The Felon's Track; Or, History of the Attempted Outbreak in Ireland: Embracing the Leading Events in the Irish Struggle From the Year 1843 to the Close of 1848Doheny, Michael
History
The Felon's Track; Or, History of the Attempted Outbreak in Ireland: Embracing the Leading Events in the Irish Struggle From the Year 1843 to the Close of 1848
Doheny, Michael
Ireland -- History -- Rising of 1848; Young Ireland Party -- History; Young Ireland movement
When we reached Kilcash, at the southern base of Slievenamon, we learned
that all hope of the expected assistance was at an end. Mr. Meagher had
returned; and having despatched O'Mahony to Mr. O'Brien, to request he
would once more return to the neighbourhood of the mountain, where he
either could be more safely concealed for a time, or a last desperate
effort could be made under better auspices, he waited several hours
after the time appointed for his return, and then departed towards the
direction of Borrisoleigh, in the northern riding of Tipperary,
accompanied by Mr. Maurice Leyne, with whom unhappily he fell in, and to
whose weak counsel, according to the information I received, much of his
subsequent ill fate was owing. The distance to Borrisoleigh could not be
less than forty miles. Mr. Meagher must have been persuaded by
O'Mahony's delay, that Mr. O'Brien had been driven from his position,
and perhaps captured, or he would not have undertaken so long a journey,
the sole motive of which could only be the hope of rousing, with the aid
of the Rev. Mr. Kenyon, that district of the country, so as to rescue
his chief or avenge him. It was then apparent that our position had
become desperate. We instantly proceeded to the house of our friend, who
recounted the particulars of his visit to Ballingarry, and its results.
He agreed in the propriety of going a second time to meet Mr. O'Brien,
and urging upon him the necessity of some decisive course. The startling
events of the two preceding days too clearly proved that his position
was not tenable, and that whatever might be resolved on, it was
indispensable to remove from Ballingarry. It was then night, and we were
all sorely taxed by long riding and want of rest. Not one of us was able
to mount, so we placed hay in a car on which we flung ourselves, and
trusted to the guidance of the boy who led the horse. We travelled about
nine miles in this way, one endeavouring to act as sentinel while the
others were asleep; but we found that unless we trusted to blind chance,
we could not continue our journey. So, half by force and half by
persuasion, we obtained liberty to stretch on a pallet in an empty room.
Mr. O'Brien was then snatching a little broken rest in a field, not four
miles away from us, without our being aware of the fact. In the morning
we learned that he remained there only while a car was procured at
Mullinahone, and then returned to the neighbourhood of the collieries.
He left Ballingarry on the advice contained in Mr. Meagher's message,
and, accompanied by some hundreds of his followers, proceeded towards
Carrick through the town of Mullinahone where for the third time he had
to encounter the open hostility of the Catholic clergymen, who on this
occasion had recourse to threats and even blows. Owing to their
interference, one-fourth of those who followed him so far, did not
accompany him outside the town. He was nearly deserted, when he changed
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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