inflicted upon a brave army during little over an hour of daylight.

But, crushing as the defeat of the Irish had been, the victory was far
from inspiring William or his army with the confidence they had felt at
the outset of the war. Here, as at Athlone, it was almost a miracle which
had saved the English from a terrible disaster. The Irish had proved
themselves fully a match for the best soldiers that William could send
against them, and, although their infantry had suffered terribly in the
rout, their ranks would be speedily filled up again; while the cavalry,
the arm in which the Irish had uniformly proved their superiority, had
moved away from the field of battle intact and unbroken. Athlone and
Aughrim therefore rendered William and his general more anxious than ever
to bring the struggle to an end, not by the force of arms, but by
offering every concession to the Irish.

The imminence of the peril had cowed even the party of confiscation, and
they offered no opposition to the issue, by Ginckle, of proclamations
renewing the offers of William. Ginckle himself moved forward,
immediately after the battle, and granted the most liberal terms to the
garrisons of the various small posts which he came upon. On arriving
before Galway, he permitted that town and garrison to surrender on the
terms of a pardon for all, security of property and estate, freedom of
religious worship, and permission for the garrison to march away to
Limerick, with drums beating and colours flying, the British furnishing
horses for the transport of their cannon and baggage.



Chapter 15: A Fortunate Recognition.