Battle of Antrim
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Antrim was fought on 7 June 1798, in the county Antrim
in Ulster
, Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
between British troops and Irish insurgents
led by Henry Joy McCracken
. The British won the battle, beating off a rebel attack on Antrim town following the arrival of reinforcements but the county governor, Lord O'Neill, was fatally wounded.
on 23 May had prompted calls from Ulster
United Irishmen to take to the field in support of their southern comrades. However, the organisation in Ulster
had been severely damaged in a brutal disarmament campaign the previous year, and the new leadership were less radical and were not willing take to the field without French assistance, which was expected daily.
After waiting for two weeks while the rebellion raged in the south, the grassroots
United Irish membership in Antrim decided to hold a number of meetings independent of the leadership. The outcome was the election Henry Joy McCracken
as their adjutant general and the decision to rise immediately. McCracken
, together with James Hope
, quickly formulated a plan to attack and seize all government outposts in county Antrim and then for the main attack to fall on Antrim town
. Then using artillery
seized at Antrim, the rebels were to march on Belfast
in conjunction with the United Irish rebels in County Down
.
McCracken
had high hopes that many members of the militia
would desert and join him as disaffection was believed to be widespread, evidenced by the execution of four of the Monaghan
militia for treason in Belfast in May.
issued a proclamation calling for the United army of Ulster
to rise. The initial plan met with success, as the towns of Ballymena
, Portaferry
and Randalstown
were taken and the bridge at Toome damaged to prevent the government rushing reinforcements into Antrim
from west of the Bann
. The rebels then assembled at Donegore Hill
in preparation for the march and attack on Antrim town
where an emergency meeting of the county’s magistrates called by the county governor, Lord O'Neill, was due to take place.
Although almost 10,000 rebels assembled at Donegore
, many displayed reluctance for the coming fight and stayed on the hill in reserve or deserted later so that probably fewer than 4,000 actually took part in the attack. The United Irishmen in Ulster were mostly Presbyterian but were joined with Catholic Defenders
and the tension between the two groups on the march may have caused some desertions. These difficulties led to a loss of momentum and the attack was delayed. McCracken
was forced to make adjustments to his plan of attack which had envisaged a simultaneous overwhelming assault on the town from four separate points.
and armed volunteers but they also had four artillery pieces and the delay in the rebel attack had allowed them to send requests for assistance to Belfast
and Lisburn
from where reinforcements were already on the way. The garrison formed themselves at the base of the demense wall of Antrim Castle, with artillery
to the front and cavalry to the rear with their flanks anchored by the Market House and Presbyterian Meeting House. A part of the Scottish Quarter in the town was also burned by the garrison as it was perceived to be a stronghold of rebel sympathisers.
The rebel withdrawal was assumed to be a full retreat and the cavalry moved out to pursue and rout the fleeing rebels. The cavalry effectively ran into a gauntlet of rebels who were protected by a long churchyard wall and stationed in houses along the main street and suffered heavy losses to the gunfire and long pikes
of the rebels.
After routing the cavalry, the rebels attacked the remainder of the garrison and the troops then began to pull back to the safety of the castle wall which was mistaken by a newly arrived rebel column as an attack on them, causing them to flee in panic. In the confusion, the county commander Lord O'Neill, trapped with his magistrate
s, was fatally wounded. A rebel attempt to seize the artillery
was only narrowly beaten off by troops stationed behind the demense wall.
At this critical juncture, British reinforcements from Belfast arrived outside the town and assuming it to be held by the rebels, began to shell it with their artillery. This prompted more desertions and the rebel army began to disintegrate but their withdrawal was protected by a small band of rebels under James Hope
whose men fought a successful rearguard action from the church grounds along the main street, which allowed the bulk of the rebels to withdraw safely.
militia
who were anxious to prove their loyalty and expunge the shame of the recent executions of their comrades for sedition. McCracken
, Hope and their remaining supporters withdrew northwards establishing camps of ever dwindling size along the route of their retreat until news of the defeat at Ballynahinch
caused their final dispersion. McCracken was arrested by yeomen on 7 July and was hanged in Belfast on 17 July having refused an offer of clemency in return for informing on his comrades.
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
between British troops and Irish insurgents
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
led by Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
. The British won the battle, beating off a rebel attack on Antrim town following the arrival of reinforcements but the county governor, Lord O'Neill, was fatally wounded.
Background
The outbreak of the United Irish rebellion in LeinsterLeinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
on 23 May had prompted calls from Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
United Irishmen to take to the field in support of their southern comrades. However, the organisation in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
had been severely damaged in a brutal disarmament campaign the previous year, and the new leadership were less radical and were not willing take to the field without French assistance, which was expected daily.
After waiting for two weeks while the rebellion raged in the south, the grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
United Irish membership in Antrim decided to hold a number of meetings independent of the leadership. The outcome was the election Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
as their adjutant general and the decision to rise immediately. McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
, together with James Hope
James Hope (Ireland)
James Hope was an United Irishmen leader who fought in the 1798 and 1803 rebellions against British rule in Ireland.-Background:...
, quickly formulated a plan to attack and seize all government outposts in county Antrim and then for the main attack to fall on Antrim town
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
. Then using artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
seized at Antrim, the rebels were to march on Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in conjunction with the United Irish rebels in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
.
McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
had high hopes that many members of the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
would desert and join him as disaffection was believed to be widespread, evidenced by the execution of four of the Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
militia for treason in Belfast in May.
Rebellion in Antrim
On 6 June McCrackenHenry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
issued a proclamation calling for the United army of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
to rise. The initial plan met with success, as the towns of Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, Portaferry
Portaferry
Portaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,467 people in the 2001 Census. It has an aquarium and is well-known for the annual Galway Hookers Regatta. It hosts...
and Randalstown
Randalstown
Randalstown is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Antrim and Toome. It had a population of 4,956 people in the 2001 Census. It has a very prominent disused railway viaduct and lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate...
were taken and the bridge at Toome damaged to prevent the government rushing reinforcements into Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
from west of the Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...
. The rebels then assembled at Donegore Hill
Donegore
Donegore is the name of a hill, a townland, a small cluster of residences, and a civil parish in the barony of Upper Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Donegore lies approximately 5 miles east of Antrim town. The largest settlement in the parish is the village of Parkgate...
in preparation for the march and attack on Antrim town
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
where an emergency meeting of the county’s magistrates called by the county governor, Lord O'Neill, was due to take place.
Although almost 10,000 rebels assembled at Donegore
Donegore
Donegore is the name of a hill, a townland, a small cluster of residences, and a civil parish in the barony of Upper Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Donegore lies approximately 5 miles east of Antrim town. The largest settlement in the parish is the village of Parkgate...
, many displayed reluctance for the coming fight and stayed on the hill in reserve or deserted later so that probably fewer than 4,000 actually took part in the attack. The United Irishmen in Ulster were mostly Presbyterian but were joined with Catholic Defenders
Defenders (Ireland)
The Defenders were a militant, vigilante agrarian secret society in 18th century Ireland, mainly Roman Catholic and from Ulster, who allied with the United Irishmen but did little during the rebellion of 1798.-Origin:...
and the tension between the two groups on the march may have caused some desertions. These difficulties led to a loss of momentum and the attack was delayed. McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
was forced to make adjustments to his plan of attack which had envisaged a simultaneous overwhelming assault on the town from four separate points.
Garrison at Antrim
The town was garrisoned by a small force of about 200 yeomen, cavalry under Lt-Col William LumleyWilliam Lumley
General Sir William Lumley, GCB was a senior British Army officer and courtier during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The son of the Earl of Scarborough, Lumley enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks aided by a reputation for bravery and professionalism established on campaign...
and armed volunteers but they also had four artillery pieces and the delay in the rebel attack had allowed them to send requests for assistance to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
from where reinforcements were already on the way. The garrison formed themselves at the base of the demense wall of Antrim Castle, with artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
to the front and cavalry to the rear with their flanks anchored by the Market House and Presbyterian Meeting House. A part of the Scottish Quarter in the town was also burned by the garrison as it was perceived to be a stronghold of rebel sympathisers.
Attack begins
The attack finally began shortly before 3pm when the rebels began a cautious march through the town. As rebel front ranks arrived to face the garrisons defensive line, artillery opened fire on the rebels causing them to pull back out of range but large clouds of dust and smoke were thrown up which, together with the fires from the Scottish Quarter, obscured the garrisons view of events.The rebel withdrawal was assumed to be a full retreat and the cavalry moved out to pursue and rout the fleeing rebels. The cavalry effectively ran into a gauntlet of rebels who were protected by a long churchyard wall and stationed in houses along the main street and suffered heavy losses to the gunfire and long pikes
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
of the rebels.
After routing the cavalry, the rebels attacked the remainder of the garrison and the troops then began to pull back to the safety of the castle wall which was mistaken by a newly arrived rebel column as an attack on them, causing them to flee in panic. In the confusion, the county commander Lord O'Neill, trapped with his magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s, was fatally wounded. A rebel attempt to seize the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
was only narrowly beaten off by troops stationed behind the demense wall.
At this critical juncture, British reinforcements from Belfast arrived outside the town and assuming it to be held by the rebels, began to shell it with their artillery. This prompted more desertions and the rebel army began to disintegrate but their withdrawal was protected by a small band of rebels under James Hope
James Hope (Ireland)
James Hope was an United Irishmen leader who fought in the 1798 and 1803 rebellions against British rule in Ireland.-Background:...
whose men fought a successful rearguard action from the church grounds along the main street, which allowed the bulk of the rebels to withdraw safely.
Aftermath
When the military entered the town they began a spree of looting, burning and murder of whom the most enthusiastic perpetrators were reported to be the MonaghanMonaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
who were anxious to prove their loyalty and expunge the shame of the recent executions of their comrades for sedition. McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken was an Irish industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.-History:...
, Hope and their remaining supporters withdrew northwards establishing camps of ever dwindling size along the route of their retreat until news of the defeat at Ballynahinch
Ballynahinch
Ballynahinch is the name of a number of towns in Ireland:*Ballynahinch, County Down, a town in Northern Ireland*Ballynahinch, County Armagh, a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland*Ballynahinch, County Galway in the Republic of Ireland...
caused their final dispersion. McCracken was arrested by yeomen on 7 July and was hanged in Belfast on 17 July having refused an offer of clemency in return for informing on his comrades.