Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485–1603 - 5 Troublesome…

The idea

This topic examines how four events and four individuals shaped Tyrone's rebellion. At Clontibret (1595), Hugh O'Neill ambushed Henry Bagenal's relief column, showing English columns were vulnerable in Gaelic terrain. Yellow Ford (1598) destroyed Bagenal's army, the worst English defeat in Ireland, spreading revolt and weakening Dublin's control. Curlew Pass (1599) mauled Essex's advancing force, exposing the cost of marching into Connacht. The Munster Plantation then collapsed as undertakers fled, undoing Elizabethan colonisation. Florence MacCarthy's shifting loyalty illustrates how Gaelic lords balanced submission and rebellion. Essex's costly, inconclusive campaign led to his disgrace; Mountjoy's scorched-earth tactics and forts eventually broke O'Neill. Assess significance by weighing military, political and colonial consequences.

What earns the marks

• Explains how Clontibret (1595) demonstrated O'Neill's tactical skill and the vulnerability of English supply columns in difficult terrain.
• Analyses Yellow Ford (1598) as a turning point: Bagenal's defeat spread rebellion beyond Ulster and undermined English authority in Ireland.
• Assesses Curlew Pass (1599) as evidence of the failure of Essex's strategy of direct confrontation and its effect on English morale and reputation.
• Explains the collapse of the Munster Plantation as a reversal of Elizabethan colonisation, with settlers displaced and land reclaimed by Gaelic and Old English interests.
• Evaluates Henry Bagenal's role as a hardline opponent of O'Neill whose personal hostility shaped English policy and whose death at Yellow Ford removed a key commander.
• Examines Florence MacCarthy's ambiguous position, balancing Gaelic kinship, English titles and shifting allegiance to show the complexity of loyalty in Munster.
• Compares Essex's expensive, indecisive campaign with Mountjoy's more systematic approach using forts, garrisons and scorched-earth tactics to wear down O'Neill.
• Judges the relative significance of events and individuals, recognising that military defeats, colonial collapse and leadership choices interacted rather than acting alone.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating Yellow Ford as a minor skirmish.

  Put it right by explaining its scale, the death of Bagenal and its political impact across Ireland.

• Assuming all Gaelic lords were uniformly rebellious.

  Put it right by using Florence MacCarthy to show shifting, conditional loyalty and local interests.

• Confusing Essex's and Mountjoy's campaigns.

  Put it right by contrasting Essex's costly marches and disgrace with Mountjoy's attritional, fort-based strategy.

Exam tips

• Anchor each event with date, location and consequence, then link it explicitly to the question's focus on significance.
• Use individuals to show causation and change: explain what Bagenal, MacCarthy, Essex and Mountjoy each did and why it mattered.
• When judging significance, compare short-term military effects with longer-term political and colonial outcomes rather than listing events.