An Cosantóir

16 | The Hidden History of the Glen In early 1580 Viscount Baltinglass rebelled against Queen Elizabeth and allied himself with Gaelic warlord Fiach Ma- cHugh O’Byrne. The rebellion spread throughout Leinster and soon threatened Dublin. In response, newly appointed viceroy Lord Grey de Wilton arrived in Dublin in August at the head of 3,000 English troops. The force marched to Naas and from there to the Glen of Imaal with the intent of crushing Fiach in his Glenmalure stronghold. Rebel scouts observed the English-led force (which included some mercenaries from Connaught) from every hilltop as it ad- vanced, costing Grey any element of surprise. On the morning of August 25th, Grey led his force over the mountains into the then densely forested Glenmalure, against the entreaties of his more experienced officers. In a twist of fate Grey was following in the footsteps of another ill-fated English expedition, that of Richard II who led a force through the same area in 1399 and was obliged to fight a series of running battles before reaching safety at Arklow. While the young English troops were inexperienced and conspicuous in red and blue livery, Fiach’s force of 700 remained invisible in the forest, with the exception of a small force of lightly armed kerns who were to skirmish with Grey’s force and then withdraw into the valley, luring them into the main ambush. This consisted of companies of An Cosantóir July 2011 BY GNR TERENCE O’REILLY Many members of the Defence Forces have trekked over Table mountain from the Glen of Imaal into Glenmalure on countless exercises over the years. Not many of them, however, may be aware that they are following in the footsteps of an ill-fated Tudor expedition sent to crush a rebellion, nor that the car park at Barravore ford is probably the site of a mass grave. harquebusiers (muskets) deployed along the cliffs between Ballingoneen and Cullentragh Park, with the main force of heavily armed Galloglass warriors further down the valley at Ballinafunshoge. Viscount Baltinglass commanded an- other force held in reserve. Grey’s army advanced into Glemalure with their hired Connaughtmen leading the way, followed by the Berwick regiment under Colonel George Moore. The going was hard underfoot and the cavalry did not advance into the densest forest. The battle began when Moore’s troops came under heavy musket fire. At the first shots the Connaughtmen dramatically changed sides (evidently by prior arrange- ment) and then waves of axe-wielding Galloglass smashed into the English column. The close-quarter fighting was ferocious and most of the estimated 800 English fatalities occurred within 30 minutes; accounts speak of the Avonbeg river running red with blood. As the English force began to retreat, Baltinglass’s reserve was also thrown into the attack and Grey’s force was all but routed. For all his faults, Grey proved to be courageous in battle and his cavalry stood its ground, facilitating the escape of hundreds of English troops from the slaughter. (Among the survivors were Captain Walter Raleigh and the poet Edmund Spenser.) Local tradition has it that the Eng-

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