Battle on Vinegar Hill, The

DESCRIPTION: The English army of 20000 defeat 10000 Wexford pikemen in a fierce battle. The pikemen were brave and valiant; the English were stubborn and warlike. The singer comments on the pity that freeborn Englishmen "should strike fair freedom down"
AUTHOR: Rev. P. F. Kavanagh (source: Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815)
EARLIEST DATE: 2000 (Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815)
KEYWORDS: army battle rebellion death
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Jun 21, 1798 - Battle of Vinegar Hill (source: Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815)
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815 89, "The Battle on Vinegar Hill" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [130 words]: Moylan-TheAgeOfRevolution-1776-1815 dates "The Battle on Vinegar Hill" to about 1880. - BS
The battle of Vinegar Hill was the final end of the Wexford rebellion. The rebels, having failed at New Ross and Arklow, made a last stand on the hill. Ill-equipped and, in many cases, sick, they faced a British army some 10,000 strong under General Lake, and were slaughtered (see Thomas Pakenham, The Year of Liberty, pp. 256-258). For more details on the battle, see, e.g., the notes to "Father Murphy (I)."
According to Kathleen Hoagland, 1000 Years of Irish Poetry, p. 784, Moylan's dating is problematic. I assume this is the Patrick Kavanagh (1904/05-1967) who was best known for his poem "The Great Hunger." Thus he can hardly have written the poem in the nineteenth century! - RBW
File: Moyl089

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