The Battle of Ashbourne was the only major fight outside Dublin during the Easter Rising, an armed revolt aimed at establishing an independent Irish Republic.

Around 60 Irish Volunteers from the Fingal Battalion, led by Thomas Ashe and Richard Mulcahy, used guerrilla tactics to attack RIC barracks, seize weapons, and disrupt transport and communications.

At Ashbourne, a small Volunteer force attacked the RIC barracks, leading to a five-hour battle when reinforcements arrived. The Volunteers defeated the larger RIC force, killing 14 and wounding many more, before accepting their surrender. The Volunteers suffered a small number of casualties.

The Fingal Battalion later surrendered after orders from Dublin, but their tactics foreshadowed those used in the later War of Independence. The battle is commemorated by a memorial at Rath Cross, unveiled in 1959 and expanded during the 2016 centenary.