The Copie of a Letter from the Lord chiefe Iuſtices, and Privie Counſellours in Ireland, to the Lords now Aſſembled in Parliament here in England, bearing Datethe 27. of Octob. 1641.
ON Friday the 22. of October, Owen Ockanellee, ſervant to Sir Iohn Clotworthy, at nine of the clocke in the night, came and diſcovered a plot for the ſeizing the Caſtle of Dublin, and making themſelves Maſters thereby of the whole Kingdome; We ſate all night in debate, and the next morning we ſearcht the whole Citie of Dublin, and found many of the Conſpirators there, and amongſt the reſt one Hugh Mackmoen, and ſeverall others of the Familie of Oneale.
The Lords of the Councell cauſed all the parts of the City to bee ſtrongly guarded;2 And in the morning we went to ſearch for the Lord of Mackquere at his lodging, from whence (when we came there) we found he was departed in the morning before day (as was reported) but ſearching narrowly into his lodgings and roomes, we found ſeverall Skaynes, headleſſe Hatchets, and Hammers in abundance, and in the end found him ſecretly hid in a Cockloft; And after he was taken, being examined hee denied all, but that he had heard of it before.
Great ſtore of people were obſerved to be in the Citie that night more then uſuall, and the Suburbs was ſo throng'd with people and ſtrangers, that they put the City in a fright, wherefore we were forced to draw up a Proclamation for all men and ſtrangers whatſoever to depart the City, or elſe to ſhew good cauſe for their ſtay there; And that all men whatſoever that had any hand in the Plot ſhould have a generall Pardon, if now they would come in and confeſſe their faults, and make any further diſcovery then was yet knowne.
The Diſcoverie.
HVgh Occonnellee, who is ſervant to Sir John Clatworthy, came to Dublin to the Lodging of Hugh Ogmackmahawne his very loving friend, and Occonnellee with his friend going to the lodging of the Earle of Mackquere, underſtood there had beene great ſtore of Noblemen and ſtrangers, but they were all gone abroad, whereupon they returned backe againe to the Lodging of the ſaid Ogmackmahawne where Occonnellee had not bin any long ſpace, But Ogmackmahawne declares to him a plot which was intended, ſwearing that Occonnellee ſhould not goe out of his houſe till it had beene executed (which was) that the Ieſuits, popiſh Prieſts, and other Papiſts, together with two ſects of Iriſh, and amongſt the reſt the ſaid Hugh Ogmackmahawne and Bryan Oneale with others ſhould have come and ſeized upon the Caſtle at Dublin, and the Earle of Macquere ſhould be Governour therof, which when they had attained unto, they ſhould have ſhot at the4 chimneys, and by that meanes have tryed if they could have brought the City in ſubjection; but if ſhooting at Chimneys could not prevaile, then they ſhould have ſhot downe their houſes about their eares, and at one houre, and one moment of time to have murthered all the Engliſh and Proteſtants in the Kingdome of Ireland; and to have murthered the two Lord chiefe Iuſtices, & all the privie Councell of Dublin, and at the ſame time to have ſeized on all his Majeſties Caſtles, Forts, and Magazins throughout the whole Kingdom, and all perſons that ſhould be refractory to have deſtroyed with the ſword, which Ockonnellee hearing, feigned an excuſe to go into the yard to untruſſe a point, to which his friend Ogmackmahawne conſented unto, but withall commanded his ſervants to go along with him, and be careful of him, that he did not ſlip from them, but Occonnellee finding his opportunity leaped over the pales in the yard and made an eſcape and went to Sir Iohn Burlacy, and Sir William Par•••…s and diſcovered the whole matter.