On this Day…….19 August

By Ian Brophy

On this Day…….19 August.

On this day, 19 August, 1504, the Battle of Knockdoe took place.

Regarded as one of the bloodiest battles to take place during medieval history, it occurred near Lackagh, north of Galway.
The battle of Knockdoe; ‘ Cnoc Tuagh ‘, meaning ‘the hill of the axes’; was a defining moment in our history.
It pitched Ulick Finn Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanrickard, against Gerald Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare.

Ulick Burke was of the de Burgo clan; the Anglo-Norman clan who had attacked the town of Galway c. 1230. Like many other Anglo-Norman families, over time, the de Burgos adopted Irish ways and habits, marrying amongst the native Irish, and speaking the Irish language. Over time, they became more Irish than the Irish themselves.

Ulick Burke had attempted to take control of neighbouring territories, including the county of Mayo, where the other branch of the de Burgo family held power. He tried to wield power over the province of Connacht; attacking and destroying the castles of other leading families. This eventually put him in direct conflict with Gerald Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare.

Gerald Fitzgerald, known as Gearoid Mor, was the Lord Deputy of Ireland; the King’s envoy to govern Ireland on his behalf. The King’s deputy became concerned with Burke’s attempt to gain supremacy in Connacht. When Burke took up the occupation of the town of Galway, the Earl of Kildare, as the King’s representative in Ireland, was forced to act.

The armies met on the slopes of Knockdoe; with Gallowglass warriors playing a big part in each army. Knockdoe, ‘Cnoc Tuagh’- the Hill of the Axes – is from the use of the Gallowglass axes during the battle, making this one of the bloodiest battles in Irish medieval history.

Fitzgerald and his allies numbered around 6,000; while Burke’s forces amounted to 4,000 men. The chief loss of life was among the group of mercenary Gallowglass warriors who were employed on both sides. In the end, Burke’s men were decimated by Fitzgerald’s forces. The battle lasted all day, with casualties estimated at least 4,000 persons. Fitzgerald, the King’s deputy, emerged victorious. The next day, he and his army marched to Galway. The coat of arms of Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, were placed on the castle / tower house of the Lynch family; today known as Lynch’s Castle AIB bank in Galway.

It is also believed that firearms were used in the course of this battle, one of the first instances of firearms being used in Ireland.
On this day, 19 August, 1504; the battle of Knockdoe took place.