School: Béal an Átha Móir (B.)

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1. The Battle of Ballinamuck (continued)

   

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   their descendants are there to-day. Others concealed themselves in houses of Protestants who were known to be loyal to England. Two families of Protestants, the Nichols and the Fergusons, saved many people. Abraham Mitchell's great-grandfather (Killanian B'more.) saved a catholic from Aughcashel mountain from the Booths and the Moores of Edentenny who were Yeomen. Those captured were hanged on the nearest tree, or from the shaft of a cart. A man named McDermott, a catholic, informed on General Blake (McDermott had the audacity to run stage coaches through Ireland with the money he received for the betrayal of Blake. Blake believed McDermott was genuine and he gave McDermott his gold watch and a purse containing a considerable sum of money). Below is portion of an old ballad:

   ''If you rear the tree of liberty
   Plant it on the hill of Kilglass,
   For fear that McDermott, the traitor,
   Himself, or his stagers, should pass.''

   ☨ Compare with D. Justice Rice's version at side and top.

   General Blake was hanged from a tree in front of his mother's house, and his body cut to pieces by English soldiers. Some say the cutting operation was partly carried out while he was still alive. His remains were interred at Tubberpatrick, possibly the Tubberpatrick

   ☨
   The daring French from Castlebar had come,
   Rapid they marched with Gallic verve and cheer,
   The Pas de charge leaped lightly from the drum,
   'Twas ever thus when Humbert's sword was near.

   Intrepid Blake rode foremost, in the van, proud of his country and her bold allies,
   [Faults he had some, but] all in all a man [He sought the] glittering goal the patriot's prize
   At dusk Blake wounded
   When on his path there came a ????? of prey
   which lives upon the plunder of the slain
   He knew he'd seen that peasant's crafty face, only a few short hours before at Cloone,
   The stricken warrior, with no qualm of fear, gave him his watch, his money, and his name;
   Then, too, a message for his mother's ear. Telling of where his weary limbs were lain.

   With soothing words the peasant went his way,
   Straight to his country's unrelenting foe,
   And then, like Judas, bargaining for his prey, He told the formen (Yoemen?) what they wished to know.

   Hanged from a tree outside his mother's door,
   The dauntless hero met a traitor's fate:
   While safe, sequestered on a foreign shore, the traitor drew rich bounty from the State.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
         1. 1798 (~642)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Seán Ó h-Eslin

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim