The city of Limerick was besieged five times during the 17th century. Two of these sieges took place during the
Eleven Years' War. The first of these sieges occurred during the spring of 1642 when
Irish Confederate troops besieged and took the town's citadel,
King John's Castle from an English Protestant garrison.
1641 Rebellion
The
Irish Confederacy’s taking of Limerick was made easier than subsequent attempts because they had the support of most of the city's population. About 600 English Protestant settlers had fled to the city to escape the
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...
and had fortified themselves in
King John's Castle in the centre of Limerick. They were led by Captain
George Courtenay, 1st Baronet of Newcastle of
Powderham in Devon. The city was predominantly Catholic and appealed to the new Confederate Catholic government at
Kilkenny
Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
to capture this Protestant citadel.
Confederate troops arrive
As a result, General
Garret Barry, the commander of the Confederate Munster army, marched to Limerick with 1,500 men to secure it. As he had no siege artillery, Barry put his men to digging mines under the eastern curtain wall and the southeast bastion of the castle, which he intended to collapse by burning their supports. He also positioned
sniper
A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...
s in the houses surrounding the castle to harass the defenders, particularly in
St. Mary's Cathedral, which overlooked King John's Castle. Finally, he cut off the defenders' food and water supply.
Surrender
After five weeks, when the English Protestants were ravaged by disease, they surrendered on terms, before Barry had to collapse his mines and assault the castle. The 400 surviving Protestants were evacuated to
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
.
Citations
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Limerick 1642
History of Limerick (city)
Sieges of the Irish Confederate Wars
1642 in Ireland
Sieges involving Ireland
Conflicts in 1642
Attacks on castles in Ireland