Battle of Naas
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Naas took place in Ireland on 24 May 1798.
, a force of over 1,000 rebels, led by Michael Reynolds attacked Naas
, the strongest Crown garrison in County Kildare
, following the successful mobilisation of United Irishmen, Defenders
and rebels throughout county Kildare on the night of 23 May. The garrison at Naas numbered approximately 250 men, supplemented by a number of local yeomen, some of whom had already deserted to the rebels. Importantly, the defenders had some cannon.
pieces to bear, firing at close range into the mass of rebels advancing on the then gaol from the north. Hemmed in by buildings, the rebels could not manoeuver, and cavalry
were sent in to take advantage of the confusion. The rebels then began to retreat and the bulk of their casualties, about 135, were inflicted at this stage for the loss of about 25 of the military.
On the same night the Battle of Prosperous
about 6 miles north of Naas resulted in a rebel success.
Background
One of the first engagements of the 1798 rebellionIrish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
, a force of over 1,000 rebels, led by Michael Reynolds attacked Naas
Naas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
, the strongest Crown garrison in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, following the successful mobilisation of United Irishmen, Defenders
Defenders (Ireland)
The Defenders were a militant, vigilante agrarian secret society in 18th century Ireland, mainly Roman Catholic and from Ulster, who allied with the United Irishmen but did little during the rebellion of 1798.-Origin:...
and rebels throughout county Kildare on the night of 23 May. The garrison at Naas numbered approximately 250 men, supplemented by a number of local yeomen, some of whom had already deserted to the rebels. Importantly, the defenders had some cannon.
Attack
The rebel attack was launched from three directions at around 2:30 a.m and achieved a degree of surprise, driving the garrison back to a barricade outside the gaol, on a slight hill at the centre of the town's main street. Rebel assaults on the barricade were eventually beaten back when the military managed to bring two artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
pieces to bear, firing at close range into the mass of rebels advancing on the then gaol from the north. Hemmed in by buildings, the rebels could not manoeuver, and cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
were sent in to take advantage of the confusion. The rebels then began to retreat and the bulk of their casualties, about 135, were inflicted at this stage for the loss of about 25 of the military.
On the same night the Battle of Prosperous
Battle of Prosperous
The Battle of Prosperous is the name given to a military engagement between the forces of the British Crown and the United Irishmen during the 1798 rebellion...
about 6 miles north of Naas resulted in a rebel success.