Sack of Cashel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sack of Cashel
Part of the Irish Confederate Wars
The Rock of Cashel, the citadel in which the defenders of Cashel attempted to hold off the assault
Date 15 September 1647 Location Cashel, County Tipperary Result English victory
Belligerents
Irish Confederates	English Parliamentarians
Commanders and leaders
Lt-Colonel Butler	Baron Inchiquin
Strength
c.300 (excluding civilians)	c.2,500
Casualties and losses
c.500-800 (including civilians)	c.300

The Sack of Cashel was a terrible event that happened on September 15, 1647. It is also known as the Massacre of Cashel. During the Irish Confederate Wars, a Protestant army attacked and captured Cashel Castle in County Tipperary. This army was led by the Baron of Inchiquin. Many people died, including soldiers and civilians. The castle was also robbed and destroyed. This event is remembered as one of the most brutal parts of the war.

The Irish Confederate Wars: A Quick Look

The Sack of Cashel happened during a big conflict in Ireland. This conflict was part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. These wars involved England, Scotland, and Ireland. In Ireland, the main fight was between Irish Catholics and Protestant settlers.

Who Was Fighting?

• Irish Confederates: Most Irish Catholics formed this group. They wanted more rights for Catholics. They also wanted to control Ireland.
• English Parliamentarians: These were Protestants. They supported the English Parliament. Their leader in Munster was Baron Inchiquin.
• English Royalists: These people supported King Charles I of England. Some Irish Catholics and Protestants also supported the King.

Problems Among the Confederates

The Irish Confederates had their own problems. They argued about making peace with the King. Some wanted to accept a small amount of freedom for Catholics. They hoped to join forces with the English Royalists. Others wanted Ireland to be a Catholic kingdom. These disagreements made the Confederates weaker. This weakness helped Inchiquin's army attack Cashel.

The Munster Army Changes Leaders

In June 1647, a powerful Confederate leader named Donough MacCarthy visited the Munster army. This army was part of the Irish Confederates. At the time, an English nobleman, the Earl of Glamorgan, led the army. He was not popular because he was English and didn't pay the soldiers enough.

Muskerry wanted to change the direction of the Confederate leaders. He convinced the army to support him. Glamorgan then officially handed over command to Muskerry. But Muskerry quickly gave command to Theobald Taaffe. Taaffe was known to support the King. Unfortunately, Lord Taaffe was not a very good military leader.

While the Munster army was having these leadership problems, Inchiquin's Protestant forces were attacking Catholic areas.

Inchiquin's Attack on Cashel

In the summer of 1647, Baron Inchiquin started his attacks. He targeted Catholic strongholds in County Limerick and County Clare. In early September, he captured Cahir Castle in County Tipperary. This castle gave him a safe place to launch more raids.

Lord Taaffe, the new Confederate leader, did not stop Inchiquin. This might have been because of political plans by other Irish lords. They wanted to save the Munster army for their own goals. Because of this, Inchiquin was able to move towards Cashel, County Tipperary. Cashel was an important town and religious center.

The Assault on the Rock

Inchiquin had already attacked Cashel twice before. Now, he planned a major assault. His soldiers first attacked Roche Castle nearby. They killed fifty guards there. This attack scared the people in the area. Many fled to the Rock of Cashel. The Rock was a much stronger place than the town.

Lord Taaffe had placed six companies of soldiers at the Rock. He thought it could be defended. But he left the command to Lieutenant-Colonel Butler and did not stay himself.

Inchiquin arrived with his army and demanded surrender within an hour. The defenders wanted to talk, but Inchiquin refused. On the afternoon of September 15, the attack began. The Parliamentarian soldiers were reminded of past attacks on Protestants. Then, they started their assault.

About 150 armored horse officers led the attack. Other foot soldiers followed them. Horse troops rode alongside to encourage the infantry. The Irish soldiers tried to push back the attackers with long spears called pikes. Civilians inside threw rocks from the walls. The attackers threw burning objects into the compound, setting buildings on fire.

Even though many were hurt, the Parliamentarians slowly climbed over the walls. They pushed the defenders into the church.

Fighting Inside the Church

At first, the Irish defenders protected the church. They held off attackers trying to get through the doors. But the Parliamentarians put many ladders against the church windows. They swarmed into the building. Fighting continued inside the church for another half an hour. The remaining defenders then went up into the bell tower.

Only sixty soldiers were left. They agreed to surrender. But after they came down and dropped their swords, they were all killed.

The Horrible Aftermath

Almost all the soldiers and most of the civilians on the Rock were killed. Only one major and a few women were spared. The Bishop and Mayor of Cashel survived by hiding. A small number of rich civilians were taken prisoner. In total, nearly 1,000 people died. This included Lieutenant-Colonel Butler and a Catholic scholar named Theobald Stapleton.

After the killing, the attackers stole everything valuable. The church had many treasures like pictures, chalices, and special clothes called vestments. The civilians had also brought their valuables with them. The mayor's sword and mace were taken. The bishop's coach was also captured.

The attackers also destroyed religious statues and defaced pictures. This act of destroying religious images is called iconoclasm. The town of Cashel was also burned down.

Impact of the Attack

Murrough the Burner.

The attack on Cashel had a huge impact in Ireland. It was the worst single act of violence since the fighting began in 1641. Because of his brutal actions, Inchiquin earned an Irish nickname: Murchadh na Dóiteáin. This means "Murrough of the Burnings."

The event also caused big problems within the Irish Confederates. It made the split between two groups even worse. One group, led by Giovanni Battista Rinuccini, wanted revenge against Inchiquin. The other group, who supported the Royalist lord Ormonde, thought it was useless to fight without the King's help.

Lord Taaffe was pressured to fight Inchiquin. When he finally did in November, his army was badly defeated. This battle was called the Battle of Knocknanuss. It was the second Confederate army destroyed in a short time.

Because of these losses, the Confederates had to make a truce with Inchiquin. This made many Catholics very angry. These disagreements led to a short but bloody civil war among the Confederates in 1648. Inchiquin later stopped supporting the English Parliament. He then joined the Confederates in an alliance with the Royalists.

Years later, in 1656, Inchiquin became a Roman Catholic while living in France.

See also

• List of massacres in Ireland