Battlefield in Monaster South

Battle of Monasternenagh 1579 - summary by Dr Gavin Hughes. Uploaded 22/02/2021 Olive Alcock Following the shock defeat of Lord Justice Sir William Drury’s Crown forces at the battle of Gort na Tiobrad (LI054-48----) in early September 1597, the Second Desmond Rebellion began to spread. Drury died of illness in Waterford some weeks after the battle and Crown command of the military campaign fell to Sir Nicholas Malby, Lord President of Connacht. On 2 October 1579, Malby set out from the camp established at Kilmallock by Drury to seek, engage and defeat the army of Sir John and Sir James FitzGerald, brothers of the earl of Desmond. On 3 October, the two armies fought at Monasteranenagh, near Croom. There is an extensive number of primary sources for this battle, including A new description of Ireland (Rich 1610, 88-9), the Calendar of the State Papers of Ireland, 1574-1585 (Hamilton 1867, 190), the Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (Holinshed 1577, vol. 6, vol. 2, 416), Ireland Under Elizabeth (Byrne 1903, 26), the Annals of Loch Cé (Hennessy 1939, vol. 2, 431), Sir Nicholas Malby's account to the Privy Council in The Walsingham letter-book or register of Ireland May, 1578 to December, 1579 (Hogan and O'Farrell McNeill 1959, 200-204) and the Annals of the Four Masters (O’Donovan 1848-51, vol. 5, 1718-21). On 2 October 1579, Malby’s army had marched to a position between Adare and Limerick but upon discovering that the FitzGeralds’ army was east of Croom, they set off at once to engage it. Malby’s men at Kilmallock had been recently reinforced with 600 fresh troops from the West Country, who had arrived in Cork from Bristol. He also had access to an artillery train (it may not have been present at the battle but was used later) and a smaller number of loyal Irish kern. His account (Hogan and O'Farrell McNeill 1959, 200-204) states that he left 200 men to defend the camp at Kilmallock (which he reinforced later with other drafts), leaving him with c. 600 English infantry, 40 kern and 45 cavalry (15 mounted scouts). This Crown army appears to have reached northern fringes of Croom by nightfall. The following morning, the earl of Desmond, who had still not openly declared against the Crown, visited his brothers' camp. He directed his personal 600 gallowglass (a substantial contribution) to join their army and then departed for Askeaton to keep a close eye on events. In total, the combined forces of Desmond (the Geraldines) is thought to have had 1,200 Clan Sheehy gallowglass (the main sept that supplied Desmond with its mercenaries), supported by an unknown number of kern (some armed with muskets/calivers and pike) and c. 30 light cavalry. According to O'Sullivan Bear (Byrne 1903, 26) and the Annals of the Four Masters (O’Donovan 1848-51, vol. 5, 1720-21), the battle was fought at Aenach-beag (Aenachbeg) on 3 October. It is believed that this site lies between Croom Castle (LI030-025005-) and the Cistercian Abbey of Monasteranenagh (LI031-050004-), on a flat plain of pastureland between the rivers Camoge and Maigue. It is not exactly clear how the Geraldines deployed for battle. They may have assembled their galloglass companies (with additional pikemen) around their captains at the front (vanguard) of their army for a traditional frontal charge, with kern directly behind and cavalry on their right flank. Malby's version of events tends to suggest that the Geraldines fought in a more conventional way, deploying before the engagement and advancing in a clearly tactical manner, rather than a simple rash charge (Hogan and O’Farrell McNeill 1959, 200-204). It seems that Malby (ibid.) deployed some of his infantry companies into 'Spanish Squares' (or 'tercios'), with musketeers on the corners of a four-sided pike formation, while others were drawn up in a 'forlorn hope' formation (little detail is provided on what this comprised). Field artillery may have been sited between the squares. Malby assumed personal command of the Crown cavalry and deployed on his infantry's left flank, on high ground to the north. Most sources agree that the battle began with the two sides firing volleys of shot at each other, after which the Geraldine army advanced. According to Sir William Stanley (ibid., 202), they did so with the Papal banner at their head and attacking ‘as resolutely as the best soldiers in Europe’. The gallowglass then surged (on at least two occasions) towards the English 'squares' to break the line but they were beaten back by musketeer fire. O’Sullivan Bear claimed that the initial wave of gallowglass successfully broke one of Malby's squares, forcing them to retreat to the safety of a nearby fort (Byrne 1903, 26). However, he gave no details of subsequent events or of the fort's location. When the gallowglass eventually did break through, they caused severe casualties but the squares restored themselves, absorbed the Geraldine assault and repelled it. Seeing the Geraldine army unable to make headway and withdrawing, Malby launched his Crown cavalry into their rear and flank. As they struck home, his Crown infantry also pressed forward and soon the Geraldine army was in retreat. Whilst the majority of the troops appear to have abandoned their weapons and supplies on the battlefield, Sir John FitzGerald used his cavalry as a protective screen for their retreat. Both O'Sullivan Bear (Byrne 1903, 26) and Malby (Hogan and O'Farrell McNeill 1959, 200-204) suggest the Crown pursuit was stopped by the determined resistance from the Geraldine cavalry. Malby (ibid.) also noted that Sir John and Sir James made their escape carrying the Papal banner with them. It would appear that these two were the only Geraldine officers to survive the battle and, although the accounts vary, it seems that the rebels lost heavily. O’Sullivan Bear provides the lowest death rate at an unlikely c. 30 troops lost (O’Byrne 1903, 26). Yet, according to the Annals of Loch Cé (Hennessy 1939, vol. 2, 431) the Sheehy galloglass lost 20-40 men alone, along with eight of their captains. Furthermore, some Geraldine troops had taken refuge at Monasteranenagh Abbey but, on 4 October, the Crown forces breeched the walls, entered the abbey and killed the survivors as well as the abbot and c. 40 monks. It is also claimed that a Jesuit priest, Father Allen, died whilst carrying the Papal banner in the battle (Rich 1610, 88-9). Malby's account suggested that Geraldine losses stood at c. 160, including most of their captains (Hogan and O'Farrell McNeill 1959, 200-204) and, it is currently thought, that their death rate was c. 200-250 men. No figures are suggested for Crown forces casualties. The battle can be seen as, not only an inter-provincial power struggle, but also one which clearly attempted to draw on wider European counter-reformation loyalties. The apparent presence of a 'Papal banner' (and Jesuit priest) seemingly signified a change in Elizabeth's Irish Wars, which allowed the Crown to confiscate the earl of Desmond's estates. In practical terms, it was a catastrophe for the Geraldine interests, immediately removing their military influence from County Limerick. Furthermore, it was the last pitched battle of the Second Rebellion, which afterwards descended into a sporadic guerrilla campaign. However, Monasteranenagh perhaps also significantly demonstrated the waning of the gallowglass tradition, in the face of the increasing use of tactical firearms (and 'Spanish Squares') on the battlefields of Ireland.