Castlepollard massacre, 23 May 1831

Seanchai

Many of us have heard of Cath Chéim an Fhia in 1822, by virtue of the poem of the same name, but how many have heard of the murder of 13 people at the fair in Castlepollard on 23 May 1831 during the tithe wars? Some sources say 17 people were murdered.

I was just skimming through Ríocht na Midhe's online index and in 2011 Eoghan Ó hAnnracháin wrote a 28-page article entitled 'The massacre at Castlepollard, 1831: socio-political aspects' (not available to read online so I haven't read it).

I had never heard of it, nor have I seen any memorial to it in Castlepollard on my journeys through the town. Is there any commemoration of it there?

A google later and there's some fascinating information online, such as on this website. According to it, here's the list of those who were murdered:

Patrick Dignam

Mary Kiernan

John Slevin

Patrick McCormick

Brian Mahon

Tomas Kiernan

Patrick McDermott

Patrick McDonagh

Mary Neill

James Fagan

Patrick Keegan

Patrick Ledwich

Peggy Leary

Many more would wounded. Despite a coroner returning a verdict against the chief constable of the [R]IC and 18 of his officers for having caused their deaths, the grand jury (all Protestant?) "ignored the bills preferred against them for murder", according to this. Typically enough, nobody was ever prosecuted for a single one of the murders in Castlepollard in the summer of 1831. Thanks to such loyalty to the crown, by 1867 this colonial police force was renamed the Royal Irish Constabulary.

And Stephen Collins of The Irish Times wants the Irish state to start commemorating the RIC!

Seanchai

Here's a fascinating, contemporaneous ballad over on the superb Mudcat. Its composition is dated 1831, the year of the massacre, in Irish Political Street Ballads and Rebel Songs: 1780-1900:

Come all you friends of Ireland, wherever you do be.
Come listen to a tale I tell, 'tis of a doleful tragedy -
Come listen, while through choking- sighs, and many a bitter tear,
I tell the murderous deeds of death at Castlepollard fair.

In peace and quietness went on the business of the fair,
Until the Peelers were brought out to raise a riot there;
Oh! then the work of death began, a woeful bitter fray,
The fatherless and widows too lament that dreadful day.

They drew up round the market-house, their chief he bade them fire,
While the astonished flying crowd on all sides did retire,
'Twas human blood they wanted - their deadly aim they took,
And Castlepollard streets with gore were running like a brook.

'Twould make a heart of stone to bleed and shake in fear and dread,
To see the walls besmeared with brains - the channels running red,
While men and women, old and young, lay dead or dying there,
And shrieks and groans and muskets' clang rung on the startled ear.

An inquest there was ordered, and witnesses came there
Who proved to all what the Peelers done at Castlepollard Fair.
These murderers then were sent to gaol - a happy sight to see-
And a sham trial was brought on, which quickly set them free.

May fiery red and burning hell its torments now prepare,
And vengeance black as night and death o'ertake them while they're there.
And may the very chief of devils take their chieftain in his care,
And every imp his man possess, that fired a musket there

References in the song explained

jonniebgood1

http://www.slavens.net/news/castlepollard_inquest.htm

Tithe war? Would be intersted in more detail.

jonniebgood1

The recurring number of casualties seems to be 13.

The general description of what happened is given on a few Castlepollard info sites. Example:

The 23rd May 1831 was Fair day in Castlepollard and the town was crowded with men, women and children enjoying the various sideshows and stalls which were a feature of fairs at that time. About 2 o clock in the afternoon somebody broke a jug in Fagan’s public house on the corner of the Square and Water Street. A row arose as to who would pay for same. The Constabulary came on the scene and arrested a man but the crowd took the prisoner from the police. The police were again in the town sometime after 5 o clock when the women began to jeer at them and some youths threw stones. The police went down to the Barracks, got their muskets and returned to the Square under the command of Chief Constable Peter Blake. They formed up between the corner of the Market house and the pump in the centre of the Square and fired a number of volleys into the crowd resulting in thirteen deaths and several injuries. The following were the deceased: Patrick Dignam, Mary Kiernan, John Slevin, Patrick McCormick, Brian Mahon, Tomas Kiernan, Patrick McDermott, Patrick McDonagh, Mary Neill, James Fagan, Patrick Keegan, Patrick Ledwich and Peggy Leary. An inquest was held on the victims and the Coroner committed 19 policemen to jail in Mullingar to await trial on charges of causing the deaths. The policemen were tried at the Summer Assizes in Mullingar in July 1831. Mr. C.P. Wallace, solicitor, prosecuted the case against the police. After 30 hours hearing a verdict of not guilty was found in all cases and the policemen were discharged. http://www.castlepollard.ie/History_page.html

There was at the time incidents with Police entering market places in attempts to collect tithes in relation to the enforcement of collection of this tax. I have not got a source to show that this is what happened in castlepollard but I do know that at other fairs in Leinster in this period Police had entered market places with the purpose of seizing cattle in lieu of tithes owed. The layout of the town has a square in front of the Cof I church location and also features a markethouse on the edge of the market square. THis market house was used as a morgue to house the bodies following the shootings.

jonniebgood1

The diocesan record details the castlepollard PP taking a stand against the governing force of the time: link

Seanchai

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

The recurring number of casualties seems to be 13.

The general description of what happened is given on a few Castlepollard info sites. Example:

There was at the time incidents with Police entering market places in attempts to collect tithes in relation to the enforcement of collection of this tax. I have not got a source to show that this is what happened in castlepollard but I do know that at other fairs in Leinster in this period Police had entered market places with the purpose of seizing cattle in lieu of tithes owed. The layout of the town has a square in front of the Cof I church location and also features a markethouse on the edge of the market square. THis market house was used as a morgue to house the bodies following the shootings.

Good research there. I'll go into the library during the week and read Eoghan Ó hAnnracháin's 2011 article in Ríocht na Midhe and see what he can add to it.