Theobald was the eldest of Sir John Taaffe's, 1st
Viscount Taaffe of Corren, fifteen children. His mother was Anne Dillon, daughter of
Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon. Theobald succeeded his father to the viscountcy in 1642. He represented
County Sligo in the
Parliament of Ireland from 1639 until his elevation to the peerage. Theobald Taaffe was appointed to lead the Irish
Munster army by
Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry in 1647. He was not an impressive commander, failing to prevent the
sack of Cashel and then leading the Munster army to defeat at the
battle of Knocknanauss in 1647. He had an antiquated sense of chivalry - before Knocknanuss he suggested to
Baron Inchiquin, the enemy general, that the battle should be decided by 1000 hand-picked men from each side. Inchiquin's reply was sarcastic:
you have performed as much as I desire in bringing your army hither, I shall not desire you to lose any advantage you have in numbers of men, being your offer was only made for recreation. As fate would have it, Taaffe and Inchiquin fought on the same side at the
Battle of Arklow two years later. Unfortunately for Taaffe, Inchiquin lost this time. With the defeat of the Royalist cause in Ireland, Taaffe went into exile with Charles II. He was the ninth on the list of people excluded from pardon in the
Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 as leaders of the Royalist forces in Ireland. Following the
Restoration of Charles II, he was created Earl of Carlingford. and others
Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington. Mary married firstly
William Sarsfield and had female issue, and married secondly William Fanshawe (b. The Hague, May 1651), and had issue. ==References==