Battle of Bunclody facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Bunclody
Part of the Irish Rebellion
Memorial erected in 1938
Date 1 June 1798 Location Bunclody, County Wexford Result Rebels seize Bunclody but are then repelled by British.
Belligerents
United Irishmen	British Army Loyalists
Commanders and leaders
Mogue Kearns	?
Strength
5,000	?
Casualties and losses
400 killed	1 killed 1 wounded (Government claim)

The Battle of Bunclody, also known as Newtownbarry back then, was an important fight during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. This rebellion was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The battle happened on June 1, 1798, in Bunclody, a town in County Wexford.

About 5,000 rebels, led by a Catholic priest named Father Mogue Kearns, attacked the soldiers stationed there. These soldiers were part of the British Army and local loyalist forces.

The Battle Begins

The soldiers in Bunclody knew the rebels were coming. They set up defenses and waited. The rebel army took control of a high hill to the west of the town.

They also brought a cannon, which they had captured in an earlier victory at the Battle of Three Rocks. The rebels aimed this cannon at the town.

Rebel Attack

As the main rebel army got ready to attack, their cannon fired accurately at the soldiers. The soldiers had to quickly move back into the town for cover.

The rebels saw their chance and quickly moved forward. They forced the soldiers to run away across a bridge into County Carlow. However, the rebels did not take control of this important bridge.

A Turn of Events

The rebels thought they had won an easy victory. Many of them started celebrating. They began to search the town for supplies and enemies.

As the rebels became less organized, some trapped soldiers, called yeomen, opened fire. These soldiers had barricaded themselves inside their houses. They shot at the rebels who were moving around in the streets.

Surprise Counter-Attack

Meanwhile, the soldiers who had run away across the bridge stopped their retreat. When they heard gunfire from the town, they quickly turned around.

They launched a surprise attack back across the bridge. The rebels were caught completely off guard, as they were busy dealing with the soldiers still inside the town.

Aftermath

The surprise attack led to a complete defeat for the rebels. About 400 rebels were killed. Their army was scattered and broken.

The official report stated that the government forces lost only one soldier killed and one wounded. The Battle of Bunclody was a significant moment in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.