JULY 29th , 1848 : RIC , Firearms , Pikes - and Five Children .......
.......in the midst of so-called 'famine' , with disease such as typhus fever and cholera stalking the land , the 'Young Irelanders' were attempting to recruit for a Rising against British mis-rule in Ireland . The British 'police' force , the RIC , were watching developments .......
The RIC were 'the eyes and ears of Westminster' , and were told by their informers of the intentions of the Irish Rebels and of the fact that armed men and women were gathering in Ballingarry , County Tipperary .
The RIC were also told that William Smith O'Brien , James Stephens and Terence Bellew McManus were in that town , organising the insurgents . A patrol of forty-six RIC men , from Callan in County Kilkenny , were the first to arrive in Ballingarry on that day , the 29th July , 1848 , knowing that more British Crown re-inforcements were on the way .
However , on seeing a rebellious crowd of about one-hundred people , armed with firearms and/or pikes , the RIC decided to retreat until their re-inforcements arrived ; but the Irish Rebels had seen them .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE TRUCE.......
"....... during one case in the Republican Courts , at which my brother Pat was the judge , the defendant , Mikeen , was listening to the evidence against him ....... "
" An IRA policeman finished his evidence by stating " I took him into custody ..." , when Mikeen rose and shouted " Ya did , ya yob ya ! " . Calamity ! But the people and court bore up bravely ; not until they saw the learned judge show grave symptoms of disintegration did they surrender . Then , led by the bench , they all laughted together . The sentence was light - the judge lectured Mikeen on the virtures of self-restraint and , of course , on the evils of drink . Mikeen promised to reform completely , but the judge hastened to explain that that was not entirely necessary , that a fair distance along that particular road would suffice .
The neighbour whom he had assaulted was then brought forward and Mikeen completed his sentence by shaking his hand cordially . Furthermore , he promised the judge that never again would he interfere "...with the same man ," a pronouncement so specific as to be viewed with misgiving by some of the more discerning among his neighbours . However , their fears were never realised and , ever afterwards , they lived in the harmony which began on that night when judge and prisoner , people and policeman , all laughed together .
The next case occurred in a neighbouring parish . The new judge , a local farmer , had already dealt successfully with the first two cases to be brought before the Republican Court in his district ......."
(MORE LATER).
HISTORY LIVES ON .......
Review of the book 'Survivors' , written by Uinseann MacEoin , and published by Argenta Publications , Dublin , 1980 .
First published in 'IRIS' magazine , Volume 1 , Number 2 , November 1981 , page 117 .
Re-published here in 6 parts .
(4 of 6).
John Joe Sheehy , Commandant Kerry No. 1 Brigade , IRA , stated - " I admire the struggle of the oppressed Northern people , and how they are hitting back at an invading army trying to do the 'cos ar bholg' on them . " So much for the spineless commentators who tell us "...the old IRA was never like this , " etc etc .
Others who provide us with a personal view of the historic battles and ambushes are Pax O'Faolain (Brigadier General IRA) , Tom Kelleher (Commandant General IRA 1st Southern Division) , Tony Woods , Con Casey , Walter Mitchell , Connie Meenan and Dan Gleeson .
From the North there is Neil Gillespie (Volunteer 2nd Northern Division IRA) , who tells of the struggle in Derry , as does James McElduff (Captain 2nd Northern Division IRA) .
(MORE LATER).
