BATTLE OF CURLEW PASS – County Sligo, Ireland

In County Sligo, there is a memorial to the Battle of Curlew Pass which features the metal sculpture seen above.  The sculpture is called “The Gaelic Chieftain” and it commemorates the 1599 battle in which the Irish rebels routed and defeated Lord Essex and 17,000 troops at Curlew Pass.  It was just one battle taking place in what is called the Nine Years Wars.  The rebels were led by Hugh O’Donnell and Hugh O’Neill.  The sculpture above was created by Maurice Harron and was dedicated at the site in 1999.