19th of August in the year 1504, the Parish of Lackagh was the centre of one of the bloodiest conflicts in Irish history.

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dbpedia-owl:MilitaryConflict#date
  • 1504-08-19 (xsd:date)
dbpedia-owl:MilitaryConflict#place
dbpedia-owl:MilitaryConflict#result
  • Anglo-Irish magnates fight one of Ireland's largest battles
p:abstract
  • 19th of August in the year 1504, the Parish of Lackagh was the centre of one of the bloodiest conflicts in Irish history. Local folklore would have it as a dispute between O'Kelly, Chief of Hymany (Ui Maine) and Ulick Burke, Earl of Clanrickarde and Claregalway Castle. Annalists and historians are claiming that there was no love lost between Ulick Burke of Clanrickarde and the King Deputy, Gearóid Mór, the great Earl of Kildare. Ulick Finn, as Burke was known locally, was an aggressive and turbulent Galway Chief. He had become Chief of Clanrickarde in the year 1485. He sought to estabilish his authority over all Connacht, including Mayo, where the other branch of the great De Burgo family held power. Gearóid Mór became alarmed that Ulick Burke's challenge for supremacy in Connacht could in effect become a threat to his position as a ruler of Gaelic Ireland as a whole. He attempted to persuade Ulick to acknowledge his authority by giving him his daughter Estacia in marriage. But Ulick Burke resisted all attempts to have his tenantry and power absorbed by the Earl of Kildare. Instead, he formed an alliance with O'Brien of Thomond and the Chiefs of Munster. On the other hand the Burkes of Mayo joined forces with Kildare and looked forward to suppressing their over ambitious neighbour.To add insult to injury, in 1503, Ulick Burke attacked and destroyed the Castles of O'Kelly, Lord of Hymany, at Monivea, Garbally and Castleblakeney. Furthermore, Burke was living in open adultery with the wife of O'Kelly. "The Four Masters" tells us that O'Kelly complained of these outrages to the Lord Deputy Gearóid the 8th Earl of Kildare. According to them his complaint occasioned the memorable "Battle of Cnoc Tuagh" (Knockdoe) fought in the Barony in 1504. The Book of Howth states that the Battle of Knockdoe was the result of a private quarrel between the Lord Deputy Gearóid Mór Fitzgerald and De Burgo (Ulick). By all accounts the Lord Deputy was only too eager to help O'Kelly to weaken the prestige of Clanrickarde. Both sides gathered to their aid as many of the Irish Chiefs as they could persuade or force. Included in this army that marched westwards were not only the Gaeil and Gaill of Leinster but also contingents from the leading families of Ulster - Aodh Ruadh, leader of the O'Donnell's, Art O'Neill, the McDermott's and Morrisroe's of connacht and of course the O'Kelly's. Ranged against them were the forces of Burke and his Allies - the O'Brien's of Thomond as well as the McNamara's, the O'Kennedy's and the O'Carroll's. Heavily armed Gallowglass* played a large part on both sides. This was the situation on 19th August 1504, as the greatest armies of Civil War in Ireland faced each other on the slopes of Knockdoe almost a mile to the North of Lackagh Parish Church. All day the Battle raged with over 5000 men being killed. (en)
p:casualties
  • c. 1,000? (en)
  • c.1,500 (en)
p:combatant
p:commander
  • Garret Mor FitzGerarld, 8th Earl of Kildare (en)
  • Ulick Fionn Burke of Clanricarde (en)
p:conflict
  • Battle of Knockdoe (en)
p:date
  • 1504-08-19 (xsd:date)
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p:place
p:reference
p:result
  • Anglo-Irish magnates fight one of Ireland's largest battles (en)
p:strength
  • c.4,000 (en)
  • c.6,000 (en)
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p:wordnet_type
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rdfs:comment
  • 19th of August in the year 1504, the Parish of Lackagh was the centre of one of the bloodiest conflicts in Irish history. (en)
rdfs:label
  • Battle of Knockdoe (en)
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