The Battle of Carlow was a decisive defeat of United Irishmen rebels in 1798, ending the uprising in County Carlow through a preplanned military ambush.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 May 1798
- Rebel force size
- Approximately 1,200 men
- Deaths from burning houses
- 200 people
- Rebel leader
- Mick Heydon, brogue-maker
- Garrison commander
- Colonel Mahon, Ninth Dragoons
- Attack directions
- Four simultaneous, converging on Potato Market
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The United Irishmen in Carlow, reorganised under Mick Heydon after earlier leadership arrests, mobilised around 1,200 rebels on the night of 24 May 1798 to join the broader rebellion that had erupted in County Kildare the previous day. The garrison, however, had been fully forewarned of the planned attack and its routes.
On the morning of 25 May 1798, rebel columns advanced into Carlow town from four directions, expecting little resistance. Colonel Mahon had laid an ambush, positioning soldiers at every window and rooftop around Potato Market. When the rebels entered and relaxed at the market, hidden troops unleashed sustained volleys, routing the poorly armed insurgents in a surprise attack.
The surviving rebels fled and were pursued by soldiers who set adjoining houses and cabins alight, killing approximately 200 more inhabitants. The rebel force from County Laois, hearing of the disaster, withdrew without joining the fight, effectively ending the rebellion in Carlow. The defeat removed the county as a factor in the wider 1798 rising.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Mick Heydon.
Side B
1 belligerent
Colonel Mahon.