The Irish standard., 1895-03-09
Interesting Historical Description
OF the Ancient Town in Sight
OF Which
IRELAND MET HER DOOM.
The Celebrated People Who Have
Visited Kinsale as COnquerors
or Fugitives.


hunted on the shores of Manhattan, and
the wild buffalo roamed where now stand
the great centres of western civilizations,
says Florence O'Sulivan in the Skib-
bereen Southern Star. It had it's charter
from Edward III, before the Battle Of
Crecy was fought and won; over two
hundred years bef6re the defeat Of the
Spanish Armada by the fleets of Eliza
beth, three hundred years before the
Battle of the Boyne, five hundred years
before the Battle Of Waterloo. It had
it's Burgess roll, it's courts OF session,
returned two members to parliament, it's
extensive trade established, and right OF
custom leviable thereon, when Belfast
was in embryo, and the now beautiful
town of Kingston q mere fishing hamlet.
1t had it's abbey Of learned friars and an
other of regular canons over three huns
dred years before was laid the founda
tion-stone of new st. Paul's. The name
of Kinsale has several Irish derivations,
all glowing with the beautiful imagery
of the Gaelic tongue among those ''Csan
ta1le,' j. O., "the head Of the sea-; ''Cune
taile, or "Cune saille,'' which imports "a
smooth sea or basin,' and "Fanna tus-
brid," meaning ''the fall Of the springs"
The name of Kinsale is intimately as
sociated with many events of great sig
niicance in the checkered history Of the
Conquest of Ireland. AS early as 1880 ss
feet Of Spanish sail, after d ing much
mischief on the coast of England, were
defeated in Kinsale by an English feet.
In 1901 in Elizabeth's reign, was fought
the famous Battle of Klosale, when the
Irish army, under the three famous chief
tains, Hugh O'Neill, Hugh O'Donnell and
Donal O'Sullivan Beare, Fastening to
the relief of the Spanish allies, under
Don Juan D 'Aqnilla, then lying beleague-
red in the town, besieged by q powerful
English force, were unhappily defeated,
after desperate contest. A few days
afterwards Hugh O'Donnell set out from
the harbor of Castlehavon for Spain for
reinforcements But Don Juan D'Aquilla
having capltulated short time after the
battle at Kinsale, all hopes Of further aid
from Spain were thereby put an end to.
In regard to the vital consequences
hinging upon the result Of this battle, it
may be ranked with some of the most
momentous contests in the history of the
world. It would be interesting to- spec.
uiate what would be the effect if Harold
had gained the battle Of Hastings, it
Napoleon had won Waterloo; or how
difference the subsequent history of Ire
land would read had the Irish chieftains
and their Spanish allies won the Battle
of Kinsale. Many places in the locality,
some ruins still standing, bear, to this
day interesting evidence Of the terrible
siege to which the Spaniards were sub
jected during their occupancy Of Kinsale.
Less than half century passed away,
and again Kinsale is the scene Of battle,
hears again the roar Of cannon, and suf-
fers the direful effects Of Q blockade.
This time, however, it is the English
who are at each others throats. Prince
Rupert, nephew of King Charles /, inn
mediately after the execution Of that
king by the Parliamentsrians, put into
Kinsale with sixteen ships, where short
time afterwards he was blockaded by
three OF Cromwell's sdmirals, but
z.i -.
ually escaped, after giving the enemy the
slip.
And now comes Cromwell on the scene
Cromwell, the strongest soul of Eng
land ssthe undisputed nero Of all Eng
land z as Carlyle calls him. How differ
emit this from our Irish view Of him, with
his terrible butcherings, his brutal decree
Of ..Hell or Connaught, Z and his sales of
girls as slaves for Barbadoes. We are
moro inclined to agree with Hume's
definition of him, as Fanatic Hypoc-
rite, J" with the added word, Butcher.
Cromwell II IS recorded. paid visit to
Kinsale. a house is pointed out il the
town whore he lay during his visit And
here, in word, is tho outcome of his
brief stay, as recorded On May 20 AL
the Irish were driven ont q Kinsale, By
an order from Cromwell. Comment on