"On the following morning about the break of day, O’Sullivan passed Slieve Muire (now Slieve Murry lying immediately to the west of Castlekelly. It is sometimes called Mount Mary) and as he approached nearer to the villages he sounded the English drums and displayed the standards which he had taken from the enemy at Aughrim in order that the inhabitants, taking them for the royal soldiers, might not hide their provisions.

This stratagem was, however, of no avail to them for Mac David (Mac David, a branch of the Burkes, lived at Glinsk near Dunamon and was Lord of the Territory of Clanconnoo, which was coextensive with the present Barony of Ballymoe in the east of the County of Galway; the head of this family now calls himself Burke, not Mac David) the Lord of those villages, removed his flocks and herds, concealed his provisions and drink or removed them into the (his) castle (Glinsk) and having collected a large body of men, who were for the greater part unarmed, continued to follow him all day with missile weapons to prevent him from obtaining provisions.

By evening (twilight) O’Sullivan betook himself to Slieve O’Flinn (so called to this day; see my letter from Castlereagh defining the extent of this mountain. J.O’D.) and there concealed himself in the thick woods. Here they lighted fires, but the soldiers, who were wearied from their watchings during the preceding nights and by the great labours they had gone through, had scarcely consigned their wearied bodies to quiet repose when a certain person came up to them, stating that it was the fixed determination of the inhabitants to surround them early in the morning at to exterminate them. Wherefore, leaving all the fires lighted as if all were present they departed suddenly, suffering great hardships from the inconvenience of their journey and from the weather. They were so drenched with the rain that they were scarcely able to sustain the burden of their wet clothes; they sank in the deep snow as if they fell into pits and while they assisted one another those who were in the rear were dragged along rather than walked..

Nor did the darkness create less difficulty for them for if any stars shone the branches of the trees, interwoven with each other, formed an uninterrupted screen and hid the light from them.

They therefore wandered like blind men, the one following the well known voice of the other. Moreover, the wind, as it agitated the branches, seemed louder than it really was and rendered it difficult for them to hear one another. However, by the knowledge of their guides, they passed through the wood after having travelled four miles.

At the break of day when the inhabitants under the command of Mac David came to the place where O’Sullivan had been encamped and found nothing but the fires they followed the tracks of the fugitives and coming up with them about the ninth hour (3 o’clock pm) pressed upon them with javelins until they arrived at the summit of a lofty hill. Here some of O’Sullivan’s soldiers, whose strength had failed them from fatigue and hunger, swore that they would rather try the last fortune of war with the enemy than abandon (quit, leave) that place before they should take nourishment and sleep, and roused the rest to come to the same determination.

O’Sullivan was not wanting in his duty; he exhorted them to place all hope in their bravery. Nor was desire for battle or valour wanting in his soldiers, altho’ they were few in number (not now more than sixty men able to fight) and worn down with toll. They quickly armed themselves and prepared for fight. The enemy thinking that those who had acquired strength from their confidence in being able to fight well or who, tired of a weary life, looked for an honourable death, would not die

unrevenged thought it better to return home in safety."

Extract taken from the HISTORY of GLINSK   by Martin Ward 

For further information concerning O'Sullivan Beare see History of Glinsk