Ballyfacey evictions
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Sabotaging the 1893 Hunt in Glenmore: The Burning of the Fox Coverts
In three previous posts we highlighted some of the local activities of the Glenmore Land League from its establishment in late 1880 through its split in February 1891 over the Parnell scandal. Some of the main agrarian agitation activities undertaken by members included engaging in boycotts and gathering to protest and frustrate evictions. One of the best known successful eviction frustrations occurred at Ballyfacey, Glenmore on the 27th of August 1885. On that date church bells across South Kilkenny rang out calling thousands of people to gather and stop the eviction of Ballyfacey families. Two years later in February 1893 the local people were again called together this time to resist the seizure in the middle of the night of cattle in Ballyfacey. A month later a group of local men and women stopped a fox hunt in Ballyfacey and burned the coverts, to stop future hunts. In general, fox hunting was a pursuit of the landlords and gentry. A covert is anywhere a fox may live. In various areas of Glenmore rough ground with bushes and other cover was protected by the landlords to provide a place for foxes. Generally, hounds were sent into the covert to flush out the fox and the hunt would begin.
Pitchfork Protests at Ballyfacey Glenmore
The Wexford People (Sat. 1 April 1893, p. 8) published an article entitled, “UNIONIST HUNTSMEN ATTACKED WITH PITCHFORKS: THE COVERTS BURNED.” On Tuesday the 26th of March “an exciting scene was witnessed at the hunt at Ballyfacey,” which “has been the scene of many a stubborn fight against the enemies of the people.” “…Men and women of that place were forward in showing their detestation of shoneen Unionism.” Shoneen is a derogatory word in Irish that refers to one who prefers English attitudes, customs or lifestyle to Irish ones.
On that day Sir Nugent Humble’s hounds were advertised to meet at Tory Hill. Sir Nugent Humble was from Waterford County and it is reported that by the 1870’s his estate was comprised of 6,000 acres. Humble also had lands in County Tipperary, but it does not appear that he had any land in or around Ballyfacey.
The Humble hunters met and proceeded to the covert at Ballyfacey, Glenmore. The Munster Express (Sat. 8 April 1893, p. 8) reported that “when the hounds came to the covert a number of men proceeded with pitchforks to stop the hunt. Sir Nugent Humble inquired the cause of the display, and was told the ‘Castle Catholics’ who attended the Orange meeting would not be permitted to pass, but that the other gentlemen might do so.” Notwithstanding the language used by the newspaper in covering the incident there were no injuries n either side.
Local Castle Catholics
The Munster Express did not identify the so-called “Castle Catholics” or Catholics who supported the Crown, however the Wexford People did name them and we have below provided the actual words from the article. “Mr. Bloomfield, …one of the organisers of the recent Unionist meeting in Waterford, and Mr. Nicholas Lambert, the new ‘Catholic Jay-Pay’ from Ballinakill or Dysertmoon.”
The Wexford People article went on to explain that Nicholas Lambert “before he was ‘raised to the bench’ was, like a good many more of his kind in this country, free and easy with the people as long as he thought he could be served by them, but as soon as he was made a J.P. he ‘kicked over the traces’ and became a Unionist going down to Waterford to beat the Orange drum. In his efforts to ape the grandee, however, he has overshot the mark, and on Tuesday be saw that when he was told by the lads and lasses who were stationed on the fence of Ballyfacey covert that it was to him the objection was made.”
“He began to foam, but was soon made cool, and though his conduct might have precipitated a row, yet the sight of the men with pikes in their hands made the hunters retreat, Mr. Lambert among the rest. The dogs were beaten by the girls, and when the hunters were retiring the crowd groaned for Balfour and cheered for Gladstone and Home Rule. Though the scene was at one time exciting no blows were struck. About twenty or thirty men composed the crowd which defended the covert. On the same night the covert of Ballyfacey, another at Mullinahone, in the parish of Glenmore, and a third at Greenlands, on Mr. Fitzgerald’s land at Knockbrock, were burned to ashes. The foxes which they contained ran in all directions.”
Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930)
To put the groans of the protesting crowd into context, Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930) was the chief Secretary for Ireland until 1891. While he suppressed agrarian unrest and demonstrations he did institute a few measures against absentee landlords. Balfour opposed Irish Home Rule and is attributed with saying there could be no “halfway house” between Ireland remaining within the United Kingdom or becoming independent. By 1893 Balfour led the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. In 1902 he succeeded his uncle Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister and served until 1905.
William Gladstone (1809-1898)
The cheers of the protesting crowd were for William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898). Gladstone was a member of the Liberal party and served as prime minister four times. Gladstone was personally committed to the granting of Irish home rule and in 1886 introduced the first 1886 Home Rule Bill for Ireland. Unfortunately, this Bill caused him to lose power. When he became prime minister again in August 1892, he began working on a new home rule bill. The Second Home Rule Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons in April 1892 and the third reading on 1 September. However, the House of Lords, a week later, killed the Bill when the majority of Lords voted against it.
Although no political group is associated with the article it seems likely that the agrarian agitation activities of the Land League were employed by locals to show displeasure with an apparent Catholic neighbour not supporting Home Rule. The sabotage of the Ballyfacey hunt was reported widely including to Irish exiles in the United States via The Irish Standard (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on Sat. the 29th of April 1893.
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Previous blog posts include: “The Glenmore Land League and the Ballyfacey Evictions,” available at https://glenmore-history.com/the-glenmore-land-league-and-the-ballyfacey-evictions/ , and “Glenmore and Mr. Parnell,” available at https://glenmore-history.com/glenmore-and-mr-parnell/ .
The featured photo above is a John Player cigarette card, retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-40d9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
The second photo is of the artwork of Alken, Henry Thomas (1784-1851), (1817-05-01) Fox hunting. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-3696-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
The Balfour photo is from Bain News Service, publisher – Library of Congress Catalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2014682753 and the photo is from the portrait section available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018697133 .
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The Glenmore Land League and the Ballyfacey Evictions
The Birth of the Glenmore Land League 1880
On the 31st of October 1880, Father O’Farrell, the Parish Priest of Glenmore presided over a meeting of the people of the parishes of Glenmore and Slieverue for the purpose of establishing a branch of the Irish National Land League. The meeting was held in the chapel yard of Glenmore immediately after the last mass that Sunday. Father O’Farrell addressed the people gathered on the necessity of joining the National cause and stated that they should not stand idly by while their brethren in other districts were labouring and making sacrifices for the cause. (Wexford People, 3 Nov. 1880)
Father Michael Cody, native of Carrigcloney, Glenmore
A couple of weeks later on Sunday the 13th of November a similar meeting was held in the large field across from the Mullinavat chapel. Both Father Michael Cody and Father Neary addressed the gathered crowd. Father Neary called for the support of the three F’s: fixty of tenure, fair rents and free sale. (The Irishman, 20 Nov. 1880). According to Danny Dowling, Father Michael Cody was born and raised in Carrigcloney, Glenmore. The meetings of the various parish Land League, including the branches established at Glenmore and Mullinavat, were routinely covered by local newspapers.
Father Cody Summoned for Land League Activities
On the 17th of December 1880, Father Cody and Patrick Sheehan were summoned to the petty sessions court at Kilmacow for their Land League activities. It was alleged that on the 14th of December Father Cody attempted to compel by threats Darby Walsh, of Ballynooney, to give up his farm and caused a bell ringer on the 16th of December to follow Walsh through the Village of Mullinavat to ensure that no person would deal with Walsh. Walsh alleged that these activities were agreed at a Mullinavat Land League meeting chaired by Father Cody. Bail was set at €100 for Father Cody and €80 for Patrick Sheehan. Today, Danny Dowling explained that people who agreed to take land or farms where others had been evicted were generally referred to as “grabbers” and were shunned by the community.
Father Cody Defence Fund
At the Glenmore Land League meeting held on the 8th of February 1881, the meeting was chaired by Father Corcoran, and executive board members Daniel Cody and Patrick Forristal were present. In addition to suggestions being made that the conduct of certain landlords should be published in the local newspaper, Father Cody’s case was the subject of much discussion. “We beg to assure Father Cody that he is far from being deserted in his present difficulty.” (Wexford People, 12 Feb. 1881) A defence fund was established for Father Cody and a list of subscribers was so long it had to be printed in two different newspaper editions. [To view the list of subscribers on our list page press here.]
Father Cody’s Escape
It was reported in the Glenmore Branch meeting of 15 March 1881 that “great joy was manifested at the happy issue of the case against Father Cody… The whole district was illuminated with bonfires, and loud cheering night be heard in the distance. Father Cody and his companions are to be congratulated on their escape from the now famous Darby” (Wexford People, 19 March 1881). Thereafter the meetings of the Glenmore Branch focused on reporting on political matters and the activities of landlords such as Conn of Mount Ida. For example, in June 1881 it was reported, “Poor John Lambley Conn is the plaintiff again! Thomas Walshe, Davidstown, is the defendant. It is only an “ordinary civil bill!” He only requires the defendant to attend at Thomastown Court House!” (Wexford People, 11 June 1881). [For further information concerning Conn see, guest author Martin Forristal’s article Mount Ida].
(Library of Congress)
Ballyfacey, Glenmore Eviction Riots
On the 27th of August 1885 the Ballyfacey Eviction Riots commenced when locals resisted what they viewed as unfair evictions. Thanks to the forming of the local branches of the Land League the local people were united and ready to act.
Danny Dowling in 1956 interviewed Matt Aylward, of Ballyfacey. (Matt Aylward was identified by James McDonald, of Ballyfacey, as being the last survivor of those who took part in the Ballyfacey evictions.) Matt Aylward explained that Tighe of Woodstock was the landlord of a large estate including Mullinavat and Ballyfacey, Glenmore.
Major Albert Hamilton, of Inistioge, was the agent and Patsy Ryan of Buckstown, Mullinavat was the rent warner. Patsy Ryan was a native of Glendonnel, Mullinavat. The rent of Ballyfacey at the time of the evictions was 8/= per acre. At that time the people were not able to pay the full rent. The evictions were to start at Dollards of Ballyfacey.
The Ringing of the Glenmore Chapel Bell
Danny interviewed James McDonald, of Ballyfacey, in 1970 who recalled that Jimmy Carroll of Ballyveria, a small low size stout man, walked to Glenmore to have the bell of the church ring on the morning of the Ballyfacey evictions. He met the parish priest and asked him to ring the bell. The request was refused. Carroll told the priest that he didn’t own the bell, it belonged to the people of Glenmore. Carroll brushed the priest aside and he rang the bell himself. The eviction started at Dollard’s house which was barricaded. Phil Walsh, of Ballyfacey, had a sister who was at Dollards when the first three bailiffs attacked it. She threw a bucketful of boiling water on them and scalded them.
James McDonald stated that Bodkin was in charge of the proceedings. Father Neary, the Parish priest of Mullinavat, arrived on the scene, and when Bodkin read the Riot Act twice, Fr. Neary told him if he read it again his wife would be a widow that night. Bodkin asked another man to read it who stated that he had forgot the book although he had it in his pocket. This incident passed off rather peacefully in Ballyfacey, but that evening in Mullinavat, a row started between the Police, the military and the people. The disturbance continued until Father Neary and Cody came out to the people and told them that they were disappointed by their actions.
(National Library of Ireland)
James McDonald stated that four days after the Ballyfacey evictions, the famous Coolgreany evictions of County Wexford took place. [In fact, the Coolgreany evictions took place in 1887.]
In 1938, Edward Dolan of Mullinavat was interviewed and discussed the monument erected inside the Mullinavat chapel gate to Father Neary (Duchas.ie). To bring together the people Father Neary rang the parish bells. Mr. Bodkin, the Resident Magistrate, ordered Father Neary to silence the bells, and Father Neary refused stating that the bells belonged to the people of Mullinavat.
The article that appeared in the Freeman’s Journal on 29 August 1885 supports the oral tradition recorded by Danny and others and provides additional information. The Ballyfacey rents, even in the most prosperous times, were excessive. Many of the tenants vainly sought relief in the Land Court. The landlords pressed for the rent arrears and in 1882 this caused the agent of the estate, Captain Burnbury to resign. The landlords turned to the Land Corporation that appointed Mr. EC Hamilton, agent. Hamilton began moving against the tenants even after stating he would not. Patrick Ryan, the estate bailiff, resigned in protest. His family had held the post for over 100 years.
On the day of the planned eviction the Mullinavat chapel bell was ringing well before the eviction party of officials, protected by over 100 police, arrived. After attempting to silence the bell the eviction party gave up and set off for Ballyfacey a distance of 3 miles away.
The Reception Received by the Eviction Party
At Ballyquin stones were thrown at the police by the increasing crowd. Bodkin, the Resident Magistrate, stopped the eviction party, took out the Riot Act, and started to read it. Father Neary interrupted the reading and asked Bodkin if he was so thin-skinned as to be injured by shouting and groaning. Bodkin replied, “My skin is not thick enough to resist stones.” It was agreed that the reading of the Riot Act would stop if the stone throwing stopped. Father Neary asked the people to stop throwing stones and they did stop.
The march resumed and continued to the homestead of Mrs. Dollard. The stone pelting commenced again. The Riot Act was again produced, but it had no effect. The houses were barricaded and the tenants were armed with boiling water. When it was suggested that the house could be breached through the roof Father Neary implored Bodkin not to allow it or his wife would be a widow by that night. After the tenants stated that they would not yield their homes without a fight Bodkin informed Father Neary that he had been made a fool because the sheriff forgot the necessary writs. Father Neary agreed that the eviction party could retreat to Mullinavat unmolested.
The Mullinavat Riot
The eviction party returned to Mullinavat without difficulty, however later in the afternoon when attempting to leave by train, the windows of the train were smashed. The police who escorted the officials to the station were also stoned. Similar violence occurred later in the evening. All the remaining constabulary force, numbering about fifteen, were ordered out of the barracks, and with fixed bayonets they charged the people.
When Father Neary heard of the violence he arrived and ended the riots by sending the people to their homes. Dr Cane, the local medical man, had more work that evening than he had for the previous four years. Several arrests were made arising from the riots. [For information concerning the trial of persons arrested at the Ballyfacey evctions and the Mullinavat riots see our chart of the defendants, their charges and the trial outcomes.]
False Alarm
When a large number of police were observed in Mullinavat a few days later at 6 a.m,, according to contemporary newspaper accounts, chapel bells across the countryside rang out in Bigwood, Thomastown, Ballyfoyle, Rosbercon and four thousand people answered the call and rushed to Ballyfacey. Local men were armed with various things such as pitchforks, scythes, sprongs, shovels, axes or cudgel sticks. (Wexford People, 5 Sept. 1885)
A correspondent for the Freeman’s Journal (31 Aug. 1885) noted that the bells at Glenmore and Mullinaharigal were also ringing and four horsemen were stationed at the Mullinavat station to raise the alarm that the “redcoats” were coming. Father Neary remained at the Mullinavat station to direct activities and by mid-day it was apparent that no forced eviction would take place that day. The priest and people remained on alert for several weeks until all efforts to evict stopped.
History Repeats Itself at Ballyfacey 1893
Ballyfacey, Glenmore returned to the news in February 1893 when history appeared to repeat itself. Shortly after midnight the dogs of Mullinavat Village began to bark and one man went out to investigate and observed Captain Hamilton (nephew of the 1885 agent) with ten “emergencymen.” He raised the alarm by ringing the chapel bell and in less than half an hour people were gathering at Ballyfacey again.
Captain Hamilton proceeded to the house of Richard Walsh, of Ballyfacey, and seized three cows and three two year olds under a distress warrant for rent. Richard’s son, James Walsh, attempted to stop the seizure by causing havoc. His sister, Mary Walsh, went after an “emergencyman” with a pitchfork which caused him to run for his life. “The Captain, who believed he was safe in the hands of his bodyguard, was all this time indifferently puffing a cigar…young Walsh made a determined rush…and sent him spinning into the adjacent dungpit.”
The Captain sent his men off to carry out the distress on a neighbour David Grant. Grant having heard the alarm had a small army of local Ballyfacey men gathered, “who administered them such a sound thrashing that their fellow-henchmen hardly knew them when they returned.” A change in attitude is reflected in the end of the newspaper account which reports that the next morning the Glenmore police heard of the occurrence, and sent the information to District Inspector Penrose, of Pilltown, who began to investigate Captain Hamilton’s actions. (Wicklow People, 17 Feb. 1893).
The featured print above is “The Eviction: A Scene From Life in Ireland,” (Reversed Monogram) (Library of Congress).
UPDATE: Dick Claridge is our third guest author. Dick has collected local verses from the early half of the 20th Century. These verses provide an interesting insight into Glenmore humour and events.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh