Spanish Armada in Ireland with the loss of about 6,000 men. By the end of September 1588 Fitzwilliam was able to report to the Queen's secretary, Lord Burghley, that the Armada alarm was over. Soon after, he reckoned that only about 100 survivors remained in the country. In 1596, an envoy of Philip II arrived in Ireland to make inquiries of survivors and was successful in only eight cases. Following the defeat of the Armada the English sent their own fleet against the Iberian peninsula, but failed to press home their advantage and returned with similar losses. At the height of the Anglo-Spanish War
3rd Spanish Armada the Adelantado, of Castile, was to command the fleet. The whole force, according to Lopez de Soto's estimate was huge in terms of men ship and supplies. The primary original objective was Ireland to support the rise of the rebels under the Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone but the senior Spanish commanders wanted to attack England instead. The Spanish King however intervened and ordered an attack on Brest to divert troops from the garrison in the Low Countries. When news came however that the English had sailed in force again under Essex, and were first on the coasts of the