Cromwell’s Conquest & The Massacre of Drogheda: How Brutality Shaped Ireland’s Centuries-Long Resistance
Irish History Through the Lens of Rebellion & Resistance
How Brutality Shaped Ireland’s Centuries-Long Resistance
If there is one name that echoes with rage and grief in Irish history, it is Oliver Cromwell.
To the British, he was a leader, a military genius, even a hero.
To the Irish, he was a butcher.
His conquest of Ireland from 1649 to 1653 was one of the bloodiest, most brutal campaigns of colonial violence. And at its heart was Drogheda—where Cromwell’s forces carried out a massacre so horrifying that its impact is still felt more than 350 years later.
This was not just another military campaign. It was a warning, a terror campaign, an attempt to break Ireland’s will to resist.
But if history teaches us anything, it is that brutality does not break a people. It radicalizes them.
Why Did Cromwell Invade Ireland?
To understand Cromwell’s conquest, we have to go back to the English Civil War (1642-1651)—a time of massive political upheaval in Britain.
King vs. Parliament – King Charles I was executed in 1649, and England became a republic under Cromwell’s rule.
Ireland’s Confederate Wars – While Britain was fighting itself, the Irish had formed their own Confederation of Kilkenny (1642-1649) to resist English rule.
Cromwell’s Plan – Once Charles I was dead, Cromwell set his sights on crushing Catholic Ireland, seeing it as a threat to England’s new regime.
But this wasn’t just about war—it was about religion, colonization, and control.
Cromwell was a radical Puritan who saw Catholic Ireland as heretical and barbaric.
He wanted to seize Irish land for English settlers, furthering the colonization of Ireland.
He justified mass slaughter by claiming the Irish were savages who needed to be “taught a lesson.”
This was the mindset that led to Drogheda.
The Massacre of Drogheda (September 1649)
Drogheda was one of the first major battles of Cromwell’s campaign—and it set the tone for everything that followed.
A fortified Irish town – Drogheda was well-defended by Irish and Royalist forces.
Cromwell’s siege – His army bombarded the town with artillery, breaking through the walls.
The slaughter begins – Once inside, Cromwell ordered that no mercy be shown.
What followed was a brutal, calculated massacre:
3,500 people were killed—soldiers, civilians, priests, women, children.
Priests were burned alive in churches as Cromwell’s forces torched places of worship.
Hundreds of survivors were executed after surrendering.
Civilians were hunted down and butchered.
Cromwell justified it by saying:
“I am persuaded that this is a righteous judgment of God upon these barbarous wretches.”
It wasn’t war—it was ethnic cleansing.
The Massacre of Wexford (October 1649): The Slaughter Continues
Just one month later, Cromwell did it again.
At Wexford, Irish defenders were negotiating a surrender when Cromwell’s troops stormed the town and carried out another massacre.
2,000-3,000 people were murdered.
Civilians fleeing by boat were shot and drowned.
Women and children were killed alongside soldiers.
Cromwell called it "a providence of God."
The message was clear: surrender, and you’ll still die.
The Aftermath: Cromwell’s Genocide in Ireland
The slaughter didn’t stop with Drogheda and Wexford. Over the next four years, Cromwell’s forces carried out:
Mass executions of Irish prisoners—many were shipped to the Caribbean as indentured servants.
The seizure of Irish land—entire Catholic populations were displaced, and their land was given to English settlers.
The destruction of Irish towns and churches—cultural erasure on a massive scale.
Famine & plague—Cromwell’s policies caused starvation that killed hundreds of thousands.
By the time his conquest was complete in 1653:
At least 600,000 Irish people had died—nearly 40% of Ireland’s population.
Tens of thousands were enslaved and sent to the Caribbean.
Ireland’s land was carved up and handed to British settlers.
Cromwell called it a victory. The Irish called it a genocide.
The Black-Irish Connection: Cromwell & The Irish in the Caribbean
Cromwell’s conquest didn’t just destroy Ireland—it scattered the Irish across the world.
Tens of thousands of Irish were sent to Barbados, Montserrat, and Jamaica as indentured servants.
Irish laborers worked alongside enslaved Africans in brutal conditions.
The Irish & African communities formed bonds—so much so that Montserrat is still called “The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.”
Cromwell’s policies forged a new connection between Irish and Black struggles, one that would continue for centuries.
How Cromwell’s Terror Shaped Irish Resistance
Cromwell believed he was crushing Irish resistance. Instead, he hardened it.
Every rebellion that followed—1798, 1916, The Troubles—was fueled by the memory of Cromwell’s brutality.
His massacres became rallying cries for Irish revolutionaries.
To this day, the name Cromwell is met with anger and contempt in Ireland.
Far from breaking Ireland, he became the face of everything the Irish fought against.
Final Reflection: The Blueprint for Empire
Cromwell’s conquest was not an anomaly—it was a blueprint for British colonial violence.
The same land seizures were used against Native Americans & Black freedmen in the U.S.
The same massacres were repeated in Kenya, India, and Palestine.
The same religious justification was used to oppress Indigenous and African peoples under colonial rule.
Wherever the British Empire went, it carried Cromwell’s playbook.
But history has shown that oppression breeds resistance.
From Drogheda to Soweto, from Wexford to Haiti, from Ireland to Black Wall Street, the story remains the same:
Empire falls. Resistance rises. And the people always remember.
Further Learning: Watch, Read, & Experience
Watch:
Cromwell (1970) – A dramatization of his life (British perspective but worth analyzing).
Read:
God’s Executioner: Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland by Micheál Ó Siochrú.
Engage:
Learn about Montserrat’s Irish-African heritage.
Research how the British used Cromwell’s tactics in Africa, India, & the Caribbean.
Join the conversation: How do historical massacres shape modern resistance?
Tomorrow’s Lesson: The Irish Land Wars & The Fight Against British Landlords
Cromwell’s conquest set the stage for centuries of land theft and displacement. But the Irish never stopped fighting to reclaim what was theirs.
Join us tomorrow as we explore The Irish Land Wars, tenant uprisings, and the underground movements that fought back against British landlords.
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📖 Get the full curriculum here: 👉 59 Days of Resistance Guide
In solidarity and liberation,
Desireé B. Stephens CPS-P
Educator | Counselor | Community Builder
Founder, Make Shi(f)t Happen
My ancestor was sent as an indentured servant to Boston thanks to Cromwell...
For some reason the link to 59 Days of Resistance was not working for me. Any chance you could repost or send to me directly? I'd like to read more if I could. Thank you!