Down the snowy mountain path came
a long straggling line of fugitives. An Armed guard rode in
front, led by O'Sullivan, Lord of Beare. Next came the women
and children - the sick and feeble on horses, the stronger
walking, while taking up the rear came the bulk of the
fighting men. The sorrowful trek to the North had begun.
Behind them lay Glengarrif where
for months they had held out against the English forces and
awaited help from Spain. In stunned silence they had heard
the grim news that the messenger brought : the Spanish troops
and supplies would not arrive ; all hope of aid was gone.
Glengarrif could be held no
longer. Their one faint hope of escape was to fight their way
to the friendly North. Thought it was the depth of winter
they left without delay and set out across the snow-covered
mountains. There were six hundred women and children in the
party and four hundred fighting men to guard them. O'Sullivan
had plenty of money, but so great was the fear of the English
troops that no one would sell him food or offer him shelter.
Day by day the journey grew more
painful. The snow fell heavily ; the bitter wind whipped
their faces ; they had no shelter and lay huddled together at
night in the open air. Often they were attacked by forces
much larger than their own ; always they bravely faced their
enemies and drove them off with heavy losses.
They camped one bitter night in
the Glen of Atherlow. It had been a weary day's march over
the snowy slopes of the Galtee mountains. Their small supply
of food was gone and all they had to eat was meal of herbs
and water. Each night they had suffered from the bitter cold
- now to this was added the terrible pangs of hunger. The
sentries were weak and wasted by their dreadful hardships and
many died that night at their posts.
On the following day the hunted
band again pushed on. Northward through Tipperary they went,
keeping always to the unused tracks and the rough mountain
passes. Still they were attacked and had to fight their way
each day through enemy forces. O'Sullivan divided his
fighting men into two parties - one search the countryside
for food, the other to guard the women, the children and the
wounded.
On the ninth day of their weary
journey they saw spread out before them the wide waters of
the Shannon. Here, in the shelter of a little wood, they
halted to consider their position. They had no boats or rafts
and every ford was heavily guarded. Yet the river must be
crossed at once for the enemy was first closing in behind.
O''Sullivan had among his
followers a skilled boatmaker. He called this man aside and
spoke to him a while. Then he gave his orders. Eleven horses
were killed and their flesh prepared for cooking ; trees and
branches were cut down and brought to the river bank. There,
with a band of willings helpers, the boatmaker set to work :
soon a rough boat frame was built and covered with the skins
of the horses.
When the boat was ready it was
carried to the water's edge and thirty armed men were safely
brought across the Shannon. Barely had they landed on the
other side when a strong force of soldiers attacked the women
and children who awaited the boat's return. But O'Sullivan
had left some of his best fighting men hidden among the
trees. At a word from their leader they dashed from the wood
and fell with such fury upon the soldiers that they were soon
put to flight. The boat returned, and those who survived the
attack were brought safely across the river.
They were now in Connacht ; bu
their journey here was no better than before. They had fewer
horses now to carry the sick and wounded and many sank down
exhausted in the snow. Again and again their enemies attacked
; daily their ranks grew thinner. They seldom rested, through
they were weak with hunger and cold and their feet were sore
and blistered. Falling and rising again, carrying those too
weak to walk, the pitiful little band struggled painfully
northward.
At last they came in sight of the
high stone walls of O'Rourke's Castle : the journey was
almost over. But of the thousand people who had left
Gengarrif a fortnight before only thirty-five entered the
castle of O'Rourke that morning. Later a few others arrived
in twos and threes. Later a few others arrived in twos and
trees : the rest had perished from the hardships of
O'Sullivan's Retreat.
© 1999 All Rights held by Michael G Keohane BA.
ACSA.