It took place on 24 May 1798 after the stationing of the 9th Dragoons, and members of the Tyrone, Antrim and Armagh Militias at Ballymore in County Kildare near the Kildare-Wicklow border on 10 May.

The town had been recently garrisoned by almost 200 soldiers and militia who had been sent to repress sedition in the area.

[1] However, the attack on garrison headquarters was miscarried due to lack of coordination and numbers so that the building became a rallying point for the Government troops.

Other isolated billets were attacked but some units managed to cut themselves free and fight their way through the streets to the headquarters.

For two hours, the rebels attacked the strongpoint but without artillery, were unable to take the building and lost many men in the process.