The last French naval attempt to invade the British Isles, ending United Irish hopes for foreign military support and leading to Wolfe Tone's arrest and death.
Key Facts
- Date
- 12 October 1798
- French ships in original squadron
- 10 ships
- French ships reaching safety
- 3 (two frigates and a schooner) ships
- British ships captured
- 4 during battle, 3 more within a fortnight ships
- Wolfe Tone fate
- Arrested, convicted of treason, died by suicide in Dublin prison
- British losses
- Minimal
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The United Irishmen, led by Wolfe Tone, had risen against British rule in May 1798. A first French expedition under General Humbert landed at Killala but was defeated by early September. Unaware of this, France dispatched a reinforcement squadron of ten ships from Brest on 16 September, which the Royal Navy, already on alert, soon detected and pursued.
On 12 October 1798, British and French naval squadrons clashed off Tory Island on the northwest coast of County Donegal. The outnumbered French attempted to escape but were run down piecemeal. The British captured four ships during the engagement and, over the following fortnight, frigate patrols intercepted three more vessels on the passage back to Brest, leaving only two frigates and a schooner to reach safety.
The battle ended the final French naval attempt to invade any part of the British Isles and extinguished the United Irishmen's hopes of external support. Wolfe Tone was identified aboard the captured French flagship, brought ashore at Buncrana on the Inishowen Peninsula, tried for treason, convicted, and died by suicide in Dublin prison hours before his scheduled execution.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Sir John Warren.
Side B
1 belligerent
Wolfe Tone (aboard French flagship).