08/09/2026
Today marks 228 years since the Battle of Ballinamuck — and a fascinating piece of that history is now on display at the Museum of Orange Heritage.
A Brown Bess bayonet, carried by Orangeman and Yeoman Joseph Woods during the 1798 Rising, has been placed on loan to the Museum by his great-great-grandson, also named Joseph Woods.
On 8 September 1798, the last major action of the United Irish Rebellion took place outside the village of Ballinamuck in County Longford.
A combined French and Irish force of around 2,500 men faced a much larger Government army of almost 26,000. Among the ranks of the Government forces were many Orangemen, including Joseph Woods, a tenant farmer from near Arvagh, County Cavan.
The events of 1798 were a hugely turbulent and violent period in Irish history. Following the French landing in Mayo under General Humbert, Government forces were reinforced and the Yeomanry and Militia played an important role in suppressing the rebellion.
Humbert had landed in Mayo on 22 August to support the United Irishmen, and after defeating Government forces at Castlebar, pressed towards Ulster. He was eventually confronted by the much larger Government army under Generals Cornwallis and Lake at Ballinamuck.
The battle lasted less than an hour. The French forces surrendered and were treated as prisoners of war, while many of the Irish rebels were killed or pursued following the battle.
228 years later, this bayonet gives us a remarkable and very tangible connection to the people who lived through those events.
It’s now on display at the Museum of Orange Heritage — another fascinating piece of history for visitors to discover.
