Siege of Cahir Castle
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Cahir Castle
took place in Munster
, in southern Ireland
in 1599, during the campaign of the Earl of Essex
against the rebels in the Nine Years War (1595-1603). Although the castle was considered the strongest fortress in the country, Essex took it after only a few days of artillery bombardment. However, Queen Elizabeth
dismissed her commander's achievement, claiming the defenders were merely a "rabble of rogues".
, and chose instead to settle the southern part of the country, which was most susceptible to Spanish interference
at a time when England feared another Armada
expedition. In the course of a controversial, and largely wasteful, tour of the province of Munster, he secured the surrender of Derrinlaur Castle on the river Suir, before fixing his sights on the greater prize of Cahir
Castle further upriver.
For any force hoping to penetrate westward from the Suir and deep into rebel country, the suppression of the Barons of Cahir
and their stronghold of Cahir castle was a necessity. It stood on a rock in the middle of the river, and was considered impregnable by its situation, with its large keep enjoying the protection of six stout towers and thick curtain walls.
At the time, the castle was the property of the Irish nobleman, Thomas Butler, 4th Baron Cahir
, and in the custody of his brother, James Galdie ("the Englishman"). Before the capture of Derrinlaur Castle, Essex had accused Cahir of colluding with the rebel White Knight
. But as the English army prepared to march from the riverside town of Clonmel
, Cahir gave assurances that James Galdie would surrender the castle as soon as they came in view.
On the morning of 25 May, Essex divided the army into 3 battles, the vanguard to lead and the main battle to assemble on the fair green a mile outside Clonmel
. Artillery
(a cannon
and a culverin) was brought by water into the quay under Essex's supervision. With the protection of the rearguard and a troop of horse, the guns were dragged by hand the 10 miles to Cahir (for want of draught horses), in poor weather over bridges that groaned under their weight. Essex rode ahead with the army and overtook the vanguard; they stopped a mile short of the castle and waited for the artillery.
Lord Cahir was sent ahead (with Henry Danvers
, lieutenant general of the horse) to call on his brother to surrender and allow an English garrison to enter; he was answered with threats and insults by those who came out to parley with him, and was then accused by Essex of breach of faith. He proposed a further parley, but Essex was determined to capture the castle, and Cahir and his wife were placed under guard.
A council of war was called in the presence of the Earl of Ormond. The army was stationary, with supplies running low, and in poor weather on a flooded river plain the hazard of disease was increasing. There was also a rumour that a rebel force of 5,000 had mustered in the vicinity. Orders were given to procure more munitions from Waterford, as well as victuals from the town and surrounding country.
In the evening, Essex surveyed the castle with George Bingham
, who had successfully besieged Maguire's island castle in Enniskillen
in 1594. It was decided that approaches should be made along the east bank by way of old ditches and a wall, and that a trench be dug close up to the riverbank, within 50 paces of the castle, where a platform for the cannon might be erected. The engineers worked under cover of the musketeers and caliver men, with gabions (wicker baskets filled with earth) to shield them from hostile fire. The culverin was to be placed further back, with a wider view of the castle flanks.
On Saturday the 26th, the vanguard and main battle moved closer to the castle to camp on the east bank. Essex could have surrounded the castle by occupying the west bank with a detachment, but chose otherwise for fear his men would be unable to make it back to fend off any attack. In the afternoon, there was free traffic in and out of the castle, and he ordered a detachment of 300 to seize the orchard garden on the southside, which had been plashed on its outer edges: this was readily achieved with the loss of only a few men, although the English had been especially vulnerable as they crossed the river.
Late in the day, the rearguard arrived with the artillery. After a night of preparation, the guns were in place on the east bank on Whitsun Sunday, the 27th, and opened fire. The cannon was at point-blank range, but its carriage broke at the second shot - the damage took a day and a half to repair. Then a ball stuck in the culverin, but this was quickly cleared, and fifty shots were fired, until the garrison was silenced: they dared not stay in any tower or fight on that side of the castle. During the cannonade, Lord Cahir and his wife were said to have wept like children.
From the west bank, the White Knight
relieved the castle with a few score kerne, withdrawing those unfit to defend. Essex sent Christopher St Lawrence, son of Lord Howth, and a colonel
of foot, to an island on the north-east, which carried two bridges connecting the castle to the west bank; the bridges were broken, and the island was victualled by bringing boats overland past the castle and setting them in the river upstream.
In the evening, the cannon was reset on its carriage and the culverin drawn a little closer. On the 28th, the cannonade resumed at close quarters, and the east wall was breached. Preparations for an assault on the following morning were made: engineers made climbing ladders, scaffolds and sows (moveable protective screens); and petards (wooden cases of gunpowder, for blowing in doors or barricades) were assembled to undermine the walls. The plan was for four companies of veteran foot to make their assault through a sap trench once the powder had blown.
During the night, the garrison made an effort to steal away, but were spotted and met by Charles Percy
and St Lawrence with four companies of Flanders veterans. At least 80 were slain along the river, but James Galdie escaped with some of his men through a sink shaft under a watermill
. The English penetrated the castle courtyards at night without resistance.
On the morning of the 29th, Essex entered the castle, and the guns were soon mounted on the deserted walls, which had their breaches repaired. The castle was garrisoned with 100 men under the command of George Carey
, who had suffered a face wound from which he later died. The army rested in camp until the 31st, while the sick and wounded were sent to Clonmel. The bridge at Golden
had been repaired, and Essex crossed the Suir to enter rebel territory in west Munster.
under threat.
Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle , one of the largest castles in Ireland, is sited on an island in the river Suir. It was built in 1142 by Conor O'Brien, Prince of Thomond...
took place in Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
, in southern Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1599, during the campaign of the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
against the rebels in the Nine Years War (1595-1603). Although the castle was considered the strongest fortress in the country, Essex took it after only a few days of artillery bombardment. However, Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
dismissed her commander's achievement, claiming the defenders were merely a "rabble of rogues".
Campaign
Having arrived at Dublin in April 1599 at the head of the largest army ever seen in Ireland (16,000 troops and 1,300 horse), Essex avoided confrontation with the northern rebels under Hugh O'NeillHugh O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone
Aodh Mór Ó Néill, anglicised as Hugh The Great O'Neill , was the 2nd or 3rd Earl of Tyrone and was later created The Ó Néill...
, and chose instead to settle the southern part of the country, which was most susceptible to Spanish interference
Anglo-Spanish War (1585)
The Anglo–Spanish War was an intermittent conflict between the kingdoms of Spain and England that was never formally declared. The war was punctuated by widely separated battles, and began with England's military expedition in 1585 to the Netherlands under the command of the Earl of Leicester in...
at a time when England feared another Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
expedition. In the course of a controversial, and largely wasteful, tour of the province of Munster, he secured the surrender of Derrinlaur Castle on the river Suir, before fixing his sights on the greater prize of Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
Castle further upriver.
For any force hoping to penetrate westward from the Suir and deep into rebel country, the suppression of the Barons of Cahir
Baron Cahir
Baron Cahir is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1542 for Thomas Butler who was a descendant of James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond. Descendants later became Viscounts Cahir and Earls Glenarm. Cahir is a town in the barony of Iffa and Offa West, South Tipperary...
and their stronghold of Cahir castle was a necessity. It stood on a rock in the middle of the river, and was considered impregnable by its situation, with its large keep enjoying the protection of six stout towers and thick curtain walls.
At the time, the castle was the property of the Irish nobleman, Thomas Butler, 4th Baron Cahir
Thomas Butler, 4th Baron Cahir
Thomas Butler, 2nd Baron Cahir . He was the son of Theobald Butler, 1st Baron Cahir and Mary Cusack...
, and in the custody of his brother, James Galdie ("the Englishman"). Before the capture of Derrinlaur Castle, Essex had accused Cahir of colluding with the rebel White Knight
Edmund FitzGibbon
Edmund Fitzgibbon was an Irish nobleman of the FitzGerald dynasty, who inherited the Anglo-Norman title of the White Knight and struggled to maintain his loyalty to the crown during the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England....
. But as the English army prepared to march from the riverside town of Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, Cahir gave assurances that James Galdie would surrender the castle as soon as they came in view.
Siege
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
. Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
(a cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and a culverin) was brought by water into the quay under Essex's supervision. With the protection of the rearguard and a troop of horse, the guns were dragged by hand the 10 miles to Cahir (for want of draught horses), in poor weather over bridges that groaned under their weight. Essex rode ahead with the army and overtook the vanguard; they stopped a mile short of the castle and waited for the artillery.
Lord Cahir was sent ahead (with Henry Danvers
Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby
Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby, KG was an English soldier. Outlawed after a killing, he regained favour and became a Knight of the Garter.-Life:...
, lieutenant general of the horse) to call on his brother to surrender and allow an English garrison to enter; he was answered with threats and insults by those who came out to parley with him, and was then accused by Essex of breach of faith. He proposed a further parley, but Essex was determined to capture the castle, and Cahir and his wife were placed under guard.
A council of war was called in the presence of the Earl of Ormond. The army was stationary, with supplies running low, and in poor weather on a flooded river plain the hazard of disease was increasing. There was also a rumour that a rebel force of 5,000 had mustered in the vicinity. Orders were given to procure more munitions from Waterford, as well as victuals from the town and surrounding country.
In the evening, Essex surveyed the castle with George Bingham
George Bingham
George Bingham may refer to:*George Bingham Divine and antiquary*Sir George Bingham Military Governor of Sligo 1569*Sir George Bingham, 2nd Baronet George Bingham may refer to:*George Bingham (divine) (1715–1800) Divine and antiquary*Sir George Bingham Military Governor of Sligo 1569*Sir George...
, who had successfully besieged Maguire's island castle in Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
in 1594. It was decided that approaches should be made along the east bank by way of old ditches and a wall, and that a trench be dug close up to the riverbank, within 50 paces of the castle, where a platform for the cannon might be erected. The engineers worked under cover of the musketeers and caliver men, with gabions (wicker baskets filled with earth) to shield them from hostile fire. The culverin was to be placed further back, with a wider view of the castle flanks.
On Saturday the 26th, the vanguard and main battle moved closer to the castle to camp on the east bank. Essex could have surrounded the castle by occupying the west bank with a detachment, but chose otherwise for fear his men would be unable to make it back to fend off any attack. In the afternoon, there was free traffic in and out of the castle, and he ordered a detachment of 300 to seize the orchard garden on the southside, which had been plashed on its outer edges: this was readily achieved with the loss of only a few men, although the English had been especially vulnerable as they crossed the river.
Late in the day, the rearguard arrived with the artillery. After a night of preparation, the guns were in place on the east bank on Whitsun Sunday, the 27th, and opened fire. The cannon was at point-blank range, but its carriage broke at the second shot - the damage took a day and a half to repair. Then a ball stuck in the culverin, but this was quickly cleared, and fifty shots were fired, until the garrison was silenced: they dared not stay in any tower or fight on that side of the castle. During the cannonade, Lord Cahir and his wife were said to have wept like children.
From the west bank, the White Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
relieved the castle with a few score kerne, withdrawing those unfit to defend. Essex sent Christopher St Lawrence, son of Lord Howth, and a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of foot, to an island on the north-east, which carried two bridges connecting the castle to the west bank; the bridges were broken, and the island was victualled by bringing boats overland past the castle and setting them in the river upstream.
In the evening, the cannon was reset on its carriage and the culverin drawn a little closer. On the 28th, the cannonade resumed at close quarters, and the east wall was breached. Preparations for an assault on the following morning were made: engineers made climbing ladders, scaffolds and sows (moveable protective screens); and petards (wooden cases of gunpowder, for blowing in doors or barricades) were assembled to undermine the walls. The plan was for four companies of veteran foot to make their assault through a sap trench once the powder had blown.
During the night, the garrison made an effort to steal away, but were spotted and met by Charles Percy
Charles Percy
Charles Percy may refer to:*Charles H. Percy , United States Senator and businessman*Charles "Don Carlos" Percy , founder of a wealthy lineage in the southern United States...
and St Lawrence with four companies of Flanders veterans. At least 80 were slain along the river, but James Galdie escaped with some of his men through a sink shaft under a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
. The English penetrated the castle courtyards at night without resistance.
On the morning of the 29th, Essex entered the castle, and the guns were soon mounted on the deserted walls, which had their breaches repaired. The castle was garrisoned with 100 men under the command of George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
, who had suffered a face wound from which he later died. The army rested in camp until the 31st, while the sick and wounded were sent to Clonmel. The bridge at Golden
Golden, County Tipperary
Golden is a village in South Tipperary in Ireland. The village is situated on the River Suir. It is located between the towns of Cashel and Tipperary on the N74 road. In older times the village was known as Goldenbridge...
had been repaired, and Essex crossed the Suir to enter rebel territory in west Munster.
Aftermath
Essex made much of his capture of Cahir Castle, but the queen demeaned his achievement by describing Galdie's defenders as a rabble of rogues. Soon after, Essex's campaign ground to a halt with a controversial cessation of arms with O'Neill, and the English commander fled the country to patch up his relations with Elizabeth. In the following year, 1600, the castle was retaken without a shot by 60 rebels under James Butler, and was in turn surrendered to Sir George CarewGeorge Carew (Ireland)
George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes , known as Sir George Carew between 1586 and 1605 and as The Lord Carew between 1605 and 1626, served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was appointed President of Munster. -Early career:Carew was the son of Dr...
under threat.