Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Charles O'Hara, 1st Baron Tyrawley (died 9 June 1724) was an Irish soldier known for his service with the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. From 1714 to 1721 he served as Commander-in-Chief of the

Royal Irish Army Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, ...

Background

Born in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

in the mid-seventeenth century, his exact origins are unclear, with some contemporaries claiming that he had once been a

highwayman A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to foo ...

. He developed a connection with the powerful Butler family of

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

, who frequently governed Ireland on the Crown's behalf. He was likely a riding master to the young James Butler, later Duke of Ormonde, although he later claimed to have been his tutor.

Military career

O'Hara was commissioned into the Duke of York's Foot, becoming a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in 1678.Charles O'Hara at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
/ref> In 1679, he transferred to the Anglo-Dutch Brigade and then, in 1686, he moved to the 1st Foot Guards. He became Lieutenant Colonel of that Regiment in 1689. In 1703, during the

War of Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish ...

, he went to Cadiz; he distinguished himself at the Battle of Vigo Bay but was arrested for looting on return to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Having been acquitted, in 1706, he became Second-in-Command in Spain and prevented a French attack on

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

, earning an Irish

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

y as a reward. In 1707, at the

Battle of Almansa The Battle of Almansa took place on 25 April 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was fought between an army loyal to Philip V of Spain, Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne, and one supporting his Habsburg rival, Archduke Charl ...

, he commanded the left flank of the Army. Following the

Hanoverian Succession The Act of Settlement ( 12 & 13 Will. 3. c. 2) is an act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catho ...

of 1714, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, a post he held until 1721.

Family

He married Frances Rouse and together they went on to have at least one son, James O'Hara, who became a

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

, and one daughter.

References

Bibliography

* Hugill, J.A.C. ''No Peace Without Spain''. Kensal Press, 1991. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tyrawley, Charles Ohara, 1st Baron 1724 deaths 18th-century Irish people Barons in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by Queen Anne People from County Mayo Royal Fusiliers officers Grenadier Guards officers Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Year of birth missing British Army lieutenant generals British Army personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Irish officers in the British Army