School: Christian Brothers, Athlone

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1. How Sergeant Custume Defended the Bridge of Athlone (continued)

   

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   Athlone was then as now, divided by the Shannon, the portion on the Leinster side being known as Englishtown, and the remaining portion on the Connacht side being called Irishtown. Both were connected by a bridge round which this episode takes place.

   The Williamites arrived before Athlone on 19th July. The Jacobites on the Connacht side were commanded by the French General, St. Ruth.
   Englishtown was held by Colonel Fitzgerald with a Garrison of barely 350 men. With this tiny force, the gallant Colonel successfully held the Williamite Army for five or six hours, and then fell back towards the Shannon and his gallant effort was worthier of a nobler cause and of a better King.

   

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2. Retreat across the Bridge of Athlone - 19th July 1691

   

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   Fitzgerald's men, though exhausted after forty eight hours continual fighting, held the approaches to the bridge until 200 of their number were killed or disabled. The survivors of the gallant little band, now reduced to a mere handful, then fell back, fiercely contesting every inch of the way, and turned again at bay on the historical bridge. Wave after wave of Dutch, Danish, Scotch and English Troops were hurled against them in vain. The Irish, now armed for the most part with nothing more than sticks and poles fitted with metal points, gallantly held the bridge. Then, when further defence was seen to be impossible, the rere files turned, and working like furies, destroyed two arches of the bridge. Some of the defenders dashed across the falling masonry, but the front men, holding back the enemy were left behind.

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