United Irish taking of Prosperous, Co. Kildare, 1798

Prosperous, a recently founded (1780) cotton-manufacturing town in Co. Kildare was attacked at 2 a.m on 23rd May 1798 by a rebel force of 600 which targetted the British garrison consisting of Cork Militia and a detachment of a Welsh regiment, the “Ancient Britons”. Kildare (Irish: Cill Dara) is a town in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ...

The rebel entry into the town was preceded by the infiltration of a small vanguard who scaled the walls of the Militia barracks, killed the sentries and opened the gate. The barracks was quickly surrounded by hundreds of rebels repulsing an attempt by the Milita to break out and killing the militia commander, Captain Swayne. The remainder of the garrison were now trapped in the upper barracks which was then torched causing desperate militiamen to leap from windows onto the waiting pikes. 50 of the military were slain but the next day, members of the Ancient Britons participated in the retaliatory massacre of 34 suspected United Irishmen at Dunlavin Green, Co. Wicklow. A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... Wicklow (Cill Mhantáin in Irish) is the county town of County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland. ...

Prosperous remained under rebel control until 19th of June when retaken by troops under the command of Colonel Stewart who boasted of destroying "this receptacle of rebellion".