Rebellion of 1798

In Irish history, unsuccessful nationalist rising of the Society of United Irishmen against government forces May–September 1798. The society's main aims were parliamentary reform and escape from English dominance. Fired by the example of the French and American Revolutions, it planned a coordinated, national insurrection backed by French aid, which would overwhelm government forces with superior numbers. In fact the rebellion was hurried and uncoordinated, hampered by arrests of leaders, changes in French strategy, and divisions between the remaining United Irish leadership. The fighting, which occurred mainly in the counties around Dublin and those of Wexford, Antrim, and Mayo, took place in stages, depriving the rebels of their numerical superiority. Up to 30,000 died during the rising.

The fact that elements of both the United Irishmen and government forces committed sectarian atrocities meant that Protestant and Catholic folk memories of the rebellion were very different. Historical writing on the rising reflects the fact that interpretations of the rebellion also became embroiled with nationalist politics and various separatist movements in the 19th century.

Chronology of events The first outbreaks in the counties around Dublin were intended as preparatory to the seizure of the capital itself. However, these outbreaks were partial and were easily and bloodily suppressed. The Wexford rising, which began 26–27 May, was more serious. Here the United Irishmen were better organized and were led by charismatic local priests as well as some liberal Protestant gentry. The Wexford insurgents defeated government forces at Oulart Hill and captured the towns of Enniscorthy and Wexford, where they established a rudimentary administration. They tried to spread the rebellion into other counties but were heavily defeated at the battles of New Ross (5 June) and Arklow (9 June). The tide turned completely against the rebels with their defeat at the Battle of Vinegar Hill (21 June). Some leaders like Michael Dwyer (1771–1826) retreated with remnants of the rebel army into the Wicklow mountains, maintaining a guerrilla campaign until 1803.

The Ulster rising did not begin until 6 June when the mainly Presbyterian United Irishmen of County Antrim rose under Henry Joy McCracken (1767–1798). They were defeated at the Battle of Antrim on 7 June. The County Down United Irishmen did not rise until the following week. After initial success at Saintfield, they were decisively defeated at the Battle of Ballynahinch on 13 June, after which their leader, Henry Munro, was executed.

The last campaign in 1798 came in August, when a small French force under Gen Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (born 1767) landed in Killala Bay, County Mayo. Humbert armed local United Irishmen and inflicted a defeat on a larger government force at Castlebar, which became known as the ‘Races of Castlebar’ due to the rapidity of the retreat. Leaving parts of Mayo under a makeshift garrison, Humbert moved towards Dublin with a small force of the French and Irish. He was defeated by Gen Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Ballinamuck, County Longford, on 8 September, and the ‘Republic of Connaught’ ended with the recapture of Killala on 23 September. These battles effectively ended the fighting in 1798.