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1647 Apr 10 General Preston and the Leinster army storm and capture Carlow Castle. Jun 07 Colonel Michael Jones lands near Dublin with 2,000 Parliamentarian troops. Jun 19 The Marquis of Ormond surrenders Dublin to Colonel Jones. Jul 15 General Preston captures the fortress of Naas near Dublin. Jul 17 George Monck appointed commander of all Parliament's forces in Ulster with the exception of Monro's Covenanters. Jul 23 General Preston captures the fortress of Maynooth then besieges Trim, in preparation for an attack on Dublin. Jul 28 The Marquis of Ormond surrenders his office of lord-lieutenant of Ireland to Parliament's commissioners at Dublin. Aug 8 Battle of Dungan's Hill: Colonel Jones defeats General Preston and the Confederate army of Leinster. Sep 04 Lord Inchiquin storms the Rock of Cashel. His troops massacre the defenders as well as priests and civilians, then desecrate the cathedral of St Patrick. Oct Jones and Monck campaign against Confederate forces in Ulster and northern Leinster. Nov 13 Battle of Knocknanuss: Lord Inchiquin defeats Viscount Taaffe and the Confederate army of Munster.

1648 Feb Colonel Barry lands at Cork with instructions from the Marquis of Ormond to open negotiations for an alliance between Royalists and Confederates who oppose Archbishop Rinuccini . Apr0 3 Lord Inchiquin declares for the King. Officers who will not support his change of allegiance are ordered to leave Ireland. Apr 04 Major-General Monro and the Scottish army in Ulster declare their support for the Engagement. May 20 The Inchiquin Truce: a cessation of hostilities signed between Lord Inchiquin and the Confederate Supreme Council at Kilkenny. May 27 Archbishop Rinuccini excommunicates all supporters of the Inchiquin Truce. Owen Roe O'Neill declares for Rinuccini, but Clanricarde, Preston and Taafe support the Supreme Council. May 31 The Supreme Council appeals to the Vatican against Rinuccini's sentence of excommunication. Jun 11 Prompted by Rinuccini, Owen Roe O'Neill declares war on the Supreme Council and marches to attack Kilkenny. Sep 16 Colonel Monck secures Belfast, Carrickfergus and Coleraine against Scottish supporters of the Engagement. Major-General Monro taken prisoner and sent to England. Oct 03 The Marquis of Ormond returns to Ireland with instructions to encourage the alliance between Lord Inchiquin and the Confederates in the interests of forming a united Royalist party in Ireland.   Top of Page 1649 Jan 17 The signing of the Second Ormond Peace secures an alliance between the Royalists and the Confederates. Jan 29 Prince Rupert's naval squadron arrives at Kinsale to co-operate with Ormond and the Royalists in Ireland. Feb 17 After the execution of King Charles, his successor Charles II renews the Marquis of Ormond's commission as lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Feb 23 Discouraged by the signing of the Second Ormond Peace, Archbishop Rinuccini leaves Ireland. Mar Lord Inchiquin and the Earl of Castlehaven campaign against Owen Roe O'Neill, who refuses to join Ormond's coalition. Mar The Parliamentarian garrison at Londonderry besieged by the Lagan Army of Ulster. May 08 O'Neill and Colonel Monck sign a three-month cessation of hostilities at Dundalk. Jun 01 The Marquis of Ormond musters the Royalist-Confederate army at Clogrennan. Jun 19 Ormond's army arrives on the outskirts of Dublin and prepares to blockade the city. Jun 22 Parliament formally appoints Oliver Cromwell governor-general of Ireland and commander-in-chief of the army to be sent there. Jul Sir George Monro with 2,000 Ulster Scots joins the Lagan Army at the siege of Londonderry. Jul 09 The Marquis of Clanricarde captures Sligo in Connacht. Jul 11 Drogheda surrenders to Lord Inchiquin, who then besieges Dundalk. Jul 24 Monck surrenders Dundalk to Lord Inchiquin. Aug 02 Battle of Rathmines: Colonel Michael Jones destroys Ormond's army before Dublin. Aug 07 Owen Roe O'Neill's Ulster army arrives before Londonderry, forcing the Scots-Royalist army besieging the city to withdraw. Aug 12 Ormond appeals to O'Neill to join the Royalists against the Parliamentarians. Aug 15 Cromwell's army arrives in Dublin. Sep 11 Storming and massacre of Drogheda. Sep 12 Cromwell sends Colonel Venables into Ulster to join forces with Sir Charles Coote. Oct 11 Storming and massacre of Wexford. Oct 19 Surrender of New Ross to Cromwell. Oct 20 Owen Roe O'Neill agrees to join forces with Ormond against Cromwell. Nov 02 Surrender of Carrickfergus to Colonel Venables and Sir Charles Coote. Nov 06 Death of Owen Roe O'Neill at Cloughoughter Castle near Cavan. Dec 02 Cromwell abandons the siege of Waterford. Dec 13 Roman Catholic clergy meeting at Clacmanoise call upon the Irish people to unite against the English invaders.

1650 Jan 29 Cromwell begins his campaign to capture the Confederate capital Kilkenny. Feb The Marquis of Ormond and the Confederate commissioners flee from Kilkenny to Limerick as Cromwell's forces close in. Mar 18 The gentry and nobility of Ulster meet officers of the Ulster army to choose a successor to Owen Roe O'Neill. Under pressure from the clergy, Heber MacMohan, Bishop of Clogher, is elected commander. Mar 25 Bombardment of Kilkenny begins after Sir Walter Butler refuses Cromwell's summons to surrender. Mar 27 Surrender of Kilkenny. Mar 31 (?) Lord Broghill and Henry Cromwell defeat Lord Inchiquin at Mallow near Cork. Apr 26 A treaty signed at Cashel between Cromwell and representatives of the Protestant Royalists. Most Protestants in Leinster and Munster agree to lay down their arms independently of Ormond and Inchiquin. The treaty is also accepted by the Ulster Scots and the Lagan Army. Apr 27 Cromwell joins his forces at the siege of Clonmel in County Tipperary. May 17 Cromwell's assault on Clonmel repulsed with heavy losses. Hugh O'Neill's garrison evacuates the town under cover of night. May 18 The mayor of Clonmel surrenders to Cromwell. May 27 Cromwell sails for England to deal with the threat of an invasion from Scotland. Henry Ireton takes command of Commonwealth forces in Ireland. Jun 21 Battle of Scarriffhollis: Sir Charles Coote defeats the last Confederate field army. Jun 25 Surrender of Techroghan Castle to Colonel Reynolds. Aug 06 Surrender of Waterford to General Ireton. Sep 16 General Ireton meets Sir Charles Coote at Athlone but they are unable to force a crossing of the River Shannon to advance on Limerick down the western bank. Oct 06 Ireton marches to Limerick along the eastern bank of the Shannon. Oct 19 Ireton abandons the siege of Limerick and disperses his troops into winter quarters. . Oct 25 Battle of Meelick: Colonel Axtell drives back the Marquis of Clanricarde's offensive across the River Shannon. Dec 11 The Marquis of Ormond leaves Ireland for France. The Marquis of Clanricarde appointed lord-deputy in his place.

1651 Jan Edmund Ludlow arrives in Ireland to serve as lieutenant-general to Ireton. He is accompanied by three parliamentary commissioners who are to organise the civil government of Ireland. Jun 01 General Ireton forces a passage over the River Shannon at O'Briensbridge, enabling him to establish forces on both sides of the river. Jun 14 The siege of Limerick reinstated. Jun 18 Lord Dillon surrenders Athlone to Sir Charles Coote, who advances to Portumna. Jun 23 An amphibious assault on Limerick repulsed with heavy losses. Ireton abandons attempts to take the town by storm and prepares to blockade it into submission. Jun 29 (?) Surrender of Portumna to Sir Charles Coote. Jul 12 Battle of Knocknaclashy: Lord Broghill routs a relief force marching for Limerick. Oct 27 Surrender of Limerick to General Ireton. Nov 26 Death of Henry Ireton at Limerick. Ludlow appointed provisional commander in his place.

1652 Jan 08 Parliament's commissioners in Ireland begin planning the settlement of Irish land. Feb 14 The Marquis of Clanricarde offers to negotiate a peace treaty in Ireland. The English commander Edmund Ludlow rejects the proposal saying he expects submission not negotiation. May 12 Major-General Thomas Preston surrenders Galway to Sir Charles Coote. Articles for the surrender of remaining Irish forces signed at Kilkenny. Jun 22 Viscount Muskerry surrenders his forces in Munster. Jun 28 The Marquis of Clanricarde surrenders to Commonwealth forces. Aug 12 Parliament passes the Act for the Settlement of Ireland.