Longford crowds bask in delights of 225th Battle of Ballinamuck commemoration

Over the past six or so months, a small but dedicated band of local volunteers engineered what can only be described as a weekend like no other as the north Longford village opened its doors to visitors from both at home and abroad.

The lure went several levels beyond its tag line of the 225th anniversary commemoration of The Battle of Ballinamuck.

From the moment large crowds lined the quaint village's St Patrick's Church last Thursday evening to a feast of live music to bring the historical curtain down on the four day festival, it was an occasion that every preconceived expectation going.

It was a narrative an inexorably proud chairperson Mark Cunningham was only too keen to extol.

“The commemoration Committee could not be any happier,” he said.

“We had a lovely mass on Thursday evening for all those that were killed in The Battle of Ballinamuck followed by a Fireworks display on Kiltycreevagh and Shanmullagh Hill which attracted a huge crowd of both young and old.

“Friday we had our official opening in front of a full house in The 98 Hall. Saturday was the reenactment of The Battle of Ballinamuck which attracted huge interest with 14 horses, four cannons and over 300 hundred reenactors.

“This was followed by the unveiling of plaque by The Deputy French Ambassador, H.E. Vincent Guérend, who cancelled a previous engagement to especially travel to Ballinamuck.”

Mr Cunningham said festivities aside, the re-enactment itself carried emontion aplenty as site 100 plus French and British reenactors along with 200 pikemen and pikewomen stood in front of the village's Pikeman Statue.

That was followed on Sunday with what the Ballinamuck native said turned out to be an “amazing day” as over twenty stalls took their place throughout the village, among which included a pike making stall at Furey’s Forge.

“There was a lovely atmosphere throughout the day where families walked from the village down to The 98 Bar to view the stalls and watch a football match played by some of the players that attended the same event back in 1998 together with a Tug of War competition,” he said.

“Overall we are delighted with how things went, this commemoration weekend consumed our lives for the last six or seven months and we as a committee are so thankful to everyone who contributed in one way or an other especially the people of Ballinamuck and surrounding areas including our neighbours in County Leitrim.

“From the outset this committee's aim was to honour the hardwork the previous 1998 committee had done and to pass on the torch to the younger generation by ensuring that all those that were killed in The Battle of Ballinamuck in 1798 are never forgotten.

“From the reaction that we have received over the last few days I think we have achieved this goal not just locally but also at national level and for that we are extremely thankful.”