Re: Éirí Amach: Irish Rising (Ireland AAR) [updated November 7, 2014]
Thank you, Philip O'Hayda - that's a great picture which could come in useful. Meanwhile, here is what happened next...
Chapter Eight
The dead and dying lay strewn across the battle-field. Some moaned in agony; one or two sang in delirium. Amongst the bodies, one or two people walked, perhaps looking for someone they hoped was somewhere else, safe, alive. A crying woman cradled a soldier’s head, pleading with him to come back to her, although he never would. A boy skipped from corpse to corpse, snatching rings from the hands of dead men, running his hands quickly through the pockets of their clothing, seeking anything he could sell.
In the distance, the rebel army marched under the warm sun of a summer afternoon into the streets of Dublin. The soldiers marched with their heads high and their flags catching the light breeze. People crowded into the streets to watch and cheer the arriving rebels, while frantic rumours sped as fast as feet could run along the city streets. People were claiming that the King had been seen on a small boat being rowed to an English warship, or the King had fled to France, or the King had sailed to Rome, to beg forgiveness from the Pope for oppressing the people of Ireland. Rumours contradicted each other and merged into wilder and more frenzied speculation in the streets, ale-houses and markets of the city.
“Out of my way!” A well-dressed man pushed past Kelly and Dempsey as they strode briskly towards Dublin’s port, at the mouth of the River Liffey.
“He’s in a terrible hurry, so he is” observed Dempsey.
“Indeed. Men who were high up in the King’s service are getting out while they can. You’ve heard the same rumours that I have.”
“I have, indeed, sir. An English ship is sitting at anchor and the King and his court have gone aboard. They are going to escape to England.”
They made their way through the crowded streets as quickly as they could. Even so they arrived at the harbour, in time to see the English vessel sailing off. They had hoped to bluff their way on board. Now they had no obvious way to leave Ireland, and no reason to want to stay.
“Well, sir, that's a blow,” said Dempsey, “We might have found work with the King and his army. I suppose at least we still have our posts in the rebel army to keep us in wages till we find something more to our mind.”
“True, Dempsey, true.” Kelly was gazing absent-mindedly at the ship as it moved further and further from land. “Although I'm not so sure we're likely to be paid for a good while. If I were the King I'd have been making it as hard as possible for the rebels to get their hands on my money. So, just in case that pay isn't immediately forthcoming, what would you say to supplementing it with a little extra from a different source?”
“You have a fine home, sir” observed Kelly, an hour or so later. “Thank God for Ormonde, eh?” said the Englishman, slurring his words slightly. He appeared to be a little drunk, and Kelly and Dempsey glanced at each other, amused, before Kelly replied. “Ormonde, sir? Are you referring to the Lord Deputy of Ireland of that name, about forty years ago?” “Indeed I am,” the Englishman – William Standish, Queen Anne's ambassador to Ireland, known to have been a good friend of the now-departed King - replied, “He gave instructions that houses on the River Liffey had to face the river, which is why we have this fine view.” The ambassador indicated the view with a grand sweep of his right hand, a hand which held a half-empty wine bottle. After a moment's pause to contemplate the (rather blurry) view, he continued, “I feel that I know you already. The former King was kind enough to share your reports with me. You are Mr Nahum Kelly and Mr Ciarán Dempsey. You have been working for some time as, ah, confidential agents in the service of the King. As you know, I am Queen Anne’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Ireland –” He bowed slightly, then recollected the recent changes which had caused him such distress, and such a desire for wine – “well, it will be the Republic of Ireland now, I suppose.” The ambassador sighed, unhappily, and leaned against a table for support. Kelly noticed a pistol and a powder-horn on the table.
“We were wondering if we could be of help to you, sir, in these dangerous and uncertain days.”
“Were you? Good grief, you don’t suppose that the rebels know how closely I was working with your King, do you?” The ambassador’s face looked pale and his hands were shaking slightly. “There could be a mob coming for me next.”
“You’ll be needing some protection, then, at least until the city has calmed down a bit. Dempsey and I might be able to help. We could easily keep an eye on things in the city and let you know if anyone you might not want to see might be heading for your house.”
“Thank goodness. Information of that kind would be extremely helpful.”
“That’s settled, then. After that, we can offer you something else. Queen Anne’s government will need to know what is happening in Ireland, won’t they? We can be your eyes and ears.”
“Indeed you can. The rebels will soon form a republican government in Ireland. A republican government sets a bad example, don’t you think?” Kelly nodded and waited while the ambassador thought for a moment. “England suffered a civil war in my grandfather’s time when some people decided that they were better off without royalty or aristocracy. A successful republic, here in Ireland, could cause a revival of dangerous ideas back in England. We need to know what the new government in Dublin intends. How far does their effrontery go? Are they interested in spreading their subversive republican views and undermining public order in England? Will they dare to build warships to harass England’s merchant navy? Do they intend to compete with England in acquiring lands in the New World? We need to know what will be the state of their defences: how many regiments of foot and how many cavalrymen can the new republic afford? What are their weaknesses? All this and more, I will need to know.”
“If you don’t mind us asking, if we take care of your needs in those areas, will you ensure that our needs are taken care of, too?” inquired Dempsey.
“You gentlemen have proved that you can assess a situation and take the initiative. Your, ah, expertise and experience are just what I need. In return, there are some things that I can offer you. Now that the King has fled Dublin, you may be in a dangerous position if you lack powerful friends. You will need money, of course. You will need to know that England will be a safe place for you, if events do not transpire here as we would like. The English army is expanding, gentlemen. Queen Anne’s ministers will not tolerate a troublesome republic in Ireland forever. As you can guess, as ambassador I have certain connections in London. When your work is done here, I can arrange for Mr Kelly a commission in an English regiment of foot at your accustomed rank of captain. Mr Dempsey can join you as a sergeant in your company.” Kelly began to speak. “Before you respond, consider what you can achieve and what we can offer. You will either be heroes to a restored King in Ireland or you will have a respectable position in England. My government will reward well and you will enjoy a comfortable life.”
“We’ll find out everything we can” said Kelly, “and to prove our good intentions, there's something we can tell you right away.”
“Yes? What’s that?”
“We’ve heard rumours that some of the rebels received training in musketry in Scotland.”
“Indeed. That is interesting. Queen Anne’s government has had trouble with the Jacobite clans, the people who refuse to accept that King James gave up the English throne in 1688. Are you saying that some of the Scottish rebels are working with the Irish rebels?”
“I am, sir” replied Kelly. “It seems that our enemies are working with your enemies.”
“If that is the case, I must inform London. My political masters might well decide that the republican government in Ireland is too dangerous to be allowed to endure. If the rebels remain in power in Ireland they may help the Jacobites with their own uprising in Scotland. We must prevent such an alliance between Irish and Scottish rebels at all costs – such an alliance could even threaten England.”
The ambassador seemed to be sobering up somewhat, now that he had work to do. He stood in thought for a moment, then turned to Kelly and Dempsey again.
“I rather suspect that my government might be inclined to send an army to take Ireland away from your republican rebels. If what you have heard is true, then you have found a way to sow division among our enemies, and such division will be of enormous assistance to our troops. There are some Scottish regiments who are still loyal to the Crown. I will recommend that if my government sends an army to Ireland, they should include some of the loyal Scottish regiments. Your Irish republicans might not be so popular in Scotland if they have shed Scottish blood. That’s it – that is the way for us to prevent an alliance between the Irish and the Scots.”
[Note: the image is a painting by the English artist Thomas Luny (1759-1837) of the Earl of Pembroke (later HMS Endeavour) leaving Whitby harbour. The image came from here; the web site says that this image is in the public domain]
Last edited by Alwyn; November 16, 2014 at 12:57 PM.
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), and I look forward to reading more...you rebel you.
