Sunday
May 27th
(The
Battle of Oulart)
Narraghmore
& Ballitore - Midnight - 3.00 a.m.
Colonel
Campbell force marched his troops from Athy to Ballitore. On the
way they used canon to destroy Colonel Keating's (a known rebel)
mansion at Narraghmore.
Ballitore
3.00 a.m.
Intelligence
reached Ballitore that the army was on its way (the rebels fled).
Major Dennis commanded the detachment of 9th Dragoon Guards that
arrived from Carlow. They were shortly joined by Colonel Campbell
and his troops. Some loyalist prisoners were freed. The retribution
of the troops was severe - suspects were shot and hanged, even
Dr. Johnson, Mary Leadbeater and the Quakers were horrified. Having
made an example of the town they returned to Athy. While the United
Irish Movement was broken the spirit of disaffection remained
in the Narraghmore, Ballitore and Athy area for the rest of the
year.
Knockaulin
27th
Negotiations,
through Captain Annesley of Ballysax, were opened between Dundas
and the 4,000 strong rebel army on Knockaulin Hill, for terms
for surrender. The date set for the surrender was Whit Monday
28th May. Dundas was favourable to terms but the government were
not. General Lake, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, was sent
to oversee the surrender at Castlemartin.
Limerick
27th
Major
General Sir James Duff left Limerick at the head of 60 Dragoons,
350 Militia and 6 field pieces determined to open the lines of
communication with Dublin. The path lay through Kildare.
Monday
May 28th
(Battle
of Enniscorthy)
Rathangan
- morning
Lieutenant-Colonel
Dunne at Tullamore ordered Lieutenant Colonel Mahon to recapture
Rathangan. Mahon marched from Tullamore with 80 of the 7th Dragoon
Guards and some of the Tullamore Yeoman Cavalry in two columns.
He encountered rebels outside the town and killed 14 - 16 of them.
Mahon attacked the rebels in the town but was repulsed by their
well directed fire and lost three men.
8.00
a.m.
Mahon
was joined by some of the Edenderry Regiment and the Geashill
Yeomanry for a second attack on the town. They could not dislodge
the rebels from the houses and had four of their men killed and
two wounded.
11.00
a.m.
Colonel
Longfield arrived at Rathangan with the city of Cork Militia,
a detachment of Dragoons and 2 field pieces. After the second
discharge of the canon the rebels fled pursued by the cavalry
who killed 50 - 60 of them. Longfield wrote to Dundas the next
day to say "I took no prisoners. The troops are in want of everything,
the Rebels having destroyed everything in and near the town".
Rathangan and its environs were in ruins. One of the rebel leaders
Edward Molloy was hanged.
Knockaulin
28th
Delegates
from the rebel camp at Knockaulin met Dundas and Lake at Castlemartin
(Patrick O'Kelly from Athy and Patrick and John Finnerty from
Kilrush). The only acceptable terms for Lake and the government
was unconditional surrender in return for the issue of protections
- the rebels to return home. The rebels agreed but would only
surrender their arms on the hill. Dundas and 2 dragoons accepted
this surrender on Knockaulin and protections were given. Seemingly
Lake had a large force nearby in case things had gone otherwise.
Page
6
|
Previous page 
County
Kildare
