Page 173 - Demo

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The adherents of Thomas overran the Pale and besieged Dublin, obtaining its surren- der, albeit exclusive of the castle. Among those who took refuge in the castle was Archbishop John Allen, a man described on one occasion as being ‘of turbulent spirit,’ and a strong op- ponent of Gearóid Og. The Archbishop, trying to escape to England, was seized and brought before Thomas, who bade his followers to “take away that churl,” the Archbishop was there- upon savagely murdered. The murder of Archbishop Allen quickly brought upon Thomas the full excommunication of the Pope, and coupled with the fact that the young Geraldine did not prove himself a capable leader, it also caused many of his more prudent supporters to gradually desert his standard.
Though the rebellion broke out on 11 June , 1534, and no English forces arrived until 17 October, and even though initially Silken Thomas had on his side several powerful Irish chieftains, his rebel army made little headway, apart that is from harassing the Pale and at- tacking the Butlers; but, despite these minor successes, they achieved nothing tangible. In October Sir William Skeington arrived from England with a formidable army and speedily took possession of Dublin. As Thomas strove in vain to enlist other Irish magnates, he even tried to enlist the support of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, and foolishly, the Pope, to his cause, that December, in another serious blow to his campaign, his grief-stricken and despairing father died in the Tower of London.