The
following four articles appeared in The London
Times over 150 years ago
RIOT AT BALLYVOURNEY AND CORONER’S INQUEST
The
following is given as a correct statement of
this disgraceful riot: -- On Sunday last a riot
took place at Ballyvourney, to the west of
Macroom, between two parties, the Lynches and
the Twomeys, living in that neighbourhood, who,
it appears, have been for several years hostile
and unfriendly to each other: in consequence of
which Sir Nicholas Colthurst directed his under
agent to desire that they should not go to the
same chapel on Sundays – that the Twomeys should
attend the Western chapel, and the Lynches the
Ballymakeery chapel: the Lynches not
withstanding, refused to go to the chapel
appointed for them; the Twomeys, however went
away from the chapel; the Lynches said they
would go too, left it, proceeded towards home.
The Lynches party which consisted of about 100,
or upwards, armed with guns, swords, scythes,
pistols, and various kinds of weapons, remained
about an hour and a half while mass was saying,
and kept shouting out for the Twomeys: as soon
as they saw them going away from the chapel,
they followed, and surrounded them about a
quarter of a mile from it, attacked them, and,
in the course of the conflict, a man of the name
of John Hegarty, of Twomeys party, received a
cut of a scythe on the right side of his neck,
under the jaw, which nearly severed his head
from his body, besides several other wounds,
which instantly caused his death. A man of the
name of Cornelius Casey also received a blow on
the head from a stick, which knocked him down,
and had four of his fingers cut off, besides
receiving several other wounds, from which he
lies in a very dangerous state. An inquest was
held on the body of the man who had been killed;
and the jury found the verdict that the
deceased, John Hegarty, came by his death in
consequence of a blow received with a scythe on
the right side of the neck under the ear and
jaw, of which he instantly died—(Cork Paper)
The
The
The Cork Examiner
has the following particulars of a murderous
assault which threatens to terminate fatally for
the unhappy victim: -
“Yesterday Mr. James Fitzpatrick, son to Mr.
Fitzpatrick, merchant tailor, of this city,
proceeded to the residence of Dr. Baldwin,
justice of peace,
Clogheena, situate about nine miles from
Macroom, for the purpose of coming to some
arrangement with his son, Mr. Herbert Baldwin,
about an account which he owed for a long time
to Mr. Fitzpatrick, for clothing; or, in case of
failure, to serve a writ upon him for the amount
– something over £30. Mr. Fitzpatrick, on
arriving at the house, inquired of a woman
servant whether Mr. Herbert Baldwin was at home,
to which the servant replied that she did not
know, but would go and see. After some time and
delay, another servant came, and informed him
that he was out shooting. Mr Fitzpatrick then
tendered her an envelope, in which was enclosed
the writ, which she refused to take, he left it
on a table in the hall. He then mounted an
outside car, which he had brought with him, and
when about a mile and a quarter from the house,
at the turn of the road, the
car was stopped by three men, two of whom
were armed with bludgeons, the third having a
whip in his hand. One of the fellows, without
saying a word, immediately struck him a blow on
the forehead with his bludgeon, which knocked
him off the car; and, after repeated blows about
the head from the three scoundrels, they
precipitated him over a low wall into a field,
and, as he was falling into it, one of them
struck him such a blow that his skull was laid
bare. They then retired for a few minutes,
leaving Mr. Fitzpatrick, who was bleeding
profusely, stretched on the field. The ruffians
returned again and beat him severely about the
body before they walked off. Mr. Fitzpatrick on
partially recovering, proceeded to the car, and
the driver having run off, he was himself,
although faint from his wounds, obliged to drive
to Macroom. But he had not proceeded far when a
man, who was standing on a ditch, cried out,
“Oh! It is not all over with you yet,” and in a
short time subsequently he was attacked by a
volley of stones, thrown from behind a turf
riek, one of which struck him in the side, and
hurt him so severely, that it is with difficulty
he can breathe. He finally arrived in the town
of
MURDER OF A BAILIFF
The
Cork
Constitution gives the following account of
the murder of a bailiff, named Drury, while
engaged in the perilous task of distraining for
rent. A very brief notice of this desperate case
has already appeared in
The Times;
-
On
Thursday a man of the name of Drury, who was
employed as deputy-collector of city and
poorrates in the custom-house ward in this city,
went on the lands of Kealfinchion, about three
miles west of Macroom, to distrain tenants of
the name of Browne for a large arrear of rent
due the last two years to their landlord, Mr.
John J. Perrier, of this city. It appears that
for a length of time the Brownes had practised
every species of annoyance towards their
landlord, who had been indulgent to them, and no
effort was made to distrain them until they
peremptorily refused to surrender possession,
though offered a clear receipt or any other
terms that indifferent parties might recommend,
unless they got a douceur of 50%. Every exortion
on the part of the landlord to obtain an
amicable arrangement having failed, Drury was
sent from this city to distrain, and on Thursday
morning he was met at a place called Gortroe by
a party of 20 men, a number believed sufficient
to prevent outrage. Drury and his men, having
arrived at the lands, made a distress, some of
which was placed on a car on which Drury sat.
Being about to retire, a mob of between 200 and
800 came in view, and immediately made an attack
on the bailiffs. One of the mob rushed at Drury
with a pike, when Drury drew a pistol and
presented it in his defence. This did not deter
his assailant, who attempted to stab him, when
Drury fired, and the ball passed through the
fellow’s hat. Immediately Drury was knocked off
the car, and a number of the ruffians beat in
his skull. When the murderers fled Drury was
removed into Browne’s house. News of the outrage
having being forwarded to Macroom, Dr. McSwiney
immediately proceeded to the lands and paid
every attention to the unfortunate victim, who
expired that evening. Several of Drury’s
assistants were also beaten, three of whom are
reported to have died of their wounds, but no
accurate information has as yet been obtained.
Drury was a man well known and respected in this
city, having been for a number of years
constable of the
The London 11 Dec 18 49
MURDER IN THE
COUNTY
OF CORK
A letter dated Macroom, Thursday (yesterday), says: -----
“A brutal murder was perpetrated here
last evening, The victim was a farmer, named
Daniel Lynch, who lived about five miles from
this town, where he rented a farm on the
property of Mr. R. J. Rye, of Ryecourt.
Yesterday morning he left home for the purpose
of transacting some business in Macroom, and it
is rumoured that parties in his neighbourhood
were aware that money was due to him, and that
he expected to receive payment. Not returning
home at the hour expected, some uneasiness was
felt as to his safety, but at 10 0’clock the
sound of his horse and car approaching his
residence dispelled the fears entertained by his
family. The horse and car stopped on coming up
to his door, but the feelings of his relatives
may be imagined when, on approaching the car,
they discovered that Lynch, though seated in it,
was quite dead, his skull being fractured in
five or six places, and his face so mangled that
his features could scarcely be recognised. A
portion of his clothes were absent, those that
remained being saturated with blood. The body
was still warm, and, apparently, the outrage
must have been committed within half an hour of
its discovery. The alarm was, of course,
instantly spread through the district, and the
police scoured the country in every direction.
The clothes of the deceased were found in a
ditch on the roadside between his own house and
Macroom. I heard today that the coroner had been
sent for to
The