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Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara (1585October 1655) was an Irish soldier of the 17th century. After lengthy service as a
mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...
in the
Spanish Army The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century. The Spanish Army has existed ...
, Preston returned to Ireland following the outbreak of the Rebellion of 1641. He was appointed to command the
Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
Army of the Irish Confederacy, enjoying some success as well as a number of heavy defeats such as the Battle of Dungans Hill in 1647 where his army was largely destroyed. Like other Confederate leaders, Preston was a
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Royalist. He remained in close contact with the
Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ov ...
the Marquess of Ormonde, and was a strong supporter of an alliance between Confederates and Royalists against the English Republicans. Following the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the Commonwealth of England, initially led by Oliver Cromwell. It forms part of the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, and wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three ...
, he left for France where he joined the Royalist Court-in-exile and was made Viscount Tara by Charles II.


Lineage

Preston was a descendant of Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston, who in 1363 purchased the lands of Gormanston, County Meath, and who was
Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...
in 1388. The Prestons came originally from the
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
town of that name, and arrived in Ireland some time before 1320. Sir Robert's great-grandson, Robert Preston, was created Viscount Gormanston in 1478; and the latter's great-grandson was Christopher, 4th Viscount Gormanstown (died 1599), whose second son was Thomas Preston. Thomas's mother was Catherine FitzWilliam, daughter of the wealthy Dublin landowner Sir Richard FitzWilliam of Baggotrath Castle. He was thus a close relative of Viscount FitzWilliam.


Continental service

Thomas's elder brother succeeded in the title of Viscount Gormanstown, so Thomas Preston pursued a career in the military. Since
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
s were not allowed to hold state positions in Ireland, he entered the Spanish service and fought in the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. Preston was in the same Irish regiment in the Spanish service as Owen Roe O'Neill, and distinguished himself in the defence of Leuven against the French and Dutch in 1635. Between him and Owen Roe O'Neill, there was from the first intense jealousy. There was also some tension between Preston and James Tuchet. In 1644 Tuchet, the
Earl of Castlehaven Earl of Castlehaven was a title in the Peerage of Ireland, created on 6 September 1616. It was held in conjunction with the Baron Audley, Barony of Audley (created 1312 in the Peerage of England), the Barony of Audley of Orier (created with the ...
was chosen to lead a major Confederate expedition into Ulster. Unlike Preston, Castlehaven was a military amateur but was he favoured over Preston as he was of a prominent English family.


Irish Confederacy

Preston returned to Ireland after the
Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...
to support his fellow Irish Catholics. He was appointed general of
Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
, by the Irish Confederates, which was the largest and best equipped of the Irish Catholic forces. His performance as a commander in Ireland in the intermittent wars of 1642 to 1652 was mixed. He won widespread praise for his successful siege of Duncannon in 1645, but lost a string of field battles including
New Ross New Ross (, formerly ) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, on the River Barrow on the border with County Kilkenny, northeast of Waterford. In 2022, it had a population of 8,610, making it the fourth-largest t ...
(1643) and Dungans Hill (1647). This last battle was disastrous for the Confederates, as their Leinster army was all but wiped out at it. In general, he was skilled in the art of siegecraft, but never had a very good understanding of mobile warfare. In August 1646, Preston's alcoholism and royalist tendencies led Chief Doctor Owen O'Shiel to leave Preston's command and move to the Ulster Army. Preston played a major part in the Confederates' internal strife, siding at first with radicals who opposed the first Ormonde peace, but later siding with the moderates who signed a conclusive treaty with Ormonde and the Royalists in 1648. His Royalism was motivated by his
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roots and his extreme personal dislike of Owen Roe O'Neill, who led the opposing faction. He fought with the defeated Royalists during the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the Commonwealth of England, initially led by Oliver Cromwell. It forms part of the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, and wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three ...
, defending the city of
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
until hunger and disease forced him to capitulate. He marched his remaining troops to
Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
, the last Irish-held city on the island. In late 1652, after another lengthy siege, Galway too was reduced by plague and lack of supplies. Preston surrendered the city on condition that he and his troops be allowed to leave the country and find employment in the French army. He left the country for exile in France, where the Royalist court was in exile, in 1652. In 1650 Charles II while in exile created him Viscount Tara; and after his departure from Ireland in 1652 he offered his services to Charles in Paris, where he died in October 1655.


Family

Preston's wife was a Flemish lady of rank, Claire van der Eycken, daughter of Philippe-Charles van der Eycken and Anne de Jauche de Mastaing. She was the sister of Anthone van der Eycken (+ 22 march 1646) lord of Sint-Joris (Beernem in Flanders). Preston had by Claire three children. Louise (born 1624), a daughter by his second wife Catharina Reyns, was the second wife of Sir
Phelim O'Neill Sir Phelim Roe O'Neill of Kinard ( Irish: ''Sir Féilim Rua Ó Néill na Ceann Ard''; 1604–1653) was an Irish politician and soldier who started the Irish rebellion in Ulster on 23 October 1641. He joined the Irish Catholic Confede ...
, while her sister Mary married Colonel Francis Netterville, a grandson of Nicholas Netterville, 1st Viscount Netterville, and after his death married Colonel John Fitzpatrick. His son Anthony succeeded him as 2nd Viscount Tara, a title that became extinct on the murder by Sir Francis Blundell, 3rd Baronet and his brothers of Thomas, 3rd Viscount, in 1674. Charles II, who during his exile lodged with the Preston family in
Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...
, spoke warmly of the children and their guardian Miss Warren in his later years, but did nothing to repair their ruined fortunes: the younger Thomas in 1670 was said to be penniless.Fraser, Antonia ''King Charles II'' Mandarin edition 1993 p.152


See also

* William Preston (Virginia soldier) * William Preston (poet)


Notes


References

* *


Bibliography

* O Siochru, Micheal. '' Confederate Ireland, 1642–1649''. A Constitutional and Political Analysis''. Four Courts Press, 1999.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tara, Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Preston Irish generals Preston Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by Charles II 1585 births 1655 deaths 17th-century Irish military personnel Military personnel from County Meath Preston, Thomas, 1st Viscount Tara Irish soldiers in the Spanish Army Irish expatriates in France People of Elizabethan Ireland