Battle of Castlehaven

Part of the Nine Years' War and Anglo-Spanish War

Present day view of Castlehaven Bay

Date	6 December 1601
Location	bay off Castlehaven, County Cork 51°30′45″N 9°10′35″W / 51.512375°N 9.176331°W / 51.512375; -9.176331Coordinates: 51°30′45″N 9°10′35″W / 51.512375°N 9.176331°W / 51.512375; -9.176331
Result	English victory

Belligerents

England

Spain

Irish alliance

Commanders and leaders

Richard Leveson

Pedro de Zubiaur

Strength

4 warships
2 merchantman

6 ships
numerous shore batteries

Casualties and losses

150 casualties

2 ships sunk,
4 driven ashore
200 killed or wounded,
50 captured

The Battle of Castlehaven was a naval battle that took place on 6 December 1601 in the bay off Castlehaven on the south coast of Ireland during the Nine Years' War between a Spanish naval convoy of six ships and an English fleet, commanded by Admiral Richard Leveson and consisting of four warships. The Spanish convoy was protected by fortified positions on shore, a castle and 600 Spanish and Irish footmen. Five out of six Spanish ships, commanded by General Pedro de Zubiaur were either sunk, captured or run aground in the battle, while the English fleet lost no ships.

On 23 September 1601 a Spanish Fleet under Don Juan del Águila arrived in Kinsale harbour. Zubiaur with six ships became separated from the main fleet. Eventually Zubiar arrived with a total force of 2000 men near Castlehaven on 1 December. At that time Castlehaven Castle was held by the O'Driscoll clan and they welcomed the Spanish. On 2 December, a day after the Spanish arrived in Castlehaven, Lord Mountjoy was informed that seven Spanish ships had entered the harbour of Castlehaven. On 4 December, Mountjoy received confirmation of the story. The danger posed by the Spaniards’ arrival was immediately realized, and Mountjoy took immediate steps to strengthen English defences. The commander of the English naval forces at Kinsale, Admiral Leveson, was ordered to "seeke the Spanish fleete at Castlehaven, to take them if he could, or otherwise to distresse them as much as he might." Leveson then left his vice-admiral Preston to guard Kinsale harbour and took the rest of the fleet heavily armed to Castlehaven.

Leveson had with him four naval vessels, Warspite, Defiance, Swiftsure, and Merlin, as well as a merchantman and a carvel. The following day, the wind was blowing inland, thereby preventing the English ships from leaving. Leveson had his vessels towed out of Kinsale harbour, and he then set off for Castlehaven.

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Wikipedia