Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle took place at Easter in 1580 near modern-day Ballylongford
, County Kerry
, Ireland
on the southern shores of the River Shannon
. The engagement was part of the English crown's campaign against the forces of Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
during the Second Desmond Rebellion
. The castle was held by rebel troops in the service of Desmond and some Catholic troops from continental Europe.
Carrigafoyle Castle - built by Conor Liath O'Connor-Kerry in the 1490s, and considered one of the strongest of Irish fortresses - was a large tower house, of the type particularly common across the north of the province of Munster
. It stood on a rock in a small bay off the Shannon
estuary, and its name is an anglicisation of the Irish
, Carraig an Phoill ("rock of the hole").
The castle was referred to as the guardian of the Shannon, because of its strategic command of the shipping lanes that supplied the trading city of Limerick
, some 20 miles (32 km) upriver. The bay at Carrigafoyle was shielded from the estuary on the northern side by a wooded island. Within the bay, the castle-rock was defended on the west and south sides by a double defensive wall: the inner wall enclosed a bawn
, and surrounding this was a moat
, which was covered on three sides (the east lay open) by the outer wall, where a smaller tower stood. The tower-keep itself was 86 ft high, and the precipitous sides of the castle-rock were layered with bricks and mortar. At high tide, the walled landing within the moat was capable of accommodating a ship of 100 tons displacement.
the castle was held by 50 Irish, along with 16 Spanish soldiers, who had arrived at Smerwick
harbour the previous year as part of the 1579 Papal invasion; there were also women and children present. Months earlier, an Italian engineer, Captain Julian, had set about perfecting the castle's defences under the direction of Desmond's countess, Eleanor. By the time of the siege, she had retired to her husband's company - some forty miles (64 km) distant, at Castleisland
- while Julian was still at his task.
The English commander, Sir William Pelham
, marched through Munster in the company of Sir George Carew. He assumed command of an additional 600 troops - taken from Sir William Winter
, who was directing the sea-borne part of the campaign - and his army became the largest ever seen in the west of Ireland. On arriving at Carrigafoyle, the English camped to the south-west of the castle and ranged their ordnance along a low wall running north, parallel to the outer wall at a distance of 100 yards. At the northern point of this wall a company of foot with lances was stationed.
The bombardment
of the castle was carried out over two days, six hours each day, with 3 demi-cannon
and a culverin
(a huge naval gun with small projectiles), which had been supplied from Winter's ships and were manned by naval gunners. The demi-cannon could be effective against stone, but only if allowed to fire unhindered - in the event, no hindrance was given. In addition, Winter had 3 three-masted ships, which fired their stern cannon from an anchorage in the estuary beyond the bay.
On the first day (Palm Sunday), Pelham ordered a party of troops to cross to the sea-wall, where they were pinned down by gunfire and had boulders hurled at them from the battlements. They threw up assault ladders, which the Spanish halberdiers pushed away. The Earl of Ormond described seeing the sea-channel fill with wreckage as the sides of the castle-rock became slippery with blood. Pelham was hit by a ricochet and jeered at by the defenders, but there was no pause in the bombardment.
On the second day, Pelham was reinforced with troops from Winter's ships. The final assault, led by Captains Humfrey Mackworth and John Zouche, was concentrated on the part of the tower furthest from the cannon, where the defenders were holding out. The tower cracked under the impact of 2 or 3 shot, and the great west wall collapsed on its foundations, crushing many within. The survivors fled through the shallow waters, but most were shot or put to the sword; the rest (including one woman) were brought back to camp and hanged from trees. Captain Julian was hanged three days later.
was abandoned before the guns (its Spanish defenders blowing up the walls), and the garrisons at Newcastle West
, Balliloghan, Rathkeale
and Ballyduff
slipped away soon after. The rebels then engaged in guerrilla warfare
, and the crown only prevailed against them in 1583, when the Earl of Desmond was killed at Glenageenty in the Slieve Mish mountains near Tralee.
Such was the damage to Carrigafoyle Castle that it was never repaired. Its ruins still stand, including the outer defences and moat, and the effect of the bombardment is clear to see.
Ballylongford
Ballylongford is a village near Listowel in north County Kerry, Ireland.-Geography:The village is situated at the top of a creek of Ballylongford Bay on the tidal estuary of the River Shannon, close to Carrigafoyle Island and on the coast road between Tarbert and the seaside town of...
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, 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...
on the southern shores of the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
. The engagement was part of the English crown's campaign against the forces of Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman and leader of the Desmond Rebellions of 1579.-Life:...
during the Second Desmond Rebellion
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
. The castle was held by rebel troops in the service of Desmond and some Catholic troops from continental Europe.
Background
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...
. It stood on a rock in a small bay off the Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
estuary, and its name is an anglicisation of the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Carraig an Phoill ("rock of the hole").
The castle was referred to as the guardian of the Shannon, because of its strategic command of the shipping lanes that supplied the trading city of Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, some 20 miles (32 km) upriver. The bay at Carrigafoyle was shielded from the estuary on the northern side by a wooded island. Within the bay, the castle-rock was defended on the west and south sides by a double defensive wall: the inner wall enclosed a bawn
Bawn
A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house. It is the anglicised version of the Irish word badhún meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure". The Irish word for "cow" is bó and its plural is ba...
, and surrounding this was a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, which was covered on three sides (the east lay open) by the outer wall, where a smaller tower stood. The tower-keep itself was 86 ft high, and the precipitous sides of the castle-rock were layered with bricks and mortar. At high tide, the walled landing within the moat was capable of accommodating a ship of 100 tons displacement.
Siege
During the rebellionSecond Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
the castle was held by 50 Irish, along with 16 Spanish soldiers, who had arrived at Smerwick
Ard na Caithne
Ard na Caithne , meaning height of the arbutus or strawberry tree, known as Smerwick in English, in the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht is one of the principal bays of Corca Dhuibhne. It is nestled at the foot of An Triúr Deirfiúr and Cnoc Bhréanainn, which at is the highest mountain in the Brandon...
harbour the previous year as part of the 1579 Papal invasion; there were also women and children present. Months earlier, an Italian engineer, Captain Julian, had set about perfecting the castle's defences under the direction of Desmond's countess, Eleanor. By the time of the siege, she had retired to her husband's company - some forty miles (64 km) distant, at Castleisland
Castleisland
Castleisland is a town and commercial centre in County Kerry in south west Ireland. The town is renowned for the width of its main street. Castleisland has a population of 2,170....
- while Julian was still at his task.
The English commander, Sir William Pelham
William Pelham (lord justice)
Sir William Pelham was an English soldier and lord justice of Ireland.-Life:He was third son of Sir William Pelham of Laughton, Sussex, by his second wife, Mary, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne near Basingstoke in Hampshire...
, marched through Munster in the company of Sir George Carew. He assumed command of an additional 600 troops - taken from Sir William Winter
William Winter (admiral)
Sir William Wynter was an admiral under Queen Elizabeth I of England and served the crown during the Anglo-Spanish War ....
, who was directing the sea-borne part of the campaign - and his army became the largest ever seen in the west of Ireland. On arriving at Carrigafoyle, the English camped to the south-west of the castle and ranged their ordnance along a low wall running north, parallel to the outer wall at a distance of 100 yards. At the northern point of this wall a company of foot with lances was stationed.
The bombardment
Bombardment
A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire directed against fortifications, troops or towns and buildings.Prior to World War I the term term was only applied to the bombardment of defenceless or undefended objects, houses, public buildings, it was only loosely employed to describe artillery...
of the castle was carried out over two days, six hours each day, with 3 demi-cannon
Demi-cannon
The demi-cannon was a medium sized cannon, similar to but slightly larger than a culverin and smaller than a regular 42lb cannon developed in the early 17th century. A full cannon fired a 42-pound shot but these were discontinued in the 18th century as they were seen as too unwieldy. The lower...
and a culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
(a huge naval gun with small projectiles), which had been supplied from Winter's ships and were manned by naval gunners. The demi-cannon could be effective against stone, but only if allowed to fire unhindered - in the event, no hindrance was given. In addition, Winter had 3 three-masted ships, which fired their stern cannon from an anchorage in the estuary beyond the bay.
On the first day (Palm Sunday), Pelham ordered a party of troops to cross to the sea-wall, where they were pinned down by gunfire and had boulders hurled at them from the battlements. They threw up assault ladders, which the Spanish halberdiers pushed away. The Earl of Ormond described seeing the sea-channel fill with wreckage as the sides of the castle-rock became slippery with blood. Pelham was hit by a ricochet and jeered at by the defenders, but there was no pause in the bombardment.
On the second day, Pelham was reinforced with troops from Winter's ships. The final assault, led by Captains Humfrey Mackworth and John Zouche, was concentrated on the part of the tower furthest from the cannon, where the defenders were holding out. The tower cracked under the impact of 2 or 3 shot, and the great west wall collapsed on its foundations, crushing many within. The survivors fled through the shallow waters, but most were shot or put to the sword; the rest (including one woman) were brought back to camp and hanged from trees. Captain Julian was hanged three days later.
Consequences
The strategic significance of the siege is fully indicated by the swiftness with which other Desmond strongholds fell once news of the destruction had spread. The castle at AskeatonAskeaton
Askeaton is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. Located on the N69, the town is built on the banks of the River Deel some 3 km upstream from the estuary of the River Shannon. There is also a secondary school in Askeaton...
was abandoned before the guns (its Spanish defenders blowing up the walls), and the garrisons at Newcastle West
Newcastle West
Newcastle West is a town in west County Limerick, Ireland. The town is the largest town in the county, excluding Limerick city, and is sited on the River Arra which flows into the River Deel...
, Balliloghan, Rathkeale
Rathkeale
Rathkeale is a town in west County Limerick, Ireland. It is located 30 km southwest of Limerick city on the N21 road to Tralee, and lies on the River Deel. Rathkeale has a significant Irish Traveller population....
and Ballyduff
Ballyduff, County Kerry
Ballyduff is a village near Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland. Located on R551 between Ballyheigue and Ballybunion on hills above Cashen Bay where the River Feale flows to the sea at the mouth of the River Shannon.- History :...
slipped away soon after. The rebels then engaged in guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
, and the crown only prevailed against them in 1583, when the Earl of Desmond was killed at Glenageenty in the Slieve Mish mountains near Tralee.
Such was the damage to Carrigafoyle Castle that it was never repaired. Its ruins still stand, including the outer defences and moat, and the effect of the bombardment is clear to see.