30 May 1798: The Rebellion ebbs and flows in much of Leinster, notwithstanding the implosion of United Irish strategy in the capital on its first night.
The strongest showing is made in Kildare, Wicklow and Co Dublin: Naas withstands a major attack on the 23rd as the defenders of Prosperous and Ballymore Eustace are badly mauled. The immediate threat to the city subsides at 4 a.m. when 1,000 rebels are drawn from the hills overlooking Kilcullen by the New Romney cavalry.
The rebels run "in every direction and are cut down by their triumphant pursuers, and a part of the fugitives having fled into the town of Kilcullen, were killed in such numbers as to cover the streets with their bodies".
In the west Wicklow borderlands on the 24th, Lieut Macauley's account in the Hibernian Telegraph reveals that "between 12 and one o'clock . . . the insurgents appeared in the neighbourhood [of Baltinglass] to the amount of at least four or five hundred". He claims up to 200 die outside Stratford but omits mention of how 43 of their imprisoned comrades are shot in Dunlavin.
In a disastrous attempt on the forewarned Carlow garrison 400 rebels fall on the 25th, while others are repulsed from Hacketstown. The Reay Fen cibles overrun the Meath rebels' main camp at Tara Hill on the 26th.
The gravity of the situation moves Catholic Archbishop John Troy to circulate an address on the 27th which unreservedly condemns the United Irishmen. Troy, a sincere loyalist, rails against the "anti-Christian conspiracy" and "the desperate and wicked endeavours of irreligious and rebellious agitators to overturn and destroy the Constitution". He urges Catholics to reject "wretched impracticable speculations on the rights of man and the majesty of the people".
Such sentiments are ignored by the disaffected inhabitants of Wexford who annihilate the grenadier company of the North Cork militia on the 27th at Oulart Hill. The stunning victory follows two days of skirmishing and aggressive patrolling in the district from the troops and yeomen of Carnew, Gorey and Tullow.
Oulart electrifies the Wexfordmen, who mobilise in unprecedented numbers and capture Enniscorthy on the 28th. The struggle in Kildare, however, verges on the point of collapse when "no prisoners" orders are suspended to enable mass surrenders of repentant rebels.
Pacification is dealt a blow on the 29th when Maj Gen James Duff's column arrives from Limerick to reopen communications with Munster and slaughters 350 unarmed Kildare men on the Gibbet Rath. Rathangan is recovered from rebel hands on the third attempt but thousands of insurgent militants hold out in the mountains, woods and bogs of Leinster.
The quickening momentum of the Wexfordians yields them the county town without serious contest on the 30th, just as the prospect of the Wicklowmen emulating their achievement falters at New town mount kennedy. Capt Burganey and nine of his garrison perish in a hard-fought battle for Newtown but their stand and the unflinching brutality of the ensuing moppingup operations safeguard Dublin's southern border.
A policy of containment in south Leinster and vigilance in Ulster and Munster is pursued by the Executive as it awaits reinforcements from Britain.