Battle of Castlebar

The battles of Castlebar was held on August 27th during the Irish rebellion of 1798 when a combined force of 2.000 French and rebellious Irish overrode a force of 6.000 British in what was, called later the “race of Castlebar” to make fun speed and the distance which the English traversed in their escape.

The unloading

The French reinforcements, awaited for a long time to help the Irish rebellion arrived on August 22nd. Approximately 1.100 soldiers under the orders of the Humbert General unloaded with bank of Cill Chuimín, in the Comté of Mayo. Although the forces were very few, the isolated site had allowed an unloading without much opposition, far from tens of British thousands of soldiers concentrated in the east in Leinster, occupied in operations against the pockets of resistance of the rebels. The city close to Killala was quickly occupied after a short resistance by local small holders. Ballina was taken in its turn two days later, after the rout of a force of cavalry sent by the city to be opposed to the republicans. The Irish volunteers united gradually with the French as of the news of their arrival.

The lieutenant Cornwallis, asked for reinforcements of England urgently but all the forces available were concentrated in Castlebar under the command of the general Lake, the winner of the Bataille of Vinegar Hill. The British forces of Castlebar included/understood 6.000 soldiers and a dozen pieces of artillery and had an important provisioning.

Preparations

Leaving approximately 200 soldiers to Killala to cover its backs, Humbert took the head of a combined force of approximately 2.000 French and Irishman and went on August 26th on Castlebar. Guessing without difficulty its objective, the English strengthened themselves there, forts of their numerical advantage and their artillery to push back a frontal attack starting from the road of Ballina. However, the Irish rebels, knowing the ground well, advised the French to use another route to go to Castlebar, while passing to the west, by banks of the lake Lough Conn that the British believed insuperable for a modern army equipped with artillery. When the outposts located the enemy in approach, the English, surprised, had with haste to move their artillery.

The attack

This one was hardly redeployed when the Franco-Irish army appeared near the city, it was approximately 6 hours of the morning. The British, opened fire. The French however identified quickly, dealing with the center of the artillery line, procession offering a certain protection. Charging with the bayonet, they reflect the gunners in escape. Panic then gained the British rows, which were put in rout. Some soldiers of the militia of Longford and Kilkenny ran to join the rebels and to take share with the fight against their old allies. A unit of cavalry and the British regular infantry tried well to hold head, but were quickly submerged.

The “race of Castlebar”

In the rout of the British soldiers, quantities large of rifles and equipment were given up, among which the luggage personnel of the Lake general. Although being continued one thousand or two beyond Castlebar, the English did not stop before reaching Tuam, a few units were run away until Athlone. Panic was such as only the arrival of Cornwallis with Athlone stopped the escape in front of the Shannon.

Although carrying out a spectacular victory, the losses of the French and the Irishmen were raised, approximately 150 men, killed for the majority at the time of the cannonade at the beginning of the battle. The English suffered of more than 350 losses including approximately 80 killed and perhaps 150 which united with the rebels. After the victory, the thousands of volunteers were assembled to join the French who also sent a request for reinforcements in France and formally declared a Republic of Connacht.

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