Talk.
By Peter O'Leary
1. The events of May 4th.1773.
Art O Laoire was 26, a Captain in the Hungarian
Hussars, a Regiment of Empress Marie Therese's
Army of Austro-Hungary. On that day in May
he was seen in Carriganimma, crossing the
footbridge over the River Foherish, and
proceeding on horseback along the ridge on the
West Bank. He was riding over a small
green inch in the townland of Carrigonirtane
when a single shot rang out, killing Art
instantly. He was thrown to the ground and
his horse ran off, returning eventually to Art's
house in Rathleigh near Macroom.
Shortly
before this, a contingent of soldiers, led by a
local Magistrate, Abraham Morris from Hanover
Hall, also near Macroom, had lined up along a
ditch bordering the pound on the East side of
the River. Morris gave the order to fire,
and the first shot, which killed Art, came from
the musket of a soldier called Green.
That the killing was Official Execution, or
maybe Legalised Murder, is supported by three
facts.
a. Art had previously been
declared an Outlaw under the provisions of the
Penal Laws.
b. The soldier Green was
decorated for his "Gallantry".
c. Morris
himself elected to stand trial by his peers, the
local Magistracy, and was found innocent of any
crime by those Gentlemen.
In more recent
years a small monument has been erected on the
spot, which reads
"ar an lathair seo a
maraiodh Art O Laoghaire ar an 4u Bealtaine 1773
ar dheis De go raibh se"
(On this spot,
Art O Laoire was killed, 4th.May 1773.
RIP)
2. The facts leading up to this
incident.
Art was the son of
Cornelius O Laoire, and grandson of Keadagh O
Laoire who leased the Townland of Teergay in
Uibh Laoghaire. These lands had been held
for many generations by this branch of the O
Laoire family. After Keadaghs death, in
1723, Teergay was sold to Dr.Edward Barry.
Cornelius at some time prior to 1769 had taken
the lease of Rathleigh House, a fine Georgian
Farm House, where he lived with his family,
including his son Art.
Art was born in
1746. We know nothing about his early
life, but he was presumably well educated, and
the family lived a comfortable life of Gentleman
Farmers, despite the difficulties of doing so,
since they were Catholics living during the
Penal Times.His father must have been reasonably
well off, since he would have had to purchase
the commission in the Army for Art, as well as
the cost of the journey to Austria.
Cornelius acted as Land Agent for the Minhear
family of Carrigaphooka, and the lease of
Rathleigh House probably formed part of his deal
with these Landlords.
These circumstances
were uncommon, but not totally unknown.
Many such households are described in Daniel
Corkerys "Hidden Ireland". One other was that of
the O'Connells of Derrynane in the depths of
Co.Kerry. It was one of those O'Connells,
Eibhlin Dubh, who Art married. They had a
romantic meeting in Macroom Town Square, fell in
love, and eloped because of the hostility of the
O'Connells, but were eventually married.
Colonel Daniel O'Connell writing to his brother,
Maurice "Hunting Cap" O'Connell from France in
1773 says " I still foresaw that his violence
and ungovernable temper would infallibly lead
him into misfortune."
The O'Connells had
made a virtue, and a good living, out of the
smuggling trade. They did not want any
official light cast on their activities, and to
them, Art spelled
Trouble. He was
apparently a brash young man, proud of his
lineage, and his status as on Officer. He
certainly considered himself a Gentleman, and
had doubts about the similar credentials of
those who persecuted him.
When Art met
Eibhlin in 1767 she was aged 23 and had been a
widow since she was 15. She had been
previously married to "old O'Connor of Firies",
but he had died after six months of marriage.
Eibhlin was the 5th of the 8 daughters of Daniel
Mor O'Connell, who also had 5 sons and another 9
children who died young. She was thus an
Aunt of Daniel O'Connell the Liberator, who was
born in 1775.
Art and Eibhlin were
married 19th.December 1767 and continued to live
with his Father at Rathleigh House. It
would seem that Art returned to Austria for
further periods of service between 1767 and his
death in 1773. Although we do not know his
precise movements, he was home to conceive a
second son Fiach in about 1700, and
apparently Eibhlin was again pregnant at the
time of his death.
There was a
history of bad blood between Art and Morris, who
was High Sheriff of County Cork in 1771.
In that year we have a dramatic account of an
encounter between the two men which took place
at Hanover Hall on 13th.July. This first
notice was placed in the Cork Evening Post on
19th.August by Art stating that he had been
charged with different crimes, and was prepared
to stand trial at the next Assizes in Cork.
This was followed on 7th.October by a claim
against Art by Morris, outlining his charges
against Art for the incident of the 13th.July.
Morris's fellow Magistrates in the Muskerry
Constitutional Society in an advertisement 3
days later appear to have agreed with their
colleague and judged Art in his absence. He was
Outlawed, and a price of 20 guineas put on his
head. On 19th.October Art replied through
the same Newspaper and defended himself
vigorously from the charge, and suggests that
judgement should be suspended until he has had a
fair trial.
The later event which we have
no written evidence for, was a claim against Art
under the Penal Laws, which took place in 1773.
The circumstances revolve around the fact
that Art brought back with him from Austria, his
fine brown steed, on which he rode around in
full view of the general public.
Morris demanded that Art sell him the horse for
£5. The Penal Laws, amongst many other
humiliating clauses aimed at Catholics, stated
that a Catholic may not own a horse of value
more than £5, and any Protestant could demand
its sale at this price. Art refused the
sale, and struck Morris with his horse whip.
He also challenged Morris to a duel, which was
declined.
Morris clearly was using his
position as Magistrate, and at one point High
Sheriff, to further his act of revenge against
his enemy. He had no difficulty in
persuading his fellow Magistrates to support him
in his vendetta, and once proclaimed as an
outlaw, Art could then be shot at sight quite
legally.
It is believed that on that May
day in 1773 , Art knew that Morris was on
business in Millstreet, set off himself to
intercept his enemy on his return, and may well
have decided to kill Morris. It is also
said that Art refreshed himself in the Inn in
Carrignanimma, bought drinks freely, and regaled
his audience with tales of what he was going to
do to Morris. Also that one of this
audience slipped quietly away, rode towards
Millstreet to warn Morris. Morris returned to
Millstreet and collected the posse of soldiers
who went with him to Carriganimma and set up the
ambush. These are not proven facts but fit
in well with what actually happened that day.
It is said that Art, a professional soldier,
judged that he was out of range of the firing
squad, and was in fact tormenting them. If
that is so, he was sadly wrong.
Measurement on the ground shows that he was
killed by a musket shot at about 240 yards, so
his judgement should have been correct. Perhaps
the one shot was a rather unlucky fluke.
There is an interesting theory which throws some
light on this unlucky fluke. According to
Joe O'Leary of Carriganimma it is widely
believed in that area that the first shot which
hit Art in the neck, was in fact fired at much
closer range, when he and his horse appeared in
the view of the soldiers immediately opposite
them on the other side of the river, and close
to the footbridge. This would be as he
came around Joe's farm. The theory is that
Art was mortally wounded but stayed in the
saddle for another hundred yards, then fell from
the horse at the point where the monument is
now. He was then left by the soldiers to
bleed to death at this spot. This is much
more convincing, and means that the fatal musket
shot was fired at a range of more like 100
yards. Still a difficult shot, but more
possible.
3.
The many Myths associated with the events.
These then are the bald facts. Way
beyond these facts has arisen a wealth of
Mythology about the details of the events.
It is not proposed to go into these in any
detail, but they are of great interest, and
reveal the way that such Mythology is built up.
There is a possibility that much of the
Mythology is built up based on real fact, albeit
somewhat glossed over the years of story
telling.
Thus we learn that Art rode his
horse to victory in a race on Dunisky
Racecourse, beating Morris' horse, and thus
provoking the demand for a sale at £5 by the
thwarted loser. Another version is that
Art, on his horse, took the brush at a meet of
the Muskerry Hounds, with the same result.
It can clearly be read, between the lines,
that Art was a show off. At these times
when Catholics were forced to keep a low profile
in order to survive, he was to be seen regularly
in public, wearing a red military tunic, and a
silver pommelled sword, and prancing around on a
beautiful horse to the envy of the local
squirearchy.
It is also probable that
Morris was typical of his kind of Landlord at
that time. Of low breeding, descended from
a Cromwellian soldier, and elevated by
circumstances to a position he was obviously not
fit for.
4. The burial of Art.
Curiously, Art's body received three
burials. Initially he was buried by
Eibhlin in the Old Cemetery of Kilnamartra
(Tuath na Dromann), ie. near to Dundareirke
Castle. It was however the family wish
that he be buried in Kilcrea Friary, although
there is no evidence of this being in any sense
the traditional family grave. At that
time, burial in monastic ground was forbidden,
so his body was removed to a temporary home in
the field adjacent to the Friary. Then
finally, when the Penal Laws had become
non-effective, his final interment in Kilcrea
Friary took place.
The stone over his
tomb states "Lo Arthur Leary, Generous,
Handsome, Brave, Slain in his bloom, Lies in
this humble grave. Died May 4th.1773. Aged
26 years."
This part of the memorial can
be seen to this day.
In 1949 John
T.Collins reported seeing a further addition to
this inscription, which was said to have been
added by his grandson, GRP O'Leary.
"Having served the Empress Marie Therese as
Captain of Hungarian Hussars, he returned home
to be outlawed and treacherously shot by order
of the British Government, his sole crime being
that he refused to part with a favourite horse
for the sum of five pounds." Mr.Collins
adds "It is more than likely that the part
indicting the British Government was not
inserted until the penal laws had become a dim
memory."
He also noted that the tomb at
that time indicated that Art's son, Cornelius,
and his grandson, GRP O'Leary, were also
interred herein.
5.Subsequent
Events.
Morris may have had his
revenge, but that was not the end of the story.
A Coroners Inquest held on May 17th.
produced a verdict that Abraham Morris and the
party of soldiers were guilty of the wilful and
wanton Murder of Arthur O Laoire.
Art's
brother Cornelius decided to revenge his dead
brother.
He rode into Cork City on the
7th.July and up to Mr.Boyce's house in
Hammonds Lane where Morris was lodging.
He saw Morris at a window and fired three shots
at him, wounding him. The shots were not fatal,
but Morris only survived for two more years,
dying in September 1775, believed to have been
as a direct result of the wounding.
Cornelius meanwhile had taken passage to France,
and from there to America, where he had a
distinguished career.
The Magistrates
were enraged by this attack. A
Proclamation was issued on 26th.July
against the Perpetrator, and large sums offered
as a reward for bringing him to justice.
But there were no acceptances. The bird
had flown.
At a meeting of the Muskerry
Constitutional Society held in Macroom on
2nd.August, further support for Morris was
shown, and further rewards offered for the
capture of Cornelius, but without avail.
On the 4th.September Morris submitted
himself to trial by the local Magistrates.
The O'Leary relatives were not represented, and
the party of soldiers involved had conveniently
been sent to the East India Colonies. The
Cork Evening Post of 6th.September reported
"Last Saturday September 4th. at Cork Abraham
Morris was tried for the killing of Arthur
O'Leary where he was honourably acquitted".
6. The Caoineadh. Eibhlin Dubh ni
Chonnail.
The story of Art O Laoire would
probably have been forgotten long ago, but for
the Caoineadh which was composed over his body
at the Wake, by Eibhlin Dubh. Keening the
dead, was an old tradition, and the Keen itself
followed a well established pattern. This
was an oral tradition, but in many cases, as
happened here, the Keen became retold by
Seanachies and others over the subsequent years.
Whether it was improved on as time passed, we
have no means of knowing, but the version which
was finally put to print and became part of our
culture, is regarded as a master piece of its
genre, has been translated many times, and
is largely responsible for the continuation of
the legend of Art O Laoire.
7.
What was it all about?
It is
necessary, at this point, to consider the wider
aspects of the Judicial Murder of Art O Laoire
in 1773.
Was this, as it is often
depicted, merely the petty revenge of a rather
mean, pompous and self important member of the
Protestant Ascendancy, over a member of the
Catholic landowning class who showed a bit more
spirit than most?
This view probably does
not take full account of the situation of the
time. This aspect is thoroughly dealt with
by Professor Cullen of TCD in his article in
Cork History and Society entitled "The
Blackwater Catholics and County Cork Society and
Politics in the 18th. century". Anyone who
really wants to understand this, and other
similar incidents should read Professor Cullens
article in full. I will only refer to a
few points from that article which are most
relevant.
These include.
a.
The similarity between the Judicial Murders of
James Cotter (1720), Morty og
O Sullivan (1754), and Art O Laoire (1773).
b. A similar bloody campaign against
recruiting officers for the Irish Brigade
including the execution of Denis Dunne, Thomas
Herlihy, and Denis McCarthy, Dillon MacNamara
and the two Sheehy brothers plus three minor
Catholic gentlemen, all in the period 1749-1766
c. The similar but less bloody driving
out of the country of the Hennessys (1765) and
the Springhouse McCarthys (1776).
d. A
similar campaign against the Nagle families
which resulted in all conforming to the
Protestant religion.
e. The fact that all
these took place in Co.Cork and South
Co.Tipperary.
f. There was at this time
a move throughout most of the Country towards a
more reasonable treatment of Catholics, which
eventually led to the Catholic Relief Acts of
1778 and 1793.
These, apart from a
realisation that Catholics might be human beings
also, was part of a Political movement headed by
Burke, moving towards Emancipation, and
gradually obtaining widespread support amongst
the Protestant Ascendancy.
g. As
usual in similar situations, this trend was
strongly opposed by a gradually reducing but
strong Political wing which was Conservative,
Backward looking, Papist hating, Protestant
supporting, and Land owning motivated.
This was led in Parliament by Lord Shannon, and
strongly supported in his home territory of
Co.Cork.
Cullen is suggesting that Art's
death was merely one of a number of events
towards the later part of the 18th. c. which
were Political, regressive, and the last kick,
as it were of the Protestant landowning,
anti-Papist rump, which had it's centre in
Co.Cork, and which was acting against the trend
in the Country as a whole.
This is
typical of the backlash in the final phases of
an insupportable tyranny, and could be likened
to similar situations in the North of Ireland in
recent years
It is interesting to note
that the Muskerry Constitutional Society was set
up in July 1771, and consisted of about 50
Gentlemen, all Magistrates and/or Landowners in
Co.Cork. It's first action was the indictment
and outlawing of Art O Laoire in August 1771 on
very dubious legal grounds. Cornelius was
a Landlord like themselves, albeit a Catholic.
His son Art had publicly advertised that he was
prepared to appear before the next Assizes to
have the matters settled by Law. The rather
arbitrary Outlawing, presumably based on the
possibility that one of their Members had been
humiliated by Art, meant that one of their
Members, the Complainant in fact, was enabled to
take the Law into his own hands, which he did in
May1773.
8. The genealogy of
Art O Laoire.
A look at the Descent
of Art O Laoire shows that he was a direct
descendant of Conchobhar O Laoire of Mannen, who
was Chieftain of Uibh Laoghaire up to 1572.
The direct lineal descendant in 1773 was Denis O
Laoire of Coomlagane near Millstreet, who was
known in Millstreet as "O Leary." Art was
5th. cousin to Denis. This Denis was an
even more substantial Land owner than Cornelius,
and was a Magistrate. Ironically he
appears on the list of Members of the Muskerry
Constitutional Society at it's formation in
1771, as does Tim O Laoire of Glasheen in Uibh
Laoghaire.
There is no substance in the
belief that he was of the Ballymurphy O Laoire
family. This family came from Kileen in Co.Kerry
where they were tenants of Lord Kenmare.
One Cornelius O Laoire of Ballymurphy, d.1743,
was also buried in Kilcrea. Cornelius
father of Art was still alive in 1769.
Just because he was buried in the same cemetery
does not make him a relative.
9. The family descended from
Art.
The chart "Descendants of
Art O Laoire" brings us down to the present
time. Eibhlin Dubh had two children at the
time of Art's death, and was pregnant.
This third child does not seem to have survived,
and we have no knowledge of Fiach and his
subsequent history.
Their first son
Cornelius was born August 25th. 1768, and sent
to Paris for education 1789-91. He became a
Captain in the Gardes Francais. Married 1.
Rebecca Gentleman. 2.Mary Purcell 1814.
3. Hanna Purcell 1831 at Gretna Green. He
trained as a Barrister. Lived in Cork City
from 1814 to 1817, then at Dromore House,
Duhallow. Died August 20th. 1846.
It was claimed by O Neill Daunt that Cornelius
was brought up as a Protestant, and Fiach as a
Catholic, and this was a not uncommon method of
retaining land in the family. "That man's
son was the father of two fine boys, he brought
up one of them a Protestant and the other a
Catholic. The poor children early showed
the belligerent spirit of religious hostility.
They were always squabbling. The Catholic
brother would say "we'll get Emancipation in
spite of you" "No, you rascal, " the
Protestant brother would answer, "We'll keep our
foot upon your necks".
Cornelius presided
at a meeting of Roman Catholics held in the
South Parish Chapel in 1814, so may have
reverted to Catholicism by that date.
Cornelius and Mary produced three sons,
Cornelius Ferdinand Purcell born October
6th.1815, Goodwin Richard Purcell born March
19th.1817, and Arthur.(date unknown).
It
is a curious fact that when Cornelius wrote a
short account of his life in a family
bible at Manch House, he failed to mention his
first wife Rebecca, or his third son Arthur. The
account was written in Paris in October 1827.
There must remain some doubt as to the
authenticity of these two members of the family,
although it is possible that Arthur was born
after this date. Mary died in January
1830.
CFP O Leary was baptised, confirmed and
brought up as a Protestant. He was sent to Paris
in 1825 to be educated. He returned to Ireland,
and was called to the Bar where he took the
special oath proscribed for Catholics.
In 1843 he assisted Daniel O Connell in his
campaign for Reform, and attended one of the
Monster Meetings.
The only record we have of
him practising as a Barrister was in a case of
Sullivan v. Healey, in Bantry in 1845. In
the course of this case he described himself as
"a good Catholic".
He died, still only 31 and
unmarried, in 1846 at Dromore.
The second
son, GRP O Leary was also sent to Paris for
education at the age of 5. He must have been a
precocious child, because he matriculated for
TCD at 13 and graduated at 16! He then
spent many years attending Universities in
different parts of Europe, acquiring several
languages, and a clutch of degrees in Medicine.
In 1857 he was appointed Professor of Materia
Medica at Queens College, Cork. He married
Helena Sugrue in 1849, and they had no children.
He died in 1876 at the home of his brother in
law at Chatsworth, and his body was brought back
to Kilcrea Abbey, where he was buried in the
same tomb as his grandfather, Art O Laoire.
He was a member of the Cork Archaeological
and Historical Society, and apparently required
the members to address him and his wife as "The
O Leary and Madame O'Leary", a title to which he
had no good claim.
He did however have
another claim to fame. When Prussia and Austria
united to attack Denmark, he wrote to the King
of Denmark offering to bring to his service 100
Irishmen, mounted and accoutred at their own
expense. This offer was not taken up, but
O Leary was awarded the Order of Danneborg, the
only other possessor in the UK being the Prince
of Wales.
The three of them seem to have
steered a course in their religious
affiliations, to suit circumstances at the time,
without very much worry, and probably to their
pecuniary benefit.
There are no known living
O'Leary descendants of Art O Laoire. There
is however a lineal descendant through the
distaff side, Mr.Kenneth Barnes, who lives in
Cork City and is a lecturer at the Crawford
Institute.
Paper
prepared and read to the Third O Leary Gathering
in Inchigeelagh by Peter O Leary, 13th.September
1998.