Major military engagements throughout
Irish historyThe history of Ireland began with the first known settlement in Ireland around 8000 BC, when hunter-gatherers arrived from continental Europe, probably via a land bridge. Few archaeological traces remain of this group, but their descendants and later Neolithic arrivals, particularly from the...
include:
400s
- 457 - Ath Dara
- 464 - First Battle of Dumha Aichir
- 468 - Bri Ele
- 470 - Second Battle of Dumha Aichir
- 476 - First Battle of Granard
- 478 - Ocha
- 480 - Second Battle of Granard
- 483 - Battle of Ochae
- 489 - Tailtin
- 491 - Cell Losnaid
- 492 - Sleamhain, in Meath
- 493 - Battle for the Body of St. Patrick
The Battle for the Body of St. Patrick occurred shortly after the death of St. Patrick, who died on 17 March 493.-Account in the Annals of the Four Masters:...
- 494 - Ceann Ailbhe
- 496 - Druim Lochmaighe
- 497 - Inde Mor, in Crioch Ua nGabhla
- 499 - Seaghais
500s
- 500 - Lochmagh
- 501 - Freamhain, in Meath
- 506 - Luachair
- 507 - Druim Deargaighe
- 513 - Battle of Dedna
- 528 - Luachair
- 531 - Claenloch
- 537 - Sligeach
- 544 - Cuil Conaire
- 546 - Cuilne
- 556 - Cuil Uinnsenn
- 561 - Cul Dremne
- 563 - Moin Dairi Lothar
- 571 - Battle of Tola
- 572 - Battle of Doete
- 579 - Druim Mic Earca
- 590 - Eadan Mor
- 594 - Dun Bolg
- 597 - Battle of Sleamhain
- 598 - Eachros
600s
- 600 - Loch Semhedidhe
- 601 - Battle of Slaibhre
- 622 - Carn Fearadhaigh
- 622 - Lethed Midinn
- 624 - Ard Corainn
- 626 - Leathairbhe
- 628 - Ath Goan
- 634 - Magh Rath
- 645 - Carn Conaill
- 648 - Cuil Corra
- 656 - Fleasach
- 660 - Ogamhain
- 666 - Battle of Aine
- 685 - Cenn Conn
- 686 - Leach Phich
- 688 - Imlech
- 696 - Tulach Garraisg
700s
- 701 - Corann
- 702 - Claen Ath
- 713 - Cam Feradaig
- 718 - Battle of Almhain
- 719 - Delgean
- 721 - Druim Fornocht
- 724 - Cenn Deilgden
- 727 - Magh Itha
- 730 - Bealach Ele
- 732 - Fochart
- 733 - Battle of Ath Seanaith
- 738 - Ceanannus
- 744 - Ard Cianachta
- 749 - Ard Naescan
- 751 - Bealach Cro
- 759 - Dun Bile
- 762 - Caill Tuidbig
- 769 - Bolg Boinne
- 781 - Ath Liacc Finn
- 787 - Ard Mic Rime
800s
- 800 - Ardrahan
- 820 - Carn Conain
- 845 - Dunamase
- 848 - Battle of Skryne
- 851 - Battle of Dundalk
900s
- 903 - Bealach Mughna
- 915/916/917 - Battle of Confey
The Battle of Confey was a battle fought in Ireland between Norse invaders and the King of Leinster Augaire mac Ailella. The battle was fought in 917 AD and led to the recapture of Dublin by the Norse dynasty that had been expelled from the city fifteen years earlier by Augaire's predecessor...
(year uncertain)
- 919 - Battle of Dublin
- 978 - Belach Lechta
- 980 - Battle of Tara
The Battle of Tara took place in medieval Ireland in 980. On one side there was a Norse army from Dublin supported by troops from the Hebrides and commanded by Olaf Cuaran. The other side was led by Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, who had recently come to power as head of the southern Uí Néill...
- 994 - Sack of Domhnach Padraig
- 994 - Sack of Aenach Thete
- 999 - Battle of Glenmama
The Battle of Glenn Máma or Glenmama was a battle that took place in County Wicklow in AD 999. It was the decisive and only engagement of the brief Leinster revolt of 999-1000 against the King of Munster, Brian Boru...
1000s
- 1014 - Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on Good Friday in 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one...
- 1086 - Breach of Crinach
- 1087 - Conachail, in Corann
The Corann was a barony in County Sligo in the province of Connacht, Ireland....
- 1087 - Rath Edair
- 1088 - Corcach
- 1090 - Magh Lena, in Meath
- 1094 - Bealach Gort an Iubhair
- 1094 - Fidhnacha
- 1095 - Ard Achad
- 1098 - Fearsat-Suilighe
- 1099 - Craebh Tulla
1100s
- 1101 - Grianan
- 1103 - Magh Cobha
- 1132 - Siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1149 - Siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1151 - Battle of Móin Mhór
The Battle of Móin Mhór was fought in 1151 between the kingdoms of Leinster and Thomond in Ireland. The Kingdom of Leinster was victorious.-References:* The Battle of Móin Mhór, 1151, John V.Kellagher, Celtica 20, 1988....
- 1169 - Norman invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a Norman military expedition to Ireland that took place on 1 May 1169 at the behest of Dermot MacMurrough , the King of Leinster. It was partially consolidated by Henry II on 18 October 1171 and led to the eventual entry of the Lordship of Ireland into the Angevin...
- 1171 - Sack of Dublin by the forces of Strongbow
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland , known as Strongbow, was a Cambro-Norman lord notable for his leading role in the Norman invasion of Ireland....
- 1174 - Battle of Thurles
- 1192 - Aughera
1200s
- 1224 - Sack of Ard Abla
- 1225 - Sack of Loch Nen
- 1225 - Sack of Ardrahan
- 1230 - Siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1230 - Findcairn
- 1232 - Siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1235 - Siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1247 - Siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1249 - First Battle of Athenry
The First Battle of Athenry was fought on the August 15, 1249 at Athenry, Galway, Ireland. Ath an Ri had existed as a minor settlement prior to its foundation as a town by the de Bermingham family in 1241, and was thus still little more than a military base in hostile territory.The victor of the...
- 1257 - Battle of Creadran Cille
- 1257 - Sack of Sligo
- 1260 - Battle of Druim Dearg
The Battle of Druim Dearg was a battle between the Normans and Brian Ua Neill , High King of Ireland near Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland in 1260. The Normans won a descisive battle....
- 1261 - Battle of Callann
The Battle of Callann was fought in 1261 between the Normans and the forces of Finghin Mac Carthy. Mac Carthy was victorious. The battle site is located in modern day Kilgarvan, County Kerry, in the townland of Callan known locally as Collon....
- 1270 - Battle of Áth-an-Chip
Bruce Campaign
- 1315 - Battle of Carrickfergus
- 1315 - Battle of the Moiry Pass (June)
- 1315 - First battle of Dundalk (June)
- 1315 - Battle of Connor
The Battle of Connor was fought during 1315 in what is now Connor, County Antrim. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. Edward Bruce and his Irish allies defeated the 2nd Earl of Ulster's forces following the defection of his allies; who resolved to renounce their servitude to the...
(September)
- 1315 - Second battle of Dundalk (November)
- 1315 - Battle of Kells
The Battle of Kells was a battle between Edward Bruce and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Mortimer was decisivly beaten. The battle's outcome however, did not matter, for after, Bruce was defeated in the Battle of Faughart....
(December)
- 1316 - Battle of Skerries
The Battle of Skerries , also named the Battle of Ardscull , was a battle in the Bruce campaign in Ireland – part of the First War of Scottish Independence – fought on 26 January 1316, resulting in a Scottish victory. It was part of the Irish campaign of Edward Bruce, brother of Robert...
(January)
- 1316 - Second Battle of Athenry
The Second Battle of Athenry took place at Athenry in Ireland on 10 August 1316 during the Bruce campaign in Ireland.The collective number of both armies are unknown, and can only be estimated; while it is doubtful that the numbers were any higher than seven thousand the list of participants on...
(August)
- 1318 - Battle of Dysert O'Dea
The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Co. Clare, Ireland, on May 10, 1318 during the Irish Bruce Wars 1315-1318. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Irish chieftain Conor O'Dea, chief of the Cineal Fearmaic and ally of Murtough O'Brien, but his forces were...
(May)
- 1318 - Battle of Faughart
The Battle of Faughart , also known as the Battle of Dundalk, was fought on October 14, 1318 between an Anglo-Irish force led by John de Bermingham and Edmund Butler, and a Scots-Irish army commanded by Edward Bruce, brother of Robert Bruce, king of Scotland. It was a battle of the First War of...
(October)
----
- 1328 - Battle of Thomond
- 1329 - Battle of Ardnocher
- 1330 - Battle of Fiodh-an-Átha
- 1333–1338 - Burke Civil War
- 1336 - Castlemore-Costello besieged and demolished by the King of Connacht
- 1340 - Battle of the O Cellaig's
- 1341 - Battle of the Clan Maurice
- 1342 - Battle of Beal-atha-Slisen - King of Connacht defeats the King of Moylurg
- 1343 - Battle of Hy-Many
Uí Maine, often referred to as Hy Many, was one of the oldest and largest kingdoms located in Connacht, Ireland. Its territory of approximately encompassed all of what is now north, east and south County Galway, south and central County Roscommon, an area near County Clare, and at one stage had...
- MacFeorais and Clanricarde soundly defeat the Ui Maine. Achadhmona; battle between the O'Donnells, in Tirhugh
- 1345 - Battle of Lough Neagh - naval battle between Hugh O'Neill and the Clann Hugh Buidhe
- 1346 - Calry-Lough-Gill - O Rourke soundly defeated by the O Connors. Brian Mag Mathgamna defeats and kills 300 English somewhere in Thomond
- 1348 - Ballymote besieged and burned by MacDermot, O Connor defeated
- 1349 - O Melaghlin of Meath defeated in battle by the English
- 1355 - The English of West Connaught defeated Mac William Burke, and killed many of his people Clanricarde defeats the Mayo Bourkes and the Siol Anmchadha
- 1356 - Baile-Locha-Deacair
- 1358 - Hugh O Neill defeats the Fer Managh and Orial. O More defeats the English of Dublin in battle
- 1359 - Ballyshannon
- 1366 - Srath-Fear-Luirg
- 1368 - Oriel
- 1369 - Blencupa
- 1369 - Lough Erne - English of Munster and Desmond soundly defeated by O Brian, possibly at Limerick
- 1373 - Annaly
- 1374 - Niall O Neill defeats the English
- 1375 - Downpatrick - Niall O Neill defeats the English
- 1377 - Clann-Cuilein - Clanricarde and his allies defeated
- 1377 - Roscommon - Ruaidri O Conchobhair defeats the Mayo Burkes and the Ui Maine
- 1379 - Dreach - O Neill Mor defeats Maguire
- 1380 - Atha-leathann - Clanricarde defeated by Bourke of Mayo
- 1381 - Athlone
- 1383 - Trian Chongail - Hugh O Neill and Robin Savage kill each other in a cavalry charge
- 1384 - Carrickfergus "burned by Niall O'Neill, who thereupon acquired great power over the English"
- 1385 - Battle of Tochar Cruachain-Bri-Ele
The Battle of Tochar Cruachain-Bri-Ele is a fourteenth century Irish battle fought in 1385, which took place near what is now the village of Croghan, County Offaly. The battle pitted the forces of Uí Failghe, led by Murrough O Conchobhair, and the English forces in Meath. The army of Uí Failghe...
- O Conchobhair, King of Ui Falighe, soundly defeats the English of Meath
- 1389 - Caislen an Uabhair
- 1391 - Bealach-an-Chrionaigh
- 1392 - Ceann-Maghair
- 1394 - Battle of Ros-Mhic-Thriúin
- 1395 - Cruachain - the King of Ui Failghe defeats an English expedition. O Donnell defeats and captures the sons of Henry O Neill
- 1396 - Creag - O Conchobhair Roe defeats O Conchobhair Donn. O Tuathail of Lenister inflicts a severe defeat on the Anglo-Irish
- 1396 - Sligo - O Donnell and O Connor besiege and burn the town
- 1397 - Machaire Chonnacht
- 1397 - Bun-Brenoige
- 1398 - Eachdruim Mac n-Aodha - the O Tooles and O Byrnes defeat the Anglo-Irish, killing the Earl of March
- 1398 - Magh-Tuiredh - O Conchobair Roe and allies defeated by McDonagh
- 1399 - Battle of Tragh-Bhaile
The Battle of Tragh-Bhaile was fought in Ireland in 1399 between the forces of Henry O Neill's sons and the Anglo-Irish. The Anglo-Irish were victorious....
- the Anglo-Irish defeat the sons of Henry O Neill
1400s
- 1400 - Dunamon.
- 1406 - Battle of Cluain Immorrais
- 1444 - Duibhthrian; Sligo burned by the O Donnells, Maguires and O Connors.
- 1446 - Cuil Ua bh-Fionntain
- 1449 - Muintir-Maelmora
- 1452 - Cloch-an-bhodaigh; Coirrshliabh na Seaghsa
- 1453 - Ardglass (naval battle)
- 1454 - Inis
- 1455 - Athlone: The castle of Athlone was taken from the English, having been betrayed by a woman who was in it.
- 1456 - Cuil Mic an Treoin (Friday 18 May)
- 1457 - Druim da Ethiar
- 1460 - Corca Bhaiscinn (naval battle)
- 1461 - Ceann Maghair
- 1462 - Waterford taken by the Butlers in a war with the FitzGeralds.
- 1464 - Sliabh Lugha
- 1465 - Carn Fraoich
- 1466 - Offaly; Anglo-Irish army defeated by O Connor
- 1467 - CrosMoighe-Croin
- 1468 - Beann-uamha; Scormor, in Clann Chathail mic Murray
- 1469 - Baile-an-Duibh; The Defeat of Glanog
- 1473 - Doire-Bhaile-na-Cairrge
- 1475 - Baile-Locha-Luatha
- 1476 - Beal Feirste (Belfast)
- 1478 - Sligo, and the siege of Carrig Lough Ce
- 1482 - Ath-na-gCeannaigheadh
- 1483 - Traghbhaile of Dundalk
- 1484 - Moin-Ladhraighe
- 1486 - Tirawley
- 1488 - two sieges of Carraig Lough Ce
- 1489 - Belfast castle demolished by O Donnell; Ballytober Bride sacked by O Connor Roe
- 1490 - Maigh Croghan
- 1493 - Glasdromainn; Beanna Boirche;
- 1494 - O Donnell besieges Sligo for several months in the summer, but is unsuccessful
- 1495 - O Donnell besieges Sligo again; battle of Beal an Droichit; siege of Ballyshannon; battle of Termon-Daveog
- 1497 - Bealach-Buidhe; Beal Ath Daire.
- 1498 - Cros-Caibhdeanaigh. Dungannon.
- 1499 - Tulsk. First recorded death in Ireland from a bullet.
1500s
- 1504 - Battle of Knockdoe
The Battle of Knockdoe was a conflict between the Hiberno-Norman de Burgh and, at the time, Anglo-Norman Fitzgerald families, along with their respective Irish allies...
- Fitzgeralds of Kildare defeat the Clanricarde Burkes
- 1534 - Siege of Dublin Castle
thumb|400px|Dublin Castle, Upper Yard
The Bedford Tower of 1761 comprises the centrepiece of the Castle's principal Georgian courtyard, flanked by the gates of Fortitude and Justice...
by Silken Thomas in Kildare
- 1565 - Battle of Glentasie
The Battle of Glentaisie, was an Irish battle fought in the north of Ulster on 2 May 1565. The result was a victory for Shane O'Neill over the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg. The conflict was a part of the political and military struggle, involving the English and occasionally the Scots, for control of...
- Shane O'NeillSéan Mór Ó Néill, anglicized Shane Ó Neill , was an Irish chief of the O'Neill clan of Ulster in the mid 16th century. Shane O'Neill's career was marked by his ambition to be The O'Neill - chief of the O'Neills...
defeats the MacDonnells of Clan Iain Mor
- 1565 - Battle of Affane
The Battle of Affane was fought in county Waterford, in south-eastern Ireland, in 1565, between the forces of the Fitzgerald Earl of Desmond and the Butler Earl of Ormonde. The battle ended in the rout of the Desmond forces...
- Fitzgeralds of Desmond defeated by Butlers of Ormond
- 1567 - Battle of Farsetmore
The Battle of Farsetmore was fought near Letterkenny in Donegal, north-western Ireland, on the 8th May 1567, between the O’Neill and O’Donnell clans...
- Shane O'NeillSéan Mór Ó Néill, anglicized Shane Ó Neill , was an Irish chief of the O'Neill clan of Ulster in the mid 16th century. Shane O'Neill's career was marked by his ambition to be The O'Neill - chief of the O'Neills...
defeated by O'Donnell clan
- 1570 - Battle of Shrule
Mac an Iarla War
- 1572 - First Sack of Athenry
- 1573 - Beal an Chip
- 1577 - Second Sack of Athenry
- 1577 - Siege of Loughrea
- 1579 - Lisdalon
- 1580 - Sack of Loughrea
- 1580 - Cill Tuathail
Desmond Rebellions
First Desmond Rebellion (1569–1573)
- 1569 - Siege of Kilkenny
- 1569 - First Battle of Killamock
- 1571 - Second Battle of Kilmallock
Second Desmond RebellionThe Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the Fitzgerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, southern Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
(1579–1583)
- 1579 - Aenachbeg
- 1579 - Sack of Youghal
- 1579 - Sack of Kinsale
- 1580 - Battle of Glenmalure
The Battle of Glenmalure took place in Ireland in 1580 during the Desmond Rebellions. An Irish Catholic force made up of the Gaelic clans from the Wicklow Mountains led by Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne and James Eustace, Viscount Baltinglas of the Pale, defeated an English army under Arthur Grey, 14th...
- 1580 - Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle
The siege of Carrigafoyle Castle took place at Easter in 1580 near modern-day Ballylongford, County Kerry, Ireland on the southern shores of the River Shannon. The engagement was part of the English crown's campaign against the forces of Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond during the Second...
- 1580 - Siege of Smerwick
- 1582 - Allhallowtide
Spanish Armada
- 1588 - English (not British) crown mobilisation to capture survivors
Nine Years' War
- 1595 - Battle of Clontibret
The Battle of Clontibret was fought in modern County Monaghan in Ulster in Ireland during the Nine Years War, between the crown forces of England's Queen Elizabeth and the Irish army of Hugh Ó Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone...
- 1596 - Third Sack of Athenry
- 1596 - Siege of Galway
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
, Sack of Bohermore
- 1597 - Battle of Casan-na-gCuradh
- 1597 - Battle of Carrickfergus
The Battle of Carrickfergus took place in November 1597, in the province of Ulster in what is now County Antrim, Northern Ireland, during the Nine Years War. It was fought between the crown forces of Queen Elizabeth I and the Scots clan of MacDonnell, and resulted in a defeat for the English.-...
- 1598 - Battle of the Yellow Ford
The Battle of the Yellow Ford was fought in western County Armagh, Ulster, in Ireland, near the river Blackwater on 14 August 1598, during the Nine Years War ....
- 1599 - Siege of Cahir Castle
The Siege of Cahir Castle took place in Munster, in southern Ireland in 1599, during the campaign of the Earl of Essex against the rebels in the Nine Years War . Although the castle was considered the strongest fortress in the country, Essex took it after only a few days of artillery bombardment...
- 1599 - Battle of Wicklow
- 1599 - Battle of Curlew Pass
The Battle of Curlew Pass was fought on the 15th of August 1599, during the campaign of the Earl of Essex in the Nine Years' War, between an English force under Sir Conyers Clifford and a rebel Irish force led by Hugh Roe Ó Donnell. The English were ambushed and routed while marching through a pass...
- 1600 - Battle of Moyry Pass
The Battle of Moyry Pass was fought during September and October 1600 in counties Armagh and Louth, in the north of Ireland, during the Nine Years War...
- 1601 - Battle of Kinsale
- 1602 - Siege of Dunboy
The Siege of Dunboy took place towards the end of the Nine Years War , from the 5-18 June in 1602, following the siege of Kinsale.-The Castle:...
Irish Confederate Wars
- 1641 - Battle of Julianstown
The Battle of Julianstown was fought during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, at Julianstown near Drogheda in eastern Ireland, in November 1641.- Battle :The insurgents, led by Rory O'More moved south from Ulster towards Dublin, hoping to take the capital...
- 1642 - Battle of Swords
- 1642 - Battle of Liscarroll
The battle of Liscarroll was fought in county Cork in July 1642, at the start of the Eleven years war. An Irish Confederate army around 6000 strong and commanded by Garret Barry – a professional soldier - was defeated by an English force commanded by a Protestant Irishman, Murrough O'Brien, Baron...
- 1642 - Battle of Kilrush
The Battle of Kilrush was a minor engagement at the start of the Eleven years war. It was fought in April 1642 between an English army under the Earl of Ormonde, and Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret, who led an untrained horde of Irish troops raised during the Irish Rebellion of 1641...
- 1642 - Battle of Glenmaquinn
- 1642 - Sack of the Claddagh
The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124, refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battles, sacks and sieges...
- 1642 - Siege of Limerick 1642
- 1643 - Battle of New Ross (1643)
The Battle of Ballinvegga was a battle of the Irish Confederate Wars fought on 18 March 1643.In the battle, James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde defeated Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara, and an Irish Confederate army north of the town of New Ross in the nearby townland of Ballinvegga, County Wexford...
- 1643 - Battle of Funcheon Ford
- 1643 - Battle of Portlester
- 1643 - Siege of Forthill
- 1645 - Siege of Duncannon
The Siege of Duncannon took place in 1645, during the Irish Confederate Wars. An Irish Catholic Confederate army under Thomas Preston besieged and successfully took the town of Duncannon in south eastern Ireland from its English Parliamentarian garrison...
- 1646 - Battle of Benburb
The Battle of Benburb took place in 1646 in the Irish Confederate Wars, the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It was fought between the forces of Confederate Ireland under Owen Roe O'Neill and a Scottish Covenanter army under Robert Munro...
- 1647 - Battle of Dungans Hill
- 1647 - Sack of Cashel
The Sack of Cashel was a notorious atrocity which occurred in the Irish County of Tipperary in the year 1647, during the Irish Confederate Wars, part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The town of Cashel was held by the Irish Catholic Confederate's Munster army and was besieged and taken by an...
- 1647 - Battle of Knocknanauss
- 1649 - Battle of Rathmines
The Battle of Rathmines was fought in and around what is now the Dublin suburb of Rathmines in August 1649, during the Irish Confederate Wars, the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
- 1649 - Siege of Drogheda
Drogheda, a town in eastern Ireland, was besieged twice in the 1640s, during the Irish Confederate Wars and the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The first siege occurred during the Irish Rebellion of 1641, when Phelim O'Neill and the insurgents failed to take the town...
- 1649 - Sack of Wexford
The Sack of Wexford took place in October 1649, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, when the New Model Army under Oliver Cromwell took Wexford town in south-eastern Ireland. The English Parliamentarian troops broke into the town while the commander of the garrison was trying to negotiate a...
- 1649 - 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 Catholic and English Royalist troops under general Thomas Preston...
- 1649 - Battle of Arklow (1649)
The Battle of Arklow took place on the coast road through Arklow, in county Wicklow, Ireland, in November 1649. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the Parliamentarians during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
- 1649 - Battle of Lisnagarvey
The Battle of Lisnagarvey took place near Lisburn, 20 miles south of Carrickfergus, in south county Antrim, Ireland in December 1649. It was fought between the Royalists army and the Parliamentarians during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Background:When the army of Oliver Cromwell landed in...
- 1649 - Siege of Derry (1649)
- 1650 - Siege of Kilkenny
- 1650 - Siege of Clonmel
The Siege of Clonmel took place in April – May 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland when the town of Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland was besieged by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army. Cromwell's 8,000 men eventually took the town from its 2,000 Irish defenders, but not before...
- 1650 - Battle of Tecroghan
The Battle of Tecroghan took place near Trim, in west Leinster, Ireland in June 1650. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. An English force under Hewson and Reynolds had surrounded the formidable castle of Tecroghan...
- 1650 - Battle of Scarrifholis
The Battle of Scarrifholis was fought in Donegal in north-western Ireland, on the 21st of June 1650, during the Irish Confederate Wars – part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
- 1650 - Siege of Charlemont
The Siege of Charlemont took place in July - August 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland when the fortress of Charlemont in County Armagh, Ireland was besieged by Charles Coote’s Parliamentarian army, which was largely composed of soldiers of the New Model Army...
- 1650 - Battle of Macroom
The Battle of Macroom was fought in 1650, near Macroom, County Cork, in southern Ireland, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. An English Parliamentarian force under Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery defeated an Irish Confederate force under David Roche....
- 1650 - Battle of Meelick Island
The Battle of Meelick Island took place on the river Shannon, on the border between Connaught and Leinster, in Ireland in October 1650. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The battle occurred when an English force...
- 1651 - Siege of Limerick (1650–1651)
- 1651 - Battle of Knocknaclashy
The battle of Knocknaclashy, took place in county Cork in southern Ireland in 1651. In it, an Irish Confederate force led by Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry was defeated by an English Parliamentarian force under Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery...
- 1652 - Siege of Galway
Galway, a port city in western Ireland, was besieged from August 1651 to May 1652 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Galway was the last city held by Irish Catholic forces in Ireland and its fall signalled the end to most organised resistance to the Parliamentarian conquest of the...
Williamite War
- 1689 - Break of Dromore
The Break of Dromore is a name given to a battle fought during the Williamite War in Ireland on March 14, 1689. The battle was fought between Catholic Jacobite troops under Richard Hamilton and Protestant Williamites....
- 1689 - Siege of Derry
For context see the Williamite War in Ireland and Jacobitism.The Siege of Derry, took place in Ireland during 1689....
- 1689 - Battle of Newtownbutler
The Battle of Newtownbutler took place near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh in northern Ireland in 1689 and was part of the Williamite War in Ireland.-The war in western Ulster:...
- 1690 - Capture of Sligo
- 1690 - 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 King James and the Protestant King William, who had deposed James in 1688...
- 1690 - Siege of Limerick (1690)
Limerick, a city in western Ireland, was besieged twice in the Williamite War in Ireland, 1689-1691. On the first of these occasions, in August to September 1690, its Jacobite defenders retreated to the city after their defeat at the Battle of the Boyne...
- 1690 - Siege of Cork
Siege of Cork took place during the Williamite war in Ireland in the year of 1690, shortly after the Battle of the Boyne when James II attempted to retake the English throne from King William III. It was a bloody battle. French, English and Dutch soldiers were killed as well as civilians. The...
- 1690 - Siege of Kinsale (1690)
- 1691 - Siege of Athlone
Athlone in central Ireland, was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland . The town is situated on the River Shannon and commanded the bridge crossing the river into the Jacobite held province of Connaught. For this reason, it was of key strategic importance.The Williamites first...
- 1691 - Capture of Athenry
- 1691 - Siege of Galway
Galway, a port city in western Ireland, was besieged from August 1651 to May 1652 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Galway was the last city held by Irish Catholic forces in Ireland and its fall signalled the end to most organised resistance to the Parliamentarian conquest of the...
- 1691 - Siege of Limerick (1691)
Limerick in western Ireland was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland . The city, held by Jacobite forces was able to beat off a Williamite assault in 1690. However, after a second siege in August-October 1691, it surrendered on terms....
- 1691 - Battle of Aughrim
The Battle of Aughrim was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the Jacobites and the forces of William III on 12 July 1691 , near the village of Aughrim in County Galway....
1700s
- 1760 - Battle of Carrickfergus
The Battle of Carrickfergus took place in February 1760 in Carrickfergus, Kingdom of Ireland during the Seven Years War. A force of 600 French troops landed under the command of the Privateer François Thurot overwhelmed the small garrison of the town and captured its castle.When word of the capture...
- Carrickfergus seized by the French for five days.
- 1795 - Battle of the Diamond
The Battle of the Diamond was a violent confrontation between the Catholic Defenders and a Protestant faction including Peep o' Day Boys, Orange Boys and local tenant farmers that took place on September 21, 1795 near Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland. The Protestants were the victors, killing...
- a sectarian faction fight in County ArmaghCounty Armagh is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster and is part of Northern Ireland. It was named after the town of Armagh....
, that led to the founding of the Orange OrderThe Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order or the Orange Lodge, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and the United States...
United Irishmen Rebellion
- 24 May - Ballymore-Eustace
The Battle of Ballymore-Eustace was one of the events in the United Irish rebellion of 1798. It took place on May 24 1798 after the stationing of the 9th Dragoons, and members of the Tyrone, Antrim and Armagh Militias at Ballymore in County Kildare near the Kildare-Wicklow border on May 10...
, NaasThe Battle of Naas took place in Ireland on 24 May 1798.-Background:One of the first engagements of the 1798 rebellion, a force of over 1,000 rebels, led by Michael Reynolds attacked Naas, the strongest Crown garrison in county Kildare, following the successful mobilisation of United Irishmen,...
, ProsperousUnited Irish taking of Prosperous, Co. Kildare, 1798Prosperous, a recently founded cotton-manufacturing town in Co. Kildare was attacked shortly after the outbreak of the 1798 rebellion at 2 a.m on 24 May 1798 by a rebel force about 600 strong which targeted the British garrison consisting of Cork...
, KilcullenThe Battle of Kilcullen took place on 24th May 1798 near the two settlements of that name in County Kildare, and was one of the first engagements in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 consisting of two separate clashes between a force of United Irish rebels and British military.-Old Kilcullen 7 a.m:The...
- 25 May - Carlow
The Battle of Carlow took place in Carlow town, Ireland on 25 May 1798 when Carlow rebels rose in support of the 1798 rebellion which had begun the day before in County Kildare...
- 26 May - Tara Hill
The Battle of Tara Hill was fought on the evening of 26 May 1798 between British forces and Irish rebels involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, resulting in a heavy defeat for the rebels and the end of the rebellion in County Meath.-Background:...
- 27 May - Oulart Hill
The Battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27 May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spreading rebellion in county Wexford.-Background:...
- 28 May - Enniscorthy
The Battle of Enniscorthy was a land battle fought during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, on 28 May 1798, between forces of the British Crown and a force of Irish Rebels at Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland. The attack began at about 1 P.M, when the Rebels drove a herd of cattle through the towns’s...
- 30 May - Three Rocks
The Battle of Three Rocks was a United Irish victory during the 1798 rebellion against a British artillery column marching to reinforce Wexford town against anticipated rebel attack.-Background:...
- 1 June - Bunclody
The battle of Bunclody or Newtownbarry as it was then called, was a battle in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which took place on 1 June 1798 when a force of some 5,000 rebels led by Catholic priest Fr...
- 4 June - Tuberneering
The Battle of Tuberneering was fought on June 4, 1798, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. it was fought between British troops and insurgents mobilised by the revolutionary organisation named the United Irishmen...
- 5 June - New Ross
The Battle of New Ross took place in County Wexford in south-eastern Ireland, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was fought between the Irish Republican insurgents called the United Irishmen and British Crown forces composed of regular soldiers, militia and yeomanry...
- 7 June - Antrim
The Battle of Antrim was fought on June 7, 1798, in the county Antrim in Ulster, Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 between British troops and Irish insurgents led by Henry Joy McCracken...
- 9 June - Saintfield
The Battle of Saintfield was a short but bloody clash in County Down, in Northern Ireland. The battle was the first major conflict of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 in Down. The battle took took place on the Saturday of 9 June, 1798.-Background:...
- 9 June - Arklow
The second Battle of Arklow took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on June 9 when a force of United Irishmen from Wexford, estimated at 10,000 strong, launched an assault into County Wicklow, on the British-held town of Arklow, in an attempt to spread the rebellion into Wicklow and to...
- 13 June - Ballinahinch
The Battle of Ballynahinch was fought outside Ballynahinch, County Down, on 12 June, during the Irish rebellion of 1798 between British forces led by Major-General George Nugent and the local United Irishmen led by Henry Munro .-Background:...
- 19 June - Ovidstown
The battle of Ovidstown, was a clash between British military and Irish rebels during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It took place at 19 June 1798 at Ovidstown Hill, about three miles south-west of Kilcock in County Kildare.- Background :...
- 20 June - Foulksmills
The Battle of Foulksmills, known locally as the Battle of Horetown and also known as the Battle of Goff's Bridge, was a battle on 20 June 1798 between advancing British forces seeking to stamp out the rebellion in County Wexford during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and a rebel army assembled to...
- 21 June - Vinegar Hill
The Battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 when over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, the largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irish rebels...
- 30 June - Ballyellis
The Battle of Ballyellis on 30 June 1798 was a clash during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 , between a surviving column of the dispersed Wexford rebel army and pursuing British forces which resulted in a total victory for the rebels....
- 27 August - Castlebar
The Battle of Castlebar occurred on 27 August during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 when a combined force of 2,000 French and Irish routed a force of 6,000 British in what would later became known as the Races of Castlebar.-Background:...
- 5 September - Collooney
The Battle of Collooney or Battle of Carricknagat refers to a battle which occurred on 5 September during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 when a combined force of French troops and Irish rebels defeated a force of British troops outside of Collooney near Sligo Town.-Background:A long-anticipated French...
- 7 September - Ballinamuck
The Battle of Ballinamuck marked the defeat of the main force of the French incursion during the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland.- Background :The victory of General Humbert at Castlebar, despite gaining him c. 5,000 Irish recruits had not led to a renewed outbreak of the rebellion as hoped...
Several fragments of the rebel armies of the Summer of 1798 survived to fight on both in the hope of the rebellion breaking out again and of French aid. The main guerrilla groupings were:
- June - November 1798 - Joseph Holt
Joseph Holt was a United Irish general and leader of a large guerrilla force which fought against British troops in County Wicklow from June-October 1798. He was exiled to Australia in 1799 where he worked as a farm manager and eventually returned to Ireland in 1814.-Background:Holt was one of six...
- 23 July 1803 - Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist rebel leader. He led an abortive rebellion against British rule in 1803 and was captured, tried and executed.-Emmet's early life:...
- 1798 -1803 - Michael Dwyer
Michael Dwyer was a Society of the United Irishmen leader in the 1798 rebellion. He later fought a guerilla campaign against the British Army in the Wicklow Mountains from 1798-1803.-Early life:...
- 1798 - 1804 - James Corocoran
Tithe War
- 1831–1836 - a period of rural insurgency over the payment of tithes to the Established Church.
Fenian Rising
- 1867 - an abortive attempt at a nationwide rebellion by the Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the mid-19th and early 20th centuries...
.
Irish War of Independence
- 1920 October 20 - Toureen Ambush
The Toureen Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 22 October 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place near Toureen, County Cork.-Background:...
- 1920 November 2 - Battle of Ballinalee
The Battle of Ballinalee took place during the Irish War of Independence on 3 November 1920. The Irish Republican Army , led by Seán Mac Eoin, drove a force of British Army and Royal Irish Constabulary from the village....
- 1920 November 21 - Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday was a day of violence in Dublin on 21 November 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. In total, 31 people were killed – fourteen British, fourteen Irish civilians and three republican prisoners....
- 1920 November 28 - Kilmichael Ambush
The Kilmichael Ambush was an ambush near the village of Kilmichael in County Cork on 28 November 1920 carried out by the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence. Thirty-six local IRA volunteers commanded by Tom Barry killed seventeen members of the RIC Auxiliary Division...
- 1920 December 11 - Burning of Cork
The Burning of Cork is the name commonly given to a devastating series of fires that swept through the centre of Cork City on the night of 11 December 1920. The burning and the subsequent controversy is one of the most significant events of the Irish War of Independence.-The Fire:During the War of...
- 1921 February 1 - Clonfin Ambush
The Clonfin Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 1 February 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place in the townland of Clonfin in County Longford...
- 1921 February 3 - Dromkeen Ambush
- 1921 February 25 - Coolavokig Ambush
The Coolavokig Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 25 February 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place at Coolavokig , County Cork...
- 1921 March 4 - Sheemore ambush
The Sheemore Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 4 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place at Sheemore near Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim....
- 1921 March 11 - Selton Hill ambush
The Selton Hill Ambush took place on 11 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. An Irish Republican Army flying column was ambushed by members of the RIC Auxiliary Division at Selton Hill, County Leitrim...
- 1921 March 18 - Burgery ambush
The Burgery Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 18–19 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place near the town of Dungarvan, County Waterford.-Ambush:...
- 1921 March 19 - Crossbarry Ambush
The Crossbarry Ambush occurred on 19 March 1921 and was one of the largest engagements of the Irish War of Independence.It took place at the rural crossroads of Crossbarry, County Cork, around 20 km south west of Cork city. About 100 Irish Republican Army volunteers escaped an attempt by over...
- 1921 March 21 - Headford Ambush
The Headford Ambush took place on 21 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence.The Second Kerry Brigade of the Irish Republican Army ambushed a train carrying British troops at Headford Junction railway station...
- 1921 March 23 - Scramogue Ambush
The Scramogue Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 23 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place in the townland of Scramogue, County Roscommon.-Background:...
- 1921 May 25 - IRA attack on The Custom House
The Custom House is a neoclassical 18th century building in Dublin, Ireland which houses the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government...
in Dublin
- 1921 June 2 - Carrowkennedy Ambush
The Carrowkennedy Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army on 2 June 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place in Carrowkennedy, County Mayo....
Irish Civil War
- 1922 - Battle of Dublin
The Battle of Dublin, a week of street fighting in Dublin, the capital of Southern Ireland, from 28 June to 5 July 1922, marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War 1922–23...
- 1922 - Irish Free State offensive
The Irish Free State offensive of July–September 1922 was the decisive military stroke of the Irish Civil War. It was carried out by the National Army of the newly created Irish Free State against anti-treaty strongholds of in the south and west of Ireland...
- 1922 - Battle of Kilmallock
The Battle of Kilmallock took place between June 28 and August 5, 1922, in County Limerick. It was one of the largest engagements of the Irish Civil War.-The battle:...
IRA Northern Campaigns
- 1942–1944 - First (unsuccessful) guerrilla campaign by the Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
The original Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the IRA in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and...
- 1956–1962 - Second (unsuccessful) guerrilla campaign by the Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
The original Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland in the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921. Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the IRA in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and...
The Troubles
- See also: Chronology of the Northern Ireland Troubles
This article lists the major violent and political incidents during and after the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Troubles was a period of conflict in Northern Ireland involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries, the British Army, security forces, and civil rights groups. The duration of...
- 1969 - Battle of the Bogside
The Battle of the Bogside was a very large communal riot that took place in Derry, Northern Ireland during 12–14 August 1969. The fighting was between residents of the Bogside area and the Royal Ulster Constabulary .The rioting erupted after the Royal Ulster Constabulary attempted to disperse...
- 1970 - Falls Curfew
The Falls Curfew was a British Army operation on the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland between 3–5 July 1970. The operation started with a weapons search but developed into three days of rioting and gun battles between British troops and Irish republican paramilitaries...
Irish Defense Forces on UN Duty
- 1960 - Niemba Ambush - Irish platoon massacred in the Congo. Two survivors.
- 1961 - Siege of Jadotville
The Siege of Jadotville took place in September 1961, during the United Nations intervention in the Katanga conflict in the Congo, central Africa, when a company of Irish UN troops was attacked by and eventually forced to surrender to troops loyal to the Katangese Prime Minister Moise...
- 150 Irish UN troops withstand a four-day siege by upwards of four thousand Kataganians in the Congo.
- 1961 - Second Battle for the Tunnel - Irish 36th Battalion capture a vital communications link in Elisabethville, Congo.
- 1980 - Battle of At Tiri, South Lebanon. Between Irish UNIFIL troops and Israeli Defence Forces.
- 2004 - Gbapa, Nimba county, Liberia - Irish Army Ranger Wing rescue villagers from Government of Liberia (GOL) forces.