Escalation of the Desmond Rebellions (1570s)

Timeline

1. 1571–1574Munster and continental Europe · MunsterAfter the first Desmond Rebellion failed, James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald went into exile on the Continent, seeking military and financial support from Spain and the Papal States, while land and religious frictions continued to build between Munster's Gaelic nobility and England's resident officials.
2. 1579Smerwick · County KerryIn 1579 Fitzmaurice landed in Kerry with a small foreign force and quickly won the support of some Gaelic chiefs; the fighting escalated from scattered raids into an open challenge to English rule in Munster.
3. 1580Smerwick · County KerryAfter Fitzmaurice was killed in 1580, papally supported Italian and Spanish mercenaries fortified Smerwick; the English besieged and executed the garrison, bringing the war to its peak intensity, with much of Munster plunged into fighting and famine.