IRL-TIPPERARY-L Archives

From: "Mary Heaphy" <>
Subject: [IRL-TIP] 22-4-1842 Times
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 12:14:54 +0100

22-4-1842 Times

Monday evening April 18th.

Today, between 11 and 12 O'clock, two factions, the Briens and the Murphy's,
met on a disputed turf-bank on the Birdhill Bog armed with pitchforks,
slanes, etc. After some altercation a deadly conflict took place, which
lasted for some considerable time, when Kennedy Brien, (the head of the
faction of that name) received a blow in the head from a slane. After he
received the deadly blow, he was left lying for more than a half hour,
unheeded, on the turf-bank, while the parties continued in the murderous
engagement, until it was thought the leader of the Murphy faction had been
killed; who had four fingers chopped off, and received the stab of a
pitchfork in the back of the neck. It is extraordinary that Kennedy still
exists, but his recovery is impossible. The cause of the outrage is this:-
Kennedy Brien processed Murphy at the last quarter sessions of Nenagh about
the turf-bank in dispute between them, but Mr. Howley dismissed the case.
The matter rested so until today.



Attempt to murder;- On the night of last Friday, as the wife of Patrick
Cormack, of Cool, near Toomevara, was in the act of fastening the door of
her dwelling , a blunderbuss loaded with five slugs was discharged through
it. Three of the slugs wounded her, and she lies in so a precarious a state
that every hour is expected to be her last. Cormack is the caretaker on the
lands of Cool, for John Hill, of Ollatrim. On Saturday Constable Kevy, of
Toomevara, arrested a notorious character named Pound, on suspicion of being
the perpetrator of the foregoing atrocious outrage. He has since been fully
identified by the husband of the dying woman, and committed for trial at the
next assizes of this town. The particulars of the identification are as
follows;- About two minutes before the shot was fired the dog in the yard
was struck by a stone, upon this the woman ran to shut the door, and Cormack
turned out of bed to see what was the matter. On his wife being wounded he
unbarred the door and ran into the yard, and there perceived Pound with the
blunderbuss in his hand. It was with extreme reluctance that he lodged
information against Pound.



On the same night a shot was fired through the bedroom window of Mr. B.
Minchin, inspector of weights and measures for this riding. A notice was
also posted, threatening him with death unless he quitted Norwood
immediately. A notice was posted on the house of Thomas Tracey of Bunmacrum,
threatening him with 'a bloody end' if he worked for Mr. Dawson, or anyone
belonging to him. A body of armed men broke into the house of James Power,
of Ballygrague, and beat him severely on account of land. They fired two
shots in the yard. A shot was fired, and a threatening notice posted, on the
house of Murty Tierney, of Kilruane. A notice was posted, and two shots were
fired into the house of James Neill, of Annameadle. A party of armed men
entered the dwelling house of Thomas Greeson, of Cahirhoo;-having beaten
him, they said they would 'do his job' the next time, if he worked for Grace
Kennedy, of Shangarry. A party of six men, who were armed, effected an
entrance into the house of John Gunn, of Boher, and succeeded in plundering
it of two blunderbusses and 2s. Gunn was absent at his father's funeral, and
the servant boy having offered resistance, was severely beaten. Three men,
two of the armed, rapped at the door of a farmed named Clear, living at
Drumrue, and obtained admittance on representing themselves as police. They
then placed Clear on his knees and swore him to give up five acres which he
had purchased on the 7th inst from John Connors. A notice has been served on
Mr. Newton Short, of Ballinamona, threatening him that if he charged more
than £7.10. an acre for potato ground at Knockalten. The notice also
contained an order for the gardener and a woman servant to quit Mr. Short's
in eight days on pain of death. John and Roger Cleary, of Old Castle, in the
Parish of Bournea, were assaulted and seriously injured by Patrick, William,
Cornelius, Timothy, and Edward Ducy, because they attempted to prevent them
from taking away some manure which had been seized for rent. Mr. Atkiss, of
Birdhill, having had occasion to make a seizure on a refractory tenant, he
placed his bailiff, Michael Brien, as keeper on the goods. Three men, one of
them armed with a gun, came to Brien, and swore him to abandon his charge,
and he did so. Five men, some of whom were armed, broke into the house of a
labouring man named Patrick McMahon, who lives at Templebeg. They then
noticed McMahon, that if he did not quit the Parish within five days, they
would send him out of it a corpse at the expiration of the time. A number of
persons went on the land at Ballintemple, within a half mile of Moneygall,
and dug up four acres of it. The government have offered a reward of 40/..
to any person giving information that will lead to the prosecution of the
perpetrators of this outrage.

This thread:

• [IRL-TIP] 22-4-1842 Times by "Mary Heaphy" <>