Kinsale was afterwards besieged, and the enemy immediately vacated the town and retired into the Old and New Forts. The Old Fort was taken by storm on the 2d of October; and a breach having been made in the New Fort, the garrison surrendered on the 15th of October.
After the capture of these fortresses the regiment was placed in garrison in Cork, where it remained during the winter.
1691
In the spring of 1691, when the army took the field under General De Ginkell, (afterwards Earl of Athlone,) this regiment was left in reserve in the county of Cork, to secure the garrisons, and to keep in check the bands of armed Roman Catholic peasantry, who prowled about the country committing every description of depredation; and, while employed in this service, detachments of the regiment had occasional encounters with the enemy's parties. After the overthrow of the Irish and French forces at Aughrim, the regiment was ordered to march from the county of Cork, and it joined the main army in the wild and desolate part of the country called Shalley. Advancing from thence to Limerick, it was engaged in the siege of this place, which was terminated by the surrender of the garrison in September, on condition of being permitted to proceed to France. Indemnity was also granted to the Roman Catholics who had engaged in this contest, and the power of King James was finally suppressed in Ireland.
After so many of the Irish regiments as were willing had proceeded to France, where they were taken into the service of Louis XIV., the other Irish corps which had fought in King James's cause were disbanded, and the regiment which forms the subject of this memoir returned to England, and immediately commenced recruiting its numbers.
1692
On the 1st of January, 1692, the colonelcy was conferred on the lieut.-colonel, Henry Trelawny, vice Major-General Charles Trelawny, who was appointed Governor of Plymouth.
The regiment was allowed but a short period for the purpose of recruiting, before it was ordered to hold itself in readiness to proceed to the Netherlands, and having embarked at Portsmouth, sailed on the 31st of March, 1692; contrary winds, however, forced the transports to anchor in the Downs until the middle of April, when they sailed to Ostend. After landing, the regiment went into cantonments among the Belgic peasantry, and subsequently took the field with the army commanded by King William in person.
The regiment took part in the operations of the main army and in the advance to relieve the siege of Namur, which was frustrated by heavy rains. On the 29th of June, it was reviewed by King William and the Elector of Bavaria at the camp on the undulating grounds between Genappe and the forest of Soignies.
It was also present at the battle of Steenkirk, fought on the 24th of July, when the army of King William was repulsed in an attempt to force the position occupied by the French under Marshal Luxemburg. This regiment formed part of the main body, and, owing to the narrow and difficult defiles which lay between the two armies, it was not brought into action, and consequently had no opportunity of distinguishing itself. A detachment of the regiment, sent forward on the preceding evening, joined the advance-guard, and was sharply engaged. The loss on both sides was nearly equal.