The Battle of Curlew Pass was fought on the 15th of August 1599, during the Nine Years War (Ireland), between an English force under Sir Conyers Clifford and a rebel Irish force led by Red Hugh O'Donnell. The English were ambushed while marching through a pass in the Curlew Mountains, near the town of Boyle, in north western Ireland, and routed with heavy casualties. The Nine Years War in Ireland took place from 1594 to 1603 and is also known as Tyrones Rebellion. ... Red Hugh Roe ODonnell (1571-1603) was an Irish Chieftain who led ODonnells Rebellion from 1593-1596 and later helped lead the Nine Years War, a revolt against English occupation, from 1593-1603. ... Boyle (Mainistir na Búille in Irish) is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. ...

Campaign

In April 1599, the Earl of Essex landed in Ireland with 17,000 troops to put down the rebellion of Hugh O'Neill and Red Hugh O'Donnell in Ulster. To this end, he supported an Irish enemy of O’Donnell’s, Sir Donogh O’Connor (O'Connor Sligo), encouraging him to repossess his territory in Sligo, which O'Donnell was occupying. However, when O'Connor did so, O’Donnell quickly besieged him at Collooney Castle with over 2000 men. Essex had no option but to support the besieged O'Connor, one of the few Gaelic chieftains the crown could rely upon for support, and so he ordered the experienced Sir Conyers Clifford - based in Athlone - to the relief of the castle at the head of a force of 1,500 English infantry and 200 horse. It was hoped that the operation would also distract the rebel leader, O'Neill, and afford the crown an opportunity to march into his Ulster territory across its south-eastern border. Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals, of which the best-known and most closely associated with the title was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1566 - 1601). ... Hugh ONeill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone (c. ... Red Hugh Roe ODonnell (1571-1603) was an Irish Chieftain who led ODonnells Rebellion from 1593-1596 and later helped lead the Nine Years War, a revolt against English occupation, from 1593-1603. ... Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland. ... Sligo (Sligeach in Irish) is a county in the province of Connacht in the west of Ireland. ... Remains of the abbey at Athlone. ... Aodh Mór Ó Néill (anglicised as Hugh ONeill), (c. ...

O’Donnell left 300 men at Collooney Castle under Niall Garbh O’Donnell, his cousin and sent another 600 to Sligo town to prevent English reinforcements landing by sea with the aid of Tibbot na Long - Grace O'Malley's son. He then marched to Dunavaragh with 1500 of his men, where he was joined by local chieftains, Conor MacDermott and Brian Oge O'Rourke (son of Brian O'Rourke), with their own followers. The Irish then carefully prepared an ambush site in the Curlew Mountains along the English line of march. O’Donnell had trees felled and placed along the road to impede their progress. When he got word of the English passing through Boyle, O’Donnell positioned his men. Musketeers, archers and javelin men were placed in the woods alongside the road to harass the English. The main body of Irish infantry, armed with pikes and axes, were placed out of sight behind the ridge of the mountain. Niall Garve ODonnell (1560 - 1626), who was incensed at the elevation of his cousin Hugh Roe to the chieftainship in 1592, was further alienated when the latter deprived him of his castle of Lifford, and a bitter feud between the two ODonnells was the result. ... Grace O Malley (Irish name Gráinne Ní Mháille, also known as Gráinne Mhaol or Granuaile (a corruption of the Gaelic Gráinne Mhaol)) (c. ... Sir Brian na Murra ORourke (1540?–1591) was hereditary lord of West Breifne (modern County Leitrim) in Ireland. ... Boyle (Mainistir na Búille in Irish) is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. ...

The Battle

Clifford’s force marched from Athlone through Roscommon, Tulsk and Boyle, before reaching the Curlew Mountains, which had to be crossed before Sligo could be approached. The expedition was poorly supplied, and Clifford's men were tired and hungry, and probably in no fit state to continue. But Clifford had received false intelligence that the pass was undefended, and he therefore chose to seize the opportunity and march across. This meant that his troops missed out on the rest that had been planned for them in Boyle, whereas the Irish were well fed and prepared. Remains of the abbey at Athlone. ... Roscommon (Ros Comáin in Irish) is the county town of County Roscommon in the Republic of Ireland. ... Tulsk (Irish Tuilsce) is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. ... Boyle (Mainistir na Búille in Irish) is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. ...

The English came under gunfire and missile attack from the woods as soon as they reached the first of O'Donnell’s barricades. The barricade was immediately abandoned, and as they moved past and proceeded up the hill further casualties were sustained. The further the English advanced, the more intensive the rebels' fire became, and soldiers began to lose their nerve and slip away. Eventually, there was a firefight, lasting about 90 minutes, at the end of which the vanguard had run out of gunpowder. The commander of the vanguard, Alexander Radcliffe, could no longer control his troops, and they wheeled about in a panic, colliding with the main column, which in turn broke and fled; the commander led a charge with his remaining pikemen but was shot dead. With the English ranks in disarray, the Irish infantry, which had concealed itself on the reverse slope of the hill, closed in and fought hand to hand. Clifford had tried to regain control over his men, but appeared overcome by his circumstances; however, he managed to rally himself and was killed by a pike-thrust as he rushed the enemy. The English were routed, but the situation was prevented from becoming a complete loss, when the commander of the horse, Sir Griffin Markham (with John Harington in his ranks), charged into the field and temporarily drove the rebels back. Sir John Harington, 2nd Baron Harington of Exton Sir John Harington (1561 - November 20, 1612) was known as Queen Elizabeth Is saucy Godson. He was born in Kelston, Somerset, England. ...

The English infantry were pursued as far as the town of Boyle, where they found shelter in the Abbey. The English cavalry attempted to ascend the Pass by another route, but were turned back by O’Rourke’s horsemen.

About 500 English soldiers were killed in the battle. Irish losses were not recorded, but were probably small.

Aftermath

Clifford’s head was cut off and brought with O’Donnell to Collooney Castle to intimidate its defenders; the trunk was buried in the monastery of Lough Key. O’Connor Sligo surrendered the castle shortly afterwards and reluctantly joined with the rebels. After the victory, there was a noticeable increase in the rate of desertion by Irish troops from the ranks of Essex's army. Lough Key is a lake in the Republic of Ireland. ...

The battle of Curlew Pass was a classic Gaelic Irish ambush, similar to the battle of Glenmalure in 1580 or the battle of the Yellow Ford in 1598. However, their inability to win conventional battles in the field led to the ultimate defeat of the rebels in the Nine Years War at the battle of Kinsale in 1601. In August 1602, the Curlew Pass was the scene of the last victory won by the rebels during the war, when a panicking English force was again routed and suffered significant losses; this time, the rebels were led by Rory O'Donnell (and with him, O'Connor Sligo) who commanded 400 musketeers. This article needs cleanup. ... Battle of the Yellow Ford - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Nine Years War in Ireland took place from 1594 to 1603 and is also known as Tyrones Rebellion. ... Siege of Kinsale - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

Today the battlefield at Curlew Pass is overlooked by an impressionistic sculpture by Maurice Harron called "The Gaelic Chieftain", opened in 1999.

Sources

• John McCavitt, The Flight of the Earls, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2002.
• Cyril Falls Elizabeth's Irish Wars (1950; reprint London, 1996). ISBN 0094772207.
• Cyril M. Mattimore, Account of the battle located here [1]