Essex in Ireland

This article is about the 1599 expedition. For the 1573–5 expedition, see Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex.

Essex in Ireland refers to the 1599 military campaign pursued in Ireland by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, during the Nine Years War.

In 1598, Queen Elizabeth I of England had been troubled over the choice of a military commander for Ireland, at a time when two factions dominated her court - one led by Essex, the other by her principal secretary, Sir Robert Cecil. In the following year Essex found himself with no choice but to offer his services, which the Queen accepted.[1] The ensuing campaign failed, and Essex returned in disgrace to England, where he made a treasonable challenge to Crown authority. He was convicted and put to death in 1601.

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
  1. ^ Morgan, Hiram (February 2009). "'By God I Will Beat Tyrone in the Field': Essex and Ireland" (PDF). CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts. Retrieved 5 January 2021.