Cromwellian conquest of Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
Part of the Eleven Years' War and Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Oliver Cromwell, who landed in Ireland in 1649 to re-conquer the country on behalf of the English Parliament. He left in 1650, having taken eastern and southern Ireland, passing his command to Henry Ireton.
Date 15 August 1649 – 27 April 1653 Location Ireland Result Decisive English Parliamentarian victory English Parliamentarian conquest of Ireland End of the Confederation of Kilkenny Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652
Belligerents
Irish Catholic Confederation English Royalists	English Parliamentarian New Model Army Protestant colonists
Commanders and leaders
James Butler, Marquess of Ormonde (Aug. 1649 – Dec. 1650) Ulick Burke, Earl of Clanricarde (Dec. 1650 – Apr. 1653)	Oliver Cromwell (Aug. 1649 – May 1650) Henry Ireton (May 1650 – Nov. 1651) Charles Fleetwood (Nov. 1651 – Apr. 1653)
Strength
Up to 60,000 incl. guerrilla fighters, but only around 20,000 at any one time	~30,000 New Model Army troops, ~10,000 troops raised in Ireland or based there before campaign
Casualties and losses
Unknown; 15,000–20,000 battlefield casualties, over 200,000–600,000 civilian casualties (from war-related violence, famine or disease) ~50,000 deported as indentured labourers	8,000 New Model Army soldiers killed, ~7,000 locally raised soldiers killed

During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the forces of the English Parliament took over Ireland. This happened between 1649 and 1653. These forces were led by Oliver Cromwell. This event is known as the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Cromwell arrived in Ireland with his New Model Army in August 1649. He came on behalf of England's Rump Parliament.

Before Cromwell's arrival, most of Ireland was controlled by the Irish Catholic Confederation. In early 1649, the Confederates joined forces with the English Royalists. The Royalists had been defeated by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War. By May 1652, Cromwell's army had defeated the combined Confederate and Royalist forces in Ireland. This ended the Irish Confederate Wars. However, small groups of fighters continued to resist for another year.

Why the Invasion Happened

The English Parliament saw the alliance between the Irish Catholics and English Royalists as a threat. The Royalists wanted to bring back Charles II of England as king. The Parliamentarians had just won the English Civil War and created a new government. They also wanted to punish Ireland for the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

The Conquest and Its Impact

The Parliamentarian takeover was very harsh for Ireland. Oliver Cromwell is still seen as a negative figure in Irish history. Historians still discuss how much Cromwell was responsible for the terrible events that happened. Some say his actions were normal for wars at that time. Others argue that the harm caused was very great.

The war had a huge impact on the people of Ireland. Many people died from fighting, famine, and a serious illness called bubonic plague. Some historians believe that between 15% and 83% of the Irish population died. The Parliamentarians also sent about 50,000 people away to work as indentured labourers. These numbers cover different periods, from the main conquest to the years after.

Changes in Ireland

After their victory, the Parliamentarians passed new laws. These were called Penal Laws and were against Roman Catholics. Most of the people in Ireland were Catholic. Large amounts of their land were taken away. The Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 made these changes official.

Images for kids

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  Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny was the capital of the Irish Confederates. Cromwell's forces took it in 1650.

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  Henry Ireton. Cromwell gave command of the Parliamentarian army in Ireland to Ireton in 1650. Ireton died from illness during the Siege of Limerick in 1651.

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  King John's Castle and Thomond Bridge in Limerick city. Ireton captured Limerick in 1651 after a long siege.

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  The strong city of Galway in 1651. It was the last Irish place to surrender to the Parliamentarians in 1652.

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  After Cromwell won, huge areas of land were taken. Irish Catholics were forced to move to the lands of Connacht.

See also

In Spanish: Conquista de Irlanda por Cromwell para niños