Latest / The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History / The Siege of Limerick 1691: The Treaty That Never Held
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, but that wasn't the end of the Williamite War in Ireland. After James II fled, the Jacobites still held a string of fortresses, and the most stubborn of them was Limerick. Luna: Limerick held out for a whole other year? Lucas: Almost exactly. The first siege of Limerick actually happened right after the Boyne, in August 1690, and that one failed. The Williamite commander, Godert de Ginkel, tried to storm the city but Patrick Sarsfield led a daring raid that destroyed the Williamite siege train — their heavy artillery — at Ballyneety. That bought the Jacobites another winter. Lucas: By the summer of 1691, Ginkel was back with a bigger army — about 20,000 men — and this time he was determined. The second siege of Limerick began in August and lasted until October. It's really the defining moment for Patrick Sarsfield, the Jacobite commander. Luna: What made the second siege so different? Lucas: Well, the city was in terrible shape by then. Food was running out, plague was spreading, and the walls had been breached by Ginkel's artillery. Sarsfield knew they couldn't hold indefinitely. But instead of a last stand, he negotiated a surrender — and that's where the Treaty of Limerick comes in. Lucas: The treaty had two parts: the military articles, which allowed the Jacobite army to march out with full honours and go to France — about 14,000 soldiers and their families chose exile in what became known as the Flight of the Wild Geese. And then the civil articles, which promised Catholics in Ireland freedom of religion and protection of their property. Luna: That sounds significant — religious toleration in 1691 Ireland. Lucas: It was. The civil articles were remarkably generous: Catholics could practice their religion freely, keep their land, and even hold public office. But here's the problem — the treaty was signed under duress, and the English Parliament never fully ratified it. Within a few years, the Protestant Ascendancy in Dublin pushed through the Penal Laws, which systematically dismantled every promise made at Limerick. Lucas: There's a famous story about the Treaty Stone — a block of limestone on which the treaty was supposedly signed. It still sits on the banks of the Shannon in Limerick. But for many Irish Catholics, that stone became a symbol of a broken promise. Luna: So the Treaty of Limerick is seen as the moment Irish Catholics lost their last chance for equality under the old order. Lucas: Exactly. And it's also the moment when the Jacobite cause in Ireland effectively ended. Sarsfield sailed for France with his Wild Geese, and most of them died fighting for the French king in the War of the Grand Alliance. Sarsfield himself was killed at the Battle of Landen in 1693. Luna: I've heard the phrase 'Sarsfield's Ride' — that's the raid on the siege train, right? Lucas: That's right. He led a cavalry column of about 600 men in a secret night march through Thomond, surprised the Williamite camp at Ballyneety, and destroyed their cannon and ammunition. It was a brilliant tactical move that probably saved Limerick in 1690. But it also meant Ginkel knew he couldn't underestimate the Jacobites again. Luna: What happened to the Catholics who stayed behind after the treaty? Lucas: They were gradually stripped of their rights. The Penal Laws, which we covered in episode 35, were passed between 1695 and 1727. They barred Catholics from owning land, from voting, from practicing law, from serving in the military, from becoming educators. The Treaty of Limerick's civil articles were essentially ignored. Lucas: And it gets worse — the treaty itself became a source of bitter debate. The Protestant Ascendancy argued that the treaty had been signed by the king's representatives but not by Parliament, so it wasn't binding. Catholics pointed to the original text, which had been signed and sealed. But in a colonial setting, legal niceties often favour the powerful. Luna: So the memory of the Treaty of Limerick became a rallying cry for later generations. Lucas: Absolutely. For the United Irishmen in the 1790s, and for Daniel O'Connell's Catholic Association, the broken treaty was proof that the British could not be trusted. It's one of those historical wounds that never really healed. Lucas: There's also a fascinating detail about the treaty negotiations themselves. The Jacobites were represented by Sarsfield and a few other officers, but the Catholics' interests were also argued by a French diplomat named the Marquis d'Albyville. It shows how international the war really was — it was part of the Nine Years' War in Europe. Luna: This is all new to me — I knew the treaty existed but not that it had such a bitter aftertaste. Lucas: One more thing — the Treaty Stone. It's not certain that it's actually the stone the treaty was signed on. But it became a symbol anyway. In the 19th century, Catholics would gather at the stone to protest the Penal Laws and call for repeal. It's still a landmark in Limerick today. Lucas: And the Wild Geese — their exile became a romanticized part of Irish folklore. Thousands of Irish soldiers fought in the French, Spanish, and Austrian armies. Some of them, like the famous 'Irish Brigade' in French service, maintained their own identity for generations. Luna: So the siege of Limerick wasn't just a military defeat — it was the end of an era for Gaelic and Catholic Ireland. Lucas: Exactly. It marked the final collapse of Jacobite resistance in Ireland. After 1691, the Protestant Ascendancy was unchallenged for over a century. The Treaty of Limerick is a reminder that peace treaties are only as good as the will to enforce them. Lucas: If today's episode was useful to you and you want to keep it ad-free, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo helps. Luna: Yeah, it really does make a difference. Lucas: Now, back to the Wild Geese — one of the most remarkable stories is that of the regiments that sailed from Limerick. They formed the core of the Irish Brigade in France, and they fought at every major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. At Fontenoy in 1745, the Irish Brigade's charge broke the British line. Luna: Wait, so those same soldiers from Limerick fought for France against Britain? Lucas: Exactly. And they carried the memory of Limerick with them. The battle cry of the Irish Brigade at Fontenoy was 'Remember Limerick!' — a direct reference to the broken treaty. It's a powerful example of how a single event can echo through centuries. Lucas: To wrap up — the Siege of Limerick and the Treaty of Limerick are pivotal because they ended one war and started another, a legal and political war over the rights of Catholics that would last until Catholic Emancipation in 1829. And even then, the memory of the broken treaty shaped Irish nationalism. Luna: So the Treaty Stone really does stand for something — not just a signature, but a promise that was never kept. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why it's still worth talking about today.