Launch of Ballinamuck 225th Commemoration weekend took place on August 12

The committee behind The 225th Commemorations of The Battle of Ballinamuck (1798) had a hugely successful launch night in a packed '98' Bar on Saturday, August 12. 

Their chairperson Mark Cunningham welcomed all present, including reenactors who travelled to the event from Meath, Kildare, Clare and Wexford, not forgetting the local pikemen and women who added character and atmosphere to this event. 

A mixture of talents were witnessed from the opening theme tune written and sung by Paul Redmond himself, (From the musical The Promise 'Men of Erin')  The trad band The Howth Heads treated all to a great night's entertainment.

The Battle of Ballinamuck was the last engagement of the 1798 Rebellion of the United Irishmen in Ireland. It took place on 8 September 1798 and marked the defeat of the main force of the French incursion, with some 1,500 Irish rebels and French troops believed to be buried in a mass grave at the top of Shanmullagh Hill in Ballinamuck.

It was the last major engagement of the 1798 rebellion. Twelve days earlier, Humbert had beaten a much larger force under General Lake at Castlebar. With Lake in pursuit, joined by Lord Cornwallis' 20,000 troops from Dublin, he tried to join up with surviving rebel forces. 

After an overnight chase, Lake caught up with him just north of here. Caught with his forces strung out on the road, Humbert regrouped, but was soon outflanked and forced to surrender. The day ended in a massacre of the Irish rebels, effectively ending the rebellion.

Humbert had planned to join forces with 3,000 United Irishmen he believed to be near Granard. On the night of September 7 they stopped at Cloone for four hours' rest. Lord Cornwallis marched to Ballinalee, to cut them off, sending orders to General Lake to attack from the rear. Lake’s advance guard arrived in Cloone, to discover that the French had left only an hour before.

Humbert’s men were spread out along the road. While Humbert waited for them in Ballinamuck, his rearguard of 200 men, under Gen. Sarrazin surrendered after a brief skirmish at Kiltycrevagh (Croppies Gap).

Humbert moved up Shanmullagh Hill with 400 men, while General Blake with a battalion of pikemen and a company of French grenadiers under Capt. Jobit took up position along the road. Jobit ordered his grenadiers to attack across the bog, but they sank into it and were forced to surrender.

General Lake now arrived in the valley with large forces and attacked the left flank of Shanmullagh Hill . This was repeatedly repelled by a detachment of pikemen.  Meanwhile, Lake sent a large detachment of cavalry and infantry around the hill, undercover to attack Humbert from the rear. Humbert was surprised by cannon fire followed by a cavalry charge and forced to surrender in minutes.

On the roadway, cannon fire was exchanged, and Lake’s cavalry were repulsed repeatedly by Blake’s pikemen and Magee’s cannon. Blake led his men along the foot of Shanmullagh Hill for a flank attack on the road, but when he got there, Humbert had surrendered.  The rebels fought with the courage of desperation, as they realised that they were to be shown no mercy.  Many fled into the bog , where the cavalry could not follow, but they were surrounded by muskets and slaughtered.

The Irish battalions on the top of the hill watched, as the French were treated with all the civilities of a formal surrender but were themselves then set upon and slaughtered without mercy.  500 are believed to have been buried in mass graves on the hill.

So, all in Ballinamuck, this lovely quaint village in north Longford, have a great respect for the French since, so much so that they have been Twinned with Essert in France since 1997. Just recently several of its families in the village and surrounding area hosted both children and adults from Essert where much fun, laughter and craic was had.

For further information,  or if you wish  to donate to the running costs of the commemoration weekend please follow Battle of Ballinamuck on social media or check out www.battleofballinamuck.ie