Battle of Collooney
The Battle of Collooney, also called the Battle of Carricknagat, refers to a battle which occurred on 5 September during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 when a combined force of French troops and Irish rebels defeated a force of British troops outside of Collooney near Sligo Town. Background A long-anticipated French landing to assist the Irish rebellion had taken place on 22 August, when almost 1,100 troops under the command of General Humbert landed at Kilcummin Strand (Cill Chuimín), Killala Bay, County Mayo. Although the force was small, the remote location ensured an unopposed landing away from the tens of thousands of British soldiers concentrated in the east in Leinster, engaged in mopping up operations against remaining pockets of rebels. The nearby town of Killala was quickly captured after a brief resistance by local yeomen and Ballina was also taken two days later, following the rout of a force of cavalry sent from the town to oppose their march. Irish volunteers began to trickle into the French camp from all over Mayo following the news of the French landing. The victory of General Humbert at Castlebar, despite gaining him about 5,000 Irish recruits, had not led to a renewed outbreak