OTD 1600 Mountjoy got tactical in the Moyry Pass as he sent 2 infantry regiments to assault the Irish trenches on the left flank. A demonstration by 5 regts at the barricades tried to draw off the Irish but the attack was strongly rebuffed by Tyrone's counterattack

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OTD 1601 As Red Hugh O'Donnell besieged Niall Garbh in Donegal Abbey, an explosion tore through the building and 'blew it into the air. Defenders were partly consumed by the fire, and partly crushed by the falling roof and walls' seeing his chance O'Donnell attacked

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OTD 1598 The Pale stood open to Tyrone.The Rising Out (Old English militia) could not stop him and the 2k men who survived Yellow Ford were unfit as they were 'not weaponed , and they are not yet free from the fear they took at the late disaster at Armagh'

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OTD 1596 Feagh MacHugh O'Byrne captured the English fort at Ballinacorr, Co. Wicklow. After 5 hour firefight the Irish stormed the rampart with ladders & scaling hooks. Taking refuge within the wooden castle the garrison surrendered after near suffocating with smoke

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OTD 1599 Essex met Tyrone in private at the ford of Bellaclynthe. When Tyrone said he went to war for his faith Essex scoffed, noting his horse cared for religion as much as Tyrone. One of the few things Essex was right about. Meeting Tyrone alone was a big mistake

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OTD 1607 Hugh O'Neill with Rory O'Donnell, their families and adherents left Rathmullan for Europe never to return and what has become known as the Flight of the Earls. O'Neill never stopped trying to return but he would die exiled in Rome 9 years later

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OTD 1595 Geffrey Fenton reports Tyrone receiving all his supplies of gunpowder out of Glasgow, shipped from Danzig and other eastern ports. Suggests Queen buy up all powder before Tyrone. Scots shipments vital to Irish campaigns as James VI turned blind eye

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OTD 1599 Sir Thomas Norreys, president of Munster, joined his brother John in the afterlife. He was speared in the neck/face in June but lingered for another 2 months. Thomas' other brother Henry, (who was shot in the leg) died of his wounds just 4 days earlier

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OTD 1602 Chichester took Tyrone's stronghold at Inishloughan. Held by 42 shot and 20 swordsmen, it had'2 deep ditches both compassed with strong palisades...high and thick rampeire..well flanked with bulwarks'. It had little chance against well-placed artillery

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OTD 1600 Mountjoy tried to lessen troops gunpowder expenses, cost of powder used deducted from pay. He wanted crown to cover the powder used on campaign, on watches 'as charging and discharging of his piece in time of watches is of necessity' and during training'

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OTD 1601 In the early morning darkness, M'joy's infantry assaulted across the R. Blackwater. Artillery loaded with musket balls suppressed the Irish defenders as the crown's troops entered the Irish works. After close -quarter fighting, the Irish were forced back

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OTD 1602 Mountjoy besieged Tyrone's crannog stronghold on Roughan Lough. The Irish put up stout resistance but surrendered when fieldworks and cannon were brought to bear. Captured English cannon were found inside likely those lost at the Yellow Ford 4 years earlier

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OTD 1602 Mountjoy started building Charlemont fort & bridge as a springboard for taking Dungannon. Often called an artillery fort it was not designed to mount cannon. Demi-bastions & sconce on far bank only provided firing steps and loopholes for defence by firearms

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In the immortal words of Dick Jones (Robocop, 1987) 'Good business is where you find it' and 391 years earlier this was still the case as Tyrone and his allies were 'furnished with munition and implements of war even by the merchants of every town in this kingdom'

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OTD 1595 With shattered army in Newry Henry Bagenal writes to Dublin asking for support and munitions. He can only arm 1/4 of his men and Tyrone has 'with all his forces is laid for us between this town & Dundalk... having
possessed himself already of the passes'

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OTD 1595 As Bagenal marched to Monaghan, Tyrone attacked at Crossdall. 800 Irish shot fell on the column but Capt Cuney drew 150 to hold the Irish back. The fight raged for 4 hours as the English passed through. Irish fire slackened enabling Cuney to break contact

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OTD 1594 Oh its all kicking off in S.Ulster. Capt Fuller's troops drawn to recover prey in Cavan. Engaged by Cormac MacBaron, 8 killed & rest 'escaped hardlie'. Walter Brady (Constable of Cavan) hoped they didn't plan to burn town as he was 'left here a man alone'😬

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OTD 1593 Failure to cooperate with Tyrone = consequences . Phelim MacTurlough O'Neill, lord of Killetra talked with Tyrone at Toome, but the meeting didn't go well ''God's defiance to you till nightfall' said Tyrone leaving, minutes later Phelim was hacked to pieces

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OTD 1600 As Mountjoy prepared to push into Ulster as a feint for the the Foyle landings, report of dissent in the Irish camp as the Maguire succession feud leaves hundreds dead in Loyalty of Turlough MacHenry, Arthur O'Neill and John O'Doherty doubtful

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OTD 1599 The Earl of Essex set out from Dublin leading 160 horse at the beginning of his expedition into Munster. With the army list expanded to 16K foot and 1.3k horse and massive shipments of supplies (including £20k worth munitions) what could possibly go wrong?

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