The Times
London, Middlesex, England

September 26, 1834

Ireland.

The "Great Meeting" Of Orangemen In Cavan.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)

A sketch of this meeting (which the Rev. Marcus BERESFORD so strongly exhorted his brother Orangemen to repair to) appears in the Dublin Evening post of today, from the pen of the individual who caused such a sensation by his verbatim report of that rev. gentleman's speech at the meeting in Dublin, which contained the famous sentence, "We will get rid of the bloody Popish rebels from our glebe lands." He states, that instead of there being 20,000, 30,000 or 40,000, as anticipated by the Rev. Marcus, the total amount of persons present did not exceed 500 or 600, as estimated by a practical surveyor who measured the space within the railings occupied by the auditory, and that amongst these there were a good sprinkling of the Orange women and children, whom the Rev. Marcus requested should be left at home. The men were all armed with sticks, one of which was particularly remarkable being a truly party-coloured emblem, ingeniously painted orange and blue, in the fashion of a barber's pole. The owner declared, that although orange colours were forbidden to be worn, that should not prevent him from flourishing his orange and blue stick. The chair was taken at 12 o'clock. The speakers were Mr. RATHBOURNE, chairman; the Rev. Marcus BERESFORD (who declared himself to be not only a minister of the Gospel, but an Orangeman and a purpleman), Colonel CLEMENTS, Oliver NUGENT, Esq., Lucas CLEMENTS, Esq., John GODLY, Justice of the Peace; ___ BURROWES, Esq., the Rev. Mr. MARTIN, Alexander HAZARD, Esq., ___ BELL, Esq., ___ WEBB, Esq., Rev. George MOFFAT, A.B. BOOTH, Esq., John ARMSTRONG, Esq., and the redoubtable Samuel GRAY of Ballibay, who was recognized in the crowd by the Rev. Marcus BERESFORD, while yet in the midst of his speech, and introduced to the meeting in a strain of panegyric. Samuel GRAY seized the opportunity of addressing his brother Orangemen in a short speech, in which, alluding to his associates of the county of Monaghan, he declared, "We are best prepared with arms and ammunition, and if a storm should arise, you have only to give the signal, and we will be at your backs in a moment." "Marcus then went on with his speech" (continues the correspondent of the Post), "which was bloody and truculent in the extreme." The meeting broke up at 20 minutes past 3 o'clock. The full report will doubtless present some interesting specimens of strength of language. Our Conservatives are "progressing" every meeting.

Submitted by: County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project