Battle of Carlow

The Battle of Carlow took place on 25 May 1798. When the rebellion broke out in the spring of '98, the Carlow United Irishmen were headed up by a young brogue-maker named Mick Heydon. He succeeded to the leadership when his commanding officer, Peter Ivers, was arrested with several other influential United Irishmen at Oliver Bond's house in March of that year. By the midde of May, the British authorities had become deeply alarmed by the sudden and ferocious outburst of rebellion across Leinster. Almost every garrison had retreated from the Pale to the headquarters in Naas. Only the garrisons of Athy and Carlow remained where they had originally been stationed. Heydon had been having a hard time keeping his men inspired during the dark months before the uprising. He now saw an opportunity to give the lads a big morale booster. He split his 4000 strong volunteer force into three different columns and called in a fourth from across the Barrow in Queen's County (now County Laois).

The English garrison at Carlow, having secret information of the intended attack on the town, had taken possession of the houses and occupied all the points of vantage in that vicinity, with the result that the United Irishmen were completely taken by surprise: volley after volley was poured into their ranks with deadly effect killing all commanding officers (Nolan, Murray). The houses in Tullow St and Barrack St were set on fire by the enemy, and those of the United Irishmen that had taken refuge in them were literally roasted alive. Those who fled from the burning houses were mercilessly cut down on the streets.

William Farrell of Carlow quoted "I know a man as gentle as any who woke to realize his house was on fire [and] threw on some clothes and ran to the street carrying his young daughter. He was instantly shot dead and his child." Of the first detachment that entered Carlow on that fatal morning, May 25th, 1798, the burned and charred corpses of upwards of five hundred gallant Irishmen lay strewn around in the smouldering ruins in the highways and byways of the town ere the sun set on this fatal day. Some witnesses say they saw Mick Heydon run to his fathers house, which was not too far away from Tullow street. It is said he dressed himself in his Yeomanary clothes and ran back to Tullow street to fire on his former comrades. However seeing as his friends had already taken refuge in houses, this is unlikely. Mick Heydon was later found hiding in a barn in Queens county (Laois).

At Carlow-Graigue, or Graigue-Cullen as it is now known, are to be seen the graves of the Carlow United Irishmen, and the other victims of the Carlow Reign of Terror 1798. To the Parish Priest of Sleibhte-Graig, Fr. Daniel Byrne, and the Gaels of Carlow and Graigue is due the credit of the erection of the grand memorial Cross here and the artistic railing enclosing this sacred spot, where lies the dust of those gallant men.

A local man became known as "Paddy the Pointer" helped to identify escaped rebels to the military by riding around the town and pointing them out.

Many rebels were hung and their bodies thrown in the "Croppy Hole" a mass grave, across the river in Graiguecullen.