School: St Columba's Abbey, Navan (roll number 882)
- Location:
- Navan, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Br. Abban O' Donoghue
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0700, Page 234
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- How the Escaping United Irishmen were Captured in '98
After the defeat at Tara the escaping volunteers from Kildare and Wexford were trying to make their way home safely. They were scattered in all directions and some when retreating went north instead of south.
As the weary volunteers went across the fields, not nearing any road, they came on a field of wheat belonging to an O'Reilly of Oristown. They stopped to eat some what and O'Reilly seeing them brought them in and offered them food. The hungry United Irishmen well enjoyed the hearty meal until they were all surrounded by the Meath militia.
They were all brought out, none of them escaping, and shot one by one. None of the volunteers knew how the soldiers came upon them or how they were traced so quickly, but it was later discovered that it was O'Reilly who informed the soldiers. O'Reilly received a great sum of money for betraying the volunteers. The betrayer had a shop in Oristown and was there(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Séumas Ó Ruairc
- Gender
- Male
