Siege of Bunratty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parliamentarian Expedition to Bunratty |
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| Part of the Irish Confederate Wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royalists Irish Confederation |
 Parliamentarians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Marquess of Worcester Earl of Clancarty |
William Penn John MacAdam † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2000+ | 7 ships with c. 1000 soldiers and sailors | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| High | High | ||||||
The Siege of Bunratty was an important battle that happened in County Clare, Ireland, in 1646. It was part of a bigger conflict called the Irish Confederate Wars. These wars were themselves a part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which affected England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Contents
Why Bunratty Castle Was Important
At the time of the siege, Bunratty Castle was the home of Sir Barnabas O'Brien. He was known as the 6th Earl of Thomond. An Earl is a noble title, like a duke or a count. Barnabas O'Brien was a very wealthy man in Ireland. He owned a huge amount of land.
Bunratty Castle was described as a beautiful place. It had amazing gardens, even better than some in Italy! O'Brien was a Protestant, and many of his tenants (people who rented land from him) were English and Dutch Protestants.
When fighting began in 1641, O'Brien tried to stay neutral. He didn't join the Confederate Catholics of Ireland. However, he also didn't fully arm his Protestant tenants. The Confederates mostly left him alone because many of his relatives were Catholic leaders.
But by 1646, O'Brien's English wife and a Protestant cousin convinced him to give Bunratty Castle to the English Parliament. The Parliamentarians were a group fighting against King Charles I in England. This move was a way to distract the Confederates. It stopped them from sending troops to help the King in England.
The Parliamentarian Plan
On March 11, 1646, an English Parliamentarian group arrived near Bunratty Castle. William Penn led the ships, and Colonel John MacAdam commanded the soldiers on land. They had seven ships and about 700 soldiers. More troops arrived later.
Barnabas O'Brien allowed Penn's men to take over Bunratty Castle. The Parliamentarians quickly started making the castle stronger. They built platforms for cannons and cleared nearby houses. This helped them have a clear view for shooting. They also made the landing area by the river safer.
Bunratty Castle's Location
Bunratty Castle is located in the Shannon Estuary. This is where the River Shannon meets the sea. The castle was built where the Shannon joins a smaller river called the Ralty.
In those days, the castle had a main keep (the strongest part). It also had a raised platform for guns to the north. To the west, there was a smaller fortified house and a small church. Earth walls and a ditch protected the castle grounds on the north, south, and west. The Ralty river protected the east side. Salt marshes surrounded the west and south, filling with water at high tide.
Confederate Catholics Respond
Around this time, the Confederate Catholics had gathered 6,000 men. They were planning to send these troops to Britain to help King Charles I. But when that plan didn't work, they decided to use the troops to attack Bunratty instead. Their goal was also to attack Inchiquin, a Parliamentarian leader.
Early Battles: Glamorgan Defeated
On April 1, 1646, the Confederate forces, led by the Earl of Glamorgan, attacked Bunratty. But the Parliamentarians drove them away. In a follow-up attack, the Parliamentarians also pushed the Confederates out of their base at Sixmilebridge.
The Parliamentarians chased the Confederates for two miles. They killed about 80 men in one fight. They also captured some prisoners. They even took 250 barrels of oatmeal, which fed their soldiers for six weeks!
The Siege Begins: Muskerry Takes Command
Soon after, the Earl of Glamorgan was replaced by Viscount Muskerry. Muskerry took command of the Confederate army and began the siege of Bunratty. A siege is when an army surrounds a castle or town to try and capture it.
On May 11, 1646, Barnabas O'Brien, the castle owner, left for England. He was worried about the fighting and wanted to be safe until the war ended.
On May 13, the Confederates moved closer to the castle from the north. They captured a small castle nearby. They also took another castle, Rossmonnahane, without a fight.
By May 22, the Irish Confederates had taken over a hill north of the castle. They used bundles of sticks called fascines for cover. This allowed them to get very close to the castle's defenses. The English tried to push them back on May 24, but the Irish cavalry drove them away again.
On May 28, the Confederates tried to trick the English into an ambush. Some Irish horsemen appeared, hoping to draw out the English soldiers. But the English musketeers (soldiers with guns) outsmarted them. However, more Irish soldiers arrived and pushed the English back. The cannons were firing, and the English tried to capture an Irish cannon, but they were driven back again.
By May 29, the English were running low on supplies. They decided to send all their wounded soldiers and people who weren't fighting away on ships to Cork and Kinsale.
In early June, the Irish tried to advance their siege works from the north. But the flat ground gave the English cavalry too much of an advantage. The Irish commander, Muskerry, was worried because he didn't have enough money. He feared he might have to send his army home.
On June 23, the English tried to attack the Confederates outside the castle. But they got into a difficult fight. About 30 of their men were killed or wounded.
Attempts to Help Bunratty Fail
Other Parliamentarian forces tried to help Bunratty, but they failed. Sir Charles Coote led troops into nearby counties. He hoped to reach Bunratty, but he decided it was too risky. Instead, he burned crops and took cattle, then returned to his base.
Another Parliamentarian leader, Lord Inchiquin, marched into County Limerick. He hoped to distract Muskerry and make him leave the siege. Inchiquin burned and plundered the countryside. But the Confederates sent troops to stop him. After four or five days, Inchiquin had to retreat.
The Final Days of the Siege
At the start of July, a very important Catholic leader, Nuncio Rinucinni, arrived with money. He wanted to make sure the siege continued. He even lent some of his own money to the troops.
On July 1, while the Irish cannons were firing, Colonel MacAdam, the English land commander, was killed. This news was spread by a Welsh deserter, which boosted the Irish morale. The Irish soldiers even shouted insults at the English, telling them to "get a better commander!"
On July 6, the Irish stormed the smaller castle, but the English fought back and drove them out.
By July 12, the English ships had to leave the area near the castle. The Irish cannons on the shore were causing too much damage to the ships. The English realized they couldn't stay there any longer. The soldiers inside the castle also knew they couldn't hold out much longer. They only had about 300 healthy men left.
Parliamentarians Surrender
On July 13 and 14, the remaining English troops surrendered the castle. They made an agreement with Lord Muskerry. The English soldiers were allowed to leave the castle safely. However, they had to leave behind all their cannons, horses, weapons, ammunition, and supplies.
The captured English flags were later shown in Limerick. This was a big victory for the Irish Confederates.
