Donegal Annual / Bliainiris Thír Chonaill, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1947)

10 ,JOUR.NAL 01" THE: COUNTY DONEGAL HI$TORICAL SOCIETY. There were tJWo paths, a.ny one of Wl.111c:h Qlonynhram might choose. Aiudh lay in wait along cne path, a.nd Seamus took the other. The ca:ptain came along the path which Soo.mus, the elderly man, was guarding. The captain noticed him, and prep1~red to give fight, b-ttt Seamus was too quLck for him: he discharged h!!s blunderlbuss, kiHing the horse and wound:ing the c:aptaiin in the leg. The captain a,ppealed for mercy, but Aodh Ban, hearing_the report of the '.blunderbuss, rushed up and ended the career of Conynham, saying: "I wrn show you mer;c~· when you restore the Ute of my mother and my friends whom '.Y'ou have sJaughterd without provoca-. tlon." Both men were outla.wed, and a reward of £500 was offet1ed for their ca;pture. They made. their way to Owey Island, and a party of 21 soldiers under an officer, on info1mation . received, was sent to arre6t· them. Arrdving at the shore, the soldiers had no mean~ of Cl'Oss.ing to the island, and they began to ;pass the time b.y playing grunes on the strand. Seamus Crone, dressed in female garlb, blllt carrying his blunderbus.s under his cloaik, made a pretence o1 g1atherin,g- shellfl.sh. He gradually approached the soldiers, a,nd S1,l,ddep.ly _opened .fir.e, killing five of tl~~m before they recovered from their s:ur,prise. - Getting behind a rock . he despa.tched a few more. He was soon joined by hds friend, and not one of the party or soldiers escaped. 'I'.he last man fell at Ollean na gConrach, or the Island of the Ooffi?l,S, on Oruit strand. -- A. ship w.as onee wrec.ked on the island and the Arran ipeoiple helped the:mse1vies ~o what t;hey could find. One p.aor boy merely took a roux~ whioh he needed_as a buarach.. or h.aHer, for !}, cow. ·He 'W-US_ arre&ted, brought 1iO Lifford, transported, and neiver heard 6.f ag.ajn. The incident is comm~mora.'ted in a song which we find in Henry Morris' collection.. .On t •.\ r1n ,, T)}·.\i; m1rc r11<\l'D .u' Cl.Ol'..&in h<\t, .. - ni lM t1ot:c<1i -'11 rnn c'~<1o in- l'o111p, .1i;11r rfn1J "'5 uul. 1 m' aS<l.ru ; - .<\11 ·out "'1101111 "'P l)e<1L .,• n1101cm _ u drj1, ,:·Lm<': me mo 1)~,\t., . 'S ·"5 i:e<\e 111611 '001re lo(· "111 u · 6t me mo t.&1t. 'S <\11 L.& rm of .<\ll C'.<\J1t::.<\ l.&n 1 ni;e.11111 no l'>A-1Le fti1fi, . C<-\1mr P "rtotJ.11 0 n ,,oq:;1t.t. ir tus ro 'O <\li1 t::)1e<1.C ; . .0.11 .,\ 'i>ut Fiti'l> l).~11.e <\11 'Orrn<'lu 11Mn· 11,, t'>116n~c 1110 rct~-~l. · 'S 51111 6.5 p111oru11 lJUt'l 1 le1t-l'le.61{11 ru.,,,, me nc1r e.~'l'l . '<1(: <1.011 r ce.<\L The most stirring e.vent connected with · Gweed()re is ·the arrest of Father iMJacFruclden, and the killing of Iru>pector 'Mar:tin, on Sunday, the 3rd of.February, 1889. Father MacFadden had championed his people's oouse against' · the grJnding tyranny of the landlords. An oroex was given for his arrest •but, like the Ohief Priests of the Jews long a.gio, the dvll au:thoritlies feared a tumult among the peO(ple. The priest's house was guarded by poLice. A night or two bef'ore the arrest, Constable Keenan was p.atrolling in front of the house when somcth1ng happened that made him chilJl with terror. He a:verred tha.t he saw. in the moonlight, the form and f1a.oe of Irapector M'artin lying dead, adorned with helmet a:nd sword, bu:t robed and shrouded as for the grave. He gazed at t!lis form in wonder for a few moments. Then a 'C'loud passed over the face of the moon, and when the mo::in shone forth again the appari~ ~on hiad di.sa1JJ:peared~ . Mar:t1in very unwisely decided to arrest the priest on Sunday morning. Police surrounded the church, and Martin, with seven men, took uip his pOOition on the stflps that led from the church to the reside.nee -~9f the prie:s.t. After Mass, as Flather MacFa.dden was returning to his house, Inspector Martl.n intercept.ed hdm, and said: -"I arrest: you." "Produce your au,h-0rtty. · sir," said the p1ies~. · Thereupon the Iruipector graobed the priest's soutane· by the collar, 'rather roughly, and at the same ti:me brandished the sword which he held in hls hand. The cry went thraugh the people tha.t the priest was being killed. The crowd rushed in and the Inspector, releasing his ho.1d, tried to keep them 'baick with hfa sword. Father Mac Fadden was escorted to his house by two policemen, While the Insipector stro-ve to ward off the angry crowd. In the ensuin:g confuS·ion .In- ~1p<;'Ctor Martin received a violent bh>w, and he fell t.::> r~ise no more. 'Twas on the 3rd February on· ~he morn of that day, FI'om Derr:l"beg they thoughtto take our llply priEst .away, All by the -late Inspector, with -his · nitked sword in hand, He did his 'best for to arrest our holy Cilergyma.n. . The wolf is seen, bis looks were keen, that morrurig on the rock Hlis eyes did gaze all for to seize the shepherd of our fleck. . To save the priest that morning. they fa.ced ·b<:>th steel and ball, ·- Hffn the tyrant fell no one can tell, t.hat day in Dom,gal. · · · · A few years prior to this incident Gweedore was stirred by the news o.f the execution Of one of her sons, Prut O'Donnell, for the siwotln~ of: J~m~s

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