| Battle of Belahoe Irish: Cath Bhéal Átha hÓ |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Royal forces | Forces of O'Neills and O'Donnells | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Leonard Grey | Conn Ó Neill Manus O'Donnell |
||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 400 | |||||||
The Battle of Belahoe (Irish: Béal Átha hÓ) was fought in 1539 between the O'Neills and O'Donnells against English forces, in which the O'Neills and O'Donnells were defeated.[1]
A raid was undertaken into Meath by the O'Neill's, led by Conn Ó Neill, Earl of Tyrone and the O'Donnells, led by Manus O'Donnell. As a result Lord Deputy of Ireland, Leonard Grey mustered all the English in Ireland, the forces of the great towns of Meath and all the fleets in the adjacent harbours to oppose them. The O'Neill's and O'Donnells were returning with treasure and spoils when the English forces overtook them at the Ford of Belahoe, a ford near the old bridge of Belahoe, four and a half miles south of Carrickmacross, on the boundary of Meath and Monaghan.
The forces of the O'Neill's and O'Donnells were quickly overwhelmed and suffered 400 casualties before fleeing in disarray and leaving their treasure and spoil in the hands of the Lord Deputy of Ireland.