Page 237 - Demo

Chapter Seven 237
When news of these events reached Ireland, Tyrconnell proclaimed that he would hold the country for James and with the support of most of the nation, he quickly raised an army almost 50, 000 strong. Now, while Tyrconnell’s army included many splendid vet- eran soldiers and clusters of returned swordsmen, nonetheless, it was poorly armed, poorly equipped, and to a large extent indisciplined: and the thousands of raw Irish who locked to its ranks and standards, were soon to learn that James 11 and his advisors were largely incapable as leaders of men.
The war that was about to break out in Ireland was looked upon in widely diferent ways by the principles who were about to engage in it. The Protestants in general and the Planters in particular, regarded William as some sort of ‘deliverer from Catholicism’ and held the belief that under his rule they would be secure in their estates. The Irish people on the other hand were inspired by some ambiguous form of Independence. Already at war with William on the Continent, it suited the purpose of King Louis of France to delay and frustrate his opponent in Ireland as long as possible.
King James, on the other hand, viewed Ireland merely as a stepping-stone to his recov- ery of England, and as one writer said, ‘Ireland was the pawn, England the prize.’ The die was now well and truly cast.
After declaring for James and strengthening his army, Tyrconnell’s forces led by Lieu- tenat-General, Richard Hamilton, advanced into Ulster burning and looting as they went, and on 14 March, in county Down, they defeated a Williamite force under Sir Arthur Raw- don, at a battle since known as the ‘Break of Dromore.’ In the aftermath of this defeat many inhabitants of Ulster led, either to Scotland or within the walls of Enniskillen, or Derry. In the same month, following prompted invitations from Tyrconnell, James 11 landed at Kinsale. He was accompanied by some French oicers including the Duke of Berwick the Count d’Avaux, who was the then ambassador of the French King and several Irish émi- gré refugees, amongst whom was a tall, imposing cavalry commander, a man destined to become the hero of the Irish defence: his name was Patrick Sarsield. Well supplied with military stores and money, the force which James brought with him numbered upwards of 2,500 men. As one wag remarked ‘only the critical need for Irish support could procure the irst visit by a king since that of Richard 11’.
At Cork the next day James was met by Tyrconnell, whom he immediately created a