Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for BALLINAMUCK

BALLINAMUCK, a village, in that part of the parish of KILLOE, which is in the barony and county of LONGFORD, in the province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (N.) from Longford, on the road from Newtown-Forbes to Arvagh; containing 30 houses and 163 inhabitants. The remainder of the French army under General Humbert, which had landed in Kilcummin bay on the 22d of August, 1798, for the assistance of the insurgent forces, made a final stand in the neighbourhood, where, being surrounded by the English army under Lord Cornwallis, they were compelled to surrender on the 9th of the following month. Having arrived on the preceding evening, the French forces were closely pursued by Colonel Crawford and General Lake; while Lord Cornwallis, with the grand army, crossing the river at Carrick-on-Shannon, advanced to St. Johnstown to intercept their progress to Granard. Colonel Crawford having attacked their rear, about 200 of the infantry surrendered themselves prisoners; the remainder continued to defend themselves for about half an hour, when, on the appearance of the main body of the army under General Lake, they also surrendered. The number of General Humbert's army at the time of their surrender was reduced to 96 officers and 748 privates. Here is a station of the constabulary police, also a quarry of fine freestone.—See KILLOE.


(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Longford IrlC
Place: Ballinamuck

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