Above : Portrait Of Oliver Cromwell

Cromwell now advanced to Clonmel, and, after summoning it to surrender, began the siege (April 29th). The garrison was some 1,500 strong, and commanded by Hugh Dubh O’Neill, a nephew of Eoghan Ruadh. The siege dragged on after a fashion very exasperating to Cromwell, whose presence was urgently required in England. Moreover, his losses in men were heavy, as the defenders made frequent sallies. At length a breach in the wall was effected, and on May 9th a general assault was ordered.

O’Neill had, however, prepared for this. He set citizens and soldiers, men and women to work, and using mud, stones, timber, and whatever came to their hand, ” they made a long lane, a man’s height and about eighty yards’ length on both sides up from the breach, and he caused to be placed engines on each side of the lane, and his guns at the end of it.”

Into this death¬trap the Cromwellian soldiers rushed, when they had overcome the feint of resistance made to their advance by a small body of troops stationed at the breach. Soon the lane was crowded with men, too closely jammed together to use their weapons. Then, from either side, O’Neill’s soldiers attacked them with guns and pikes, or threw down great beams of timber on the struggling crowd.

From the front the two cannons opened fire with deadly effect. They could not retreat, for those behind kept pressing on. In less than an hour over 1,000 men were slain. The remnant of the infantry retreated, and Cromwell ordered a cavalry assault. This lasted longer, but ended in equal disaster and even greater loss. All the towns in Ireland which Cromwell had taken had together cost him less than had this failure before Clonmel.

As it seemed futile to attempt another attack, the Puritan General resolved to merely blockade the town. O’Neill had, however, gained only a barren triumph. To hold out was impossible; neither food nor ammunition remained.

 Anxious to preserve the lives and liberties of his men, he secretly marched them out of the town in the night, and made his way towards Waterford (May 18th). Next day the Mayor sent to cand offered to surrender, if the lives and property of the citizens were spared. Of O’Neill and his men nothing was said, *and Cromwell may have believed that the Mayor intended to treacherously abandon them to his mercy. Only when the terms were agreed on, did he discover the true state of affairs. Great was his anger on finding how he had been tricked, but to his credit be it said, he observed the conditions of the capitulation.