| Massacre of Mullaghmast | |
| Location: | Mullaghmast, Ballitore, County Kildare |
| Date: | Late 1577 or 1 January 1578 |
| Type: | Massacre |
| Fatalities: | 100-400 |
| Perp: | Henry Sidney and Kingdom of Ireland militia |
The massacre of Mullaghmast (Irish: ár Mhullach maistean) was the mass killing of between 100 and 400 members of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland by English forces under the command of Sir Henry Sidney in Mullaghmast, County Kildare in either late 1577 or 1 January 1578.[1] There is limited surviving documentation on the massacre, although documents have recently been made available at the National Library of Ireland.
According to traditional accounts, Francis Cosby and Robert Hartpole – prospective English colonists in the plantation of the Queen's County (the ancient kingdom of Loígis, modern County Laois) and the King's County (the ancient kingdom of Uí Failghe, modern County Offaly) – plotted to kill native Irish chieftains. The Lord Deputy of Ireland, Henry Sidney, reputedly colluded with Cosby and Hartpole. To expedite the plot, they befriended members of prominent native Irish families (including two powerful chieftains from Ulster).
Between 100 and 400 members of families prominent in Loígis and Uí Failghe were summoned to Mullaghmast in County Kildare, under the pretext of performing military service. Most of those who attended were murdered, including some who were burned at the stake.
The following account of the massacre is found in the Annals of the Four Masters:[2]
John O'Donovan (scholar), in his edition of the Annals, stated: