Mayo history: French Expeditionary Force set sail for Ireland

YEAR OF THE FRENCH - PART ONE

By Tom Gillespie

THIS month 226 years ago (August 27, 1798), French forces, under General Humbert, routed the British in the famed Races of Castlebar.

In September 1947, on the 149th anniversary of the event, The Connaught Telegraph published a series of articles recalling the historic event.

Some of these are recalled in the article below, which were received from a reader well-versed in military science as well as the story of those far off days. The contributor is indebted to Dr. Richard Hayes, author of ‘The Last Invasion of Ireland’, for extracts taken from the doctor’s invaluable history of the French invasion.

For some years a number of Irish revolutionary leaders, including Wolfe Tone, were in close touch with France, who had promised aid in order to pay back an old debt to Ireland for help given by the Wild Geese a century earlier, and also, of course, for its own military purposes.

An attempt was made in 1796 to land 15,000 French troops, under General Hoche, at Bantry Bay, but it ended in failure owing to a storm blowing the ships out to sea as the troops were about to embark.

This disaster did not deter the Irish and the strength of the United Irishmen grew, and further aid was promised through Wolfe Tone.

The arrangement was that an insurrection and landing of the French should be simultaneous.

But the British were in possession of all the facts through their paid spies in Ireland and their secret service in France.

They accordingly decided to arrest all the leaders and impose martial law on the whole of the country.

This precipitated a premature revolt in May 1798, and at the same time the staggering news came from France that no help was yet available as the forces that were being prepared had set sail for Egypt to engage the British there.

Wolfe Tone, during this time, was pleading with the French government for help and was received sympathetically.

Accordingly, in the middle of June, General Humbert was ordered to La Rochelle with 1,000 men, and General Hardy to Brest with 3,000, for movement to Ireland.

Humbert lost no time in making preparations for his expedition and set out in three large ships with 1,000 men, three small field guns, 3,000 muskets, and 1,000 French uniforms to arm and clothe the first Irishmen to join him.

After a fortnight at sea, during which they had to avoid England’s war vessels, they arrived within sight of the west coast of Ireland.

Killala is a small town of a few hundred inhabitants. It had changed little since 1798.

On the morning of August 22, 1798, three large ships were noticed out in the bay with English colours flying from mast-heads. Dr. Stock, the Protestant Bishop, sent his two sons out in a small boat to invite the officers to his Lordship’s house.

The two boys did not return, however, and his Lordship became very perturbed. At three o’clock that evening the three ships anchored at Kilcummin Bay, five miles north of Killala, and the English flags were at once hauled down. Humbert and his 1,000 men had reached their destination.

However, Mayo was an unfavourable landing place. It was one of the most backward Irish counties and the United Irishmen were not well organised there.

A large number of the native population had been deprived of their holdings during the previous century and were now serving in Continental armies. The county was in the grip of planters who had occupied the confiscated lands. Dr. Stock, himself an Englishman, owned 6,000 acres, and rack-rents for its upkeep were levied on the unfortunate peasants.

Disembarkation began immediately anchor was cast. The local people collected and welcomed the French. Captain Henry O’Kane, the Mayo priest, was first to come ashore, and as he did he kissed the earth three times in reverence. The older people present recognised him and he was soon chatting in the Irish language with the natives.

General Humbert was next to come ashore. An eye-witness described him as the ‘handsomest man he ever saw’.

Humbert immediately wrote a despatch to the French government announcing his safe arrival. He gave it to an Irishman named John Murphy, a well-known smuggler, who started off in his boat to France and duly delivered the good tidings.

Within two hours all had disembarked, but the vanguard under General Sarrazin was already heading for Killala. A small band of Irish recruits had joined them.

At a little hill outside Killala a small outpost was driven in. Humbert had come up at this time, and Captain O’Kane galloped into the town on reconnaissance. He was fired on by the Yeomen, but after gaining valuable information returned to Humbert.

An attack was made on the town, but the English garrison flew towards Ballina pursued by the French. At the castle Dr. Stock was entertaining some Yeomen officers, all off whom were captured, and Humbert made the castle his headquarters. The Irish flag of ‘Green and Gold’ was flown from the castle and the English flag pulled down.

Meanwhile, the stores, ammunition and baggage were being unloaded at Kilcummin and continued throughout the night with the help of torches.

Except for a small vanguard under Sarrazin the remainder of the French forces marched into Killala and bivouacked in the castle grounds. Horses were requisitioned and even the pannier baskets on the backs of the ponies and donkeys continued to haul in the stores and ammunitions until dawn.

The following day (August 23) presented a busy scene in the little town as the French soldiers mixed with the natives and the confused sound of three languages could be heard.

The three big ships were sent back to France containing 25 prisoners and four thoroughbred horses presented by the people of Killala to the French government. By noon all the stores and equipment had arrived in Killala. A proclamation was issued declaring that the French had come to establish the freedom of Ireland.

NEXT WEEK: Franco-Irish troops found Ballina evacuated.