A new book on Oliver Cromwell will generate little surprise, but one providing new perspectives on his time in Ireland is surely welcome. Cromwell's shadow casts considerable shade over Ireland, making it all the more remarkable that he spent barely nine months of his life in Ireland. In Cromwell in Ireland: New Perspectives, edited by Martyn Bennett, Ray Gillespie, and R. Scott Spurlock, Cromwell's importance, significance, and reputation in Ireland are all subjected to important new analysis here, ensuring that multiple contributions will be of interest to anyone eager to learn more about Cromwell's time in Ireland.
Bennet, Gillespie, and Spurlock organized the collection into four neatly coherent sections: “Cromwell at War,” “Commanders in Ireland,” “The ‘Settlement’ of Ireland,” and “Cromwell's Legacy.” The initial section does not shy away from the massacres and brutality so often associated with the General Cromwell. Pádraig Lenihan offers detailed evidence and helpful tables on the siege massacres perpetrated in both England and Ireland during the civil wars, with a particular eye on Drogheda. While acknowledging that the massacre at Drogheda was not uncommon, he cannot avoid the conclusion that the numbers involved were far greater than were those of other siege massacres he examines. Lenihan places Drogheda in context but does not minimize the extent of the brutality. The same cannot be said for Tom Reilly's continuing defense of Cromwell. Reilly's advocacy of “this fascinating historical character” (52) is matched by his hostility to experts and historians who, he feels, have blackened Cromwell's name. The rejection of any ill-conduct at Drogheda is not new, relying on the rejection of many (Catholic) accounts and suspicions of anyone editing contemporary accounts too long after they were written. Much of the case hangs on the phrase “and many inhabitants” that appears in some if not all reports of the siege. If they were added to Cromwell's letters, then the case for an atrocity directed at noncombatants falls by the wayside. Reilly is admirable in the space he gives to the harsh words of his critics and thorough in his efforts to discredit accounts of wanton slaughter, but a later essay in this same volume offers considerable contemporary evidence that “many inhabitants” were victims of the massacre. Nick Poyntz provides a fascinating account of some of the newsbooks accounts of the events at Drogheda. Several include the phrase “many inhabitants”—and this at a time when the Council in London had well-established censorship polices in place. Indeed, one account from Hugh Peter had the words “none spared” (272) removed before publication. In the end, Reilly's defense raises doubts about several witnesses, yet the preponderance of the evidence still supports the brutality inflicted at Drogheda.
There are several revealing chapters on the generalship and commanders who joined Cromwell in Ireland. Alan Marshall's wonderful account of the siege of Clonmel reveals both the abilities of Hugh Duff O'Neill when defending the city and the impatience and inexperience of Cromwell with siege warfare. The man of action chafed at any delays, and at Clonmel his commitment to an assault cost his men and reputation dearly. Cromwell's annoyance at the garrison's defiance caused him to issue his regular threat that eventual victims of any assault would have to “blame yourselves” (94) for any atrocities—a threat that served him well even if some consider it groundless. Moreover, his faith in the Lord led to an assault that sacrificed over a thousand men when he ordered them repeatedly into a killing field. Bennett details the many commanders promoted by Cromwell, making the case that Ireton and others needed to prove themselves before nepotistic patronage took place. Indeed, David Farr offers ample evidence that Ireton came into his own in Ireland and developed several key policies in contrast to those supported by Cromwell. It is clear the two worked well together, but left to his own devices in Ireland, Ireton had a different and much harsher view of the peace process and eventual settlement—a settlement that John Cunningham argues convincingly does not deserve the name “Cromwellian.” Similarly, Heidi Coburn manages to show that transportation to the Indies was rarely supported by Cromwell and that many Irish chose the journey westwards voluntarily.
James Scott Wheeler's welcome chapter on Cromwell and Ormond provides important new details on the relationship and relative success of each man. Ormond of course survived decades longer, but the policies of each man get much deserved attention here. Eamon Darcy relies on Irish poetry to demonstrate how closely the social memory of Cromwell adheres to bardic tropes used to condemn earlier invaders of Ireland. In the final chapter, Sarah Covington examines how folkloric memories of Cromwell long provided an alternative to the hero worship of Cromwell in some communities. The case for looking to folklore as a form of resistance with “remarkably consistent themes” (292) is surely one that historians should consider.
In the end, Cromwell in Ireland does indeed offer important new perspectives. During his short time in Ireland, Cromwell left behind a legacy of massacres, dispossession, transplantation, as well as some of the few blots on his military reputation. Covington makes clear how folk tales about Cromwell helped people understand their past and informed ideas about the Victorian land wars and beyond. There are times when it feels like Cromwell is responsible for many positive things in Ireland while at the same time not responsible for actions taken under his command. Surely Cromwell's legacy in Ireland is a complicated one, and the nuanced insights offered here will go a long way to complicating interpretations, increasing understanding, and generating further debate. Students and scholars alike will find many new and provocative insights in this collection.
