Murderers of William Blood in Corofin executed (1832)

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Paddy Casey
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Murderers of William Blood in Corofin executed (1832)

Post by Paddy Casey » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:52 am

The Belfast News-Letter (Belfast, Ireland), Tuesday, March 6, 1832 reports that the murderers of William Blood in Corofin were executed in in public in Corofin in sight of Applevale, the place of the murder*. The condemned were Michael and George Casey, John Burke and John Brody. Fittingly, heir bodies were given for dissection.

See also http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... levale.htm for a synopsis of these events. It seems that another two individuals, Pat Connors and another (possibly Cullinan - see facsimile of the newspaper report), had been hanged several months earlier for the same crime.

We are told that soon afterwards the Terry Alts became a spent force.

* The exact date of these hangings is not clear. The newspaper report of the assizes of February 28 is dated 6-Mar-1832 and states that "....they were sentenced to be executed on Thursday..." and, later, ".....the murderers.....were executed on Thursday".
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Sduddy
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Re: Murderers of William Blood in Corofin executed (1832)

Post by Sduddy » Mon Jul 18, 2016 7:20 pm

Here is my transcription of an article published in the Londonderry Sentinel, of 27th April, 1833 - it refers to the activities of the Terry Alts, and to the Caseys, among others -
Sheila

Treatment of Itinerant Protestant Preachers in Ireland (From the London Patriot)

On the 20th of February we published, under the head Ireland, the correspondence between the Rev. Patrick O’Gorman, Roman Catholic Parish Priest of Rath, and Sir W Gossett, Private Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on the ill-treatment of two itinerant preachers. A correspondent at Scarborough, having requested us to obtain a more detailed account of the transaction, we applied to the Rev. Joseph Ivimey, Secretary to the Baptist Irish Society, for the wished for information, and he has obligingly furnished us with the following letter, which contains a minute account of the attack, and some curious information relating to the parties who signed the memorial against the Preachers, which was presented to the Irish Government: -

Sir – I was from home when your letter of the 2nd came to hand, and were it not for that circumstance, and my very severe illness, occasioned by excessive fatigue and cold, it should have been answered sooner. Mr. Synge has not been at Carhue for some time past, and consequently was not there when the itinerant preachers were maltreated. The following is Mr. Wilson’s account of the affair, in his own words:-

“Some time ago one of Mr. Synge’s tenants died; he was an old man, of the name of Kenny; his family is reckoned as a very powerful faction in this neighbourhood. He had a remarkably large funeral, to which people were collected from all the country round. I had not been aware that he was to be buried in Rath, until I saw the crowd passing the house, making a noise according to their manner. I went over to the old Church of Rath, to which the funeral was proceeding by a more circuitous course. I had with me a very dear friend, J. B. Ring, a young man who came here some time before me, and who is at present in Dublin. I was somewhat weak in health at the time, but when I saw the vast concourse of people, I felt persuaded that many of them might never have another opportunity of hearing the word of the truth of the Gospel. I saw it to be my duty to attempt to show unto them the way of life. I had made no arrangement, even with my friend who had accompanied me, as to how or whether I should speak. I had no means of defence prepared against ill-disposed persons, of whom there were not a few present, but I knew that if the Lord had work for me to do, he was able to keep me for it. I accordingly pulled out my Bible, and taking my stand upon some stones that covered a grave, I commenced reading the 11th chapter of John. I had only, however, gone to read of Jesus’ love to Lazarus, when the hatred of Satan became manifest in his children. One came behind me and caught me by the side of the head, saying they would have none of my reading there. Another attacked me on the right hand, saying I should not stand there; he was, I am told, a Carmelite. Immediately a great many of them rushed upon me from all quarters, and fists, feet, and staves were in full play on me. As soon as I was attacked, my friend Ring sprang forward to rescue me from danger, and by friends and foes I was dragged a considerable way over the rough graves, yet lost not my footing. A number of friends were mingled with my enemies, who endeavoured to interpose themselves between me and the blows. One of the female members of our little Church here, got into the crowd, and threw her cloak about me, and would not be separated from me, so that in beating me, they would have been obliged to injure her. By this time my friend Ring was separated from me, and had met with a separate attack; he had got a violent blow on the head, which, perhaps, stunned hm for the moment, but as soon as possible he was again at my side. Matters went on too smartly for me to take particular notice of all that occurred; but in the midst of all the confusion my mind was calm, trusting in the Lord. I felt as if it would be most sweet to die for Jesus, and was sensible of having no malice towards the poor deluded people, but the most earnest desire to testify to them of the love of God: for this purpose I made several efforts to stay, but was hurried off without being given any further opportunity. The crowd did not follow those that conveyed me away. The police, so much spoken of in connection with this affair, did not at all appear therein; not one of them did I see until after reaching home, and they have never been once called out to our assistance. The interpretation put upon Sir William Gossett’s letter, by the multitude, is just likely to be, ‘Take ye these men and murder them.’ The following is a list of the names of the memorialists which was taken from the memorial in the Chief Secretary’s Office, Dublin, and Mr. Wilson’s remarks on the apparent characters of some of them: -
P. O’Gorman, R.C. Rector of Rath, Thomas Houlahan, Thomas Gorman, Thomas Fitzgibbon, James Roche, Pat Houlahan, Pat Howley, John Corry, John Gorman, John Carey, William Edwards, John Howley, Patrick Mye, Bat. Mye, John Neylon, Thomas Houlahan, John Fitzgerald, Patt Moran, Edmund Conway, Terence Conway, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Edward Callinan[?], R.C. Curate of Dysart, Thady Curtin, Tim. Houlahan, Michael Hanrahan, Michael Considine, Thomas Barry, Francis Barry, Michael – (I could not decipher this man’s last name), Michael Keating, Michael Mackey, Robert Brialey, Patrick Mackey, John Hogan, Morty Hogan, Connor Moran, Billy Stephens, Pat. M[e?]rnan, John Lanigan, R.C. Curate of Rath, J.C. Gorman, R.C. Curate, Constance Curtin, P.P.
“There are three of the individuals, who have been mentioned above, nearly related to Priest Curtin. The Conways, whose names are the 19th and 20th on the list, are married to his sisters; and Thady Curtin (23rd) is his brother. This man was in gaol for about eight months, in the year 1826, for having headed a large party of midnight marauders, who attacked the house of Mr. Synge, with a view of taking away his life; but there was no conviction, in consequence of the approver having refused to prosecute his information at the assizes, and Thady Curtin, therefore, with many others, escaped punishment. He (T. Curtin) and his brother, the Priest, live in one house, and it was in their barn that the arms with which Mr. Synge was fired at, and his servant killed, were concealed the night before that dreadful occurrence. This was sworn to by the prosecutor. It is also confidently rumoured that he (Thady Curtin) was a subscriber to the fund which was raised for getting Mr. Synge shot. Thomas Houlahan (either the 2d or the 16th on the list) is strongly suspected of having been the chief conspirator in the murder of his landlord, the late Mr. W. Blood, of Applevale. It is said that he and others had played a game of cards, to know who should go to commit the murder; that he was one of the persons upon whom the lot fell; and that he gave one of the Caseys a pound for going in his place, lest he should be known at Mr. Blood’s; and so strongly did the gentlemen of the place believe this statement, that it was in his field quite close to his house, the murderers were ordered to be hung. One of them (the poor fellow who took the pound) cried out, when passing his (Houlahan’s) door. ‘O’ are ye bringing me by the murderer’s door?’ At these words the Priest took him by the head and pulled it down, lest he should say more. William Edwards (11th) is quite a young boy, whose father and brothers might have signed the memorial if they considered it a fit thing so to do. John Fitzgerald (17th) is the father of one of a gang who committed burglary and robbery, in connection with insurrection, for which he has been transported. Patt and Connor Moran (18th and 36th) are brothers: it was in the house of one of them the noted murderer, George Casey, was found concealed.”

The foregoing records of character were taken, by Mr. Wilson, from record books, as kept by the police. Capt. Gordon had written to Mr. Wilson, and so has also the Rev. J. McCrea, of Dublin, for information on the subject. Messrs. Wilson and Ring were sent to preach the Gospel at Carhue and in that neighbourhood, by F. Synge, Esq. and are unconnected with any Society. Persecutions of this kind are not singular in this country. – Myself had been flogged with a horsewhip, in the town of Ennis, by Priest Murphy, since dead, the person to whose baneful influence over the minds of many, Mr. Synge and many other attribute the murder of his servant and the shooting of himself. He (Mr. S.) told me a few days ago, that there were two or three balls yet in him, and it is well known that himself would have been killed, were it not for the Bible which stopped the ball. – I also received a blow of a stone just immediately over the leaf of my hat, and had it struck me an inch lower, it would probably have killed me; and was also frequently waylaid by ruffians, from whom I have been mercifully delivered, and also sustained great temporal loss by the persecution raised against me at Newmarket and Fergus. John Malony, one of the Baptist Society’s readers, was waylaid last month at Crockopile, near Cappamore, in the county of Tipperary, by six men, who beat him most dreadfully, danced upon his body, and left him as dead. John Nash and the Carthys (readers of our Society) were wickedly and cruelly dealt with; as also Gunning, and others too numerous to mention. British Protestants have no idea of what Irish Popery is – in England, Popery barks like a dog that is afraid to make much noise, but in Ireland it roars like a tiger, and is rampant as a lion. I often lamented the want of a society such as you mentioned in your letter, viz., “A British Protestant Society for Protecting Religious Liberty in Ireland,” and anxiously hope to see it established ere long. I am very much delighted to hear that your health is improved; may the Lord establish and preserve it. My Christian love to you and Mrs. Ivimey, in which Mrs. Thomas unites. Remember me affectionately to Mr. Pritchard, and all dear friends and brethren. Ever yours, in truth and affection, W.M. Thomas.

Limerick, March 28th, 1833.

The article is in the top right corner of the page - attached.

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