In just 40 weeks Oliver Cromwell ruthlessly subdued Ireland in a bloody and ruthless campaign which still casts a shadow over the remembrance of one of the most famous – or infamous – figures in British history. This campaign continues to be bitterly argued over by historians and politicians today.
When he arrived on 15th August 1649, Cromwell had one goal-to conquer Ireland for the English Commonwealth as quickly and as completely as possible. He knew that many before him had failed in this task and that the Commonwealth’s finances could neither afford nor sustain a long drawn-out conflict.
So, Cromwell set about his task with a ruthless efficiency which was very different from the way he had behaved when fighting in England. This was a programme of conquest outside the accepted norms by which wars were fought and the resulting massacres at towns such as Drogheda and Wexford revealed Cromwell’s total disdain for the Irish people and their religious practices.
To help us navigate this complex and controversial history, our contributing editor Professor Andrew Hopper of the University of Oxford, turned to a leading scholar on Cromwell’s campaign in Ireland, Professor Micheal O’Siochru of Trinity College, Dublin.
