WILLIAM ROONEY , poet and journalist ; 1872-1901 .
Ireland , 1872 ; five years after the Fenian Rising of 1867 , and five years before the 'Manchester Martyrs' were to be described as the ' Manchester Murderers ' in the British House of 'Commons' . In that year (ie 1872) two Protestant fundamentalist preachers were 'making a name' for themselves in and around the county of Antrim -
- Rev. Thomas Drew and Rev. Hugh ('Roaring') Hanna ; these two gentlemen were of the opinion that " the Catholic minority" was a threat to the well-being of , amongst other things , Protestant workers . Low wages and a shortage of work , combined with vocal encouragement from the two preachers , and 'the fuse was lit' - serious sectarian riots surfaced in 1872 , with the Catholics blamed for all the ills of the day (as indeed they had been in 1857 and 1864 , other years when the Catholics were to bear the brunt of Protestant dis-satisfaction ).
A baby was born into that political situation , in 1872 , in Dublin city centre .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......A well-known 'Holy-Joe' was the prayer-leader at this particular wake ; my friend 'Old John' , 80 years of age , was uneasy at the length of the proceedings ......."
" 'Old John' tried , by various movements of his limbs and body , to ease his cramped position . But he got no respite . Another prayer was said , and yet another . By then the youngest amongst us was feeling badly , and what must 'Old John' have been suffering ! At last the end came , and that violently - we had hoped that the finish of the last prayer would be the end of all , but alas ....
" We will now say five 'Our Fathers' and five 'Hail Marys' for the suffering souls in Purgatory , " said our 'Holy Joe' . But he never said them ; there were other "poor souls" suffering on earth who thought that the people in Purgatory were relatively well off ! I heard the screech of the chair legs as 'Old John' thrust it forward to make room for himself . Pressing downwards with both his hands on the seat , he struggled to his feet -
- His eyes blazing with fury , he faced 'Holy Joe' , his persecutor ; " In the Name of God and stop ," he shouted , " when they'll be tired of having them inside , they'll let them out ! "
[END of - 'THE FLYING COLUMN .......'].
(Tomorrow - 'Coolnacahera and Coomnaclohy').
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(11 of 16).
" If I don't have Brian's name cleared legally how can I tell my children to obey the law and stay out of trouble ? I'm doing this as much for them as for Brian ; what hope have they otherwise ? " asked Mrs. Stewart .
On May 12th , 1981 , 14-year-old Julie Livingstone , youngest in a family of thirteen , went on an errand with her friend ; it was the last time her family was to see her in a conscious state ...
" She was never in trouble and never strayed far from the house - the farthest she used go in the evenings was down to her friend Nuala's house , " said Mrs. Bernie Livingstone , who is'nt yet over the death of her daughter .
Julie was shot with a plastic bullet as she lay huddled in a ditch with Nuala - the girls were seeking shelter from a British Army Saracen from which British soldiers were firing plastic baton rounds .......
(MORE LATER).
Friday, May 07, 2004
WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......
.......In the early 18th Century , the British named William Putnam McCabe under their 'Banishment Act' of 1697 / 1698.......
The penalty for breaking the 'Banishment Act' was to be hung , drawn and quartered . The name of 'William Putnam McCabe' was added to those on the 'Banishment Act' list but , it being an English 'law' and McCabe being an Irish Rebel , he ignored it ; in 1841 he was 'arrested' in Ireland by the Brits but was lucky - he was simply deported back to France .
Again , in 1817 , William Putnam McCabe was 'arrested' in Ireland and put in Kilmainham Jail in Dublin while the Brits decided what to do with him ; and again , he was lucky - after 18 months in Kilmainham Jail , they let him go - and , once more , deported him back to France ! He was later to be 'arrested' , for the third time , in Scotland , and , for the third time , put on a boat for France ...
At only 46 years of age , William Putnam McCabe died in Paris , France , on 6th January 1821 ; he gave 30 years of his short live to the Cause of Irish Freedom , joining the struggle when he was only 16 years young . Today , you would be hard-pressed to find any mention of the man in our history books : but the Irish Republican Movement remembers its own.......
[END of - 'WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......'].
(Tomorrow - a baby born five years after the Fenian Rising of 1867 , and five years before 'The Manchester Martyrs' were to be described by the British as "the Manchester Murderers ...." : WILLIAM ROONEY ..)
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE FLYING COLUMN .......
".......Sometimes at the wakes and funerals we attended , 'local politics' (ie neighbours in dispute) would have a bearing on procedure ; the man leading the prayers now was known by some as a bit of a tyrant , like Cromwell ....!"
" Hard words , no doubt ! Others held that the man was a mere sufferer of human failings , that, once set in motion , his own volition was insufficient to bring him to rest within a reasonable period of time . In any case , he had now started ...
I noticed that he prayed in the English language , although such prayers were invariably said in Irish in that district . To my left and in front of me knelt my friend Old John - he gave the responses in Irish ; Old John was nearly eighty years of age , and nobody would dream of calling him a 'humbug' . He was well known and respected as an upright man , honest and outspoken . I was soon to see his patience tested ...
Our prayer-leader started off with a prayer of his own which immediately awoke in me a sense of irritation ; I suspected , perhaps wrongly , that he wished to impress us with his superior knowledge and greater rectitude . He then recited the Apostle's Creed , after which he proceeded with the regular Rosary , the Salve Regina , and the Litany . These beautiful prayers were responded to with reverent attention , as was the long Prayer for the Dead .
The usual number of prayers had by this time been exceeded , but as yet the people showed no signs of weariness ; I pitied Old John who still knelt unmoved on the hard sandstone . Another Litany started and was completed in due course , which to us appeared a long time . I noticed Old John showing signs of disomfort ......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(10 of 16).
The British soldier hit fifteen-year-old Gerald Stewart across the face with his gun ; " Gerald started to bleed badly and he turned pale . I thought he was going to faint , so I put my arms around him to give him support , " said the diminutive Mrs. Stewart . As she stood there trying to help her son , the British soldier beat her round the face ...
Gerald Stewart had to be taken to hospital to be X-rayed and the following day Mrs. Stewart , who had'nt bothered to have her own injuries attended to , was in so much pain that she too had to be taken to hospital .
" They told me that the bone supporting my teeth had been broken so I had to have my teeth extracted - all twenty-four of them ," she said . But no amount of harrassment can dissuade Mrs. Stewart from pushing her dead son's case .......
(MORE LATER).
.......In the early 18th Century , the British named William Putnam McCabe under their 'Banishment Act' of 1697 / 1698.......
The penalty for breaking the 'Banishment Act' was to be hung , drawn and quartered . The name of 'William Putnam McCabe' was added to those on the 'Banishment Act' list but , it being an English 'law' and McCabe being an Irish Rebel , he ignored it ; in 1841 he was 'arrested' in Ireland by the Brits but was lucky - he was simply deported back to France .
Again , in 1817 , William Putnam McCabe was 'arrested' in Ireland and put in Kilmainham Jail in Dublin while the Brits decided what to do with him ; and again , he was lucky - after 18 months in Kilmainham Jail , they let him go - and , once more , deported him back to France ! He was later to be 'arrested' , for the third time , in Scotland , and , for the third time , put on a boat for France ...
At only 46 years of age , William Putnam McCabe died in Paris , France , on 6th January 1821 ; he gave 30 years of his short live to the Cause of Irish Freedom , joining the struggle when he was only 16 years young . Today , you would be hard-pressed to find any mention of the man in our history books : but the Irish Republican Movement remembers its own.......
[END of - 'WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......'].
(Tomorrow - a baby born five years after the Fenian Rising of 1867 , and five years before 'The Manchester Martyrs' were to be described by the British as "the Manchester Murderers ...." : WILLIAM ROONEY ..)
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
THE FLYING COLUMN .......
".......Sometimes at the wakes and funerals we attended , 'local politics' (ie neighbours in dispute) would have a bearing on procedure ; the man leading the prayers now was known by some as a bit of a tyrant , like Cromwell ....!"
" Hard words , no doubt ! Others held that the man was a mere sufferer of human failings , that, once set in motion , his own volition was insufficient to bring him to rest within a reasonable period of time . In any case , he had now started ...
I noticed that he prayed in the English language , although such prayers were invariably said in Irish in that district . To my left and in front of me knelt my friend Old John - he gave the responses in Irish ; Old John was nearly eighty years of age , and nobody would dream of calling him a 'humbug' . He was well known and respected as an upright man , honest and outspoken . I was soon to see his patience tested ...
Our prayer-leader started off with a prayer of his own which immediately awoke in me a sense of irritation ; I suspected , perhaps wrongly , that he wished to impress us with his superior knowledge and greater rectitude . He then recited the Apostle's Creed , after which he proceeded with the regular Rosary , the Salve Regina , and the Litany . These beautiful prayers were responded to with reverent attention , as was the long Prayer for the Dead .
The usual number of prayers had by this time been exceeded , but as yet the people showed no signs of weariness ; I pitied Old John who still knelt unmoved on the hard sandstone . Another Litany started and was completed in due course , which to us appeared a long time . I noticed Old John showing signs of disomfort ......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(10 of 16).
The British soldier hit fifteen-year-old Gerald Stewart across the face with his gun ; " Gerald started to bleed badly and he turned pale . I thought he was going to faint , so I put my arms around him to give him support , " said the diminutive Mrs. Stewart . As she stood there trying to help her son , the British soldier beat her round the face ...
Gerald Stewart had to be taken to hospital to be X-rayed and the following day Mrs. Stewart , who had'nt bothered to have her own injuries attended to , was in so much pain that she too had to be taken to hospital .
" They told me that the bone supporting my teeth had been broken so I had to have my teeth extracted - all twenty-four of them ," she said . But no amount of harrassment can dissuade Mrs. Stewart from pushing her dead son's case .......
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, May 06, 2004
WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......
.......After the 'Battle of Ballinamuck' on 8th September 1798 , and having escaped the slaughter of the Irish Rebel Army after their surrender , William Putnam McCabe made his way to Wales.......
William Putnam McCabe laid low in Wales for a number of years and , in 1801 , made his way to France ; he settled there for a while , took a wife , and became involved in the cotton trade in Rouen . But the British were wise to him and , although unable to arrest and/or confine him at that time , they done the next 'best' thing ...
...they extended their ' Banishment Act ' (of 1697), better-known at the time as ' The Bishops Banishment Act '. The 'Act' was introduced in Ireland in 1697 , its intention being - " to banish all Papists (ie Catholics) exercising any ecclesiastical jurisdiction , and regulars of the Popish Clergy , out of this Kingdom (ie the British 'Empire' , in which they included Ireland)......." , and which came into operation on 1st May , 1698.......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......When travelling our area as an IRA Column , we often attended funerals and wakes for those in the neighbourhood we were in ; they were our people ......."
" We attended a wake one night , having posted sentries . We entered the house of mourning an hour before midnight , said our prayers and sympathised with the people of the house . The old man who had died had lived to a fine old age , so, while his people and the neighbours regretted his passing , there was none of the sorrow associated with the loss of youth . We sat down among the neighbours and , in low voice , we discussed the old man's struggle with life , his triumphs and his virtues .
Soon the hour of midnight was upon us , the signal for the recitation of the Rosary . The head of the household came into the kitchen and , meeting a near neighbour , asked him to lead in the recital of the prayers ; he at once agreed to do so , and dropped on his knees . People gathered from all over the house to the kitchen or its immediate vicinity . They knelt on the floor which was covered with immense flag-stones , hard and fairly uneven . Truly a floor from which one's knees could hope for little mercy . Chairs were given to the old upon which they could rest their forearms and thus afford themselves some relief .
I had noticed that , when the leader of the prayers had accepted that position , something like a sigh of resignation had arisen from the people . It had never occured to me , at the time , that it could possibly have been a sigh of disapproval or even of despair ; for the individual selected was well known in the district as a hard taskmaster in the matter of public prayer ! Moreover , some of the more outspoken alleged that he was a mere 'humbug' , a petty dictator , a tyrant who , like Cromwell , used his long prayers as a medium of persecution......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(9 of 16).
Brian Stewart's brother Gerald was injured in an incident from which their mother did not come out unscathed -
" I was coming out of a neighbour's house when I saw Gerald standing at the corner and noticed a British Army unit walking backwards , coming from the opposite direction , " Mrs. Stewart recalls - " One of the British soldiers and Gerald collided ; next thing I saw him put his gun to Gerald's chest and he put his head up against my son's forehead . "
Terrified of what might happen , Mrs. Stewart rushed foreward and explained that what had happened was an accident . " I was told to mind my own fu**ing business , but I replied that it was very much my business , one of my sons had already been killed and I did'nt want to see another injured . " (At the time , Gerald was fifteen.) The British soldier's answer to Mrs. Stewart was - " We did'nt kill half enough of them " and with that he hit Gerald across the face with his gun .......
(MORE LATER).
.......After the 'Battle of Ballinamuck' on 8th September 1798 , and having escaped the slaughter of the Irish Rebel Army after their surrender , William Putnam McCabe made his way to Wales.......
William Putnam McCabe laid low in Wales for a number of years and , in 1801 , made his way to France ; he settled there for a while , took a wife , and became involved in the cotton trade in Rouen . But the British were wise to him and , although unable to arrest and/or confine him at that time , they done the next 'best' thing ...
...they extended their ' Banishment Act ' (of 1697), better-known at the time as ' The Bishops Banishment Act '. The 'Act' was introduced in Ireland in 1697 , its intention being - " to banish all Papists (ie Catholics) exercising any ecclesiastical jurisdiction , and regulars of the Popish Clergy , out of this Kingdom (ie the British 'Empire' , in which they included Ireland)......." , and which came into operation on 1st May , 1698.......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......When travelling our area as an IRA Column , we often attended funerals and wakes for those in the neighbourhood we were in ; they were our people ......."
" We attended a wake one night , having posted sentries . We entered the house of mourning an hour before midnight , said our prayers and sympathised with the people of the house . The old man who had died had lived to a fine old age , so, while his people and the neighbours regretted his passing , there was none of the sorrow associated with the loss of youth . We sat down among the neighbours and , in low voice , we discussed the old man's struggle with life , his triumphs and his virtues .
Soon the hour of midnight was upon us , the signal for the recitation of the Rosary . The head of the household came into the kitchen and , meeting a near neighbour , asked him to lead in the recital of the prayers ; he at once agreed to do so , and dropped on his knees . People gathered from all over the house to the kitchen or its immediate vicinity . They knelt on the floor which was covered with immense flag-stones , hard and fairly uneven . Truly a floor from which one's knees could hope for little mercy . Chairs were given to the old upon which they could rest their forearms and thus afford themselves some relief .
I had noticed that , when the leader of the prayers had accepted that position , something like a sigh of resignation had arisen from the people . It had never occured to me , at the time , that it could possibly have been a sigh of disapproval or even of despair ; for the individual selected was well known in the district as a hard taskmaster in the matter of public prayer ! Moreover , some of the more outspoken alleged that he was a mere 'humbug' , a petty dictator , a tyrant who , like Cromwell , used his long prayers as a medium of persecution......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(9 of 16).
Brian Stewart's brother Gerald was injured in an incident from which their mother did not come out unscathed -
" I was coming out of a neighbour's house when I saw Gerald standing at the corner and noticed a British Army unit walking backwards , coming from the opposite direction , " Mrs. Stewart recalls - " One of the British soldiers and Gerald collided ; next thing I saw him put his gun to Gerald's chest and he put his head up against my son's forehead . "
Terrified of what might happen , Mrs. Stewart rushed foreward and explained that what had happened was an accident . " I was told to mind my own fu**ing business , but I replied that it was very much my business , one of my sons had already been killed and I did'nt want to see another injured . " (At the time , Gerald was fifteen.) The British soldier's answer to Mrs. Stewart was - " We did'nt kill half enough of them " and with that he hit Gerald across the face with his gun .......
(MORE LATER).
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......
....... 8th September , 1798 ; William Putnam McCabe was in County Longford with General Joseph Amable Humbert and an Irish Rebel Army , several-hundred strong : the 'Battle of Ballinamuck' was on .......
In Ballinamuck , the estimated 800-strong Irish Rebel Army were attacked three times by the militarily superior British troops , and each time turned them back . However , when the Brits re-grouped and charged for a fourth time , they gained the upper-hand ; Humbert , thirty-one years of age , ordered his fighters to retreat , while he prepared to surrender .
The British Officer he conversed with , British General Lake (who was actually Second-in-Command to British Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief , 'Lord' Cornwallis), accepted General Humbert's surrender , but sent his British troops on horse-back at full gallop through the ranks of the exhausted Irish Rebel Army , cutting them down with swords .
The remnants of Humbert's Army fled into nearby fields and bogs to escape the butchery but , over the following few days , they were hunted down in their hiding places and put to the sword .......
Once again , William Putnam McCabe made good his escape , and made his way to Wales .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......On his way home from his neighbours house , Johnny Lynch was again stopped by the Brits and questioned . He told them that their Major had let him go a few hours earlier , but they said they did'nt care about that ......."
" They told Johnny to follow them ; he did so , and after a time they released him . He again faced for home but was taken hostage again , by a new group . This particular British Company did not display any interest in his movements up to that time , but were deeply concerned about the welfare of the big handsome dog ! They said the "poor blighter" was hungry and should be fed , and set about doing so with generous portions of their rations . Some of the Brits said the dog was not fat enough for his size , and should be fattened up immediately , while others alleged that he was too fat ....
When the dog could eat no more , they released Johnny and , with great reluctance , the dog .
One's thoughts travel back along the roads and paths we used to know so well as we moved here and there among the people . In reality it meant only moving from one home to another ; very often , the people we stayed with had sons in our Column , or in the Volunteers in general , or daughters in Cumann na mBan . But in any case we were always welcome , and they gave us what they often denied themselves . If we happened to stay in a glen or valley for even three or four days , the young people , boys and girls , organised a dance or concert in our honour . If there was a wake or funeral we always attended , if the opportunity was favourable . In short , we belonged to the people .
One night a group of us attended a wake in one of our favourite glens ; sentries had been posted for the night , and the danger of surprise was very little ......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(8 of 16).
17-years-young Mairead Stewart was arrested by the British Army - " She was taken to Castlereagh Station where she was told that a member of the Maguire family had been hanged and the same would be done to her . " ( Officially , the prisoner committed suicide , but others were also told that the hanging was not done by the persons own hand ...) " Other dreadful things were said and done to her , but she was so upset that she could'nt even tell us about it , " said Mrs. Stewart .
As a consequence of her arrest , Mairead Stewart attempted to commit suicide ; four years after Brian died , Mrs. Stewart's son , Gerald , was injured in an incident from which the mother did not come out unscathed .......
(MORE LATER).
....... 8th September , 1798 ; William Putnam McCabe was in County Longford with General Joseph Amable Humbert and an Irish Rebel Army , several-hundred strong : the 'Battle of Ballinamuck' was on .......
In Ballinamuck , the estimated 800-strong Irish Rebel Army were attacked three times by the militarily superior British troops , and each time turned them back . However , when the Brits re-grouped and charged for a fourth time , they gained the upper-hand ; Humbert , thirty-one years of age , ordered his fighters to retreat , while he prepared to surrender .
The British Officer he conversed with , British General Lake (who was actually Second-in-Command to British Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief , 'Lord' Cornwallis), accepted General Humbert's surrender , but sent his British troops on horse-back at full gallop through the ranks of the exhausted Irish Rebel Army , cutting them down with swords .
The remnants of Humbert's Army fled into nearby fields and bogs to escape the butchery but , over the following few days , they were hunted down in their hiding places and put to the sword .......
Once again , William Putnam McCabe made good his escape , and made his way to Wales .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......On his way home from his neighbours house , Johnny Lynch was again stopped by the Brits and questioned . He told them that their Major had let him go a few hours earlier , but they said they did'nt care about that ......."
" They told Johnny to follow them ; he did so , and after a time they released him . He again faced for home but was taken hostage again , by a new group . This particular British Company did not display any interest in his movements up to that time , but were deeply concerned about the welfare of the big handsome dog ! They said the "poor blighter" was hungry and should be fed , and set about doing so with generous portions of their rations . Some of the Brits said the dog was not fat enough for his size , and should be fattened up immediately , while others alleged that he was too fat ....
When the dog could eat no more , they released Johnny and , with great reluctance , the dog .
One's thoughts travel back along the roads and paths we used to know so well as we moved here and there among the people . In reality it meant only moving from one home to another ; very often , the people we stayed with had sons in our Column , or in the Volunteers in general , or daughters in Cumann na mBan . But in any case we were always welcome , and they gave us what they often denied themselves . If we happened to stay in a glen or valley for even three or four days , the young people , boys and girls , organised a dance or concert in our honour . If there was a wake or funeral we always attended , if the opportunity was favourable . In short , we belonged to the people .
One night a group of us attended a wake in one of our favourite glens ; sentries had been posted for the night , and the danger of surprise was very little ......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(8 of 16).
17-years-young Mairead Stewart was arrested by the British Army - " She was taken to Castlereagh Station where she was told that a member of the Maguire family had been hanged and the same would be done to her . " ( Officially , the prisoner committed suicide , but others were also told that the hanging was not done by the persons own hand ...) " Other dreadful things were said and done to her , but she was so upset that she could'nt even tell us about it , " said Mrs. Stewart .
As a consequence of her arrest , Mairead Stewart attempted to commit suicide ; four years after Brian died , Mrs. Stewart's son , Gerald , was injured in an incident from which the mother did not come out unscathed .......
(MORE LATER).
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......
.......the United Irishmen Rising was to begin on the 23rd May , 1798 ; only days before that date , however , William Putnam McCabe and the Rebel British 'Lord' , Edward Fitzgerald , were 'arrested' by a Scottish Guard unit of the English Army - but McCabe talked his way out of it and went on his way .......
When the Rising took place that month (ie 23rd May , 1798), William Putnam McCabe was in Wexford , working alongside another Irish Rebel , Robert Graham , attempting to organise their members to join the fight . However , before the Wexford fighters could get properly organised , word came through that the Rebels in Dublin and Wicklow had lost the fight ; McCabe made his way to Mayo and assisted the Rebel Army there , under the command of General Joseph Amable Humbert .
The Rebels put English Troops in Castlebar on the run but , by now , the Brits were " restoring law and order " in the rest of the country ; it has been said that , of the estimated 50,000 people that died in the 1798 Rising , more than half were put to death in 'cold blood' .
General Humbert and his Rebels , including William Putnam McCabe , continued their fight with the English and , on 8th September , 1798 , they were involved in a bloody engagement in the town of Ballinamuck , County Longford .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
"....... Johnny Lynch and his neighbour were taken by a British Army Officer to ask the British Major if Johnny could have a few minutes to attend to his cows before he was to be led away as a hostage ....... "
" The Brit Officer explained to his Major that the captive was using the ground-sheet as shelter against the rain , and put it to his boss that the man had some farm work to attend to ; the British Army Major agreed to allow Johnny to go home - the Brit Officer and Johnny returned to the group on the road and , as they moved off , the neighbour , now a hostage , asked Johnny to take his horse home when he got a chance of doing so . Johnny assured him that it would be done .
Returning home , he drove the cows up the hill behind the house ; on the way , he passed a Lewis-Gun section of the British Auxies - they challenged him , asking him how he was allowed up there . He replied that he had got permission from their Major , so they motioned him on . On his way down , impelled by curiosity to get a closer view of the gun position , he passed nearer to the group .... " If I were you , I would keep away " , the Brit said to him . Without comment , Johnny moved on past that treacherous crowd and soon reached his house . Untying the neighbours horse , he sat in the car and drove him home . The big dog followed him ; his road was down the glen which was dotted with groups of British military and Auxiliaries . He was not molested until he had disposed of the horse and had started to make his way home .
Despite his best endeavours he could not avoid meeting an armed British group ; they immediately questioned him . Johnny told them that he had been released by their Major , but they said that made no difference to them ....... "
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(7 of 16).
It has been a long hard grind for Mrs. Stewart and her family : " Our house is constantly raided and I don't know what for , they never find anything , " she says , " we can bet on the house being overturned on my birthday and on Brian's anniversary , every year . " That has been the least of her worries , though ...
...Shortly after Brian's death and after Mrs. Stewart had made it known that she did'nt intend letting the matter rest , her then 17-year-old daughter Mairead was arrested .......
(MORE LATER).
.......the United Irishmen Rising was to begin on the 23rd May , 1798 ; only days before that date , however , William Putnam McCabe and the Rebel British 'Lord' , Edward Fitzgerald , were 'arrested' by a Scottish Guard unit of the English Army - but McCabe talked his way out of it and went on his way .......
When the Rising took place that month (ie 23rd May , 1798), William Putnam McCabe was in Wexford , working alongside another Irish Rebel , Robert Graham , attempting to organise their members to join the fight . However , before the Wexford fighters could get properly organised , word came through that the Rebels in Dublin and Wicklow had lost the fight ; McCabe made his way to Mayo and assisted the Rebel Army there , under the command of General Joseph Amable Humbert .
The Rebels put English Troops in Castlebar on the run but , by now , the Brits were " restoring law and order " in the rest of the country ; it has been said that , of the estimated 50,000 people that died in the 1798 Rising , more than half were put to death in 'cold blood' .
General Humbert and his Rebels , including William Putnam McCabe , continued their fight with the English and , on 8th September , 1798 , they were involved in a bloody engagement in the town of Ballinamuck , County Longford .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
"....... Johnny Lynch and his neighbour were taken by a British Army Officer to ask the British Major if Johnny could have a few minutes to attend to his cows before he was to be led away as a hostage ....... "
" The Brit Officer explained to his Major that the captive was using the ground-sheet as shelter against the rain , and put it to his boss that the man had some farm work to attend to ; the British Army Major agreed to allow Johnny to go home - the Brit Officer and Johnny returned to the group on the road and , as they moved off , the neighbour , now a hostage , asked Johnny to take his horse home when he got a chance of doing so . Johnny assured him that it would be done .
Returning home , he drove the cows up the hill behind the house ; on the way , he passed a Lewis-Gun section of the British Auxies - they challenged him , asking him how he was allowed up there . He replied that he had got permission from their Major , so they motioned him on . On his way down , impelled by curiosity to get a closer view of the gun position , he passed nearer to the group .... " If I were you , I would keep away " , the Brit said to him . Without comment , Johnny moved on past that treacherous crowd and soon reached his house . Untying the neighbours horse , he sat in the car and drove him home . The big dog followed him ; his road was down the glen which was dotted with groups of British military and Auxiliaries . He was not molested until he had disposed of the horse and had started to make his way home .
Despite his best endeavours he could not avoid meeting an armed British group ; they immediately questioned him . Johnny told them that he had been released by their Major , but they said that made no difference to them ....... "
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(7 of 16).
It has been a long hard grind for Mrs. Stewart and her family : " Our house is constantly raided and I don't know what for , they never find anything , " she says , " we can bet on the house being overturned on my birthday and on Brian's anniversary , every year . " That has been the least of her worries , though ...
...Shortly after Brian's death and after Mrs. Stewart had made it known that she did'nt intend letting the matter rest , her then 17-year-old daughter Mairead was arrested .......
(MORE LATER).
Monday, May 03, 2004
WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......
....... In 1791 , at 16 years young , William Putnam McCabe joined the 'United Irishmen' organisation at its inaugural meeting in Belfast in October that year .......
At 23 years of age (in 1798), he was already a veteran in Irish Republican circles ; he was known in Counties Leitrim , Roscommon and Wexford , where he had worked for the United Irishmen as an 'Organiser' , and was a member of that organisations ' Leinster Executive ' .
He was one of the few prominent United Irishmen to escape arrest in March 1798 , when Oliver Bond's home was raided by the British . However , in May that same year (ie 1798) , now a wanted man , he was stopped by English troops ( members of the 'Scottish Guards') who were after a man in his company - 'Lord' Edward Fitzgerald , a radical British Aristocrat and one of the leaders of the United Irishmen ...
... McCabe was 'arrested' by the English troops but managed to convince them that he , too , was from Scotland and was not one of the men they were after - he was released ! That was in May 1798 ; only days before the United Irishmen Rising was due to take place .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
"....... the British Auxiliaries from Macroom were in Carraig Ban looking for our IRA Column ; a local man , Johnny Lynch , was in the kitchen of his house when his dog started barking in the yard outside ....... "
" Fearing that the dog would attack some visitor , Johnny hastened out ; a tall man , armed with rifle and revolver and wearing a trench coat , was coming downhill to the house . The dog was disputing the ground with him ; Johnny called off the dog and waited , the while he tried to assess the identity of the stranger . The man wore a Glengarry cap but that alone did not condemn him , as it was known that IRA men wore them too . Johnny was smiling as the man drew near ; the man spoke - and Johnny knew he was a British Auxiliary : " Come along with me " , he said , " And stop that dog . You come too " , he shouted at Johnny's neighbour , who had come to the farmhouse door .
The three men went down to the road where they met a group of Auxiliaries ; a British Officer questioned both Johnny and his neighbour - he told them he would take them both as hostages for the day . Johnny said he did not mind going with them if he got a little time to release the cows from their stalls , as there was no one at home to do so . The Brit Officer said he should ask the Major , and perhaps he would allow Johnny to remain at home , but the neighbour should go with the group . He took Johnny with him to find the Major . As they went uphill away from the house , it started to rain - Johnny had no coat and the British Officer fastened a ground sheet around his shoulders ; it was a kindly act , which belied a gruff manner and rough exterior .
Soon they met the Major with another group ; he spoke roughly to Johnny - " Who are you , and where did you get that ground sheet ...? "
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(6 of 16).
British Army Major Tom Sewell gave 'evidence' in court about the day 12 years young Brian Stewart was killed by a British Army Plastic Bullet ; Major Sewell never mentioned the ' mob of 400 ' . He told the Judge that Brian Stewart had been with a group of fifteen youths and he was not the target - the British troops had meant to hit a " taller youth wearing a striped blue and white jumper . " None of the witnesses had seen this youth . However , the Judge chose to believe the British Army's version of events .
" There certainly was a riot in the Turf Lodge that night , but it was after Brian had been shot , not before , and the reason it was held was because of his shooting , " said Mrs. Stewart . Since the court decision , Mrs. Stewart has devoted much of her time to clearing her son's name .
At the moment she is preparing a case for the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg where she hopes the truth will finally be brought into the open .......
(MORE LATER).
....... In 1791 , at 16 years young , William Putnam McCabe joined the 'United Irishmen' organisation at its inaugural meeting in Belfast in October that year .......
At 23 years of age (in 1798), he was already a veteran in Irish Republican circles ; he was known in Counties Leitrim , Roscommon and Wexford , where he had worked for the United Irishmen as an 'Organiser' , and was a member of that organisations ' Leinster Executive ' .
He was one of the few prominent United Irishmen to escape arrest in March 1798 , when Oliver Bond's home was raided by the British . However , in May that same year (ie 1798) , now a wanted man , he was stopped by English troops ( members of the 'Scottish Guards') who were after a man in his company - 'Lord' Edward Fitzgerald , a radical British Aristocrat and one of the leaders of the United Irishmen ...
... McCabe was 'arrested' by the English troops but managed to convince them that he , too , was from Scotland and was not one of the men they were after - he was released ! That was in May 1798 ; only days before the United Irishmen Rising was due to take place .......
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
"....... the British Auxiliaries from Macroom were in Carraig Ban looking for our IRA Column ; a local man , Johnny Lynch , was in the kitchen of his house when his dog started barking in the yard outside ....... "
" Fearing that the dog would attack some visitor , Johnny hastened out ; a tall man , armed with rifle and revolver and wearing a trench coat , was coming downhill to the house . The dog was disputing the ground with him ; Johnny called off the dog and waited , the while he tried to assess the identity of the stranger . The man wore a Glengarry cap but that alone did not condemn him , as it was known that IRA men wore them too . Johnny was smiling as the man drew near ; the man spoke - and Johnny knew he was a British Auxiliary : " Come along with me " , he said , " And stop that dog . You come too " , he shouted at Johnny's neighbour , who had come to the farmhouse door .
The three men went down to the road where they met a group of Auxiliaries ; a British Officer questioned both Johnny and his neighbour - he told them he would take them both as hostages for the day . Johnny said he did not mind going with them if he got a little time to release the cows from their stalls , as there was no one at home to do so . The Brit Officer said he should ask the Major , and perhaps he would allow Johnny to remain at home , but the neighbour should go with the group . He took Johnny with him to find the Major . As they went uphill away from the house , it started to rain - Johnny had no coat and the British Officer fastened a ground sheet around his shoulders ; it was a kindly act , which belied a gruff manner and rough exterior .
Soon they met the Major with another group ; he spoke roughly to Johnny - " Who are you , and where did you get that ground sheet ...? "
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(6 of 16).
British Army Major Tom Sewell gave 'evidence' in court about the day 12 years young Brian Stewart was killed by a British Army Plastic Bullet ; Major Sewell never mentioned the ' mob of 400 ' . He told the Judge that Brian Stewart had been with a group of fifteen youths and he was not the target - the British troops had meant to hit a " taller youth wearing a striped blue and white jumper . " None of the witnesses had seen this youth . However , the Judge chose to believe the British Army's version of events .
" There certainly was a riot in the Turf Lodge that night , but it was after Brian had been shot , not before , and the reason it was held was because of his shooting , " said Mrs. Stewart . Since the court decision , Mrs. Stewart has devoted much of her time to clearing her son's name .
At the moment she is preparing a case for the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg where she hopes the truth will finally be brought into the open .......
(MORE LATER).
Sunday, May 02, 2004
WILLIAM PUTNAM McCABE : 1775 - 1821 ; A Determined Irish Rebel .......
....... Ireland , 18th Century ; " Burn everything English except their coal " , so said Jonathan Swift ; the ' Whiteboys ' were fighting-back against the English 'landlords' , the 'Penal Laws' were in operation and William Pitt , the then British Prime Minister , had no time for the Irish . He had this to say ......."
In January 1799 , William Pitt took to the floor in the British House Of 'Commons' and declared -
- " Ireland is subject to great and deplorable evils which have a deep root , for they lie in the situation of the country itself ; in the present character , manner and habits of the inhabitants , in their want of intelligence or , in other words , their ignorance . In its religious distinctions , in the rancour which bigotry engenders and which superstition rears and cherishes . "
(So - its all our own fault ; we're just too thick to understand the 'benefits' of British mis-rule !) Between the time of the ' Whiteboys ' and Pitt's "ignorant Irish" speech , a baby , William Putnam McCabe , was born in Belfast (in 1775). At 16 years young , he joined the ' United Irishmen ' at its inaugural meeting in Belfast in October 1791 , at which Theobald Wolfe Tone was present .
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......We got back to our base and found that the two girls of the house had managed to conceal our two cars from the British troops that had searched the area . But we were left amazed that the Brits had not noticed the car tracks ......."
" We could not explain why the British troops had not twigged the fact that the car tracks led to a small mountain of furze ! That the tracks were there , plain to be seen from the main road to the yard is beyond doubt ; and what is equally certain is that no question was asked about them !
However , there was no mystery about the enemy's early morning descent on Carrig Ban . Arrangements had long been made for a concentric and overwhelming attack on our Column - it had already been tried at Coolnacahera with dire results for the British Auxiliaries of Macroom . Now every British garrison had been waiting for the word which would give it the exact location of its target . That word got to them ....
... " Carraig Ban , Ballingeary " : the enemy's machinery worked swiftly and smoothly , but our IRA Brigadier caused their well-laid scheme to go 'agley' . We had hardly reached Carraig Ban when he ordered off a group of local IRA Volunteers to block the Pass of Ceimaneigh - early in the morning , enemy forces from Bantry were still vainly trying to break through the Pass when they should have been in position above Carraig Ban to 'greet' us as we toiled up the hill !
The Auxiliaries from Macroom passed through Renaniree and Beal a' Ghleanna early in the morning . Meeting with people on the way , they inquired for the road to Carraig Ban ; they got the reply that there was no such place ! Nevertheless , they pushed on to the place indicated on their map . Johnny Lynch of Beal a' Ghleanna was in his kitchen talking to a neighbour who had brought a horse and cart for some piece of farm machinery ; Johnny had a huge dog which started to bark furiously in the yard ......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(5 of 16).
At the inquest into the death of Brian Stewart , the coroner decided - despite the evidence of many witnesses - that a riot had been taking place at the time of Brian's death and no action was taken against any member of the British Army : plastic bullets were introduced for use during riots only .
Consequently , in order to clear her son's name , Mrs. Stewart took a Civil Action against the British Minister for Defence , for negligence . British Army Major Tom Sewell , who appeared on television on the night Brian was shot justifying the British Army's action by stating that Brian Stewart was a ringleader in a rioting mob of 400 people , gave evidence at the case .......
(MORE LATER).
....... Ireland , 18th Century ; " Burn everything English except their coal " , so said Jonathan Swift ; the ' Whiteboys ' were fighting-back against the English 'landlords' , the 'Penal Laws' were in operation and William Pitt , the then British Prime Minister , had no time for the Irish . He had this to say ......."
In January 1799 , William Pitt took to the floor in the British House Of 'Commons' and declared -
- " Ireland is subject to great and deplorable evils which have a deep root , for they lie in the situation of the country itself ; in the present character , manner and habits of the inhabitants , in their want of intelligence or , in other words , their ignorance . In its religious distinctions , in the rancour which bigotry engenders and which superstition rears and cherishes . "
(So - its all our own fault ; we're just too thick to understand the 'benefits' of British mis-rule !) Between the time of the ' Whiteboys ' and Pitt's "ignorant Irish" speech , a baby , William Putnam McCabe , was born in Belfast (in 1775). At 16 years young , he joined the ' United Irishmen ' at its inaugural meeting in Belfast in October 1791 , at which Theobald Wolfe Tone was present .
(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 FLYING COLUMN .......
".......We got back to our base and found that the two girls of the house had managed to conceal our two cars from the British troops that had searched the area . But we were left amazed that the Brits had not noticed the car tracks ......."
" We could not explain why the British troops had not twigged the fact that the car tracks led to a small mountain of furze ! That the tracks were there , plain to be seen from the main road to the yard is beyond doubt ; and what is equally certain is that no question was asked about them !
However , there was no mystery about the enemy's early morning descent on Carrig Ban . Arrangements had long been made for a concentric and overwhelming attack on our Column - it had already been tried at Coolnacahera with dire results for the British Auxiliaries of Macroom . Now every British garrison had been waiting for the word which would give it the exact location of its target . That word got to them ....
... " Carraig Ban , Ballingeary " : the enemy's machinery worked swiftly and smoothly , but our IRA Brigadier caused their well-laid scheme to go 'agley' . We had hardly reached Carraig Ban when he ordered off a group of local IRA Volunteers to block the Pass of Ceimaneigh - early in the morning , enemy forces from Bantry were still vainly trying to break through the Pass when they should have been in position above Carraig Ban to 'greet' us as we toiled up the hill !
The Auxiliaries from Macroom passed through Renaniree and Beal a' Ghleanna early in the morning . Meeting with people on the way , they inquired for the road to Carraig Ban ; they got the reply that there was no such place ! Nevertheless , they pushed on to the place indicated on their map . Johnny Lynch of Beal a' Ghleanna was in his kitchen talking to a neighbour who had brought a horse and cart for some piece of farm machinery ; Johnny had a huge dog which started to bark furiously in the yard ......."
(MORE LATER).
PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......
' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '
From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .
Reproduced here in 16 parts .
(5 of 16).
At the inquest into the death of Brian Stewart , the coroner decided - despite the evidence of many witnesses - that a riot had been taking place at the time of Brian's death and no action was taken against any member of the British Army : plastic bullets were introduced for use during riots only .
Consequently , in order to clear her son's name , Mrs. Stewart took a Civil Action against the British Minister for Defence , for negligence . British Army Major Tom Sewell , who appeared on television on the night Brian was shot justifying the British Army's action by stating that Brian Stewart was a ringleader in a rioting mob of 400 people , gave evidence at the case .......
(MORE LATER).
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