ut that country (Costigan 71).
Thus, when Oliver Cromwell came to power in 1649, he decided to seek revenge against the Irish people as a whole. His troops swept into Drogheda in September, 1649, and the town was successfully conquered within ten days. Following the submission of the city, there were "four days of general massacre directed by Cromwell himself, during which period some four thousand people were murdered" (Costigan 76). In October, Cromwell led his troops into the town of Wexford, which was also conquered. At Wexford, Cromwell again sought revenge for the 1641 rebellion, "and two thousand people more--men, women, and children, priests, nuns, and laymen were put to death" (Costigan 76). At that point, Cromwell decided that the I
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