Dissensions and Jealousies amongst the Confederates
Above : Picture Of Ormond
The departure of Ormond, if it did not improve, certainly simplified the state of parties in Ireland. The Royalists for the time disappear, and there remain only the Confederates ; still, however, divided into the two sections of the Anglo-Irish and the Old Irish, and the Parliamentarians. The ascendancy of the Nuncio’s party in the Supreme Council did not long endure.
The Anglo-Irish soon regained their former preponderating influence, and the result appeared in the conduct of the military operations during the campaign of 1647. Moved by jealousy, the Council gave small opportunity of distinction to Eoghan Ruadh and his forces, whom they kept in inaction on the borders of Connacht. O’Neill was the one man who could have saved the situation for the Confederate and Catholic cause. But the Council crippled his movements and denied him needful supplies, while, at the same time, they placed a splendid and well-equipped army at the disposal of Preston.
He did not now believ it. At Dungan’s Hill, near Trim, he was completely defeated by the Parliamentary General, Jones, losing 5,000 men and all his guns and baggage (August 6th, 1647). Hastily summoned from Boyle to repair, as far as possible, this disaster, O’Neill marched up his troops, encamped near Trim, and by skilful manoeuvring prevented the enemy from reaping the full fruits of victory by an attack on Kilkenny.
So far from being grateful to their deliverer, the majority of the Supreme Council were, Rinuccini declares, merely angry that the Kingdom should thus owe its safety to the Ulster general.
In Munster, Inchiquin had captured Cahir and Cashel. The latter was defended with the utmost courage. When at last it was taken, not without considerable loss to the Parliamentarians, there was an indiscriminate slaughter of men, women and children. Those who had taken refuge in the Cathedral were massacred there (September).
A few months after (November), Lord Taaffe was defeated by Inchiquin at Knockanoss (Co. Cork) with a loss of about 2,000 men.
All Munster, except a few towns, was now in the power of the Parliamentarians. At a meeting of the General Assembly (November 1647), it was resolved to seek aid from the Catholic Continental Sovereigns, and ambassadors were sent to Spain, France and Rome, but with little result.
The winter and spring months were occupied in confused and confusing intrigues and negotiations. Inchiquin intimated a desire to desert the Parliamentarians, and the Council listened favourably to his overtures.