Documentary on Battle of Ballynahinch history

Documentary on Battle of Ballynahinch history

21 June 2023

A NEW documentary film on the historic Battle of Ballynahinch recorded by local historian Horace Reid was unveiled at the Down County Museum last week.

The film entitled “Battle of Ballynahinch, Four Fighting Days” is one of six produced by the Rowallane and Slieve Croob Community Twinning group as part of its arts and culture living history project which aims to capture the life-long research into the Rowallane area by the eminent local historian.

Fought on June 14, 1798, the battle was one of the most momentous in the history of Ballynahinch, with its rebel participants aiming to replicate the American Revolution in Ireland. 

Local reformers wanted to prise political power away from the aristocracy and place it in the hands of the industrial and agricultural classes, who actually generated the country’s wealth.

The rebellion in Ireland failed at the time, but ultimately it led to Ireland’s Act of Union in 1801, Catholic Emancipation in 1829 and reform of Parliament in 1832.

The twinning group is delighted to participate in a series of events which were organised by the Downpatrick museum’s new curator Alan Freeburn to mark the 225th anniversary of the 1798 rising.

The twinning group is launching a series of videos with the music for each provided by Ballylone Concert Flute Band, with the music for the Battle of Ballynahinch an Irish lament first published by Thomas Moore in 1813. 

Moore was sympathetic to the rebels of 1798 and wrote a biography of their leader Lord Edward Fitzgerald. 

The Battle of Ballynahinch – Four Fighting Days, is one of a series of six videos made as part of the local twinning group’s arts and culture project which are available on its YouTube channel.

The videos were produced by Robert and Fran McCormick of RMC Media Partnership, with drone footage provided by John Braniff (Fly High Inspections) and Rod Whitworth (Drumlins Drone Services Limited).

The twinning group said it is also grateful for support from Montalto Estates, Edengrove and First Presbyterian Churches and many others who contributed to the success of the project, including Newry Mourne and Down Council and the Ultach Fund.

The first video focused on the historic Montalto House which since 1641 has been home to five families – the McCartans, Rawdons, Kers, Clanwilliams, and Wilsons. 

The present house was built about 1760 and enlarged in the 1840s.

It suffered a disastrous fire in 1985, but has since been expertly restored. Under the present owners, Montalto Estate is going from strength to strength as a popular tourist destination. 

The theme music chosen for this video is ‘Marble Halls’ composed by Michael Balfe in 1843 and popularised more recently by Enya.

The Betsy Gray, Growth of the Legend video recalls one one of the most famous historical characters associated with Ballynahinch.

She was killed in the townland of Ballycreen in the immediate aftermath of the 1798 battle and has since been continually commemorated by historians, poets, novelists, artists, folklorists and politicians. The theme music for this video is “The Star of the Co. Down”.

The video on 400 Years of Old Magheradroll Graveyard focuses on one of the earliest buildings in Ballynahinch district, dating back to the 1300s.

During the Cromwellian and Williamite wars, ownership of the church see-sawed between Catholics and Protestants. Some of the individuals buried here have interesting connections with the American Revolution and the subsequent upheavals in Ireland. Handel’s ‘Funeral March’ is the chosen music for this video.

The video on Early Presbyterian Charity at First Ballynahinch highlights the oldest building in the market town built 1751 and remains in use today.

In the early 1700s, the congregation ran a remarkable social security scheme, regularly paying substantial sums to widows, orphans, the bereaved and the sick. This was a laudable achievement in an era without banks, phones or computers, and with very few doctors. 

The video entitled ‘A Cartoon History of Lord Moira’ shines a light on Francis, Second Earl of Moira and one-time Montalto resident.

He is viewed by some as Ballynahinch’s most famous export. A close friend of the Prince Regent, he was a candidate for the post of Prime Minister in London in 1812. Afterwards, he was appointed Governor General of Calcutta where he added large parts of South Asia to the British Empire.