From ManusH - 1798 Rebellion Characters and Isle of Lewis Chessmen (61 points)

Hey everyone! 

Since my last post I've painted lots. First up are two Leaders for my Sharp Practice United Irish Rebellion project. 

This uniform was really fun to paint 

 

This figure is General John Moore, most famous for his part in the Peninsular War. Earlier in his career, he was involved in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. Moore was among the generals sent to encircle Wexford Town. He engaged the rebels at Foulksmills, where his force included members of the 60th Rifles. 

Moore is well remembered in Wexford. In comparison to generals such as Gerard Lake, he showed leniency and restraint. On one occasion, Moore remarked that he would have joined the rebels had he been born Irish. 

I love this sculpt. It's from Trent Miniatures' Irish Rebellion range. I think Trent's mounted figures really stand out. Their proportions are quite oversized, but I think it makes the figures easily visible, and gives them a good likeness to the historical personalities they represent. 

Flag reads "Erin Go Bragh", a corruption of the Irish "Éireann go Brách", or "Ireland Forever" 

This is Robert Emmet, a Leader for my rebels. In April 1798, Emmet was expelled from Trinity College Dublin for his involvement with the United Irishmen. He didn't play a large part in the 1798 Rebellion. 

In 1803, Emmet attempted to reorganise the United Irishmen and launch a further rebellion. Like his predecessors, he aimed to secure French and radical British assistance, but failed. His uprising was defeated within a day. It would, however, continue to inspire nationalist organisations. 

A rather bewildered-looking bishop

A furious berserker! 

A noble knight

These are some test pieces for an Isle of Lewis chess set. I've wanted to paint one of these sets in a colourful style ever since I first saw them, nearly 10 years ago. They are truly intriguing designs, full of character. I've always thought of them as the medieval equivalent of wargaming miniatures.

The pieces were found in a cave or pit on the Isle of Lewis in the 19th Century. Several sets, complete or partial were found. They are Scandinavian in origin, and were probably made in Trondheim from walrus ivory. They date from the 12th Century. How they ended up on the Isle of Lewis is unclear. There are theories that the sets were being shipped to cities in Britain or Ireland for high class buyers. The Meath Queen is a contemporary piece of similar design found in Ireland, showing that chess sets of this style were popular in areas under Viking influence.

I had these pieces 3d printed for me on a resin printer. The STL files are available for free here. There are lots of other STLs of these pieces available however, so it's possible to use different designs of pieces. The real sets have lots of variation between them.

In terms of points, these figures add up to:

2x28mm foot @5pts each = 10pts

1x28mm mounted @10pts

2x54mm foot @10pts=20pts

1x54mm mounted=20 pts

Total=60pts

Excellent post Manus.  I am really enjoying the United Irish project .  My father in law was an Irish immigrant and Lynne and I had a really enjoyable week in ireland including a nice stop in Wexford.  There is a lot more to Moore than "the guy who dies at Corunna"  and it's nice to see him so well painted.  

And I have to get those Lewis chessman.  These are the sorts of artifacts that led me to nearly getting locked in the British Museum overnight (true story) and the red you've used looks great.  What colour kit will the opposition field?  I've added a point for the flag - what is it's source?

From ManusH: Conán of the Fianna and an Ammunition Cart (60 Points)

In this post, I've completed my first piece for the Quadrant Challenge! I've landed on the verdant world of Arda with a figure of legend from Irish lore. The theme of this planet is "fantasy, Tolkienesque", and I think Irish myth suits it quite well - it's full of great heroes and powerful magic. 

Tolkien himself did not enjoy his time in Ireland, and drew far more inspiration from Welsh myth. I was however interested to find that some elements of Lord of the Rings might originate in Irish myth. Wormtongue is strikingly similar to the Irish character Bricriu Nimhtheanga (Bricriu Poisontongue), while Gollum has been said to be inspired by the Poll na gColm cave in Clare. 

This figure is "Conán of the Fianna", a 28mm model by Lucid Eye. Their range is inspired by Jim Fitzpatrick's paintings of Irish mythological figures. In the Fiannaíocht, Conán Mac Mórna is a gigantic warrior of the Fianna warband, led by the famous Fionn Mac Cumhaill. He is a comic figure, usually blustering around looking for food! He was said to be so hairy that a cloak could be made from hair shaved off his back once a year. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Robert E. Howard used his name for Conan the Barbarian. Irish myth can get very "sword and sorcery". 

The base features Conán's name in Ogham, the old Irish rune alphabet 

I tried to copy the original painting for this model. There are lots of cool textures that were really fun to replicate. 

I'm afraid I don't know the lady's name; she isn't mentioned in the myths 

My second piece is an ammunition cart for my Sharp Practice 1798 Rebellion Project. It's a scratch-build I've had lying around for a long time! The horse is from a Wargames Illustrated issue, so I think it's by Warlord. The wheels are from Warbases. All the rest was made up of scrap MDF, coffee stirrers and Milliput! The hinges on the caisson were made from strips of aluminium from a Coke can. This is a great material, especially for flags! 

I tried out a piebald colour scheme on the horse. It's not as easy as I expected! Still, I really enjoy having a broad range of horse colours in my collection. The cart itself is very generic, and could be used for United Irishmen, British forces or the French Expedition. 

I'm not sure if Conán counts as 1 figure or 2! I'm going with 1, as it's one casting, but I might be wrong. I've counted the cart as a "28mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon" just because I think it's the most accurate category. 

1x28mm foot figure @5 points

1x 28mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon=10 points

Quadrant Challenge bonus=20 points

Total =35 points. 

Thanks 😊

____________________

Love this post, especially the short tour of Irish mythology - wonderful!

That Saleh's vignette of Fitzpatrick's Conan is tremendous and you've done a really wonderful job on it Manus. I'm particularly admiring the various colours, textures and even the runic name on the base! Spectacular work. I have a bunch of Lucid Eye stuff sitting in the wings and this really makes me want to pull them out for some attention. 

The cart is a very useful piece as it could be used in a variety of settings. I'm scoring it as a vehicle, plus single horse (10 + 5). Conan I'm scoring as two figures as I'm feeling that Goodwill to Mankind thing. It's a brief condition - I'm sure it will pass. :)

Great work Manus, keep them coming!

- Curt 

From ManusH: British Artillery Crew for the 1798 Irish Rebellion (30 Points)

Hi everyone! My name is Manus, and I'm from Ireland. This will be my first time contributing to the Challenge. I've been enjoying the fine work exhibited here for a few years, so it's about time I took part myself!

This artillery crew is for my ongoing 1798 Rebellion Project. The rules I'm using are Sharp Practice. Quite a niche subject, but one which I find really interesting. It's a very important event in modern Irish history, and one which is omnipresent in the landscape of my area.

The figures I use are 28mm Trent Miniatures, from their Irish Rebellion range. I love their old school sculpting style, it's a bit "cartoony" . 

The crew's leader - I like the yeomanry-style round hat! 

In terms of points:

4 28mm foot figures at 5 points each

1 artillery piece at 10 points 

Total = 30 points. Not a bad start! 

___________________________________

Welcome aboard the Challenge, Manus!

This gun and crew look absolutely terrific, such nice, clean brushwork, and I really love the subject - it's not a theatre we see often and I hope we get treated to more of it over the coming months.

PS: Remember to put in your labels on the right sidebar. It really helps the search engine. :)

- Curt