1598- The Battle of Yellow Ford was fought in Co. Armagh.
4000 English troops, many of whom were in fact Irish, marched from Armagh under the command of Henry Bagenal to relieve a fort on the River Blackwater. Opposing the English were the forces of Hugh O’Neill, Hugh O’Donnell and Hugh Maguire. In addition to the Irish troops there were also Scottish mercenaries and Spanish military advisers. The English line of march was a road through hilly, wooded terrain, with boggy valleys. To add to their problems the Irish had dug trenches across the road and thrown up breastworks along it.
As soon as the march from Armagh began, the Irish started a series of ambushes on the English troops. They became disorganised and contact was lost between groups as they halted to fight off an ambush. An artillery piece became bogged down and the group trying to free it was left behind and the powder wagon blew up when it was ignited by a matchlock fuse. At this point Bagenal was killed by a ball to the head. In the confusion, Irish horse and infantry charged the head of the column which had reached the Yellow Ford and cut them to pieces. The column then turned around and fought its way back to Armagh which was promptly besieged by the Irish. After two days the English evacuated to Dublin.
English casualties were approximately 2000. The Irish lost 200 killed and 600 wounded.
1903- The Land Purchase Act was enacted. It allowed for estates to be purchased by the tenants, using government loans.
1914- The first Irish battalions arrived in France, 2nd Bn, Royal Munster Fusiliers landed at Le Havre. 2nd Bn, Royal Irish Regt and 2nd Bn, Connaught Rangers landed in Boulogne.
1969- British troops deployed on the streets of Northern Ireland.
1992- Michael Carruth won a Gold medal for boxing in the Barcelona Olympics. Wayne McCullough won a silver later in the day.
Deaths
1784- Nathaniel Hone, artist born in Dublin in 1718. He specialized in miniatures and portraits. His great grand nephew, also Nathaniel Hone, 1831-1917 was a painter as well.
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