History of the Macdonnels of Antrim. [Jul 1575 Rathlin Island Massacre]. On the 20th of July, Norris appeared off the island, and on the second day after his arrival he landed a large force by means of a flotilla of boats. In the fortress now (and probably then) known as Bruce's castle, Sorley had placed a garrison of about fifty men, and into it also had crowded the higher class of refugees, increasing the number of persons inside the walls to about two hundred. The commander of the garrison, whose name is not mentioned by Essex, was slain at the first encounter. The command then devolved on the constable of the castle, whose name also is unrecorded, and who appears to have surrendered sooner than he ought to have done, considering the immense advantage of his position. But we must permit Essex to tell the concluding part of this horrible tale, which he did with much pride and delight, in his letter to the queen: — "He (the constable) came out and made large requests, as their lives, their goods, and to be put into Scotland, which requests Captain Noreys refused, offering them as slenderly as they did largely require; viz., to the aforesaid constable his life only, and his wife's, and his child's, the place and goods to be delivered to Captain Norrey's disposition, the constable to be prisoner one month, the lives of all within to stand upon the courtesy of the soldiers. The constable, knowing his estate and safety to be very doubtful, accepted this composition, and came out with all his company. The soldiers being moved and much stirred with the loss of their fellows that were slain, and desirous of revenge, made request, or rather pressed, to have the killing of them, which they did all, saving the persons to whom life was promised; and a pledge which was prisoner in the castle, was also saved, who is son to Alexander Oge Macalister Harry, (194) who pretendeth to be a chief of the Glinnes, which prisoner Sorley Boy held pledge for his father's better obedience unto him. There were slain that came out of the castle of all sorts 200; and presently news is brought me out of Tyrone that they be occupied still in killing, and have slain that they have found hidden in caves and in cliffs of the sea, to the number of 300 or 400 more. They had within the island 300 kine, 3000 sheep, and 100 stud mares, and of bear corn upon the ground there is sufficient to find 200 men for a whole year." See Lives of the Devereux, Earls of Essex, vol. i., pp. 115, 116.

Note 194. Harry. — Correctly Carrach, the sobriquet borne by this sept of the Macdonnells, because of their descent from Alexander, surnamed Carrach, a younger son John of Isla. At the period of this massacre, Alexander Carrach and Sorley Boy were at variance, as occasionally happened, especially when the latter was beset by enemies of from without. For Alexander Carrach's descent, see p. 18, supra.