The Rebellion in Wicklow, 1798

This book is the first comprehensive investigation of a county level United Irishman organization from its inception, in the spring of 1797, to final defeat in the winter of 1798. It is also the first full-length historical treatment of the rebellion in County Wicklow and makes a strong case for reconsidering the Wexford orientated historiography of the south Leinster theatre. Fresh account is also taken of the social, economic and political origins of the insurrection in the region. A detailed examination is provided for every part of Wicklow in the advent of rebellion with discussion of issues such as the operation and impact of the government's counter-insurgency strategy and the growth of ultra-loyalism in the county. The course of the rising in Wicklow is charted day by day from May 1798 along with the activities of the contingents which fought in Wexford. Interaction with Dublin, Carlow, Kildare and Meath United Irishmen over the summer of 1798 is also fully explored. This study contains an original assessment of the underrated 'late rebellion' guerrilla campaign waged by General Joseph Holt's rump forces in the Wicklow mountains from July to November 1798. The Rebellion in Wicklow 1798 draws heavily on hitherto unused or under-utilized primary sources in Ireland, Britain and Australia and takes account of several privately owned collections. A number of important documents are printed in full for the first time; in order to shed light on the modus operandi of the Wicklow United Irishmen in their home county, as well as their deep engagement in the plot fomented by Robert Emmet in July 1803.