School: St John of God Convent, Rathdowney (roll number 16203)

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1. Historical Events - Penal Days - Galmoy

   

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   The historical events which took place in our country in by-gone days are still fresh in the memories of some of the old people who gather around the winter fires. In our neighbourhood they say if the day is dark, "God bless us it is as dark as the day the men were hanged in Galmoy." The old people relate that in the year 1825 a very hard landlord lived in the big house at Levally about a mile outside the town and as the times were so bad the poor tenants could not pay the rent. This man whose name was Mr. Maram, decided that he would evict the tenants and appointed a day for his agents to do the foul work, but the unfortunate people had also made a decision and it was that the landlord must be killed before eviction day. Twelve men volunteered to do the deed and in pairs they searched the six roads that led to and around his residence. Two days before the evictions were to take place, Mr. Maram was shot. Great commotion followed and the English forces, soldiers and police, searched the localities until at last they arrested six men who were duly tried and hanged. The day the execution took place it turned as dark as night which was a sign that something was wrong. The men they had hanged were entirely innocent of the crime and were

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Fogarty

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   13

   Informant

   Peter Daly

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   60