Myles Byrne

Miles Byrne
Born	20 March 1780 Ballylusk, Co. Wexford, Ireland.
Died	24 January 1862 Rue Montaigne, Paris, France.
Resting place	Montmartre Cemetery, Paris.
Occupation	Soldier.
Known for	Irish Rebel (1798)
Political party	United Irishmen
Spouse(s)	Fanny Horner

Myles Byrne (20 March 1780 – 24 January 1862) was a leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and chef de bataillon in Napoleon’s Irish Legion.

Myles (he usually spelled his name Miles) Byrne was born in the townland of Ballylusk near Monaseed, County Wexford, Ireland, on 20 March 1780, into a Catholic family.

Byrne participated in preparations for the 1798 Rebellion, fought at Oulart, Enniscorthy, the Battle of Clough (or Battle of Tubberneering), the Battle of Arklow, the Battle of Vinegar Hill, Castlecomer and Ballygullen at the age of 18. After the Wexford Rebellion was over, he joined Michael Dwyer and Joseph Holt in the Wicklow Hills, continuing to fight on. Next he settled in Dublin. While there he was involved in the Emmet Rebellion (1803).

In his Memoirs he describes a meeting he arranged between Robert Emmet and Thomas Cloney (of Moneyhore, Co. Wexford) at Harold's Cross Green, Dublin, just prior to Emmet's Rebellion:

"I can never forget the impression this meeting made on me at the time - to see two heroic patriots, equally devoted to poor Ireland, discussing the best means of obtaining her freedom."

Shortly after this he escaped to France. In France he eventually became Brigadier General and leader of Napoleon’s Irish Brigade, and was awarded the Legion of Honour. He fought in Spain and Greece. In his later years he wrote his memoirs, Memoirs of Miles Byrne, which are an account of his participation in the Irish rebellion and his time in the Irish Brigade. These were first published in three volumes in 1863 (under the direction of his widow, Fanny), but there have been many subsequent reprints.

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