December 22nd, 1691
Patrick Sarsfield and The Wild Geese sailing out of Cork Harbour for France is a historical event associated with the Flight of the Wild Geese, which occurred in the late 17th century.
Sarsfield sailed to France on 22 December 1691, leading 19,000 of his countrymen and countrywomen to enter the French service in the first phase of the military denuding of Ireland. Sarsfield’s exodus included 14,000 soldiers and around 6,000 women and children. This event began what is remembered in Ireland as the Flight of the Wild Geese. In a poem two centuries later, W. B. Yeats would mourn:
Was it for this the Wild Geese spread A grey wing on every tide…
Patrick Sarsfield, also known as Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, was an Irish Jacobite soldier and leader who played a significant role in the Williamite War in Ireland. The Williamite War was a conflict between the Catholic Jacobites, who supported King James II of England and Ireland, and the Protestant Williamites, who supported King William III of England (also known as William of Orange). The war culminated in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and continued for several years afterward.
After the defeat of the Jacobite forces at the Battle of Aughrim in 1691, many Irish Jacobite soldiers and their leaders, including Patrick Sarsfield, faced an uncertain future. They were concerned about their prospects under the new Protestant-dominated regime of William III. In 1691, the Treaty of Limerick was signed, which offered some terms of surrender to the Jacobites, allowing them to retain certain rights, particularly religious freedoms. However, these terms were not fully honored, and many Jacobites felt persecuted.
As a result, a significant number of Irish soldiers and officers, known as “The Wild Geese,” chose to leave Ireland and seek military service abroad, primarily in the armies of Catholic countries like France and Spain. They became a part of the Irish diaspora and contributed to the military forces of other nations.
Patrick Sarsfield and The Wild Geese left Cork Harbour for France in 1691 to join the French army, where they continued to fight for the Jacobite cause and Catholic interests in European conflicts. This event marked the beginning of a long history of Irish soldiers serving in foreign armies, and their legacy is still celebrated in Irish history and culture today.
The Flight of the Wild Geese is a significant chapter in Irish history, symbolizing the enduring loyalty and commitment of Irish soldiers to their cause, even in the face of defeat and exile.
