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1798 Rebellion in County Kildare
June
Friday June 1st Kilcock
William Aylmer led his men out of the camp at Timahoe and attacked Kilcock
Saturday June 2nd - 3.00 a.m .
Colonel Campbell marched the troops out of Athy to confront the Rebels in the
bogs near Cloney and Monasterevin and Ballintubbert in Queens County. With
no loss to the troops 100 rebels were killed. In a letter to Dundas describing
these attacks Campbell said that arms were being handed in and that he had
disarmed certain disaffected yeomen.
Monday June 4th
(Gorey captured; Battle of Tubberneering)
Lord Edward Fitzgerald died
Kilcock
From Timahoe William Aylmer led another attack on the town of Kilcock forcing
the yeomanry to retreat.
Tuesday June 5th
(Battle of New Ross; Massacre at Scullabogue) Timahoe
General Champagne met with Lieutenant Tyrrell (High Sherrif of Meath) of Clonard
to devise a plan to attack the rebel camp at Timahoe.
Wednesday June 6th
(Ulster Rises)
Thursday June 7th
(Carnew Captured; Battle of Antrim)
Edenderry
Champagne marched the troops out of Edenderry to attack Aylmer's camp.
Kildare Town
Parts of Kildare Town burned by the rebels on the night of 7th/8th June. The
fires were put out by the troops.
Friday June 8th
Monasterevin 7.00 a.m.
General Duff marched from Monasterevin to Kilcullen and -
Kildare
Found Kildare had been burned the previous night. On his return later that
day he found the town had been burned once again. Duff was convinced that
this was an attempt to oust the military from the town.
Timahoe
General Champagne marched with men of the Limerick Militia, the Cookstown Yeomanry/Cavalry,
the Canal Legion, the Clonard Cavalry and the Ballina Cavalry to attack Aylmer's
camp at Timahoe. The camp was dispersed temporarily.
Saturday June 9th
(Battle of Arklow)
Sunday June 10th
(Rebels take possession of Saintfield, Co. Down)
Maynooth c. 1.00 a.m .
Aylmer at the head of 500 rebels took Maynooth from the Carton Cavalry (20
men) under Lieutenants Richard Cane and Thomas Long. Eleven yeomen were captured,
Cane escaped.
Wednesday June 13th
(Battle of Ballinahinch, Co. Antrim)
Thursday June 14th
The Rebels took Maynooth again, plundering some houses and they took a herd
of cattle back to Timahoe.
Friday June 15th
Aylmer's men took a flock of 800 sheep from Richard Griffith at Millicent.
Tuesday June 19th
Lieutenant Colonel Charles Stewart (Lord Castlereagh's brother) recaptured
Prosperous with a force consisting of men of the City of Cork and the Armagh
Militia, the Suffolk Fencibles, the Royal Irish and the 9th and North Naas
Dragoons, with 2 curricle guns. He wrote "I ransacked and burnt this receptacle
of rebellion". The rebels fled into the bogs and hills and Stewart regretted
that his orders did not allow him to follow them.
Kilbeggan, Rathangan June 19th
Brigadier-General Dunn sent a patrol under Captain Pack of the 5th Dragoon
Guards from Rathangan towards Prosperous. Pack encountered around 100 rebels
well mounted and he attacked and killed from 20 - 30 of them and took 8 horses.
Ovidstown - Morning
3,000 - 5,000 rebels were surprised at Ovidstown which is about 3 miles from
Kilcock. The government troops under Colonel Irwin numbered around 400 men
and consisted of Highlanders, Dragoon Guards and Yeoman Cavalry. Aylmer's
men fired well but his pikemen sought cover in a ditch which proved untenable
against canon fire. The rebels were routed with more than 200 killed as against
around 20 on the government side.
Wednesday June 20th
(Battle of Foulksmills, Wexford)
Thursday June 21st
(Government forces recapture Wexford and Enniscorthy)
The Battle of Vinegar Hill
Monday June 25th
(Battle of Hacketstown where Michael Reynolds of Johnstown was wounded and
died a few days later)
Published by Kildare County Council Written by Mario Corrigan .