School: Baile Dháithí, Dunlavin

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1. The Story of Dwyer's Escape (continued)

   

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   fight. As well as that, the eight men would not have surrendered so easily if they had had a leader with them. Anyway, they gave up their eight guns, and it was with these eight guns that the rebels in the cabin were shot.

   It was St Patrick's night, and was very cold and wet. The 100 soldiers - the Glengarry Fencibles, had travelled from Hacketstown. They had had a visit there from an informer, who told them where Dwyer and his men were spending the night. Their own guns were useless, because they were flint guns, and the powder in the pans was wet. So it was that the eight dry guns were used in the fight with Dwyer.

   The eight men were taken prisoners, and we never heard what became of them - it is quite sure they were put to death.

   When the soldiers went to the cabin, Dwyer asked to have the people of the house let away. He meant to make a fight, for he knew he'd be gibbetted if he gave himself away.

   Now, again, we are sure that the 100 guns were useless, because if the 100 men had fired, there would not have been left a stone on a stone in the house. Then, McAllister got about six bullets. Well if the remaining 94 had to fire while Dwyer

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. historical persons (~5,068)
   2. place-space-environment
      1. local lore, place-lore (~10,595)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr Michael Murphy

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   68

   Occupation

   Labourer

   Address

   Colliga, Co. Wicklow