School: St Columba's, Cloonagh, Granard (roll number 12813)

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   “A member of their family named John Kiernan, who also lived in Leitrim and in the homestead, still owned by the family.”

   

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   John left his native Leitrim that very night never to return. He had to go on "the run" and was in hiding in different places in Co Cavan and elsewhere. He had some thrilling escapes: one night he got shelter in a home near the old Mullahoran Church, and that night, as the family had just retired, the sound of the horse's hooves, was heard coming over the boreen, that led to the house. John escaped on a back window just in the nick of time, with no clothes only his trousers in his hand and crossed the wall into the grave yard where he took refuge under a flat tomb.
   The Soldiers searched the home and surroundings and abused the inmates because it was clear, that they had the right information, that he was in the house that night.
   When John was hiding in another part, word was sent to him, that his mother was very ill and that she warned him to not come near her, lest he would be captured, because the Kellys that were known to be informers, consisted of a large family of boys and it was not easy to escape them, but John risked the danger and spent the last night with his dying mother, but he was afraid to remain or return to her funeral. It was lucky for him because the house was raided the night of the wake, and Soldiers were about the day of the funeral

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr Joe Kiernan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Corbaun or Leitrim, Co. Longford