Battle of the Big Cross
Battle of the Big Cross | |||||||
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Part of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 | |||||||
Monument to United Irish commander Tadhg an Astna O'Donovan in Clonakilty | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Great Britain | United Irishmen | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Sir Hugh O'Reilly | Tadhg an Astna O'Donovan † | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 50-100 |
The Battle of the Big Cross was a military engagement of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 between a force of United Irishmen rebels and a column of government troops. It was fought on 19 June 1798 on a spot on the Shannonvale-Ballinascarty road known locally as the "Big Cross", approximately four miles east of Clonakilty in West Cork. It was the only battle fought in the rebellion in County Cork.
Background
The attempted landing of a
During the searches for weapons in
Battle
A detachment of the Westmeath Militia was stationed in Clonakilty under Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Hugh O'Reilly. On the afternoon of the 18th, O'Reilly received orders that his troops were to transfer to Bandon, about 15 miles east of Clonakilty.[1] Early on the morning of 19 June, the Westmeath Militia, equipped with two artillery pieces, were marching in acolumn when they were confronted by a force of 300-400 United Irishmen rebels, lightly armed and consisting mostly of local peasantry, at a local crossroads known as the "Big Cross" under the command of a man named Tadhg an Astna O'Donovan. Much of what we know of the engagement comes from local folklore or from the pen of Sir Hugh O'Donovan who is said to have appealed to the mostly Irish troops and United Irishmen among the Westmeath militia's ranks to join his party. He was instead met with gunfire, though the Westmeath militia's commanding officer Sir Hugh O'Reilly denied this happened.
In the short engagement that followed, the United Irishmen who had few firearms were routed. The United Irishmen were also attacked by the Caithness Legion, a Scottish
In popular culture
One of the participants in the battle, Padraig Ó Scolaidhe from Ardfield, wrote a song, "Cath Bhéal an Mhuighe Shalaigh", in the Irish language which would have been the vernacular of Ardfield at the time.[2] A statue of the United Irish leader. Tadhg an Astna. was erected in Clonakilty town centre in 1905.[3]
References
- ^ "The Battle of the Big Cross where one hundred Irish died". failteromhat.com. Southern Star. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ Battle of the Big Cross. Ceantar Chloch na gCoillte Coiste Chomóradh Dhá Chéad 1998 pp 26-27. 1998.
- ^ "1798 "Battle of the Big Cross" to be remembered in Clonakilty, West Cork". thecork.ie.