Fortification in Athlunkard

In the course of the siege of Limerick in 1691 the Williamite commander, General Ginkel, decided to effect a crossing of the River Shannon in order to attack the town from its north-western or Clare side. On 15/16 September a temporary pontoon crossing was established utilising the small island, Illaunaroan. Having transferred a sufficient detachment of troops to the Clare side of the river and beaten off a small force of Jacobites, the besiegers set about constructing a second and more secure pontoon bridge down river where Athlunkard Bridge stands today (CL063-026----). The Williamite, Colonel Michael Richards, recorded in his journal that it was Ginkel’s decision to build the second bridge on the 19 September he notes that ‘We worked hard at this new bridge, as also at a horn-work on the other side to cover the same.’ (Gilbert 1892, 294). This bridge was completed on the following day and on the day after he recorded that they continued to finish the hornwork (ibid., 295). Both bridges are shown on the map of the siege printed in George Story’s ‘History’ (1693, facing 224) who also mentions that when the Williamites returned to camp they left ‘a guard in a fort newly cast up on the other side, to secure our bridge’ (ibid., 218). This hornwork is represented on the map as having two forward projecting small bastions (see attached). It is not represented on any other map of Limerick though the location of both pontoon bridges is shown on that drawn by William Eyres c. 1752 (O’Flaherty 2010, map 16): it seems likely, however, that many of the items relating to the 1691 siege included on this map are representational of the account published by Story. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 6 February 2018