User:MinorProphet/Draft subpages/Garret Barry

Garrett Barry, also Gerat or Gerald Barry (born c1586, died after October 1649), served as a colonel in the Spanish army, and fought at the Siege of Breda (1624) under Spinola during the Eighty Years' War. As a Lieutenant-General in the Irish Confederacy during the Eleven Years War he successfully besieged Limerick in 1642.

Life

Parentage

Garret Barry was born towards the end of the 16th Century, possibly around 1583.<refnote>According to his own account in A Discourse of Military Discipline... published in 1634 Barry had spent "thirty-three yeares in this my present profession of armes", meaning he may have started soldiering c1601. If he had started army life aged 14, not uncommon in those days, he could have been born in around 1583.

According to Kenneth Wiggins, Garrett Barry almost certainly belonged to the Barry family of Lisgriffin Castle, Co. Cork. Lisgriffin is about 3 miles W. of Buttevant. His father was probably Richard Barry, son of James Barry who was pardoned in 1573. Garret Barry signed the Oath of Association in 1642 as "Barry, Garrat, of Lisgriffin".

Spanish Wars: The Netherlands

He served with Henry O'Neill's Irish regiment (formed in 1605) which was part of the Spanish army commanded by Ambrogio Spinola in the Spanish Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War. Barry was present at the 1606 siege of Rheinberg (Rijnberk) in 1606. (Source: Jennings 1964 p.102-3 "Wild Geese in Spanish Flanders 1582-1700", quoted in Anatomy of a siege: King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642, Volume 1 p.57 Kenneth Wiggins), when the Spanish forces recaptured the town they had lost to Maurice of Nassau in a previous siege in 1601.

So Maurice's troops lost the seige of Rheinberg after 40 days, and Spinola let them go. But almost immediately there was a crash on the Genoese stockmarket, and Spinola, who had been funding the entire campaign, was ruined. There was a ceasefire and the war came to an undistinguished end through lack of funds.

Siege of Breda (1624–5)

...in the Spanish army during the Eighty Years' War in the Low Countries and Germany. Barry distinguished himself in 1625 at the Siege of Breda (1624)–5 under General Ambrosio Spinola.

It was now admitted that no more accomplished pupil of the stadholder (Maurice of Nassau) in the beleaguering art had appeared in Europe than his present formidable adversary (Spinola, fighting for Spain). On this occasion, however, there was no great display of science. In the modern practice, armies were rarely captured in strongholds, nor were the defenders, together with the population, butchered. <<Motley p.16>>

Genoa, where Spinola came from, was ruled by the Spanish Hapsburgs.

Raising an army for Spain

Barry was in Spain in 1640. Really?? Spain suddenly had a number of problems. There were risings in Catalonia, Portugal etc, and a long-standing conflict with France had turned into the Thirty Years War. Spain needed more troops, and Alonso de Cárdenas (often called Alfonso in contemporary reports), the Spanish Ambassador to England, contracted with king Charles I of England for eight colonels to raise a regiment of a thousand men each. (NB Not in Cardenas article.)

Simultaneously, the situation in Ireland was becoming more and more difficult in Ulster. The actions of the English parliament were becoming more and more aggressive towards the Catholic Irish, and the King was powerless to help. It seems that the return of the Colonels to Ireland may have been a deliberately planned ruse to raise an army in Ireland to fight the Puritan English (and the Presbyterian Scots). The Wild Geese, especially men such as Owen Roe O'Neill, then serving in the Army of Flanders, must have known what was really happening.

Maybe the Spanish were intending the recruitment as a smokescreen to raise an army for overthrowing English rule;

Some troops had already left for Spain, and another 8,000 would have raised a large sum for King Charles. It was the English Parliament which prevented the ships arriving to take the regiments to Spain; the rebellion hadn't begun, and Parliament was probably (????) trying to limit Charles' income. If the ships had simply failed to arrive - or had been attacked on their way to Ireland, it would look different. So why didn't they arrive? Was there a blockade? There was a constant flow of recruits from Ireland to Spain anyway, and the shipment was nothing unusual. Might Cardenas have secretly organised it? NB how (by what authority) were the ships stopped????

The continued proroguing of the Irish Parliament (when, fool?), leaving the Ulstermen without a forum to air their grievances, was the last straw, and rebellion quickly flared up in the north.

Find out the exact timing of all this, I bet it all ties in nicely:

The proroguing of the Irish Parliament. (March 31 1640 (http://bcw-project.org/timelines/1640) the bit of the 30 Years' War in Spain, (The Catalonian revolt had sprung up spontaneously in May 1640).

Cardenas' contract with the Colonels, (1641, coinciding with the rebellion.)

start of the rebellion in Ireland, (October 1641)

1a.

Contract with John Barry dated 8th September 1641, ships to arrive by 25th Sept. Deposition dated 25th November that the ships did not arrive "by reason of some restraint laid on them by the Parliament of England without the privity or consent of the said Don Alphonso." confirmed pp Cardenas Nov. 27, 1641.

More Egmont: Col. John Barry.

1641, September 8. - Bond of Col. John Barry of Liskarowle, Co. Cork, Esq., and Sir Philip Percivalle of Dublin, Knight, to Don Alphonso de Cardenas, in 1,500/. The condition of this bond is that Col. John Barry, having undertaken to raise in the kingdom of Ireland a regiment of a thousand foot, to be trans- ported this present harvest into Spain for his Catholic Majesty, and having received 750/. from Don Alphonso towards the raising of the same, agrees to have the thousand soldiers in readiness at Waterford, the Passage, and Kinsale, or any of them, by the 25th of this present month, and then and there to embark them for Spain, provided that Don Alphonso shall find shipping sufficient at the time and place aforesaid for transporting the said soldiers, and shall keep them at his own charges until they be embarked. Copy. 1 p.

Overleaf : Memorandum that Col. Barry had the men in readiness according to the bond, " but to this day there came no shipping for them, by reason of the stay put upon shipping by the Parliament of England. Signed by John Barry and -witnessed by Sir William Usher and two others, Nov. 25, 1641. ip. Annexed : Acknoivledgment on behalf oj Don Alphonso de Cardenas that Col. Barry had the troojJS in readiness, but that no shipping came for them " by reason of some restraint laid on them by the Parliament of England without the privity or consent of the said Don Alphonso." Nov. 27, 1641. Copy. 1 p.

Hmmm, a suspicious man would read something into this next one::::

Col. John Barry.

1641, September 8. - Bond of Col. John Barry of Liscarrol, Co. Cork, to Sir Philip Percivall, in 3,000/., conditioned for the keeping of Sir Philip, his heirs, &c., harmless in case of the forfeiture of the bond to Don Alphonso de Cardenas. Signed and sealed by John Barry. Witnessed by John Usher ami Thos. Loghlyn. 1 p.

Follow-up to this, 15th November 1644 House of Lords Journal Volume 7: 15 November 1644', Journal of the House of Lords: volume 7: 1644 (1767-1830), pp. 64-66. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33158 Date accessed: 01 September 2011.

Paper from the Spanish Ambassador, about sending Officers and Men from Ireland into Flanders.

"To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled.

"Don Alonso de Cardenas, Lord Ambassador of His Catholic Majesty in this Kingdom, doth represent unto your Honours, that, about Three Years past, his Lordship did agree with some Colonels and Irish Officers (which this Day are in Ireland), to go to serve in Spaine and Flanders with People of that Nation, which Agreement took no Effect then, through divers Stops which did offer; and for as much that at present some of the said Officers are willing to transport People to Spaine and Flanders, so that the Parliament will assure them with a Pass for their Ships, which, by their Order, shall be employed to go quietly and freely without any Trouble or Molestation of any Ships in your Honours Service; therefore his Lordship doth desire and intreat the Parliament to grant him their said Pass, which shall be received for a particular Favour."

Ordered, To communicate this Paper to the House of Commons.

2.

When the Thirty Years War broke out between France and Spain (exactly what the Dutch had been awating for many years), Barry was one of seven (eight?) colonels allowed to recruit a regiment in Ireland for service in Spain. He was successful in gathering 1000 men and they were ready to embark at Kinsale, Co. Cork. However, the simultaneous beginning of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 meant that there was a ready army to attack Dublin and sieze power. Some Irish were hoping for a Spanish invasion (like as Lismore(?) 40 years previously). But having deprived the Spanish of their promised troops, the Irish can't have expected too much of them.

The unfortunate failure to take both Dublin and Cork early on probably sealed the fate of the Rebellion <<Maybe...>>

Barry was given the rank of colonel in the Spanish army, for whose service he was employed to raise troops in Ireland. But pressing problems in Ireland meant they never got to Spain. Along with other professional Irish soldiers such as Thomas Preston,Owen Roe O'Neill and Hugh Dubh O'Neill who had also served in the Irish regiment of the Spanish Army, . During the Irish Confederate Wars, Barry commanded Catholic Confederacy troops.

Discussion of Garrett Barry's abilities as a General. He gives two reasons for Barry's failure as a general.

1. Although he had been a soldier since his youth, and performed well as a soldier under orders, when given overall command he was irresolute. 2. The war in Flanders, carried out mainly through sieges of towns by well-supported armies (rather than pitched battles), was very different to the irregular warfare in Ireland. This was necessitated by the lack of arms among the insurgent population; Catholics were forbidden to own guns or serve in the forces. 3. He was really quite old 4. He was not a physically attractive man (even unpleasant to look at) and could behave more like a coarse country fellow than a gentleman.

Irish Rebellion of 1641

Irish Rebellion of 1641

Failure to take Cork

The Irish under Barry encamped at Richardstown a mile from Cork. Being a seaport, it was impossible to starve the city, and the troops were ill-equipped to storm it; so the Irish blockaded the landward side to stop the English seizing other castles, and to prevent looting excursions. The English, for their part, were unaware of how ill-provisioned the rebels were, and nothing happened for several weeks.

The arrival of Vavasour with troops lifted the English spirits, and a sally in force put an Irish scouting party to flight. This turned into a general rout, and Cork was saved.

Ref for following quotes: THE HISTORY OF BANDON by GEORGE BENNETT, ESQ., B.A. 1862. COKE: HENRY AND COGHLAN, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, 35 & 36, GEORGE'S STREET. https://archive.org/details/historyofbandon00benniala

<<p. 72>>

Next day (April 7), the camp at Belgooly was broken up, and most of the insurgents proceeded to reinforce the blockade of Cork. This city, at that time, was invested on its southern side by General Barry and Lord Muskerry, who expected Lord Roche and others to do the same on the northern side. In order to prevent this, the lord president, who was besieged in the city, sent the Earl of Inchiquin and Colonel Jephson, with two English troops of horse just arrived from England, on an cxjicdiiion into Orrery and Roche's country. Here they had the good fortune to relieve the Castle of Rathgogan, to take Ballyhea, and to kill some hundreds of the insurgents.

Soon after this, Sir Charles Vavasor lauded at Youghal with his regiment, one thousand strong. The arrival of this force roused the drooping spirits of the English, and proportionally depressed those of the Irish. After landing, he immediately marched to Cork, where he was ordered to reinforce the lord president. On tho 13th

<<p.73 >>

of April, Lord Huskerry, who had encamped at Roch- fortstown within three miles of Cork, caused a division of his men to chase the English scouts into the suburbs, after which they made a stand. Upon this, Lord Inchiquin, Colonel Vavasor, and other officers made a sortie with two troops of horse and six companies of foot, and pursued the enemy to the camp, which con- sisted of thirty-six colors. When they arrived at the camp, instead of facing about, they began to pack up their baggage. Inchiquin, perceiving this, followed them for fully three miles, scattering their whole army, capturing all their equipage, carriages, tents, trunks in one of the latter, they found Lord Muskerry's armor and killed two hundred of the enemy, amongst whom was that doughty warrior, Captain Sugane.

End of Bandon.

As a Lieutenant-General in charge of the Catholic Confederacy army in Munster. He marched with 1,500 men to beseige the English-held Limerick in 1642. Having no siege artillery, he began tunnelling operations under the castle on 18th May. Many of the miners were civilians from the royal silver mines in County Tipperary. Two of the mines were successful, and the northern corner of the bastion fell on 21st June. The castle surrendered two days later.

Kilmallock was also taken by Garret and ...

General Barry had successfully repulsed an attack on his head-quarters, the famous old Desmond town of Killmallock. In June, Barry, Purcell, and Castlehaven drove the enemy before them across the Funcheon, and at Kilworth brought their main body, under Sir Charles Vavasour, to action. Vavasour's force was badly beaten, himself captured, with his cannon and colours, and many of his officers and men.

Annals of Kinsale p xxxix : Rochford's Town fortified by Garret Barry in 1642 (failure to take Cork)

"Liscarrol and Barry and Muskerry went south again with three pieces of cannon taken in the castle [Limerick] . Among these was a thirty-two pounder weighing about three tons, which was laid in the scooped-out trunk of a tree and dragged up hills and through bogs by twenty-five yoke of oxen.

This check caused a long delay, but at last Barry advanced with six thousand foot and five hundred horse and sat down on August 20 (30th?) before the strong castle of Liscarrol. Liscarrol belonged to the Barry family.

Here he was joined by Lord Dungarvan, who had just taken Ardmore Castle and hanged 117 men, leaving the women and children at liberty. A garrison of thirty men could do little against the fire of heavy guns, and Liscarrol surrendered on September 2. However, on the 3rd, Inchiquin's forces threw back Barry's army and Liscarroll Castle was reoccupied, and three pieces of cannon brought from Limerick were taken."

Battle of Liscarrol

Same ref, Lisgriffin ref. Egmont MSS: 1st Feb 1644(5), Barry writes from Lisgriffin to Thomas Raymond, commander at Liscarrol: see below.

Egmont MSS.... messy

Main ref for much of the following

Report on the manuscripts of the Earl of Egmont, Vol. I Parts I & II. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office by Mackie & Co. 1905.

Egmont MSS Vol. I Parts I & II - where all the quotes come from, i fink. Volume I Parts I & II bound together: Intro (82 pages, to lxxxii); Part I ends at p. 336; Index begins p. 618.

Egmont MSS Vol II Printed ... by John Falconer, 1909. Intro (15 pages, to xvii) Begins in April 1661. Index p. 247 - No mention of Garret Barry in this Vol.

"But in spite of more or less open discontent, in the autumn of 1641, all seemed quiet in the province.

But while believing in the need for stronger measures of precaution, St. Leger strongly condemned the harsh words of the Proclamation issued by the Lords Justices on October 31 ; for whereas they should have sought to soothe the humours of the people, this had wrought " the clean contrary effect." He had, he said, read it to 0' Sullivan (probably 0' Sullivan Beare), and, at the words "ill-affected Irish papists," never had any man's face shown more venomous rancour. Sir William was evidently now (Nov. 5) beginning to be more alarmed. Lord Clanricarde, twice summoned, had not appeared ; Col. Garrett Barry had collected a force of twelve hundred men, thereby putting Cork and Kinsale into a terrible fright, and news had come that the insurgents were gathering strength, wherefore, he must say, "their Lordships are too slow." Three days later he plainly hints that their Lordships are also too timid.

" I do find that all at Dublin, or the most part of them, are frighted out of their wits, for if it were not so, it were impossible that they could think that Dublin could be taken by a company of naked rogues. You are as safe as it you were in London, if you be but men and stand to your tackling. I am very sorry to hear that the Master [of the Wards, Sir William Parsons] hath sent away his children. In my poor opinion, it is the unadvisedest thing that ever he did. next sending for all the soldiers out of this province. What can they imagine will be possible for one to do with one poor troop of horse ? I have represented it freely unto him ; if any ill happen, the blame must light where it is due, for I cannot fight without men, neither have they any occasion to use foot, if they understood what they went about; the horse would rout these rogues if they were well followed."

The only thing the Lords Justices had done for Munster, as we learn from their own letters,** was to " direct the Lord President to command Colonel Barry " to disperse his men, as to which St. Leger says "I have sent to him to disband his men, which I hope he will do, but if he will not, I must let him alone, for I cannot make him " (p. 145).

• See the very important series of despatches amongst the Marquis of Ormonde's papers, lately reported on by the Hist. MSS. Commission.

These troops had been gathered in order to be carried into Spain, but probably their colonel had now some hopes that he might make them useful nearer home. St. Leger hardly recognized how serious matters were in Dublin, where money, men and arms were lacking, and from which a force had had to be sent to support Drogheda, the only strong barrier between the insurgents of the North and Dublin itself; but probably if the stout old soldier had been there, he would have put a little more heart into its rulers. As it was, he made all preparations for the defence of his own province, and in this defence Sir Philip Percivall's castles played an important part, lying as they did towards the north of county Cork, with the wild region of Slewtocher to the west, and the high mountain of Ballyhoura on the east, and protecting the open land by which an incursion could most easily be made from county Limerick. Lovers of Spenser know the country well, for through it flows the Awbeg, Spenser's Mulla, and Ballyhoura is Mulla's father Mole.

The most westerly, strongest and most important of the castles was Liscarrol. This was the ancient home of the Barrys, and Col. Garrett Barry had resolved that it should be the home of the Barrys once again as soon as possible. East of Liscarrol lay in succession the castles of Annagh, Walshestown, Temple Conila and, lastly, Ballincurry, on the slopes of Ballyhoura. Upon the first advertisement of the troubles, St. Leger gave orders to have these castles put in a state of defence and garrisoned, but he was greatly crippled in his work by lack of men and arms, and, on November 13, complained to Percivall: -

More from Egmont MSS:

[One of the Eight Irish Colonels*] to Lord ???

1641, May 8. London. - " Here has been the greatest treason discovered this week that was in England since the powder plot. The design was my Lord of Strafford's escape, the bringing of our English army upon the Parliament, satisfying the Scots army and sending them back, and, as we since suspect, bringing in French forces and our Irish over for their assistance. iThe conspirators were Mr. Jermyn, Mr. Percy, Sir John Suckling, Davenent the poet, and such youths (unsworn counsellors), and, as my lord of Essex called them in the House, the new Juntillio. They are all fled, and Col. Goring is susjpected to be of the party, who was (as is thought) to have favoured the French descent at his govern- ment of Portsmouth, whither one lord (my Lord Mandeville) and two commoners (Sir John Clotworthy and Sir Philip Stapleton) are sent to examine him. My lord of Carnarvon and Mr. Crofts did happen to go a private journey at the same time, and so are come to the honour of being reported traitors. My lord of Strafford is now at last in utter despair, and all hope of arbitrary government has given up the ghost. The Judges did all give in their opinions that his facts (sic) and counsels were treasonable, and the Lords have passed the Bill and the Commons begin to cry out for execution. The Queen is very angry, but the King eats and sleeps well still. He has given his consent to the dis- banding of our army, and so there's an end of our wars. I have leave to carry away a thousand men, but I have not my treaty ready yet. Butler, two Barrys, Belling, Sir James Dillon, Lieut. Col. Taafe and I are named to transport the men. Copy. 1 p.

• The name of the writer, in the endorsement, has been erased, but apparently has been Capt. John Barry, which is evidently a mistake. The names of the officers to whom the King granted warrants to carry troops abroad, as given in Carte's Life of Ormond [1.. 133) are Cols. Theobald Taaffe, John Barry, John Butler. Bichard Plunkett, George Porter, Chris. Beling, Garret Barry and (a little later) Col. Thos. Butler. If this list is correct, the above letter must have been written either by Plunkett or Porter. In a paper amongst the State Papers, Ireland (Vol. cclix., 3) dated May 7, Plunkett and Porter are omitted, and Sir Lorenzo Cary, Lieut. -Col. Winter and Sir James Dillon given in their stead.

Known as the first Array Plot

Sir William St. Legbe to Sir Philip Percivall:

1641, November 8. Downer ayle.-" I do find that all at Dublin, or the most part of them, are frighted out of their wits, for if it were not so, it were impossible that they could think that Dublin could be taken by a company of naked rogues. You are as safe as <<p. 145 >> if you were in London, if you be but men and stand to your tack- ling. I am very sorry to bear that tbe Master* hath sent away bis children. In my poor opinion it is the unadvisedest thing that ever be did, next sending for all the soldiers out of this province. What can they imagine will be possible for me to do with one poor troop of horse. I have represented it freely unto them ; if any ill happen, the blame must light where it is due, for I cannot fight without men, neither have they any occasion to use foot if they understood what they went about ; the horse would rout these rogues if they were well followed, but I fear you have no men for it in those parts. Yesterday I writ to you at large, and will do so every day that I have conveniency, if they would erect a post betwixt this and that place, which is very necessary. I beseech you speak with the Master about it. Your letter is burnt, and old Gar. Barry holds his men still together about Kingsale. What he means to do I know not, but the country is much afraid of him. I have sent to him to disband his men, which I hope he will do, but if he will not I must let him alone, for I cannot make him."

Postscript: " Let the Master believe me the feat is to be done with horse and that speedily, if they be hotly handled." 2 pp.

Thomas Raymond to [Sir Philip Percivall]. (Sergeant in charge of Liscarrol - It had been taken by Garret Barry in 1641/2 ? and recaptured by Inchiquin Sept 2nd ish)

1644 [-5] , January 2. Liscarroll. - I hear that McJames wants to get Welshestowne again and Annagh, and that he often rode to General Barry's and invited him to his dwelling at Imogane. He would have been very troublesome if the cessation had not been renewed. It was generally thought that it would not be, " and our castles were bestowed beforehand"; Mallowe to Mr. Donnogh O'Callaghane ; Liscarroll to Mr. McDonnogh (who is the vilest man, and the worst enemy you have) ; Annagh and Welchestowne to the Barrys, Miltowne to Capt. David Poure. Now it is renewed till February 1st, and the Irish party are making all preparations, and boldly declare they will have no more cessations with Lord Inchiquin, and that we in the <<p.244 >> castles " are no better than hogs put up a fatting." However, if we have but some reasonable force come over by then they would soon be humbled. Misdoubting McJames, I got an order from Lord Inchiquin for possession of Welshestowne Castle, and was to pay McJames what he had spent in repairs (upon view by indifferent gentlemen), but " no men will value the same, his demands are so unreasonable." 2J pp.

More Egmont, p. 245

Garrett Barry to Thomas Raymond, commander at Liscarrol.

1644 [-5], February 1. Lisgriffin. - Having seen a letter of Lord Inchiquin's announcing a continuation of the cessation until the 16th of this instant February, which has been concluded upon by the Governor of Cork in his Lordship's name, Edmond [FitzGerald] of Ballinemartera and Charles Heneshie (Hennessy?) being the Catholic Commissioners, he wishes to know whether Reymond has received notice of it, and (in regard to his former mis-usages, or at least mistakes), whether he will be pleased to conform him- self to it. 1p.

<<p. 496>> (Vol I, Part II) 1650, August 16. Cork. - Mr. Savage has gone into county Tipperary on business. "All that country is destroyed almost with the sickness. Waterford is in our hands, but the sickness hath been there a long time, and it is at Youghall, and now in this town." As long as it reigns amongst us there is little hope of getting much out of the lands, but it is better to keep the tenants on them if possible to plough them, and give a chance of making some profit hereafter. Almost all McDonnagh's and Sir James Crag's lands are waste. Col. [John?] Barry is dead, and his lands at Liscarroll, Buttevant and Brahenye are waste also. "I have not as yet spoken with the Countess of Barrymore, for the times are so dangerous, what with the tories and the sickness, that I have not been out of Cork this half year." 2 vp.

Index of Egmont MSS:

BARRY
Gen. Garret, of Lisgriffin, 231, 243, 245. 
is to carry troops to Spain, 134. 
is ordered to disband his men. 144, 145. 
letter from, 245. 

Vavasour took Cloghleagh Castle, near Mitchelstown, and after the surrender some of his followers slaughtered the defenders, and apparently some women and children with them. In the meantime Castlehaven received a pressing invitation from some of the Cork gentry, who had no confidence in their own general. He persuaded the council at Kilkenny to give him money, with which he soon raised a body of horse, and on June 4 he routed Vavasour near Kilworth. On Castlehaven's side only cavalry were engaged, Barry, with the main body, being more than two miles off, and the result was due to panic. Vavasour's horse for the most part escaped, but he himself was taken prisoner and his force routed. p. 48

LOTS OF REFS - Wiggins - see .jpg's in Barry folder 2 Kenneth Wiggens, Anatomy of a siege: King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642; (http://books.google.com/books?id=hmziLJnM0kwC&q=Garrett+Barry&dq=garrett+barry+limerick&source=gbs_word_cloud_r&cad=2# : downloaded 25 Jan 2010), page 264. Repository: Google Books. Surety: 3.

3 Kenneth Wiggens, Anatomy of a siege: King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642; (http://books.google.com/books?id=hmziLJnM0kwC&q=Garrett+Barry&dq=garrett+barry+limerick&source=gbs_word_cloud_r&cad=2# : downloaded 25 Jan 2010), page 56. Repository: Google Books. Surety: 3.

4 Kenneth Wiggens, Anatomy of a siege: King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642; (http://books.google.com/books?id=hmziLJnM0kwC&q=Garrett+Barry&dq=garrett+barry+limerick&source=gbs_word_cloud_r&cad=2# : downloaded 25 Jan 2010), page 64. Repository: Google Books. Surety: 3.

Siege of Liscarroll Castle

Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry

Barry seized Liscarroll Castle on the Awbeg river - trying to cut off the English-held city of Cork. Inchiquin's cavalry

In collaboration with Garret Barry, a veteran of the Spanish army of Flanders, Muskerry took command of the Confderacy troops in Munster. Although Barry and Muskerry campaigned successfully during the spring of 1642, they were decisively defeated by Lord Inchiquin at the battle of Liscarrol in July 1642 Irish Confederate army around 6000 strong.

http://www.magner.org/part2.htm

Most of the other members of the Barry families were on the Confederate and Catholic side. Garret Og Barry was an 80-year old veteran of the Spanish Wars and returned to take command of a Confederate army group of about 1,000 all ranks in Kinsale. In August AD 1642 he was persuaded to challenge the marsuading army of Lord Inchequin and attacked the castle of Liscarrol. Lewis Boyle Lord Kinelmeaky, brother-in-law of Earl Barrymore was killed there in a bold defensive action as the fortress fell to Garret Og. However the aged and dilatory Garret Og delayed in consolidating his position and a few weeks later in September AD 1642 Inchequin re-captured the castle and routed Garret Og’s army in a counter-attack as the Confederates fell to looting Inchequin’s baggage. Earl Barrymore was fatally wounded in the corner-charge and he died a dew days later. His widow married his Uncle John Barry of Liscarrol and her Boyle connection secured the Barrys and their followers in Orrery for the time being.

http://inchiquin.blogspot.com/ Battle of Castlelyons

The Supreme Council of the Irish Confederacy in Kilkenny were alarmed by this development. The General of the Irish Munster army was Garret Barry, a highly experienced veteran of the Wars in Europe, but a man whose reputation was under a cloud since being beaten by Inchiquin's forces at Liscarrol the year before. As a result, the Supreme Council offered the Earl of Castlehaven the commission to command the Munster forces. Having received the commission, Castlehaven mustered eighty horsemen, as well as his own forty strong lifeguard of horse. This 120 strong force marched to Cashel to rendezvous with General Barry and Lieutenant-General Sir Patrick Purcell. At Cashel he met another 120 horse of the Munster army, as well as seven hundred foot. The troop of Munster horse seem to have consisted mostly of mounted teenagers, for Castlehaven refers to them as 'boys'. The entire force that was assembled was now around 1,000 strong, including the squadron of light horse.

Castlelyons is the site of Barrymore castle, the ancestral home of the Earls of Barrymore.

(1644) The Supreme Council met these demonstrations with more stringent instructions to General Purcell, now their chief in command, (Barry having retired on account of advanced age,)

His lack of success in that position was ascribed to his advanced age and inexperience in effectively carrying on the irregular warfare then adopted by the Irish. He retired from active service about 1642, <<Sounds like bollocks>> and was outlawed by the English government for having joined in the Irish war. The year of the death of Barry has not been ascertained.

The conflict in Ireland since 1641 had originally been between the Catholic Irish rebels and English Royalist troops sent by king Charles I. The Scottish Covenanters, in an alliance with the English Parliament from 1642, also supplied an army to put down the rebellion in Ulster. A truce was called during the English Civil Wars, but after the 1649 Parliamentarian victory in England, Cromwell invaded Ireland. The pact between the Scots and Parliament had also broken down, and the previously warring forces (Covenanters, Royalists and Confederates) joined in a new uneasy alliance against the New Model Army.

The Irish forces were commanded by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, and in a letter to Sir George Lane on 31 July 1649, Ormonde says he could "put the country in a position of defence under Lt-General Barry.

This is almost certainly Captain/Colonel John Barry, who was the cousin of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde. (Glibert, Hist. Irish Conf. Vol 4 p. 278) Both had fought on the English side in the Seven Years' War, and John Barry was dead by 1650 (Egmont MSS)

p 461 32. ORMONDE TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL (John) BARRY. APPENDIX

Sir,

Since the dispatch of my letter directinge your comeinge hither, I receaued advertisment that the Rebells have sent shippinge towardes Corke which may perhapps import some reliefe for the countenance of the revolt there. And in Ormonde that regard I haue thought fitt herby to direct you to prosecute your busines as to was formerly intended till further order, and to the end you may proceed with General" 1 effect (if possible) we haue directed Major-Generall Purcell, in our patent for his march to the army, that in case he should receave your orders to march unto you with his party, that he should obey it ; and soe I rest

Your affectionate friend,
Ormonde.

To Lieutenant Generall Barry. Killkenny Castle, 30. October, 1649.

And then there's not much more of him.

Works

Barry translated into English (The seige of Breda by the armes of Phillip the Fourt vnder the gouernment of Isabella atchiued by the conduct of Ambr. Spinola) an account by Herman Hugo of the Siege of Breda (1624), in Latin (Obsidio Bredana armis Philippi IIII, pub. Anvers 1629?) Illustrated with plates and dedicated to his general, Spinola, Barry's transl. was published by Hastenius at Louvain in 1627 in folio. There is a copy in the library of Lincoln Cathedral.

This is not to be confused with a different translation (also 1627) by Sir Henry Gage of the same work, published by J. Dooms in Brussels. Perhaps Barry was also author of another folio volume, printed at Brussels in 1634, with the following title: A Discourse of Military Discipline... pub. widow of Jan Mommaert

To this volume, illustrated with plates and plans, Barry prefixed a dedication to David Fitz-David Barry, earl of Barrymore, viscount of Buttevant, baron of Ibaune, lord of Barrycourte and Castleliones, &c. The publications of Barry are of great rarity, and but little known.

Sources

• Contemporary History of Affairs in Ireland, 1641-52, Dublin, 1879-81
• J. T. Gilbert (ed.) History of the Irish Confederation and War in Ireland, 1641-3, 7 Vols, Dublin, 1882
• State Papers, Ireland, 1641, Public Record Office; Add. MSS. 1008, 4772
• Letter from Lord Deputy of Ireland to Speaker Lenthal, London, 1651

External Links

• Article on the Siege of Limerick by Kenneth Wiggins

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Barry, Gerat". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.