Clonmel

Clonmel stands on the River Suir beneath the hills of southern Tipperary. Its medieval walls protected a market town on an important river route, with gates controlling entry to its streets. The fortifications were tested severely during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

In 1650 Hugh Dubh O'Neill commanded the garrison against Oliver Cromwell's army. Parliamentarian guns breached the walls, but an assault met determined resistance and suffered heavy losses. Within the breach the defenders had prepared a killing ground, and the attackers were unable to force their way through. O'Neill's men, short of ammunition, withdrew under cover of darkness; the townspeople then negotiated a surrender. The siege became one of the most costly encounters of Cromwell's campaign, and the walls remained a reminder of the town's defence.