Tha Battle of Ballinamuck

According to his great grandson James McKenna, Terence McKenna was involved in the Battle of Ballinamuck Co. Longford 1798. In compiling the book "Ballinamuck Bi Centennary 1798-1998" the author P. Rehill consulted James.

"Master McKenna, who taught in Soran school, had listened to many stories of '98 while teaching in Kiltycreevagh. But more than that from his father, Stephen, he heard how his great-grandfather, Terry McKenna from near Arigna,"followed the French to Ballinamuck, attracted by the music. He had a companion on the way. They found a purse of money and decided to hide it till returning. Terry waited for the fight and, returning with the fleeing French and Irish, found his money gone. His pal was more interested in money than freedom""(page58)

James' son, (also James McKenna), looking into the history of Ballinamuck recently wrote:-

"I hadn't realised myself, before I researched "Ballinamuck", how Humbert had passed through Arigna. The French-Irish were a force of some 2000 with two forces of some 40,000 in hot pursuit. They were running for their lives and trying to make it through to Granard, Mullingar and Dublin. If you check the times of the march you will see how they pressed on, harried on all sides.
The French army that came here was full of Irishmen who had fought for France in it's National Liberation. Humbert was only thirty years old. He went to the States in 1814 and fought in the battle of New Orleans on the US side. Later he fought in the Mexican War of Independence. He traught in the French College in the Crescent city until his death in 1823 and is buried in the St Louis Cemetery."

The Last Battle

Rehill wrote (page68):-
"What kind of picture emerges from the stories of the battle? Shanmullagh, Kiltycreevagh, Gaigue as places and the names of Lake and Blake, Cornwallis and Humbert achieved fame on that Saturday 8th September. The French appear to have offered token resistance and lost nothing. Blake, the Gunners Magee and Casey and the pikemen fought bravely and lost everything. Towards them the generations feel an enormous sympathy and an enormous debt. Ballinamuck is credited with being the last time armies confronted each other on Irish soil. Humbert was an emmissary of France, a professional soldier. Naploeon's man. As to whether he could have got a better deal for the croppies - the jury is still out."