Battle of Clontibret

Battle of Clontibret
Part of the Nine Years' War
Date 25 -27 March 1595 Location between Armagh and Monaghan Result Irish victory
Belligerents
Ireland Irish Chiefs Alliance under Hugh O'Neill, lead from Ulster	England Henry Bagenal
Commanders and leaders
Hugh O'Neill	Henry Bagenal
Strength
4000	1750
Casualties and losses
100-400 killed	100-700 killed, more wounded

The Battle of Clontibret (1595) was fought in modern County Monaghan in Ulster in Ireland during the Nine Years War, between the crown forces of Queen Elizabeth and the rebel army of Hugh O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone. It ended in victory for Tyrone, and was the first severe set-back suffered by the English during the war.

Background

The opening campaigns of the Nine Years War centred on English attempts to maintain a string of garrisons along the southern border of the O'Neill's territory in Ulster. The rebel leader promptly besieged the English garrison at Monaghan castle, and Sir Henry Bagenal, commander of the English forces, marched out to its relief on the 25th of May (June 4 New Style) from Dundalk, via Newry. His army was made up of 1,750 troops, including some veterans and certain companies newly arrived from the Spanish campaign in Brittany, but there were many recruits in the ranks. Bagenal's men were predominantly infantry, armed with muskets and pikes; there was also a small number of horsemen raised in the Pale.

The battle

The Battle of Clontibret was essentially a two day running fight, as Bagenal's column was ambushed on its way to and from Monaghan town.

During the march to the town, the Irish fought sharply along the roads about Crossdall, around 4 miles (6.5 km) from Monaghan, firing on the English column with calivers (light muskets) from the surrounding woodland. However, they did not come to "push of pike" or hand to hand combat. With the loss of 12 dead and 30 wounded the English reached the castle, which was re-supplied and reinforced with one company. Bagenal had misgivings about his supply of powder and lead, much of which had been used on the way, and could afford little enough for the garrison before he started back.

Two days later, on the 27th of May, Bagenal set out for Newry in a column, but by another route, past the townland of Clontibret. The new route lay through Drumlin country, which abounded with hills, bogs and woods, making it ideal for an ambush. The column came under fire from the outset, and then fell into a major ambush at a pass near Clontibret.

O'Neill's army - about 4000 strong - consisted of contingents from the O'Neill, MacMahon and Maguire clans, as well as Scottish mercenaries. The rebel leader also deployed a greatly enlarged force of cavalry and caliver-men (musketeers). To Bagenal's puzzlement, the caliver-men were turned out in red coats and acquitted themselves with expertise. Fire from the flanks was heavy, and many English troops were killed or fell wounded while the Irish cavalry played around the fringes.

O'Neill himself was almost killed in hand to hand combat with a Palesman named Seagrave, who led a cavalry charge on the Irish position. Seagrave had his arm chopped off by O'Neill's standard bearer O'Cahan, and was killed by O'Neill with a dagger thrust to the groin.

Bagenal's column was slowed to a painful crawl and, as night fell in the wilderness, the commander called his men to a halt and camped at the hilltop of Ballymacowen. It seemed that hundreds were missing, and there was tremendous fear that O'Neill would renew the attack under cover of darkness. No further assault was made and, a little after first light, reinforcements from Newry arrived to relieve the column.

Aftermath

According to intelligence received in the days following, O'Neill's failure to follow up had been caused by a lack of powder - ironic, given the state of Bagenal's own supplies - but the overall sense in government was of disquiet, and a bad job was made of hushing up the casualty figures. This of course gave fuel to the rumours of a severe defeat, and many people set greater store on the numbers put about by rebel supporters.

Sir Ralph Lane, the muster-master-general, informed the queen's principal secretary, Lord Burghley, that "more men were hurt and killed in that late service than was convenient to declare". The casualty figures for both sides vary depending on sources. Bagenal admitted only 31 killed and 109 wounded on the second day of fighting, but his losses were almost certainly higher. The Irish annals claimed up to 700 English killed. Estimates of the rebel losses vary between 100 to 400 killed.

Three years later, Bagenal led another English force into an ambush of O'Neill's, at the battle of the Yellow Ford. On that occasion, he was killed and his command destroyed.

References

• G.A. Hayes McCoy, Irish Battles, Belfast 1989. ISBN 0-86281-250-X
• Cyril Falls Elizabeth's Irish Wars (1950; reprint London, 1996). ISBN 0-09-477220-7.
• Lorcan Ó Mearáin, 'The Battle of Clontibret' in Clogher Record [journal of the Clogher Historical Society] (1956) see Clogher Record Index