Benburb,
Battle of (1646)
Biggest
set-piece battle of the Irish wars which raged from 1641-52, Benburb is
considered the most spectacular military success of Gaelic Irish arms against
British opposition, outshining Hugh O’Neill’s victory at the Yellow Ford in
1598 because the battle of Benburb was fought along conventional European
military lines whereas the Yellow Ford relied to a considerable extent on Gaelic
style ambuscade tactics. The rebel Gaelic Irish forces in 1646 were led by Owen
Roe O’Neill, nephew of Hugh, a highly experienced military commander trained
on the continent. Having assembled an army some 5000 strong Owen Roe O’Neill
engaged General Robert Monro’s larger force of 6000 men which had been raised
to defend the protestant settlers of Ulster. Having strategically positioned
himself between three advancing settler columns, O’Neill surprised Monro by
opting for a formal engagement instead of opting for a judicious retreat. Having
mounted a 15 mile march to cut off O’Neill from retiring to the safety of
Charlemont fort, Monro encountered O’Neill’s army deployed for battle in
conventional formation. In the ensuing hostilities, the exhaustion of Monro’s
forces is considered to have contributed to their defeat. Be that as it may,
Monro suffered a catastrophic defeat, his casualties estimated by contemporaries
at between 2000 and 3000 and possibly more. Like the Yellow Ford, the battle of
Benburb is considered to have been a lost opportunity for the Gaelic Irish of
Ulster. Instead of driving the remnants of settler forces from the north, Owen
Roe O’Neill diverted his attention south.
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