A day in Enniscorthy

Vinegar Hill

Enniscorthy Castle

The Rebellion Center

Hello!! I know that I've neglected my blog but what better time to pick it up than my trip to Ireland? I'll backtrack a bit and explain what I'm doing here in a later post but wanted to get this down while it's fresh. So I started my day walking up the narrow lane to Vinegar Hill. It's a lovely viewpoint for such a bloody site. Apparently the rebellion in America (1765-1783) sparked rebellion all over Europe. The fact that I'm watching this period unfold on Outlander just makes things more interesting. France, Haiti, Holland, Brazil, and more. And especially, Ireland. Generally, it didn't go well for the Irish rebels. Many different forces gathered at Vinegar Hill but were surrounded and overrun by the British troops. Fortunately there was a gap in those troops that most of the army was able to escape. Unfortunately, the army followers were much slower and they were killed as well as the rearguard that was protecting them. Over 1500 people, mainly women and children, were slaughtered. It is believed that many bodies are still resting there. It was basically the end of the rebellion.

Next I went to Enniscorthy Castle which was small, as castles go, but still very interesting. The view from the top was great. I'll post the photos and more info on facebook. After that was the 1798 Rebellion Center. This was a fun little museum with a ton of info in posters, videos, and other technological and physical devices. Overall, it was a rousing, but tragic tale. There is so much in history that is heartbreaking. It seems unnecessary that so many died for so many but I think it belittles their sacrifice to think that way. Although they were defeated, I would guess that they didn't regret sacrificing themselves for the freedom they desperately desired and believed in.