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699:) was brought by water into the quay under Essex's supervision. With the protection of the rearguard and a troop of horse, the guns were dragged by hand the 10 miles to Cahir (for want of draught horses), in poor weather over bridges that groaned under their weight. Essex rode ahead with the army and overtook the vanguard; they stopped a mile short of the castle and waited for the artillery.
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721:. The army was stationary, with supplies running low, and in poor weather on a flooded river plain the hazard of disease was increasing. There was also a rumour that a rebel force of 5,000 had mustered in the vicinity. Orders were given to procure more munitions from Waterford, as well as victuals from the town and surrounding country.
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there was free traffic in and out of the castle, and he ordered a detachment of 300 to seize the orchard garden on the southside, which had been plashed on its outer edges: this was readily achieved with the loss of only a few men, although the
English had been especially vulnerable as they crossed the river.
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Essex made much of his capture of Cahir Castle, but the queen demeaned his achievement by describing Galdie's defenders as a rabble of rogues. Soon after, Essex's campaign ground to a halt with a controversial cessation of arms with O'Neill, and the
English commander fled the country to patch up his
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Late in the day, the rearguard arrived with the artillery. After a night of preparation, the guns were in place on the east bank on
Whitsun Sunday, the 27th, and opened fire. The cannon was at point-blank range, but its carriage broke at the second shot - the damage took a day and a half to repair.
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On
Saturday the 26th, the vanguard and main battle moved closer to the castle to camp on the east bank. Essex could have surrounded the castle by occupying the west bank with a detachment, but chose otherwise for fear his men would be unable to make it back to fend off any attack. In the afternoon,
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in 1594. It was decided that approaches should be made along the east bank by way of old ditches and a wall, and that a trench be dug close up to the riverbank, within 50 paces of the castle, where a platform for the cannon might be erected. The engineers worked under cover of the
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Then a ball stuck in the culverin, but this was quickly cleared, and fifty shots were fired, until the garrison was silenced: they dared not stay in any tower or fight on that side of the castle. During the cannonade, Lord Cahir and his wife were said to have wept like children.
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During the night, the garrison made an effort to steal away, but were spotted and met by
Charles Percy and St Lawrence with four companies of Flanders veterans. At least 80 were slain along the river, but James Galdie escaped with some of his men through a sink shaft under a
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and sows (moveable protective screens); and petards (wooden cases of gunpowder, for blowing in doors or barricades) were assembled to undermine the walls. The plan was for four companies of veteran foot to make their assault through a sap trench once the powder had blown.
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In the evening, the cannon was reset on its carriage and the culverin drawn a little closer. On the 28th, the cannonade resumed at close quarters, and the east wall was breached. Preparations for an assault on the following morning were made: engineers made climbing
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and their stronghold of Cahir castle was a necessity. The castle stood on a rock in the middle of the river and was considered impregnable by its situation, with its large keep enjoying the protection of six stout towers and thick curtain walls.
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of foot, to an island on the north-east, which carried two bridges connecting the castle to the west bank; the bridges were broken, and the island was victualled by bringing boats overland past the castle and setting them in the river upstream.
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On the morning of the 29th, Essex entered the castle, and the guns were soon mounted on the deserted walls, which had their breaches repaired. The castle was garrisoned with 100 men under the command of
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and caliver men, with gabions (wicker baskets filled with earth) to shield them from hostile fire. The culverin was to be placed further back, with a wider view of the castle flanks.
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In April 1599 Essex landed at Dublin with the largest army ever seen in
Ireland (16,000 troops and 1,300 horse). He avoided confrontation with the northern rebels under
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relations with
Elizabeth. In the following year, 1600, the castle was retaken without a shot by 60 rebels under James Butler, and was in turn surrendered to Sir
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598:(1595-1603). Although the castle was considered the strongest fortress in the country, Essex took it after only a few days of artillery bombardment. However,
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On the morning of 25 May, Essex divided the army into three battles, the vanguard to lead and the main battle to assemble on the fair green a mile outside
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relieved the castle with a few score kerne, withdrawing those unfit to defend. Essex sent
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had been repaired, and Essex crossed the Suir to enter rebel territory in west
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The Nine Years War, 1593-1603: O'Neill, Mountjoy and the
Military Revolution
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At the time the castle was the property of the Irish nobleman,
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A cannonball still lodged in the wall of the main tower
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16:Siege during the Nine Years' War in Ireland
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892:Battles of the Nine Years' War (Ireland)
624:at a time when England feared another
659:, and in the custody of his brother,
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844:vol.5 (1599) (London, 1867-1873).
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744:From the west bank, the White
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840:J.S.Brewer and W.Bullen eds.
713:Siege of Cahir Castle in 1599
640:Castle farther up the river
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315:Crown forces take the castle
897:History of County Tipperary
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382:James Galdie
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260:Part of the
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726:Enniskillen
540:Castlehaven
515:Curlew Pass
500:Yellow Ford
393:4,000–5,000
202:introducing
876:Categories
819:References
754:Lord Howth
731:musketeers
520:Moyry Pass
485:Clontibret
110:newspapers
39:improve it
806:Aftermath
780:watermill
771:scaffolds
752:, son of
689:Artillery
577:siege of
555:Dungannon
454:(Ireland)
353:Loyalists
45:talk page
756:, and a
697:culverin
606:Campaign
388:Strength
291:Location
767:ladders
758:colonel
685:Clonmel
673:Clonmel
630:Munster
588:Ireland
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535:Kinsale
530:Donegal
525:Lifford
465:Belleek
340:England
198:improve
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792:Golden
746:Knight
695:and a
693:cannon
626:Armada
550:Dursey
545:Dunboy
307:Result
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