Outbreak of the 1798 Rebellion
The original plan of the United Irishmen had been to take Dublin on 23 May 1798 and then signal for the surrounding counties to rise up. However, the British Government was informed of this plan by spies and filled the main points of the city with troops.
Therefore, the Dublin rising never get off the ground. Despite this, the signal was still given for the surrounding counties to go ahead. It was not until 26 May that the message reached Wexford. News of more government brutality against suspected rebels also reached into Wexford that day.
Panic spread through the county, among both Catholics and Protestants, though for different reasons. Many Catholics were worried that soldiers would soon arrive in Wexford and arrest or attack them. In this panic, groups of men and women began to attack the houses of government loyalists.
In one particular fight in a small parish called Boolavogue, two members of the government patrol were killed. The 1798 Rebellion in Wexford was now up and running.
March on Wexford Town
Father John Murphy
Father John Murphy (c1753-2 July 1798) was one of the leaders of the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. After the defeat of the rebels at Vinegar Hill, he was executed and his body mutilated. For many, he is remembered as a great hero of 1798, for his sincerity and willingness to die for his people and country.
Courtesy of the National Library.Father John Murphy
Courtesy of the National Library.
Courtesy of the National Library.
Father John Murphy
Father John Murphy (c1753-2 July 1798) was one of the leaders of the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. After the defeat of the rebels at Vinegar Hill, he was executed and his body mutilated. For many, he is remembered as a great hero of 1798, for his sincerity and willingness to die for his people and country.
Courtesy of the National Library.Fighting began in earnest in Wexford. Both sides suffered casualties of about 100 each in two separate battles on 27 May. The rebel forces were led by prominent Wexford United Irishmen. Father John Murphy, a Catholic priest, is regarded by some as one of the most inspirational of the rebel leaders of 1798. His followers were made up of various farmers and townspeople. Most of these were totally untrained in combat.
On 28 May, the rebel forces had grown to several thousand people. They started to make their way to Wexford town. At a small town called Camolin they were met by a United Irishman, Myles Byrne, who became another important leader of the Wexford part of the rebellion.
Having easily beaten the government garrison at Enniscorthy and destroyed the town, the rebel troop arrived at Wexford town on 30 May. By this stage, the 1,200 government troops had retreated from the town with their weapons, so they entered unopposed.
The heart of the county was now in rebel control. However, by letting the government garrison get away, the rebels lost the chance to seize their weapons.