Memory of 1798 from an Emigrant

The 1798 Rebellion against tyrannical misrule sparked into flame in Co. Wexford in May 1798, two hundred years ago. "At Boolavogue as the sun was setting o'er the bright May Meadows of Shelmalier"

The example of the then relatively recent revolutions in France and in the english Colonies of America coupled with the government supported Yeoman militia outrages, as documented in such works as Luke Cullen's Clondalkin (Abbey) Papers, all worked to incite the people to the desperate recourse of armed rebellion. All the more amazing and a measure of the extreme conditions of "down trodden man " at the time was that just before the outbreak many people had been persuaded by their Clergy and the State surrender their firearms " long barreled guns of the sea " with the promise but not the guarantee of equitable treatment by the establishment forces. Basically this left the people with few weapons. With little or no training in the arts and science of war it would now take a great leap of faith or almost total desperation to even think of opening up a rebellion. How many today would take the risk ?
Then came the brutal massacre in the handball court at Carnew where Yeomanary suspected of also being members of the United Irishmen catholic and non-catholic, were gunned down in cold blood by loyalist forces. Individual incidents, including the unwarranted burning of Boolavogue Chapel, added up and rebellion quickly flared. Fr. John Murphy then reversed himself recognizing instead that events and fate had turned the wheel and it was now "fight or be butchered in bed" by the Yeomanry.

The purging of Catholics from the Yeomanry left a vacuum to be quickly filled by those who would not be considered as prospects for the corps a few months before. The resourcefulness of the Wexford Insurgents from Ireland's oldest province then gave birth to the pike. Forged secretly, the sharp hook of the pike was used to cut the horses' reins in combat and quickly became feared by the enemy cavalry and emerged as the symbol of Wexford itself. Was it the not in the tradition that the ancient Laighnigh invaders of time B.C. whose origins are lost in the mist of time, were so called because of the long spears they used in the conquest of S.E. Ireland ?. The men and women of Ninety Eight "fought with heart and hand to see their fetters rent in twain and to free our native land". The story of the military action in early May 1798 from the annihilation and total crushing defeat of the North Cork Militia at the Battle of Oulart Hill, through the Battle of Vinegar Hill to the disbanding by the Insurgents "to go to Wexford to meet their fate" after the Battle of Kilcumney on the 26th of June 1798 is told in song, story and book by such noted authors as Nicholas Furlong and others. The whaleback shaped massive Oulart Hill today has one of the most natural memorials in Ireland to those historic times. So called Vinegar Hill, (the correct name is Cnoc Fiodh na gCaor ( The Hill of the whortle Berries ),though the scene of terrible slaughter " where our manly heroes stood back to back " lives too in its way as yet another symbol of the indomitable Irish spirit in adversity, for the fighting and orderly retreat praised by friend and foe, of the Insurgent Army with women and children, though encircled by overwhelming numbers of Crown professional soldiers bombarding from afar with their newly developed and devastating time delay shells. Among the many interesting facts about Ninety Eight is that the British commander in chief was none other than Lord Cornwallis who had surrendered British forces to George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown at the end of the American Revolution. Whether it was seeing the spirit of freedom and democracy prevail in America and the noted absence of rape of enemy womanhood by the Insurgents, his calm and relatively benign administration of military law after '98, particularly in de benching "hanging judges" did much to help restore regular life in S.E. Leinster. In this writer's impressions in youth, credit for that in the main however must be attributed to all sides involved in Wexford where a spirit of reconciliation to the foe without and to the foe within, and understanding of the conditions of those terrible and heroic times have led to a united and close knit people in Wexford. Their performance in the hurling, handball, football, ploughing, coursing, musical, economic areas and general public behavior in modern times has further enhanced universal respect for the people of Wexford. Indeed a pattern that may serve well in the modern herculean efforts on the part of all the people of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland, of the British Prime Minister, Ireland's Taoiseach, U.S.A. Special Envoy George Mitchell and the President of the U.S.A. to achieve a just peace in Northern Ireland.

In connection with '98, the efforts in Mayo following the landing of French marines and those of the Antrim, Down and Meath patriots, though not concurrent with the Rising in Wexford and S.E. Leinster, have their rightful and equally honoured part in the sacrifices and heroism of 1798 in Ireland.

Ireland through the centuries has been blessed with heroines. The story of Theresa Malone, somewhat of an Irish Paul Revere, is celebrated in the attached poem ( engraved copy from the Goresbridge 1948 Commemoration of Kilcumney Hill, site of Fr. John Murphy's last battle but not of his nor of his bodyguard's last suffering and sacrifice for Faith and Fatherland). Galena, IL, the hometown of General U.S. Grant involves the history of 1798. Galena ( Latin for the mineral lead ) was once the lead mine capital of the world, with 55 million lbs produced in 1850.The mines earlier were worked by native American Indians under French colonists. Many Insurgents were spared from the gallows or firing squad after '98 and given the choice of deportation or impressment into the British Army. Among these was a John Furlong who wound up being assigned to a regiment sent to Canada. There he became acquainted with French trappers and Voyageurs who told him of the lead deposits discovered by John Dubuque south of the border in Illinois. Intrigued, John Furlong parted company and "emigrated" south to live in the wilderness of Illinois for several years. As soon as Illinois achieved statehood (becoming the 21st State of the U.S.A. in 1818), he purchased land near Galena and started The Vinegar Hill Lead Mine. Enjoying modest success until 1824, when hard work and famous Irish Luck prevailed and a rich vein of ore was found. Lead was mined there until 1934 with many Furlongs coming from Wexford to work there. In 1967 John's great-great-grandson Earl Furlong re-opened the mine to tourists and the attraction is now run by his son Mark Furlong. The old cemetery in Galena has gravestones all with Irish names with the home counties being noted. Similar to Chicago Gaelic Park involvement with the Illinois-Michigan Canal Irish cemetery in Lockport, IL, the Dubuque Irish community cared for the old Galena cemetery.

Respectfully submitted by Liam O'Brien with acknowledgement and thanks for help on this brief Memory article per current and prior items by Nicholas Furlong (Wexford), Art Kavanagh (Kilkenny), Steve Denihan (Chicago),Sean O'Brien R.I.P.(Kilkenny) Peter Furlong (Chicago), Jim Rees (Ireland's Own),Michael Dee (Wexford) Yeoman Byrne R.I.P. ( Castlekelly and Philadelphia) Patrick Daly (Chicago) for Kelly, The Boy from Killanne midi file.

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Battle of Kilcumney

(Father John Murphy's last battle on June, 26th 1798)

It was in the year of Ninety-Eight, the time of Blood and War,
Where many a Saxon quaked beneath the Rebels' vengeful blow.
The British troops, they had to fly, like chaff before the gale,
When they heard the dreadful war-cry of the sons of Grainne Uaile.

On June the Sixth and Twentieth, I heard the people say,
The Battle of Kilcumney was fought and lost that day,
The rebels they were routed though they fought with right good will,
And many a pikeman wandered that night upon the hill.

The sun was brightly shining on that Summer afternoon,
Like burnished gold was gleaming each helmeted dragoon,
Nine mounted Ancient Briton troops knocked at John Murphy's gate,
They burst the wicket open, no answer would they wait.

Four were posted outside, the other five within,
With short delay their hellish work, those tyrants did begin:
They heeded not the women's cries but struck the ready match,
And soon the blazes mounted high from rafters, beam and thatch.

Grimly smiled those bloodhounds, on each bearded face a grin,
Little thinking of the deadly foe that lay concealed within.
Four of Wexford's bravest boys when ended was the fray,
Had sought shelter in the barn and hid beneath the hay.

The leader of those Wexford boys peeped from out the door,
"Five troopers in the yard without, within we're only four,
Many a fray we've fought boys, with numbers one to two,
Another blow for Ireland" and the door he bursted through.

Five horses without riders soon were prancing in the yard,
The other four 'neath the whip and spur are pressing fast and hard
To gain the shelter of the camp in yonder vale below,
Each head was turned to see if came the pikemen quick or slow.

When a maiden stepped from the house, her hair was raven black,
She picked up a trooper's pistol and jumped on a horse's back.
As swift as e'er a racehorse, yet was by a jockey rode,
She spurred her noble charger up the Ballyellen Road.

When she came beside the stream that ripples by the mill,
She turned around and saw full close beside her on the hill,
One of those hunted troopers demanding her to stand,
She gave him ready answer with the pistol in her hand.

Dashed she over ditch and dike until she reached the height,
Where the rebels' silent watch fires were burning through the night,
From yonder ruin and ivy tower in flight the birds had flown,
To hear the cheers that greeted Theresa Malone.

She sleeps beneath the green sod in Ballinkillen Chapel yard,
She saw the dawning of the day that nothing could retard,
She lived till old, she passed away, "Peace to her soul" we pray,
We have maidens yet, thank God like her, and plenty here today.

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