Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin - The Irish Rebellion

The Irish Rebellion

The great Irish rebellion began on 23 October 1641, and in December Inchiquin accompanied the president in an expedition against the Leinster rebels who were harassing Waterford and Tipperary. All the prisoners taken in a fight near Carrick-on-Suir were executed by martial law. In April 1642, during the siege of Cork by Viscount Muskerry with four thousand men, Inchiquin, "one of the young and noble-spirited commanders," led a sally of two troops of horse and three hundred musketeers, which broke up the Irish camp for a time. Muskerry left baggage and provisions behind, and Inchiquin was able to ship guns and to take two castles on the west side of Cork harbour which had annoyed the navigation. St. Leger died on 2 July, and Inchiquin became the legal governor of Munster, as he announced to the lords justices before the end of the month. David Barry, 1st Earl of Barrymore, was associated with him in the civil government, but died on Michaelmas day. Alexander Forbes, 11th Lord Forbes, with Hugh Peters as his chaplain, landed at Kinsale early in July with forces provided by adventurers in England; but he paid no attention to Inchiquin's request for help, and he effected nothing. On 20 August Inchiquin, accompanied by Barrymore, Viscount Boyle of Kinalmeaky, and Roger Boyle, Lord Broghill, with only two thousand foot and four hundred horse, overthrew General Garret Barry at Battle of Liscarrol with seven thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse; but he lacked means to improve his victory, though seven hundred are said to have fallen on one side and only twelve on the other. He was himself wounded in the head and hand.

Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork,and his sons did much to preserve the counties of Cork and Waterford, and Inchiquin co-operated with them, but not cordially. The difficulty was to support an army on any terms. In November 1642 Inchiquin seized all the tobacco in the hands of the patentees at Cork, Youghal, and Kinsale, and no compensation was paid until after the restoration. The cattle and corn in the districts under his control were taken of course. The king had no money to give, and the English Parliament had neither time to attend to Ireland nor money to entrust to unsafe hands. Inchiquin gave a commission to the commandant at Youghal as early as 26 July 1642 to execute martial law there upon both soldiers and civilians, and his dealings with the town are recorded in the "Council Book". The raw material of soldiers was abundant, for fighting was now the only industry; but there were no means of paying them. Yet the English Parliament sent men to Ireland without arms, for no purpose, wrote Inchiquin to James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, "unless it be to plot that these men shall with jawbones kill so many rebels". At the end of May 1643 he took the field with four thousand foot and four hundred horse, but could only threaten Kilmallock, "for want of provisions and money for the officers", and he begged the Earl of Cork to lend or borrow £300 for victualling Youghal. While threatening Kinsale himself, he sent one detachment as far as Tralee, who had to subsist on a country then in Irish hands. Another small force was sent to Fermoy, but suffered a crushing defeat near Castlelyons on 4 June from a body of horse under James Tuchet, 3rd Earl of Castlehaven, who had been specially sent by the Kilkenny confederation.

Muskerry threatened the county of Waterford, and Inchiquin, according to his own account, intrigued with him until he was in a position to fight. The Irish leader offered to spare Youghal and its district if Cappoquin and Lismore surrendered at once; otherwise he would burn both places. By a mixture of threats and promises Inchiquin induced him to say that he would withdraw if Cappoquin and Lismore were not token by a certain day. Until that date had passed he was not to be attacked. Inchiquin had so garrisoned Cappoquin as to make it safe for a much longer time, and the Earl of Cork's Lismore Castle was also well prepared. The situation was maintained with little sincerity on either side until Cork himself landed with orders from Charles I to promote a truce. Active hostilities ceased, and Muskerry, who had been outwitted, tried to be even with Inchiquin by telling the king that he designed to betray the two towns to the Irish - a statement without foundation. "If ever", he wrote to an officer who had been present during the whole period, "I did anything towards the defence of Munster against the Irish, this was what I had cause to brag of".