The only major battle fought in the Lordship of Ireland during the Wars of the Roses, it ended Lancastrian hopes in Ireland and secured FitzGerald dominance for half a century.
Key Facts
- Year
- 1462
- Location
- Near Piltown, County Kilkenny
- Ormond casualties
- More than 1,000
- Conflict
- Wars of the Roses
- Only major Irish battle
- Sole major battle in the Lordship of Ireland in the Wars of the Roses
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Wars of the Roses extended into the Lordship of Ireland through rival Irish magnates. Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond, led the Dublin government as a committed Yorkist, while John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormond, backed the Lancastrian cause. Their opposing allegiances, compounded by a long-running FitzGerald–Butler feud, made armed conflict between their factions in Ireland inevitable.
In 1462, near Piltown in County Kilkenny, the Yorkist forces of the Earl of Desmond clashed with the Lancastrian forces of the Earl of Ormond. The battle ended in a decisive Yorkist victory, with Ormond's army suffering more than a thousand casualties. It was the only major battle fought in the Lordship of Ireland during the entire Wars of the Roses.
The defeat shattered Lancastrian ambitions in Ireland. The Ormond faction went into exile, though they were eventually pardoned by Edward IV. FitzGerald power was substantially bolstered, and the family maintained dominance in Irish affairs for roughly another fifty years following the battle.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond.
Side B
1 belligerent
John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormond.