Hacketstown was a mainly protestant community at the time of the 1798 rebellion, with a garrison.
A rebel force attacked and burned the town on 25-26 June, in an action known as the Battle of Hacketstown.
A
detailed account is included here. The battle forms the climax to a novel published in 1898, Ballinvalley by Robert Wynne.
One family tradition about the battle is
recorded here. One of those killed, Captain Hardy, is buried in the
Church of Ireland churchyard. His tomb is just opposite the main church door.
Losses suffered by the people of Hacketstown in the rebellion are
recorded here. A
memorial to the battle was erected in 1938, re-dedicated in 1998 and provided with an interpretation board to the town and its history.
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