The English Army in Ireland 1595

Service in Ireland was proverbially unpopular with Englishmen “Better to be hanged in Cheshire than to die in Ireland” they said.  Never the less large contingents were shipped off to Ireland as the pace of war accelerated.  

Despite those who deserted once they got there or died of disease or went over to the Irish the Crown managed to maintain experienced companies of soldiers in Ireland.  These companies often had a high number of Irish in them to make up the numbers. 

The life was one of ceaseless attrition and to improve their chances the soldiers tended to lighten their kit.  Pike men retained only their helmets and breast plates preferring mobility over protection. This drove their Captains into a fury as such kit was the property of the company Captain and only rented to the soldier.  There was apparently a healthy Irish black market in armour and weapons.

Given the tendency of companies to melt away the Crown was forced to make good by deploying its experienced soldiers from Europe and by conscripting fresh companies from England.

These Continental English companies, if we can call them that, lacked Irish experience but were well Officered, competent soldiers.

The newly raised English companies, readily identifiable in their colourful but inadequate uniforms, were resentful, disoriented men who found Ireland utterly beyond anything they had experienced.  To make matters worse the Irish liked to attack them first in the well- founded belief that they were more likely to panic than experienced English soldiers.  Never the less they began military life well equipped in weapons and armour.  The larger recruits were given pikes or muskets, the smaller men used calivers.   

By this time the bow was out of use and the Bill likely only to be used in defending a fort. The last statement should be qualified by the fact that a company that had performed particularly poorly might be reduced to pioneer status and issued with Bills.  While this punishment would certainly have reduced the life chances of the soldiery it was doubtless more acceptable to them than the company decimation which took place after the Battle of Glen Malure.

Mountjoy noted the English shot under performed when up against their Irish equivalents.  I think one likely explanation for this was the convention of charging the soldier, in wage deductions, for the shot and powder he used.  Presumably practice was deemed a luxury.

In terms of weapon ratio nine companies raised for Irish service in 1595 were noted as having between them 305 pikes, 132 muskets, 343 calivers and 36 halberds.

In addition to the above enlisted men significant numbers of impoverished English gentry attached themselves to the army in the hope of coming to royal attention and thereby getting rich. These men were skilled in arms, brave and desperate. They were willing to join with companies performing any dangerous action and to lead the fighting.

They were sometimes called Gentlemen Adventurers. Captain of the Queen's Kern Tom Lee shown above in Irish dress epitomised the type.

The English had four types of cavalry.  The best in terms of morale and armour were the Demi Lancers and they could dominate a battle field.  Light Horse were provided by Border Horse who were pretty much the equivalent of the Irish Horse. 

Other Light Horse and Petronels followed the European norm although the latter were scarce.  All were competent troops although it is doubtful that any of the Border Clansmen did more than they had to.

Although the English had artillery it was seldom used in the field as difficulties with transportation prohibited it.