On 14 December 1831

The first clash of the Tithe War took place on 3 March 1831 in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny when a force of 120 yeomanry tried to enforce seizure orders on cattle belonging to a Roman Catholic priest. Encouraged by his bishop, he had organised people to resist tithe collection by placing their stock under his ownership prior to sale.

The revolt soon spread. Shortly afterward, in Bunclody (Newtownbarry), County Wexford, people resisting the seizure of cattle were fired upon by the Irish Constabulary who killed twelve and wounded twenty. This massacre caused objectors to organise and use warnings such as church bells to signal the community to round up the cattle and stock.

On 14 December 1831, resisters used such warnings to ambush a detachment of 40 Constabulary at Carrickshock (County Kilkenny). Twelve constables, including the Chief Constable, were killed and more wounded.

The authorities reinforced selected army barracks fearing an escalation. Taking stock of the continuing resistance, in 1831 the authorities recorded 242 homicides, 1,179 robberies, 401 burglaries, 568 burnings, 280 cases of cattle-maiming, 161 assaults, 203 riots and 723 attacks on property directly attributed to seizure order enforcement.

In 1835 the conflict came to a head at Rathcormac, County Cork, when armed Constabulary, reinforced by the regular British Army reportedly killed 17 and wounded 30, in the course of enforcing a tithe order reputedly to the value of 40 shillings.