School: Clonlara
- Location:
- Cluain Lára, Co. an Chláir
- Teacher: Dll. Ó Heoghanáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0585, Page 089
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- XML School: Clonlara
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- XML “The Famous Digging of Ross”
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- The millworkers of O'Briens Bridge had a ten acre field of Fitzgeralds of Ross set to them every year on which they sowed their crops each man had about a half acre. Fitzgerald refused to set them the field this year and the workers aided by quite a large party of young men from the local district went with their spades and dug the field and sowed their crops.
Those that were suspected and those that were known to be in the digging were arrested, as there was not proving on them, they couldnt be convicted. There was a reward offered for information, and the Moloneys (gluggars) and the Martin Kellys turned informers and swore against Storin and Davitt as being the leaders, they were transported to Botany Bay, some others of the party were sent to Spike for three years. There is a ballad about the "The Digging of Ross".
The convicts send to Van Diemens Land, suffered greatly, firstly on the long voyage in the convict ship sailing around by the Cape of Good Hope. They were treated very badly, driven with whips the land was marchy and they were sent draining the fever strickers marches, laying railway, making roads, cleaning forests and ploughing the land.
They yoked them up like horses.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Malachy Dinneen
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 79
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- An Chill Mhór, Co. an Chláir
