Irish Rebellion
May 23, 1798 · Early Modern
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. Led by the United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced by the American and French revolutions, it united Irish Catholics and Protestant dissenters. The rebellion was ultimately defeated by British Crown forces, with casualties estimated between 10,000 and 30,000 people. A supporting French expedition that landed in County Mayo was also defeated.
Key Figures
Theobald Wolfe ToneLord Edward FitzgeraldFather John MurphyGeneral Gerard Lake
Locations
DublinWexfordEnniscorthyVinegar Hill
Topics
revolutionIrelandbritain
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The failed 1798 rebellion led to the Act of Union (1800), centralizing Irish governance in London and creating the political framework that enabled British officials to control famine response from Westminster rather than local Irish authorities Great Irish Potato Famine
Brian Boru's victory at Clontarf established Irish resistance to foreign rule as a defining national characteristic, creating a template of unified Irish resistance that resurfaced in the 1798 rebellion against British rule The Battle of Clontarf
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