Battle of Knockdoe

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Battle of Knockdoe

Date	August 19, 1504
Location	Knockdoe, Lackagh, Galway, Ireland
Result	Anglo-Irish magnates fight one of Ireland's largest battles

Belligerents

The Clanricarde, Ó Brian and MacNamara of Thomond, Ó Carroll of Ely, Ó Kennedy of Ormond, Mac I Briens of Aran, plus several Gallowglass units.

Earl of Kildare, Ó Donnell of Tír Conaill, O Connor Roe MacDermot of

Commanders

Ulick Fionn Burke of Clanricarde

Garret Mor FitzGerarld, 8th Earl of Kildare

Strength

c.4,000

c.6,000

Casualties and losses

c.1,500

c. 1,000?

19th of August in the year 1504, the Parish of Lackagh was the centre of one of the bloodiest conflicts in Irish history.

Local folklore would have it as a dispute between O'Kelly, Chief of Hymany (Ui Maine) and Ulick Burke, Earl of Clanrickarde and Claregalway Castle.

Annalists and historians are claiming that there was no love lost between Ulick Burke of Clanrickarde and the King Deputy, Gearóid Mór, the great Earl of Kildare. Ulick Finn, as Burke was known locally, was an aggressive and turbulent Galway Chief. He had become Chief of Clanrickarde in the year 1485. He sought to estabilish his authority over all Connacht, including Mayo, where the other branch of the great De Burgo family held power.

Gearóid Mór became alarmed that Ulick Burke's challenge for supremacy in Connacht could in effect become a threat to his position as a ruler of Gaelic Ireland as a whole. He attempted to persuade Ulick to acknowledge his authority by giving him his daughter Estacia in marriage. But Ulick Burke resisted all attempts to have his tenantry and power absorbed by the Earl of Kildare. Instead, he formed an alliance with O'Brien of Thomond and the Chiefs of Munster. On the other hand the Burkes of Mayo joined forces with Kildare and looked forward to suppressing their over ambitious neighbour.

The Battle of Knockdoe
Loud blares the trumpet, the field is set. Loud blares the trumpet, the foe men are met. Steep slopes the hill, at Knockdoe in the West. There stood in Battle, the South at its best. Hi Manny O'Kelly, with the Burkes is at War, and Clanrickard has gathered his friends from afar. Kildare he advances like the fox that doth stalk, O'Kelly sweeps down with the speed of a hawk. Loud sounds the trumpet, the sunset is fair. Hi Manny triumphant. The Earl of Kildare. (Local Folklore has it that the above poem was found in the pocket of a slain soldier.)

To add insult to injury, in 1503, Ulick Burke attacked and destroyed the Castles of O'Kelly, Lord of Hymany, at Monivea, Garbally and Castleblakeney. Furthermore, Burke was living in open adultery with the wife of O'Kelly. "The Four Masters" tells us that O'Kelly complained of these outrages to the Lord Deputy Gearóid the 8th Earl of Kildare. According to them his complaint occasioned the memorable "Battle of Cnoc Tuagh" (Knockdoe) fought in the Barony in 1504.

The Book of Howth states that the Battle of Knockdoe was the result of a private quarrel between the Lord Deputy Gearóid Mór Fitzgerald and De Burgo (Ulick).

By all accounts the Lord Deputy was only too eager to help O'Kelly to weaken the prestige of Clanrickarde. Both sides gathered to their aid as many of the Irish Chiefs as they could persuade or force. Included in this army that marched westwards were not only the Gaeil and Gaill of Leinster but also contingents from the leading families of Ulster - Aodh Ruadh, leader of the O'Donnell's, Art O'Neill, the McDermott's and Morrisroe's of connacht and of course the O'Kelly's.

Ranged against them were the forces of Burke and his Allies - the O'Brien's of Thomond as well as the McNamara's, the O'Kennedy's and the O'Carroll's.

Heavily armed Gallowglass* played a large part on both sides. This was the situation on 19th August 1504, as the greatest armies of Civil War in Ireland faced each other on the slopes of Knockdoe almost a mile to the North of Lackagh Parish Church.

All day the Battle raged with over 5000 men being killed. History holds that the greatest slaughter took place along the Clare River in the town land of Ballybrone (Baile Broin or Baile Uí Bhrion).

The Lord Deputy, though victorious, had many among the slain. His army remained the night on the field as a token of their victory. Next day Kildare marched on to Galway looting Claregalway castle en route and taking as prisoners the two sons and daughter of Ulick Burke. They remained in Galway for a few days and departed to Athenry, which they captured.

After the Battle, the Burke's of Clanrickarde faded into obscurity for some decades. Their rival, the Mayo Burke's, reaped the spoils for a short time afterwards.

The Battle of Knockdoe is wrongly said to have been the first occasion in Irish History when Gun Powder was used. One cannon ball and some muskets were found on the East side of the hill. Round the summit of Knockdoe are many cairns (Burial mounds) where the slaughtered are said to have been buried.

Tradition points to one as the final resting place of the two sons of O'Brien of Thomond.