Draft:Battle of Carrigmoclear

Battle of Carrigmoclear
Part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Date 23 July 1798 Location near Grangemockler, County Tipperary, Ireland Result British victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Great Britain Loyalists	United Irishmen
Commanders and leaders
William Despard	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	~ 600
Casualties and losses
Low	High

The Battle of Carrigmoclear, also known as the uprising on Slievenamon, was a military engagement part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 between a force of United Irishmen rebels and a column of British army troops. It was fought on the 23 July 1798 on Carrigmoclear a low hill attached to the mountain of Slievenamon 3 km north-west of the village of Grangemockler in County Tipperary near the border with County Kilkenny.

The battle

In July 1798 insurgents from the Tipperary/Kilkenny border attempted to raise forces around the mountain of Slievenamon. Largely rural recruits from in and around the nearby villages of Grangemockler, Mullinahone, Windgap, Killamery and Callan assembled at Carrigmoclear. The lighting of a fire on the hill was supposed to signal the start of the rebellion in this part of the country. However, the rebels were betrayed by a local named Maher or O'Neill from Ninemilehouse who heard of the plans and informed William Despard, head of the local yeomanry militia. Despard lit a fire on the hill to create a false signal and lure the rebels into an ambush. When the rebel leadership found out, they hurried to inform their men that they were running into an enemy trap, but it was too late as almost 600 walked right into Despard's hands. Awaiting them was a large loyalist force composed of troops who were based out of nearby towns. The battle began. The rebels initially managed to fight off the first attack, inflicting casualties on the British, but the redcoats eventually managed to overwhelm, crush and easily defeat them. What remained of the rebel force fled higher up the mountain. For days afterwards, British forces searched the mountainside looking for them. Those caught were hanged, flogged, or forcefully transported away for life. The rebels who died in the fighting were buried in Killamery, County Kilkenny.