Foulkesmill

Foulkesmill is small village located in the south of County Wexford, Ireland.

A battle was fought near here on 20 June 1798, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It is known as the Battle of Horetown (or Goff's Bridge, or Foulksmills). A large contingent of United Irishmen armed with pikes engaged in battle a smaller British Crown force armed with rifles and cannon, commanded by General John Moore; both sides withdrew after heavy fighting.

Historical Comment

Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) [Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 3 vols (1st Edition, 1837) London: S. Lewis & Co.] has the following entry regarding Foulkesmill:

FOOK'S MILLS, a village, partly in the parish of CLONGEEN, and partly in that of HORETOWN, barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Taghmon, on the old mail road to New Ross : the population is returned with the respective parishes. It contains about 30 houses, including a good country inn, where the meetings of the South Wexford Agricultural Association are occasionally held. In the immediate vicinity are Rosegarland, the seat of F. Leigh, Esq., and Horetown Glebe, the residence of the Rev. E. Bayley. [Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol. I. pp. 632-33 (1st Edition, 1837) London: S. Lewis & Co.]

In addition, it has the following entries regarding the parishes of Clongeen and Horetown:

CLONGEEN, a parish, in the barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S. W. by W.) from Taghmon; containing 1716 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from New Ross to Bannow, and comprises 5343 statute acres, chiefly under tillage; the system of agriculture is slowly improving. Long Grage, the handsome residence of Caesar Sutton, Esq., was the scene of a sharp action during the disturbances of 1798, which took place on the 20th of June between the insurgents and the forces under General (afterwards the celebrated Sir John) Moore, who fell at Corunna, and who on the preceding day had taken up a position in the demesne, in order to intercept their retreat from Vinegar Hill by way of Clonmines. Fairs are held at Rathgorey on Holy Thursday and Oct. 28th. The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, and in the patronage of Francis Leigh, Esq., in whom the tithes, amounting to £200, are impropriate, and who contributes towards the performance of the clerical duties of Clongeen and Kilcowanmore, both of which are at present annexed to the impropriate union of Tintern. There are no remains of the church. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Tintern: the chapel, situated in the village, is a neat building, with a house for the priest adjoining. A school for the children of Roman Catholics is supported by subscription; and there are two hedge schools in the parish. There is a dispensary in the village. A house called Abbey Braney, the property of Mr. Cliffe, of Bellevue, is said to occupy the site of a religious establishment, of which there are no particulars on record. [Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol. I. p.364 (1st Edition, 1837) London: S. Lewis & Co.]

HORETOWN, a parish, in the barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Taghmon, on the old road from New Ross to Wexford; containing 1149 inhabitants. On the 20tb of June, 1798, Gen. Moore, at the head of 1200 of the royal troops, was intercepted at Goffs-bridge, in this parish, by a body of 5000 or 6000 insurgents, which he repulsed with considerable loss. The parish comprises 3977 statute acres, and contains Horetown, the seat and extensive demesne of W. Goff, Esq.; Tottenham Green, of the Rt. Hon. and Rt. Rev. Lord R. Ponsonby Tottenham, Bishop of Clogher; Rockview, of C. Heatley, Esq.; and Rakeenduff, of J. Goff, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, episcopally united, in 1759, to the rectory of Kilgarvan, the vicarages of Ballyingley, Donowney, and Inch, and the impropriate curacy of Ballylennon, together constituting the union of Horetown, in the gift of the bishop : the tithes amount to £213. 6. 10., and of the entire benefice to £530. 7. llf. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. The church is a very neat building in the demesne of Horetown, and has recently been repaired by a grant of £108 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In its erection were used the remains of a Carmelite monastery, which was founded here in the 14th century by the Furlong family, and granted at the dissolution to Sir John Davies. In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the unions or districts of Adamstown and Taghmon, and has a small neat chapel. There are three private schools, in which about 230 boys are educated, and a Sunday school. [Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Vol. II. p.9 (1st Edition, 1837) London: S. Lewis & Co.]

References & Footnotes