Athlone Castle

Athlone was embroiled in the dark days of the 1641 Confederacy Rebellion. The castle was held by a garrison who found itself surrounded and cut off by rebel forces, who were attempting to starve them into surrender. The soldiers and their families were saved by a temporary truce, which allowed a relief force to escort most of the garrison and Protestant inhabitants of Athlone back to the safety of Dublin. However, by a cunning ruse, the Irish Confederate forces gained control of Athlone Castle by exploiting the conflicting and confused loyalties of the remaining garrison.

The unrest in Ireland coincided with the English Civil War and the rise of Oliver Cromwell. After his victory in England, Cromwell brought the veteran troops of his New Model army to Ireland, where his short brutal campaign smashed resistance. Cromwell’s forces captured a succession of Irish towns, including Athlone. By 1653 all resistance had ended and Ireland was in Cromwell’s iron grip.

Those who had supported or enabled the Confederacy had their lands confiscated. Many Catholic landowners were moved across the Shannon to poorer and smaller estates in the west of Ireland, giving rise to the phrase ‘to Hell or to Connacht’. Athlone was the administrative centre for this enforced re-settlement of catholic landowners. By the 1670’s Athlone’s importance waned, following the abolition of the Connacht Presidency. The castle and much of the town was granted to the Earl of Ranelagh, a key financier of the flamboyant King Charles II who had been restored to his throne following the death of Cromwell.

Athlone Castle endured its greatest test at the end of the 17th century. Ireland had become a theatre of war for European and religious politics in the 1690s. The unpopular Catholic King of England, James II, was overthrown by a union of English Protestant parliamentarians. They invited his Dutch son-in-law, William of Orange to become King of England, Scotland and Ireland. William crossed to England in 1688, and he quickly gained large support across the land. James fled to France, where he was received into the court of King Louis XIV of France and who also supplied James with military and financial aid. The supporters of King James, known as Jacobites, raised a large army in Ireland. Irish Catholics flocked to the cause in the hope that a victory for James might reverse all the misfortunes of the Cromwellian Settlement. James set sail for Ireland with a well-supplied fleet, accompanied by experienced French officers to help him defeat the supporters of William, known as Williamites.

After their victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, the Williamites effectively controlled the eastern half of Ireland. The River Shannon now became the key frontier, as the Jacobites held the vital strategic castles of Athlone and Limerick. In mid-July 1690, a 7,500 strong Williamite force, commanded by the Scottish General James Douglas, attacked Athlone.

Athlone Castle was defended by 2,000 men, led by the experienced veteran, Colonel Richard Grace. He ordered the abandonment of the eastern part of Athlone Town, and withdrew his forces over the Shannon, breaking down the bridge behind him. When he was summoned to parley terms for surrender, he defiantly fired his pistol in the air and declared that was the only negotiation he wanted. The Williamites lacked the necessary heavy siege artillery, and their field guns made little impression on the strong walls of the castle. Knowing that it would result in many casualties, General Douglas decided against trying to cross the river, and once he discovered that the defenders were to be reinforced, he lifted the siege and withdrew. The gallant defence of Athlone by Grace and his garrison, preserved the line and enabled the Jacobites to continue fighting the war for another year. For Athlone, the greatest test was yet to come.

In the summer of 1691 the Williamites returned to Athlone to renew their attempt to capture the castle and forge a bridgehead across the Shannon that would allow them to enter Connacht. This time their army was over 20,000 strong, and it was accompanied by the largest artillery train yet seen in Ireland, with 32 heavy siege cannons and six mortars. The army was commanded by the experienced Dutch general, Godard van Reede van Ginkel.

At the outset, the Jacobite governor of Athlone was Colonel Nicholas FitzGerald, who had 1,500 men. In contrast to Grace’s defence the previous year, FitzGerald made an attempt to hold the East town against the Williamites. This was an attempt to delay the Williamites, to allow the new Jacobite army commander, the French Marquis de Saint-Ruhe, to muster his forces and advance from the west. Ginkel used his cannon to breach the eastern defences, forcing the defenders to fall back. As they crossed the river, they smashed down two of the arches of the bridge. Ginkel was now confronted by the wide river, a broken bridge and determined defenders on the opposite bank.

Saint-Ruhe took position on the western side of Athlone with the full Jacobite field army of 20,000 men. The troops were posted to garrison duty in relays. The garrison now faced the full weight of the Williamite artillery. For days, thousands of cannonballs, bombs and stones were blasted at the Jacobite defences in the west town. It was the heaviest bombardment in Irish history, prior to the 20th century. The riverside defence works were levelled and much of the east wall of the castle was beaten down. The town itself was reduced to rubble. The defenders were dangerously exposed. Stone debris and masonry, smashed into lethal fragments by cannon, flew through the air. One survivor described the scene ‘with the balls and bombs flying so thick, that spot was hell on earth’.

The siege left Athlone Castle in ruins. It was in a dilapidated condition until the end of the 18th century, when it was largely reconstructed to defend against the possibility of a French attack during the Napoleonic Wars. The castle was considerably rebuilt following a survey by Lt Colonel Tarrant in 1793 and further modifications took place during the 19th century. Today, Athlone Castle has a fine visitor centre which immerses you into the story of the siege. Don’t forget to also download your free audio guide before your trip!