31 Bealtaine 1669
An bandiúc Ormonde – ag scríobh as Caisleán Chill Chainnigh – chuig a fear céile, an diúc Ormonde
kilkeny the Last of May
upon friday Last I came from dublin accompanede with all the companye Persons of qualitie in Towne whoe to Exprese ther respect to you did bringe mee part of the way with the greatest conserne for your Leavinge the Goverment that Ever couldbee exprest, sense my arrivall heare I have had tow Leters from you the one of the 22 the other of the 25 of this Month and have Seene that of yours unto My Brother Mathews with whom I shall discourse befor I say anye thinge to you consarninge the Contents therof and tell you at presant that I found this Plase in very good condistione, and your Jese house; Full out of which I had some this day, theris the greatest improvments of plantings at Dunmore that Ever I saw in Soe Short a time and has made it very bewtifull by the great Nomber of Trees and the order that thay are Sett in; I goe on wedensday Next to Caricke and from thense to Thurles, and Next for England Godwillinge soe Soune as Ever the yaught comes about as it will from Dublin to waterford with the first wind, I perseve the bargine for the buildinge of your Lodgings is allredie made soe as what is don in That cannot bee recaled, I send you hearinclosed a paper that a Frind of yours gott in Monster amongst the Lord of Ororys Creaturs, that willbee thay say presented by some Nobellmen and gentellmen heare unto the Parlement of England [it] was givene mee but this day; soe as I cannot as yett Fastene upon that the person that gave the Coppie of it, but hope I shall know whoe it is befor I goe, from hense; most it is all but one continowede Lie, how ever I pray Let it bee kept by you (at the Least untell I come); and not throwne a way for it is possible I may Find the oughters and gett proufs whoe thay are whoe are to confirme what is a[t] presant but suspected; upon consideratione of your Leter to My Brother Mathews consarninge My Son Ossorys allowan[se] I Find it very hard on both Sids, (on yours) to allow hime 3 thowsand which a yeare though as it is proposed is a beter bargine for you then as his payments was befor, when you have not soe much your selfe out of all your Estate; on the other Side, how hee cane with anye Sattisfactione Live upon the one halfe of this; which was all that you stoud oblidged to Pay hime; wouldbee as uneasie unto hime on the other Side, his Charge beinge increast and his depts somthing in England, when at the same time that you doe retrench his mantenanse you allow his Second Brother what you take from hime; whoe has besids the full advantage of his Ladys Portion and nothinge abayted hime for all the Charge that his preferment did Cost you which I doe feare my Son ossorye has som may have such a resentment of, as may if discontented upon the accompt of breakinge what has past betwixt [his] Brother and hee; bee more unfixte then Ever, as to the Settlinge of himselfe and Familie; and bee an ocatione perhapes of makinge an Envie and Breach in your Familie which should anye thinge of that kind happene would Ruene it more then all the other disadvantages it Cane Suffier, and therfor I think it is my part to Laye befor you all the ill consequensies that may bee fearede from what his wants; or apprehentione of your want of kindnes to hime; may ocatione; and bege of you to think seriouslie of it, and then conclude upon what you doe think to bee best; that hee may not have The Shadow of anye That for a pretense; to goe a Ramblinge for Lack of Menes to kiepe hime heare, which if afforded I hope will take him ofe from thous vane thoughts
Le linn na géarchéime nuair a díbríodh a fear céile, chuaigh an bandiúc ar chuairt go hÉirinn chun maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar thuras an teaghlaigh ó áit chónaithe fhir ionaid an rí i gCaisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath go dtí eastát an teaghlaigh ag Caisleán Chill Chainnigh: sa litie seo cuirtear síos ar ghníomhaíochtaí an bhandiuic le linn na cuairte tábhachtaí seo.
I samhradh na bliana 1669 chuaigh an bandiúc ar thuras gairid go hÉireann agus maireann sraith de litreacha ón am seo. Sa cheann seo, deir sí go bhfuil sí díreach tar éis teacht go dtí Cill Chainnigh ó Bhaile Átha Cliath. Is maith léi bheith ábalta a rá lena fear céile go raibh uasaicme Bhaile Átha Cliath in éineacht léi ar an turas ón bpríomhchathair. Dúradar léi go raibh ionadh agus díomá orthu faoin gcaoi ar díbríodh an diúc. Leis an mórshiúl seo, feictear go bhfuil cumhacht an teaghlaigh Ormonde/de Buitléir ag bogadh ó chathair amháin go dtí ceann eile. Mar ionadaí a fir céile, is í an bandiúc í féin a bhí i mbun an dráma beag seo a stiúradh agus a léiriú.
Mar chuid dá hullmhúchán don chuairt seo, d’éiligh an bandiúc go mbeadh Caisleán Chill Chainnigh réidh chun glacadh léi féin agus le clann a mic, agus go mbeadh an áit réidh chun fáilte a chur roimh cuairteoirí. Rinne sí cinnte de gur seoladh an troscán is fearr ó áras cónaithe fhir ionaid an rí go dtí Caisleán Chill Chainnigh, agus faoi mhaoirseacht an bhandiúic, bhí an foirgneamh á dheisiú cheana féin nuair a chaill an diúc an claíomh. Ós rud é nach raibh siad ina gcónaí a thuilleadh i gCaisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath, an phríomhthosaíocht a bhí acu anois ná cothabháil cheart a dhéanamh ar an eastát i gCill Chainnigh mar bhí sé mar aidhm acu cur lena stádas tríd an lucht tacaíochta a bhí acu go háitiúil. Bhí an bandiúc sásta go raibh dea-bhail ar Chaisleán Chill Chainnigh agus chuir sí an méid sin in iúl dá fear céile. Labhair sí go ceanúil freisin faoina teach féin i nDún Mór agus luaigh sí go sonrach go raibh said tar éis crainn a chur. Chuir sí a fear céile ar a shuaimhneas go raibh ionadaíocht mhaith á déanamh don teaghlach tríd a dtithe agus an eastát cé go raibh siad as láthair.
I litreacha a scríobhadh níos déanaí sa turas seo, feictear go raibh sí ag tnúth le stádas an teaghlaigh in Éirinn a neartú tríd an líonra sóisialta a bhí acu i gCill Chainnigh agus thart timpeall air a láidriú. Thug sí cuairt ar ghaolta a fir céile, lena n-áirítear an deartháir is óige agus a mháthair, an chuntaois Dhurlais baintrí, a bhí ag dul in aois. Chuir sí ar a shuaimhneas é maidir le sláinte a mháthar. Iarrann sí freisin ar a fear céile go ndéanfaidh sé a dhícheall naimhdeas a chosc idir na mic is sine acu. Dar léi, dá dtarlódh easaontas eatarthu, is é seo an rud is measa a d’fhéadfadh tarlú don teaghlach ag an am deacair seo. Le linn na cuairte seo in Éirinn, bhailigh an bandiúc eolas dá fear céile chun go mbainfeadh sé tairbhe as ag an gcúirt dó féin agus ar son an teaghlaigh.