Siege of Kinsale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Kinsale |
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| Part of the 4th Spanish Armada and the Nine Years' War | |||||||
 Map of the siege of Kinsale, 1602 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Irish confederacy Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Charles Blount George Carew Richard Leveson Donogh O'Brien |
Hugh O'Neill Juan del Águila  Hugh Roe O'Donnell Richard Tyrrell |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 11,800 infantry 857 cavalry |
Irish alliance 6,000 Spanish 3,500 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown casualties many became sick or left |
Irish alliance 1,200 killed, wounded or captured Spanish 100 killed or wounded 3,400 surrendered |
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The Siege of Kinsale was a very important battle in Irish history. It happened in October 1601, towards the end of Queen Elizabeth I's rule. This battle was the final major event in the Nine Years' War. This war was fought between Irish leaders like Hugh O'Neill and Hugh Roe O'Donnell, and the English forces.
Spain also got involved in the Siege of Kinsale. This made the battle part of a bigger conflict called the Anglo-Spanish War. This larger war was between Protestant England and Catholic Spain.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
For a long time, the English Crown wanted to control all of Ireland. Since 1175, they had claimed Ireland as their own. But many parts of Ireland were still ruled by powerful Irish lords. By the 1350s, English control was mostly limited to a small area around Dublin called the Pale.
Later, English kings and queens, like Henry VIII, tried harder to take over Ireland. They wanted to conquer the land and bring in English settlers. In 1594, a strong Irish leader named Hugh O'Neill started a rebellion in Ulster. Other Irish lords, including Hugh Roe O'Donnell, joined him. They won many battles between 1593 and 1599. Soon, the Irish rebels controlled most of the island. The English only held onto a few walled towns and military bases.
Meanwhile, King Philip II of Spain saw a chance to weaken England. He decided to help the Irish rebels. Spain hoped that by keeping England busy in Ireland, England would have fewer resources to help its allies in the Netherlands. The Netherlands was fighting its own war against Spanish rule.
Spain tried to send help to Ireland several times. In 1588, the famous Spanish Armada failed due to bad weather. Later, in 1596 and 1597, two more Spanish fleets were sent. But storms and bad planning caused both of these attempts to fail as well.
Spanish Soldiers Arrive
After King Philip II died, his son, King Philip III, kept helping the Irish rebels. In 1601, he sent a Spanish army to Ireland. This army had 6,000 soldiers and lots of weapons. Don Juan del Águila and Don Diego Brochero led this force.
However, bad weather hit their ships. Nine ships, carrying many experienced soldiers and gunpowder, had to turn back. About 4,000 Spanish soldiers landed at Kinsale, a town south of Cork, on October 2, 1601. Another small group landed nearby at Baltimore. The Spanish quickly built defenses to protect themselves from the English.
Even though the Spanish took Kinsale, they couldn't spread out into the area. This made them easy targets for an English siege. When the English leader, Lord Mountjoy, heard about the Spanish landing, he quickly gathered his troops. He marched them to Kinsale to surround the Spanish.
The Siege of Kinsale
On October 2, Lord Mountjoy's English army started to surround Kinsale. More soldiers arrived, bringing the English forces to about 12,000 men. This included Irish soldiers loyal to the English, led by Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond.
However, many of these soldiers were not ready for a long siege, especially in the cold winter. Many became sick, and soon only about 7,500 soldiers were healthy enough to fight.
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Irish Leaders March to Help
The Irish leaders, Hugh O'Neill and Hugh Roe O'Donnell, faced a problem. The Spanish had landed far from their strongholds in the north. To help the Spanish, they had to march their armies through areas where they weren't sure of support.
They waited for weeks as the weather grew cold and stormy. The Spanish soldiers in Kinsale were running out of food and supplies. O'Neill knew he had to help them. He understood that if this Spanish army lost, no more help would come from Spain.
So, O'Neill and O'Donnell decided to risk a big battle. They usually fought using quick, surprise attacks, but this time they needed a large army. They began a difficult 300-mile march in winter. They traveled separately to make it easier to find supplies. O'Neill led 2,500 foot soldiers and 500 horsemen. O'Donnell led 1,500 foot soldiers and 300 horsemen. After a tough journey, they met up at Kinalmeaky. There, more Irish fighters from Leinster and Munster joined them.
Taking Key Forts
The English army began attacking the Spanish defenses around Kinsale. In late October, they used cannons to bombard Ringcurran fort. The Spanish commander, Don Pedro de Heredia, refused to surrender at first. But after heavy shelling, a hole appeared in the fort's walls. The Irish and Spanish soldiers inside had to leave. Most of them surrendered to the English.
Later, the English attacked another fort called Castle Ny-Parke, which protected the harbor. After a tough fight, English troops led by Sir Richard Smyth captured it. With these forts taken, the English could fire their cannons at the Spanish in Kinsale more easily. This cut off the Spanish from the sea.
English Blockade and Hardship
English ships arrived and created a tight blockade around Kinsale harbor. This meant no supplies could reach the Spanish by sea. The English cavalry also rode through the countryside, destroying food and crops. This made it harder for the Irish rebels to find supplies.
By December, the English army besieging Kinsale was also suffering. The severe weather and lack of supplies caused many soldiers to become sick with diseases like dysentery and fever.
The Battle of Kinsale
Spanish reinforcements arrived at Castlehaven. On December 24, 1601 (or January 3, 1602, by the Catholic calendar), the Irish and Spanish armies moved into position near the English camp. Around midnight, the Irish forces, led by O'Neill and O'Donnell, marched towards a ridge overlooking the English camp.
English scouts spotted the Irish moving in the dark. Lord Mountjoy was immediately told and prepared his troops. The English army was much smaller now due to sickness and desertion. Mountjoy left some soldiers to guard his camps and led the rest to meet the Irish.
The Fight Begins
The Irish force had over 6,000 men. They included soldiers from Leinster, Munster, and a group of Spanish foot soldiers. The English had about 400 horsemen and a special group of 449 foot soldiers.
As the English advanced, the Irish under Richard Tyrrell stopped. O'Neill's main army was behind them. Mountjoy decided to attack right away. O'Neill, seeing the English advance, ordered his forces to retreat to a river called Millwater. He hoped the boggy ground near the river would protect his men from the English cavalry.
The English cavalry, led by Wingfield, pursued the Irish. They crossed the boggy area and formed up on solid ground. The Earl of Clanrickard urged the English to attack. O'Neill's decision to retreat gave the English the advantage.
Irish Forces Break
The English cavalry charged the Irish. The Irish soldiers, arranged in a tight formation with pikes, held their ground at first. They even cheered when the English horsemen pulled back. O'Neill then sent his own light cavalry to chase the English.
However, the English cavalry quickly regrouped. They were supported by 200 English foot soldiers who fired a volley of shots. This caused some Irish horsemen to fall and others to panic. The Irish cavalry turned and fled, crashing back into O'Neill's main army. This caused great confusion and disorganization among the Irish foot soldiers, and many began to run away.
Seeing this, the English cavalry charged again into the disorganized Irish lines. O'Neill's men were completely routed. The English cavalry chased them fiercely. Some Irish soldiers fighting for the English even showed mercy to their fleeing countrymen, pushing them away with their weapons instead of harming them.
Spanish Stand Alone
The Irish soldiers who were with Tyrrell's group saw O'Neill's main force fleeing. They also began to retreat. The Spanish soldiers, who were more heavily equipped, found themselves abandoned. They closed ranks and retreated to a small hill.
Surrounded by English cavalry, the Spanish fought bravely but were eventually overwhelmed. Many were killed or wounded, and others were captured. The Spanish commander, Don Alonzo Del Campo, and several officers were among those captured.
O'Donnell's part of the army arrived late and did not join the battle. Seeing the defeat of O'Neill's forces, O'Donnell also retreated. The Irish were not used to fighting in large, open battles against a well-trained army. Their usual quick, surprise attacks were more effective. This battle showed the strength of the English cavalry and their tactics.
Aftermath of the Battle
This major defeat ended Spain's help for the Irish rebels. The Ulster forces returned home. After two more years of fighting, the last of them surrendered in 1603, just after Queen Elizabeth's death. In 1604, England and Spain signed a peace treaty.
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O'Donnell sailed to Spain but died a few months later from illness. Some believed he was poisoned.
O'Neill returned to Ulster and continued to resist for a short time. He eventually surrendered in 1603 and received fair terms. However, four years later, he and many other Irish leaders left Ireland in what is known as the "Flight of the Earls". They hoped to raise an army in Spain and return, but they never did.
The English government used this opportunity to take control of much of Ulster. They brought in settlers from Scotland and England to farm the land. The old Gaelic way of life and the clan system in Ireland were finally broken. The Battle of Kinsale had a huge impact on Irish culture and history.
Later Defenses
After the siege, the English strengthened the defenses around Kinsale. James's Fort was built on the site of Castle Ny-Parke, which the Spanish had captured. This fort was named after James I of England.
On the other side of the harbor, Charles Fort was built in the 1670s on the site of Ringcurran Castle.
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See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Kinsale para niños
- Nine Years' War (Ireland)
- Irish battles
- History of Ireland (1536–1691)
