Clare - News Items from the London Times *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Clare Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: Cathy Labath NEWS ITEMS FROM THE LONDON TIMES The Times; London, Middlesex, England; 20 August 1790 At Clare, in Ireland, Mr. Joseph Parson, many years the only Revenue-Officer at that port. In attempting to stop some corn going on board a boat at Clare, he received a push from a soldier, which threw him down, and Mr. Parsons being rather old and infirm, it occasioned his death in a few hours; the soldier was tried at Ennis, and acquitted. ------------------------------------------------ The Times; London, Middlesex, England; 12 Feb 1812 Hugh Collins of Rosrow, county Clare, has been committed to Ennis jail, charged with being the principal person who murdered John Guerin, returning from Rosmanaher fair, Jan. 7, 1811, and also charged with a number of capital offences. He was a noted offender, and had bid defiance to the laws; hardly a day passed that he was not committing some depredation or other; he was apprehended by the Rosscastle infantry, and escorted to jail by a detachment of that corps. ------------------------------------------------ The Times; London, Middlesex, England; 12 April 1831 IRELAND (From the Dublin Morning Register.) We have, we regret to state, by a letter from Clare, received full confirmation of the account of the murder of five policemen. It would appear, however, from our correspondent's letter, that the policemen were shot, not stoned to death. The fight that took place was a regular battle, in which several of the peasantry were wounded and all the police force killed. The manner in which the conflict commenced was this: - Information was had that a Terry Alt or Swing party had proceeded to the house of a Mr. John Cahill, at Ballyreen, and the police party set out to give that gentleman all the protection in their power. Not finding Mr. Cahill at home, the Terry Alts departed. The police, learning the direction of their retreat, commenced a pursuit, and came with them at Tomavehera. Here the sanguinary conflict began and was concluded. Our correspondent, who appears to write under great apprehension, says, that in that district of the county of Clare nothing like an adequate force of military has been stationed. He mentions a circumstance, which must prove that these miserable beings (the Terry Alts) make no sectarian distinction in their aggressions – namely, that a Catholic clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Kierley, who recently took a house and land from a man named Laurence Thynne, has been obliged to abandon it. Thynne himself was compelled to fly for safety to the town of Ennis, where he has been living for the last two months. (From the Limerick Evening Post) LIMERICK, April 6 – A dreadful affray took place on Monday at Listoonvarna, a village about 14 miles north-west of Ennis. There are various versions of the story in town, but all concur and confirm the report of one countryman being killed by the police and five police being killed by the countrymen. The bodies of the five policemen were brought into Ennis this day. It is not known whether more than one countryman was shot; but it is believed there must have been havoc made amongst them, for the police kept up an unceasing fire of ball cartridge upon the multitude while ever they had a bullet or grain of powder, and they had a good supply. When the country people found the ammunition exhausted, they then rushed in on the constables, and massacred them in a very cruel manner. It is said the police went to the chapel, where the people were all assembled at mass (it was a holy day), to arrest some man against whom they had a warrant; others say they had a man in custody, who got away from them into the chapel. I believe there is no doubt but the police fired, and with effect, before the country people in any manner assailed them. I heard a policeman, who came from Ennis with dispatches, say so. Others say the county people first attacked the police. We have it here that Sir Edward O'Brien and the Marquis of Anglesey are quite at issue as to the measures to be adopted for tranquilizing the country. (Extract of Another Letter) At 2 o'clock yesterday (Monday) the entire establishment of police stationed at Doolin, consisting of a serjeant and four men, were murdered. They came in contact with a large body of the peasantry, and after a long resistance, and having killed and wounded several of the peasantry, they were all shot, and their heads and bodies broken in pieces. ------------------------------------------------ The Times; London, Middlesex, England; 4 July 1831 SPECIAL COMMISSION – ENNIS, JUNE 28 CAPITAL CONVICTION. TRIAL FOR THE MURDER OF FIVE POLICEMEN. Judges Moore and Jebb took their seats on the bench shortly after 9 o'clock. John Grady, as put to the bar, charged with aiding and assisting in the murder of five policemen – viz. Alexander Shaw, Andrew Joyce, James Nettleville, Thomas Duffy, and Daniel Gallagher. The ATTORNEY GENERAL stated the case, simply detailing the facts. Thomas Creen, examined by Serjeant GOOLD – I saw eight or nine men armed, on the 4th of April, who wore strawhats; two of them spoke to me and asked where my master was, for that they wanted money from him which he owed (Terry-alt money); saw party go over in the direction of Toohavara. George Macnamara, Esq., examined by Mr. BENNETT, - I am brother of Francis Macnamara, Esq., magistrate. Was present at an information made of an attack to be made on Cahill's house. I am aware of the names of the police, as above. Went myself with the party, until I thought the insurgents had passed the mountains. It was 10 o'clock in the morning when I parted with the police; at 5 o'clock in the evening heard they were dead. Michael Kinna?d, examined by Mr. WOULFE – I remember Easter Monday; was going to Ennistymon; Tom M'Inery brought me into the forge, where there was a party, and said I should go with them; the mob had arms – guns, pistols, and swords; the mob passed the mountain to avoid been seen and were going to John Cahill's house, to demand 30l. After this they came hither to the chapel at Toohavara, where the police was following us. Our party stood and met with another party, and both of them joined. The two parties now united, one said – “Let us go back, and kill the police;” the other said – “It would be a shame for us to go home without killing them.” I know the prisoner at the bar, John Grady. He had a gun. The police now commenced firing at the mob, and the mob at the police. The police fired seven or eight shots, and the mob fired but three. Thomas M'Inery was tired,and the police overtook him, and made a prisoner of him. When the police came to the chapel of Toohavara, there were about half a hundred of people present. Some of them were working in a garden, and left their work. The police were killed by guns, stones, and sticks. The prisoner John Grady had a gun. He struck one of the police and broke a gun on his head. Grady, when the gun was broken, got a stick, and struck a policeman coming across the road, who fled for shelter to Quin's house. He was brought out by the Terrys. His body was stretched on the road. The party denied Cahill to send money, and served other houses with notices. There were 14 of the Terrys, who had seven or eight guns. Saw the prisoner knock a policeman down with a gun and beat another man down with a stick. The Terrys fired the first shot. Many other witnesses were called, from whose evidence the following facts were elicited. When the police had secured as a prisoner M'Inerny, the people said they would liberate him, and any man who flinched had no further business in the country. Accordingly the attack became furious; two of the police had separated from three of their companions, one of whom was murdered near the chapel, exclaiming, “Clare boys, I am a Catholic.” Another was murdered about a quarter of a mile from the chapel, and three were murdered in a field. The prisoner had taken an active part in those murders. The bodies (4 of them) were brought into the chapel. The physician who examined the bodies, described the blows inflicted as principally on the head; that the bodies were otherwise mutilated; and that the brains of some were protruding, owing to heavy inflictions from the but end of guns. Judge JEBB, charged the Jury. He said that the police were in charge of a lawful and the insurgents an unlawful duty. In the case of resistance to the police, in the discharge of their duty, those who offered that resistance were accountable for the consequences which followed from it. The Jury retired, and brought in a verdict of guilty. The prisoner seemed not to feel the awful situation in which he was placed, when called upon if he had any thing to say why judgment should not be pronounced. Judge JEBB then took a comprehensive view of the state of insubordination and the incendiary class of crime which prevailed in this county, and adverted in very pointed terms to those agitators who excited the public mind by disturbing the public peace.The word “agitators” caused some significant winking through the court. The prisoner was sentenced to be hanged on Thursday next. He said, in the Irish language,” Thank God, you can do nothing to my soul.” ------------------------------------------------ The Times; London, Middlesex, England; 3 May 1831 ANOTHER HORRID MURDER IN CLARE – On Thursday morning, about 10 o'clock, shortly before the Ennis caravan for Limerick arrived at Cratloe-cross, three assassins, dressed in women's clothes, and armed with a blunderbuss and two muskets, went to the house of a man named Molony, herdsman to Mr. Thomas Donoughue, a comfortable farmer, holding lands between the Cross and the Shannon, and placing him on his knees, desired him to say his prayers. One of the party fired on him, on which the unfortunate man, though severely wounded, ran out of the house, but was instantly followed, and, as he was crossing a stream, he received a second shot in the back part of the head, which deprived him of life. His cold-blooded murderers then fired several balls through his head and breast, and this in the presence of a number of countrymen at work in the adjacent fields, but who saw these fellows entering the unfortunate man's house, and were witness to the fatal issue, without venturing or showing the least disposition to render him any assistance. In a few minutes after, an officer passed by, when these fellows fired a feu de joie, from behind a wall, adjoining the wood, either in defiance or to celebrate their sanguinary triumph. Poor Molony's only offence was not having driven his master's cattle off the farm, according to notice, in which he was apprised of his fate in the event of disobedience. Major Ryan, of the 50th Regiment, with a party of the 17th Lancer, were, in about 30 minutes after the foul deed took place, upon the spot, and continued all yesterday to scour the woods, but we apprehend without tracing the murders. Shortly after committing the above murder these assassins went to the house of a respectable farmer, living at the Cross, on the high road between Limerick and Ennis, threatening him with a similar fate, if he did not sell potatoes on their terms. This, indeed, is a horrid state of society, and must be suppressed, not only by the power of the Government, but by an armed array, embodied in district and parochial corps, of the moral and intellectual energies of the county. – Clare Sentinel.