Battle of New Ross
Loyalist View of Battle of New Ross George Cruikshank (1848) Image File history File links New_ross. ... George Cruikshank (September 27, 1792 – February 1, 1878) was an English artist and caricaturist, well-known for his satirical illustrations of contemporary figures and events. ...
Conflict: 1798 Rebellion
Date: June 5, 1798
Location: New Ross, Wexford
Outcome: British Victory, spread of rebellion into county Kilkenny and Munster halted
Combatants
Irish Rebels	British Military
Commanders
Bagenal Harvey, John Kelly, Fr. Philip Roche	General Henry Johnson, Lord Mountjoy
Strength
10,000	2,000
Casualties
2,500	200
1798 Rebellion Ballymore-Eustace – Naas – Prosperous – Kilcullen – Carlow – Tara Hill – Oulart Hill – Enniscorthy – Newtownmountkennedy – Gibbet Rath – Three Rocks – Bunclody – Tuberneering – New Ross – Antrim – Arklow – Saintfield – Ballynahinch – Ovidstown – Foulksmills – Vinegar Hill – Ballyellis – Castlebar – Collooney – Ballinamuck – Killala

The Battle of New Ross took place in county Wexford in south-eastern Ireland, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was fought between the Irish Republican insurgents called the United Irishmen and British Crown forces composed of regular soldiers, militia and yeomanry. The attack on the town of New Ross on the river Barrow, was an attempt by the the recently victorious rebels to break out of county Wexford across the river Barrow and to spread the rebellion into county Kilkenny and the outlying province of Munster. The Irish Rebellion of 1798 or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British establishment in Ireland. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... New Ross (Ros Mhic Thriúin in Irish) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. ... Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman) is the county town of County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland. ... John Kelly also know as Kelly of Killanne, fought in the 1798 rebellion in Ireland. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British establishment in 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 Old Kilcullen 7 a. ... 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 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 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. ... The battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement on 21st June 1798 between forces of the British Crown and Irish rebels when over 10,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, Co. ... 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. ... The battle of Castlebar occurred on 27th August during the 1798 rebellion when a combined force of 2,000 French troops and Irish rebels routed a force of 6,000 British troops in what would later became known as the “Races of Castlebar”. // Background The long awaited French landing to... The Battle of Ballinamuck was the last land battle of the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. ... Wexford (Loch Garman in Irish) is a maritime county in the southeast of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British establishment in Ireland. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... In the 1790s, the threat of invasion of England was high, with the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. ... New Ross (Ros Mhic Thriúin in Irish) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. ... Barrow may refer to: Barrow 1 n 1 A flat rectangular tray or cart with handles at each end. ... Barrow may refer to: Barrow 1 n 1 A flat rectangular tray or cart with handles at each end. ... Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh) is the county seat of County Kilkenny, Ireland, with a population (including environs) of 20,735. ... For other places with the same or similar names, and other uses of the word, see Munster (disambiguation). ...

Preparations

The battle, the bloodiest of the 1798 rebellion, began at dawn on 5th June 1798 when the Crown garrison was attacked by a force of over 10,000 rebels, massed in three columns outside the town. The attack had been expected since the fall of Wexford town to the rebels on 30th May and the British garrison of 2,000 had prepared defences both outside and inside the town. Trenches were dug manned by skirmishers on the approaches to the town while cannon were stationed facing all the rapidly falling approaches and narrow streets of the town to counter the expected mass charges by the rebels, mainly armed with pikes,. June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 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. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... A small cast-iron cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ...

Attack

Bagenal Harvey, the United Irish Leader recently released from captivity following the rebel seizure of Wexford town, attempted to negotiate surrender of New Ross but the rebel emissary Matt Furlong was shot down by Crown outposts while bearing flag of truce. His murder provoked a furious charge by an advance guard of 500 insurgents led by John Kelly (of ballad fame) who had instructions to seize the Three Bullet Gate (the bhearna bhaoil or “Gap of Death” in Irish National Anthem) and wait for reinforcements before pushing into the town. Another rebel column attacked the Priory Gate but the third pulled back from the Market Gate intimidated by the strong defenses. Seizing the opportunity the garrison sent a force of cavalry out the Market Gate to attack and scatter the remaining two hostile columns from the flanks. However the rebel rump had not yet deployed and upon spotting the British manouvre, rallied the front ranks who stood and broke the cavalry charge with massed pikes. Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman) is the county town of County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland. ... John Kelly also know as Kelly of Killanne, fought in the 1798 rebellion in Ireland. ... A ballad is a story in a song, usually a narrative song or poem. ... Amhrán na bhFiann1 is the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ...

Street Fighting

The encouraged rebel army then swept past the Crown outposts and seized the Three Bullet Gate causing the garrison and populace to flee in panic. Without pausing for reinforcement, the rebels broke into the town attacking simultaneously down the steeply sloping streets but met with strong resistance from well-prepared second lines of defence of the well armed soldiers. Despite horrific casualties the rebels managed to seize two-thirds of the town by using the cover of smoke from the blazing town and forced the near withdrawal of all Crown forces from the town. However the rebels limited supplies of gunpowder and ammunition forced them to rely on the pike and blunted their offensive. The military managed to hold on and following the arrival of reinforcements, launched a final counterattack in the afternoon which finally drove the exhausted rebels from the town.

Massacres

No effort to pursue the withdrawing rebels was made but when the town had been secured, a fearful massacre of prisoners, trapped rebels and civilians of both sympathies alike began which continued for days. Some hundreds were burned alive when rebel casualty stations were torched by victorious troops and more rebels are believed to have been killed in the aftermath of the battle than during the actual fighting. Reports of such atrocities brought by escaping rebels are believed to have influenced the retaliatory murder of over 100 loyalists in the flames of Scullabogue Barn. For the township in Canada, see Loyalist, Ontario In general, a loyalist is an individual who is loyal to the powers that be. ... The Scullabogue massacre was an atrocity committed on June 5, 1798, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. ...

Aftermath

Casualties in the Battle of New Ross are estimated at 2,500 rebels and 200 Garrison dead. The rebel army reorganised and formed a camp at Sliabh Coillte some five miles to the east but never attempted to attack the town again. They later attacked General John Moores invading column but were defeated at the battle of Foulksmills on 20 June 1798. 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. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...