre of the diocese of Kerry but it was soon replaced by Ardfert which remained the episcopal see throughout the Middle Ages (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 62, 95). In 1117 the death of Anmchadh O hAnmchadha, bishop of Ardfert, is recorded (AFM). In 1152, however, it was burned by O Cuilein, king of Ui Chonaill Gabhra (Ó hInnse 1947, 35). It was burned again in 1179 (Ann. Inisf., AFM) and in 1180 it was plundered by the Clann Charthaigh who "carried off all the livestock they found there….. [and] killed many senior clergy within their sanctuary and graveyard" (Ó hInnse 1947, 71; Ann. Inisf.). The earliest evidence for Anglo-Norman activity in north Kerry is a grant of the area to Meiler F'itzHenry by King John in 1200 but is not clear to what extent, if any, this grant led to actual settlement in the area (Orpen 1911-20, iii, 123; Otway-Ruthven 1968, 86). Around 1214-15 there was a renewed Anglo-Norman thrust into the north Kerry area with the construction of a strong castles along its southern boundary, the river Maine. North Kerry was largely granted to the antecedents of the Geraldine houses of Desmond and Kerry or Lixnaw, whose exact identity has been a matter for debate (Nicholls 1970, 23-9). It is in the wake of this development that the first evidence of direct Anglo-Norman influence on Ardfert appears. In 1217 the justiciar, Geoffrey de Marisco, attempted unsuccessfully to impose an English bishop on the vacant see in preference to the lrish candidate already elected (Watt 1970, 73). Thirteenth century references to settlement are few, however. It has been suggested that the Franciscan friary was founded by Thomas FitzMaurice, 1ord of Kerry, c. 1253 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 242; cf. Nicholls 1970, 25, n.8). By 1286 it was sufficiently well established for Thomas FitzMaurice to be granted customs on all merchandise sold in the vill of 'Ard' for seven years in order to enclose it. A reference to John le Draper, burgess of 'Ardart’ occurs in 1297 (Mills 1907, 128) and the existence of a municipal authority is evident from the reference to the provost of Ardfert in 1295 (Mills 1907, 21). A royal receipt roll of 1293 notes that £8 18s. was received in customs on 44 hogsheads and one pipe of wine at Ardfart (Sweetman 1875 6, iv, no. 21). Ardfert was also a legal centre, having a royal prison (Mills 1905, 44; 1914, 416) and the justiciar held court there in 1295 (Mills 1902, 21). Little more is known of the history Ardfert until the late sixteenth century and the references of this period to the borough indicate that it continued to function throughout the Later Middle Ages. In 1580 it was reported that the Spaniards had established a camp at Ardfert and that they had besieged the castle in conjunction with the earl of Desmond but had been repulsed (Hamilton 1867, 256, 261). In 1581-2 the English had a company of foot and a half-company of horse quartered in Ardfert being provisioned by the sovereign ("pronnsa") of the town (AFM). In 1582 Thomas FitzMaurice, lord of Kerry or Lixnaw rebelled and besieged the English garrison at Ardfert (Hamilton 1867, 365) but the garrison was 1ater relieved by the governor of Munster (Hamilton 1867, 373). Later in the year, however, the garrison were again besieged by Lixnaw and Desmond and eventually forced to withdraw from the town with many losses, committing the castle to the custody of James Oge, the sheriff (Hamilton 1867, 399, 403-5; AFM). Following the defeat and death of the earl of Desmond, English control was re-established in Ardfert. In 1584 the Franciscans were ejected from the friary (Jennings 1934, 153) and in the same year a survey of Desmond's forfeited possessions was drawn up, which noted burgages, lands, buildings, etc., held by him in "the 1ate burgh of Ardarte" (PRO 1881, 7). The survey also noted that the town and cathedral were nearly "prostrated and devastated" on account of the rebellion (PRO 1881, 31). Desmond’s holdings in Ardfert, as well as the friary, were given to Sir Francis Walshingham, Edward Denny, and other English planters, in the Plantation of Munster in 1587 (Brewer and Bullen 1868, 451) but it is not clear if Ardfert ever really recovered from the devastation of the Desmond revolt. The fate of the cathedral, which was apparently still ruined in 1611, may well be illustrative of the settlement as a whole. Thomas FitzMaurice, baron of Lixnaw, was granted a weekly market and yearly fair at Ardfert in 1612 and the borough continued to function into the nineteenth century (Ir. Rec. Comm. 1830, 225). A description of c. 1682 states that the cathedral, four other churches, the anchorites cell the hospital, and Castle were all burnt or destroyed during the Confederation wars (0'Sullivan 1971, 40). In the census of 1659, a population of 47 was returned for Ardfert (Pender 1939, 248) and in 1687 Sir Richard Cox described it as “of late soe decayd that it contains onely a few Cabbins (De Brún 1972, 39). SITE OF BOROUGH The site of the medieval borough cannot be accurately determined in the present state of knowledge but its most likely position was in the strip of ground between the cathedral and Ardfert Abbey. The road south of the cathedral widens into a triangular space known as the Fair Green which looks to be of recent date. MARKET CROSS King (1908, 17) states that there was a dispute in 1312 concerning the cross and pillory. DOMESTIC HOUSES The 1584 survey of Desmond's lands and the 1587 grant to the English planters list various houses and burgages in Ardfert but none is described in any detail (PRO 1881,7: Brewer and Bullen 1868, 451). Some details are known of two buildings, however. The first is a new castle, lately built anew with lime and stone, forfeited by the earl of Desmond and listed in the survey of 1584 (PRO 1881, 7). The second is a mansion built near the Franciscan friary by David Crosbie in 1633-4. Hickson (1874, 2-3) recorded the discovery in the grounds of its eighteenth century successor of a stone inscribed: HOC OPUS INCEPTUM Ao. DNI. 1633 ET FINITUM Ao. DNI 1635 DAVID CROSBIE ARMT UBI FIDES ET VERITAS DEUS PROVIDEBIT The house did not survive for long however, and was probably burned during the Confederate wars. This may explain why in 1645 Edmund FitzMaurice ordered the portreeve and inhabitants of Ardfert to assist him in demolishing David Crosbie's house (Hickson 1874, 14). The Molyneux description of c. 1682 noted an infinite deal of stone walls and traces old foundations, which show the place to have formerly appeared in a better figure than it bears present (O'Sullivan 1971, 40). The 1635 slab described by Hickson was not located (see Mems. Dead 1 (1888-91), 399). TOWN DEFENCES In 1286 Thomas FitzMaurice, lord of Desmond, received murage grant for seven years to pay for the enclosure of the vill of Ard' (Sweetman 1875-86, ii, no. 226). This grant must have been followed by a later one because in 1311-12 it was recorded that Reginald Brun owed 46s. 8d for the murage of