Siege of Limerick (1650-51)

Siege of Limerick 1651
Part of the Irish Confederate Wars
Henry Ireton. The English Parliamentarian commander who besieged Limerick in 1651
Date June–October 1651 Location Limerick, western Ireland Result Parliamentarian victory
Belligerents
Irish Confederate Catholics Ulster Army and English Royalists	English Parliamentarians New Model Army
Commanders and leaders
Hugh Dubh O'Neill	Henry Ireton #
Strength
2,000 soldiers and civilian population	8,000 men, 28 siege guns, 4 mortars
Casualties and losses
c.700 soldiers, c.5,000 civilians	c.2,000, including Henry Ireton

Limerick, in western Ireland was the scene of two sieges during the Irish Confederate Wars. The second and largest of these took place during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1650–51. Limerick was one of the last fortified cities held by an alliance of Irish Confederate Catholics and English Royalists against the forces of the English Parliament. Its garrison, led by Hugh Dubh O'Neill, surrendered to Henry Ireton after a protracted and bitter siege. Over 2,000 soldiers of Cromwell's New Model Army were killed at Limerick, and Henry Ireton, Cromwell's son-in-law died of Plague.

By 1650, The Irish Confederates and their English Royalist allies had been driven out of eastern Ireland by the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. They occupied a defensive position behind the River Shannon, of which Limerick was the southern stronghold. Oliver Cromwell himself had left Ireland in May 1650, delegating his command of the English Parliamentarian forces to Henry Ireton. Ireton moved his forces north from Munster to besiege Limerick in October of that year. However, the weather was increasingly wet and cold and Ireton was forced to abandon the siege before the onset of winter.

Ireton returned the following June with 8,000 men, 28 siege artillery pieces and 4 mortars. He then summoned Hugh Dubh O'Neill, the Irish commander of Limerick to surrender, but was refused. The siege was on.

Limerick in 1651 was split into two sections, English town and Irish town, which were separated by the Abbey River. English town, which contained the citadel of King John’s Castle, was encircled by water, the Abbey river on three sides and the Shannon on the other, in what was known as King's Island. There was only one bridge onto the island – Thomond bridge – which was fortified with bastioned earthworks. Irish town was more vulnerable, but was also more heavily fortified. Its medieval walls had been buttressed by 20 feet (about 6 metres) of earth, making it difficult to knock a breach in them. In addition, Irish town had a series of bastions along its walls, mounted with cannon which covered its approaches. The biggest of these bastions were at St John’s Gate and Mungret gate. The garrison of the city was 2,000 strong and composed mainly of veterans from the Confederate’s Ulster army, commanded by Hugh Dubh O'Neill, who had distinguished themselves at the siege of Clonmel the previous year.

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