Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan

Originally of English descent, the Sarsfield family were wealthy Roman Catholic merchants, who settled in Dublin; his great-great-grandfather Sir William Sarsfield (d.1616) was knighted in 1566, reportedly for his financial support to the Crown during O'Neill's rebellion. He purchased estates at Lucan Manor and Tully Commandery in County Kildare, which he passed onto his two sons.[3]

Sarsfield's father Patrick (d. aft. 1693) married Anne O'Moore, daughter of the Gaelic noble Rory O'Moore, a key instigator of the 1641 rebellion. This mixed heritage was emphasised by 19th century writers seeking to affirm his status as a national hero, although nationalist historian O'Callaghan concluded he was "no better than a puffed Palesman", compared to figures such as Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill.[4]

During the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, part of the wider 1638 to 1652 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, his father belonged to the moderate faction that sought an agreement with Irish Royalists.[5] After the 1660 Restoration, Charles II helped him recover properties lost as a result.[6] Patrick's older brother William later married Mary Crofts, reputedly Charles' illegitimate daughter.

From 1673 to 1676, Sarsfield served under Marshall Turenne, considered the best general of his time

There are few records of Sarsfield's life prior to his military career: we do not know where or when he was born and nothing is known of his early life or education.[7] Some biographies claim he was educated at a French military college; there is no evidence for this, although he saw some military service in France as a young man.[8]

In the 1670 Treaty of Dover, Charles II agreed to support a French attack on the Dutch Republic, and supply 6,000 troops for the French army.[9] When the Franco-Dutch War began in 1672, Sarsfield was commissioned into this Brigade, commanded by the Duke of Monmouth.[10] It served in the Rhineland campaigns of Marshall Turenne, considered the best general of his time, before being disbanded in 1676.[11]

On his return to London, Sarsfield was caught up in the anti-Catholic hysteria of the Popish Plot, and lost his commission.[10] He remained in London during the early 1680s, leading a reputedly "dissolute" life; [12] often short of money; he was involved in two abductions of heiresses, and lucky to escape prosecution.[13] When Charles's Catholic brother James became king in 1685, Sarsfield was restored to favour and helped suppress the Monmouth Rebellion; he was unhorsed and "wounded in several places" at the decisive Battle of Sedgemoor.[14] This reinvigorated his military career, especially since James was keen to promote Catholics and by 1688, he reached the rank of colonel.[12]

The Earl of Tyrconnell; he and Sarsfield became bitter opponents over Jacobite policy in Ireland

Sarsfield's older brother died in 1688, leaving him heir to the family properties; in November, James was deposed by his nephew and son-in-law William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution. Sarsfield took part in the Wincanton Skirmish, one of the few military clashes during the invasion, and joined James in exile in France.

When the Catholic Earl of Tyrconnell had been made Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1687, he began creating a Catholic army and establishment loyal to James. This made it a suitable base for attempting to retake his kingdoms, and in March 1689 James landed in Ireland, launching the Williamite War in Ireland. He was accompanied by French troops and Jacobite supporters, including Sarsfield, now promoted to brigadier.[12]

Sarsfield sat in the 1689 Irish Parliament as an MP for Dublin, as well as leading cavalry units in the Jacobites' 1689 campaign in Ulster and Connacht. In October, French ambassador D'Avaux asked James to consider Sarsfield as commander for a brigade of Irish troops to be sent into French service. He noted while "not...of noble birth [...], (he) has distinguished himself by his ability, and (his) reputation in this kingdom is greater than that of any man I know [...] He is brave, but above all has a sense of honour and integrity in all that he does".[15]

This was rejected, since in the opinion of James and those around him, while unquestionably brave, Sarsfield was 'very scantily supplied with brains.'[16] His role at the Boyne was peripheral, although the battle was less decisive than often assumed, Jacobite losses being around 2,000 from a force of 25,000.[17] James returned to France, leaving Tyrconnell in control; he was leader of the "Peace Party", who wanted to negotiate a settlement preserving Catholic rights to land and public office.[12] Sarsfield headed the "War Party", who felt they could gain more by fighting on; it included the Luttrell brothers, Nicholas Purcell, and English Catholic William Dorrington, a former colleague under Monmouth.[18]

His position was strengthened by the Declaration of Finglas, which offered the rank and file amnesty, but excluded senior officers. French victories in the Low Countries briefly increased hopes of a Stuart restoration, and the Jacobites established a defensive line along the Shannon. Sarsfield cemented his reputation with an attack on the Williamite artillery train at Ballyneety, widely credited with forcing them to abandon the siege of Limerick. The Jacobites also retained Athlone, offset by the loss of Kinsale and Cork, which made resupply from France extremely difficult.[19]

The Battle of the Boyne, July 1690

With Tyrconnell absent in France, Sarsfield took control and in December 1690, arrested several leaders of the peace faction. He then bypassed James by asking Louis XIV direct for French support, and requesting the removal of Tyrconnell and army commander Berwick, James' illegitimate son.[20] The latter, who later described Sarsfield as "a man [...] without sense", albeit "very good natured", left Limerick for France in February.[21]

Tyrconnell returned in January 1691 and made Sarsfield Earl of Lucan, an attempt to placate an "increasingly influential and troublesome figure".[22] A large French convoy arrived at Limerick in May, along with St Ruth, appointed military commander in an attempt to end the conflict between the factions. St Ruth and 7,000 others died at Aughrim, reputedly the bloodiest battle ever on Irish soil.[23] Sarsfield's role is unclear: one account claims he quarrelled with St Ruth, and was sent to the rear with the cavalry reserves.[24]

The remnants of the Jacobite army regrouped at Limerick; Tyrconnell died of a stroke in August, and in October, Sarsfield was forced to negotiate terms of surrender.[22] He has been criticised for this, having constantly attacked Tyrconnell for advocating the same thing, while it is suggested the Williamite army was weaker than he judged.[10] However, the collapse of the Shannon line and surrender of Galway and Sligo left him little option; without French supplies, the military position was hopeless, and defections meant his army was dissolving.[23]

The military articles of the Treaty of Limerick preserved the Jacobite army by allowing its remaining troops to enter French service; about 19,000 officers and men, including Sarsfield, chose to leave.[25] His handling of the civil articles was less successful; many of the protections agreed for those who remained were ignored by the new regime, although Sarsfield may have viewed it as temporary, hoping to resume the war.[10]

On arrival in France, James appointed Sarsfield commander of the second troop of Irish Horse Guards. Following the abandonment of Louis XIV's planned 1692 invasion of England and the disbanding of James's army, he became a French marechal de camp.[10] He fought at Steenkerque in August 1692 against an Anglo-Dutch force, earning a commendation from his commander Luxembourg.

Sarsfield was fatally wounded at the Battle of Landen in 1693, dying at Huy three days later. Despite several searches no grave or burial record has been found, though a plaque at St Martin's church, Huy, has been set up in commemoration. His reputed last words, "Oh that this had been shed for Ireland!", are, like much else about his biography, apocryphal.[26]

In 1689 Sarsfield married Honora Burke, daughter of William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde. They had one son, James Sarsfield, 2nd Earl of Lucan (1693-1719), named in honour of the Jacobite Prince of Wales.[10] While some older biographies claim that they also had a daughter, Catalina Sarsfield, she appears to have in fact been from another branch of the family.

Sarsfield left few contemporary records, and those that exist are "disconcertingly incomplete" external sources.[7] It is impossible to determine his precise political views, while almost nothing is known of his family life, and none of the several extant portraits of him can be authenticated.[10] This allowed later writers to use him as vehicle for their own needs, especially his portrayal as the "heroic ideal of an Irish soldier".[27]

Sarsfield as Irish patriot: 1881 statue in Limerick

His success at Ballyneety was particularly emphasised, although a 1995 study suggests it had limited military value, and his men may have indiscriminately slaughtered women and children.[27][28] He has also been criticised for the Treaty of Limerick, and role in creating divisions in the Jacobite camp.[10] His commanding officers often found him rash and easily manipulated, although he had an undoubted talent for raising morale, and seems to have been very popular with the rank and file.[10]

Mythologising began during his lifetime; the poet Dáibhí Ó Bruadair, 1625 to 1698, composed a panegyric describing Sarsfield as virtuous, heroic, popular and a great leader, but admitted they had not met.[29] The anonymous song "Slán le Pádraig Sáirseál", or "Farewell to Patrick Sarsfield", is considered a classic of Irish-language poetry.[30] 19th century nationalists like Thomas Davis celebrated him as a national hero and patriot, while those of the early 20th century also depicted him as a staunch Catholic.[31]

During the 1912 to 1914 Home Rule crisis, his image as a brave and honourable patriot was used to counter Unionist claims that Catholics, and thus nationalists, were incapable of self-government.[32] When the Irish Folklore Commission began collecting material in the 1930s, they found many oral narratives about Sarsfield, particularly across Limerick and Tipperary and at Lucan. These included stories of buried gold or generosity to the poor, having his horse shod backward to escape from pursuers, and apparitions of dogs or white horses.[33]

His enduring military reputation was used by Irish emigrants; Michael Corcoran, a Federal general in the US Civil War, claimed descent from Sarsfield.[34] From 1870 to 1880, a unit in the California National Guard was called the Sarsfield Grenadier Guards, and comprised soldiers of Irish birth or descent.[35]

Sarsfield appears on the coat of arms for County Limerick; in Limerick itself, there is a Sarsfield Bridge, next to Sarsfield Street, while the local Irish Army base is Sarsfield Barracks. An 1881 bronze statue by sculptor John Lawlor in the grounds of St John's cathedral.[36] Part of the route used for the attack on the Williamite siege train is marked out today as Sarsfield's Ride, and is a popular walking and cycling route through County Tipperary, County Clare and County Limerick. Sarsfield Rock, which overlooks the site of the attack, is marked by a plaque.

Elsewhere in Ireland, a number of GAA clubs bear his name, as does the Canadian town of Sarsfield, Ontario[37] and the hamlet of Sarsfield in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

• Bradshaw, Brendan (2016). And so began the Irish Nation: Nationality, National Consciousness and Nationalism in Pre-modern Ireland. Routledge. ISBN 978-1472442567.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Connolly, SJ (2008). Divided Kingdom: Ireland 1630-1800. OUP. ISBN 978-0199543472.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Gibney, John (2011). "Sarsfield is the Word: the Heroic Afterlife of an Irish Jacobite". New Hibernia Review. 15 (1): 64–80. doi:10.1353/nhr.2011.0007.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hayes-McCoy, G. A. (1942). "The Battle of Aughrim". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 20 (1).CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hayton, David (2004). Ruling Ireland, 1685-1742: Politics, Politicians and Parties. Boydell.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Irwin, Liam. "Dictionary of Irish Biography: Sarsfield, Patrick". Cambridge UP.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Irwin, Liam; Whelan (ed) (1995). "Sarsfield: the Man and the Myth" in The Last of the Great Wars. University of Limerick Press.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Kiberd, Declan (1979). Synge and the Irish Language. Springer. ISBN 9781349045709.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lenihan, Padraig (2003). 1690; Battle of the Boyne. The History Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0752425979.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lenihan, Maurice (1866). Limerick, its History and Antiquities. Hodges, Smith.
• MacManus, Seaumas (2018). The Story of the Irish Race. Chartwell Books. ISBN 978-0785836414.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Robertson, Barry (2014). Royalists at War in Scotland and Ireland, 1638–1650. Ashgate. ISBN 978-1409457473.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Wauchope, Piers (1992). Patrick Sarsfield and the Williamite War. Dublin. ISBN 978-0-7165-2476-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Woulfe, Patrick (1923). Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames.

• Gwynn, Stephen (1903). "Sarsfield" . In O'Brien, R. Barry (ed.). Studies in Irish History, 1649-1775. Dublin: Browne and Nolan. pp. 251–285.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)