Battle of Tecroghan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Tecroghan |
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| Part of the Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists Irish Confederation |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Earl of Castlehaven | Colonel Reynolds | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2,700 infantry 300 cavalry |
1,400 infantry 1,200 cavalry |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Low | Low | ||||||
The Battle of Tecroghan was a small but important fight. It happened on June 19, 1650, in County Meath, Ireland. This battle was part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. During the battle, a fort called Tecroghan was under attack by Parliamentarian forces. An army of Irish Royalists tried to help the people inside the fort. Some supplies reached the fort, but the main attack failed. The fort surrendered a few days later.
Why the Battle Happened
In the spring of 1650, things were tough for the Irish and Royalist alliance. This group had formed after a peace treaty in 1649. But then, Oliver Cromwell arrived in Ireland in August 1649. His Parliamentarian army quickly took over many big cities.
By May 1650, Tecroghan Fort was one of the few places left. It was in County Meath, on an island surrounded by boggy land. This made it hard to reach. The fort was also important because it was near a main road. This road was used for supplies and trade.
The fort was strong and had cannons. It was commanded by Sir Robert Talbot and Lady Fitzgerald. Because of its location, it was very hard to attack with cannons.
In May 1650, Cromwell and his general, Henry Ireton, decided to take Tecroghan Castle. They sent over 2,000 Parliamentarian soldiers. These soldiers were led by Colonel John Reynolds. Their plan was simple: block the fort from a distance. They hoped to starve the people inside until they gave up.
In response, the leader of the Royalist alliance, the Duke of Ormond, ordered help for Tecroghan. He told two of his commanders, the Earl of Castlehaven and the Marquess of Clanricarde, to go and rescue the fort.
The Fight at Tecroghan
On June 18, Castlehaven and Clanricarde's armies met. They were about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Tecroghan. They had around 3,000 men in total. This included 2,700 foot soldiers and 300 horsemen. They saw that the Parliamentarian army was large and had many horsemen.
The commanders talked about how to attack. They decided it would be too risky to charge straight at the Parliamentarian lines. This was because the Parliamentarians had many more horsemen. Instead, they planned to march directly toward the fort. They would try to break through at one spot. They would go through the soft, wet bogland. This would make the Parliamentarian horsemen almost useless. Clanricarde was not well enough to walk. So, Castlehaven offered to lead the foot soldiers through the bog.
On June 19, Castlehaven began his attack. He led his men through the bog toward the fort. About four miles from the fort, they met the English Parliamentarian soldiers. Castlehaven quickly sent his foot soldiers to attack.
The left side of Castlehaven's army, led by Colonel Burke, broke through the Parliamentarian lines. They kept going toward the fort. But the right side of Castlehaven's army was pushed back. Their soldiers started to run away. This confusion spread to the middle of the army, where Castlehaven was. The middle also began to retreat, even though Castlehaven tried to make them stay and fight. Soon, the middle and right parts of the army were running away.
Colonel Burke and many of his men on the left side were so far ahead that they reached the fort. The fighting then stopped. The battle was short, and not many soldiers were hurt. Colonel Burke brought some food and supplies to the fort. But the Parliamentarian blockade stayed in place. The siege continued. Castlehaven and his retreating soldiers went back to Tyrrellspass. Later, they marched home.
The soldiers inside the fort, now with some extra supplies, tried to help themselves. They made daily attacks to damage the English defenses. These attacks lasted for several days. But on June 25, the fort ran out of gunpowder.
What Happened Next
Some people thought this battle was a small win for the Royalist alliance. This was because they managed to get supplies into the fort. However, the situation for the fort's soldiers did not change much. The battle's outcome was "inconclusive." This means it didn't really solve anything. It was a "stalemate," meaning things stayed "the way they were before."
The fort still did not have enough food or ammunition after the battle. The Parliamentarian siege continued without any problems. Six days later, on June 25, Sir Robert Talbot and Lady Fitzgerald agreed to give up the fort. The soldiers inside were allowed to leave with their weapons. They were free to go.
See also
- Irish battles
