News: Pastoral to factions in the Parish of Emly and thereabouts, 10-11-1862 Times *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Tipperary Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: Mary Heaphy PASTORAL TO FACTIONS IN THE PARISH OF EMLY AND THEREABOUTS Most Rev. Doctor Leahy. Archbishop Of Cashel. This pastoral is addressed "To those calling themselves the Three-year-old and the Four-year old factions in the Parish of Emly and thereabouts." The Archbishop with grief complains that those people-"almost alone of the people of Ireland certainly alone of all the people of these dioceses"-have revived those wicked factions which some years ago were the disgrace of the County. Emly is the stronghold of the two factions-the "Three year olds and the "Four year olds". He then goes on at length about the two factions and then ends the Pastoral with a well authenticated detail of murders and maimings, and other grevious bodily injuries that have occurred in the district in the last six years. Perhaps such a record was was never before embodied in any Bishop's pastoral. 9th July 1856. Denis Quinlan, (four year old), Parish of Emly, killed at the fair of Hospital. August 1856-John Fitzgerald, (four year old) killed at his own door in Emly. October 1856 -John Kenna, parish of Emly, killed at Rodus, in the same Parish, He did not belong to either faction. September 1858-Michael Hayes, Parish of Hospital, (four year old) killed at the fair of Hospital. 1859 -James Brown, Knockany, received a stab wound, which put his life in danger. 1859-At a funeral in Kilteely, John McGrath of Emly, (four year old), badly fractured. 1860, Nov. 6th, Returning from the fair of Knockany, Edward Fitzgibbon was killed 1860, One Murphy, a three year old, was killed between Ballylanders and Galbally. June 12th 1860-At the fair of Ballybrood, several persons were injured in a faction fight between the Mulcahys and Connollys of Caherline, and the Smalls of Kilteely on one side, and the Lundons and Conways of Kilteely on the other. May 1861-At a funeral at Emly a wicked fight took place between the Three and Four year olds, from which nine persons from the Parish of Emly, and four from the parish of Hospital were punished by Sergeant Howley at the sessions of Cashel. 1861-John Moloney, a three year old, and Daniel Connors, a four year old, began to fight at the Chapel gate on a Sunday, and having retired to a field close by fought it out during Mass, in the presence of several spectators. December 1861-At a hurling in the Parish of Emly a man named Taylor was badly fractured, for which a man named Kennedy was sentenced to three of four years penal servitude. 1861-A man named Callaghan, not of any party, returning from the fair of Emly, was killed. 1861-At a hurling in Kilteely, a man named Small was badly fractured by persons of the opposite faction. This occurrence arose out of a faction fight at the fair of Ballybrood, in 1860. 1862-At the fair of Kilteely, Moloney, a Three year old, badly beaten by Connolly, a four year old. April 1862 -At the fair of Ballincreena,? Parish of Knocklong, Roger Egan was badly fractured by some of the three year olds, because he was seen in the company with some of the opposite party, though he did not belong to either. August 22nd 1862. Edward Fitzgerald, Hospital, was killed in the same place 1862-Michael Buckley, of Emly was badly fractured. The cause of the feud which has led to such deplorable results was so trivial and ludicrous that it would be almost incredible if given on a less authority than this pastoral. The cause was too ludicrous to be more than alluded to by the Archbishop. It was all about a BULL and the age of the Bull.