1798

1798

The Rebellion of 1798 originated from the revolutionary ideas of the Society of United Irishmen, established in Belfast in 1791 by a group including the young Dublin lawyer, Theobald Wolfe Tone. Their radicalism fused the ideas of modern democracy and ideals of equality and liberty, inspired by the Americans and French, with Irish patriotism. Uprisings first took place in Ulster and Leinster, although they were widely separated by distance and context. Both were savagely repressed by the military before an outbreak of hostilities occurred in Mayo.

On 22 August 1798, a French expedition of 1,000 men under the leadership of General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (b.1767) landed at Kilcummin, north of Killala. Matthew Tone, brother of Wolfe Tone, was on board General Humbert’s ship when it sailed into Killala Bay. After landing, the French took over the residence of Bishop Stock, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Killala, as a temporary headquarters,

The Battle of Killala was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was fought on Sunday, 23 September 1798, between forces of the British Crown and a combined force of Irish rebels and a small number of French troops at Killala, County Mayo. The main body of Rebels occupied rising ground about a mile outside the town of Killala, on the road to Ballina. They were pursued by the British troops as they did so and, as a result, many Rebels were killed – both within the town and in the fields surrounding it. The Franco-Irish Army then marched to Baliina through the route that is known locally as 'The Old French Road.'

General Jean Joseph Humbert had been impatient. Since the taking of Ballina, he and his staff had received valuable intelligence from the local population that the county’s capital town of Castlebar was filling up with crown soldiers. He had no time to waste. His assertive command could not allow any threat to allow any threat to spoil their momentum. Little did Humbert know, however, that general Gerard Lake, the victor of Wexford, had relieved General Hely - Hutchinson of supreme command of the crown. forces in Castlebar. The ultimate military test and an egotistical battle between Humbert and Lake was about to be unleashed.

Summary of 1798 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBgspNPsrUE

Events in Mayo during 1798

https://www.mayo.ie/getmedia/a6bbe2e1-8478-460e-831b-b01e0dc46a44/In-Humberts-Footsteps.pdf

All historical information on this page is courtesy of the late, great Stephen Dunford. He is such a loss to our community. R.I.P.