'[1] In late July 1649, a combined Irish Confederate/Royalist army under the Earl of Ormond, tried to capture Dublin, held by forces loyal to the Commonwealth, commanded by Michael Jones.

[7] Ó Néill now agreed a separate truce with George Monck, Parliamentarian commander in Ulster; although London quickly disavowed this, it resulted in a split that fatally damaged the Confederation, and undermined their alliance with the Royalists.

[10] However, on 26 July, Jones received four regiments of reinforcements from Chester under Robert Venables, increasing his strength to 4,000 infantry, and 1,200 cavalry, the vast majority experienced veterans.

[12] Just after midnight on 2 August, Ormond sent 1,500 men under Major-General Patrick Purcell to occupy the partially demolished Baggotrath Castle, on the site of the present-day Baggot Street bridge; its possession would allow their artillery to fire on ships entering the harbour.

Ormond ordered Purcell to make the position defensible, left him some cavalry under Sir William Vaughan, and returned to camp to prepare the rest of his army for action.

[15] Hundreds of Royalist and Confederate soldiers were cut down during the pursuit, while in addition to Vaughan, the Earl of Fingall was wounded and captured, dying in Dublin Castle a few days later.

[18] One of the Royalist officers captured at Rathmines was Richard Elliott, son of Jones's sister Mary; the bitterness engendered by over eight years of brutal warfare was demonstrated by the execution of his nephew along with a number of other prisoners.

[19] Jones then displayed typical energy in immediately seeking to take advantage of his success by marching on Drogheda, but when the town refused to surrender he was forced to withdraw, having insufficient troops to storm it.

[20] The victory allowed the Parliamentarian troops to create a defensive line covering the road between Dublin and the port of Ringsend, where Cromwell landed on 15 August, beginning the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

Divided and demoralised, Protestant Royalists deserted in large numbers over the next few months, including Gifford; Ó Néill now agreed to join Ormonde, but negotiations were only completed shortly before he died in early November.