Siege of Limerick (1642) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Limerick (1642) |
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| Part of the Irish Confederate Wars | |||||||
 King John's Castle on the River Shannon |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Irish Confederates |
 Royalists |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Garret Barry | George Courtenay | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| unknown | 200 | ||||||
The city of Limerick in Ireland was attacked many times in the 1600s. Two of these attacks, called sieges, happened during a big conflict known as the Irish Confederate Wars. The first of these sieges took place in the spring of 1642. During this time, Irish Confederate soldiers surrounded and captured King John's Castle. This castle was like a strong fort in the city. They took it from English Protestant soldiers who were defending it.
Why the Siege Happened
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was a major uprising in Ireland. Many English Protestant settlers fled to Limerick to escape the fighting. About 600 of them found safety inside King John's Castle. This castle was a very strong point in the middle of the city.
Captain George Courtenay led the English soldiers inside the castle. Most people in Limerick were Catholic. They asked the new Irish Confederate government, based in Kilkenny, for help. They wanted the government to capture the castle from the Protestant soldiers.
Confederate Soldiers Arrive
Because of this request, General Garret Barry marched to Limerick. He was the commander of the Confederate army in the area called Munster. He brought about 1,500 soldiers with him to take control of the city.
General Barry did not have large cannons to break down the castle walls. So, his men started digging tunnels, called mines, under the castle's eastern wall. They also dug under a strong corner part of the castle called a bastion. The plan was to burn the wooden supports inside these tunnels. This would make the walls collapse.
Barry's soldiers also placed snipers in buildings around the castle. These sharpshooters aimed at the defenders inside. They were especially effective from St. Mary's Cathedral, which looked right over King John's Castle. The Confederate army also stopped food and water from reaching the castle.
The Surrender
The siege lasted for five weeks. Inside the castle, the English Protestant soldiers became very sick from disease. They were also running out of food and water.
Because of this, they decided to surrender. They gave up before General Barry had to collapse his tunnels or attack the castle directly. The 400 English Protestants who were still alive were allowed to leave safely. They were taken to Dublin.
