Battle of Arklow (1649)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Arklow took place at Glascarrig on the coast road through Arklow
in County Wicklow
during November 1649. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland
(allied with the Royalist
s), and the English Parliamentarians during the Irish Confederate Wars
.
, and the loss of the important towns of Drogheda
and Wexford
. Ormonde
was keen to regain the initiative. In October, he received word (via Castlehaven
, via his sister's footman) that a column of English soldiers was preparing to march from Dublin to Wexford to reinforce Cromwell's troops in the south. This presented the Irish leadership with a chance to engage the Parliamentarians without risking too many soldiers.
Murrough O'Brien, the Baron of Inchiquin, and Theobald Taaffe (who had fought on opposite sides at the Battle of Knocknanuss
only two years before) were given command of a force of 2,500. This operation was of particular importance to the credibility of Inchiquin: he was distrusted by the majority Catholic population of Ireland due to a number of atrocities he had committed in the previous years of fighting, and in the autumn of 1649 many of the Protestant soldiers in Munster formerly loyal to him had mutinied and joined with the forces of Parliament. He now had a chance to regain some standing; it was more or less Inchiquin’s last throw of the dice.
The English soldiers under Major Nelson left Dublin in the last days of October. As he proceeded through the Wicklow Mountains
his soldiers were harassed by tories though these attacks did not substantially hinder the force. In the meantime, Inchiquin prepared an ambush a little to the south of the town of Arklow, where the hills come close to the sea. A log barricade was placed across the road to Wexford and 1,000 infantry men were deployed behind it or otherwise concealed by the roadside. Nelson, however, heard a rumour that an ambush was planned and so moved his force using a more roundabout route, hoping to avoid Inchiquin’s army.
Inchiquin realised what was happening, and swiftly moved his cavalry to intercept the New Model
soldiers. Most of his infantry however could not keep up, and thus did not take part in the fighting.
Nelson then resumed his march into Wexford unmolested.
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
during November 1649. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
(allied with the Royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
s), and the English Parliamentarians during the Irish Confederate Wars
Irish Confederate Wars
This article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53. For the political context of this conflict, see Confederate Ireland....
.
Background
By late October 1649, the Irish had suffered a number of major defeats at the hands of the army of the English Parliament - a defeat at the Battle of RathminesBattle of Rathmines
The Battle of Rathmines was fought in and around what is now the Dublin suburb of Rathmines in August 1649, during the Irish Confederate Wars, the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, and the loss of the important towns of Drogheda
Siege of Drogheda
The siege of Drogheda at the outset of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. The town of Drogheda in eastern Ireland was held by a combined English Royalist and Irish Catholic garrison when it was besieged and stormed by English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell...
and Wexford
Sack of Wexford
The Sack of Wexford took place in October 1649, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, when the New Model Army under Oliver Cromwell took Wexford town in south-eastern Ireland. The English Parliamentarian troops broke into the town while the commander of the garrison was trying to negotiate a...
. Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde PC was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the second of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom. He was the friend of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who appointeed him commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland. From 1641 to 1647, he...
was keen to regain the initiative. In October, he received word (via Castlehaven
James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven
James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven was the son of Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven and his first wife, Elizabeth Barnham...
, via his sister's footman) that a column of English soldiers was preparing to march from Dublin to Wexford to reinforce Cromwell's troops in the south. This presented the Irish leadership with a chance to engage the Parliamentarians without risking too many soldiers.
Murrough O'Brien, the Baron of Inchiquin, and Theobald Taaffe (who had fought on opposite sides at the Battle of Knocknanuss
Battle of Knocknanuss
The Battle of Knocknanauss was fought in 1647, during the Irish Confederate Wars, part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, between Confederate Ireland’s Munster army and an English Parliamentarian army under Murrough O’Brien...
only two years before) were given command of a force of 2,500. This operation was of particular importance to the credibility of Inchiquin: he was distrusted by the majority Catholic population of Ireland due to a number of atrocities he had committed in the previous years of fighting, and in the autumn of 1649 many of the Protestant soldiers in Munster formerly loyal to him had mutinied and joined with the forces of Parliament. He now had a chance to regain some standing; it was more or less Inchiquin’s last throw of the dice.
The English soldiers under Major Nelson left Dublin in the last days of October. As he proceeded through the Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
his soldiers were harassed by tories though these attacks did not substantially hinder the force. In the meantime, Inchiquin prepared an ambush a little to the south of the town of Arklow, where the hills come close to the sea. A log barricade was placed across the road to Wexford and 1,000 infantry men were deployed behind it or otherwise concealed by the roadside. Nelson, however, heard a rumour that an ambush was planned and so moved his force using a more roundabout route, hoping to avoid Inchiquin’s army.
Inchiquin realised what was happening, and swiftly moved his cavalry to intercept the New Model
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
soldiers. Most of his infantry however could not keep up, and thus did not take part in the fighting.
The battle
As Inchiquin’s largely mounted force came into view, the English hurriedly deployed on a beach, their backs to the sea. As the Irish were ordering themselves in preparation for an attack, the 350 English horse charged, hoping to catch the enemy by surprise, but were successfully repulsed on two occasions. After the second failed charge, Inchiquin launched a full cavalry assault on the horsemen. Demoralised and outnumbered, the English horse fled back towards the infantry, with the Irish in pursuit. The highly disciplined English infantry opened up their ranks to allow their own horse to pass through, after which the gaps in the ranks were closed once more. Inchiquin’s charging cavalry now unexpectedly found that the retreating horse had disappeared, to be replaced by a mass of pike-heads and levelled musket barrels. Close range musket fire tore into the Irish cavalry, throwing them into disorder and leaving the beach bloodstained. The English cavalry then counter-attacked, forcing the Irish to retreat.Nelson then resumed his march into Wexford unmolested.
Consequences
The Battle of Arklow was a relatively small battle, and thus the failure of the Irish forces to cripple Nelson's New Model force was a demoralising setback but little more. For Inchiquin, however, the consequences were more serious. The battle had presented an opportunity for him to regain the trust of his countrymen, both Catholic and Protestant. His failure to defeat the numerically smaller English force left Inchiquin disgraced. After the battle, Inchiquin returned to Munster, where there were still a number of companies loyal to him, but these were routed by Broghill in March the next year. Shortly afterwards Inchiquin fled to the continent.See also
- Battle of ArklowBattle of ArklowThe second Battle of Arklow took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 9 June when a force of United Irishmen from Wexford, estimated at 10,000 strong, launched an assault into County Wicklow, on the British-held town of Arklow, in an attempt to spread the rebellion into Wicklow and to...
-the second battle of Arklow was fought in 1798. - Confederate IrelandConfederate IrelandConfederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
- Irish battlesIrish battlesThis is a list of major military engagements throughout Irish history including:-5th century:*457 - Ath Dara *464 - First Battle of Dumha Aichir *468 - Bri Ele *470 - Second Battle of Dumha Aichir *476 - First Battle of Granard *478 - Ocha...
- Irish Confederate WarsIrish Confederate WarsThis article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53. For the political context of this conflict, see Confederate Ireland....