Battle of Piltown`1462

[Dave Knight]

Does anyone have any more details of the battle other than that in Wikipedia?

Or any informed speculation about numbers and types of troops involved?

[Mick Hession]

There was an article in The Hobilar (Journal of the Lance & Longbow Society) Issue 34 and also The Irish sword: the journal of the Military History Society of Ireland , Vol. VI, No. 24, pp. 196-212, Summer, 1964. I read the Hobilar one years ago and it's worth seeking out. 

There's very little on-line that I'm aware of. The Annals of the Four Masters has:
M1462.8
The young Earl of Ormond came to Ireland with a great number of Saxons i.e. Englishmen. A great war broke out between the Earls of Ormond and Desmond, in the course of which Garrett, the son of the Earl of Desmond, was taken prisoner by the Butlers [Ormond]. Waterford was also taken by them. They i.e. both Earls afterwards agreed to give battle to each other, and they came to an engagement; but it was against the will of the Earl of Ormond that Mac Richard [leader of the local Butler forces] went to fight the battle on that day. Howbeit he was defeated, and taken prisoner; and, according to some accounts, there were four hundred and ten of the slain of his people interred, besides the number who were devoured by dogs and birds of prey. The Geraldines [Desmond] took Kilkenny and the other towns in the country of the Butlers, after the slaughter of the latter in this battle; but the young Earl of Ormond remained with his Englishmen in a fortified town, which could not be taken. Another brother of the Earl came to Ireland, and on the sea took four ships, with their crews, belonging to the Earl of Desmond; and, in consequence of this, the Butlers acquired great power.

The Annals of Connacht are broadly the same:
1462.8

The young Earl of Ormond came to Ireland this year with an innumerable following of English. War between the Earls of Ormond and Desmond, Gerald son of the Earl of Desmond was captured by the Butlers. They took Waterford. A day of battle was set between them. The Earl of Ormond did not come to the battle that day, because it was a custom with the English not to give battle on a Monday nor after midday on other days. Mac Richard came to fight the battle in defiance of the Earl, and he came by himself. He and the Fitz Geralds fought a fierce and bloody fight and the Butlers were routed; four hundred and ten of them were counted as being buried, besides those whom dogs and wild animals devoured. The FitzGeralds took Kilkenny and the large towns of the county after slaughtering their inhabitants. The Earl of Ormond with his English held the town in which they were themselves.

1462.9

A young kinsman of the Earl of Ormond met at sea four ships belonging to the Earl of Desmond's people loaded with treasure, and captured them. This capture greatly strengthened the Butlers.

Ian Heath's WRG book (Medieval Europe Vol 1) has a brief account that says it was the Butler's Irish allies that refused to fight because it was a Monday but doesn't cite a source so I suspect he misinterpreted the Annals of Connacht version.   

I have the sources cited by the Wikipedia article at home but don't recall them containing much useful detail - I'll check later this week when I get a chance. 

For type of troops involved I'd refer you to Slingshot 326 - part 1 of my Knockdoe piece contains a breakdown of Desmond's available forces from c.1481 which is probably close enough. Mac Richard's contingent was probably a broadly similar mix of galloglass (McSweeneys), Kern and horse. 

Although Ormond had English troops (Lancastrian survivors from Towton - a mix of bows, bills and men at arms) and maybe some local militia from Waterford and New Ross too (records are patchy, but in 1463 the citizens of that town were pardoned by Edward IV for unspecified treasons) the annals imply that these did not take part in the battle.

Cheers
Mick   

[Dave Knight]

Thanks Mick