Annotation:Lord Cornwallis Trip to Castlebar
X:1 T:Lord Cornwallis' Trip to Castlebar M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Country Dance Tune B:Thomas Skillern - Twenty Four New Country Dances for the Year 1799 (p. 2) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G g|gBce|A/A/A AB|cedc|B/G/G Gg|gBce| A/A/A AB|cecd |B/G/G G::d|gdgb|egec| dgdB|A/A/A Ad|gdgb|egec|BdcA|G/G/G G:|]
LORD CORNWALLIS TRIP TO CASTLEBAR. English, Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune is given pride of place as the first tune in Skillern's 1799 volume. They year before, 1798, Lord Cornwallis was the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland when Ireland was invaded by the French and the Irish rose in rebellion. Cornwallis, being informed of the French landing, requested urgent reinforcements from England but in the interim concentrated all available forces at Castlebar under the command of General Gerard Lake, the victor of the Battle of Vinegar Hill. When the Franco-Irish forces attacked, Lake's forces were routed in what became known as the "Castlebar Races," some not stopping until Cornwallis put in an appearance at Athlone to rally them. The rebellion was put down following the defeat at the Battle of Ballinamuck (Sept., 1798).