Battle of Rathmines: Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Ireland

Better have luck than skill.

Coalition camp Rathmines, six miles from Dublin,2 August 1649.

Marquis of Ormond: ''Are you sure Baggotrath castle is unusable?''

Earl of Castlehaven: ''Yes my lord,reasonably so the Roundhead cavalry drove us off before I could get a good look but it looked like the walls had collapsed.

Marquis of Ormond: Very well, I had hoped to site our guns at Baggotrath but instead we will have to take Finglas instead. We will march close to Baggotrath with luck that will scare the roundheads.You are to take 2000 of the cavalry and 3000 infantry ahead of the main force 500 cavalry and 2000 infantry under Major-General Purcell are to pass closely to Baggotrath. I will take the remainder and march on Finglas.

Thus what at first seemed like a stroke of bad luck instead saved the coalition army from destruction.
 
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Sorry about all the mistakes my laotop has a really messed up auto correct which instead of doing anything useful like spacing out jumbled words, does things like changing 'look' into 'luck'.
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If I was a pro-active person I would buy a new version or look through it's script. As I am not i will have to rely on rereading all my posts so some mistakes will probably slip through please bear with me.

A more personal failing is the fact that I was lazy with research and misunderstood the motivations of the coalitian however I believe now that I have a proper grasp of the period I can write a realistic timeline.
 
The cup of Ireland's misery has been overflowing for centuries and is not yet half fu

The Irish activity did not go unnoticed within hours jones knew about an Irish force closing on Baggotrath castle. He came to the conclusion that the castle may be usable to the Irish afterall and realised that if the Irish set up their guns overlooking Dublin Port then all was lost for the garrison.

He marched against the coalition with 4000 infantry and 1200 cavalry less than 1/2 of them would still live by the end of the day.
 
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This... this is very interesting, I must admit and don't know much about this battle but I know enough to see how importent it was. A different result could lead to a very intersting TL. Keep it up!:rolleyes:
 
Out of Ireland have we come, great hatred, little room, maimed us at the start. I car

Battle of Rathmines the beginning.
Coalition
Earl of Castlehaven: 2000 cavalry, 3000 infantry
Marquis of Ormond: 500 cavalry, 6000 infantry
Major-General Purcell: 500 cavalry, 2000 infantry

Parliamentarian
Colonel Michael Jones: 4000 infantry 1200 cavalry
9:00 am: The Parliamentarians engaged with Major-General Purcell’s forces and with numbers and surprise pushed them back as the round head cavalry assaulted their flanks it looked as if all was lost for the coalition however disaster was averted when Marquis of Ormond’s cavalry arrived and stopped the flanks from crumbling when his infantry arrived 30 minuites later the lines stabilised.

12:00 noon: The Earls Infantry who had set of serval hours behind the cavalry due to confused orders arrived and began to push back the front mean while the guns of the artillery train was set up and began shelling the parliamentarian forces with little accuracy, realising that the battle was lost Jones began organising the retreat, it is a matter of great debate in some circles whether he could of pulled it off if it was not for the misfortune he suffered next.
12,15pm: A cannon ball strikes 4 meters away from Jones ( who was alongside his men encouraging inspiring his men thanks largely to his efforts the rout didn’t happen sooner) literally blowing apart a sergeant who was in the wrong place at the wrong time his arm knocked Jones of his horse one of his men who saw it cried that the colonel was dead, it was too much for some of the men who had been fighting for 2 hours they began to run a handful at first followed by a dozen than a hundred. Jones leapt to his feet and yelled at them to get back in line one of the greatest points of debate later on was if the rout could have been prevented there and then, however such debate is purely academic as it was at that moment that the Earls 2000 cavalry hit the crumbling parliamentarian army in the flank hard.

1:22 pm: The coalition officers over look the battle field the only living roundheads were the 1750 prisoners being herded away into captivity some 2472 of their comrades were amongst the fallen, of the 5200 parliamentarian soldiers engaged only 978 made it back to Dublin.
Marquis of Ormond: “we press on to Dublin tomorrow we will demand they surrender and tell them if they do not we will kill them to a man”.
Earl of Castlehaven: “That would be ungodly!”
Marquis of Ormond: “Look around , If we do not take Dublin the Roundheads will land unopposed and this land will see a dozen such battles and then the Roundheads will fight a hundred more in England itself before they allow the rightful king to return, War is the most Godless scourge in existence if we must Kill 10,000 more of ironsides bastards to hasten the end of such Evil as this I will do so, if we must kill 100,000 more of ironsides bastards to do so then we will do so if you are not willing than get out of my sight or you can join them.”
Earl of Castlehaven: “ No I see the need but Cromwell has a lot to answer for and I fear this land will see many more such ungodly Evils”

As much as it pains me to write it, the earl was right....
 
“Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking

Coalition
Earl of Castlehaven: 1000 cavalry, 4000 infantry
Marquis of Ormond: 733 cavalry, 3000 infantry
Major-General Purcell: 733 cavalry, 3034 infantry

Parliamentary

2778 men, 800 cavalry, 1978 Infantry.

Pausing only to reorganise their troops the Coalition decided to press their advantage the Earl of Castlehaven began marching on Dublin proper while Major-General Purcell launched a feint at Finglas.

4:30 pm: The garrison at Finglas realised resistance was hopeless and retreated towards Dublin Dublin but not before destroying Finglas’s defences. They ran into a patrol Purcell’s cavalry and after a savage skirmish which they got the better of arrived in Dublin, they overestimate the enemy strength and assume that the main Coalition army is to the North.


5:15 pm: A small ship arrives in Dublin it’s captian says that Cromwell is preparing a mighty army, word soon spreads that help is coming restoring morale amongst the defenders. Colonel Jones who had barely escaped with his life reviews the situation with his lieutenants they realise that without the forts a defence of Dublin proper is doomed. They decide that unless they are reinforced heavily by the end of the week they will surrender.



5:30pm: The Earls troops begin to arrive outside Dublin. He decides to attempt to negotiate as they tighten the blockade around Dublin.


6:00 pm: A English deserter reaches the Irish lines in return for letting him go he informs the Earl that the Garrison expects reinforcements.


9:00 pm: After a swift war council it is decided that a night attack is to be launched in order to secure Dublin before the Parliamentarians could land their troops.


10:00 pm: a 2000 men attack Dublin from the North.


10:20pm 3000 men attack from the South catching the Garrison who assumed the Northern thrust was the main attack by surprise. They quickly breach the defences and 900 men push towards the port, while 400 move to assist the Marquis of Ormond attack from the West.


10:40pm Purcell’s troops surround the harbour cutting of most of the Parliamentary troops.


2:00 am: Colonel Jones surrenders Dublin to the Coalition.
 
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Numbers and Movements Ulster August 1649


With Dublin’s fall Cromwell’s army had no open port to the South and so began transferring forces to the last Parliamentarian bastion in Londonderry meanwhile The Coalition began reducing the last pockets in the South most of which surrendered soon after.


Aug 7 Owen Roe O'Neill's Ulster army arrives before Londonderry, forcing the Scots-Royalist army besieging the city to withdraw.



Aug 12 Ormond appeals to O'Neill to join the Royalists against the Parliamentarians.



Aug 20 Cromwell's army arrives in London Derry.
The Parliamentarian forces now number 15,000 11,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry.


They are opposed by a army under Lord Inchiquin heavily reinforced by Lord Castlehaven consisting of 17,000 men, 11,656 Infantry and 5,346 cavalry.


Cromwell splits his army He will lead 7000, infantry and 2000 cavalry, while Sir Charles Coote lead 3000 infantry and 2000 cavalry in push towards Omagh, 1000 Infantry garrison Londonderry.


Castlehaven pursues him 5000 Infantry and 2,400 Cavalry .
Cromwell suffers a major setback when his Siege train is destroyed by Irish cavalry on the 24th, Never the less he continues to advance seeking battle with Lord Inchiquin who instead retreats awaiting reinforcements from the South.
 
Interesting idea. Will we end up with the Stuarts as kings of an independent Ireland and that only?

I'm not really familiar with that part of Irish history, so I can't comment on the merits of the situation, although it does look like a "for want of a nail" thing.
 
Interesting idea. Will we end up with the Stuarts as kings of an independent Ireland and that only?

I'm not really familiar with that part of Irish history, so I can't comment on the merits of the situation, although it does look like a "for want of a nail" thing.


Part of Ireland at least. The deal of the Ormand Peace is that the Catholics get legal equality to Protestants and the rest would be sorted out after the war.

The Royalists/Confederate coalition was actually starting to win and were taking most of Ireland until Rathmines crippled their ability to resist Cromwell with a victory at Rathmines the Commonwealth only has 3 cities left.

But yes it is I need an Independent Ireland and this was the lowest point for the British early enough for Ireland to be a major nation.
 
I thought I’d try something different

30 miles South East of Colerain, Roundhead cavalry continue to search for the coalition army.

Alexander Bennet was starving his breakfast had been interrupted by gunfire in the distance; there were 20 other Harquebusiers in his group they had been searching for the enemy three days with no result, until now.

In the distance 16 or so figures on horseback could be seen they were already moving in the opposite direction.

“Quick lads don’t let them escape yelled the sergeant”

The riders burst into action pursuing the retreating rebels. After a while the rebels appeared to change their minds and halt and face the roundheads, it soon became apparent why over a dozen other riders were coming to join them.

The tables turned the roundheads beat a hasty retreat but it soon became apparent that they couldn’t out run them forever; a small hill briefly hid them from sight.

“Ok here’s what we’re going to do when they arrive we’ll charge them it’s our only chance”

Less than 20 minutes later the sound of tired horses could be clearly heard the roundheads prepared to charge. Alexander drew his first pistol.

The first cavalryman crested the hill his face barely had time to register his shock before Alexander’s bullet blew it apart. He held his second pistol in one hand while he drew his sword. He roared at the top of his lungs as he galloped straight into the confused melee.

A rebel charged at him sword raised before he caught a bullet in the chest another one dismounted caught a sword swipe to the neck collapsing into a twitching heap. A glancing blow cut across Alexander’s side his enraged counter swipe cleaved the man’s head off. One of his comrades made a wild swing Alexander blocked it but a bolting horse kicked his in the side dismounting him desperately he rolled away from his horse and crawled out of the carnage.

The roundheads caught by surprise and tired after the long ride broke and fled with only a few poorly aimed shots over their shoulders. The Parliamentarians had gotten the best of the skirmish with a mere eight dead against twelve and three wounded against seven.

Alexander only then realised that he was shaking and there was a warm stream running down his legs. He was distracted by a noise in the distance he looked up and saw a large body moving in the distance. “It must be the army we were sent to find!” He explained eagerly. They rode back carrying the wounded and leaving the dead.

Meanwhile the small regiment sent guard the flank and enlarged by cattle marched onward.
 
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Battle of Colerain day one

The thick woods and heavy rain along with heavy activity by the Coalition cavalry meant that Cromwell only had a vauge idea of the location of the enemy.

Cromwell was becoming concerned by Raids on his supply lines and the impossibility of his army living of land that had already been picked clean by different armies. He knew that the Coalition armies must be beaten in the field before he could begin taking back strongholds.

It was for these reasons that as soon as he believed that he had located Inchiquin's army he launched an attack on what he believed to be the Coalition army's centre, in fact he was attacking the edge of the Coalition army.

In the confused fighting that follwed bothe armies scrambled to face each other with units arriving unexpectedly due to muddled orders and rough terraine by night fall the coalition army was withdrawing in two different directions in complete disarray.

Instead of pressing the attack Cromwell instead attempted to reorganise his army allowing his opponents to escape, it was only in the morning that he realised he had missed an opportunity to destroy the Coalition army before it regrouped.
 
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