School: Killyfargy

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1. The Rising of Bourke

   

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   Some man - I cannot recall his name - changed his residence from Drumanan and came to Clones. He also changed his religion from being a Protestant to a Catholic. He died in Clones and then there began a row as to where he should be buried. The Catholics wanted to bury him in consecrated ground and the Protestants wanted to bury him in a Protestant graveyard. The result was that a big fight was fought on Corkimmons hill between Drumanan fellows and the yeomen of Scotshouse and the surrounding districts. It was a terrible battle and one yeoman distinguished himself-, namely Bourke - and he fought great and he was a daring and fearless man. some of the opposing side took mark of Bourke and determined to revenge themselves on him. Bourke died and this report went out. He was buried in Drumswords graveyard. He had been 2 weeks buried when on the night of the 18th of February 1828 he was raised out of his grave and tied to a tree with a big straw rope. This night was one of the wildest that ever came and such rain never fell before. The whole county was stirred by the news and a reward of £1441 was offered as a reward for the person who could get the men who raised him. Terry Mc Entee and a score of other young fellows were arrested and brought to gaol. Mc Entee heard about the reward and said that three young were at the raising of him. He got the money in mostly shares. Himself and the young fellows were in gaol for 2 yrs. and 2 mths. before the trial came on (it that time there was no law against the raising of a dead person holding that there was no value in a dead body. The trail commenced and and sufficient witnesses were got to prove that these young fellows had no hand in the raising of the body. Mc Entee was first taken in and examined and he swore that he saw these young fellows doing the deed. Jemmie Francie was one of the witnesses for Mc Entee. His servant-boy was arrested and he swore that Francie had a young heifer sick on the 18th of February and he told the servant boy to go to a

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Michael Moore

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Peter Mc Mahon

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 100

   Occupation

   Police officer

   Address

   Cloncumber, Co. Monaghan