From:
Michael Purcell <carlowmike@gmail.com>
1834, The Agitator Agitated.
Carlow Sentinel
24th
May 1834.
Close of Election for a Coroner.
Mr
Gorman Triumphant.
On Monday
last the contest for the coronership of this county terminated
in the election of Mr Edward Gorman by a large majority.
The previous
day (Sunday) the agitators, great and small, appeared at the
different Chapels, and laboured hard to compel the freeholders
to vote for Mr Thomas Bunbury, but failed in all their attempts
to sever the tenantry from their landlords.
The
succeeded in bringing in a body of the Roscat freeholders, whom
our readers will recollect were sworn by each other.
Every means
were resorted to in order to produce excitement, and to
intimidate those who intended to vote for Mr Gorman, but to no
avail.
The polling
commenced at an early hour and continued spiritedly on both
sides until 1 o'clock, when a large body of Mr Kavanagh's
tenantry, from the Barony of St Mullins and Idrone East arrived
at the Court-house, accompanied by Mr Robert Doyne, they decided
the contest.
During their
journey to the Club-house to obtain refreshments, they were
loudly cheered to the great mortification of Mr Bunbury and his
crest-fallen followers.
Shortly
after Mr Kavanagh of Borris House arrived in his carriage and
voted himself for Mr Gorman.
At 4 o'clock
the polling ceased ; and after the usual proclamations being
made, The High-Sheriff, Mr Watson, rose and declared the state
of the poll as follows:-
Gross Poll.
For Mr
Edward Gorman -- 444
For Mr
Thomas C. Bunbury -- 290
Majority for
Mr Gorman -- 154.
The
announcement was received with loud cheering. The High-Sheriff
declared Mr Gorman elected. Mr Bunbury appeared greatly
agitated. [to be continued].
1834, Edward Gorman elected Coroner.
Election of Coroner, Mr Gorman Triumphant.
Elected by a majority of 154, the announcement was received with
loud cheering.
Edward
Gorman briefly addressed the crowd - he stated "Gentlemen, I
sincerely thank you for the honor you have this day conferred
upon me; I trust I shall perform my duty honestly, and to the
satisfaction of the public (cheers)”.
The defeated
Mr Thomas Bunbury rose and appeared greatly agitated.
He stated,
that the most unconstitutional means were resorted to by the
gentry of the county to oppose him; he was not a party man, (a
voice from the Grand Jury gallery shouted "nor an Orangeman")
nor had he ever headed a mob, (loud laughter) and he conceived
himself badly treated by the gentry, who were to a man opposed
to him (continued loud laughter;) he stood by the constituency
of the county to assert their rights, but he was always a lover
of the constitution (laughter;) he hated not the man because he
went to mass (laughter;) Sir Thomas Butler's tenantry promised
him their vote but the honourable baronet had compelled them to
vote against him, was that fair play? Butler had deceived him,
(more comments shouted from the gallery).
He thanked
the High Sheriff for his impartial manner but he had to publicly
charge Mr Butler the Sub-Sheriff with partiality ; he sided with
Mr Gorman.
Mr Bunbury
resumed his seat amid the cheers of his followers and the hearty
groans of all parties who knew Mr Butler to be a man of honor, a
gentleman of the strictest integrity.
Mr Butler
rose, and after considerable difficulty quietened the
ungovernable ruffians who supported Mr Bunbury, he stated, that
it was not the first time he was accused of partiality (loud
cheers;) he, however, took that opportunity in the strongest
terms which the English language afforded of proclaiming the
fallacy of the charge (cheers;)....
[account of Butler's speech continues with much
interruption by loud cheering].
Mr Bunbury
then rose again stating - I beg leave to withdraw the term
"partiality" I am sorry for having used the term and therefore
apologise (hisses and loud cries of "no thanks to you")
I certainly thought it more to my advantage to leave the
poll open (loud laughter).
The High
Sheriff, Mr Watson, moved to adjourn the court but Mr Finn
presented himself amid a volley of cheers from the respectable
portion of the crowd and the groans and yelling of the Bunbury
mob.
Mr Finn
addressed the meeting --
"I congratulate you on
the calm, dignified, and dispassionate manner in which you
conducted the election, I congratulate the gentry and the
tenantry of Carlow, they have taught a lesson to a reckless
faction who have endeavoured to revive the spirit of disunion
and bigotry but thanks to the united efforts of all that is
respectable and intelligent this reckless faction may be
considered prostrate (cheers) reduced to their proper
dimensions, and that like the inflated toad their power and
malignity will expire together - (cheers and great uproar);
~~~~~~~~
[note added
2013 -- and so on and so forth, with hisses, groans, cheers,
uproar, loud laughter, loud cries and yelling, for what must
have been at least another hour].
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