The Right Honourable The Earl of Lucan
Portrait thought to be Sarsfield, now held in the Franciscan Library,Killiney
MP forCounty Dublin
In office May 1689 – August 1689 Serving with Simon Luttrell
Monarch	James II
Personal details
Born	c. 1655[1]
Died	21 August 1693 Huy,Belgium
Resting place	St Martins' church,Huy[2]
Nationality	Irish
Spouse	Honora Burke
Children	James Sarsfield, 2nd Earl of Lucan
Parent(s)	Patrick Sarsfield (1628 - after 1693); Anne O'Moore
Occupation	Soldier
Military service
Battles/wars	Third Anglo-Dutch War Franco-Dutch War Entzheim Turckheim Salzbach Altenheim Monmouth Rebellion Battle of Sedgemoor Glorious Revolution Wincanton Skirmish Williamite War in Ireland The Boyne Limerick 1690 Aughrim Limerick 1691 Nine Years' War Steenkerque Landen

Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan (c. 1655 – 21 August 1693) was an Irish army officer. Fatally wounded at theBattle of Landen on 29 July 1693 while serving in theFrench Royal Army, he died of his injuries several weeks later, and is now best remembered as an Irish patriot and military hero.

Born into a wealthyCatholic family, Sarsfield began his military career during the 1672 to 1674Third Anglo-Dutch War. After fellow CatholicJames II of England was deposed by theGlorious Revolution in November 1688, Sarsfield served as a senior commander in theJacobite army during the 1689 to 1691Williamite War in Ireland, and was elected to the 1689Patriot Parliament.

Fighting in Ireland ended with the 1691Treaty of Limerick. Under the agreement,thousands of Irish soldiers went into exile inFrance, and many served inFlanders during theNine Years' War, including Sarsfield.

The Sarsfield family was descended from SirWilliam Sarsfield, an English merchant who settled inDublin. Knighted in 1566, reportedly for providingElizabeth I financial support duringShane O'Neill's rebellion, he later purchasedLucan Manor, a large estate to the west of Dublin, and Tully Commandery inCounty Kildare.^[3]

The family had converted to Catholicism by the time his great grandson Patrick was born in 1655, younger son ofPatrick Sarsfield (c. 1628 – after 1693) and Anne O'Moore, daughter ofRory O'Moore, who played a leading part in the1641 rebellion. During the 1641 to 1652Irish Confederate Wars, the older Sarsfield sided withConfederate Ireland, but belonged to the moderate faction that sought an agreement with Protestant IrishRoyalists.^[4]

Although his estates were confiscatedin 1652, they were returnedin 1662. His eldest sonWilliam married Mary Crofts, reputedly an illegitimate daughter ofCharles II and younger sister ofJames Scott, Duke of Monmouth.^[5]

In 1689, Sarsfield married the 15-year-oldHonora Burke (1674–1698), daughter ofWilliam Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde; they had one son,James Sarsfield, 2nd Earl of Lucan (1693–1719). After Sarsfield's death, she marriedJames FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, eldest but illegitimate son ofJames II of England.^[3]

Catalina Sarsfield, who called herself Queen of the brief-livedKingdom of Corsica, is often cited as Sarsfield's daughter, but was in fact a distant cousin. Her fatherDavid Sarsfield came from another branch of the family, and was killed at theBattle of Villaviciosa in 1710.^[6]

There are few surviving records of Sarsfield's early life, although it is generally agreed he was brought up on the family estates at Tully. While some biographies claim he was educated at a French military college, there is no evidence for this.^[7]

In the 1670Treaty of Dover, Charles II agreed to support a French attack on theDutch Republic, and supply 6,000 troops for the French army.^[8] When theFranco-Dutch War began in 1672, Sarsfield was commissioned into his brother-in-law Monmouth's regiment, which formed part of thisBrigade.^[3] Although England left the war in 1674, the Brigade continued to serve in theRhineland, underTurenne. Sarsfield transferred into a regiment commanded by Irish CatholicSir George Hamilton.^[9]

Sarsfield fought atEntzheim,Turckheim andAltenheim; he and Hamilton were standing next to Turenne when he was killed by a chance shot atSalzbach in July 1675.^[10] He remained in France until the war ended in 1678, then returned toLondon to join a new regiment being recruited by theEarl of Limerick. However, thePopish Plot then resulted in Sarsfield and other Catholics being barred from serving in the military.^[3]

This left him short of money, and Sarsfield became involved in an expensive legal campaign to regain Lucan Manor from the heirs of his brother William, who died in 1675. This ultimately proved unsuccessful amid allegations of forged documents, and in 1681 he returned to London, where he made two separate attempts to abduct an heiress and was lucky to escape prosecution.^[11] When Charles's Catholic brotherJames became king in 1685, Sarsfield rejoined the army and fought in the decisiveBattle of Sedgemoor, which ended theMonmouth Rebellion.^[12] James was keen to promote Catholics, whom he viewed as more loyal, and by 1688 Sarsfield wascolonel of a cavalry unit.^[13]

AfterRichard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, was appointedLord Deputy of Ireland in 1687, he began creating a Catholic-dominated Irish army and political establishment. Aware of preparations for invasion by his nephew and son-in-lawWilliam of Orange, James sent Sarsfield to Dublin in September to persuade Tyrconnell to provide him with Irish troops.^[3] This proved unsuccessful, and in November James was deposed by theGlorious Revolution. Sarsfield took part in theWincanton Skirmish, one of the few military actions during the invasion. He remained in England until January when he was allowed to join James in France.^[14]

Accompanied by French troops and English exiles, James landed in Ireland in March 1689, beginning theWilliamite War in Ireland.^[13] Sarsfield was promotedbrigadier, elected to the1689 Irish Parliament forCounty Dublin, and commanded cavalry units in the campaign in Ulster andConnacht. When an Irish brigade was sent to France in October, French ambassadorD'Avaux proposed Sarsfield as its commander. He noted that while "not...of noble birth [...], (he) has distinguished himself by his ability, and (his) reputation in this kingdom is greater than that of any man I know [...] He is brave, but above all has a sense of honour and integrity in all that he does".^[15]

James rejected this, stating that although unquestionably brave, Sarsfield was 'very scantily supplied with brains.'^[16] His role at theBoyne was peripheral, although the battle was less decisive than often assumed, Jacobite losses being around 2,000 from a force of 25,000.^[17] James returned to France, leaving Tyrconnell in control; he was the leader of the "Peace Party", who wanted to negotiate a settlement preserving Catholic rights to land and public office.^[13] Sarsfield headed the "War Party", who felt they could gain more by fighting on; it included theLuttrell brothers,Nicholas Purcell and English CatholicWilliam Dorrington, a former colleague from Monmouth's Regiment.^[18]

The position of the War Party was strengthened by theDeclaration of Finglas, which offered the rank and file amnesty but excluded senior officers. French victories in theLow Countries briefly increased hopes of a Stuart restoration, and the Jacobites established a defensive line along theShannon. Sarsfield cemented his reputation with an attack on the Williamite artillery train at Ballyneety, widely credited with forcing them to abandon thefirst siege of Limerick. The Jacobites also retainedAthlone, offset by the loss ofKinsale andCork, which made resupply from France extremely difficult.^[19]

With Tyrconnell absent in France, Sarsfield took control and in December 1690, arrested several leaders of the peace faction. He then bypassed James by asking Louis XIV directly for French support, and requesting the removal of Tyrconnell and the army commanderBerwick, James' illegitimate son.^[20] The latter, who later described Sarsfield as "a man [...] without sense", albeit "very good-natured", left Limerick for France in February.^[21]

Tyrconnell returned in January 1691, carrying letters from James making SarsfieldEarl of Lucan, an attempt to placate an "increasingly influential and troublesome figure".^[22] A large French convoy arrived at Limerick in May, along withSt Ruth, appointed military commander in an attempt to end the conflict between the factions. St Ruth and 7,000 others died atAughrim in July 1691, reputedly the bloodiest battle ever on Irish soil.^[23] Sarsfield's role is unclear: one account claims he quarrelled with St Ruth and was sent to the rear with the cavalry reserves.^[24]

The remnants of the Jacobite army regrouped at Limerick; Tyrconnell died of a stroke in August, and in October, Sarsfield negotiated terms of surrender withGodart de Ginkel, the Dutch commander of the Williamite army.^[22] He has been criticised for this, having constantly attacked Tyrconnell for advocating the same thing, while it is suggested the Williamite army was weaker than he judged.^[25] However, the collapse of the Shannon line and surrender of Galway and Sligo left him little option; without French supplies, the military position was hopeless, and defections meant his army was dissolving.^[23]

The military articles of theTreaty of Limerick preserved the Jacobite army by allowing its remaining troops to enter French service; about 19,000 officers and men, including Sarsfield, chose to leave in what is known as theFlight of the Wild Geese. Sarsfield's handling of the civil articles was less successful; most of its protections were ignored by the new regime, although Sarsfield may have viewed it as temporary, hoping to resume the war.^[25]

On arrival in France, Sarsfield becameMajor-General in the army of exiles, an appointment James made with great reluctance. In addition to other acts of perceived insubordination, Sarsfield allegedly told William's negotiators at Limerick "change but kings with us, and we will fight it over again".^[3] After the planned invasion of England was abandoned in 1692, the exiles became part of the French army, and Sarsfield a Frenchmarechal de camp.^[25]

He fought atSteenkerque in August 1692, and was fatally wounded at theBattle of Landen in July 1693, dying atHuyseveral weeks later. Despite several searches, no grave or burial record has been found, although a plaque at St Martin's church, Huy, has been set up in commemoration and an announcement in 2023 stated that, pending exhumation and identification, his remains had been located.^[26] Like much else, his reputed last words, "Oh that this had been shed for Ireland!", areapocryphal.^[27]

Sarsfield left few contemporary records, and those that exist are "disconcertingly incomplete".^[28] It is impossible to determine his precise political views, almost nothing is known of his family life, and none of the alleged portraits of him can be authenticated.^[25] This allowed later writers to use him as a vehicle for their own needs, especially his portrayal as the "heroic ideal of an Irish soldier".^[29]

His success at Ballyneety remains his most famous achievement, although a 1995 study suggests it had limited military value, and his men may have indiscriminately slaughtered women and children.^[29][30] He has also been criticised for the role he played in creating divisions within the Jacobite camp; senior officers considered him rash and easily manipulated, although he seems to have been popular with the rank and file.^[25]

Mythologising began during his lifetime; the poetDáibhí Ó Bruadair, 1625 to 1698, composed apanegyric describing Sarsfield as virtuous, heroic, popular and a great leader, but admitted they had not met.^[31] The anonymous song "Slán le Pádraig Sáirseál", or "Farewell to Patrick Sarsfield", is considered a classic of Irish-language poetry.^[32] Nineteenth-century nationalists likeThomas Davis celebrated him as a national hero and patriot, while in the early 20th century he was also depicted as a staunch Catholic.^[33]

During the 1912 to 1914Home Rule crisis, his image as a brave and honourable patriot was used to counter Unionist claims that Catholics, and by definition nationalists, were incapable of self-government.^[34] When the Irish Folklore Commission began collecting material in the 1930s, they recorded many oral narratives about Sarsfield, including stories of buried gold, generosity to the poor, having his horse shod backwards to escape from pursuers, and apparitions of dogs or white horses.^[35]

The globalIrish diaspora meant his name and reputation were commemorated beyond Ireland;Michael Corcoran, a Federal general in the United States Civil War, claimed to be a direct descendant.^[36] From 1870 to 1880, a unit in the California National Guard formed from recruits of Irish descent was called theSarsfield Grenadier Guards.^[37] Towns that bear his name includeSarsfield, Ontario,^[38] and Sarsfield inVictoria, Australia.^[39]

"Sarsfield" appears on the coat of arms for County Limerick; in Limerick itself, there is a Sarsfield Bridge and Sarsfield Street, while the local Irish Army base isSarsfield Barracks. An 1881 bronze statue by sculptorJohn Lawlor stands in the grounds of St John's Cathedral.^[40] Part of the route used for the attack on the Williamite siege train is marked out today as Sarsfield's Ride, and is a popular walking and cycling route through County Tipperary, County Clare and County Limerick.^[41]

The song "Jackets Green" byMichael Scanlan is about a soldier fighting alongside Patrick Sarsfield in the Williamite war.

• Atkinson, CT (1946). "Charles II's regiments in France, 1672 - 1678".Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research.24 (100).JSTOR 44228420.
• Bradshaw, Brendan (2016).And so began the Irish Nation: Nationality, National Consciousness and Nationalism in Pre-modern Ireland. Routledge.ISBN 978-1472442567.
• Bromley, J. S. (1970).The New Cambridge Modern History: Volume 6, The Rise of Great Britain and Russia, 1688-1715/25. CUP Archive.ISBN 978-0-521-07524-4.
• "California Milita and National Guard Unit Histories Sarsfield Grenadier Guard". Military Museum. Retrieved18 February 2020.
• Connolly, SJ (2008).Divided Kingdom: Ireland 1630-1800. OUP.ISBN 978-0199543472.
• Gasper, Julia (2012).Theodore von Neuhoff, King of Corsica: The Man Behind the Legend. University of Delaware Press.ISBN 978-1611494402.
• Gibney, John (2011). "Sarsfield is the Word: the Heroic Afterlife of an Irish Jacobite".New Hibernia Review.15 (1):64–80.doi:10.1353/nhr.2011.0007.S2CID 144104766.
• Hayes-McCoy, G. A. (1942). "The Battle of Aughrim".Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society.20 (1).
• Hayton, David (2004).Ruling Ireland, 1685-1742: Politics, Politicians and Parties. Boydell.
• Holmes, Richard (2008).Marlborough: Britain's Greatest General: England's Fragile Genius. Harper Press.ISBN 978-0007225712.
• Irwin, Liam."Dictionary of Irish Biography: Sarsfield, Patrick". Cambridge University Press.
• Irwin, Liam (1995). "Sarsfield: the Man and the Myth". In Whelan, Bernadette (ed.).The Last of the Great Wars: Essays on the War of the Three Kings in Ireland 1688–91. University of Limerick Press. pp. 130–138.ISBN 978-1874653325.
• Kiberd, Declan (1979).Synge and the Irish Language. Springer.ISBN 9781349045709.
• Lenihan, Padraig (2003).1690; Battle of the Boyne. The History Press Ltd.ISBN 978-0752425979.
• Lynn, John A. (1999).The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Addison Wesley Longman.ISBN 978-0582056299.
• MacManus, Seaumas (2018).The Story of the Irish Race. Chartwell Books.ISBN 978-0785836414.
• Robertson, Barry (2014).Royalists at War in Scotland and Ireland, 1638–1650. Ashgate.ISBN 978-1409457473.
• "Sarsfield Ontario". Sarsfield Community Association. 5 February 2015. Retrieved25 July 2020.
• "Sarsfield, Victoria". Victorian Places. Retrieved25 July 2020.
• Scouller, R.E (1987). "Catholic and Jacobite Officers".Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research.65 (261).JSTOR 44229734.
• "The Fighting 69th". Archived fromthe original on 6 January 2007. Retrieved17 February 2020.
• Wauchope, Piers (1992).Patrick Sarsfield and the Williamite War. Dublin.ISBN 978-0-7165-2476-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Wauchope, Piers (2004). "Sarsfield, Patrick, Jacobite first earl of Lucan".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24671. (Subscription,Wikipedia Library access orUK public library membership required.)

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• Earls of Lucan
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• Irish MPs 1689
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