Elizabethan Irish Wars - An undignified scramble to escape the enemy

In this scenario an English Army has been harried all the way from Dublin on its way to reach a defended fort 'up country'. The Irish have finally pulled together a big enough force to close on the English.

The English managed to escape across the river ford with the cavalry, a unit of shot and the majority of the baggage.

Of special note was the brave rear guard stand by some Dublin colonists, buying some vital time for the rest of the force to escape; the utterly cowardly actions of the English cavalry, who escaped across the ford as quickly as possible without helping their colleagues; and the ghastly, selfish behaviour of the Galloglaigh who, upon reaching the enemy baggage, spent two turns looting the train whilst ignoring the rest of the battle.

Irish Wars - A Rare Pitched Battle

The forces were drawn up for a traditional pitched battle in this game, using the Pikeman’s Lament rule set. In reality, pitched battles were not really a feature in this series of wars, save the final, climatic engagement - The Battle of Kinsale in 1601.

In our battle, The English eventually ground their way to a narrow victory. Both sides deployed Kern, which were pretty useless on the more open battlefield. The gentlemen volunteers from the Pale were probably the best performing unit, seeing off two units of Bonnachts. Also the English pike held their ground to the end to enable the English player to claim victory….well, just about.

Irish Wars Wargame

Nine Years War Wargame

Irish Wars - Battle of Curlew Pass, 1599

The English, under Sir Conyers Clifford, managed to flip history on its head by defeating the Irish, under Red Hugh O'Donnell, in this game, based on the Battle of Curlew Pass. 

In the opening stages, the kern in English employ managed to root out a number of Irish ambushes and see them off, before being routed themselves. The English had to deal with the dastardly Irish trick of creating blockages in the road by felling trees and logs to hinder their advances. Eventually the English managed to overcome these difficulties and push on through to confront the 'bare Irish' holding the higher ground.

Despite a group of Irish calivermen performing well, and a few downhill charges by mercenary Galloglaigh, the rebels were put to flight. Of special note was the English horse who spent the whole game trying to find a route through the broken countryside, only to arrive at the front just as the fighting broke off.

Irish Wars Wargame

Nine Years War - Gallowglaigh

Elizabethan Irish Wars Wargame

Irish Wars 16th Century - Elizabethan Ambush!

Inspired by the Nine Years War, 1593-1603, in Ireland, this engagement saw an English column move out into the interior of the country to revictual and resupply a beleaguered fort. They were ambushed by an army of ‘raw Irishry’ who were in support of the rebellion by Hugh O’Neill of Tyrone.

The English were attacked on all sides by kern, galloglaigh, calivermen and Irish pike. A confused impasse at the river ford was finally broken when a group of volunteer colonist gentlemen, from the Pale, bravely charged a group of Irish pike, who had been blocking the ford crossing, pushing them back and enabling the rest of the English army to follow, continue their advance and resupply the fort with biscuits, salted meats and many barrels of brandy and ale.

Of particular note were the kern in English employ, who broke at the first opportunity; Galloglaigh, who impressed no one and made a hasty retreat; the English regimental gun, who only managed to fire off one shot the entire game; and an English pike unit that brought up the rear of the column, keeping the enemy kern at bay, whilst suffering from their incessant - although largely ineffectual -missile fire.

Rules used were adapted Osprey's 'Pikeman’s Lament'.

Nine Years War Wargame

Elizabethan Irish Wars Wargame