The County of METH.
THE County of Meth on the South bounds upon the County of Kildare; on the East, upon the County of Dublin and the Sea; on the North, upon the terri∣tory of Louth; and on the West, upon the County of West-Meth. The whole is subdivided into 18 Baronies, Dueleke, Scrine, Slane, Margallen, Navan, Kenles, the moiety of the Barony of Fower near Ken∣les, Killalou, Demore, Clove, Moylagh, Loghern, Old-castle, Luyn, Moyfeuraraghe, Deese, Rathtouth, and Dunboyn.
The Boyn,* 1.1 in Ptolemy Buvinda, in Giraldus, Boan∣dus, a noble river rising in the North side of the King's County, runs through the middle of this shire. In the hither part, on this side the Boyn, the places me∣morable are Galtrim,* 1.2 where the Family of the Huseys have long dwelt;* 1.3 Killin-Castle, built by Hugh Lacy, Keeper of Ireland in Henry the second's time; and Dunsany,* 1.4 which has its Barons of Parliament, eminent for their antient and noble family, descended from the Plonkets; others derive them from the Danes; but their Arms are the same, only in different colours, with Allan Plonket of Kilpeck in England;* 1.5 who was also a Baron in Edward the first's time. These Plon∣kets in Ireland have been eminent, ever since25 1.6 Chri∣stopher Plonket, a man of great wisdom and gallantry▪ who was Deputy (as they call it) to Richard Duke of York, Viceroy in Henry the sixth's time, enjoy'd the Barony of Killin, which fell to him by his wife as heir to the Family of the Cusakes; and his second son had the title of Baron of Dunsany* 1.7 conferr'd upon him for his great worth and virtue.
Beyond the Boyn,* 1.8 stands Trimletstoun, which is a Barony belonging to one of the Family of the Barn∣wells.* 1.9 For26 1.10 John Barnwell was made a Baron of Parliament by Edward the fourth. Then Gormanston, which has its Vicounts,* 1.11 men of great worth, descen∣ded from the Prestons of Lancashire, as 'tis thought: and Slane,* 1.12 which has also its Barons of the Family of the Flemings: andb 1.13 Ab••y, a populous Market-town. Upon the Boyn, after it has passed Glan-Iores, i.e. the land of the sons of George (who was of the Family of the Birminghams, whose heir by marriage brought a fair inheritance, with the Castle of Carbray,* 1.14 to the Prestons,) it arrives at Trim,* 1.15 an eminent Market-town, where William Pepard built a Castle. This was an antient Barony of the Lacyes, which afterwards be∣came one of the titles of the Dukes of York, who write themselves Lords of Trim. After that, it runs by Navan,* 1.16 which has its Baron or Baronet, but not Parliamentary, and is for the most part honoured with the residence of the Bishop of this Diocess, who has now no Cathedral Church, but acts in all mat∣ters with the assent of the Clergy of Meth.
His See seems to have been at Cluanarard, also called Clunart, where Hugh Lacy formerly built a Castle: for thus we find it in the* 1.17 Apostolical Let∣ters, Episcopus Midensis sive Clunarardensis; and cor∣ruptly, as it seems in a Roman Provincial, Elnami∣rand. Thec 1.18 Boyn now grows larger, and after a speedy course for some miles, falls into the sea near Drogheda. And what if one should imagine this river to be so called from its rapid stream? for Boan not only in Irish, but in British also, signifies swift; and our Countryman Necham sings thus of it,
Ecce Boan qui Trim celer influit, istius undas Subdere se salsis Drogheda cernit aquis. See, how swift Boyn to Trim cuts out his way! See, how at Drogheda he joyns the Sea!
The families of greatest note in this County, be∣sides those already mentioned, the Plonkets, Flemings, Barnwells, and Husseys, are the Darceys, Cusakes, Dil∣lons, Berminghams, De la Hides, Netervills, Garvies, Cadells, and others; who I hope will pardon me for not taking notice of them; as well as those I men∣tion, though their dignity may require it.