n expedition into the
southwest of Ireland, which, covered by Cork and Limerick, had hitherto
been free from the presence of any English troops. He therefore pushed a
strong body of cavalry and infantry westward from Cork and Kinsale; and
these succeeded in making themselves masters of Castle Haven, Baltimore,
Bantry, and several other castles on the line of coast. The district was
wild and mountainous, and the passes might have been easily held against
the advance; but the peasants had not been organized for resistance, and
no serious opposition was encountered.

Colonel O'Driscol, a cousin of MacFinn O'Driscol, and Captain O'Donovan,
two of the principal proprietors of the neighbourhood, soon arrived upon
the spot, and assembled a large irregular force, consisting chiefly of
mounted peasants; and with these they soon cooped the invaders up in the
castles they had taken. O'Driscol next attempted the recovery of his own
Castle Haven, which was strongly defended, and stood on a cliff
overhanging the sea; but his wild peasants were ill adapted for such
work, and they were repulsed by the English garrison, and O'Driscol
himself killed. But another force was advancing from the north. MacFinn
O'Driscol, with his regiment, pressed forward along the line of Bandon
river, besieged and captured Castle Haven, and expelled the English
garrisons from Baltimore and Bantry.

General Tettau had also marched out from Cork with several regiments of
infantry and dragoons, with the intention of penetrating into Kerry; but
the enemy's light troops harassed him night and day, wasted the country,
and defended every pass; and he was obliged to return to Cork, without
having accomplished anything. All this time Ginckle was urging upon the
lord justices, who were now the real ruling party in Ireland, to issue a
proclamation offering pardon and security for person and property to all
who came in; urging that it was impossible that he could ever subdue the
country, while the whole population had everything at stake in opposing
him.

He was supported by King William, who was most anxious to bring the
struggle to an end; but the lord justices, and the Protestant party at
Dublin, who were bent upon dividing among themselves the property of the
Catholics throughout Ireland, turned a deaf ear to the arguments of
Ginckle, and their friends in London had sufficient power to prevent the
king from insisting upon his own wishes being carried into effect.