Battle of Belleek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Belleek |
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| Part of the Nine Years' War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Irish Alliance |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lord Fermanagh | Sir Henry Bagenal Earl of Tyrone |
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| Strength | |||||||
| ~600–900 | ~1,200 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~300 | ~few, possibly 3 killed, 6 wounded | ||||||
The Battle of Belleek, also known as the Battle of the Erne Fords, was a fight that happened on 10 October 1593. It took place near Belleek in Fermanagh, Ireland, by the River Erne. This battle was an important event leading up to the Nine Years' War.
The battle was fought between an Irish army led by Hugh Maguire, who was the lord of Fermanagh. He had started a rebellion against the English. On the other side was an English army led by Sir Henry Bagenal, who was supported by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Maguire's army was defeated, but most of his soldiers were not harmed. Interestingly, Hugh O'Neill later joined Maguire in the war against the English.
Contents
Why Did the Battle of Belleek Happen?
Hugh Maguire, the lord of Fermanagh, started an open rebellion against the English Crown in the spring of 1593. He was upset because of the bad actions of the English sheriff, Humphrey Willis.
At first, Maguire didn't have enough soldiers to fight Willis. But then, he got help from Tyrone. Soldiers led by Cormac MacBaron O'Neill and skilled shooters from the O'Hagans joined him. This help allowed Maguire to go on the attack.
Raids and Negotiations
In May and June 1593, Maguire and Brian Oge O'Rourke from West Breifne raided lands controlled by the English Lord President of Connaught, Richard Bingham. They even destroyed the town around Ballymote Castle.
Talks to solve the problem didn't work very well. So, Sir Henry Bagenal was ordered to lead an army into Fermanagh to make Maguire stop his rebellion. On his way, Bagenal attacked the lands of Maguire's friend, Brian MacHugh Og MacMahon, in County Monaghan.
Armies Gather for Battle
Bagenal entered Fermanagh on 22 September. He had 144 horsemen, 763 foot soldiers, and 118 kern (lightly armed Irish soldiers). Hugh O'Neill, the lord of Tyrone, met Bagenal near Enniskillen Castle on 26 September. O'Neill brought 200 horsemen and 600 foot soldiers. This was only half the number of foot soldiers he had promised.
Maguire controlled Enniskillen Castle. He also blocked the river crossing (ford) across the Erne at Lisgoole Abbey with strong defenses and troops. Bagenal suggested different ways to get around Maguire's defenses, but O'Neill refused to help.
So, Bagenal and O'Neill couldn't cross the Erne there. They marched north in separate groups on 7 October. Two days later, they met at Termon Magrath. O'Neill had sent his foot soldiers home. Maguire's army, made up of 600 to 900 gallowglass (Irish mercenary soldiers), redshanks (Scottish mercenaries), and shooters, held earthwork defenses at a ford near Belleek. This ford was known as Áth Cúil Uain.
How the Battle of Belleek Was Fought
On 10 October, the combined armies of Bagenal and O'Neill moved towards Maguire's positions. Even though Maguire was in charge of the Irish forces in the area, he wasn't directly leading the soldiers at the ford.
Bagenal described the ford as being "fortified in front and flank for their own defence". This means the Irish had built strong defenses there.
English Attack Strategy
The English army was divided into two main groups of foot soldiers. They also sent groups of skilled shooters, armed with muskets, to positions on the left and right sides of the ford. Muskets had a longer range than the smaller calivers used by the Irish defenders. This meant the English could shoot at the Irish without much risk of being shot back effectively.
The English foot soldiers entered the water, which was high. Soldiers were "wading through to the arm holes," meaning the water came up to their arms. The Irish defenders fired some shots, but they didn't do much to stop the English advance. The ford was also wide enough for the horsemen to cross at the same time.
Irish Retreat and Pursuit
As the English got closer to the other side of the river, the Irish defenders started to pull back. At first, they retreated in an orderly way. But when the English horsemen successfully crossed the river, they quickly made the Irish soldiers run away.
The horsemen, mostly provided by O'Neill, chased the fleeing Irish soldiers. They killed many without resistance. During the fight, O'Neill was speared in the leg. Bagenal's shin was bruised by the flat side of a gallowglass axe. It's thought that about 300 of Maguire's men were killed. Most of them were Clan Sweeney gallowglass and Scottish redshanks.
What Happened After the Battle?
After the battle, O'Neill went back to Dungannon to get treatment for his leg wound. Bagenal continued to take goods and supplies from the area until he returned to Lisgoole on 17 October.
Bagenal believed that Maguire's army had been badly hurt. Lord Deputy William Fitzwilliam was also sure that Maguire's power was broken and that his forces were getting smaller.
Maguire's Unscathed Army
However, it later turned out that Maguire's main army, which had raided Connacht earlier that year and blocked Bagenal at Lisgoole Abbey, was not harmed. This main force used modern pike and shot tactics.
There was some arguing between O'Neill and Bagenal about who deserved credit for the victory. At this time, O'Neill was still pretending to be loyal to the English Crown. But in reality, Tyrone was playing both sides. He was secretly directing a war against the Crown in the west of Ulster while he was making his own power stronger in central and eastern Ulster.
When Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tyrconnell offered to send more soldiers to Belleek, O'Neill told him not to. Even though O'Neill's wound was painful, it helped make his "loyalty" seem real to the English. This made his deception more effective, as he "was pleased therat, so that the English should not have any suspicion of him."
The battle at Belleek was a clever trick. It made the English think that a small local rebellion was almost over. But actually, the English were just at the beginning of a much bigger war. This war almost ended English power in Ireland.
