The Irish regiments fought through the war in Flanders.  At Landen, July 29, 1693, the French under the duke of Luxembourg defeated the English under William III. with a slaughter of 10,473 men, losing 8,000 men themselves.  In the retreat, Ginkel, William’s general in the Irish campaign, was almost drowned in the river Greete.  The Irish Royal Regiment of Footguards, that of Dorrington, was the first corps to break through the English intrenchments, its gallant leader, Colonel Barrett, falling as he headed the charge.  Here also was stricken Lieutenant-Colonel Nugent of Sheldon’s Irish Regiment.  Here also fell—­saddest loss of all—­Patrick Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan, brave, resourceful, a true unfaltering-soldier and lover of his country.  The legend of his life blood flowing before his eyes and his utterance, “Would it had been shed for Ireland”, may and should be true, although he lived three days after the battle.  Would, indeed, it had been shed for Ireland—­after such a day!

It was in 1703 that the celebrated defence of Cremona lifted Irish renown to great heights throughout Europe.  There were but 600 Irish troopers all told in that long day’s work, and from the break of day till nightfall they held at bay Prince Eugene’s army of 10,000 men.  The two battalions of Bourke and Dillon were surprised at early morn to learn that the Austrians—­and there were Irish officers among them—­were in the town.  Major O’Mahony and his men ran from their beds to the gates, and neither the foes without nor the foes within could make them budge.  Terribly they suffered under concentrated attacks, but a withering fire from the Irish met every assault.  It was nightfall before relief came, and then the sons of Ireland who had held Cremona for the French were acclaimed by all, but of their 600 they had lost nearly 350.  Small wonder that the honor list that day was long.  In Bourke’s battalion the specially distinguished were Captains Wauchop, Plunkett, Donnellan, MacAuliffe, Carrin, Power, Nugent, and Ivers; in Dillon’s, Major O’Mahony, Captains Dillon, Lynch, MacDonough, and Magee, and Lieutenants Dillon and Gibbon, John Bourke and Thomas Dillon.  Major O’Mahony was sent to Paris to carry the news of the victory to the king, who presented him with a purse of 1,000 louis d’or, a pension of 1,000 livres, and the brevet of colonel.

So the history proceeds, the Irish regiments lost in the array of the French forces, but showing here and there a glint of charging bayonets, captured trenches, and gushes of Irish blood.  In 1703 the brigade regiments fought in Italy and Germany under the Duc de Vendome.  We hear of the regiments of Berwick, Bourke, Dillon, Galmoy, and Fitzgerald vigorously engaged.  In Germany the story is of Sheldon’s Horse and two battalions of the regiments of Dorrington and Clare.  At the first battle of Blenheim, September 20, 1703, the regiment of Clare lost one of its colors, rallied, charged with the bayonet and recovered it,