The Battle of Glenmalure
Hello! And welcome back to my blog.
Yesterday I put out a video on the first and second Desmond Rebellions, following the broad course of events that took place during the period. You can see that video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtbHf7oWYpY&t=2s.
Both the English and rebel forces during the rebellion generally stayed away from large pitched battles, as neither side could really afford to suffer a heavy defeat. For the English it was a financial issue, while for the rebels it was a simple question of manpower and the will to keep fighting. A significant defeat could be very damaging to all of these aspects.
Instead, the two sides leaned heavily on raiding and pillaging the territory of their opponents, attempting to cripple their economic base and remove their ability to pay and feed soldiers. This strategy, while effective, placed the English raiders at greater risk than their Irish counterparts. The Irish had the distinct advantage of knowing the terrain, and as such were able to plan and execute ambushes on English raiding parties that ranged from mere nuisance to extremely costly for the crown loyal troops.
One such ambush was the battle of Glenmalure, an engagement that I glossed over during my most recent video regarding the Desmond Rebellions. Glenmalure itself is a 20 km long U-Shaped glacial valley, and at the time it was a stronghold of the O'Byrnes. The battle itself took place on the 25th August, and was fought by the forces of the newly appointed Lord Deputy Grey, and the newly rebellious Fiach McHugh O'Byrne and Viscount Baltinglas.
The English force was large when measured against the size of most armies on the march during the Desmond rebellions. With a final count of 3000 men, Lord Grey had marshaled a formidable body of troops for his assault on the O'Byrnes. We unfortunately have no reputable source for the numbers of the Irish troops, but it can be assumed that between the two rebel lords the Irish were able to rally a not inconsiderable force.
Lord Grey's aim was to march through the Kildare lowlands and into the Wicklow mountains in order to lay siege to Balinacore castle in the Glenmalure valley. Grey's veteran commanders advised against this move. They had no doubt been subject to Irish ambushes in the past, and had developed a healthy sense of caution for crossing large tracts of potentially hostile territory. Their advice was overruled however, and Lord Grey pressed on into the valley.
The rebel forces had prepared a trap for the oncoming English army, and positioned themselves in the woods either side of the approach into the valley. Once the enemy had entered the trap, the rebel forces began to pepper them with projectiles from both sides, taking the English completely by surprise. This particular tactic is one that has remained relevant even to this day, and would have made any rifle section commander proud.
Caught in a crossfire of arrows, stones, and bullets, the inexperienced English force began to break ranks and flee back the way they had come. This was when the bulk of the English casualties occurred. Presented with a panicked and fleeing enemy army, the rebels emerged from their hidden positions and charged the retreating enemy. A routed army is borderline helpless to defend itself from a disciplined enemy, and as a result the English suffered grievous casualties.
Lord Grey was forced to fight a rearguard action all the way back down the valley until he and his men reached the town of Rathdrum. Here they were finally able to take a breath and count their dead. Irish sources claim that 800 English troops were left dead in the dirt at Glenmalure, while English sources claim a much smaller, though still high number of 360.
This defeat would prompt a vengeful Lord Grey to commit to a scorched earth campaign across the rebellious territories, that saw much of Munster devastated and many atrocities committed. Below you can see a depiction of the battle, in the moment when the rebels burst from the trees to assault the English column.
Yesterday I put out a video on the first and second Desmond Rebellions, following the broad course of events that took place during the period. You can see that video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtbHf7oWYpY&t=2s.
Both the English and rebel forces during the rebellion generally stayed away from large pitched battles, as neither side could really afford to suffer a heavy defeat. For the English it was a financial issue, while for the rebels it was a simple question of manpower and the will to keep fighting. A significant defeat could be very damaging to all of these aspects.
Instead, the two sides leaned heavily on raiding and pillaging the territory of their opponents, attempting to cripple their economic base and remove their ability to pay and feed soldiers. This strategy, while effective, placed the English raiders at greater risk than their Irish counterparts. The Irish had the distinct advantage of knowing the terrain, and as such were able to plan and execute ambushes on English raiding parties that ranged from mere nuisance to extremely costly for the crown loyal troops.
One such ambush was the battle of Glenmalure, an engagement that I glossed over during my most recent video regarding the Desmond Rebellions. Glenmalure itself is a 20 km long U-Shaped glacial valley, and at the time it was a stronghold of the O'Byrnes. The battle itself took place on the 25th August, and was fought by the forces of the newly appointed Lord Deputy Grey, and the newly rebellious Fiach McHugh O'Byrne and Viscount Baltinglas.
The English force was large when measured against the size of most armies on the march during the Desmond rebellions. With a final count of 3000 men, Lord Grey had marshaled a formidable body of troops for his assault on the O'Byrnes. We unfortunately have no reputable source for the numbers of the Irish troops, but it can be assumed that between the two rebel lords the Irish were able to rally a not inconsiderable force.
Lord Grey's aim was to march through the Kildare lowlands and into the Wicklow mountains in order to lay siege to Balinacore castle in the Glenmalure valley. Grey's veteran commanders advised against this move. They had no doubt been subject to Irish ambushes in the past, and had developed a healthy sense of caution for crossing large tracts of potentially hostile territory. Their advice was overruled however, and Lord Grey pressed on into the valley.
The rebel forces had prepared a trap for the oncoming English army, and positioned themselves in the woods either side of the approach into the valley. Once the enemy had entered the trap, the rebel forces began to pepper them with projectiles from both sides, taking the English completely by surprise. This particular tactic is one that has remained relevant even to this day, and would have made any rifle section commander proud.
Caught in a crossfire of arrows, stones, and bullets, the inexperienced English force began to break ranks and flee back the way they had come. This was when the bulk of the English casualties occurred. Presented with a panicked and fleeing enemy army, the rebels emerged from their hidden positions and charged the retreating enemy. A routed army is borderline helpless to defend itself from a disciplined enemy, and as a result the English suffered grievous casualties.
Lord Grey was forced to fight a rearguard action all the way back down the valley until he and his men reached the town of Rathdrum. Here they were finally able to take a breath and count their dead. Irish sources claim that 800 English troops were left dead in the dirt at Glenmalure, while English sources claim a much smaller, though still high number of 360.
This defeat would prompt a vengeful Lord Grey to commit to a scorched earth campaign across the rebellious territories, that saw much of Munster devastated and many atrocities committed. Below you can see a depiction of the battle, in the moment when the rebels burst from the trees to assault the English column.
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