The Anatomy of a Siege: King John's Castle, Limerick 1642 by Kenneth Wiggins

King John's Castle, Limerick

Understanding through contemporary sources and recent archaeological discoveries the struggle to capture one of the great castles of Ireland by the construction of underground tunnels, King John's Castle, Limerick, or simply Limerick Castle as it was in former times, survives as an impressively well-preserved Anglo-Norman fortress in a commanding position along the eastern edge of the River Shannon.

Siege of King John's Castle

In the early months of 1642, families and friends likewise streamed into the castle, but for them it was not a holiday resort but a last resort. When the Munster army of the Irish rebellion was admitted to the city, the Protestant and Anglo-Irish citizenry of Limerick had only one possibility of protection, and it was to the king's castle they fled. 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.

Specialized military mining techniques

The use of specialized military mining techniques of this type was exceedingly rare in Ireland, and fundamental to the exceptional events of this siege. The siege of King John's Castle, Limerick, 1642 brings together detailed documentary sources and unique archaeological discoveries in an expert assessment of this siege. It is the first book entirely devoted to Limerick Castle, and also the first on the siege of an Irish castle.

By Kenneth Wiggins

The book incorporates plans, photographs and reproductions to provide a well-illustrated and thorough analysis.
Publisher: The Boydell Press
ISBN: 0851158277

More information

Castles Main Page
Castles : Their Construction and History