Lord Lieutenant Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, laid siege to Cahir Castle, long considered impregnable, on this day in 1599.
In 1599, during the Nine Years War, Essex was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and sent to put down a rebellion by Hugh O’ Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Essex and his army of some 2,500 foot soldiers and 300 horse left Kilkenny on 22nd May 1599 and spent the next couple of days resting in Clonmel. They arrived in Cahir on Friday 25th May 1599 where Essex accused Lord Cahir (Thomas Butler, 2nd Baron Cahir) of colluding with the rebel chieftain Edmund Fitzgibbon, known as the White Knight.
Lord Cahir gave assurances to Essex that his brother James Galdie, who occupied the castle at the time, would surrender as soon as they came in view. This proved not to be the case. Although, Cahir proposed further negotiations, Essex was determined to capture the castle and Cahir and his wife were placed under guard.
A council of war was called in the presence of the Earl of Ormond. In the evening, Essex surveyed the castle with George Bingham, who had successfully besieged Maguire's island castle in Enniskillen in 1594. It was decided that approaches should be made along the east bank by way of old ditches and a wall, and that a trench be dug close up to the riverbank, within 50 paces of the castle, where a platform for the cannon might be erected.
On Saturday the 26th, the vanguard and main battle of the army moved closer to the castle to camp on the east bank. Later that day, the rearguard arrived from Clonmel with the cannon and culverin (smaller cannon). After a night of preparation, the guns were in place on the east bank and on the 27th May, Essex’s army opened fire. The cannon was at point-blank range, but its carriage broke at the second shot. Then a ball stuck in the culverin, but this was quickly cleared, and fifty shots were fired, until the garrison was silenced. Lord Cahir could only watch as his home was pounded. It is said that he and his wife ‘wept like children’.
On the 28th, the cannonade resumed at close quarters, and the east wall was breached. Preparations for an assault on the following morning were made: engineers made climbing ladders, scaffolds, and petards (wooden cases of gunpowder, for blowing in doors or barricades) were assembled to undermine the walls.
During the night, the garrison attempted to flee. At least 80 were slain along the river, but James Galdie successfully escaped with some of his men through a sink shaft under a watermill. The English penetrated the castle courtyards at night without resistance. On the morning of the 29th, Essex entered the castle, and the guns were soon mounted on the deserted walls and the breaches were repaired. The castle was garrisoned with 100 men under the command of George Carey.
Following the capture of Cahir Castle, known as the ‘bulwark of Munster’, Essex’s men crossed the Suir at Golden and entered rebel territory in west Munster.
Sources:
Cahir Castle Information panels.
