Dursey massacre facts for kids
The Dursey massacre was a very sad event that took place in June 1602. It happened on Dursey Island, which is a small island off the coast of Ireland. During this time, there was a big conflict called the Nine Years' War. An English army, led by a commander named George Carew, attacked the island. Many people, including families and children, were killed. An Irish writer, Philip O'Sullivan Beare, later wrote about how about three hundred Irish people died during this attack.
A Time of War
- Further information: Siege of Dunboy
The Nine Years' War was a long fight in Ireland. Many Irish lords, like Hugh O'Neill, were fighting against English rule. In the south of Ireland, a leader named Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare was also part of this fight. His home was in the Beara Peninsula, which is in what we now call County Cork.
After a big battle called the siege of Kinsale in 1601, O'Sullivan was one of the few Irish leaders still fighting. In early 1602, English forces were getting stronger in the south. O'Sullivan traveled north to talk with O'Neill. In June, an English army attacked Dunboy Castle, a strong fort belonging to O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan was not there at the time. While the main English army was at Dunboy, a smaller group led by George Carew went to Dursey Island. There was a small fort on Dursey Island where many Irish families were hiding from the fighting.
The Attack on Dursey
O'Sullivan had sent many civilians to Dursey Island to keep them safe. These included older people, women, and children. About 40 Irish soldiers were there to protect the fort.
An English force, with hundreds of soldiers and some cannons, arrived on the island by boat. After some fighting, the Irish people on the island decided to surrender. They were told by Carew that their lives would be spared if they gave up. However, according to an account written later by Philip O'Sullivan Beare, Carew did not keep his promise. Philip O'Sullivan Beare was the nephew of Donal Cam. He wrote that Carew's men killed many of the people who had surrendered. Philip was a child at the time and had been sent to Spain before these events. He wrote that some people were tied up and pushed off cliffs onto the rocks below. In total, over three hundred people were killed in this terrible event.
What Happened Next
At the same time, the English army took Dunboy Castle. The Irish soldiers defending it were defeated. Many were killed during the attack.
After Dunboy fell, O'Sullivan and his remaining followers began a long and difficult journey north. This journey is known as "O'Sullivan's March". Hundreds of people died during this march from attacks and harsh weather. Many others settled in different places along the way. In the end, only a small number of the original thousand people finished the journey.
O'Sullivan tried to gather more forces in the north to continue fighting. However, the Irish alliance surrendered in March 1603. This happened after O'Neill also surrendered and signed the Treaty of Mellifont.
See also
- List of massacres in Ireland
