James Corcoran

James Corcoran (c.1780 – 1804) was an Irish rebel leader who following the suppression of the United Irish insurrection of 1798, maintained a guerrilla resistance to the British Crown forces in counties Wexford and Kilkenny until his final defeat and death in 1804.

Rebel activities

Corcoran played an active part in the 1798 rebellion and led a party of rebels at the battle of New Ross. Following the collapse of the rebellion, he and a group of survivors established a base in Killaughrim Woods, north County Wexford from where they launched raids in the area and into County Carlow. In August 1801, an upsurge in Corcoran's activities saw him and his men being declared "dangerous in case of invasion" by Dublin Castle and consequently, a force of 200 soldiers was sent to find and destroy the group. However, they met with little success as the populace shielded them from the military.

Corcoran's men were distinguished by their willingness to allow deserters from the military in their ranks and actively sought to subvert soldiers billeted among the populace or at least rob them of their arms. Their fearlessness was demonstrated in an incident near Mount Leinster in June 1802 when they turned to attack a number of pursuing Newtownbarry yeomen who were defeated and soon under pursuit themselves.

The defeat of Robert Emmet's rising in July 1803, saw renewed British intent to wipe out all remaining rebel activity in Ireland and a new campaign was launched against Corcoran. This time account was taken of the fact that Corcoran's men enjoyed support from the population in areas where they operated and also that their permanent bases were in remote localities. Consequently, arrests and severe penalties were handed out to those suspected of harbouring rebels, and the building of military roads and barrack were planned to cover the area between Mount Leinster and the Blackstair mountains.

Defeat and death

The surrender of

• Ruan O'Donnell - "The Rebellion in Wicklow 1798" (1998)
  ISBN 0-7165-2659-X
• Ruan O'Donnell - "Aftermath: Post-Rebellion Insurgency in Wicklow, 1799-1803" (2000)
  ISBN 0-7165-2638-7