Siege of Glin Castle - extract from The Pacat

Map of Glin Castle

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Map of Glin Castle

Map of Glin Castle

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Extract from The Pacata Hibernia - or a history of the wars in Ireland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. First published London 1633.

The siege of Glynne July 1600

'The next day, when wee looked that the cannon should begin to play, the Cannonniere found the Peece to be cloyed, all the art and skill which either the Smith, or himselfe could or did use, prevailed nothing. The President (who is a man that knowes well to manage great Artillery) commanded that the peece upon her carriage (as she was) should be abased at the tayle, and elevated at the musle, as high as it might bee: then he willed the Gunner to giue her a full charge of powder, roule a shott after it, and to giue fire at the mouth, whereby the touch-hole was presently cleared, to the great rejoicing of the Armie, which of necessitie in attempting the Castle (without the favour of the Cannon) must haue endured great losse.

This particular I thought good not to omitt, because it may be an instruction to others, whensoever the like accident should happen. The Peece being thus cleared, the President having the Knight of the Valleyes eldest sonne, ( a child of six years olde) in his hands, to terrifie the Warders, hee caused the child to be set upon the top of one of the Gabions, sending them word, That they should haue a faire marke to bestow their small shott upon: The Constable returned answere, That the feare of his life should not make them to forbeare to direct their Volleys of shot to the batterie: for said he ( in undecent termes not fit for me to write ) the place is open where he was borne, and the Knight may haue more sonnes.

The President not intending (as hee seemed) caused the Infant to be taken downe from the Gabion, knowing that the discharging of the Cannon would haue shaken the poore childes bones in sunder, and then presently hee commanded the battery to begin, and the small shott did so incessantly burne powder, as the Warders durst not stand to their fight, until a breach was made assaultable into the Seller under the great Hall of the Castle: all this was done with the losse of one onely man, a Cannoniere'.