Anatomy of a Siege: King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642, Volum 1Boydell & Brewer, 2001 - 306 pàgines King John's Castle, Limerick, survives today as an impressive Anglo-Norman fortress in a commanding position along the eastern edge of the river Shannon. In the early months of 1642, when the Munster army of the Irish rebellion was admitted to Limerick, the Protestant and Anglo-Irish citizenry fled to the king's castle for protection, and were immediately besieged. To breach the masonry the besiegers used miners to make tunnels for the placing of timber props, ready for firing, underneath the foundations. The castle's defenders reacted by opening countermines to intercept the encroaching mines, hoping to save the walls from ruin. Substantial evidence for this 'military mining, ' unusually, has survived to yield their secrets to today's archaeologists and military historians, providing a fascinating record of the exceptional events of the siege. Kenneth Wiggins brings together detailed documentary sources and unique archaeological discoveries in an expert assessment of the siege, embracing the drama central to the story while highlighting technology and strategies characteristic of 'underground' siege warfare'. KENNETH WIGGINS is an archaeologist based in Limerick; his master's thesis, undertaken at University College, Cork, was on the subject of military mining |
Continguts
Plans and sections of Countermine | 1 |
Late fifteenthcentury explosive mine by Francesco di Giorgio Martini | 2 |
The two towns of Limerick based on William Eyress map map of 1752 | 4 |
Map of the castle c 1600 TCD MS 120959 | 6 |
Plan of the castle c 1611 by Sir Josias Bodley | 7 |
Southern face and western flank of the bastion 1994 | 12 |
Plan of the 19901 excavations only with all siege features | 13 |
General view of excavations in Castle Lane | 14 |
Entrance shaft of Countermine 2 | 110 |
Excavated gallery of Countermine 2 facing east 36 Progress of the siege No 2 | 120 |
8 | 121 |
All drawings of Mine 1 | 123 |
Third prop of Mine 1 near edge of bastion facing east 41 Interpreted plan of Castle Lane 42 Progress of the siege No 3 | 137 |
9 | 138 |
All drawings of Mine 2 and Countermine 3 | 143 |
Pistol found in Mine 2 | 150 |
First page of siege diary of Limerick Castle | 15 |
Title page of Good and bad newes from Ireland | 16 |
Halltower at Newcastle West | 17 |
Watergate at castle | 18 |
map of English Town with siege locations indicated | 19 |
Sconce details at Limerick from 1651 | 20 |
Plan of siege pit at castle | 21 |
Siege trench at castle | 22 |
Plan of siege trench at castle | 23 |
5 | 57 |
6 | 68 |
St Marys Cathedral Limerick | 86 |
7 | 99 |
Plan of castle with adjacent properties added from Civil Survey 26 Burial pit in Cutting 1 | 101 |
Interpreted plan of Mine 2 and Countermine 3 | 152 |
Reconstruction of sallyport following collapse 50 Collapsed rubble adjacent to northern flank of bastion 51 Plans of Mine 3 | 160 |
Elevations of Mine 3 | 161 |
Isometric reconstruction of Mine 3 | 162 |
Mine 3 facing east showing board at end of raised floor 55 Raised floor level in Mine 3 | 163 |
Timbers and technology | 189 |
Interpreted elevation of north flank of the bastion showing Mine 4 | 191 |
Examples of tools and woodworking methods 61 Exploded isometric reconstruction of Mine 1 | 195 |
Aftermath | 225 |
Conclusion | 249 |
4 | 261 |
285 | |
Altres edicions - Mostra-ho tot
Anatomy of a Siege: King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642 Kenneth Wiggins Visualització de fragments - 2000 |
Frases i termes més freqüents
Ambrose Jones archaeological Ballyallia baron of Loughmoe baseplates bastion besieged BOULDER CLAY Captain Castle Lane castle's Castleconnell century Clare Constable construction Cork corner tower council Countermine County County Cork Courtenay's courtyard defence depositions Diary digging Dominick Fanning Donough eastern curtain wall eastern side English evidence foundations gallery Garrett Barry garrison gate gatehouse George Courtenay guns Henry Jones High Street Ibid Inchiquin infill Ireland Irish army John Comyn John Rastall June King John's Castle Limerick Castle Limerick Corporation limit of excavation located Lord masonry mayor medieval military mining miners mining and countermining mortise Munster northern flank O'Brien Patrick Purcell planks props Pynnar raised floor rebellion Relation ringwork ditch river sallyport Section Shannon ship siege of Limerick Simington 1938 southern curtain wall southern side Stradling Stritch's Castle surrender surviving tenon Thomond Bridge timber Tipperary trench UNDISTURBED BOULDER CLAY Viscount Muskerry warders western William St Leger