Battle of Lisnagarvey
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Lisnagarvey was fought on 6 December 1649, near Lisnagarvey during the Irish Confederate Wars, an associated conflict of the 1638 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Forces loyal to the Commonwealth of England defeated an army supporting Charles II of England, composed of Royalists and Scots Covenanters.
In early December, Sir Charles Coote and Robert Venables advanced on Carrickfergus, the only northern port not controlled by the Commonwealth. Covenanter leader George Munro joined forces with his Royalist colleague Lord Clandeboye in order to prevent this.
On 6 December, the two advance guards clashed at Lisnagarvey; despite greater numbers, the Royalist-Covenanter army was no match for their more experienced opponents. Most of their army fled without firing a shot, and retreat quickly became a rout, with over 1,500 killed or captured in the pursuit.
Lord Clandeboye surrendered shortly afterwards, followed by Carrickfergus on 13 December. Munro escaped to Enniskillen, before returning to Scotland early in 1650.
The Irish Confederate Wars, sparked by the 1641 Rebellion, were initially fought between the predominantly Catholic Confederation, and a largely Protestant government army led by Ormond. Both claimed to be loyal to Charles I, while there was a three sided war in Ulster. The latter involved Royalists, Gaelic Catholic leader Eoghan Ó Néill, and Presbyterian militia known as the Laggan Army, supported by Scots Covenanters under Robert Munro.
In September 1643, Ormond agreed a truce, or 'Cessation', with the Confederation, freeing his troops for use in England against Parliament in the First English Civil War. Some Irish Protestants objected, and switched sides, including Sir Charles Coote, who became Parliamentarian commander in Connacht. Charles surrendered in 1646, while a Covenanter/Royalist uprising was quickly suppressed in the 1648 Second English Civil War. On 17 January 1649, the Confederation allied with Ormond's Royalists; following the execution of Charles on 30 January, they were joined by the Laggan Army, and remaining Scots troops in Ulster.
There were various reasons for this. The Covenanter government, who provided support for Scottish settlers in Ulster, considered Cromwell and other leaders of the new Commonwealth of England dangerous political and religious radicals. As Scots, they objected to the execution of their king by the English; as Presbyterians, they viewed monarchy as divinely ordained, making it also sacrilegious, and transferred their allegiance to his son, Charles II of England.
However, this was offset by a split within the Confederation, between Catholic landowners who wanted to preserve the position prevailing in 1641, and those like Ó Néill, whose estates had been confiscated in 1607. As a result, he agreed a truce with Coote, and refused to join the Alliance, depriving them of their most effective fighting force in the north. Despite this, by late July, Ormond's combined Royalist/Confederate army controlled most of Ireland.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Lisnagarvey lies on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.
- English Parliamentarians: Minimal
- Royalists; Scots Covenanters: 1,500 killed or captured
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