1798 - Calendar of Events
February
- 19th The Leinster Provincial Directory of the United Irishmen declares that it will not be diverted from its purpose by "anything that could be done in parliament".
March
- 12th Members of the Leinster Directory of the United Irishmen, meeting in Dublin in the home of Oliver Bond, are arrested by government forces.
- 30th Government Viceroy, Lord Camden, issues a declaration, "The country is in a state of rebellion". Effective martial law.
April
- 9th The first meeting of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland takes place in the home of Thomas Verner, in Dublin.
- 23rd The disarming of counties Kildare, Laois, Offaly and Tipperary is underway.
- 25th General Gerard Lake replaces Sir Ralph Abercromby as Commander-in-Chief of government forces in Ireland.
- 27th The North Cork Militia arrive in Co. Wexford. Martial law is declared there.
May
- 13th The disarming continues and spreads to Co. Wicklow.
- 18th The new National Directory of the United Irishmen meets in Dublin. The date for the rebellion is set.
- 19th Lord Edward Fitzgerald is arrested in Dublin.
- 21st The brothers, John and Henry Sheares, are arrested.
- 23rd The rebellion begins in Leinster, chiefly in Co. Kildare. The insurgents are repulsed at Naas and Clane, are defeated at Rathangan, but are victorious at the Battle of Prosperous. In Co. Wexford, Anthony Perry is arrested, tortured and is forced to name the principal United Irish leaders in the area. John Colclough and Edward Fitzgerald (Newpark) are arrested and imprisoned.
- 24th Thirty-four suspected United Irish prisoners shot in Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow.
- 25th Twenty-four United Irish prisoners shot at Carnew, Co. Wicklow.
- 26th The insurgents are defeated at Tara; this marks the end of the rebellion in Co. Meath. Rebellion begins in Co. Wexford. Fr. John Murphy and local people confront the Camolin yeomanry at The Harrow. Thomas Bookey, Lieutenant of the yeomanry, is killed.
- 27th Government troops sack Ballintore, Co. Kildare. Insurgents, led by Fr. John Murphy, Edward Roche and Morgan Byrne defeat the North Cork Militia at Oulart Hill. The militia destroy a chapel and houses at Boolavogue.
- 28th In the first Battle of Enniscorthy, the insurgents take the town.
- 29th The Insurgents camp on Vinegar Hill, outside Enniscorthy town. The Ulster Directory of the United Irishmen meets to plan rebellion in counties Antrim and Down. More than three hundred insurgent prisoners are executed at the Curragh, Co. Kildare.
- 30th Before dawn the Wexford insurgents are victorious at the Battle of Three Rocks. The insurgents take Wexford town, and liberate prisoners including Bagenal Harvey. A Committee of Public Safety is established.
- 31st Bagenal Harvey is appointed as Commander of the insurgent forces. Establishment of civilian government in Wexford town led by four Protestants and four Catholics.
June
- 1st The Insurgents are defeated at Bunclody, and at Ballyminane Hill, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
- 2-3rd The insurgents are defeated at Kilcock, Co. Kildare.
- 4th The insurgents defeat government troops at the Battle of Tubberneering, Co. Wexford, and occupy Gorey. In Dublin, Lord Edward Fitzgerald dies.
- 5th The military abandon Carnew, Co. Wicklow. The insurgents fail to capture New Ross, Co. Wexford: John Kelly of Killanne is wounded seriously. Over a hundred suspected loyalist prisoners are massacred at Scullabogue, Co. Wexford. Fr. Philip Roche replaces Bagenal Harvey as commander of the insurgent army.
- 7th In Northern Ireland, Henry Joy McCracken leads insurgent forces in an unsuccessful attack on Antrim town.
- 8th The rebellion has broken out in Co. Down, led by Henry Munro. In Co. Wexford, insurgents capture the mailboat near Duncannon.
- 9th The insurgents are defeated at the Battle of Arklow, Co. Wicklow. Fr. Michael Murphy is killed in action.
- 10th Pike Sunday, Co. Down - the insurgents are repulsed at Portaferry, Co. Down. Five hundred insurgents capture Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
- 12th The insurgents attack Borris House, Co. Carlow and are repulsed.
- 13th Munro and the insurgents are defeated at the Battle of Ballinahinch, Co. Down - the rebellion in Ulster is over.
- 16th Engagement at Mountpleasant, nr. Tinahely, Co. Wicklow. Henry Munro is executed in Lisburn, Co. Down.
- 17th The insurgents burn Tinahely, Co. Wicklow.
- 18th The Kildare insurgents are routed at Ovidstown, near Kilcock, Co. Kildare. Inconclusive skirmishing at Kilcavan Hill, Co. Wexford, is followed by retreat of the insurgent force towards Gorey, Co. Wexford.
- 19th Fr. Philip Roche and the insurgents are forced to retreat from Lacken Hill to Three Rocks near Wexford town. Rain falls for the first time in many weeks.
- 20th Thomas Dixon and his followers massacre loyalist prisoners on Wexford Town Bridge. Fr. Philip Roche and the insurgents are defeated at Goff's Bridge and Foulksmills by Sir John Moore's forces.
- 21st Government forces recapture Enniscorthy and Wexford towns: the insurgents, having been routed at Vinegar Hill, retreat southwards.
- 22nd Fr. John Murphy and the insurgents march towards Kilkenny.
- 23rd The insurgents defeat government troops at Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny.
- 24th The insurgents take Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
- 25-26th Fr. Philip Roche, Matthew Keogh and other insurgents are hanged on Wexford town bridge. The insurgents capture Hackettstown, Co. Carlow.
- 26th Fr. John Murphy and the insurgents are defeated at Kilcumney Hill, Co. Carlow.
- 27th Cornelius Grogan and Bagenal Harvey are tried in Wexford town and sentenced to death.
- 28th John Colclough is tried and sentenced to death. Colclough, Grogan and Harvey are executed on Wexford town bridge.
- 30th Insurgents ambush and annihilate the Ancient Britons at Ballyellis, Co. Wexford.
July
- 2nd Fr. John Murphy & James Gallagher are executed at Tullow, Co. Carlow. The insurgents scatter yeomen at Ballyraheene Hill, near Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow.
- 4-5th Wexford insurgents are dislodged from White Heap mountain base and the Battle of Ballygullen ends inconclusively - this marks the end of the rebellion in Co. Wexford.
- 10th The Co. Wexford insurgents skirmish at Kill, on their way to join forces with the insurgents of Co. Kildare.
- 11th Insurgents attack and fail to take Clonard, Co. Meath.
- 14th The insurgent army is defeated at the Battle of Knightstown, Co. Meath. John and Henry Sheares are executed. Fr Mogue Kearns and Anthony Perry are captured and executed at Edenderry, Co. Offaly.
- 17th Henry Joy McCracken is executed.
August
- 6th General Humbert sails from La Rochelle, France, with three frigates and c.1,000 men.
- 23rd The French army disembarks at Killala Bay, Co. Mayo.
- 25th The French and insurgents capture Ballina, Co. Mayo.
- 27th Humbert's Franco-Irish army defeats government forces at "the Races of Castlebar", Co. Mayo.
- 31st Humbert proclaims the provisional republic of Connaught.
September
- 3rd Humbert evacuates Castlebar, which is then occupied by government forces.
- 4th Rebellion breaks out in the border areas of counties Longford and Westmeath. James Napper Tandy and a small French expeditionary force sets sail from Dunkirk, France, for Ireland.
- 5th Humbert's forces defeat the militia in a skirmish at Collooney, Co. Sligo. The insurgents occupy Wilson's Hospital, Multifarnham, Co. Westmeath. Government forces are victorious at Granard, Co. Longford.
- 7th Humbert crosses the River Shannon into Co. Longford.
- 8th Following defeat at the Battle of Ballinamuck, Co. Longford, the French troops surrender. The Irish rebels are massacred.
- 16th Napper Tandy disembarks from France at Rutland Island, Co. Donegal.
- 17th Nine French ships with c.3,000 men, leave Brest, France, for Ireland. Wolfe Tone is in the company.
- 21st The insurgents are defeated at Grange near Ballina, Co. Mayo.
- 22nd The government forces retake Ballina, Co. Mayo.
- 23rd Killala, Co. Mayo is retaken by Government forces; this marks the end of the rebellion in Connaught.
- 24th Humbert's aide-de-camp, Bartholemew Teeling, is executed.