The Battle of Foulksmills, known locally as the Battle of Horetown and also known as the Battle of Goff's Bridge, was a battle during the

Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

. The

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and Irish loyalists sought to defeat the rebel forces of the

United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional refor ...

in County Wexford.

Background

By 19 June the threat of the United Irish rebellion spreading outside county Wexford had been largely contained and Crown forces were positioned to move against rebel held territory. A force of about 2,500 men under Sir John Moore moved out of New Ross towards

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...

as part of an overall encirclement operation in conjunction with General Gerard Lake's forces moving from the north.

Moore moves out

Moore's force was to link up and combine with the isolated garrison holding

Duncannon Duncannon () is a village in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. Bordered to the west by Waterford harbour and sitting on a rocky headland jutting into the channel is the strategically prominent Duncannon Fort which dominates the village. Pr ...

before moving deeper into County Wexford, but after waiting several hours with no sign of their arrival, Moore decided to press ahead to the village of Taghmon alone. Upon nearing Goffs Bridge at

Foulkesmill Foulkesmill or Foulkesmills () is a small village located in the south of County Wexford, Ireland. History The Irish name ''Muileann Fúca'' was historically anglicised as ''Mullinfooky''. The English name comes from Sir Foulkes Furlong (fl. 1 ...

, his scouts reported a rapidly moving rebel force of some 3,000 moving quickly along the road with the intent to give battle. Moore despatched a force of

riflemen A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the ri ...

from the 60th Regiment to hold the bridge until

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

could be brought up in support.

The battle

The rebels however, led by Father Philip Roche, spotted this move and moved away from the road to the high ground on the left intending to outflank Moore's force. The 60th were forced to engage the rebels on the roads, fields and forests of the area and the rebel flanking move briefly threatened to overturn Moore's left. Moore had to personally rally his fleeing troops to hold the line and led them in a successful counter-attack. As more troops began to arrive the rebels were flushed out of their concealed positions, allowing the artillery to be brought into play and the rebels' move was foiled. The rebels were gradually pushed back field by field but were able to withdraw the bulk of their force safely.

Results

The road to Wexford was opened and the town recaptured by the Crown the next day, but during this battle, followers of rebel captain Thomas Dixon massacred between 35-100 (estimates vary) loyalist prisoners at Wexford bridge. Casualties are estimated at roughly 300 on both sides.

Sources

"''The Peoples Rising -Wexford in 1798''" (1995) - Daniel Gahan
"''Ireland 1798: The Battles''" - Art Kavanagh, {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Foulksmills Fouksmills Foulksmills