Source question - Tyrone's rebellion 1593-1603 Flashcards
Where was Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603 fought?
All of Ireland but mostly in Ulster (the north)
What was the main victory of Tyrone’s rebellion?
Battle of the Yellow Ford 1598 - the only government defeat by a rebel army of the period
What treaty ended the 9 years war 1594-1603?
Treaty of Mellifont
How many soldiers were fighting in the English Army at the height of Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603?
18,000 - the largest rebellion in Ireland since Silken Thomas in 1534
How did English influence in the Pale contribute to Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603?
During the sixteenth century, many parts of Ireland were led by clans and tribes. However, in the pale many groups of nobles began to emerge who were loyal to the English crown and their culture and customs - this caused friction between the two groups
By 1547, how many Gaelic lords had promised their loyalty to Henry VIII and been given English titles?
about 40
Which major Irish clans resided in Ulster?
O’Neill and O’Donnell
Who did Mary I specifically take land from and when?
1556 and 1557 - took the lands of the Gaelic clans the O’Mores and O’Connors and gave the lands to loyal English settlers.
How did plantations lead to Tyrone’s Rebellion 1594-1603?
Irish Clans wanted their land back and often attacked the new settlers.
The settlers were also not allowed to hire or marry local Irish which created a divide
How did Anglicization contribute to Tyrone’s Rebellion 1594-1603?
Elizabeth intended the English settlers to keep Irish clans under control,
She also established a new religion to Ireland known as the Anglican faith
What did Elizabeth fear Philip would use Ireland for?
A launch pad to attack England
What was arguably the main cause of Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603?
Local resistance to the centre/English control - Tyrone saw the only hope for Ireland being a complete break from England with him as the new Irish leader
What led to war officially breaking out? (Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603)
The English refusing to give Tyrone control of Ulster
What sub causes were there for Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603?
Religion: Tyrone wrapped himself in religion and appealed for help from Catholic Spain and the Pope
Opportunism: English forces were becoming increasingly weak at the time and Tyrone saw an opportunity
Why did Elizabeth struggle to suppress Tyrone’s rebellion?
She was old, struggling with Spain and her main advisors had mostly died by this point (Walsingham, Cecil etc)
What were the main objectives of Tyrone’s Rebellion? 1594-1603?
End English control in Ireland
Preserve the Catholic faith
Allow O’Neill to gain political power
How long did Tyrone’s rebellion last?
9 years (1594-1603)
How much of Ireland’s land was bog?
25%
What was O’Neill’s income at the time?
£80,000 a year - enough to fund a large army
What made Ireland particularly useful for Tyrone?
25% of the land was bog, there were no good maps of the interior of Ireland, the highland areas were covered in forest, there were no important towns or ports in ulster (hard for the English to pernitrate), the Tyrone lands were valuable - O’Neill’s income was £80,000 a year which was enough to fund a large army
What is O’Neill regarded as as a leader?
The strongest threat to England’s authority in Ireland since Silken Thomas - he was also charismatic and able to unite disparate factions and command thousands of troops in a disciplined manner.
How many troops did O’Neill raise?
Over 6000! (large for Ireland)
How many troops did the English have initially?
only 4000
How many men did the Earl of Essex and Lord Mountjoy bring in order to finally combat O’Neill’s rebellion?
17,000 and 13,000 men!
How many men could O’Neill arm and feed with Spain’s help?
8000
What percentage of O’Neill’s men were armed with guns?
1/3
How many English soldiers had been sent to Ireland to combat Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603 by the end of the rebellion?
30,000
How did the rebels of Tyrone’s rebellion 1594-1603 use strategy and tactics to their advantage?
The Irish avoided military confrontation unless the English were outnumbered or cornered - only entering battles they knew they could win
Why could Tyrone’s Rebellion 1594-1603 be argued to be successful?
His rebellion was the longest lasting of the period,
Tyrone was in contact with Spain as early as 1587,
O’Neill was able to avoid capture for 3 years and even win a battle at Yellow Ford in 1598 - the only major rebel military victory of the period
When did O’Neill make contact with Spain?
1587
How many English troops were killed at the Battle of Yellow Ford 1598?
800 were killed - 300 deserted to Tyrone
What happened in the Pale as a result of funding against Tyrone’s rebellion?
Massive inflation (80%) - followed by a near-famine in Dublin
What factors made Tyrone’s rebellion ultimately unsuccessful?
He (O’Neill) failed to gain sufficient support from overseas,
He had little support from other Irish families,
The English had superior financial resources (Elizabeth spent over £2 million to suppress! :0),
Essex was eventually replaced by a more competent commander (Lord Mountjoy)
How was Lord Mountjoy a superior commander to Essex?
He was able to finally end the rebellion
Who won the Battle of Belleek (1593)?
England
Which battle did Hugh O’Neill have 200 horsemen and 600 footsoldiers?
The battle of Belleek 1593
How many footsoldiers and horsemen did O’Neill have for the battle of Belleek 1593?
200 horsemen
600 footsoldiers
Why is the Battle of Belleek (1593) significant?
O’Neill and Bagenal were fighting together - O’Neill was speared in the leg during battle which helped prove his “loyalty” to the English - O’Neill had 200 horsemen and 600 foot soldiers
Who won the Battle of the Ford of Biscuits (1594)?
Ireland - England retreated
How did Maguire (Ireland)’s troops outnumber Sir Henry Duke’s (England)?
20 to 13
How did Ireland win the Battle of the Ford of Biscuits (1594)?
Maguire’s troops outnumbered Duke’s 13 to 20 (ratio) - England was also ambushed by Irish Kerns armed with javelins
Why is the Battle of the Ford of Biscuits (1594) significant?
Exposed the vulnerability of the English to ambushes in wilder parts of Ulster
Who won the Assault on the Blackwater Fort (1595)?
Ireland - England surrendered due to being low on ammunition - 15 of McBaron’s men were killed and 8 later died from their injuries
Why is Assault on the Blackwater Fort (1595) significant?
It was the first time O’Neill shows up in person and is definitely fought against the English - indistinguishable proof of O’Neill’s traitory
Who fought the Battle of the Yellow Ford (1598)?
Hugh O’Neill (Ireland) - Henry Bagenal (England)
How many of O’Neill’s soldiers were armed with guns in the Battle of the Yellow Ford 1598?
1/3
Describe the English army during the Battle of the Yellow Ford (1598) (size, scale of defeat ect)
Led by Henry Bagenal, the English army was 4000 strong - around 800 were killed and 300 deserted - the English forces were divided by O’Neill’s forces as well as a large earthwork
Describe the Irish army during the Battle of the Yellow Ford (1598) (size, scale of victory ect)
O’Neill had an estimated 5000 men - 80% were armed with guns - the battle marked an escalation in the war and was the first major military win for any rebel army of the period
What happened as a result of the Battle of the Yellow Ford (1598)?
Blackwater fort (the fort in Ulster the battle was fought over in the first place) surrendered to O’Neill and many Irish lords who had previously been neutral joined O’Neill
How many men did Philip II send to Ireland prior to the Battle of Kinsale (1601-2) and why were they of limited help?
6000, only 4000 made it to Ireland due to bad weather - the Spanish had landed on the south coast of Ireland - far away from the areas of Irish control - the Spanish Army began to run out of food and supplies and O’Neill was forced to go to their aid, abandoning his successful guerrilla tactics and risk open confrontation
How many men did Lord Mountjoy have for the battle of Kinsale (1601-2)?
12,000
Who won the battle of Kinsale (1601-2) and what happened to O’Neill afterwards?
England - Spain surrendered the town of Kinsale to Mountjoy, ending Spanish aid in Ireland - O’Neill returned to Ulster to fight but he later submitted to the crown at Mellifont on 30th March 1603 where he was permitted to continue ruling in Ulster without paying tax to the English crown
When and where did O’Neill surrender to the crown?
Mellifont - 30th March 1603
What was the impact of the Irish loss at Kinsale (1601-2) on the rest of Ireland?
Many Gaelic aristocracy fled to Europe - devastating to Irish culture and Gaelic way of life and resulted in a power vacuum which was promptly filled by English lords
Who was the Earl of Tyrone?
Hugh O’Neill
In which region was O’Neill’s power base?
Ulster
In which battle did Tyrone first face the English showing indisputable proof of his traitory?
Assault on the Blackwater Fort (1595)
In which battle was O’Neill’s army armed with javelins and outnumbered the enemy army 13:20?
The Battle of the Ford of Biscuits
