Rebels Attack Arklow

During the 1798 Irish Rebellion, a significant series of engagements unfolded:

-	Attack on Arklow (County Wicklow):

Rebel forces launched an assault on the garrison at Arklow, aiming to expand their control in the southeast. However, the defenders held firm, and the rebels were defeated with heavy losses. The battle was intense and marked a turning point, halting the rebel advance southward from Wexford. Among the defenders was a young Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington.

• In County Down (Ulster):

The rebellion took on renewed energy:

-	Rebels captured Saintfield after a surprise attack and successfully repelled a counterattack by government troops.
-	The garrison at Newtownards, sensing vulnerability, abandoned the town, allowing it to fall into rebel hands without major resistance.
-	However, the rebel attempt to take Portaferry, a strategic coastal town, failed.

These events highlighted the regional complexity of the rebellion—while it was being suppressed in Leinster, it was still gaining momentum in parts of Ulster. But despite early successes, lack of coordination and resources would soon weaken the rebel cause in the north as well.