Thank you for providing the link to Burke’s Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, it is interesting that both one son and grandson of Maccon MacNamara were named Sheedy MacNamara. I'm not so sure about your comment that the family history of James Dillon McNamara of Ayle will provide no help in solving the mystery of the missing Civil War soldier Thomas McNamara of Glandree.
And thanks for the conversion rate between Irish and English acres as well as between acres / roods / perches. I had seen "rood" and "perch" but never knew what they meant in relationship to acres. If my new understanding is correct, the lands of James McNamara at Ayle Upper were 22 perches shy of 140 acres.
With regards to the American newspaper article that you provided on the "Feakle Outrage" from Sharon's original posting, this provides an excellent example of why it is always good to obtain multiple sources. The British, as well as the Irish newspapers based out of Dublin, often reported the news out of distant County Clare incorrectly. Especially with the reporting of an "outrage" it appears that their correspondents were quick to make things up for a sensational headline. Often later reports would correct the initial mistaken reporting. American newspapers appear to have often copied the incorrect reporting coming out of England and Ireland. The Atlanta Constitution article of March 14th certainly had multiple mistakes:
This information appears to have been copied from the English papers, published only days after the Feakle attacks on the late Saturday evening of the 25th of February, such as the one below:This case is exactly similar to the shooting of farmer MORONEY a fortnight ago, when an armed party attacked his house, shot him through the legs, stabbed one of his sons, and shot another son.
Mr. Moroney of Leighort in Feakle was indeed shot in the leg, but his sons were not injured. Michael Moroney and Catherine Doyle were married at Feakle in February 1870, their six children were all very young in 1882. Surely, Mrs. Catherine Moroney would have mentioned her own children being shot and stabbed when testifying at the inquest. The newspapers in their 1882 reporting confused two similar incidents that took place on the same night of the 25th of February, first at Cloonagro Townland and secondly at Leighort Townland. Both locations involved two farmers named James McNamara and Michael Moroney, so it's understandable that the newspapers were confused. However, nobody, in either location, was shot dead trying to escape.MURDER IN COUNTY CLARE
A Limerick telegram, received late last night, states that an armed party of 16 disguised men attacked a farmer's house at Feakle, co. Clare, on Sunday morning. Having procured a light, they dragged the farmer from his bed and shot him in the legs. The son, who had concealed himself under the bed, was dragged out and stabbed three times. A second son, who attempted to make his escape, was shot dead by some of the party who remained on guard outside. The farmer was suspected of having paid his rent, and hence the motive for the dreadful crime.
The Leeds Mercury, 28 February 1882
With the next statement from the Atlanta Constitution article, I have no idea the source of their mistakes other than lazy journalism. There was certainly a lot of fake news coming out of Atlanta back then:
This incident had nothing to do with Feakle or even County Clare. More accurate information was reported in the English newspapers. See two articles below, which are slightly different. Was the farmer named Thomas or Timothy? Was an arrest made or not? However, we can be certain that the location was in County Kerry in a townland named Knockawinna, very close to the borders with County Cork to the south and east, and County Limerick to the north. Mr. Connell and his wife did not die from this attack (a few years later they would seek compensation and provide more detailed first person accounts).A farmer named CONNELL and his wife were shot in their legs at Feacle, County Clare, Saturday, and it is expected that they will die.
At an early hour on Sunday morning a large party of armed and disguised men arrived at the house of a farmer named Thomas Connell, of Knockawinna, county Kerry, and broke in the door. Connell's wife, having come forward to expostulate with the marauders, was shot in the legs. The husband was then brought out and charged with having given private information to the police about the "no-rent" manifesto, was deliberately shot in the legs also. One arrest has been made.
The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, 14 March 1882
On Saturday morning a party visited the house of Timothy Connell, of Knockawinera, near Brosna, who was suspected of having given information to the police. They shot both himself and his wife in the legs, wounding them both seriously. No arrests were made.
Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, 19 March 1882