Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin
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Murrough McDermod O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin and 6th Baron Inchiquin
(1614–1674), was known as Murchadh na dTóiteán ("of the conflagrations").
O'Brien studied war in the Spanish service and fought against the confederate Catholics on the outbreak of the Irish rebellion
. He was made governor of Munster in 1642 and had some small success, but was hampered by lack of funds. Sidney Lee states that he outwitted the Irish leader, Donough MacCarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry, with threats and promises O'Brien persuaded
Muskerry to delay attacking the garrisons at Cappoquin
and Lismore
until a truce was brokered by a representative of King Charles I
, after which O'Brien forces dispersed. O'Brien visited Charles I at Oxford in 1644. He was forced to submit to parliament in 1644, as the parliamentarians being masters of the sea, were therefore the only people who could help the Munster Protestants. He was made President of Munster, supplies having been brought to him by Philip Sidney
(later 3rd Earl of Leicester) in 1647. O'Brien gradually became master of the south of Ireland, and declared for Charles I in 1648, fortified the southern ports against parliament and signed a truce with the confederate Catholics. He was joined by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
, with whom he got possession of Drogheda and Dundalk. O'Brien lost influence in Munster, which revolted after Cromwell's landing, 1649, but made a stand at Kilmallock
in 1649. He retired to the west of the Shannon and then left Ireland for France in 1650, where he became one of the royal council and in 1654 was created Earl of Inchiquin. He served under the French in Catalonia in 1654, and was engaged in the Sexby Plot
in 1656 and in the same year became a Roman Catholic. He was taken prisoner by the Algerine
s in 1660, but ransomed the same year and became high steward of Queen Henrietta Maria's household. He lived quietly in Ireland after 1663.
. It appears from an inquisition taken after the death of his father that Inchiquin was born in September 1614. His wardship was given to Patrick FitzMaurice, and the custody of his property to Sir William St. Leger, lord president of Munster, whose daughter he married. He had a special livery of his lands in 1636, and afterwards went to study war in the Spanish service in Italy. He returned in 1639, and prudently yielded to Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
high-handed scheme for the colonisation of Clare. In a letter to Wentworth Charles I
took notice of this, and directed that he should not "in course of plantation have the fourth part of his lands in that county taken from him as from the other the natives there. On 2 April 1640 he was made vice-president of Munster, and sat as a peer in the Irish Parliament which Strafford held that year.
began on 23 October 1641, and in December Inchiquin accompanied the president in an expedition against the Leinster rebels who were harassing Waterford
and Tipperary
. All the prisoners taken in a fight near Carrick-on-Suir
were executed by martial law. In April 1642, during the siege of Cork by Viscount Muskerry with four thousand men, Inchiquin, "one of the young and noble-spirited commanders," led a sally of two troops of horse and three hundred musketeers, which broke up the Irish camp for a time. Muskerry left baggage and provisions behind, and Inchiquin was able to ship guns and to take two castles on the west side of Cork harbour which had annoyed the navigation. St. Leger died on 2 July, and Inchiquin became the legal governor of Munster, as he announced to the lords justices before the end of the month. David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore
, was associated with him in the civil government, but died on Michaelmas day. Alexander Forbes, 11th Lord Forbes
, with Hugh Peters
as his chaplain, landed at Kinsale
early in July with forces provided by adventurers in England; but he paid no attention to Inchiquin's request for help, and he effected nothing. On 20 August Inchiquin, accompanied by Barrymore, Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky
, and Roger Boyle, Lord Broghill
, with only two thousand foot and four hundred horse, overthrew General Garret Barry
at Battle of Liscarrol with seven thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse; but he lacked means to improve his victory, though seven hundred are said to have fallen on one side and only twelve on the other. He was himself wounded in the head and hand.
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
,and his sons did much to preserve the counties of Cork and Waterford, and Inchiquin co-operated with them, but not cordially. The difficulty was to support an army on any terms. In November 1642 Inchiquin seized all the tobacco in the hands of the patentees at Cork
, Youghal
, and Kinsale
, and no compensation was paid until after the restoration. The cattle and corn in the districts under his control were taken of course. The king had no money to give, and the English Parliament
had neither time to attend to Ireland nor money to entrust to unsafe hands. Inchiquin gave a commission to the commandant at Youghal as early as 26 July 1642 to execute martial law there upon both soldiers and civilians, and his dealings with the town are recorded in the "Council Book". The raw material of soldiers was abundant, for fighting was now the only industry; but there were no means of paying them. Yet the English Parliament sent men to Ireland without arms, for no purpose, wrote Inchiquin to James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
, "unless it be to plot that these men shall with jawbones kill so many rebels". At the end of May 1643 he took the field with four thousand foot and four hundred horse, but could only threaten Kilmallock
, "for want of provisions and money for the officers", and he begged the Earl of Cork to lend or borrow £300 for victualling Youghal. While threatening Kinsale himself, he sent one detachment as far as Tralee, who had to subsist on a country then in Irish hands. Another small force was sent to Fermoy
, but suffered a crushing defeat near Castlelyons
on 4 June from a body of horse under James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven
, who had been specially sent by the Kilkenny confederation.
Muskerry threatened the county of Waterford, and Inchiquin, according to his own account, intrigued with him until he was in a position to fight. The Irish leader offered to spare Youghal and its district if Cappoquin
and Lismore
surrendered at once; otherwise he would burn both places. By a mixture of threats and promises Inchiquin induced him to say that he would withdraw if Cappoquin and Lismore were not token by a certain day. Until that date had passed he was not to be attacked. Inchiquin had so garrisoned Cappoquin as to make it safe for a much longer time, and the Earl of Cork's Lismore Castle
was also well prepared. The situation was maintained with little sincerity on either side until Cork himself landed with orders from Charles I to promote a truce. Active hostilities ceased, and Muskerry, who had been outwitted, tried to be even with Inchiquin by telling the king that he designed to betray the two towns to the Irish - a statement without foundation. "If ever", he wrote to an officer who had been present during the whole period, "I did anything towards the defence of Munster against the Irish, this was what I had cause to brag of".
and many other persons of distinction, but he did not think it really favourable to the cause of the Irish Protestants. The immediate result was that a great part of the force under his orders was sent to serve the king in England, two regiments being assigned to Lord Hopton
in Sussex, and the rest scattered under various leaders. Eight hundred of Inchiquin's men, described as "native Irish rebels", landed at Weymouth, under his brother Henry, and some were hanged as such (see Ordinance of no quarter to the Irish
), though their old general was by that time serving the English Parliamentary cause. His own regiment of horse went over before the cessation, and was present before Gloucester in August and September, but did little except plunder the country.
, and in August 1645 he assured his brother-in-law, Michael Boyle
, the future primate and chancellor, that he would waive all dependence on the English Parliament if he could see safety for the Protestants by any other means; and between these dates he made many appeals to Ormonde not to desert the Protestants for an Irish alliance, exposing the "apparent practice of the Irish papists to extirpate the protestant religion, which I am able to demonstrate and convince them of, if it were to any purpose to accuse them of anything".
In June 1644 Inchiquin was going to leave for England, but Ormonde advised him to wait until he had cleared himself from Muskerry's charges about the 'Cappoquin business'. During the next few weeks he edged away both from the confederate Catholics and from Ormonde, and on 25 August 1644 he informed the latter that a parliamentary ship had reached Youghal, that the town had embraced that cause, and that he should have to do the same; and he entreated him to put himself at the head of the Protestant interest. In August Inchiquin expelled nearly all the Roman Catholics from Cork, Youghal, and Kinsale; and they were allowed to take only as much property as they could carry on their persons. "All the Irish inhabitants" are the words used by this chief of the O'Briens.
The English parliament made Inchiquin president of Munster, and he continued to act without reference to Portland or to Ormonde, who was the king's lord-lieutenant. Receiving no supplies from England, he managed to keep the garrisons together, and, although he had opposed the general armistice, was forced to make a truce with the Irish in the winter of 1644-5. The siege of
Duncannon Fort, which Lord Esmond held for the English Parliament, was nevertheless proceeded with; and at its surrender, on 18 March 1646, it was found that Esmond had been acting under Inchiquin's directions, although the fort is not in Munster. The truce expired 10 April 1645, and Castlehaven at once invaded Munster with six thousand men, reducing most of the detached strongholds easily, capturing Inchiquin's brother Henry, and ravaging the country to the walls of Cork. Inchiquin was active, but too weak to do much ; and on 16 April Castlehaven came before Youghal, which was valiantly defended by Broghill. The latter took the offensive early in May with his cavalry, and won a battle near Castlelyons. Inchiquin sent in many supplies by sea from Cork, in which he had the help of Vice-admiral John Crowther's squadron; a larger convoy was sent by the English Parliament after the Battle of Naseby
, and in September Broghill, who had been to England for help, finally relieved the place. At the end of the year Inchiquin induced his kinsman, Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond
, to admit parliamentary troops into Bunratty Castle
, near Limerick, but it was retaken in the following July.
, who had already seen service in that country. Ormonde's treaty with the confederate Catholics, to which Inchiquin was no party, was ratified on 29 July 1646, but was denounced by Archishop Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
and the clergy adhering to him. It had, however, the effect of checking active warfare in Munster. Lisle did not land at Cork until March 1647, when he brought money, arms, and a considerable body of men. He did little or nothing, and, his appointment expiring in April, Inchiquin produced his own commission under the great seal of England, and declined to acknowledge any other. The officers of the army pronounced in their old leader's favour, and amusing details of the proceedings are given by Bellings. Broghill opposed Inchiquin, but Admiral Crowther took his part, and Lisle was not sorry to get away on any terms. Inchiquin remained "in entire possession of the command, and in greater reputation than he was before", He reported to parliament in person on 7 May, and received the thanks of the House of Commons.
Inchiquin now proceeded to reconquer the districts which Castlehaven had overrun. Cappoquin
and Dromana, against which he had cherished designs since 1642,, were easily taken. There was a little fighting at Dungarvan, and twenty English redcoats, who had deserted to the Irish, were hanged; but on the whole Inchiquin's men thought him too lenient. This was early in May, and he took the field again at midsummer. On 12 August he reported to William Lenthall
, Speaker of the English Parliament, that he had taken many castles and vast quantities of cattle. A detachment crossed the Shannon
, and Bunratty was burned by its garrison, though it had taken the confederate Catholics much pains to win. "We stormed and burned the abbey of Adare, held by the rebels, where four friars were burned and three took prisoners".
On 12 September he attacked the rock of Cashel
, the strong position of which had tempted many persons of both sexes to take refuge upon it, with their valuables. Failing to make a breach with his guns, Inchiquin piled up turf against the wall of the enclosure and set fire to it. It was the dry season, and the heat disabled the defenders, who were crowded within a narrow space. The rock was carried by assault, and during the sacking of Cashel
no quarter was given to any one. About thirty priests and friars were among the slain. According to Ludlow three thousand were slaughtered, "the priests being taken even from under the altar." According to Father Sail, who was a native of Cashel, Inchiquin donned the archiepiscopal mitre.
At the beginning of November, fearing a juncture between the Munster chief and the victorious Michael Jones
, the confederate Catholics sent Lord Taafe
into the county of Cork with six thousand foot and twelve hundred horse. Inchiquin at once returned from Tipperary, leaving a garrison in Cahir
, and came up with the invader at the hill of Knocknanuss, about three miles (5 km) east of Kanturk. In a curious letter he offered to forego all advantage of ground, trusting to the goodness of his cause, and to fight in the open, although his force was inferior. No answer was given, and Inchiquin attacked and won the Battle of Knocknanuss
on 13 November. Taafe lost two-thirds of his men and nearly all his arms, while the victor had only about 150 killed. Inchiquin received the thanks of the English Parliament, and was voted £1,000 to buy horses; but he was already distrusted.
In spite of Rinuccini, Inchiquin concluded a truce with the confederate Catholics on 22 May, and Ormonde converted this into a peace in the following January. Owen Roe O'Neill
advanced in July as far as Nenagh
, his object being to reach Kerry, whose mountains were suited to his peculiar tactics, and whose unguarded inlets would give him the means of communicating with the continent; but Inchiquin, forced him back to Ulster. Ormonde, who was still the legal lord-lieutenant, landed at Cork on 30 September, and he and Inchiquin thenceforth worked together, Clanricarde and Lord Preston
siding with them as against the nuncio
Rinuccini and the Ulster general O'Neill.
The Munster army had been buoyed up with the hopes of pay at Ormonde's arrival, but he had only thirty pistoles, and some of the disappointed cavalry left their colours with a view to joining either Jones or O'Neill. Inchiquin quelled the mutiny with great skill and courage; and Ormonde could only promise that the king would pay all arrears as soon as he could.
to Ireland. He was still fearful lest a royalist government of his province should lead to the oppression of the English Protestants, who would with good cause despair "of ever having any justice against an Irishman for anything delivered him on trust". The conclusion of the peace between Ormonde and the confederate Catholics, the execution of the king, and the flight of Rinuccini followed close upon each other at the beginning of 1649. O'Neill, acting in concert with the bulk of the priests, refused to accept the peace, while Monro and his Scots made professions of royalism.
Inchiquin received a commission from Ormonde as lieutenant-general, made himself master of Drogheda
, and prepared to besiege Dundalk
. George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
, was governor of this town, and he had just concluded an armistice for three months with O'Neill. On 1 July Inchiquinn captured the convoy of ammunition which Monck sent to O'Neill's assistance, and the garrison of Dundalk then compelled their leader to surrender, After this Newry
, Trim
, and the neighbouring strongholds were soon taken, and Inchiquin returned to the royalist camp near Dublin.
Ormonde, who now seemed to have Ireland almost at his feet, sent him with a large force of horse to Munster, where he was now lord-president by Charles II's commission, and where Cromwell was expected to land. Inchiquin was thus absent from the fatal battle of Rathmines
, fought on 2 August 1649, after which most of his old soldiers joined the parliamentarians under Jones.
. Inchiquin returned to Leinster at the end of October, and on 1 November was at the head of some three thousand men, chiefly horse, and he advanced through the hills from Carlow
to attack about half that number of Cromwell's soldiers who had been left sick in Dublin.
The Cromwellians, many of whom had but imperfectly recovered, had a hard fight
on the shore at Glascarrick, between Arklow and Wexford ; but their left was covered by the sea, and they succeeded in beating off their assailants. At this moment Munster revolted from Inchiquin. Admiral Robert Blake's
blockade having been temporarily raised by bad weather, Rupert escaped from the Irish coast, and on 13 November. Cromwell wrote that Cork and Youghal had submitted. The other port towns followed suit, and Broghill succeeded to most of Inchiquin's influence in Munster. The English or Protestant inhabitants of Cork, "out of a sense of the good service and tender care of the Lord Inchiquin over them," asked Cromwell to see his estate secured to him and his heirs ; but to this the victor "forbore to make any answer".
On 24 November 1649 Inchiquin, at the head of a force consisting; chiefly of Ulster Irish, made an attempt upon Carrick-on-Suir
, but was repulsed with great loss. He then retired westward, and obtained possession of Kilmallock, but had only some four hundred men with him. On 19 December he wrote to Ormonde concerning the Clonmacnoise
bishops : "I am already condemned among them; and I believe your Excellency has but a short reprieve, for they cannot trust you unless you go to mass". In January 1650 he withdrew into Kerry, and raised some forces there, with which he returned to the neighbourhood of Kilmallock about the beginning of March. Henry Cromwell
joined Broghill, and defeated these new levies which consisted chiefly of Englishmen towards the end of the month; and Inchiquin, after plundering most of the county Limerick, crossed the Shannon into Clare "with more cows than horses".
Neither Ormonde nor Inchiquin had now much to do in Ireland, and neither henceforth appeared to the east of the Shannon. The Roman Catholic hierarchy had met in December 1649 at Clonmacnoise; but they could never work cordially with a Protestant chief like Ormonde, and their object was to obtain the protection of some foreign prince. In their declaration made at Jamestown on 12 August 1650, they accused Inchiquin of betraying Munster, and charged both him and Ormonde with spending their time west of the Shannon "in play, pleasure, and great merriment". As neither Ormonde or Inchiquin had an army, and the walled towns refused to admit them, there was little they could do. Ormonde was told that he was distrusted solely on account of his relations with Inchiquin, while the latter was assured that he alone, as of the "most ancient Irish blood," could fill O'Neill's place in the popular esteem. Bagwell wrote that Clarendon not unfairly summed up the case by saying that "when these two lords had communicated each to other (as they quickly did) the excellent addresses which had been made to them, and agreed together how to draw on and encourage the proposers, that they might discover as much of their purposes as possible, they easily found their design was to be rid of them both."
The choice of Heber MacMahon
, bishop of Clogher
, as O'Neill's successor brought disaster, and Ormonde, accompanied by Inchiquin and some forty other officers, left Ireland, and, after three weeks' tossing, landed safely at Perros Guirec, in Brittany.
, but soon withdrawn as without foundation. Charles investigated the matter at Paris after his escape from Worcester
, and on 2 April 1652 wrote himself to Inchiquin to declare his confidence in him. On 11 May he was made one of the royal council, "of whose company," Edward Hyde
wrote, "I am glad; who is, in truth, a gallant gentleman of good parts and great industry, and a temper fit to struggle with the affairs on all sides that we are to contend with". But neither the Queenmother Henrietta Maria, Jermyn
, nor Wilmot, Earl of Rochester
liked the new appointment. In 1653 Inchiquin sought the command of all Irish soldiers in France; but this was opposed by the Irish clergy, who told the nuncio that he was a "murderer of priests, friars, and such like"; but he had either one or two regiments under him. In May 1654 he received the earldom which he had spurned ten years before. At this time the exiled king's council consisted of eleven persons, divided into two parties. The majority consisted of Ormonde, Rochester, Percy
, Inchiquin, Taafe, and Hyde, who controlled the whole policy. Henrietta Maria, the Duke of York
, Rupert, the Duke of Buckingham
, and Jermyn
were the minority.
In October 1653 Inchiquin shipped his regiment from Marseilles, and it was destroyed in Henry, Duke of Guise's
expedition to Naples
. He himself went to Catalonia
, where he became governor of the districts which still adhered to France, and occupied himself with some success in seducing Irish soldiers from the Spanish to the French service. He was back at Paris early in 1655, Charles II being then resident at Cologne
.
Inchiquin remained at Paris, or near it, till the summer of 1656, and was more or less engaged in the Sexby plot
. A Colonel Clancy, from his name probably a native of Clare, was employed by him as a secret agent in London, and Henry Cromwell had information that Inchiquin himself was to command in Ireland. Charles II, who was now at Bruges
, wished Inchiquin and his Irish soldiers to be at hand, and Hyde favoured all Spanish designs. Inchiquin was in Catalonia during the autumn of 1656, but at Paris again in the summer of 1657. By this time he had joined the church of Rome, his wife remaining a staunch Protestant, and there were great bickerings. The English Parliamentary envoy William Lockhart
says the lady was persecuted, and that he had given her a pass to England without consulting the Protector's government, for fear of the French Protestants, who were witnesses of her sufferings. The great question was as to the custody of her young son, Lord O'Brien
, Henrietta Maria and the Catholic party favouring Inchiquin's claim, and the Protestants taking the other side. Lockhart's diplomacy triumphed, and Inchiquin, who had violently carried the boy off from the English embassy, was ordered to restore him on pain of being banished from France and losing all his commissions and allowances. Inchiquin was in Catalonia during the autumn of 1657, but returned to Paris in the following January, having been sent for expressly about his son's business. In April 1658 this son, about whom there had been so much dispute, was among his father's friends in Ireland; but Henry Cromwell sent him away with a caution only.
Inchiquin's own letters during 1658 and 1659 are in a hopeless strain, and he sought employment in any attempt which might be made on England. But Ormonde had been prejudiced against him, and probably his change of religion was fatal to his influence among the Protestant royalists. The negotiations which led to the Peace of the Pyrenees destroyed his chances in Catalonia; but Cardinal Mazarin connived at his going with Count Schomberg
to help the Portuguese, and he started for Lisbon in the autumn of 1659. On 20 February 1660 (10 February 1660 Juian calendar) it was known at Paris that he and his son had been taken at sea by the Algerine
s. The English council wrote on his behalf to the Pasha
, and by 23 August (Julian calendar) he was in England, but his son remained in Africa as a hostage. The House of Commons specially recommended the case of both father and son to King Charles II, and on 10 November a warrant was granted to export 7,500 dollars for ransom. Lady Inchiquin petitioned for her husband's release in August, but during the same month Sir Donough O'Brien
wrote that she had no mind to see any of his relations "for his being a papist". Inchiquin went to Paris soon after, and returned with Henrietta Maria, of whose household he became high steward. During 1661 he signed the declaration of allegiance to Charles II by Irish catholic nobility and gentry, notwithstanding any papal sentence or dispensation.
Inchiquin was generally in attendance on the Queenmother, either in London or Paris, and on 23 June 1662 it is noted that "this famous soldier in Ireland" sailed as general-in-chief of the expeditionary force sent by Charles to help the Portuguese; that he landed at Lisbon on 31 July with two thousand foot and some troops of horse, and that he made a short speech to his men. The Spaniards avoided a battle, and allowed the strangers to waste themselves by long marches and by indulgence in fruit. Inchiquin returned to England in 1663, and seems soon to have gone to Ireland.
. But when the latter went to England in June 1664 he made his old rival vice-president, and they remained friends afterwards. Inchiquin seems to have lived quietly in Ireland during the greater part of his remaining years. In 1666 he was made a magistrate for Clare; but Rostellan
, on Cork harbour, became the favourite residence of his family.
Henrietta Maria finally departed into France in 1665, and when she was gone he had little to draw him to London. When Orrery was impeached in 1668, the third article against him was that he had unjustly used his presidential power to secure Rostellan for Inchiquin, whose eldest son had married his daughter Margaret. As the impeachment was dropped, it is hard to say how far Orrery's defence was good. Part of it was that Fitzgerald of Cloyne, the other claimant, was a "known notorious papist, and the house a stronghold near the sea".
In the Cromwellian Act of Settlement, 12 August 1652, Inchiquin was excepted by name from pardon for life or estate. A private act was passed in September 1660 which restored him to all his honours and lands in Ireland, and this was confirmed by the Act of Settlement in 1662. An estate of about 60000 acres (242.8 km²) in Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Cork was thus secured; £8,000 was given him out of the treasury, in consideration of his losses and sufferings. He was compensated at the rate of £10 a day for his arrears as general in Munster before 5 June 1649, and received several other more or less lucrative grants.
inherited the earldom.
Baron Inchiquin
Baron Inchiquin is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who was descended from the great high king Brian Boru)...
(1614–1674), was known as Murchadh na dTóiteán ("of the conflagrations").
O'Brien studied war in the Spanish service and fought against the confederate Catholics on the outbreak of the Irish rebellion
Irish Rebellion
Irish Rebellion may refer to:* The Irish Bruce Wars 1315–1318, an attempt by members of the O'Neill clan backed by a Scottish and Irish army to make Edward Bruce the High King of Ireland...
. He was made governor of Munster in 1642 and had some small success, but was hampered by lack of funds. Sidney Lee states that he outwitted the Irish leader, Donough MacCarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry, with threats and promises O'Brien persuaded
Muskerry to delay attacking the garrisons at Cappoquin
Cappoquin
Cappoquin, also spelt Cappaquin or Capaquin , is a small town in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is on the Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 national secondary road and the R669 regional road. It is positioned on a sharp 90 degree bend in the river and nestles at the foot of the...
and Lismore
Lismore, County Waterford
Lismore is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located where the N72 road crosses the River Blackwater.-History:It was founded by Saint Mochuda, also known as Saint Carthage. In the 7th century, Lismore was the site of the well-known Lismore Abbey. It is also home to Lismore Castle, the...
until a truce was brokered by a representative of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, after which O'Brien forces dispersed. O'Brien visited Charles I at Oxford in 1644. He was forced to submit to parliament in 1644, as the parliamentarians being masters of the sea, were therefore the only people who could help the Munster Protestants. He was made President of Munster, supplies having been brought to him by Philip Sidney
Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1659 and inherited the peerage of Earl of Leicester in 1677. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War...
(later 3rd Earl of Leicester) in 1647. O'Brien gradually became master of the south of Ireland, and declared for Charles I in 1648, fortified the southern ports against parliament and signed a truce with the confederate Catholics. He was joined by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde PC was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the second of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom. He was the friend of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who appointeed him commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland. From 1641 to 1647, he...
, with whom he got possession of Drogheda and Dundalk. O'Brien lost influence in Munster, which revolted after Cromwell's landing, 1649, but made a stand at Kilmallock
Kilmallock
Kilmallock or Kilmalloc is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle . The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are still visible. The Dublin–Cork railway line passes by the town,...
in 1649. He retired to the west of the Shannon and then left Ireland for France in 1650, where he became one of the royal council and in 1654 was created Earl of Inchiquin. He served under the French in Catalonia in 1654, and was engaged in the Sexby Plot
Edward Sexby
Colonel Edward Sexby or Saxby was an English Puritan soldier and Leveller in the army of Oliver Cromwell. Later he turned against Cromwell and plotted his assassination.-Life:...
in 1656 and in the same year became a Roman Catholic. He was taken prisoner by the Algerine
Algerine
Algerine can refer to:*Algerian , various ships of the Royal Navythree ship classes:Algerino refers to:*A nickname given to inhabitants of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, by residents of Whitby...
s in 1660, but ransomed the same year and became high steward of Queen Henrietta Maria's household. He lived quietly in Ireland after 1663.
Early life
Inchiquin was the eldest son of Dermod O'Brien, 5th Baron of Inchiquin, by Ellen, eldest daughter of Sir Edmond FitzGerald of Cloyne. His grandfather and namesake was killed in July 1597 at the passage of the Erne, fighting for Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. It appears from an inquisition taken after the death of his father that Inchiquin was born in September 1614. His wardship was given to Patrick FitzMaurice, and the custody of his property to Sir William St. Leger, lord president of Munster, whose daughter he married. He had a special livery of his lands in 1636, and afterwards went to study war in the Spanish service in Italy. He returned in 1639, and prudently yielded to Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
high-handed scheme for the colonisation of Clare. In a letter to Wentworth Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
took notice of this, and directed that he should not "in course of plantation have the fourth part of his lands in that county taken from him as from the other the natives there. On 2 April 1640 he was made vice-president of Munster, and sat as a peer in the Irish Parliament which Strafford held that year.
The Irish Rebellion
The great Irish rebellionIrish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
began on 23 October 1641, and in December Inchiquin accompanied the president in an expedition against the Leinster rebels who were harassing Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
and Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
. All the prisoners taken in a fight near Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
were executed by martial law. In April 1642, during the siege of Cork by Viscount Muskerry with four thousand men, Inchiquin, "one of the young and noble-spirited commanders," led a sally of two troops of horse and three hundred musketeers, which broke up the Irish camp for a time. Muskerry left baggage and provisions behind, and Inchiquin was able to ship guns and to take two castles on the west side of Cork harbour which had annoyed the navigation. St. Leger died on 2 July, and Inchiquin became the legal governor of Munster, as he announced to the lords justices before the end of the month. David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore
David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore
David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore, 19th Baron Barry, 6th Viscount Buttevant was the posthumous child of David Barry, the son of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant, and Elizabeth Power, daughter of Richard Power, 4th Baron le Power and Curraghmore.He was born 10 March 1604 and succeeded to the...
, was associated with him in the civil government, but died on Michaelmas day. Alexander Forbes, 11th Lord Forbes
Lord Forbes
Lord Forbes is the senior Lord of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. The title was created sometime after 1436 for Alexander de Forbes, feudal baron of Forbes. The precise date of the creation is not known, but in a Precept dated July 12, 1442, he is already styled Lord Forbes. Brown's 1834...
, with Hugh Peters
Hugh Peters
Hugh Peters [or Peter] was an English preacher.-Early life:He was baptized on 29 June 1598 in Fowey, and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge....
as his chaplain, landed at Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
early in July with forces provided by adventurers in England; but he paid no attention to Inchiquin's request for help, and he effected nothing. On 20 August Inchiquin, accompanied by Barrymore, Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky
Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky
Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky, in the County of Cork, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1628 for the eight-year-old the Hon. Lewis Boyle, second son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to the heirs male of his father...
, and Roger Boyle, Lord Broghill
Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery
Roger Boyle redirects here. For others of this name, see Roger Boyle Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery was a British soldier, statesman and dramatist. He was the third surviving son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and Richard's second wife, Catherine Fenton. He was created Baron of Broghill on...
, with only two thousand foot and four hundred horse, overthrew General Garret Barry
Garret Barry
Garret Barry was an Irish soldier of the 17th century who served in the Eighty Years' War and the Irish Confederate Wars.He came from an old landed Hiberno-Norman family, the De Barry family, in County Cork in southern Ireland. Like many Irish Catholic gentlemen of his generation, particularly...
at Battle of Liscarrol with seven thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse; but he lacked means to improve his victory, though seven hundred are said to have fallen on one side and only twelve on the other. He was himself wounded in the head and hand.
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork , also known as the Great Earl of Cork, was Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland....
,and his sons did much to preserve the counties of Cork and Waterford, and Inchiquin co-operated with them, but not cordially. The difficulty was to support an army on any terms. In November 1642 Inchiquin seized all the tobacco in the hands of the patentees at Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Youghal
Youghal
Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
, and Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, and no compensation was paid until after the restoration. The cattle and corn in the districts under his control were taken of course. The king had no money to give, and the English Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
had neither time to attend to Ireland nor money to entrust to unsafe hands. Inchiquin gave a commission to the commandant at Youghal as early as 26 July 1642 to execute martial law there upon both soldiers and civilians, and his dealings with the town are recorded in the "Council Book". The raw material of soldiers was abundant, for fighting was now the only industry; but there were no means of paying them. Yet the English Parliament sent men to Ireland without arms, for no purpose, wrote Inchiquin to James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde PC was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the second of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom. He was the friend of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who appointeed him commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland. From 1641 to 1647, he...
, "unless it be to plot that these men shall with jawbones kill so many rebels". At the end of May 1643 he took the field with four thousand foot and four hundred horse, but could only threaten Kilmallock
Kilmallock
Kilmallock or Kilmalloc is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle . The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are still visible. The Dublin–Cork railway line passes by the town,...
, "for want of provisions and money for the officers", and he begged the Earl of Cork to lend or borrow £300 for victualling Youghal. While threatening Kinsale himself, he sent one detachment as far as Tralee, who had to subsist on a country then in Irish hands. Another small force was sent to Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, but suffered a crushing defeat near Castlelyons
Castlelyons
Castlelyons is a small village in East County Cork in the Province of Munster in Ireland. It is situated south of Fermoy. In the 2002 census it recorded a population of 211....
on 4 June from a body of horse under James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven
James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven
James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven was the son of Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven and his first wife, Elizabeth Barnham...
, who had been specially sent by the Kilkenny confederation.
Muskerry threatened the county of Waterford, and Inchiquin, according to his own account, intrigued with him until he was in a position to fight. The Irish leader offered to spare Youghal and its district if Cappoquin
Cappoquin
Cappoquin, also spelt Cappaquin or Capaquin , is a small town in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is on the Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 national secondary road and the R669 regional road. It is positioned on a sharp 90 degree bend in the river and nestles at the foot of the...
and Lismore
Lismore, County Waterford
Lismore is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located where the N72 road crosses the River Blackwater.-History:It was founded by Saint Mochuda, also known as Saint Carthage. In the 7th century, Lismore was the site of the well-known Lismore Abbey. It is also home to Lismore Castle, the...
surrendered at once; otherwise he would burn both places. By a mixture of threats and promises Inchiquin induced him to say that he would withdraw if Cappoquin and Lismore were not token by a certain day. Until that date had passed he was not to be attacked. Inchiquin had so garrisoned Cappoquin as to make it safe for a much longer time, and the Earl of Cork's Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle
Lismore Castle is located in the town of Lismore, in County Waterford in Ireland. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style during the mid-nineteenth century by William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire.-Early history:...
was also well prepared. The situation was maintained with little sincerity on either side until Cork himself landed with orders from Charles I to promote a truce. Active hostilities ceased, and Muskerry, who had been outwitted, tried to be even with Inchiquin by telling the king that he designed to betray the two towns to the Irish - a statement without foundation. "If ever", he wrote to an officer who had been present during the whole period, "I did anything towards the defence of Munster against the Irish, this was what I had cause to brag of".
Cessation of arms
The cessation of arms for a year, which Ormonde, at the king's command, concluded with the confederates on 15 September 1643, was formally approved by Inchiquin in a document which he signed along with Marquess of ClanricardeUlick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde
Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde , was an Irish nobleman and figure in English Civil War....
and many other persons of distinction, but he did not think it really favourable to the cause of the Irish Protestants. The immediate result was that a great part of the force under his orders was sent to serve the king in England, two regiments being assigned to Lord Hopton
Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton
Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.-Life:Hopton was the son of Robert Hopton of Witham Somerset. He was apparently educated at Lincoln College, Oxford and served in the army of Frederick V, Elector Palatine in the early campaigns of the Thirty...
in Sussex, and the rest scattered under various leaders. Eight hundred of Inchiquin's men, described as "native Irish rebels", landed at Weymouth, under his brother Henry, and some were hanged as such (see Ordinance of no quarter to the Irish
Ordinance of no quarter to the Irish
The Ordinance of no quarter to the Irish was a decree of the English Long Parliament passed on 24 October 1644 in response to the Irish Confederation of Kilkenny threat to send troops from Ireland to support King Charles I during the English Civil War that ordered Parliamentary officers to give no...
), though their old general was by that time serving the English Parliamentary cause. His own regiment of horse went over before the cessation, and was present before Gloucester in August and September, but did little except plunder the country.
Parliamentary Allegiance
Inchiquin went to Oxford early in February 1644, his main object being to get the king's commission as president of Munster; but a formal promise had already been given to Jerome, earl of Portland, who received a patent for life on 1 March. Ormonde was against slighting a man who had done great service in Ireland for the sake of one who had done nothing at all; but his advice was neglected, and Inchiquin was dismissed with fair words. He had a warrant from the king for an earldom, but this he forbore to use. He left Oxford after a stay of about a fortnight, apparently in tolerable humour, but it was soon known in Ireland that he came discontented from court. What he saw at Oxford was not likely to raise his estimate of the king's power; and in any case the English Parliament were masters of the sea, and the only people who could help the Protestants of Munster. A visit to Dublin on his way did not change his opinion, and in July he and his officers urged the king, in a formal address, to make peace with his parliament. At the same time they called upon the houses to furnish supplies for prosecuting the war against the Irish, In November 1642 Inchiquin had told Ormonde that he was no roundheadRoundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
, and in August 1645 he assured his brother-in-law, Michael Boyle
Michael Boyle (the younger)
Michael Boyle, the younger , archbishop of Armagh, eldest son of Richard Boyle, Archbishop of Tuam, and nephew of the elder Michael, was born about 1609....
, the future primate and chancellor, that he would waive all dependence on the English Parliament if he could see safety for the Protestants by any other means; and between these dates he made many appeals to Ormonde not to desert the Protestants for an Irish alliance, exposing the "apparent practice of the Irish papists to extirpate the protestant religion, which I am able to demonstrate and convince them of, if it were to any purpose to accuse them of anything".
In June 1644 Inchiquin was going to leave for England, but Ormonde advised him to wait until he had cleared himself from Muskerry's charges about the 'Cappoquin business'. During the next few weeks he edged away both from the confederate Catholics and from Ormonde, and on 25 August 1644 he informed the latter that a parliamentary ship had reached Youghal, that the town had embraced that cause, and that he should have to do the same; and he entreated him to put himself at the head of the Protestant interest. In August Inchiquin expelled nearly all the Roman Catholics from Cork, Youghal, and Kinsale; and they were allowed to take only as much property as they could carry on their persons. "All the Irish inhabitants" are the words used by this chief of the O'Briens.
The English parliament made Inchiquin president of Munster, and he continued to act without reference to Portland or to Ormonde, who was the king's lord-lieutenant. Receiving no supplies from England, he managed to keep the garrisons together, and, although he had opposed the general armistice, was forced to make a truce with the Irish in the winter of 1644-5. The siege of
Duncannon Fort, which Lord Esmond held for the English Parliament, was nevertheless proceeded with; and at its surrender, on 18 March 1646, it was found that Esmond had been acting under Inchiquin's directions, although the fort is not in Munster. The truce expired 10 April 1645, and Castlehaven at once invaded Munster with six thousand men, reducing most of the detached strongholds easily, capturing Inchiquin's brother Henry, and ravaging the country to the walls of Cork. Inchiquin was active, but too weak to do much ; and on 16 April Castlehaven came before Youghal, which was valiantly defended by Broghill. The latter took the offensive early in May with his cavalry, and won a battle near Castlelyons. Inchiquin sent in many supplies by sea from Cork, in which he had the help of Vice-admiral John Crowther's squadron; a larger convoy was sent by the English Parliament after the Battle of Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
, and in September Broghill, who had been to England for help, finally relieved the place. At the end of the year Inchiquin induced his kinsman, Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond
Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond
Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond , son of Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond; succeeded his brother, 1639; lord-lieutenant of Clare, 1640–1: his rents seized, 1644; admitted a parliamentary garrison to Bunratty Castle and went to England: joined Charles I; successfully petitioned parliament...
, to admit parliamentary troops into Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle is a large tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It lies in the centre of Bunratty village , by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis, near Shannon Town and its airport. The name Bunratty, Bun Raite in Irish, means the 'bottom' or end of the 'Ratty' river. This river, alongside...
, near Limerick, but it was retaken in the following July.
Campaign of 1647
On 5 January 1646 the English House of Commons voted that Ireland should be governed by a single person, and on 21 January that that person should be Philip Sidney, Lord LislePhilip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1659 and inherited the peerage of Earl of Leicester in 1677. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War...
, who had already seen service in that country. Ormonde's treaty with the confederate Catholics, to which Inchiquin was no party, was ratified on 29 July 1646, but was denounced by Archishop Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
Giovanni Battista Rinuccini was a Roman Catholic archbishop in the mid seventeenth century. He was a noted legal scholar who became chamberlain to Pope Gregory XV, who made him the Archbishop of Fermo in Italy...
and the clergy adhering to him. It had, however, the effect of checking active warfare in Munster. Lisle did not land at Cork until March 1647, when he brought money, arms, and a considerable body of men. He did little or nothing, and, his appointment expiring in April, Inchiquin produced his own commission under the great seal of England, and declined to acknowledge any other. The officers of the army pronounced in their old leader's favour, and amusing details of the proceedings are given by Bellings. Broghill opposed Inchiquin, but Admiral Crowther took his part, and Lisle was not sorry to get away on any terms. Inchiquin remained "in entire possession of the command, and in greater reputation than he was before", He reported to parliament in person on 7 May, and received the thanks of the House of Commons.
Inchiquin now proceeded to reconquer the districts which Castlehaven had overrun. Cappoquin
Cappoquin
Cappoquin, also spelt Cappaquin or Capaquin , is a small town in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is on the Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 national secondary road and the R669 regional road. It is positioned on a sharp 90 degree bend in the river and nestles at the foot of the...
and Dromana, against which he had cherished designs since 1642,, were easily taken. There was a little fighting at Dungarvan, and twenty English redcoats, who had deserted to the Irish, were hanged; but on the whole Inchiquin's men thought him too lenient. This was early in May, and he took the field again at midsummer. On 12 August he reported to William Lenthall
William Lenthall
William Lenthall was an English politician of the Civil War period. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons.-Early life:...
, Speaker of the English Parliament, that he had taken many castles and vast quantities of cattle. A detachment crossed the Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, and Bunratty was burned by its garrison, though it had taken the confederate Catholics much pains to win. "We stormed and burned the abbey of Adare, held by the rebels, where four friars were burned and three took prisoners".
On 12 September he attacked the rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel , also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary.-History:...
, the strong position of which had tempted many persons of both sexes to take refuge upon it, with their valuables. Failing to make a breach with his guns, Inchiquin piled up turf against the wall of the enclosure and set fire to it. It was the dry season, and the heat disabled the defenders, who were crowded within a narrow space. The rock was carried by assault, and during the sacking of Cashel
Sack of Cashel
The Sack of Cashel was a notorious atrocity which occurred in the Irish County of Tipperary in the year 1647, during the Irish Confederate Wars, part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
no quarter was given to any one. About thirty priests and friars were among the slain. According to Ludlow three thousand were slaughtered, "the priests being taken even from under the altar." According to Father Sail, who was a native of Cashel, Inchiquin donned the archiepiscopal mitre.
At the beginning of November, fearing a juncture between the Munster chief and the victorious Michael Jones
Michael Jones (soldier)
Lieutenant-General Michael Jones fought for King Charles I during the Irish Confederate War but joined the English Parliamentary side when the English Civil War started....
, the confederate Catholics sent Lord Taafe
Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford
Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingford , known as 2nd Viscount Taaffe, of Corren and 2nd Baron of Ballymote between 1642 and 1661, was a Royalist officer who played a prominent part in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and accompanied Charles II in exile...
into the county of Cork with six thousand foot and twelve hundred horse. Inchiquin at once returned from Tipperary, leaving a garrison in Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
, and came up with the invader at the hill of Knocknanuss, about three miles (5 km) east of Kanturk. In a curious letter he offered to forego all advantage of ground, trusting to the goodness of his cause, and to fight in the open, although his force was inferior. No answer was given, and Inchiquin attacked and won the Battle of Knocknanuss
Battle of Knocknanuss
The Battle of Knocknanauss was fought in 1647, during the Irish Confederate Wars, part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, between Confederate Ireland’s Munster army and an English Parliamentarian army under Murrough O’Brien...
on 13 November. Taafe lost two-thirds of his men and nearly all his arms, while the victor had only about 150 killed. Inchiquin received the thanks of the English Parliament, and was voted £1,000 to buy horses; but he was already distrusted.
Return to Royal Service
For a time Inchiquin was master of the south of Ireland, and no one dared meet him in the field. At the beginning of February 1647-8 he took Carrick with a small force, threatened Waterford, and levied contributions to the walls of Kilkenny. He returned to Cork at the end of the month, and persuaded his officers to sign a remonstrance to the English House of Commons as to its neglect of the Munster army. This was received 27 March, and it was at first decided to send three members to confer with the discontented general; but on 14 April came news that he had actually declared for the king. The three members were recalled, all commissions made to Inchiquin revoked, and officers and soldiers forbidden to obey him. He managed to keep his army together, while insisting on the necessity for Ormonde's return to Ireland, and even sent an officer to Edinburgh with a proposal for joining the Scots with six thousand men. Cork, Kinsale, Youghal, Baltimore, Castlehaven, Crookhaven, and Dungarvan were in his hands, and he so fortified these harbours that no parliamentary ship could anchor in any one of them.In spite of Rinuccini, Inchiquin concluded a truce with the confederate Catholics on 22 May, and Ormonde converted this into a peace in the following January. Owen Roe O'Neill
Owen Roe O'Neill
Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill , anglicised as Owen Roe O'Neill , was a seventeenth century soldier and one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster.- In Spanish service :...
advanced in July as far as Nenagh
Nenagh
Nenagh is the county town of North Tipperary in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of North Tipperary and in 2011 it had a recorded population of 7,995. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower...
, his object being to reach Kerry, whose mountains were suited to his peculiar tactics, and whose unguarded inlets would give him the means of communicating with the continent; but Inchiquin, forced him back to Ulster. Ormonde, who was still the legal lord-lieutenant, landed at Cork on 30 September, and he and Inchiquin thenceforth worked together, Clanricarde and Lord Preston
Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara
Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara was an Irish soldier of the 17th century. He was a descendant of Sir Robert de Preston, who in 1363 purchased the lands of Gormanston, County Meath, and who was keeper of the Great Seal in Ireland some years later....
siding with them as against the nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
Rinuccini and the Ulster general O'Neill.
The Munster army had been buoyed up with the hopes of pay at Ormonde's arrival, but he had only thirty pistoles, and some of the disappointed cavalry left their colours with a view to joining either Jones or O'Neill. Inchiquin quelled the mutiny with great skill and courage; and Ormonde could only promise that the king would pay all arrears as soon as he could.
Conclusion of Second English Civil War
In January 1649 Prince Rupert's fleet was on the Munster coast, and Inchiquin saw Maurice at Kinsale about the contemplated visit of the Prince of WalesCharles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
to Ireland. He was still fearful lest a royalist government of his province should lead to the oppression of the English Protestants, who would with good cause despair "of ever having any justice against an Irishman for anything delivered him on trust". The conclusion of the peace between Ormonde and the confederate Catholics, the execution of the king, and the flight of Rinuccini followed close upon each other at the beginning of 1649. O'Neill, acting in concert with the bulk of the priests, refused to accept the peace, while Monro and his Scots made professions of royalism.
Inchiquin received a commission from Ormonde as lieutenant-general, made himself master of Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
, and prepared to besiege Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
. George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
, was governor of this town, and he had just concluded an armistice for three months with O'Neill. On 1 July Inchiquinn captured the convoy of ammunition which Monck sent to O'Neill's assistance, and the garrison of Dundalk then compelled their leader to surrender, After this Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
, Trim
Trim
Trim may refer to:* Cutting small pieces off something** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process** Editing*** Editing a posting style in online discourse** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees-Places:...
, and the neighbouring strongholds were soon taken, and Inchiquin returned to the royalist camp near Dublin.
Ormonde, who now seemed to have Ireland almost at his feet, sent him with a large force of horse to Munster, where he was now lord-president by Charles II's commission, and where Cromwell was expected to land. Inchiquin was thus absent from the fatal battle of Rathmines
Battle of Rathmines
The Battle of Rathmines was fought in and around what is now the Dublin suburb of Rathmines in August 1649, during the Irish Confederate Wars, the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
, fought on 2 August 1649, after which most of his old soldiers joined the parliamentarians under Jones.
Cromwellian Invasion
Cromwell landed on 18 August 1649, and stormed Drogheda on 12 September. It was evident that nothing could resist him, and the Munster garrisons, who had Protestant sympathies, began to fall away from Inchiquin. A conspiracy of certain officers to seize his person was frustrated, and he gained admission to Youghal while the conqueror was busy at WexfordWexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
. Inchiquin returned to Leinster at the end of October, and on 1 November was at the head of some three thousand men, chiefly horse, and he advanced through the hills from Carlow
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
to attack about half that number of Cromwell's soldiers who had been left sick in Dublin.
The Cromwellians, many of whom had but imperfectly recovered, had a hard fight
Battle of Arklow (1649)
The Battle of Arklow took place at Glascarrig on the coast road through Arklow in County Wicklow during November 1649. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland , and the English Parliamentarians during the Irish Confederate Wars.-Background:By late October 1649, the Irish had...
on the shore at Glascarrick, between Arklow and Wexford ; but their left was covered by the sea, and they succeeded in beating off their assailants. At this moment Munster revolted from Inchiquin. Admiral Robert Blake's
Robert Blake (admiral)
Robert Blake was one of the most important military commanders of the Commonwealth of England and one of the most famous English admirals of the 17th century. Blake is recognised as the chief founder of England's naval supremacy, a dominance subsequently inherited by the British Royal Navy into...
blockade having been temporarily raised by bad weather, Rupert escaped from the Irish coast, and on 13 November. Cromwell wrote that Cork and Youghal had submitted. The other port towns followed suit, and Broghill succeeded to most of Inchiquin's influence in Munster. The English or Protestant inhabitants of Cork, "out of a sense of the good service and tender care of the Lord Inchiquin over them," asked Cromwell to see his estate secured to him and his heirs ; but to this the victor "forbore to make any answer".
On 24 November 1649 Inchiquin, at the head of a force consisting; chiefly of Ulster Irish, made an attempt upon Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
, but was repulsed with great loss. He then retired westward, and obtained possession of Kilmallock, but had only some four hundred men with him. On 19 December he wrote to Ormonde concerning the Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....
bishops : "I am already condemned among them; and I believe your Excellency has but a short reprieve, for they cannot trust you unless you go to mass". In January 1650 he withdrew into Kerry, and raised some forces there, with which he returned to the neighbourhood of Kilmallock about the beginning of March. Henry Cromwell
Henry Cromwell
Henry Cromwell was the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier, and an important figure in the Parliamentarian regime in Ireland.-Life:...
joined Broghill, and defeated these new levies which consisted chiefly of Englishmen towards the end of the month; and Inchiquin, after plundering most of the county Limerick, crossed the Shannon into Clare "with more cows than horses".
Neither Ormonde nor Inchiquin had now much to do in Ireland, and neither henceforth appeared to the east of the Shannon. The Roman Catholic hierarchy had met in December 1649 at Clonmacnoise; but they could never work cordially with a Protestant chief like Ormonde, and their object was to obtain the protection of some foreign prince. In their declaration made at Jamestown on 12 August 1650, they accused Inchiquin of betraying Munster, and charged both him and Ormonde with spending their time west of the Shannon "in play, pleasure, and great merriment". As neither Ormonde or Inchiquin had an army, and the walled towns refused to admit them, there was little they could do. Ormonde was told that he was distrusted solely on account of his relations with Inchiquin, while the latter was assured that he alone, as of the "most ancient Irish blood," could fill O'Neill's place in the popular esteem. Bagwell wrote that Clarendon not unfairly summed up the case by saying that "when these two lords had communicated each to other (as they quickly did) the excellent addresses which had been made to them, and agreed together how to draw on and encourage the proposers, that they might discover as much of their purposes as possible, they easily found their design was to be rid of them both."
The choice of Heber MacMahon
Heber MacMahon
Heber MacMahon was bishop of Clogher and general in Ulster. He was educated at the Irish college, Douay, and at Louvain, and ordained a Roman Catholic priest 1625. He became bishop of Clogher in 1643 and a leader among the confederate Catholics. As a general of the Ulster army he fought Oliver...
, bishop of Clogher
Bishop of Clogher
The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.-History:Clogher is one...
, as O'Neill's successor brought disaster, and Ormonde, accompanied by Inchiquin and some forty other officers, left Ireland, and, after three weeks' tossing, landed safely at Perros Guirec, in Brittany.
Exile in France
Charles II was at this time in Holland, and Inchiquin was called upon to defend himself against many charges brought by Sir Lewis DyveLewis Dyve
Sir Lewis Dyve was an English Member of Parliament and a Royalist adherent during the English Civil War. His surname is sometimes also spelt Dive or Dives....
, but soon withdrawn as without foundation. Charles investigated the matter at Paris after his escape from Worcester
Escape of Charles II
The Escape of Charles II from England in 1651 is a key episode in his life. Although it took only six weeks, it had a major effect on his attitudes for the rest of his life.-The fugitive king:...
, and on 2 April 1652 wrote himself to Inchiquin to declare his confidence in him. On 11 May he was made one of the royal council, "of whose company," Edward Hyde
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
wrote, "I am glad; who is, in truth, a gallant gentleman of good parts and great industry, and a temper fit to struggle with the affairs on all sides that we are to contend with". But neither the Queenmother Henrietta Maria, Jermyn
Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans
Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans KG was an English politician and courtier. He sat in the in the House of Commons at various times between 1625 and 1643 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Jermyn...
, nor Wilmot, Earl of Rochester
Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester
Lieutenant-General Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester , known as The Lord Wilmot between 1643 and 1644 and as The Viscount Wilmot between 1644 and 1652, was an English Cavalier who fought for the Royalist cause during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Early life:Wilmot's family was descended from...
liked the new appointment. In 1653 Inchiquin sought the command of all Irish soldiers in France; but this was opposed by the Irish clergy, who told the nuncio that he was a "murderer of priests, friars, and such like"; but he had either one or two regiments under him. In May 1654 he received the earldom which he had spurned ten years before. At this time the exiled king's council consisted of eleven persons, divided into two parties. The majority consisted of Ormonde, Rochester, Percy
Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick
Henry Percy, Baron Percy of Alnwick , son of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, sat in the Short Parliament as the member for Portsmouth, and in the Long Parliament an M.P. for Northumberland; an originator of the "first army plot" in 1641, after which he retired to France...
, Inchiquin, Taafe, and Hyde, who controlled the whole policy. Henrietta Maria, the Duke of York
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, Rupert, the Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG, PC, FRS was an English statesman and poet.- Upbringing and education :...
, and Jermyn
Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans
Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans KG was an English politician and courtier. He sat in the in the House of Commons at various times between 1625 and 1643 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Jermyn...
were the minority.
In October 1653 Inchiquin shipped his regiment from Marseilles, and it was destroyed in Henry, Duke of Guise's
Henry II, Duke of Guise
Henry II de Lorraine, 5th Duke of Guise was the second son of Charles, Duke of Guise and Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse.-Life:...
expedition to Naples
Neapolitan Republic (1647)
The Neapolitan Republic was a Republic created in Naples, which lasted from 22 October 1647 to 5 April 1648. It began after the revolt led by Masaniello and Giulio Genoino against the Spanish viceroys....
. He himself went to Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, where he became governor of the districts which still adhered to France, and occupied himself with some success in seducing Irish soldiers from the Spanish to the French service. He was back at Paris early in 1655, Charles II being then resident at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
Inchiquin remained at Paris, or near it, till the summer of 1656, and was more or less engaged in the Sexby plot
Edward Sexby
Colonel Edward Sexby or Saxby was an English Puritan soldier and Leveller in the army of Oliver Cromwell. Later he turned against Cromwell and plotted his assassination.-Life:...
. A Colonel Clancy, from his name probably a native of Clare, was employed by him as a secret agent in London, and Henry Cromwell had information that Inchiquin himself was to command in Ireland. Charles II, who was now at Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, wished Inchiquin and his Irish soldiers to be at hand, and Hyde favoured all Spanish designs. Inchiquin was in Catalonia during the autumn of 1656, but at Paris again in the summer of 1657. By this time he had joined the church of Rome, his wife remaining a staunch Protestant, and there were great bickerings. The English Parliamentary envoy William Lockhart
William Lockhart of Lee
Sir William Lockhart of Lee , after fighting on the side of Charles I in the English Civil War, attached himself to Oliver Cromwell, whose niece he married, and who later appointed Lockhart commissioner for the administration of justice in Scotland in 1652...
says the lady was persecuted, and that he had given her a pass to England without consulting the Protector's government, for fear of the French Protestants, who were witnesses of her sufferings. The great question was as to the custody of her young son, Lord O'Brien
William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin
William McMurrough O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin was an Irish nobleman.-Life:William O'Brien was the son of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin and Elisabeth St. Leger...
, Henrietta Maria and the Catholic party favouring Inchiquin's claim, and the Protestants taking the other side. Lockhart's diplomacy triumphed, and Inchiquin, who had violently carried the boy off from the English embassy, was ordered to restore him on pain of being banished from France and losing all his commissions and allowances. Inchiquin was in Catalonia during the autumn of 1657, but returned to Paris in the following January, having been sent for expressly about his son's business. In April 1658 this son, about whom there had been so much dispute, was among his father's friends in Ireland; but Henry Cromwell sent him away with a caution only.
Inchiquin's own letters during 1658 and 1659 are in a hopeless strain, and he sought employment in any attempt which might be made on England. But Ormonde had been prejudiced against him, and probably his change of religion was fatal to his influence among the Protestant royalists. The negotiations which led to the Peace of the Pyrenees destroyed his chances in Catalonia; but Cardinal Mazarin connived at his going with Count Schomberg
Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg
Friedrich Hermann , 1st Duke of Schomberg , KG , was a marshal of France and a General in the English and Portuguese Army....
to help the Portuguese, and he started for Lisbon in the autumn of 1659. On 20 February 1660 (10 February 1660 Juian calendar) it was known at Paris that he and his son had been taken at sea by the Algerine
Algerine
Algerine can refer to:*Algerian , various ships of the Royal Navythree ship classes:Algerino refers to:*A nickname given to inhabitants of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, by residents of Whitby...
s. The English council wrote on his behalf to the Pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
, and by 23 August (Julian calendar) he was in England, but his son remained in Africa as a hostage. The House of Commons specially recommended the case of both father and son to King Charles II, and on 10 November a warrant was granted to export 7,500 dollars for ransom. Lady Inchiquin petitioned for her husband's release in August, but during the same month Sir Donough O'Brien
Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Baronet
Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Baronet was an Irish politician and baronet.He was the son of Connor O'Brien and his wife Mary McMahon. In 1692, O'Brien entered the Irish House of Commons, sitting for Clare until 1714....
wrote that she had no mind to see any of his relations "for his being a papist". Inchiquin went to Paris soon after, and returned with Henrietta Maria, of whose household he became high steward. During 1661 he signed the declaration of allegiance to Charles II by Irish catholic nobility and gentry, notwithstanding any papal sentence or dispensation.
Inchiquin was generally in attendance on the Queenmother, either in London or Paris, and on 23 June 1662 it is noted that "this famous soldier in Ireland" sailed as general-in-chief of the expeditionary force sent by Charles to help the Portuguese; that he landed at Lisbon on 31 July with two thousand foot and some troops of horse, and that he made a short speech to his men. The Spaniards avoided a battle, and allowed the strangers to waste themselves by long marches and by indulgence in fruit. Inchiquin returned to England in 1663, and seems soon to have gone to Ireland.
Later life
Inchiquin's military career was now closed, and the presidency of Munster, which he had so much coveted, was denied to him on account of his religion, and given to the astute Broghill, now Earl of OrreryEarl of Orrery
Earl of Orrery is a title in the Peerage of Ireland that has been united with the earldom of Cork since 1753 . It was created in 1660 for the soldier, statesman and dramatist Roger Boyle, 1st Baron Boyle, third but eldest surviving son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork...
. But when the latter went to England in June 1664 he made his old rival vice-president, and they remained friends afterwards. Inchiquin seems to have lived quietly in Ireland during the greater part of his remaining years. In 1666 he was made a magistrate for Clare; but Rostellan
Rostellan
Rostellan is a townland in the civil parish of the same name in County Cork, Ireland.-References:*...
, on Cork harbour, became the favourite residence of his family.
Henrietta Maria finally departed into France in 1665, and when she was gone he had little to draw him to London. When Orrery was impeached in 1668, the third article against him was that he had unjustly used his presidential power to secure Rostellan for Inchiquin, whose eldest son had married his daughter Margaret. As the impeachment was dropped, it is hard to say how far Orrery's defence was good. Part of it was that Fitzgerald of Cloyne, the other claimant, was a "known notorious papist, and the house a stronghold near the sea".
In the Cromwellian Act of Settlement, 12 August 1652, Inchiquin was excepted by name from pardon for life or estate. A private act was passed in September 1660 which restored him to all his honours and lands in Ireland, and this was confirmed by the Act of Settlement in 1662. An estate of about 60000 acres (242.8 km²) in Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Cork was thus secured; £8,000 was given him out of the treasury, in consideration of his losses and sufferings. He was compensated at the rate of £10 a day for his arrears as general in Munster before 5 June 1649, and received several other more or less lucrative grants.
Death
The Capuchin Père Gamache, who wrote during Inchiquin's life, says his banishment, imprisonment, and other troubles were a judgment for his offences against the church; "and now he continues his penitence with a Dutch wife, who is furious against the catholic religion, and keeps her husband in a state of continual penance." Her mother was a native of Dort. By a will made in 1673 Inchiquin left a legacy to the Franciscans and for other pious uses, and he died on 9 September 1674. By his own desire he was buried in St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick, probably in the O'Brien tomb. The commandant gave full military honours, and salutes were fired at his funeral, but there is no inscription or other record. To judge from his portraits, of which there are two at Dromoland, Inchiquin must have been a handsome man. His widow (Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William St. Leger) survived him till 1685, leaving directions for her burial in the church which her father had built at Doneraile. Inchiquin left four daughters and three sons, the eldest WilliamWilliam O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin
William McMurrough O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin was an Irish nobleman.-Life:William O'Brien was the son of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin and Elisabeth St. Leger...
inherited the earldom.