James Corcoran (c.1780 – 1804) was an Irish rebel leader who following the suppression of the
United Irish insurrection of 1798, maintained a guerrilla resistance to the
British Crown
The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
forces in counties
Wexford
Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
and
Kilkenny
Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
until his final defeat and death in 1804.
Rebel activities
Corcoran played an active part in the 1798 rebellion and led a party of rebels at the
battle of New Ross. Following the collapse of the rebellion, he and a group of survivors established a base in Killaughrim Woods, north
County Wexford
County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
from where they launched raids in the area and into
County Carlow
County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...
. In August 1801, an upsurge in Corcoran's activities saw him and his men being declared "''dangerous in case of invasion''" by
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin.
It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...
and consequently, a force of 200 soldiers was sent to find and destroy the group. However, they met with little success as the populace shielded them from the military.
Corcoran's men were distinguished by their willingness to allow deserters from the military in their ranks and actively sought to subvert soldiers billeted among the populace or at least rob them of their arms. Their fearlessness was demonstrated in an incident near
Mount Leinster in June 1802 when they turned to attack a number of pursuing
Newtownbarry yeomen who were defeated and soon under pursuit themselves.
The defeat of
Robert Emmet's rising in July 1803, saw renewed British intent to wipe out all remaining rebel activity in Ireland and a new campaign was launched against Corcoran. This time account was taken of the fact that Corcoran's men enjoyed support from the population in areas where they operated and also that their permanent bases were in remote localities. Consequently, arrests and severe penalties were handed out to those suspected of harbouring rebels, and the building of military roads and barrack were planned to cover the area between
Mount Leinster and the Blackstair mountains.
Defeat and death
The surrender of
Michael Dwyer in December 1803 left Corcoran and his men as the only rebel faction still active in Ireland as 1804 began. The ongoing military offensive had by now forced Corcoran to relocate to south
Kilkenny
Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
from where he continued operations and further incensed the government by targeting mail coaches. A reward of £500 was put on Corcoran's head and the pressure soon forced him to split his group into smaller factions and return to his old base at Killaughrim Woods outside
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe.
The Plac ...
. The end finally came on 11 February 1804 when the reward offered prompted an
informer
An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a "snitch", "rat", "canary", "stool pigeon", "stoolie", "tout" or "grass", among other terms) is a person who provides privileged information, or (usually damaging) information inten ...
to betray the location of Corcoran and his remaining few comrades who were surrounded by a party of
yeomen at Killaughrim Woods. After fierce resistance all of the unit were killed or captured, Corcoran dying of his wounds shortly after the fighting. His body and that of his comrades were brought to
Wexford
Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
where they were hung outside the town gaol and left on display for a time.
Sources
*Ruan O'Donnell - "''The Rebellion in Wicklow 1798''" (1998)
*Ruan O'Donnell - "''Aftermath: Post-Rebellion Insurgency in Wicklow, 1799-1803''" (2000)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corcoran, James
1780s births
1804 deaths
United Irishmen
Irish soldiers
Irish guerrillas