The Land-War in Ireland: A History for the TimesGodkin, James
History
The Land-War in Ireland: A History for the Times
Godkin, James
Ireland -- Economic conditions; Land tenure -- Ireland
be respectably clad, his wife and daughters were obliged to part with
their jewellery and all their superfluities. There was no longer wine
or medicine, that the mother was accustomed to dispense kindly and
liberally to the poor around her, in their sickness and sorrow,
without distinction of creed.
The glebe, which once presented an aspect of so much comfort and ease
and affluence, now looked bare and desolate and void of life. But for
the contributions of Christian friends at a distance, many of
those once happy little centres of Christian civilisation--those
well-springs of consolation to the afflicted--must have been abandoned
to the overwhelming sand of desolation swept upon them by the
hurricane of the anti-tithe agitation.
During this desperate struggle, force was employed on several
occasions with fatal effect. At Newtownbarry, in the county of
Wexford, some cattle were impounded by a tithe-proctor. The peasantry
assembled in large numbers to rescue them, when they came into
collision with the yeomanry, who fired, killing twelve persons. It was
a market day, and a placard was posted on the walls: 'There will be an
end of church plunder; your pot, blanket, and pig will not hereafter
be sold by auction to support in luxury, idleness, and ease persons
who endeavour to make it appear that it is essential to the peace and
prosperity of the country and your eternal salvation, while the most
of you are starving. Attend to an auction of your neighbours' cattle.'
At Carrickshock there was a fearful tragedy. A number of writs against
defaulters were issued by the court of exchequer, and entrusted to
the care of process-servers, who, guarded by a strong body of police,
proceeded on their mission with secrecy and dispatch. Bonfires along
the surrounding hills, however, and shrill whistles soon convinced
them that the people were not unprepared for their visitors. But
the yeomanry pushed boldly on. Suddenly an immense assemblage of
peasantry, armed with scythes and pitchforks, poured down upon them.
A terrible hand-to-hand struggle ensued, and in the course of a few
moments eighteen of the police, including the commanding officer,
were slaughtered. The remainder consulted safety and fled, marking the
course of their retreat by the blood that trickled from their wounds.
A coroner's jury pronounced this deed of death as 'wilful murder'
against some persons unknown. A large government reward was offered,
but it failed to produce a single conviction. At Castlepollard, in
Westmeath, on the occasion of an attempted rescue, the chief constable
was knocked down. The police fired, and nine or ten persons were
killed. One of the most lamentable of these conflicts occurred at
Gurtroe, near Rathcormac, in the county of Cork. Archdeacon Ryder
brought a number of the military to recover the tithes of a farm
belonging to a widow named Ryan. The assembled people resisted, the
military were ordered to fire, eight persons were killed and thirteen
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account