The 1798 Rebellion

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19th June 1798

Co. Kildare

The Battle of Ovidstown

Although the rebellion had started in Kildare it had failed to gain momentum in the county despite the fact that large areas remained under rebel control, including the towns of Prosperous and Clane.

Government forces had given priority to putting dow the risings in Wexford and Antrim. By mid-June the authorities felt able to begin reasserting government control in Kildare. On June 18th a force of 400 men marched from Trim to engage the rebel forces at Ovidstown Hill. Ovidstown Hill is three miles south-west of Kilcock, Co. Kildare and was the site of a rebel camp of some 4,000 men under William Aylmer.

Initially, Aylmer tried to set up an ambush along the route of the British advance by deploying his men in the ditches along the road. This plan was foiled by skirmishers deployed on the flanks of the body of troops who drove the ambush parties back. The rebels were now in danger of being ridden down by the cavalry. However the cavalry was slow in deploying as were the two field guns accompanying the troops. Aylmer rallied his men and ordered a charge on the government troops. The rebels however lost their nerve and merely deployed along a hedge where they were caught by the British artillery firing grapeshot.

Not daunted the rebels charged and almost reached the artillery lines in the teeth of heavy musket and cannon fire. At the crucial moment the government cavalry charged the rebel left flank. The rebels broke and fled pursued by the cavalry. About 200 United Irishmen died at Ovidstown as did 25 government troops. The survivors fled into the Bog of Allen where they eventually joined refugees from Wexford under Anthony Perry.

After Ovidstown the government troops retook Prosperous and sacked it.

William Aylmer survived the rebellion. He was eventually allowed go into exile and spent 17 years in the Austrian Army. He returned to Ireland in 1819 and then went to Bolivia to fight with Simon Bolivar. Aylmer was wounded at the Battle of Rio Hacha on 25th May 1820 and died in Jamaica on 20th June.

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20th June 1798
Co. Wexford
The Battle of Foulksmills

On June 19th Gen Sir John Moore left New Ross with 1,500 men to march to Wexford town. With the Wexford rebellion contained he was determined to crush the Wexford rebels in conjunction with Gen Lake who marched from the north of the county.

Moore was supposed to be joined en route by the garrison of Fort Duncannon. These troops however failed to turn up and, after a delay of a few hours, Moore resumed his march towards the village of Taghmon. As the troops neared Goff's Bridge near Foulksmills scouts reported a large rebel force advancing to meet them. The rebel numbers were estimated at 5,000 men. Moore immediately deployed the 60th Rifles to hold the bridge.

The United Irishmen were led by Fr. Philip Roche. Roche, seeing the riflemen deployed at the bridge led his men to the left of the road in an attempt to outflank the British troops. Off the road the rebels were in cover of the fields, ditches and hedges. Outnumbered, the 60th was scarcely able to hold back the attack. Moore was forced to deploy his troops in line to meet the rebel attack. Once he had done so he was able to bring his artillery into play and the rebels were driven back field by field. However they did retire in good order and the battle was far from a government victory.

500 United Irishmen died at Foulksmills along with 100 government troops. The battle left the road to Wexford open to Moore and he took the town the following day.

The Battle of Foulksmills is also known as the Battle of Goff's Bridge and the Battle of Horetown.

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21st June 1798

Co. Wexford

The Battle of Vinegar Hill

By mid-June Gen Lake had assembled some 20,000 troops north of Co. Wexford to invade and crush the rebellion in the county. The rebel leadership had assembled its army, numbering about 15,000 at Vinegar Hill near Enniscorthy. Lake formulated a plan to attack the rebel camp with three columns while a fourth attacked Enniscorthy with a view to capturing the bridge in the town, thus cutting off the rebel's retreat route to the west.

The battle commenced at dawn on June 21st with attacks on rebel outposts. The government forces had the support of several batteries of artillery and these drove the rebels back inside a shrinking perimeter. Counter-attacks by the United Irishmen failed to drive the British back, the rebels being hampered by an over reliance on the pike as their main weapon. Eventually the government troops reached the eastern edge of the summit of Vinegar Hill. The rebels retreated to the west facilitated by a gap in the British lines where the column commanded by Gen. John Needham had yet to arrive in position.

In Enniscorthy the rebels were slowly driven out of the town. The government troops failed to capture the bridge and many rebels managed to escape. With the rebels in retreat the cavalry was unleashed in pursuit.

Between 500 and 1000 rebels died at Vinegar Hill for the loss of some 100 government troops. While the battle effectively brought an end to the Wexford Republic, the surviving rebels split into two columns and escaped from Wexford. One went into the midlands and the other to Wicklow where a guerrilla campaign ensued led by Joseph Holt amd Michael Dwyer.

A rather inaccurate depiction of the battle with a regimental band to the front and a post 1800 Union flag.

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22nd June 1798

Co. Carlow

The United Irishmen's southern column marched into Co. Carlow while the northern column marched to Croghan.

Co. Wexford

John Kelly was executed. Kelly was wounded at New Ross and captured after the fall of Wexford. The story of his execution is that he was hanged and decapitated. His head was then kicked along the streest of Wexford. John Kelly was made famous in the song "Kelly the Boy from Killane", a ballad written to commemorate the centenary of the rebellion.

23rd June 1798

Co. Kilkenny

The United Irishmen occupied Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny.

Meanwhile the northern column moved into Wicklow Mountains.

24th June 1798

Co. Kilkenny

The United Irishmen captured Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny and moved into Co Laois.

25th June 1798

Co. Wexford

Fr. Philip Roche, Matthew Keogh and other insurgents were hanged in Wexford town.

26th June 1798

Co. Carlow

Kilcumney Hill Memorial, Co. Carlow.

The United Irishmen were defeated and dispersed by Government forces at Kilcumney Hill.

27th June 1798

Co. Wexford

Cornelius Grogan and Bagenal Harvey were tried in Wexford town and sentenced to death.

28th June 1798

Co. Wexford

John Colclough was tried and executed in Wexford town along with Cornelius Grogan and Bagenal Harvey.

2nd July 1798

Co. Wexford

The United Irishmen defeated a small force of Yeomanry at Ballraheen Hill

3rd July 1798

Co. Carlow

Fr. John Murphy leader of the Wexford rebellion was executed at Tullow.

5th July 1798

Co. Wicklow

The United Irishmen moved north from their camp at Croghan. Encountering a government force led by General Duff, they turned south to Ballygullen, where they stood and fought. The battle was indecisive and, threatened by three other Government columns converging on them, the rebels split their forces into two columns, one moving west to Carnew and Glenmalure, the other column marching into the Wicklow Mountains