Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 41.djvu/327

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O'Brien
321
O'Brien

(Lismore Papers, v. 44; Hist. MSS. Comm. 5th Rep. p. 346). St. Leger died on 2 July, and Inchiquin became the legal governor of Munster, as he announced to the lords justices before the end of the month (Carte, letter 95). David, first earl of Barrymore, was associated with him in the civil government, but died on Michaelmas day. Alexander, lord Forbes, with Hugh Peters [q. v.] as his chaplain, landed at Kinsale early in July with forces provided by adventurers in England ; but he paid no attention to Inchiquin's request for help, and he effected nothing. On 20 Aug. Inchiquin, accompanied by Barrymore, Kinalmeaky, and Broghill [see Boyle, Roger, Baron Broghill, and first Earl of Orrery], with only two thousand foot and four hundred horse, overthrew General Barry at Liscarrol with seven thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse; but he lacked means to improve his victory, though seven hundred are said to have fallen on one side and only twelve on the other. He was himself wounded in the head and hand.

Richard Boyle, first earl of Cork [q. v.], and his sons did much to preserve the counties of Cork and Waterford, and Inchiquin co-operated with them, but not cordially. The difficulty was to support an army on any terms. In November 1642 Inchiquin seized all the tobacco in the hands of the patentees at Cork, Youghal, and Kinsale (Smith, Hist, of Cork, i. 142 ; Youghal Council-Book, p. 223), and no compensation was paid until after the Restoration. The cattle and corn in the districts under his control were taken of course. The king had no money to give, and the parliament had neither time to attend to Ireland nor money to entrust to unsafe hands. Inchiquin gave a commission to the commandant at Youghal as early as 26 July 1642 to execute martial law there upon both soldiers and civilians, and his dealings with the town are recorded in the 'Council Book.' The raw material of soldiers was abundant, for fighting was now the only industry; but there were no means of paying them. Yet the parliament sent men to Ireland without arms, for no purpose, wrote Inchiquin to Ormonde, 'unless it be to plot that these men shall with jawbones kill so many rebels' (Carte, letter 11 3). At the end of May 1643 he took the field with four thousand foot and four hundred horse, but could only threaten Kilmallock, 'for want of provisions and money for the officers,' and he begged Cork to lend or borrow 300l. for victualling Youghal (Smith, ii. 142). While threatening Kinsale himself, he sent one detachment as far as Tralee, who had to subsist on a country then in Irish hands. Another small force was sent to Fermoy, but suffered a crushing defeat near Castlelyons on 4 June from a body of horse under Castlehaven, who had been specially sent by the Kilkenny confederation (Castlehaven, Memoirs, p. 40).

Muskerry threatened the county of Waterford, and Inchiquin, according to his own account, intrigued with him until he was in a position to fight. The Irish leader offered to spare Youghal and its district if Cappoquin and Lismore surrendered at once; otherwise he would burn both places. By a mixture of threats and promises Inchiquin induced him to say that he would withdraw if Cappoquin and Lismore were not taken by a certain day. Until that date had passed he was not to be attacked. Inchiquin had so garrisoned Cappoquin as to make it safe for a much longer time, and Cork's castle of Lismore was also well prepared. The situation was maintained with little sincerity on either side until Cork himself landed with orders from Charles to promote a truce. Active hostilities ceased, and Muskerry, who had been outwitted, tried to be even with Inchiquin by telling the king that he designed to betray the two towns to the Irish—a statement without foundation. 'If ever,' he wrote to an officer who had been present during the whole period, 'I did anything towards the defence of Munster against the Irish, this was what I had cause to brag of' (Carte, letters 306, 317).

The cessation of arms for a year, which Ormonde, at the king's command, concluded with the confederates on 15 Sept. 1643, was formally approved by Inchiquin in a document which he signed along with Clanricarde and many other persons of distinction (ib. 172), but he did not think it really favourable to the cause of the Irish protestants. The immediate result was that a great part of the force under his orders was sent to serve the king in England, two regiments being assigned to Hopton in Sussex (ib. 232) and the rest scattered under various leaders. Eight hundred of Inchiquin's men, described as ' native Irish rebels, landed at Weymouth, under his brother Henry (Whitelock, Memorials, p. 80, where the brothers are confounded), and some were hanged as such, though their old general was by that time serving the parliament (ib. p. 95). His own regiment of horse went over before the cessation, and was present before Gloucester in August and September, but did little except plunder the country (Somen Tracts, v. 335).

Inchiquin went to Oxford early in February 1643-4, his main object being to get the king's commission as president of Mun-