The Royal Longford Rifles was an Irish Militia regiment raised in County Longford in 1793. It saw action during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, when it was involved in the rout known as the 'Castlebar Races'. It later became a battalion of the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own), but was disbanded in 1908.
Background Although there are scattered references to town guards in 1584, no organised militia existed in Ireland before 1660. After that date, some militia forces were organised in the reign of King Charles II but it was not until 1715 that the Irish Militia came under statutory authority. During the 18th Century there were various Volunteer Associations and unofficial militia units controlled by the landowners, concerned mainly with internal security. During the War of American Independence, the threat of invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain, appeared to be serious. While most of the Regular Army was fighting overseas, the coasts of England and Wales were defended by the embodied Militia, but Ireland had no equivalent force. The Parliament of Ireland passed a Militia Act, but this failed to create an effective force. However it opened the way for the paramilitary Irish Volunteers to fill the gap. The Volunteers were outside the control of either the parliament or the Dublin Castle administration. When the invasion threat receded they diminished in numbers but remained a political force. On the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War In 1793, the Irish administration passed an effective Militia Act that created an official Irish Militia, while the paramilitary volunteers were essentially banned. The new Act was based on existing English precedents, with the men conscripted by ballot to fill county quotas (paid substitutes were permitted) and the officers having to meet certain property qualifications.Hay, pp. 146–7.McAnally, Irish Militia, pp. 1–31.Richey, pp. 3–6.
Royal Longford Militia County Longford was given a quota of 260 men to find, and the Prince of Wales's Royal Longford Militia was formed at Newtown Forbes. The Governor of County Longford, George Forbes, 6th Earl of Granard, was commissioned as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the battalion on 11 April 1793.Frederick, pp. 246–7.Hay, p. 438.McAnally, Irish Militia, Appendix VI.Richey, pp. 6–7.Richey, Appendix XVII. The officers misunderstood the quota and enrolled 40 non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in addition to the 260 privates in five companies; when the mistake was discovered in January 1794 the additional men were kept and the battalion's establishment was adjusted accordingly, organised as six companies.Richey, p. 9.Richey, Appendix XV.
French Revolutionary War The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars saw the British and Irish militia embodied for a whole generation, becoming regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in Britain or Ireland respectively), which the regular army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manned garrisons, guarded prisoners of war, and carried out internal security duties.Knight, pp. 78–9, 111, 255, 411.
The new Royal Longford Militia (RLM) was embodied at Longford town on 6 June. for permanent service on 6 June 1793, arms and ammunition were issued and training began. In October the battalion marched out to be quartered at Kilkenny, under the overall command of Maj-Gen Crosbie, commanding Connaught District. In November a body of armed insurgents occupied a village close to Kilkenny, and a force consisting of one company of the RLM, a Troop of the 5th Dragoons and one gun was sent against them. The artillery fire failed to induce the insurgents to surrender, so the Longfords were sent in and carried the position at the point of the bayonet. The inexperienced troops were warmly congratulated.Richey, pp. 7–9.Richey, Appendix XVI.
In April 1794 the battalion moved its headquarters (HQ) to Dundalk with detachments at Kingscourt, Carrickmacross and Portadown to assist the civil powers. The main duty was searching for illicit stills and there were frequent fights to capture these, for which the troops were rewarded with a bounty. These and other disputes also led to scuffles with local people, including a least one death of a civilian. By 29 August 1794 the battalion was deployed with four companies at Carlow, one at Ballitore and one at Kilcullen Bridge. In October and November the companies were concentrated at Dublin.McAnally, Irish Militia, Appendix III.Richey, pp. 9–12. The Irish Militia was augmented in April 1795, County Longford's quota being increased to 460 men.McAnally, Irish Militia, pp. 71–2.Richey, p. 12.
Trouble was expected and in May the troops were ordered to be ready to take the field at short notice. The RLM and other battalions were camped at Luttrellstown outside Dublin. In July the regiment was under orders to move to Maryborough, but was kept outside Dublin, with live ammunition issued, in case of an insurrection in the city. By early 1796 the city was quiet and the troop concentration. could be dispersed. In the spring the RLM were billeted across County Carlow and Queen's County, with HQ at Carlow and detachments at Castlecomer, Roscrea, Maryborough, Ballinakill, Ballyroan and Curragh Camp.Richey, pp. 12–5.
Anxiety about a possible French invasion grew during the autumn of 1796 and preparations were made for field operations. A large French expeditionary force appeared in Bantry Bay on 21 December and troops from all over Ireland were marched towards the threatened area: Crosbie sent his forces to cover Cork. On 25 December the RLM were ordered to march rapidly to Bandon, leaving behind their heavy baggage, sick, women and children. The men marched through severe winter weather without blankets, which had been sent from Dublin by boat but were delayed when the canal froze. After struggling through snowdrifts to Kilworth news arrived that the French fleet had been scattered by the winter storms. Several ships had been wrecked and none of the French troops succeeded in landing; there was no sign of a rising by the United Irishmen. The invasion was called off on 29 December, and the troop concentration was dispersed in early 1797. The RLM remained at Kilworth for a while to recruit, then when the weather improved it moved to Rathkeale in case the French made an attempt on Limerick.McAnally, Irish Militia, pp. 96–102.Richey, pp. 15–8; Appendices II & III.
Early in 1797 the light companies of the militia were detached to join composite battalions drawn from several militia regiments. The RLM contingent was attached to 1st Light Battalion, stationed at Kilkenny. The militia regiments were each issued with two light six-pounder 'battalion guns', with the gun detachments trained by the Royal Artillery. When the militiamen of 1793 reached the end of their four-year enlistment in 1797, most of the Irish regiments were able to maintain their numbers through re-enlistments (for a bounty). The RLM was augmented again in July 1797 (when Lord Granard's position as Colonel Commandant was confirmed) and its establishment now totalled 646 all ranks: this was achieved by recruiting for bounty rather than using the ballot.McAnally, Irish Militia, pp. 102–9, 121–6.Richey, pp. 18–9; Appendices IV & V.
Irish Rebellion After spending the summer of 1797 in huts at Rathkeale, the RLM was transferred to Limerick in September. Early in 1798, with rebellion expected, the militia regiments were supplied with camp equipment, pioneers' tools, etc to be ready to take the field. Each detachment was ordered to remained concentrated and to place strong night picquets. From 4 April the RLM paraded twice a day in full marching order. On 9 April the regiment took part with the rest of the Limerick garrison in a coordinated sweep to disarm the province of Munster, destroying the captured arms. With Munster disarmed the regiment was moved to County Clare, with HQ at Ennis, and detachments at Clarecastle, Kilrush, Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Broadford, Tuamgraney and Tulla. The Earl of Granard was appointed officer commanding the county. The expected Irish Rebellion broke out in May 1798. At first the regiment was little affected, though foraging parties were placed under the command of officers ordered to avoid clashes with the populace, and the Earl of Granard was empowered to try civilians by court martial if necessary.McAnally, Irish Militia, pp. 121–6.Richey, pp. 20–3; Appendices VI–VIII.
Meanwhile, the Longford Company with the 1st Light Battalion was heavily engaged in the operations against the rebels in County Kildare and then moved into County Wicklow. It was part of the force assembled by Lt-Gen Gerard Lake to take the main rebel camp at Vinegar Hill, forming part of David Dundas's column. The battalion was in contact with the rebels at Kilcavan Hill on 18 June, and then formed the advanced guard at the decisive Battle of Vinegar Hill on 21 June, storming the rebel position on the heights. The Longford company suffered numerous casualties in the action.McAnally, Irish Militia, Appendix VIII.Richey, p. 38.Sleigh, p. 122.
After the rebellion had been largely put down, an expeditionary force under General Humbert sent by the French Directory to assist the rebels belatedly arrived at Killala on 22 August. Next day the British commanders began collecting troops to face this new threat: the RLM was ordered to concentrate and then march to Gort, leaving its heavy baggage at Ennis. The Earl of Granard promptly obeyed, leaving one company to protect the barracks at Ennis and Clarecastle, he marched out with his other four companies (14 officers and 400 other ranks (ORs)) and a battalion gun on the morning of 24 August. During the march he received messages from the commanders gathering the force to push on to Oranmore and then to Castlebar. The regiment reached Oranmore after dark on 25 August. Next morning it was ordered by Maj-Gen Hutchinson, commanding at Castlebar, to press on to that town 'with all possible despatch', requisitioning horses, carts and carriages to speed the journey. The regiment put the men's packs, blankets, greatcoats and those men who were unable to march aboard these. carts, and arrived at Castlebar at 23.00 on 26 August, having marched 80 miles from Ennis in three days. The baggage was parked in the market square and the exhausted men bivouacked in the street.McAnnaly, Irish Militia, pp. 133–4.Richey, pp. 24–5.