Portrait of an Irish Chief, Drawn from Life at Wexford. Erin go Brach.

The Irishman, with coarse features and cropped hair, stands on a rounded hill, left arm raised oratorically, right hand on one of two pistols in his belt, saying, Erin go Brack!” He wears a round hat tilted to one side, and with a small tuft or plume, a double-breasted coat with the skirts looped up, pantaloons and half-boots, a long sabre. He looks to the left On the plain beneath (right), across which run tiny fugitives, are burning buildings and clouds of smoke. 

Gillrays version was issued on 10 July 1798, London and the caption within the caricature included the words; “No Union.Erin go Brack!”

He is said to be Grattan (at this time in England), but there is no resemblance to his portraits, or to other representations of him by Gillray. He refused to join the United Irishmen, but on the groundless charge of an informer of being a sworn member of that body he was struck off the Irish privy council on 6 Oct. 1798. The portrait is more probably a generalized one of a typical Irish insurgent in 1798, in the  War in Wexford and the description of the Wexford men. Among their varied banners was a flag with an Irish harp surmounted by a cap of Liberty and the motto ‘Erin go bragh’.

Erin go Bragh and was used to express allegiance to Ireland. The phrase was supposed to have been first used during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was on a flag brandished by the United Irishmen to voice a rallying cry for Irish independence from Britain.