The whole force of the province, such as it was, with the more serious addition of several thousand Scotch marauders, was at Shane's disposal, and thus provided, he thought himself safe in defying England to do its worst.'[1] [Footnote 1: Froude, Ibid.] Meantime, Sussex had arrived in Dublin preceded by his English forces.
He made a rapid preliminary movement to the north, and seized the Cathedral of Armagh, in order to make it a fortified depot for his stores.

He then fell back into Meath, where he was joined by Ormond with flying companies of galloglasses.

Soon after a singular attack was made on the English garrison at Armagh.

Seeing a number of kernes scattered about the town, the officer in command sallied out upon them, when O'Neill suddenly appeared, accompanied by the Catholic Archbishop, on a hill outside the walls.

'The English had but time to recover their defences when the whole Irish army, led by a procession of monks, and every man carrying a fagot, came on to burn the cathedral over their heads.