1798 Rebellion Project Part 16: The Halloween Special

 Halloween has always been my favourite time of the year. It's an ancient tradition in Ireland, as Oíche Shamhna ("Samhain Eve"). Such was Samhain's importance that it gave its name to the month of November in the Irish language. Irish myth describes Samhain as a big festival, lasting a week, almost always coinciding with supernatural happenings. The Gaulish Coligny Calendar, dating from the first Century BCE, lists "Samonios" as a month at the end of Summer, evidence that Samhain was a Celtic rather than Irish tradition.

I felt I had to do something wargaming related for Halloween. I decided on some graveyard terrain, as it's particularly suitable for the 1798 Project. At the Battles of Tara, Old Kilcullen and Antrim, the rebels made use of graveyards for cover. Graveyard walls seem to have been the best defence available, especially against artillery.

I did some research on 18th Century Irish headstones, and found some interesting results. Many of them are suitably "gothic"! This website gives information on Donaghmoyline Graveyard in County Fermanagh. It features some unusual round gravestones with skull-and-crossbones motifs, a design found in some parts of Ulster in the 18th century.

All the headstones were made from coffee stirrers and Milliput. 

The two headstones on the right are of the previously mentioned type. They are accompanied by hourglass designs, a grim reminder to the living of their mortality. Scary stuff. 

This is a "box tomb". It was fairly common for gravestones to feature images associated with the crucifixion, and it was easier to add them on a flat surface like this one.

The graveyard itself is just an MDF base with some stone walls made of gravel. I think I might make a few more headstones to fill the empty space. 

        A collapsed section of the wall. 

I've also finished a group of (far less spooky) 60th Rifles for the project. This regiment fought in the American War of Independence before taking part in the 1798 Rebellion. I couldn't find that much information about their involvement in the uprising, but they were present at the Battle of Foulksmills, and fought the guerrillas of the Wicklow Glens. If anyone has further information I'd love to know. Here is one article on the subject. 

The 60th Rifles were among, if not the first British unit to wear shakos and use rifles. They're technically my first ever Napoleonic figures, as they fought in the Peninsular War. You might notice I've painted a certain officer from that conflict to lead them! He's from Tangent Miniatures. 

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, Samhain sona daoibh! 

1798 Rebellion Project Part 15:

I managed to get a group of French Ligne done this week. They're not the quickest to paint, but fun all the same. I'm quite impressed by the diversity of sculpts that Trent do for the French, only one pose is repeated in this pack. 

The French army of this period wore a mix of uniforms. Painting the stripy trousers was a challenge, but it adds a lot of individuality. I'm looking forward to painting a pack of "scruffy Ligne" who are even more dishevelled!

 

This lad reminds me a bit of Neil Young! 

Next on the painting desk is a group of British 60th Rifles, led by a captain of some notoriety. They'll give my British force a bit more firepower. I wanted to take a break from painting blue, but it won't be too long before I'm back working on the French.

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

1798 Rebellion Project Part 14: The French are on the Sea

I was really excited to start working on the French force for this project. These figures are the first I've finished, and I greatly enjoyed painting them. It was a bit of a challenge to paint the uniforms, but I think I've worked out a decent recipe for the blue.

First up, a Status I Leader. Capitane Allard along with his long-suffering drummer.

Next are a group of skirmishers. I love these sculpts, they really do look as if they're firefighting. My favourite has to be the guy holding onto his hat! 

In other blog news, this page now has a header photo and a new name (in keeping with the Instagram page). 

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

1798 Rebellion Project Part 13: Shock Markers

In Sharp Practice, Groups pick up Shock points as a measure of disorder. I've seen some really nice casualty markers made by other gamers online, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to make some. Trent Miniatures produce suitable casualty figures, and the counters themselves are Warbases' Custom Markers. 

I soon realised that this style of marker has a border that's lower than the central circle. I should have done more research! Warbases standard casualty markers don't have this feature. To lessen the gap between the figures and the marker, I built up the borders with Milliput and pieces of coffee stirrers. It's not perfect, but it is less noticeable from above. 

I found the casualty figures very quick and easy to paint. I thought of adding blood to them, but decided it isn't really in keeping with my painting style. I only added a few spots here and there. After all, Shock does not technically represent dead troops. Instead, I used a purple glaze to create a few black eyes. This will hopefully get across the message of units being "beaten up". 

First up are the Militia:

The United Irishmen :

I've started the next batch of troops for the project. They will be the first Group of French soldiers from the 70th Demi Brigade. I don't suppose I need to say they are really enjoyable to paint. I can't wait to write a post about them! 

I have been thinking about creating a campaign once the French are completed. I'm still very unsure how I will organise it. I'd love to do a campaign which encompasses the entire island of Ireland, but that might be too ambitious. I certainly want to include a naval element. I have been looking into the Tony Bath campaign rules and I really like them. I don't think they'd work for Sharp Practice without a bit of modification, but nothing too drastic is needed. I like the DIY aspect of these rules, in that they encourage modification to better suit time period and location. 

I'm also quite interested in Dawns and Departures, the official campaign supplement for Sharp Practice. It seems to focus on small locations and individual characters, so I don't know if it would work for an all-Ireland game. I'd still love to try it out. 

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

"The Year of the French" by Thomas Flanagan Review

 

As soon as I started my 1798 Rebellion Project, "The Year of the French" was recommended to me by several different people. It is a historical novel, set during the French landing in Connacht in late Summer 1798. That sounded like an interesting premise to me, so I borrowed the book from my university's library. I was not disappointed!

The story begins in the village of Killala, after the defeat of the Rising in Wexford. Rumours abound among the local poor about a great "Army of the Gael" and the possibility of French assistance. Owen Rua MacCarthy, a schoolmaster, Gaelic poet and libertine, is more cynical than most. One evening he is called by a group of peasants to a tavern. As the only man able to write persuasively in English, Owen is made to write a letter to the "Big Lord", demanding an end to evictions. This group of men becomes known as the "Whiteboys of Killala", echoing an earlier tradition of Peasant resistance. Owen is then forced to take the Whiteboys' oath. 

Meanwhile, the leaders of the United Irishmen are attempting to organise for a possible French landing. These leaders are mostly landowners, with many Protestants among them. They must now look to the Catholic, tenant Whiteboys for assistance. The United Men are divided by class, religion and politics, and are only brought together by a desire for an Irish Republic. As these rapid developments are taking place, there are whispers that "the French are on the sea"...

The novel is told from the perspectives of quite a few narrators, many of whom were real people. I feel that this is the book's greatest strength. It would have been easy for the author to fall back on old tropes, presenting a story of virtuous, impoverished Catholic rebels against evil, rich Protestant landlords, as many others have done. Instead he presents us with a far more nuanced and realistic view. Individuals of different classes and religions take their respective sides for their own reasons. Every character's opinions and motivations are made clear. For this reason, despite being a fictional story, "The Year of the French" is quite a good introduction to Irish politics of the time.

The novel is long, but well paced. I was never bored while reading it. It isn't the most action-packed book, and I don't think it would appeal to everyone. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in this period of history, though.

I've heard that RTÉ produced a TV series based on the book in the 80s. It seems to have been fairly well received, but I've been unable to find it anywhere online. If anyone knows somewhere the series is available, I'd love to hear it.

1798 Rebellion Project Part 12: United Irishmen Completed

I've just finished the last figures for the United Irishmen list! These mostly consisted of Leaders, which I had been looking forward to very much. I'm so happy to have completed this army. I've wanted to do something in the black powder period for years, and I've always had an interest in the Rebellion. The "heroic" models by Trent are exactly the style I like, and Sharp Practice is very much to my liking. In many ways this is the project I have always wanted to do.

This is Theobald Wolfe Tone, founder of the United Irishmen. In this scene he is stepping ashore from a French frigate, ready to reclaim Ireland! In reality, no such event ever took place, as Tone was captured on board the Hoche after the Battle of Tory Island. 

The flag carried by Tone's assistant may have been flown at the previous French landing in Mayo, according to this page. It features some nice faux-Gaelic script. The slogan "Erin go Bragh" is an anglicised version of the Irish "Éireann go Brách", which means "Ireland forever". 

Making the base was my favourite part of this model. I used Milliput to build up a shoreline. Baking soda and PVA made the sand texture. I painted the water by blending from very dark blue up to turquoise, and added a few white spots to simultate sea foam. I gave it a few coats of very glossy varnish to complete the effect. 

Wolfe Tone will count as a Status II Leader (reflecting his relative inexperience in military matters). He will also be a part of my French Expedition force, as the leader of the Irish contingent. 

Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey was a Protestant barrister who lived at Bargy Castle in Wexford. He joined the United Irishmen in 1792 and supported Catholic Emancipation. Harvey was arrested and imprisoned in Wexford Jail early in the Uprising, but was freed and became Commander in Chief of the Wexford rebels. He may or may not have been happy with this role. Some have argued that Harvey was given command as proof that the United Irishmen was not a sectarian organisation. He led the rebels at New Ross and resigned his post after the Scullabogue Massacre. He fled to the Saltee Islands (whose history is long and storied). Harvey was captured, executed and beheaded. He is still well remembered in Wexford history. 

I added a beard to this model with some Milliput. The base is intended to resemble the road to New Ross. 

This model doesn't represent any historical person in particular. I added a wolfhound (from CP Models) to enhance the pose. 

One of the support options available in Sharp Practice is a musician. I used a bagpiper to represent this. By the end of the 18th Century bagpipes would have been fairly rare in Ireland, with uilleann pipes taking their place. I really like this miniature though. 

This will serve as a deployment point for the rebels. I took inspiration from an illustration of a Wexford rebel camp by George Cruikshank. I assume the bell was used to organise camp life. The frame is made from cocktail sticks, while the bell itself is Milliput. 

Finally, a photo of the whole army! 

Next up on the painting desk are some Shock markers. Once they're done, I'll be moving on to "Stage 2" of this project, mostly consisting of French Republican Infantry.

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua!