IRELAND OLD NEWS
Limerick Chronicle August 4 1821
Death
At an advanced age, Mr. Francis McNamara, Castletown.
Submitted by Declan
Limerick Chronicle, Saturday, August 18th, 1821:
LIMERICK, SATURDAY, AUGUST 18.
Engagement between the County Limerick Police, and a party of nightly Marauders.
On Wednesday night, upwards of two hundred misguided
wretches, mostly armed, many of them mounted on horseback, and the entire
dressed in white shirts, surrounded the house of Mr. John Ives, Tithe-Proctor,
at Inchirourke, near Askeaton. After dragging him out of the house on the
high-way, they proceeded to administer oaths, prohibiting him from ever
interfering in tithe business; and while thus employed, a party of Mr. Going's
Police, consisting of seventeen Sub-Constables, under the command of Thomas
Doolan, Esq. Chief Peace Officer, approached the house, having received private
information in Rathkeale that such proceedings would take place during the
night. On being challenged by Mr. Doolan, and commanded to surrender, they drew
up in regular line for battle, and immediately commenced firing on the Police,
by an order from their leader. In that discharge, one of the Police , named
Thomas manning, was shot dead. Mr. Doolan instantly ordered his party to fire in
return, which was quickly obeyed, and a regular volley obliged the
assailants to break line and disperse in all directions. A charge was then made
by the Police, who succeeded in taking three prisoners, in full costume; two
were also found dead, similarly attired. A pursuit after the fugatives took
place, and many skirmishes occurred, in which upwards of sixty shots were fired
by the Police.
From every information that can be collected, great
numbers have been wounded , and, we are told, several dead bodies are concealed
in the neighborhood. Those found by the Police, in the first instance, were
taken to Rathkeale, where they were interred on Thursday, without coffins, in a
large hole dug up by their companions, in a piece of waste ground, near the
Guard-house. The two prisoners were compelled by Mr. Going to perform all
offices at the burial -- after digging the hole, they were obliged to bear the
bodies and place them beneath, and afterwards to shake quick-lime plentifully
over them.
Another of the gang died last night in a hut on the
mountain, where he had been removed from the scene of the action; his name is
Moran, and was brother to one of the prisoners in custody -- he was shot through
the abdomen.
Many more would have been shot by the Police, but after
the first volley, the fellows all dismounted and took shelter behind their
horses.
The road in the neighborhood of Askeaton present a most
horrid appearance --- streams of blood in various parts, and the different gaps,
across which the wounded were borne away, are all besmeared with blood.
There were fifteen horses brought into Rathkeale by the
Police, upon which those wretches were mounted, but had deserted --- many of
them were dreadfully wounded.
A considerable number of spits, old scythes and some
firearms, were brought into Rathkeale by the Police.
On the return of Mr. Doolan's party to Rathkeale, on
Thursday, there was a meeting of Magistrates sitting in the Sessions-House, and
who had been called a few days previous, to take into considration the state of
that part of the County. A Resolution of Thanks was immediately voted to Mr.
Doolan, and the Police under his command, for the very spirited and determined
conduct which they evinced on this occasion, the result of which, it is hoped,
will have a happy and lasting effect on the peace of the County.
Mr. Doolan missed fire twice at the leader of the gang,
his pistol having got wet. He was very close to him at the time, and would
certainly have shot him dead, had the pistol gone off.
Before the Police came near Ives's house, there were
regular sentinels placed at different points to give the main body notice of any
alarm. When they were challenged, the answer was, "We are Christians."
After the volley fired by the Police, the Captain, or
Leader of the gang, who was attired in a most conspicuous manner, with a white
dress, a cocked-hat and feathers, endeavoured to rally his troops, but without
effect.
It is supposed, from the numbers, that the Police would
have suffered severely, were it not for the extreme wetness of the night, which
must have had its effect upon the fire-arms, with which they seemed to be well
stocked.
Yesterday a strong cavalry detachment of the Police,
well equipped, convoyed three of this notable gang to the County Jail -- they
were brought in on horseback, and exactly in the dress as when taken. Their
names are, Michael Moran, Michael Halloran, and Michael Fitz-Gerald. One of
them, we are told, is willing to give full information against the entire party.
The Sub-Sheriff, in remonstrating with the prisoners
while in the yard of the County Jail, asked them whether they had not been at
prayers last Sunday, and whether they had not heard a very strong and impressive
exhortation from the Clergyman, to desist from illegal proceedings, which were
freely answered in the affirmative.
The committal of those persons, by Richard Going, Esq.
Chief Magistrate of Police, runs thus: -- "For being three of a Body of
armed Rebels, (consisting of about 200), apprehended on the night of the 15th
instant, at Inchirourke, near Askeaton, in an engagement between said Rebels and
the Vounty of Limerick Police, in which Thomas Manning, Sub-Constable was shot
dead."
Yesterday, a strong party of the Police went to
Askeaton and Newbridge, in search of some of the wounded persons; we have not
yet heard whether they discovered any.
Inquests were held on the bodies by Mr. Cox, Coroner.
Submitted by Jim
Note: The Morans mentioned are from my Askeaton Moran family history. I
would enjoy hearing from anyone with additional documentation about this event.
The illiterate Irish peasant version passed by word of mouth can be found at http://www.askeatonbynet.com/rising_of_1798.htm
and I would like to find the historical documentation with reference for this
version as well
Limerick Chronicle August 25 1821
Death
In Church Street, Henry Rickards, saddler.
At Drumbiggle, Mr. Pat Barrett.
Submitted by Declan
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