Broughal Castle, now in ruins, which is near Kilcormac, was the chief seat of the O'Molloys to 1537, when the Lord Deputy made an incursion into the Leinster and surprised it. It has been variously called Braghall, Broghill, Braghaly, and Braghalloe. Hospitality was profuse at this castle in the 16th century, as we find, notwithstanding a scarcity of provisions, the O'Molloys entertaining 1,000 men in it at Christmas.

Edward Bermingham resided here in 1610, but in 1667 the lands were granted to Sir William Petty. The last resident owner, Christopher J. Banon, had a great deal of unpleasantness with his tenantry during the Land League troubles, and was obliged to have two armed policemen continually in his company for protection. Before he came to reside on his property the castle was rented by Captain F. Sandes Dugmore and his wife, a niece of the celebrated Lord Brougham. The Captain came over from Parsonstown (Birr) first to indulge in the ancient and regal pastime of falconry, joining heartily therein with Captain Hamilton, the then resident magistrate. He afterwards stood for the representation of Portarlington, having Mr. A. Mitchell as his legal conducting agent; but was defeated.

Taking more decidedly to politics, immediately when the Land League started, he made the Broughal district an animated place for a considerable time, being assisted by a lady member of the League, in the person of Miss Hanna Reynolds, which lady and Captain Dugmore were ultimately committed to Tullamore gaol. The feeling kindled at this time, from 1879 to 1882, has been kept alive almost up to the present time, {1890} for even in the present year they were branded as cowards in the League Press for abandoning the "Plan of Campaign," inaugurated by Messrs. William O'Brien, M.P., and John Dillon, M.P.

The Plan, shortly stated, consisted in this: --The tenants on the several estates were to confer together as to what rent (if any) they should pay. On coming to an agreement they were to act in a body, and if the landlord refused to accept the reduced amounts, which often attenuated to a comparatively small proportion of the sum legally due, they were to pay him none, but lodge the refused sum with a Land trustee. As a matter of history, it may be added that the Government sternly set itself to oppose this "plan,: and are still engaged in the struggle, which has entailed an immense amount of hardship and loss of thousands. But such troubles about land are not new to Ireland; indeed they have existed from the earliest era of the Brehon laws. And we find that in King James the First's reign the Government saw the necessity for ameliorative measures. For we find that a land scheme was elaborated with much care, and a preamble to one of the statues says:--"Whereas in former times.......the natives of this realm of Irish blood were for the most part in continual hostility with the English, and with those who did descend of the English, and therefore the said Irish were held and accounted and in divers statues and records were termed and called Irish enemies. Forasmuch as the cause of the said difference and of the making of the said laws and statues doth now cease, in all the natives and inhabitants of this kingdom, without difference or distinction, are taken into his Majesty's protection, and do now live under one law, by means whereof a perfect agreement is or ought to be settled betwixt all of his Majesty's subjects in this realm.

And forasmuch as there is no better means to settle peace and tranquility in this kingdom, being now inhabited with many worthy persons born in his Majesty's several kingdoms, then by abolishing, the said laws and giving them free liberty to commerce and match together, so that they may grow into one nation, and there be so utter oblivion and extinguishment of all former differences and discords between them; be it enacted.... That all the said laws be ever utterly repealed."

Unfortunately land and religious troubles were ingrafted into the people, and "high and low, Irish chieftain and Irish peasant, together with the descendants of the many English settlers of the various earlier settlements, were proscribed on the ground, as some assert, of their religion, and others because of their treasonable plottings, their estate passing into the hands of the Puritan soldiery. The half depopulated country, was colonised by Saxons. This led to reprisals of a sanguinary character coming down the stream of generation from father to son, and the present situated, though vastly improved compared with past times, is at least in part due to the revengeful crimes of both sides in the years now dead for ever, but which live in the heavy legacy of care and poverty that have been leave to posterity.