Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum, Vol. 2 (of 3), 1642-1660Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum, Vol. 2 (of 3), 1642-1660
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 17th century
[Sidenote: Inchiquin is detached to Munster.]
[Sidenote: Battle of Rathmines, August 2.]
[Sidenote: Total defeat of the Royalists.]
After Drogheda and Dundalk were taken Ormonde crossed the Liffey and
established his camp at Rathmines, leaving Lord Dillon at Finglas
with a small force. On the same day Jones received a reinforcement of
1500 foot and 600 horse under Reynolds and Venables, and the chance
of taking Dublin was proportionately diminished, for the garrison
had become more numerous than the besieging army. 'We had it,' says
Ormonde, 'from many good hands out of England and from Dublin, that
Cromwell was at the seaside ready to embark for this kingdom, and that
his design was for Munster.' Lest Cork, Kinsale, and Youghal should
fall while Dublin was still untaken it was decided by a council of war
to send Inchiquin to Munster with three regiments of horse. This proved
fatal, but it was supposed that Cromwell meant to land the greater part
of his army in the south, and his intention was made known by some who
came in the ships which brought fresh troops to Jones. Ormonde realised
that if he did not take Dublin before Cromwell came he was not likely
to take it after. He diverted the conduit which brought the Dodder
water from near Templeoge to Dublin, and thus stopped the mills, though
there was still enough to drink from other sources. Wheat was selling
in Dublin at 5_l._ 10_s._ a quarter and rye at 4_l._ 10_s._, yet the
garrison would hardly starve while they had command of the river, but
it was different with the horses who depended upon the grazing of the
meadows between Trinity College and the mouth of the Dodder. Having
first reduced Rathfarnham, which annoyed his rear, Ormonde decided to
fortify Baggotrath Castle, which stood near the point where Waterloo
Road now joins Upper Baggot Street, and thus deprive Jones's cavalry
of their supply of fodder. Soon after dark on the night of August 1 he
sent Purcell with 1500 men to occupy the place, which had already been
examined carefully, and he expected to find tenable entrenchments there
in the morning. The distance was scarcely a mile, and Purcell had been
at Baggotrath during the day; but he wandered about all night, and when
the morning broke nothing had been done. This was attributed to the
treachery of a guide, and Peter Walsh says Edmund O'Reilly, afterwards
Archbishop of Armagh, had been engaged in conducting an intrigue
between Owen O'Neill and Jones, and that he was guilty of betraying the
camp at Rathmines. Ormonde sat up during the night to write despatches,
but rode to Baggotrath with the first light. He found very little
progress made with the entrenchments, while the garrison of Dublin were
evidently on the alert and busily moving about under shelter of their
works. Jones had 4000 foot and 1200 horse under arms, having at first
no intention but to prevent the Royalists from establishing themselves
on the shore, but the first encounter gradually developed into a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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