News: The Tipperary Constitution 1838, County Tipperary, Ireland Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Tipperary Index Copyright Contributed by Mary Heaphy ________________________________ THE TIPPERARY CONSTITUTION 1838, COUNTY TIPPERARY, IRELAND April 25, 1838 On Wed. morning an armed party attacked the house of a farmer of the name of Richard Peters, residing on the lands of Kilmoyer, near Caher, the property of the late Captain Maguire. After firing the shots, and making every effort to break open the door, which they were not able to affect, they called out to Peters, that if he did not immediately, give up the land, lately set to him by Mr. Barry, the agent of the estate, that he would meet the fate of his late master, Captain Maguire. This land was formerly in the possession of a man named Ryan, who was evicted in consequence of owing upwards of 200/. rent and arrears, and was afterwards set to a man named Burke, who was obliged to give up the lands since that time from the repeated attacks made upon him by those midnight legislators. On tuesday evening last, as a man named Thomas Saunders was returning home from the fair of Cashel , he was attacked by two ruffians who beat him unmercifully, and robbed him of the sum of 5/. On the night of tuesday, the 10th, inst, an armed party, consisting of at least 8 men attacked a dwelling house on the lands of Taverston, within a few miles of Nenagh, the property of Caleb Going, Esq. but tenanted by persons of the name of Ryan, and set fire to the house in several places, after a very short time the house with every article of furniture was totally consumed. Ryan and his family narrowly scaped with their lives, and on leaving the house one of the party fired a shot at Ryan, but fortunately without effect. Two of the party, named Murphy, were arrested on Saturday, and fully identified. On tuesday the 17th, as Mr. George Dart, Excise officer, stationed at Nenagh, was retuning home, he discovered a still and every other necessary appurtenance, concealed in a ditch convenient to a house about four miles distant, which he immediately seized on. Scarcely had he laid his hand on it when he was assailed by three men, who in the most violent manner endeavoured to wrest it from him, and in the struggle several times knocked him down; however, Mr Dart, in the most spirited manner, though alone, successfully resisted them, and gallantly succeeded in making good his seizure and carried it off. A few days back, a notorious character named Brien was arrested and committed to the county goal, for firing a shot at a man named Gleeson in the month of Sept. last. On the same night an armed party attacked the house of a man named Thomas Neil, of Ballahane?, near Castle Otway, and smashed his door. After entering, one of the party presented a blunderbuss at him; and on their departure took with them all the money the poor man was possessed of. A few nights ago an armed party fired two shots into the dwelling-house of John Hodgings, of Castle Otway, and subsequently attacked it with stones and broke 16 panes of glass. Hodgings is a respectable Protestant farmer.