Battle of Glenmalure
The Battle of Glenmalure () took place in Ireland on 25 August 1580 during the Desmond Rebellions. A Catholic army of united Irish clans from the Wicklow Mountains led by Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne and James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass of the Pale, defeated an English army under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, at Clan O'Byrne's mountain stronghold of Glenmalure. Background Grey had landed in Ireland with reinforcements from England in mid-August; his total forces numbering over 2,000 men, the largest English army sent to Ireland in decades. The presence of such a large retinue undoubtedly dissuaded many would-be rebels from joining O'Byrne's side. Despite this, Grey was inexperienced in waging war on Irish terrain and had been previously out of active military service for twenty years. Grey had also received little information on how Ireland was to be governed, even after being appointed Lord Deputy, and so his task was seen as a purely military affair. O'Byrne, Baltinglass, along with their O'Toole allies, simply withdrew in the face of a much larger military force and re-established themselves in Glenmalure. From there, they dispatched a message to Grey seeking protection. However, Grey had been under strict instructions not to