June 1587
subject: June
description: Spenser in Limerick for summer session of Munster Council. (Maley, 45)

Summer 1587
subject: Summer
description: Spenser spends the summer in Cork, Kilmallock, and Clonmel. (Maley, 45)

September 4 1587
subject: September 4
description: "Kilcolman confirmed as assigned by the Commissioners to" Reade. (Maley, 45)

November 1587
subject: November
description: Spenser in Limerick for autumn session of Munster Council. (Maley, 45)

January-July 1588
subject: January-July
description: Spenser is in Co. Cork and probably visiting Raleigh's house in Youghal often. (Maley, 46)

June 1588
subject: June
description: Spenser inherits from Lodowick Bryskett the post of Clerk of the Council of Munster. (Spenser Online)

June 22 1588
subject: June 22
description: "Spenser sells post of Clerk of Court of the Chancery for faculties to Arland Ussher, to whom the patent is passed." (Maley, 47)

July 21-30 1588
subject: July 21-30
description: The Spanish Armada battles the English in the Channel and North Sea, with the Spanish suffering a horrendous defeat. Spenser “devotes eighteen stanzas of curious allegory” to this battle in the FQ, 5.8.28-45. (Judson, 123) Since the Spanish Armada had crashed partly on Irish shores, "most of Spenser's official work would have been concerned with the panic induced first by the possibility of Spanish invasion and then by the wrecks of the ships off the Munster coast" (Hadfield, 193)

October 1588
subject: October
description: "Spenser [is] officially established as Lodowick Bryskett's deputy as Clerk to the Council of Munster" (Hadfield, 192)

January 22 1589
subject: January 22
description: One of the few surviving letters in Spenser’s hand from this time is from Thomas Norris to the Privy Council from Shandon Castle in Cork city. (Hadfield, 189)