School: Clonbroney, Meathus Truim

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1. The Cross-Breakers of Ballinalee (continued)

   

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   acted as secretary of the Grand Jury of Co Longford and when these Grand Juries were replaced by our modern Co Council, he filled the post of secretary to the first Co Council in Longford.
   Now, as far as religion went, Tom didn't worry much; to him, all religions were alike, and although a Protestant by birth, he professed very little sympathy with the Protestant Church, indeed if he had leanings towards any religion at all, they were towards the Catholic Church.
   Well, at the time to which I refer (thirty five years ago), a sister (Annie) of Tom's died and was buried in the family burial ground at Ballinalee Protestant Church. A couple of weeks later, Tom erected a headstone over her grave. The headstone took the form of a cross.
   Now, such a thing as a cross in or around Ballinalee Protestant Church was enough to outrage the holy feelings of the loyal orangemen of Ballinalee, and so a plot for the destruction of the cross was hatched.
   Some seven staunch men and true, whose names were Hamilton, Charters, Howden and Robinson, there being two brothers out of the some of the families, armed themselves with sledges and crowbars on a certain night and

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Connolly

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Teacher