Taste a battle tour of Vinegar Hill

Are there any battlefields in the Republic of Ireland that are open to tourists as a visitor attraction?

FURTHER to the previous answer, the most visible 1798 battlefield is on the top of Vinegar Hill, near Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

A total of 20,000 rebel soldiers battled 15,000 British troops both in Enniscorthy town and on Vinegar Hill, but the rebels were forced into retreat. The scale of the battle scene on the top of the hill can be seen.

The Battle of Ballinamuck in Co. Longford was the last battle of the 1798 Rising and it was also the last traditional battle fought on Irish soil. French and Irish soldiers, just over 1,500 in all, were defeated in less than 30 minutes by more than 15,000 British troops.

In Ballinamuck, visitors can tour the visitor centre, walk the trails on the old battle site and see the Croppies Graves where the fallen Irish rebels were laid to rest.

Sites of many other battlefields can be visited in this part of Ireland, such as Ballyneety near Limerick, and Arklow, although usually, visitors won’t find anything left of the original battle sites.

But having said that, old

battlefields are far better identified in this part of Ireland than in the North.

Ellie Kelly, Beaumont, Dublin 9.

What are the worst lyrics by a great songwriter?

FURTHER to earlier answers, my favourite worst lyrics are from the 1961 Bobby Vee hit, Staying In.

‘I punched my buddy in the nose after lunch ‘Now I’m in trouble ’cause the dean saw the punch ‘He was tellin’ things that were not true about her ‘So I let him have it in the cafeteria.’

Mike Ellis, Wirral, Merseyside.