Battle of Ovidstown

Part of the United Irishmen Rebellion

Date	19 June 1798
Location	near Kilcock, County Kildare
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Irishmen

British Army

Commanders and leaders

William Aylmer

Strength

4,000

400

Casualties and losses

~200 dead

~25 dead

The battle of Ovidstown, was a clash between British military and Irish rebels during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It took place at 19 June 1798 at Ovidstown Hill, about three miles south-west of Kilcock in County Kildare.

Despite the initial military failure of the United Irish rebellion in Kildare, the consolidation of Government forces in Naas and the priority given to the effort to crush the raging rebellion in County Wexford, meant that much of the county remained in rebel hands since the outbreak of the rebellion. Towns such as Prosperous and Clane were in rebel hands, while towns such as Maynooth, Kilcock and Kildare town had been attacked and briefly occupied by the rebels. By 19 June however, neighbouring County Meath had been judged sufficiently pacified to allow for troops to be sent from there into Kildare to retake the rebel-held territory.

A force of 400 troops, with two pieces of artillery, was sent out from Trim on 18 June to locate and destroy the rebel army led by William Aylmer. When Alymer received news of the offensive, he decided to rally his forces and engage the approaching military head-on, choosing to fight at Ovidstown Hill, about three miles south-west of Kilcock.

On the eve before the battle, the Irish rebels received word from an anonymous source that the wine cellar of the empty Hortland House was left open. Rebels were sent to the house where they ransacked the basement and brought all the alcohol back to camp. It is understood that the majority of the Irish rebels entered battle under the influence of alcohol and this is said to be one of the main reasons for the rebels failure at Ovidstown.

Almost 4,000 rebels had gathered by the time approaching British troops were spotted, and they began to deploy behind ditches on both sides of the road in an attempt to ambush the approaching military. The manoeuvre failed when light infantry deployed along both rebel flanks, and drove them back with their superior firepower. Despite this success, the British were unable to organise their cavalry in time to pursue the retreating rebels across the broken terrain and were also experiencing difficulties in deploying their artillery.

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