The Battle of Glenmalure () took place in Ireland on 25 August 1580 during the Desmond Rebellions. A Catholic army of united Irish clans from the Wicklow Mountains led by Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne and James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass of the Pale, defeated an English army under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, at Clan O'Byrne's mountain stronghold of Glenmalure. Background Grey had landed in Ireland with reinforcements from England in mid-August; his total forces numbering over 2,000 men, the largest English army sent to Ireland in decades. The presence of such a large retinue undoubtedly dissuaded many would-be rebels from joining O'Byrne's side. Despite this, Grey was inexperienced in waging war on Irish terrain and had been previously out of active military service for twenty years. Grey had also received little information on how Ireland was to be governed, even after being appointed Lord Deputy, and so his task was seen as a purely military affair. O'Byrne, Baltinglass, along with their O'Toole allies, simply withdrew in the face of a much larger military force and re-established themselves in Glenmalure. From there, they dispatched a message to Grey seeking protection. However, Grey had been under strict instructions not to give any such protection or pardoning, and perceived this message as indicative of the arrogant behaviour of the Irish rebels. On 18 August, Grey moved his forces to Naas where he collected guides and made plans to attack the rebels. Grey intended to march around the Wicklow Mountains and thus hit O'Byrne's forces from the south-east. However, when the rebels were nowhere to be found, Grey marched his forces ever deeper into the mountains; the route being dictated by the worsening local terrain that was funneling Grey's men into a narrow valley. By this point, O'Byrne had become fully aware of the English troop movements, largely due to defectors from Grey's Kildare allies and from the large mass of soldiers dressed in scarlet and blue coats rummaging through the narrow path. Battle When what appeared to be the vanguard of the Irish rebels presented itself before Grey, he ordered his forces to engage immediately, against the advice of some of his more experienced Kildare allies. They, along with Grey's force of cavalry, occupied a position on a nearby hill and did not play an active role in the subsequent battle. The English vanguard, commanded by Colonel George Moore, pursued the