Peculiarities Regarding Rebel Equipment in the Nine Years War
Earlier today I uploaded a video to my YouTube Channel about the Nine Years War and the role played by the O'Neill family in it. You can see that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzvoaqLh84Q.
Something that I breezed over while covering the events of the war was the relatively poor training and equipment of Elizabeth's troops in comparison to the forces of Hugh O'Neill. This in itself was very unusual, normally the English responses to rebellion in Ireland were characterized by small, well equipped and well trained expeditions. The Irish forces meanwhile would often be numerous, but lacking in discipline and relying on lower quality equipment.
Oddly during the Nine Years War the tables were turned, so that the Irish now possessed the equipment and training, while Elizabeth's army was comprised of raw recruits who had been rushed through training to respond to the threat of the Ulster rebels. I say "The Irish" but I more specifically refer to the forces of Hugh O'Neill, the so called "Arch-Traitor". Hugh had initially fought against the rebels at the outbreak of the war. He used this time to buy in arms by the thousand and train his private levy into a modern fighting force.
Hugh was ideally equipped to produce a modern fighting force due to his time spent in English company. Having been fostered to an English family, Hugh had plenty of opportunity to observe modern military conventions, and was able to pick up on European ideas about military organisation. The importance of firearms in modern conflicts was no doubt deeply impressed upon him, as we can see by how large a chunk of his forces were musketeers, 4000 to be exact.
The near continuous successes of the rebels at major battles such as Yellow Ford, the ripples of which were felt across Europe, clearly demonstrate that O'Neill's policy of quality over quantity paid dividends. I don't think its unreasonable to say that O'Neill's army was one of the best trained and equipped to ever stand against English control in Ireland. Its like would not really be seen again in years to come.
Something that I breezed over while covering the events of the war was the relatively poor training and equipment of Elizabeth's troops in comparison to the forces of Hugh O'Neill. This in itself was very unusual, normally the English responses to rebellion in Ireland were characterized by small, well equipped and well trained expeditions. The Irish forces meanwhile would often be numerous, but lacking in discipline and relying on lower quality equipment.
Oddly during the Nine Years War the tables were turned, so that the Irish now possessed the equipment and training, while Elizabeth's army was comprised of raw recruits who had been rushed through training to respond to the threat of the Ulster rebels. I say "The Irish" but I more specifically refer to the forces of Hugh O'Neill, the so called "Arch-Traitor". Hugh had initially fought against the rebels at the outbreak of the war. He used this time to buy in arms by the thousand and train his private levy into a modern fighting force.
Hugh was ideally equipped to produce a modern fighting force due to his time spent in English company. Having been fostered to an English family, Hugh had plenty of opportunity to observe modern military conventions, and was able to pick up on European ideas about military organisation. The importance of firearms in modern conflicts was no doubt deeply impressed upon him, as we can see by how large a chunk of his forces were musketeers, 4000 to be exact.
The near continuous successes of the rebels at major battles such as Yellow Ford, the ripples of which were felt across Europe, clearly demonstrate that O'Neill's policy of quality over quantity paid dividends. I don't think its unreasonable to say that O'Neill's army was one of the best trained and equipped to ever stand against English control in Ireland. Its like would not really be seen again in years to come.
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