Ginckle, on his part, as at Athlone, distributed money among the troops, and promised them the plunder of the enemy’s camp.  As the day cleared up, the British army was put in motion, and a strong column advanced against the enemy’s right, where stood the house and grounds of Urachree, occupied by some Irish horse.  A strong detachment of Danish cavalry headed the British column.  They moved forward boldly, quickening their pace as they approached the Irish; but, on the latter charging them at full gallop, they wheeled about and rode off at once in disorder.

Ginckle immediately ordered two hundred of Cunningham’s dragoons, who were considered the best cavalry in the army, to advance and drive back the Irish horse.  The dragoons advanced at a trot, but, seeing that the Irish quietly awaited their coming, they halted behind a hedge and awaited the arrival of the infantry.  When these came up, the cavalry again moved forward.

The Irish horse now fell back on a little hill in their rear, where a body of infantry were posted.  They then faced to the front and charged, and broke the English dragoons, who retreated, as the Danes had done, in confusion.

Eppinger’s dragoons were ordered up to support Cunningham’s, but the Irish horse had also received reinforcements before they arrived, and, after a fierce fight, the two English regiments were routed and driven off the field.

Ginckle rallied them, added Lord Portland’s horse to their numbers, and again sent them against the Irish.  These, however, had fallen back from Urachree, and had taken up a new position upon the rivulet behind it, in front of the solid ground by which, alone, the right wing of the Irish army could be approached.  Here they remained, waiting the onset of the British cavalry; but these, perceiving that the ground was becoming more and more difficult, soon came to a halt, and then, wheeling about, fell back upon the infantry.

Seeing the successful stand which was made, by a small body of Irish horse, to the advance of the left wing, and that the spirit with which his troops were behaving was greatly inferior to that of the Irish, Ginckle called a council of war.  Opinions were greatly at variance.  It was now nearly four o’clock, and it was, at first, decided to postpone the battle till the morning, and a messenger was sent to the baggage column in the rear to bring up the tents.

But other counsels finally prevailed.  The order for the tents was countermanded, and, at half-past four, the British infantry were ordered to advance.  They pressed forward, in solid masses, across the ground where the cavalry fight had taken place, and the Irish horse fell back behind their infantry, who were posted behind the substantial hedges which intersected the ground beyond the rivulet.  A heavy musketry fire was opened upon the British infantry as they advanced, but they pressed forward, in unbroken order, till they reached the hedges.  These were long and obstinately contested.