Битва при Гленмалуре: Победа ирландцев в горах Уиклоу

Part of the Second Desmond Rebellion

The Battle of Glenmalure (Cath Ghleann Molúra) took place in Ireland on 25 August 1580 during the Desmond Rebellions. A Catholic army of united Irish clans from the Wicklow Mountains led by Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne and James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass of the Pale, defeated an English army under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, at Clan O'Byrne's mountain stronghold of Glenmalure.

When what appeared to be the vanguard of the Irish rebels presented itself before Grey, he ordered his forces to engage immediately, against the advice of some of his more experienced Kildare allies. They, along with Grey's force of cavalry, occupied a position on a nearby hill and did not play an active role in the subsequent battle. The English vanguard, commanded by Colonel George Moore, pursued the Irish rebels into the glen a dense valley bisected by a four mile long river with steep sides and covered in dense foliage, rising in places as high as 2,000 feet. The English fought an advancing skirmish with the Irish as they were drawn deeper and deeper into the glen, whose terrain by now had become horrendous, marked by rocks, bogs, and wood. In an effort to gain higher and more defensible ground, or possibly believing his troops had become vulnerable to an ambush, Colonel Moore advanced his troops up the northern slope of the glen. While climbing the steep slopes of the valley, the inexperienced English soldiers were ambushed by the Irish who hid in the woods. The English were sniped at for a long period of time before their discipline collapsed and they turned and fled down the valley. It was at this point that most of their casualties occurred, as the Irish left their cover and fell upon the English with swords, spears, and axes. Dozens of English soldiers were cut down by the pursuing Irish as they tried to escape the field. The remaining English had to fight a rearguard action for several miles until they reached the town of Rathdrum.

Irish sources state that around 800 English soldiers were killed. English sources put their losses lower at 360 dead. While it is certainly possible that the English sources had ignored to include the casualties of their Irish allies. English loses included Peter Carew, cousin of his namesake colonist who had made claims to, and won, large tracts of land in southern Ireland. The remainder of the English force retreated to lowland Wicklow and from there to Dublin. However, the following year, most of the Irish rebel lords, including O'Byrne, accepted terms of surrender offered by the Crown. The exception was Baltinglass, who fled for France.

The battle is commemorated in the folk song "Follow me up to Carlow".