[mairead]

Na Fir Dileas and others will be gathering on Saturday 17th January to commemorate the 2nd Battle of Falkirk ('a Jacobite victory') which took place on the 17th January 1746 when the Jacobite army was on the retreat from Derby.
Part of the Jacobite army under Lord George Murray, routed the British force under General Hawley.

" Now great Hawley led on, with great Huske at his tail
And the Duke in the centre, this sure cannot fail;
Horse, Foot and Dragoons, pell mell, knock em down;
But Gadzooks, where are they? Oh Damn them, they're gone "

refers to the speed at which the force commanded by Hawley and Huske, fled before the Jacobite forces. As they went at speed towards Edinburgh, leaving much of their baggage train behind, the Dragoons paused long enough to burn Linlithgow Palace almost to the ground.
Hawley later hanged 31 of Hamiltons Dragoons on the scaffolds he had earlier prepared for his Jacobite prisoners and shot 32 of the Foot for desertion and cowardice. A Captain Cunningham was put under arrest and after attempting to take his own life, he was cashiered with infamy at Montrose.
Hawleys losses at Fakirk were officially put at 12 Officers and 55 men killed, and his grand total at 280 kiled, wounded or missing.
The jacobite officer, Lord Elcho puts the enemy figure at 30 officers killed, and between 5 and 6 hundred killed.
Home gives the figures at 16 Officers killed and 3-4 humdred men.
It was estimated by Lord Muray that 300 prisoners were taken by the Jacobites.
Jacobite casualties were small, and amounted to 50 men killed, of whom 7 were junior officers and 60-80 wounded.