Background
The British Government’s first counter attack against the Irish had ended in failure following a heavy and demoralising defeat at Tuberneering on 4 June. The rebel victory had punched a massive hole in the dragnet the military had attempted to throw around county Wexford and had also yielded them significant amounts of weapons, supplies and artillery. The town of Arklow had been evacuated in the ensuing panic but the rebels had contented themselves with taking the town of Gorey and stayed within the Wexford border. When the rebels finally moved against Arklow, the town had been reoccupied by a force of 1,700 men sent from Dublin under Francis Needham, who quickly fortified the town with barricades and had artillery positioned on all the approaches to the town.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Arklow
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