Battle of Castlehaven facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Castlehaven |
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| Part of the Nine Years' War and Anglo-Spanish War | |||||||
 Present-day view of Castlehaven Bay |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 England |
 Spain Irish Alliance |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Richard Leveson | Pedro de Zubiaur | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4 warships 2 merchantman |
6 ships Numerous shore batteries |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 150 casualties | 2 ships sunk, 4 driven ashore 200 killed or wounded, 50 captured |
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The Battle of Castlehaven was an important naval battle. It happened on December 6, 1601. The fight took place in the bay near Castlehaven, on the south coast of Ireland.
This battle was part of two bigger wars: the Nine Years' War in Ireland and the Anglo-Spanish War. It was fought between a Spanish fleet and an English fleet.
The English fleet was led by Admiral Richard Leveson. It had four warships. The Spanish fleet had six ships, led by General Pedro de Zubiaur. These Spanish ships were also protected by forts on the shore. About 600 Spanish and Irish soldiers helped from land.
In the end, the English won. Five out of six Spanish ships were sunk, captured, or forced onto the shore. The English fleet did not lose any ships.
Contents
Why Did the Battle Happen?
Spanish Arrival in Ireland
On September 23, 1601, a large Spanish fleet arrived in Kinsale harbour. This fleet was led by Don Juan del Águila. General Zubiaur's six ships got separated from the main fleet.
Zubiaur and his ships finally reached Castlehaven on December 1. They brought about 2,000 soldiers with them. The O'Driscoll clan, who controlled Castlehaven Castle, welcomed the Spanish.
English Response to the Threat
On December 2, the English leader, Lord Mountjoy, learned about the Spanish ships. He quickly understood the danger. Mountjoy immediately started making English defenses stronger.
He ordered Admiral Leveson to go to Castlehaven. Leveson's mission was to "seeke the Spanish fleete... to take them if he could." Leveson left another admiral to guard Kinsale. He then took the rest of his heavily armed fleet to Castlehaven.
How the Battle Unfolded
English Fleet Sets Sail
Admiral Leveson had four main warships. These were the Warspite, Defiance, Swiftsure, and Merlin. He also had a merchant ship and a smaller caravel.
On December 5, the wind was blowing towards the land. This made it hard for the English ships to leave Kinsale. Leveson had his ships pulled out of the harbour. Then, they set off for Castlehaven.
The Fight Begins
The next morning, December 6, Leveson's fleet arrived. It was 10 o'clock. General Zubiaur was ready for them. He had an eight-gun battery set up at the harbour's entrance.
A brave Captain Fleming, commanding the Merlin, rowed through Spanish gunfire. He found a safe path for the larger Warspite to follow. The Spanish shore batteries and ships fired heavily. Leveson said this "much annoyed" his fleet.
Ship-to-Ship Combat
The battle continued until four o'clock that afternoon. Zubiaur's main ship, the Maria Francesca, was sunk. Most of its crew were lost. Another Spanish ship, the Cisno Camello, was hit below the waterline. It began to sink in shallow water.
A French supply ship was also destroyed. Two more Spanish ships were hit so badly that their crews forced them onto the rocks. This happened after constant fire from the big English ships, especially the Defiance and Warspite. Finally, an English crew boarded a Spanish merchant ship. It was carrying wheat and biscuits. The English then left it, and it also ran aground.
English Withdrawal
More Irish soldiers arrived to help the Spanish. Leveson's ships were running low on ammunition. Most of the Spanish ships were now out of action. The wind was blowing towards the shore. Leveson managed to pull his ships away. They were towed out of the bay while still under fire from the remaining Spanish shore batteries.
What Happened After?
The English fleet had some damage. The Warspite was hit by nearly 209 cannonballs. Leveson often had to tow his ships back to Kinsale because of the wind.
Leveson had won a clear victory. He had stopped Zubiaur's naval power. This victory was very important for the English. Leveson then helped in the siege of Kinsale. He blocked the bay from the sea. This was a key part of the English winning the siege.
The Spanish soldiers at Castlehaven were now cut off. They spread out to other areas like Baltimore. But they soon gave up when they heard about the defeat at Kinsale. Pedro De Zubiaur went back to Spain. He was briefly arrested but later released.
Images for kids
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Present-day view of Castlehaven Bay
