Military activity in and around Athy 1642

News of military activity in and around Athy in April 1642 just months after the start of the Rising in Ulster was the subject of a pamphlet published in London later that same year. The pamphlet of 13 pages, printed by G. Miller for W. Bladen, recorded how the English army set out from Dublin on 2nd April comprising 3,000 foot soldiers and 500 cavalry, all under the command of the Lord Lieutenant General, the Earl of Ormond. On the next day the army marched to Naas entering about 3 miles into County Wicklow ‘burning houses and killing such rebels as they found straggling on the way.’ Having been shot at by rebels in the Castle of Tipper, the soldiers blew up the castle, killing 8 rebels. On April 4th, having burned down some houses in Naas, the English army marched to Kilcullen ‘killing and hanging rebels and burning houses on the way.’ The next day the army set out for Athy, camping overnight near Ballyshannon Castle. This was the home of Colonel Fitzgerald, who was regarded as a rebel, and where it was believed a rebel army of 500 men were in occupation. The English troops having no battering rams left the area for Athy without attacking the castle. On the road to Athy the English army continued to burn houses and kill rebels. They found the greater part of Athy ‘all burned by the Protestants the day before to prevent the rebels, who in great multitudes had entered in and were about to fire the castle/church, and other places, wherein the Protestants to the number of 300 besides children were preserved.’ Sir John Bowen of Ballyadams Castle came to Athy to greet the English army but being suspected of disloyalty was imprisoned. That same day the army marched to Ballyadams Castle where it was claimed Bowen’s wife entertained the officers ‘liberally with ale and cakes,’ but despite this the army on returning to Athy seized and brought with them 200 head of cattle and 100 sheep as the people of Athy were ‘in great distress through want of meat and drink.’ On 7th April ‘George Walker, son of English parents, then Sovereign of Athy with many other rebels being hanged,’ the army, leaving Colonel Crafford’s Regiment behind in Athy, marched to Maryborough. The next reference to Athy following the army’s march into Laois occurred on 12th April. We are told that ‘the Protestants had broken down Maganey bridge to prevent the incursion of the rebels’ and that 700 rebels were repairing the bridge intending to march over it and intercept the English army which was returning to Athy from Maryborough. The rebels were attacked by men from Colonel Crafford’s regiment, killing ‘one or two of the rebels’. The Irish rebels were camped near to Captain Erasmus Burrowes’ house in the vicinity of Maganey, but the English army commander decided not to attack and instead returned to his base in Athy. On 15th April a man named Brocke, ‘an English papist’, with a number of other rebels was hanged in Athy. The number of rebels executed in this way while the army was in Athy was believed to be seventy. After seven days waging war in various parts of Laois the English army regrouped in Athy before marching back to Dublin. They brought with them as prisoners Sir John Bowen, Fitzgerald of Timoga, Richard Grace of Maryborough and Captain Crosby. On their way about 2 miles from Athy Irish rebels numbering it is believed 8,000 foot soldiers and three or four troops of horses, were seen marching in the same direction as the English army, but with a bog between them. This prompted a race between the armies, both of which were anxious to reach firm ground, with the Irish rebels winning the race. We are told that at ‘Black-hale Heath on the lands of Kilrush about 5 miles from Athy and a mile from the Castle of Ballyshannon in the possession of the rebel Colonel Fitzgerald ….. the rebels made a stand ….. with the advantage of two great ditches on each wing, so high that we could see no more than the heads of their pikes.’ The rebels comprised men from counties Kilkenny, Laois, Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow and Kildare, as well as some men from Tipperary and Waterford. Despite their numbers the Irish rebels suffered a costly defeat, with 1,500 men or more killed and the loss of 15 regimental colours and much military equipment. An interesting description of some of the rebel colours captured indicated the religious background to the conflict which had started in Ulster the previous October, with banners displaying Jesus Mary and Joseph, with others of Mary Magdalene and St. Patrick. The English army having claimed the victory marching via Old Connell to the Curragh and then to Naas, before reaching Dublin on 17th April. Their commander expressed the view that the Irish rebels having ran into the woods, bogs and castles ‘will prolong the war and bring us all to ruin unless this summer we are furnished out of England with great store of men and money to maintain garrisons in all places.’ The White Castle in Athy would continue to be garrisoned and the town itself would figure prominently in the Confederate Wars fought on Irish soil as part of the English Civil War which would commence on 22nd August 1642.