Storming of Maynooth Castle
- When
- 1535
- Where
- Maynooth Castle
- Episodes
- 1
In March 1535, English forces under Sir William Skeffington captured Maynooth Castle, the stronghold of Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare. The assault involved heavy bombardment and the bribery of a guard while the Earl was absent gathering reinforcements.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Maynooth Castle served as the primary residence of the Kildare FitzGerald family from the early 13th century. Thomas FitzGerald, known as Silken Thomas, became deputy governor of Ireland in 1534 after his father was summoned to London. He later renounced allegiance to Henry VIII and retreated to the castle.
The Assault. In March 1535, Sir William Skeffington led an English force against the castle. The attack utilized heavy modern siege guns that damaged much of the medieval structure. The garrison was ultimately overcome when a guard was bribed to open the gates, allowing the English to take the stronghold.
People involved
- William Skeffington · Commander of English forces
- Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare · Defender and owner of the castle
Sources
- Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
- Maynooth Castle Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.