#OnThisDay 1691 Athlone falls to the Williamite forces. One of the bravest moments was when Sgt Custume & ten men charged out in full view of the enemy & broke down the repairs, made to the partially destroyed bridge across the River Shannon, denying access to the city to Ginkel for a few more days. Despite wearing some form of body armour, all 11 died doing so.
‘The Williamite bombardment of the western, Connacht, side of the town was intense, with over 12,000 cannonballs and 600 bombs or mortars fired into the town. During the ten day bombardment, thirty two heavy cannon and mortars fired one shot every minute: Athlone suffered the heaviest bombardment of any city in Britain and Ireland until that point’.
Eventually 2000 of Ginkel’s grenadiers made it across the the Shannon and gained access to the town and opened it up for the rest of the Williamite army.
The Irish at War 