Atlas of Battles

siege, notable, early modern

Siege of Kinsale

Siege of Kinsale was a siege conducted on 2 October 1601 at Kinsale, in what is now Ireland; it lasted 3 months. It was part of the Nine Years' War, which ran from 1593 to 1603. The recorded result: English victory. Recorded strength: 11,800 infantry; 857 cavalry against Irish alliance; 6,000; Spanish; 3,500.

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The Siege and Battle of Kinsale, 1601. The Lord Deputy's Camp is in the centre left of the image (Pacata Hibernia, 1633)
The Siege and Battle of Kinsale, 1601. The Lord Deputy's Camp is in the centre left of the image (Pacata Hibernia, 1633). Pacata Hibernia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought2 October 1601lasted 3 months
WhereKinsale, Ireland51.708N, 8.531W
OutcomeEnglish victory
BelligerentsKingdom of England; Irish loyalistsagainst22px Irish confederacy; Spain
Part ofNine Years' War1593 to 1603

Where it sits in the Nine Years' War

Battle of Belleek, 1593Siege of Enniskillen, 1594Battle of the Ford of the Biscuits, 1594Battle of Clontibret, 1595Battle of Carrickfergus, 1597Battle of the Yellow Ford, 1598Siege of Cahir Castle, 1599Battle of Curlew Pass, 1599Battle of Moyry Pass, 1600Battle of Lifford, 1600Siege of Donegal, 1601Siege of Kinsale, 1601Battle of Castlehaven, 1601Siege of Dunboy, 160215931602Siege of Kinsale, 1601
14 placed engagements of the Nine Years' War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date2 October 1601
to 3 January 1602
PlaceKinsale, Ireland
51.708N, 8.531W
KindSiege, early modern
Strength11,800 infantry; 857 cavalryIrish alliance; 6,000; Spanish; 3,500
Casualties and lossesUnknown casualties; many deserted, sick or dead to diseaseIrish alliance; 1,200 killed, wounded or captured (many later executed); Spanish; 100 killed or wounded; 3,400 surrendered
Commanders
  • Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy
  • George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes
  • Richard Leveson (admiral)
  • Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
Siege of KinsaleSiege of KinsaleSiege of Corksinking of the RMS LusitaniaBattle of MacroomBattle of CastlehavenBattle of CloughleaghSiege of Corksinking of the RMS LusitaniaBattle of MacroomBattle of CastlehavenBattle of CloughleaghLimerickKilkennyKillarneyWaterfordTraleeShannon100 km51.708N, 8.531W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1601

Siege of Kinsale is one of 1,553 engagements of the 17th century in the atlas and one of 120 in present-day Ireland.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q491255, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Kinsale, revision 1372994076, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.