Flags of 1798 
Both sides used flags to act as a rallying point for members of the Battalions and Regiments. Flags used in Battle were of a large size and would take great strength to keep them constantly raised. It was a mark of dishonour for a Regiment to lose its flag, and battles were often marked by furious struggles for their possession.
Crown Forces Flags
Rebel Flag: The MWS Banner
Rebel Flags
Gold Harp on Green
The colour green was characteristic of the rebel flags of ’98. Green flags bearing yellow or golden representations of the uncrowned harp were carried by the rebels in Wexford, Wicklow and other counties.
When the insurgents entered Wexford town on the 30th May 1798, they came with green banners flying. They later hoisted a green flag above the barracks on the quayside. Because of the shortage of green flags used by rebel corps it was customary to display banners of all colours, except orange, which was supposedly disliked by the people.
According to Edward Hay, who was in Wexford at the time, many female sympathisers offered coloured petticoats, which were used as flags and usually ‘decorated according to their fancy’. Many women began working on embroidered flags, some of which still remained unfinished after the rebellion had been put down.
The last battle in Wexford was fought under a green flag flying from the ruined windmill on Vinegar Hill overlooking Enniscorthy town on 21st June 1798.
Crown Forces Flags
The King’s Colours, the first Union Flag of Great Britain, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801. It is the precursor to the Union Jack of 1801.
The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George, patron saint of England, superimposed on the saltire of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland.
The flag’s official use came to an end in 1801 with the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At that time Saint Patrick’s Flag was added to the flag of Great Britain to create the present-day Union Flag.
In the Crown forces, a regimental flag was usually held by the youngest officer, who was guarded by a soldier with the rank of Colour Sergeant.
Rebel Flag: The MWS Banner
Depicted in illustrations of 1798, was a flag with the letters MWS in the centre. The meaning of the letters MWS is uncertain. Loyalists believed that they meant “Murder Without Sin” i.e., that rebels could murder Protestants with impunity, but as the 1798 Rebellion was largely non-sectarian, this meaning may have been attributed at a latter date. Other commentators have suggested that the real meaning is “Marksmen West Shelmalier” as this group was active in Wexford throughout the conflict. This illustration shows the Piking of crown forces soldiers by rebels on Wexford Bridge.
Timeline of 1798
1798 was a year of unrest, bloody rebellion, guerrilla warfare, massacre and execution, inspired by the Republican spirit racing through Europe and the Americas.
Leaders of 1798
Leaders in the Crown Forces and within the United Irishman were key to the success and losses in 1798. Here, we look in depth a a few of those who made history.
Weaponry of 1798
Many of the rebel insurgents came from the general population and were not trained soldiers. Their weapons were often farm implements or adapted from them.
1798 Ballads & Poems
Though many were not written until the second half of the 19th century, the 1798 rebellion inspired some of our most popular ballads, poems and songs.
Experience
the Rebellion
Come face-to-face with the key figures of the Rebellion, immerse yourself in the bloody Battle of Vinegar Hill, discover the power of weapons from the period and learn, in gruesome detail, how some 20,000 insurgents faced the might of 10,000 well-trained and well-armed Crown Forces.