Tyrone's rebellion

Reasons for the rebellion

  • Trouble in Ireland was a constant worry for the Crown due to their minimal control as the majority was controlled by Anglo Irish nobles

  • The Irish practised Tanistry which led to feuds and struggles for powers ( where they wouldn’t give their titles to sons immediately they could give to cousins )

    • O’Neil Clan was a prime example of this

    • Hugh O’Neil wanted to be ruler over the O’Neil clan so he tried to get the Queen on his side - also had the support of son in law O’Donnell

    • BUT Luineach O’Neil wanted control over the O’Neil clan

    • This caused political instability in Ulster

    • Ultimately Bagenals ambitions to be President of Ulster that resulted in warfare

  • The lawlessness of Ireland meant that the English tried to anglicise

  • Ireland was also a Catholic country which increased Elizabeth’s fears after the Northern Rising

  • So, the English introduced English style govt. including sheriffs

  • The Anglo-Irish settlers aimed to banish the original native Irish

  • Because of this causing resentment and rebellion

Tyrone’s personal ambitions:

  • Before 1590 he had been prepared to work with the English in Dublin when it suited him

  • This is because in 1585 they were prepared to grant him the title of the Earl of Tyrone

  • He was also in a feud with the overall head of the O’Neill clan about his rights to be cheiftan

  • So selfishly English support was crucial to him as he attempted to assert right to be O’Neils heir

  • However, from 1590 English saw Tyrone as an obstacle and tried distancing themselves - focused on Ulster

  • He tried to neautralise the threat by arranging a marriage with Sir Henry Bagenals sister - he REFUSED but they ‘courted’ anyway which made him furious

How did the English govt. try to intervene

  • Extension of Plantation

  • Composition (tax)

  • English style laws and govt.

English Intervention in Ulster

  • Very Gaelic part of Ireland with minimal English control

  • Ulster was controlled by the O’Neils

  • However, in the 70’s the English govt. tried to enforce plantation in Ulster

  • The plantation ultimately failed and were resisted by both the O’Neils and the O’Donnels uniting them against a common enemy

  • Elizabeth called off the plantation in 1576 but by that point 200 members of the O’Neils had been massacred as well as 500 O’Donnells

  • Tensions grew from 1585 with the English trying again to settle in Ulster

  • From 1585 cheiftans in Ulster had began communications with the Crown trying to regain their estates

  • But they quickly realised this was a trap and now anyone who didn’t hold up their end of the deal was subject to treason

Consequence: Severely damaged Anglo-Irish relations even further

Support for Tyrone’s Rebellion

Domestic:

  • Large and well organised

  • 1595 he lead an army of 4000 musketmen, 1000 cavalry, 1000 pikemen

  • He also had the support of other cheiftans such as son-in-laws Maguire and O’Donnell

  • Traditional feuds were forgotten as they united over a common enemy

  • His army used modern weapons such as muskets and pikes

  • Deserters from the English army also joined - experienced fighters

  • MUCH more equipped than the English army

  • Tyrone’es success encouraged support from other key individuals such as FitzThomas and McCarthy as well as spreading to Leinster and Munster

Judgement : Tyrone managed to get support from Ireland as they all banned together against a common enemy - the English

Foreign Support:

  • Phillip 11 saw it as his duty to help fellow Catholics against a Protestant monarch

  • England and Spain had also been at war since the Armada 1588

  • As well as this the English had intervened in Spanish Netherlands

  • Phillip sent an Armada in 1593 and the second in 1596

  • But luckily strong winds called off the second one

  • As well as this preoccupied dealing with Dutch rebels

Judgement: The Spanish support wan’t significant and didn’t make a big impact to the rebellion

The Battle of Clontibret 1595

  • Irish Lords of Ulster - O’Donnell, Maguire and O’Rourke suspected that the crown may intervene in Ulster

  • So, their plan was to raise the people in Ulster in a rebellion before extending it beyond Ulster - they hoped that by appealing to other disillusioned Lords that the rebellion would be long lasting and spread beyond Ireland

Events:

  • THE IRISH ATTACKED THE ENGLISH FORT AT BLACKWATER

  • THE ENGLISH SURRENDERED AS THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED AND POORLY EQUIPPED - 4000 Irish men compared to 1750 English - didn’t expect them to be so well equipped

  • TYRONE ATTACKED THE ENGLISH TROOPS AT CLONTIBRET

  • ENGLISH SUPPLIES WERE VERY LOW SO THEY RETREATED TO NEWRY UNDER THE COMMAND OF BAGENAL

  • TYRONE THEN RAN OUT OF GUNPOWDER! HE COULD NOT CAPITALISE ON THIS SUCCESS

  • THE ENGLISH REALISED THEY FACED A WELL-ORGANISED FORCE, WHO KNEW THE TERRAIN AND COULD AMBUSH THEM

Outcome:

  • The English suffered considerbale losses at Contibret - completely underestimated the scale and organisation of the Irish rebel army

The Anglo-Irish truce

  • BOTH SIDES REACHED A STALEMATE

  • THE IRISH COULD NOT AFFORD TO EQUIP THE GARRISON TOWNS THEY HAD TAKEN

  • ELIZABETH WAS PREPARED TO NEGOTIATE

  • A SETTLEMENT WAS REACHED IN 1596, TYRONE WOULD SUBMIT TO ENGLISH SOVEREIGNTY OF IRELAND BUT WOULD KEEP CONTROL OF ULSTER


  • IN 1596, NEGOTIATIONS BROKE DOWN!

The Breakdown of negotiations:

  • THE IRISH REBELS BEGAN NEGOTIATIONS WITH PHILIP II OF SPAIN IN SEPTEMBER 1595

  • TYRONE AND O’DONNELL OFFERED THE IRISH CROWN TO ARCHDUKE ALBERT OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE NEPHEW OF PHILIP II

  • IN RETURN THE REBELS WOULD RECEIVE SPANISH MONEY AND WEAPONS

  • THERE COULD BE A POSSIBLE SPANISH INVASION

  • THIS ENCOURAGED THE REBELS TO FIGHT ON

  • THE REBELS PRODUCED MOTIVATIONAL PROPAGANDA

The Battle of Curlew Pass

When Essex arrived in Ireland in May 1599 the English military situation was very

poor.

One Irish chieftain who had continued to support the English, Sir Donough O’Connor

was besieged by Hugh Roe O’Donnell at Collooney Castle in Connaught. Essex

could not afford to lose his support so he ordered Sir Conyers Clifford, an experience

campaigner to rescue O’Connor.

Unfortunately, Clifford and his men had to cross the Curlew Mountains to get to

Colloony. On 15 th August the English army were ambushed as they approached the

pass through the mountains. The English troops began to flee. Clifford was killed

with a third of his army.

English Result

The impact of the English defeat at Curlew Pass

As a result of the defeat, Essex realised it was not possible to attack Tyrone.

The English army was suffering from sickness and many of the Irish soldiers were

deserting.

Elizabeth was furious and ordered Essex to march north to Ulster. He obeyed and

when he reached Louth he met Tyrone at the head of a larger army.

Essex decided to negotiate with Tyrone. They agreed on a truce which allowed the

rebels to continue to occupy all the lands and fortresses they had captured or

possessed.