Duncannon

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Duncannon

Duncannon is a village in southwest County Wexford

County Wexford

County Wexford is a maritime county in the southeast of Republic of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. It takes its name from the principal town, Wexford, founded by Vikings and named by them 'Waesfjord', meaning 'inlet or bay of the mud-flats' in the Old Norse language....
, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
. Bordered to the west by Waterford harbour and sitting on a rocky promontory jutting into the channel is the strategically prominent Duncannon Fort which dominates the village.

Primarily a fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of catching fish. Fishing techniques include Fish net, Fish trap, Spearfishing, angling and Gathering seafood by hand. The term fishing may be applied to catching other aquatic animals such as different types of shellfish, squid, octopus, turtles, Edible frog and some edible marine invertebrates....
village, Duncannon also relies heavily on tourism and is situated on the clearly signposted and very scenic Ring of Hook
Hook Peninsula

The Hook Peninsula is a peninsula in County Wexford, Ireland. It has been a gateway to south-east Ireland for successive waves of newcomers, including the Vikings, Anglo-Normans and the English people....
drive. Duncannon boasts a mile long, blue flag

Blue Flag beach

A Blue Flag beach is a maritime or freshwater recreational beach that has met stringent quality standards during the whole of the previous bathing season....
recipient golden beach and is a very popular spot with locals and tourists alike.

Duncannon Fort, which was built in 1588

1588 in Ireland

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Duncannon is a village in southwest County Wexford

County Wexford

Republic of Ireland

Fishing

Blue Flag beach

1588 in Ireland

Events*28 June - Sir Valentine Browne, Knight purchases estates, including the Lakes of Killarney, from the estate of Donald Maccarty, 1st Earl of Clancare....
incorporates a maritime museum, Arts centre, café and craft shop and is open daily to visitors from June to September. Guided tours are available. Cinema buffs might be interested to know that Duncannon and Fort was the recent location for the opening scenes of the remake of 'The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, p?re. It is often considered to be, along with The Three Musketeers, Dumas' most popular work....
', starring Jim Caviezel and Richard Harris

Richard Harris

Richard St. John Harris was a two-time Academy Award-nominated and Grammy Award-winning Ireland actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
.

History

According to legend, the settlement at Duncannon dates back to the time of Fionn mac Cumhaill

Fionn mac Cumhaill

Fionn mac Cumhaill was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht,much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Ois?n....
(pop: Finn McCool) and the Fianna

Fianna

In early Ireland, fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands who lived apart from society in the forests as mercenaries, bandits and hunters, but could be called upon by kings in times of war....
in the 3rd century AD.

Duncannon was of vital strategic importance as its fort commanded the bay giving sea access to Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is the primary city of the South East region. Founded in 914 in Ireland AD, by the Vikings, it is Ireland's oldest city. It is the fifth largest city in the country of Republic of Ireland....
Harbour. As a result it was centrally involved in wars and sieges during the 17th and 18th centuries.

During the Irish Confederate Wars

Irish Confederate Wars

This article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53. For the political context of this conflict, see Confederate Ireland....
(1641

1641 in Ireland

Events*October - Irish Rebellion of 1641 starts.*Hugh MacMahon and Conor Maguire were to seize Dublin Castle, but were arrested due to an informer....
-1652

1652 in Ireland

Events* May 12 - Siege of Galway - Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara, the military governor of Galway, surrenders the city to English Parliamentarians commanded by Charles Coote....
), the fort at Duncannon was initially occupied by English soldiers and used as a base for an attack on nearby Redmond's Hall (now Loftus Hall

Loftus Hall

Loftus Hall is a large mansion house on the Hook peninsula, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland that is said to have been haunted both by the devil and by the ghost of a young woman....
). During this period it was besieged three times. In 1645

1645 in Ireland

Events* Lismore, County Waterford town and Lismore Castle were sacked in the Irish Confederate Wars by a force of the Confederate Ireland commanded by Lord Castlehaven....
it was taken by an Irish Confederate army under general Thomas Preston

Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara

Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara was an Irish soldier of the 17th century. He was a descendant of Robert de Preston, who in 1363 purchased the lands of Gormanston, County Meath, County Meath, and who was keeper of the Great Seal in Ireland some years later....
. Its English garrison surrendered after lengthy bombardment, during which their commander was killed and a ship trying to bring supplies to the garrison was sunk (see Siege of Duncannon

Siege of Duncannon

The Siege of Duncannon took place in 1645, during the Irish Confederate Wars. An Irish Catholic Confederate Ireland army under Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara besieged and successfully took the town of Duncannon in south eastern Ireland from its English Parliamentarian garrison....
). During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland

The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
, Duncannon was besieged again, as part of the Siege of Waterford

Siege of Waterford

The city of Waterford in south eastern Ireland was besieged from 1649?50 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. The town was held by Irish Confederate Ireland and English Royalist troops under general Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara....
, firstly in November 1649 by Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English people Military history of the United Kingdom and Politics of England leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and Michael Jones

Michael Jones (soldier)

Colonel Michael Jones fought for King Charles I of England during the Irish Confederate War but joined the English Parliamentary side when the English Civil War started....
in 1649

1649 in Ireland

Events* 30 January** King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is beheaded in London.** Prince Charles Stuart declares himself King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland....
. The fort's Irish garrison held out and the siege was abandoned in December of that year. However in July 1650

1650 in Ireland

Events*May - Charles II of England repudiates his alliance with Irish Catholics in favour of one with Scottish Covenanters in the Treaty of Breda ....
Henry Ireton

Henry Ireton

Henry Ireton , was an England general in the army of Parliament of England during the English Civil War. He was the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell....
renewed the siege and the fort and town surrendered after the fall of Waterford, but before their food and supplies had run out.

In the Williamite war in Ireland

Williamite war in Ireland

The Williamite War in Ireland, also known as the Jacobite War in Ireland and in Ireland as Cogadh an D? R? or The War of the Two Kings, was the opening conflict following the deposition of King James II of England in 1688 when he attempted to regain the throne of his Three Kingdoms from his daughter Mary II of England who repl...
(1689

1689 in Ireland

Events*13 February - William III of England and Mary II of England become King and Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland following the deposition of James II of England....
-91

1691 in Ireland

Events*12 July - Williamite War in Ireland: Battle of Aughrim*August?October - Williamite War in Ireland: Siege of Limerick *3 October - Treaty of Limerick ends the Williamite War....
) James II

James II of England

James II and VII was List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. He was the last Roman Catholic Church monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland....
, after his defeat at the battle of the Boyne

Battle of the Boyne

The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thrones - the Catholic James II of England and the Protestant William III of England, who had Glorious revolution....
, embarked at Duncannon for Kinsale

Kinsale

Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Republic of Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and when the boating fraternity arriv...
and then to exile in France

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
. Later his son in law and enemy William of Orange

William III of England

William III was a Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 onwards, he governed as List_of_stadtholders_for_the_Low_Countries_provinces William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic....
, marched on its cobblestones as the town and fort surrendered to his army without resistance.

The fort at Duncannon was one of the few places in county Wexford that did not fall to the rebels during the 1798 rebellion

Irish Rebellion of 1798

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against United Kingdom and its subject Kingdom of Ireland....
though a force sent out from the fort to defend Wexford town was defeated at the battle of Three Rocks

Battle of Three Rocks

The Battle of Three Rocks was a United Irishmen victory during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 against a Kingdom of Great Britain artillery column marching to reinforce Wexford town against anticipated rebel attack....
. The fort and town then became a sanctuary

Sanctuary

Sanctuary has multiple meanings. A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its church tabernacle or altar. An animal sanctuary is a place where animals live and are protected....
for fleeing loyalists and troops in south Wexford and was also used as a prison

Prison

A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or internment and usually deprived of a range of personal Freedom ....
and place of execution for suspected rebels.

Duncannon's strategic importance continued to be recognised throughout the 19th century. Napoleon sought and got intelligence on its strength and weakness, in preparation for a possible invasion of Ireland.

Duncannon fort was used by the FCA (Irish army reserve) as a barracks and training facility until recent years.

Duncannon

History

See also

External links