On 22 August 1798 a French force of about 1000 under General Jean Humbert (left) landed in Killala Bay in County Mayo Ireland, and provided military assistance to the Irish rebels in the "Rising of ‘98" ‑‑‑ sometimes referred to as Bliadhan na bhFrancach or "The Year of the French."  About five days later Humbert's force surprised and routed a British force at Castlebar.  This encounter is often…