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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   I heard the following story from Mr Joe Kiernan of Leitrim who often heard it told around the fire side by his father John Kiernan who died at the age of 73 a few years ago.
   A member of their family named John Kiernan, who also lived in Leitrim and in the homestead, still owned by the family.
   This John was a powerful built man and knew no fear and he joined the Insurgents in 1798 and took part in the battle of Granard.
   When the British military fought an entrance into the town, they immediately took possession of the Moat, because it was vantage ground, overlooking the surrounding country on all sides.
   The Insurgents, though on the retreat, tried to rally their men, and make a fresh attack to dislodge them from the Moat, but they knew the only means of doing that was to have a hand to hand fight, but how to get to the bottom of the Moat was the trouble because the British were in a position to mow them down if they marched in from the open country.
   It was John Kiernan, who suggested the plan, to the Insurgent leader that he and two more men would appear as drovers and drive a batch of bullocks into the town, and that the soldiers could follow in a stooping position until they could be near enough to charge

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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