Irish rebellion of 1798

During the Irish rebellion of 1798 (or United Irishmen Rebellion), Irish people rebelled against the rule of the Kingdom of Ireland. The rebellion lasted four months, from 24 May to 24 September 1798, but was eventually defeated.

Irish Rebellion of 1798
Part of the Atlantic Revolutions and the French Revolutionary Wars
300px Battle of Vinegar Hill by William Sadler Kelvin II (1880) "Charge of the 5th Dragoon Guards on the insurgents – a recreant yeoman having deserted to them in uniform is being cut down"
Date 24 May – 12 October 1798 (4 months and 18 days) Location Ireland Result Suppression by Crown forces Abolition of the Irish Parliament and creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 Attempt to renew the insurrection with a rising in Dublin in 1803 Guerrilla activity in counties Antrim until 1800, Wicklow until 1803 and Wexford until 1804.
Belligerents
United Irishmen Defenders France	Great Britain Ireland
Commanders and leaders
William Aylmer Myles Byrne Thomas Cloney Bagenal Harvey Henry Joy McCracken Henry Munro Fr. John Murphy Fr. Michael Murphy Fr. Philip Roche Jean Humbert Jean Bompart	Charles Cornwallis Ralph Abercromby Gerard Lake George Nugent John Warren
Strength
50,000 United Irishmen 4,100 French regulars 10 French Navy ships	40,000 militia 30,000 British regulars ~25,000 yeomanry ~1,000 Hessians
Casualties and losses
10,000–50,000 estimated combatant and civilian deaths 3,500 French captured 7 French ships captured	500–2,000 military deaths c. 1,000 loyalist civilian deaths

The Irish suffered much greater losses than the British. On the Irish side, between 10,000 - 50,000 Irish people died. On the English side, between 500 and 2,000 did.

The United Irishmen

A secret society called the United Irishmen (led by Wolfe Tone) were the main driving force in the rebellion. They were influenced by revolutions taking place in America and France around the time.

Republican France

The rebellion was aided by Republican France, which was anti-Catholic at the time. However, most Irish people were Catholics. Even though the British government was also anti-Catholic, most Irish Catholics thought the Crown was the lesser of two evils. For these reasons, the rebellion never gained much traction.

Irish Rebellion Of 1798 Media

• A new and complete Map of the kingdom of Ireland, drawn from all the surveys and improvements which have hitherto been made ... - btv1b53029317m.jpg

  Sujet : Irlande, Île d'*Couverture : Irlande*Langue : anglais Éditeur : J. Bowles and C. Bowles (London)

• The leadership of the United Irishmen

• Pikeman, Wexford.jpg

  "Pikeman" statue in Wexford Town

• Battle of Oulart Hill.jpg

  United Irishmen charge at Oulart Hill, 27 May 1798

• Arklowflag.svg

  Flag carried by rebels at battle of Arklow.

• Battle of Ballynahinch by Thomas Robinson.jpg

  Battle of Ballynahinch

• WarrensAction1798Ireland.jpg

  Battle of Tory Island, 12 October 1798, painted by Nicholas Pocock