Tyrone's Rebellion

• Long term causes for the rebellion

  • Break from Rome - Ireland remained Catholic
  • Fears of Irish lords supporting a catholic crusade
  • Henry VIII chose conciliation
  • Elizabeth faced a threat of an Irish-catholic rising - chose direct intervention
  • Unsuccessful rebellions in Munster in 1569 and 1579-83
• What was the policy for conciliation?

  A compromise was reached between the English and Anglo-Irish
• What was the consequence of the Munster risings in 1579-83?

  Rebels were hunted and executed, their lands were used to encourage plantation
• What were short term causes of the rebellion?

  • Break from Rome
  • Catholicism
  • Compromise (policy of conciliation)
  • Henry took land from the Anglo-Irish and divided like English custom
  • Anglo-Irish lords given English titles
  • The Earl of Sussex
• What was composition?

  Irish landowners had to pay charges to the English and Irish lords, composition meant the payments were brought together as one into English authority
• What caused the O'Neil massacre?

  Resistance to the increased English settlements in Ulster
• When and what happened at the O'Neil massacre?

  1574, The English invited them to a feast and then massacred them
• How many were killed in the O'Neil massacre?

  200
• When and what happened at the O'Donnell massacre

  1575, a surprise raid by the English
• How many were killed in the O'Donnell massacre?

  500
• When did Hugh O'Neil accept the title of Earl of Tyrone?

  1585
• How was the initial Ulster plantation made possible?

  Hugh MacMahon, chief of the MacMahon clan, was executed in 1590 and had his lands in Ulster given to Sir Henry Bagenal
• Why was Tyrone prepared to accept his title?

  A feud with the head of his clan over his right to chieftain
• Why did Bagenal and Tyrone have tensions?

  Tyrone eloped to Bagenals sister, Mabel Bagenal
• When was Hugh O'Donnell imprisoned?

  1590
• Why was it hard for Tyrone to remain neutral?

  Maguire and O'Donnell's plot against the English
• Where did Hugh Maguire attack in 1593?

  English officials in Sligo and the English garrison
• What did Tyrone want in return for the English overlooking his help in arresting Maguire?

  He wanted overall charge of Ulster , and in return, he would accept English style government
• What were Tyrone's decision to rebel?

  • 1593, O'Donnell asked King Philip II of Spain for support, but he was busy dealing with problems in the Netherlands
  • 1594, O'Donnell and Maguire besieged Enniskillen Castle - Maguire ambushed the English relief force, killing 56 soldiers
  • 1594, Tyrone promised to restore peace in Ulster and to cooperate with the English in return for control of Ulster - Elizabeth didn't allow it
• How much of a threat was Tyrone's rebellion, 1595?

  • English and Spanish captains trained his men, importing ammunition and weapons
  • 1595, he had an army of 1000 cavalry, 4000 musketmen and 1000 pikemen
  • Had the support of Ulster chieftains - uniting against a common enemy
  • His army had deserters from the English army
  • 1596, rebels had 6000 foot soldiers and 1200 cavalry compared to the English's 5732 foot soldiers and 617 cavalry
• Support from Philip II?

  • Irish-Spanish contact began 1593
  • 1595, further negotiations with the Spanish for money and men
  • 1596, Philip sent a second Armarda - 100 ships, 32 ships were lost by winds and the rest returned to Spain
• Support from Philip III?

  • Before 1601, he didn't have enough men to send to Ireland
  • 1601, Spanish sent troops to Ireland - when they reached Kinsale, only 3400 men left out of the 6000 Tyrone requested
  • English Lord Deputy Mountjoy prevented them from meeting the Irish
• What happened at the battle of Clontibret?

  • Irish forces faced and English force of 1100 men - 2000 extra were promised but only 1616 arrived, mostly in poor condition
  • Tyrone ambushed English troops, using up supplies
  • Tyrone ambushed English troops again, killing 31 and injuring 109
• When was the Battle of Clontibret?

  1595
• Why did the rebels negotiate in 1596?

  • Capturing and garrisoning small fortresses were making them vulnerable
  • It was expensive and dangerous to keep supplying the garrisons
• Why did negotiations break down?

  The rebels and Philip II had began negotiations of their own, offering money, weapons and soldiers
• What happened at the battle of Yellow Ford?

  • By 1597, the English developed fortifications along the blackwater river
  • Burgh, the English leader, died
  • English only had 150 men
  • Faced 5000 rebels - Bagenal offered to bring 4200 men
  • Irish rebels ambushed them
  • Bagenal killed
  • 830 soldiers killed, 400 wounded and 300 deserted the English army - only 2000 soldiers left
• What happened in Munster after Yellow Ford?

  Plantations were overthrown very quickly - settlers killed, captures and fled
• How many troops did Elizabeth send after Yellow Ford?

  1900 to Dublin, backed by 6300 more
• What happened at the Battle of Curlew Pass?

  • Irish attack on Sir Donough O’Connor
  • Sir Clifford sent to rescue him
  • Brought 1490 footmen and 205 cavalry
  • English trapped in unfamiliar geography
  • Came under attack, Clifford killed with 1/3 of his army
• English weaknesses

  • Unfamiliar geography
  • Underestimated Irish
  • Deserters
  • Sickness
  • Poor or dead leadership
• The Battles in order and dates

  • Clontibret, 1595
  • Yellow Ford, 1598
  • Curlew Pass, 1599
  • Kinsale, 1601
  • Siege of Dunboy, 1602
• Sir Bagenal

  • Wanted to expand estates in Ulster
  • Personal feud with Tyrone
  • Responsible for the organisation of the royal armies
  • Poor military tactician
• Florence MacCarthy

  • Was a Catholic that spoke Spanish - under suspicion from English
  • Arrested twice
  • Neutral in the rebellion
• Who lead the English at Curlew Pass?

  Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux
• Earl of Essex

  • Poor organisation meant the English didn‘t have the equipment needed
  • Poor strategic decisions
  • Campaign in Munster meant soldiers tired
  • Elizabeth held him directly responsible
  • Only had 4000 soldiers out of the 17,200 he came with
  • Met with Tyrone without witnesses - considered treasonous
• Lord Mountjoy

  • Considerable experience fighting in Netherlands and France
  • Excellent military leader
  • Helped by Carew
  • Had 13,200 men
  • Sent 4000 men to Ulster to surround Tyrone
• What happened at the Battle of Kinsale?

  • Spanish troops arrived in Kinsale too late - Carew stopped the rebellion in Munster
  • Mountjoy besieged Kinsale with 7000 men
  • Tyrone and O’Donnell arrived at Kinsale 6500 men
  • English were cold, exhauste, low on supplies and only had 6600 left
  • Mountjoy launched a surprise attack
  • Irish cavalry panicked and charged into their own army
• What happened at the siege of Dunboy?

  • Constable of Dunboy warned Carew of the dangers of attacking an impregnable fortress
  • Carew found a weak point and attacked
  • Dunboy destroyed, 58 defenders executed, 143 men killed
• How did Tyrone’s rebellion end?

  1603, Elizabeth died, Moutjoy offered Tyrone a pardon and was recognised as the Chief lord of Ulster