Siege of Cork
Siege of Cork | |||||||
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Part of the M F Cusack | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Williamites and allies - English Army and Danish Auxiliary Corps | Jacobites | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Roger McElligott Cornelius O'Driscoll † Sir Edward Scott | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
9,000 troops and a naval fleet | Unknown |
The siege of Cork took place during the
In a combined land and sea operation, Williamite commander Marlborough, took the city and captured 5,000 Jacobites.[1]
Background
After the Battle of the Boyne, William occupied Dublin and the Jacobites retreated to the west of Ireland. William assaulted and besieged Limerick in August 1690 but was repulsed. To secure the Jacobite-held ports of Cork and Kinsale on the southern coast, he dispatched a force under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (then 1st Earl).[2]
Sieges
Cork
Marlborough reached Cork by sea on 21 September 1690. His English forces were 5,000 strong and he also had at his disposal a fleet which blockaded the port of Cork. He captured several of the harbour's defences (including
The Williamites took the forts (such as Elizabeth Fort) which commanded the hills around Cork and commenced a bombardment of the city from the heights. When a breach was opened in the city walls, the city's garrison opened surrender negotiations, asking to be allowed to leave Cork and join the main Jacobite army at Limerick. Marlborough refused the request, although Württemberg was in favour of granting the terms.[5]
A few days later, the Williamites mounted a joint English-Danish assault of the breach from the south. Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Grafton was reputedly mortally wounded while leading this assault.[6] After the Williamites reached the walls, the Governor of Cork, Roger McElligott, opened new surrender talks and agreed that the garrison would become prisoners and would surrender their arms and stores. Marlborough accepted and the city surrendered.[7]
In spite of this, the Williamite troops sacked the city, did a great deal of damage, looting much property and abusing the Catholic inhabitants. Many civilians were killed before Württemberg and Marlborough restored order.[8]
Kinsale
It remained for the Williamites to take nearby
References
- ^ Padraig Lenihan, Consolidating Conquest, Ireland 1603-1727, p184
- ISBN 9780826436092.
- ^ "Rescue Camden Committee – Fort History". RescueCamden.ie. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014.
- ^ John O'Driscol (1827). History of Ireland (1827). Vol. 2. p. 188.
- ^ O'Driscol, p188-192
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 316–317.
- ^ "Cork City 1645 to 1700". History of Cork. Cork City Council. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ O'Driscol, p193-194
- ^ Charles Smith (1815). The ancient and present state of the county and city of Cork (Volume 2). p. 209.
- ^ "Charles Fort, County Cork". Buildings of Ireland. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "Charles Fort, County Cork". IrelandsEye. Retrieved 29 October 2016.