10 November 1580: The Massacre at Smerwick/ Ard na Caithne on this day. This small town is situated on the far end of the Dingle peninsula in Co Kerry. It was here that an infamous slaughter took place when the Italian/Spanish garrison was put to the sword by the English under the command of Arthur Grey, Baron Grey de Wilton & the Lord Deputy of Ireland.

The background to the terrible events of that day lay in the outbreak of a revolt by the relations of the Earl of Desmond in 1579 against the Queen of England Elizabeth I and her attempts to impose the Protestant Religion on Ireland. To do that she had to curb the influence of the powerful Lords & Chieftains who were the effective rulers of large parts of the Country. Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond was certainly one of the most powerful Lords of Ireland and descended from English stock but was culturally Anglo- Irish in his outlook. His revolt was a major threat to English rule in the province of Munster.

The events unfolding in Ireland attracted interest abroad as both Spain & the Papacy were keen to cause as much discomfort as they could to Elizabeth’s rule here. It was decided to fund a small expedition to Ireland ‘off the record’ as it were to aid the Desmond Rebellion in its efforts. The force of some 700 souls that was dispatched was made up of primarily Italian mercenaries led by Spanish Officers under the command of Sebastiano di San Giuseppe aka Sebastiano da Modena. On 10 September 1580, a squadron of Spanish ships under the command of Admiral Don Juan Martinez de Recalde put them ashore at Smerwick. They had arms for several thousand men.

These soldiers of Fortune had made it to Ireland and onto the Earl of Desmond’s territory but they were very isolated at the far end of the Dingle peninsula. The English saw the danger immediately and sent a naval force to blockade them. Within a month they were cut off and screening force put in place to watch them from land. On 5 November, an English naval force led by Admiral William Winter arrived at Smerwick Harbour, replenishing supplies and landing 8 artillery pieces. Lord Grey then marched from nearby Dingle on 7 November to be ready for an assault. The English could now batter the improvised defenses that had been hastily erected by the defenders and storm the position as soon as the cannon had done their work.

Realising the situation was hopeless Sebastiano da Modena sought for terms but could only secure a guarantee that his officers would be spared - the fate of the rest of the garrison was left undecided though some have claimed that Grey gave promises of mercy to all. In the event it was not to be. The rank and file were hired troops and were not directly serving any recognised sovereign Power. As prisoners without a State they had no real bargaining value and they could be disowned by those who sent them if negotiations were ever conducted. Their fate was sealed as soon as the garrison lay down their arms. Grey de Wilton's account in his despatch says "Then put I in certain bands, who straight fell to execution. There were six hundred slain." Grey de Wilton's forces spared those of higher rank: "Those that I gave life unto, I have bestowed upon the captains and gentlemen that hath well deserved’

The hapless prisoners were led out and stripped of their clothes and belongings & one by one beheaded in a field known locally in Irish as Gort a Ghearradh (Field of Cutting). Their bodies were then cast into the sea & their heads buried in a field nearby now called Gort na gCeann ('Field of the Heads') Thus ended one of the most infamous massacres in Irish History.