Book review: Neutral account of Spanish Armada delivered with flow of good storyteller

Michael B Barry reminds us that there was more than a hint of good fortune about how the events of the Spanish Armada unfolded in favour of the English

The Spanish Armada: It is reckoned that 3,750 men were drowned, or killed, in 24 shipwreck incidents off Ireland’s coast. Picture: courtesy of the Rijksmuseum

• 1588: The Spanish Armada and the 24 Ships Lost on Ireland’s Shores 
• Michael B Barry 
• Andalus Press,€29.99

A neutral account of the Spanish Armada is long overdue. For many years readers of history and historic fiction have been subjected to the Tudor version of events.

A new book '1588: The Spanish Armada and the 24 Ships Lost on Ireland’s Shores' by Michael B Barry, reminds us that there was more than a hint of good fortune about how the events of the Armada unfolded in favour of the English.

In the introduction to this excellently produced book, Barry declares that among his objectives are dispassionately telling the facts and casting more light on the seminal events that took place before, during and after the crusade of the Spanish Armada of 1588.

The book is aimed at the general reader and Barry rises to this challenge by delivering his account with the flow and clarity of a good story teller, adding touches of his own humour. 

When we read about Queen Elizabeth appointing Nicholas Malay to deal with rebellion in Munster, Barry also tells us that Malay “had form in brutal repression”. 

Similarly when outlining the poor weather that beset the third Armada of 1597 we are told that, “God (obviously proving himself by now to be a dyed-in-the-wool Protestant!) blew once more and the gale sank dozens of vessels…” 

The book begins forty years before the Armada and explains how the cordial relations between Britain and Spain fell apart. 

The book is aimed at the general reader and Michael B Barry rises to this challenge by delivering his account with the flow and clarity of a good story teller, adding touches of his own humour. 

King Philip of Spain had once advised the English navy on how to make the best of their resources. However, after Queen Elizabeth ascended to the Crown in 1559, relationships gradually changed.

The Protestant Elizabeth had a keen eye for finance and she encouraged privateers to roam the high seas and capture Spanish ships returning from the Americas. 

Added to this was England’s support for the Protestant uprising in the Netherlands (then under the rule of King Philip). 

It was therefore, no small wonder that the antagonism between the two countries quickly escalated to a war footing.

Spain’s King Philip emerges from this book as an astute diplomat and a thoughtful leader. 

The Spanish empire was at its greatest but, its Achilles heel was its sheer size. 

Communications were difficult, as was navigation — especially in stormy weather; these factors in particular tempered Spain’s huge naval advantages.

In the aftermath of Spain’s failure to land their army in England, it was decided to head home by sailing around Scotland and Ireland. 

In terms of personnel, this led to Spain’s greatest losses of the entire expedition. More than 5,200 Spanish died in Ireland in 1588; half of the total casualties of the Armada.

It is reckoned that 3,750 men were drowned, or killed, in 24 shipwreck incidents off Ireland’s coast. 

A further 1,500 men were slaughtered after making it ashore, the role of the O’Neills and the O’Donnells of Ulster in these massacres leaving a lot to be desired.

Post Armada, the financial resources of each country became apparent. England was broke; it called off the chase of the Armada at the Firth of Forth because the British ships had no food, water, or gunpowder. 

Its sailors were diseased and starving and were discharged immediately without any significant compensation. 

They could be found for months afterwards in the ports of east England begging for scraps on the street.

Spain, on the other hand, built hospitals to care for the returned sailors as the ships straggled back to northern Spain; within a few years its navy was rebuilt.

In 1588: The Spanish Armada and the 24 Ships Lost on Ireland’s Shores Michael Barry has delivered a gem. 

The beautifully reproduced photographs, paintings and maps enhance the detail and bring clarity to the reader. It is obviously a labour of love that was well conceived and excellently delivered.