Clare County Library | Clare
History |
The History and Topography of the County of Clare by James Frost |
Part II.
History of Thomond The Journal of Thomas Dineley, 1681 |
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Rathlahine Castle
Rathlahine Castle [13]. — An ancient Castle built by John MacNamarra, Esqr., it is founded upon and among Rocks. It belonged since to Sr. William King, Governor of Limerick, and is now in the Hands of Giles Vanderlure [14], Esqr., who hath built unto it the fairest stable of the Countye. The Blazing Starr [15] (as it appeared to me & others in the County of Thomond or Clare), taken at ye Castle of Rallahine, belonging to Giles Vanderlure, Esqr., one of his Maties Justices of ye peace for yt county in Ireland. At its first appearance here at Rallahine Castle, being on Friday night, Decembr 10th, [16]80, it shewed itself with a prodigious long, pale, taper ray of a leaden Saturnine colour, without any signe of a starr to be discern’d at its poynt. And that it continued to January the 13th following, is all the Observacon I could make, and communicate to my friends in England, as being unacquainted with Astrology. But my acquaintance, Mr. Francis Herne, belonging to Mr. Kerney, serjeant at armes & a learned Mathematician, from his house in Castle-street, Dublin, sent down this account into Munster, where it came to my hands. At the City and Archbishoprick of Dublin, a Blazing Comet appear’d Wednesday ye 15 Decembr. 1680. It had a very long Bushy Tayle or Trayne, pale, whiteish, glairing, not unlike the shew of candle light through white paper. The starr itself was not then very conspicuous, though its Raye or Beame shott itself forth, so that ye starr of the 3 starrs called the Eagles Heart was exactly in the middle of its blaze. On Thursday the 16, its gastly brush tayle was seen on the south of the Heart of the eagle within half of the breadth of the Raye, &c.; this is also sayd to have been seen in England much about the same time. At Erford, in Germany Thuring. on ye 18 Novembr. 80. in France, 24 Novr. at Bourdeaux. Att Hamborough, 27 Decr 1680, & at Mentz, Novemb. 80. Wth these things the Irish were ready to furnish an inquisitive stranger, which were not a little gratefull to my curiosity. |