began with great success but led to one of the saddest events in Irish history – the Flight of the Earls.
16
The Flight of the Earls
O ’Neill’s greatest ally in the Nine Years’ War was Red Hugh O’Donnell. As a youth, Red Hugh had been lured into a trap by the English who imprisoned him in Dublin Castle. Now, if the O’Donnells rebelled, Red Hugh would be killed. Locked up in a prison cell and missing the hills of his beloved Donegal, he dreamed of escape. He did escape in 1591, but was betrayed and recaptured. Returned to prison, he languished in a dungeon for another year.
Then, on Christmas night 1592, he and two companions made a daring escape through a sewer. It was snowing and bitterly cold, but the three made their way to Wicklow. Here, Hugh’s companions fell down exhausted and he went to get help. When he returned, his companions had died of cold and exhaustion. Hugh made his way home to Donegal and the following year, at twenty years of age, he became chief of the O’Donnells. After his imprisonment, he had good reason to dislike the English, and was ready to join Hugh O’Neill in rebellion.
The rebellion began successfully in 1595 when the rebels captured Blackwater Fort in County Armagh and won another battle at Clontibret in County Monaghan. O’Neill knew he couldn’t defeat the English without help, and asked Philip III, who was now king of Spain, for soldiers. Spain was still at war with England, and Philip sent two Armadas to Ireland, but both were wrecked by fierce storms, leaving the rebels to fight on alone.
In 1598, Sir Henry Bagenal, the English commander, marched north with a large force, intent on crushing the rebellion. O’Neill and O’Donnell laid a trap for him. They dug a ditch in boggy ground at a place called the Yellow Ford, and lured Bagenal’s forces there. When a cannon got stuck in the bog, Bagenal tried to pull it out. During the attempt he was shot dead and this demoralised his forces. The Irish routed the English in one of the greatest victories ever by the Irish over their enemy.
This victory, and others which followed, alarmed Queen Elizabeth. She sent her favourite Englishman, the Earl of Essex, to Ireland with 20,000 men. But he was no great leader and tried to make peace. Elizabeth summoned him back to England and, after being accused of plotting against her, he was beheaded. Elizabeth next sent Lord Mountjoy to Ireland to subdue the rebels. He was utterly ruthless and ravaged the country, slaughtering and burning and terrorising the people so that those who were not killed died of starvation and disease.
O’Neill again asked the Spanish for help and another Armada with 6,000 men set out for Ireland. Once more storms intervened and about 4,000 eventually reached Ireland. Instead of landing in the north, where the rebels were strongest, the Spaniards landed at Kinsale, County Cork, in October 1601.
Lord Mountjoy marched to Kinsale and surrounded the Spaniards. Meanwhile, O’Neill and O’Donnell set out to march nearly 500 kilometres south to support the Spanish. It was wintertime and bitterly cold, and much of the country had already been ravaged by Mountjoy. There was little food or shelter to be had, and the rebels could only struggle on day after day.
Just before Christmas 1601, they reached Kinsale and surrounded Mountjoy and his forces, trapping him between themselves and the Spanish. They could now have waited until Mountjoy ran out of food and was forced to surrender. Had this happened, it would have been a great victory for the Irish, and could have ended English rule in the country.
But instead of waiting, the Irish attacked. It was a disastrous decision. The ground was not suited to the way the Irish fought, but was perfectly suited to a well-trained English army. The Irish were still recovering from their long march and, to make matters worse, their plans were betrayed to Mountjoy by an informer. Signals to the Spanish to attack were never
16
The Flight of the Earls
O ’Neill’s greatest ally in the Nine Years’ War was Red Hugh O’Donnell. As a youth, Red Hugh had been lured into a trap by the English who imprisoned him in Dublin Castle. Now, if the O’Donnells rebelled, Red Hugh would be killed. Locked up in a prison cell and missing the hills of his beloved Donegal, he dreamed of escape. He did escape in 1591, but was betrayed and recaptured. Returned to prison, he languished in a dungeon for another year.
Then, on Christmas night 1592, he and two companions made a daring escape through a sewer. It was snowing and bitterly cold, but the three made their way to Wicklow. Here, Hugh’s companions fell down exhausted and he went to get help. When he returned, his companions had died of cold and exhaustion. Hugh made his way home to Donegal and the following year, at twenty years of age, he became chief of the O’Donnells. After his imprisonment, he had good reason to dislike the English, and was ready to join Hugh O’Neill in rebellion.
The rebellion began successfully in 1595 when the rebels captured Blackwater Fort in County Armagh and won another battle at Clontibret in County Monaghan. O’Neill knew he couldn’t defeat the English without help, and asked Philip III, who was now king of Spain, for soldiers. Spain was still at war with England, and Philip sent two Armadas to Ireland, but both were wrecked by fierce storms, leaving the rebels to fight on alone.
In 1598, Sir Henry Bagenal, the English commander, marched north with a large force, intent on crushing the rebellion. O’Neill and O’Donnell laid a trap for him. They dug a ditch in boggy ground at a place called the Yellow Ford, and lured Bagenal’s forces there. When a cannon got stuck in the bog, Bagenal tried to pull it out. During the attempt he was shot dead and this demoralised his forces. The Irish routed the English in one of the greatest victories ever by the Irish over their enemy.
This victory, and others which followed, alarmed Queen Elizabeth. She sent her favourite Englishman, the Earl of Essex, to Ireland with 20,000 men. But he was no great leader and tried to make peace. Elizabeth summoned him back to England and, after being accused of plotting against her, he was beheaded. Elizabeth next sent Lord Mountjoy to Ireland to subdue the rebels. He was utterly ruthless and ravaged the country, slaughtering and burning and terrorising the people so that those who were not killed died of starvation and disease.
O’Neill again asked the Spanish for help and another Armada with 6,000 men set out for Ireland. Once more storms intervened and about 4,000 eventually reached Ireland. Instead of landing in the north, where the rebels were strongest, the Spaniards landed at Kinsale, County Cork, in October 1601.
Lord Mountjoy marched to Kinsale and surrounded the Spaniards. Meanwhile, O’Neill and O’Donnell set out to march nearly 500 kilometres south to support the Spanish. It was wintertime and bitterly cold, and much of the country had already been ravaged by Mountjoy. There was little food or shelter to be had, and the rebels could only struggle on day after day.
Just before Christmas 1601, they reached Kinsale and surrounded Mountjoy and his forces, trapping him between themselves and the Spanish. They could now have waited until Mountjoy ran out of food and was forced to surrender. Had this happened, it would have been a great victory for the Irish, and could have ended English rule in the country.
But instead of waiting, the Irish attacked. It was a disastrous decision. The ground was not suited to the way the Irish fought, but was perfectly suited to a well-trained English army. The Irish were still recovering from their long march and, to make matters worse, their plans were betrayed to Mountjoy by an informer. Signals to the Spanish to attack were never
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