The Battle of Ballinamuck marked the defeat of the main force of the French incursion during the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798 in Irish), or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British dominated Kingdom of Ireland. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Ballinamuck is a small village in North Longford. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Longford Code: LD Area: 1,091 km² Population (2006) 34,361 Website: www. ... The name La Grande Armée (French for the Big Army, the Great Army, or the Grand Army) first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain... The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (August 22, 1755—January 3, 1823) was a French soldier, a participant in the Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798. ... Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (July 27, 1744 - February 20, 1808), was a British general. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798 in Irish), or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British dominated Kingdom of Ireland. ... The Battle of Ballymore-Eustace was one of the events in the United Irish rebellion of 1798. ... In one of the first engagements of the 1798 rebellion, a force of over 1,000 rebels attacked Naas, the strongest Crown garrison in county Kildare, following the successful mobilisation of United Irishmen, Defenders and rebels throughout county Kildare on the night of 23rd May. ... United Irish taking of Prosperous, Co. ... // Battles of Kilcullen 24th May 1798 The battle of Kilcullen was one of the first engagements in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 consisting of two seperate clashes between a force of United Irish rebels and British military. ... Battle of Carlow, 25th May 1798 Following the outbreak of the 1798 Rebellion on 24th May in county Kildare, Carlow rebels assembled on the night of the 24th and set off at dawn to attack the County town and picked up more volunteers along the way. ... The Battle of Tara Hill was fought on 26 May 1798 between British forces and Irish rebels involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, resulting in a heavy defeat for the rebels and the end of the rebellion in County Meath. ... Battle of Oulart Hill 27th May 1798 The battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27th May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spread of 1798 rebellion in county Wexford. ... Gibbet Rath massacre, Curragh, Co. ... Battle of Three Rocks, Wexford 30th May 1798 The battle of Three Rocks was a United Irish victory during the 1798 rebellion against a British artillery column marching to reinforce Wexford town against anticipated rebel attack. ... The battle of Bunclody or Newtownbarry as it was then called, was a battle in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which took place on 1st June 1798 when a force of some 5,000 rebels led by Catholic priest Fr. ... The Battle of Tuberneering was fought on June 4, 1798, between Great Britian and Ireland. ... The Battle of New Ross took place in county Wexford in south-eastern Ireland, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. ... The Battle of Antrim was fought on June 7, 1798, between Great Britain and Ireland. ... The Battle of Arklow took place during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on June 9th when a rebel force from Wexford, estimated at 10,000 strong, launched an assault into County Wicklow, on the British-held town of Arklow, in an attempt to spread the rebellion into Wicklow and to... The battle of Ovidstown, Co. ... The battle of Foulksmills (also known as the battle of Goffs Bridge) was a battle on 20th June 1798 between advancing British forces seeking to stamp out the rebellion in Wexford during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and a rebel army assembled to oppose them. ... Combatants Irish Rebels British Army, Hessian Mercenaries Commanders Rebel Council Gerard Lake Strength 20,000 15,000 Casualties 1,000 (inc. ... The battle of Ballyellis on 30th June 1798 was a clash during the 1798 rebellion between a surviving column of the dispersed Wexford rebel army and pursuing British forces which resulted in a total victory for the rebels. ... Combatants French Army & Irish Rebels British Army Commanders Jean Humbert Gerard Lake Strength 2,000 6,000 Casualties 150 80 killed, 270 wounded, captured and missing The Battle of Castlebar occurred on 27th August during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 when a combined force of 2,000 French troops and... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798 in Irish), or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British dominated Kingdom of Ireland. ...

Background

The victory of General Humbert at Castlebar, despite gaining him c. 5,000 Irish recruits had not led to a renewed outbreak of the rebellion as hoped. A massive British army of some 26,000 men was assembled under the new Viceroy Lord Cornwallis and was steadily moving towards his forces. Abandoning Castlebar, Humbert moved towards Ulster with the apparent intention of igniting a rising there but after defeating a blocking force of British troops at Collooney in Sligo he altered course following reports that rebellions had broken out in Westmeath and Longford. General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (August 22, 1755—January 3, 1823) was a French soldier, a participant in the Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798. ... Combatants French Army & Irish Rebels British Army Commanders Jean Humbert Gerard Lake Strength 2,000 6,000 Casualties 150 80 killed, 270 wounded, captured and missing The Battle of Castlebar occurred on 27th August during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 when a combined force of 2,000 French troops and... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ... Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marques Cornwallis (31 December 1738 - 5 October 1805 in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh) was an English(England) military commander and colonial governor. ... General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (August 22, 1755—January 3, 1823) was a French soldier, a participant in the Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Collooney (Cúil Mhuine in Irish) is a town in County Sligo, Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Connacht County Town: Sligo Code: SO Area: 1,836 km² Population (2006) 60,863 Website: www. ... County Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) is a county situated in the Irish Midlands, in the western part of the province of Leinster. ... Longford (An Longfort in Irish) is the county town of County Longford in the Midlands of Ireland. ...

British pursuit

Humbert crossed the Shannon at Ballintra on 7 September and stopping at Cloone that evening, was halfway between his landing-point and Dublin. News reached him of the defeat of the Westmeath and Longford rebels at Wilsons Hospital and Granard from the trickle of rebels who had survived the slaughter and reached his camp. With Cornwallis' huge force blocking the road to Dublin, facing constant harassment of his rearguard and the pending arrival of General Lake's command, Humbert decided to make a stand the next day at the townland of Ballinamuck on the Longford/Leitrim border. The River Shannon (Irish: Sionainn), Irelands longest river, divides the West of Ireland (mostly the province of Connaught) from the east and south (Leinster and most of Munster). ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... County Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) is a county situated in the Irish Midlands, in the western part of the province of Leinster. ... Longford (An Longfort in Irish) is the county town of County Longford in the Midlands of Ireland. ... Granard (Gránard in Irish) is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable histroy going back to 236AD. It is situated between three rivers, the Shannon, the Erne, and the Inny. ... Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marques Cornwallis (31 December 1738 - 5 October 1805 in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh) was an English(England) military commander and colonial governor. ... General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (August 22, 1755—January 3, 1823) was a French soldier, a participant in the Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798. ... Longford (An Longfort in Irish) is the county town of County Longford in the Midlands of Ireland. ... Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) is one of the counties in the west of Ireland and is part of the province Connacht. ...

Battle

Humbert faced overwhelming numbers. General Lake was close behind with 14,000 men; the new Viceroy, Lord Cornwallis, on his right at Carrick-on-Shannon with 15,000. The battle began with a short artillery duel followed by a dragoon charge on exposed Irish rebels. There was a brief struggle when French lines were reached which only ceased when Humbert signalled his intention to surrender and his officers ordered their men to lay down their muskets. This conventional battle lasted little more than half an hour. General Gerard Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (July 27, 1744 - February 20, 1808), was a British general. ... Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marques Cornwallis (31 December 1738 - 5 October 1805 in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh) was an English(England) military commander and colonial governor. ... Carrick-on-Shannon (Irish: Cora Droma Rúisc) is situated in County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland on the County Roscommon border. ... A light dragoon from the American Revolution French dragoon, 1745. ... General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (August 22, 1755—January 3, 1823) was a French soldier, a participant in the Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798. ... A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth-bore long gun. ...

While the French surrender was being taken the 1,000 or so Irish allies of the French under Colonel Teeling, an Irish officer in the French army, held onto their arms without signalling the intention to surrender. An attack by infantry followed by a dragoon charge broke and scattered the Irish who were ruthlessly pursued with much slaughter. The Irish fought on, not having the option of surrender.

Aftermath

17 French soldiers were killed in the brief fight, 96 French officers and 748 men were taken. British losses were initially reported as 3 killed and 16 wounded or missing ^[1], but the number of killed was later reported as 12 ^[2]. Approximately 500 Irish lay dead on the field, 200 prisoners were taken in the mopping up operations, almost all of whom were later hanged, including Matthew Tone, brother of Wolfe Tone. The prisoners were moved to Carrick-on-Shannon, St Johnstown, today's Ballinalee, where most were executed in what is known locally as Bullys Acre. Theobald Wolfe Tone Theobald Wolfe Tone, commonly known as Wolfe Tone (20 June 1763 - 19 November 1798) was a leading figure in the Irish independence movement. ... Carrick-on-Shannon (Irish: Cora Droma Rúisc) is situated in County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland on the County Roscommon border. ... Ballinalee, formerly St Johnstown (Irish: Béal Átha na Lao), is a village in northern County Longford, in the province of Leinster, Ireland. ... Bullys Acre is the site in Ballinalee in Co. ...

Humbert and his men were taken by canal to Dublin and repatriated. The British army then spread out into rebel held Mayo in a brutal campaign of killing and house burning which reached it's climax on 23 September when Killala was stormed and retaken with much slaughter. Members of the Franch inspired "Republic of Connaught" such as George Blake, were hunted down and hanged with many other suspected insurgents. General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (August 22, 1755—January 3, 1823) was a French soldier, a participant in the Revolution, who led a failed invasion of Ireland to assist Irish rebels in 1798. ... Places called Mayo include:hi County Mayo, a county in Ireland Mayo, a settlement in County Mayo, Ireland Mayo, a place in the U.S. state of Florida Mayo, a town in Trinidad and Tobago The Division of Mayo, an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia Mayo, a town in... Killala (Irish: Cill Ala) is a village in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

1. ^ "Return of the killed, wounded and missing of the king's forces at the battle of Ballinamuck, September 8 1798" Public Records Office, Home Office, 100/82/58, London
2. ^ J. Jones Impartial Narrative(Dublin 1798) Vol. II p. 277

Sources

• Cassels Battlefields of Britain and Ireland, Richard Brookes (2005) ISBN 0-304-36333-2
• A Flame Now Quenched: Rebels & Frenchmen In Leitrim: 1793-1798, Liam Kelly (1998) ISBN 1-901866-13-0