THE earl of Ely commanded a corps of yeomen cavalry at Rathfarnham, a village about three miles diftant from Dublin, of which a ferjeant and twelve men mounted guard every night, and patroled through the adjacent country.

Lord Camden, having received information that the rebels meant to attack and cut off that fmall party, on the night of the twenty-third of May, 1798, recommended to the commanding officer that the whole troop fhould mount guard, which, eventually, was very fortunate; for foon after they were affembled, a man, about nine o ’clock, went to lieutenant Latouche, who commanded on that night, and offered to conduct him to a place where two hundred rebels were affembled; but on arriving there, there was no appearance of them. It proved afterwards, that the defign of this traitor was to have led the patrole, confifting of a ferjeant and twelve men, into an ambufh, by which they would have been cut off; but a numerous body of rebels, who meditated their deftruction, intimidated by the unexpected arrival of the whole troop, concealed themfelves in the adjacent hedges.

At their return to Rathfarnham, they were informed by a perfon, fuppofed to be connected with the rebels, that the village would be attacked, and that they would be difarmed by a numerous body of them, who were affembling on the mountains. Lieutenant Latouche having urged the neceffity of communicating this intelligence to the viceroy, Samuel Bennet, a private in the corps, and fon of Samuel Bennet, a coachmaker in Aungier-ftreet, with laudable ardour, offered his fervice on the occafion, and carried a letter to the viceroy; who returned for anfwer, that no troops could be fent to them, as an infurrection in the metropolis was apprehended and his excellency defired that exprefs fhould be fent to him, if the rebels fhould appear to move towards the city.

The corps, having heard two fhots fired, proceeded to Harold ’s-crofs, and were informed there, that the rebels, about five hundred in number,

and varioufly armed, had paffed through Rathfarnham in their abfence, and had proceeded towards Crumlin, headed by David Keely, a deferter from their troop.

Mr. Bennet returned to Rathfarnham in the abfence of his rroop, and having heard a great fhouting at a place called the Ponds, he repaired there, and faw a great concourfe of rebels armed with mufkets, pikes and piftols, and was on the point of being furrounded by them. They had two carts laden with pikes and ammunition, which they were to have diftributed among fuch rebels as fhould join them in their progrels. He therefore, with great fortitude, and with that zealous loyalty which would have procured wealth and fame for a perfon in a lefs humble fituation, undertook the perilous fervice of communicating to the viceroy what he had feen; and it was really perilous, for the rebels in great numbers were rifen, and were in the road and in the adjacent fields as he went to Dublin. In the city, particularly in the fuburbs, he faw a great number of rebels with pikes, in gate-ways, alleys and ftable-lanes, waiting the beat of their drums, and the approach of rebel columns from the country, which they expected; and as he paffed, they frequently cried out, animating each other, “Come, on boys! who ’s afraid? ”

A lady, refident at Rathfarnham, informed me, that they paffed clofe by her houfe, with two carts filled with pikes, which made a dreadful rumbling noife, and which, joined to their yells, filled her with horror. As they proceeded they cried out frequently, “Liberty, and no king! ”

Befides the above Keely, they had as leaders two men of the names of Ledwich and Wade, Roman catholicks, and deferters from lord Ely ’s corps, Edward Keogh and James Byrne, all of the fame perfuafion, and In very good circumftances. They proceeded to the Fox and Geefe common near Clondalkin, where a numerous body of rebels were to have affembled, and to have proceeded thence to Dublin, for the purpofe of co-operating with its difaffected inhabitants, in a general infurrection.

The corps of yeomanry, at their return to Rathfarnham, having difcovered that the rebels had rifen, immediately fent intelligence of it to the viceroy, who communicated it to the lord mayor, and to the principal civil and military officers in the metropolis, and ordered them to take the moft decifive and vigorous meafures to defeat the malignant defigns of the infurgents.

The yeomen, in number about three thoufand five hundred, and the few military who were in garrifon, repaired to their refpective alarm-pofts, with uncommon celerity; and as it was known, that a ftrong fpirit of difaffection had exifted among the troops quartered at Lehaunftown camp, feven miles from Dublin; and as it was fufpected that they would come to the affiftance of the infurgents in the metropolis, the lord mayor, alderman Thomas Fleming,* pofted the city of Cork regiment, noted for its loyalty, with their two battalion guns, at the North fide of Stephen ’s-green, and remained all night at their head.

It very fortunately happened, that the two canals formed a complete fortification on the North and South fides of the city, being fifty feet broad, and twelve deep. The Royal canal, extending from the river Lilfey to the Broad-ftone on the North, and the Grand canal completely environed the South, from the river on the Eaft fide, to the Royal hofpital. The bridges on it, which the troops occupied, were at fuch diftances, that they could have flanked the intermediate fpace, and prevented an enemy from paffing over the canal; and in a day or two after the rebellion broke out, pallifades and gates were erected on the bridges; however it was afterwards difcovered that many rebels had paffed over the bridges before the troops took poft on them. The bridges on the river which bifected the city, were alfo occupied, and difconcerted the rebels by cutting off all communication between them on either fide.

It has been fince difcovered and proved, that the rebel drums were to have beaten to arms, an hour after ours; and it is well known, that if they had preceded us by ever fo fmall a fpace of time, the fate of the city and its loyal inhabitants would have been decided; for the mafs of; he people, armed with pikes and other weapons, were lurking in lanes, alleys and bye-places, ready to ftart forth on the firft beat of their drums, and would have occupied all the ftreets, and affaffinated the yeomen before they could have reached their refpective ftations; and the fafety of the metropolis depended chiefly on them, as there were but few regular troops in it.

* I think it is a tribute due to this gentleman to fay, that he difplayed fitigular fagacity, Rood fenfe and firmncfs at this alarming period; and his attention and humanity to the laffering proteftants, who fled to Dublin from the daggew of the affaffins, after the lofs »f their property, fhould never be forgotten.

There were many alarming indications of the defperate defigns of the rebels, even before the alarm was given by the viceroy. The doors of the loyal fubjects, particularly the yeomen, were marked with chalk, to point the rebel vengeance againft them; and knowing that darknefs would be favourable to the accomplifhment of their traitorous purpofes, they prevailed on the lamp-lighters not to do their duty.

The lord mayor, being very much alarmed at perceiving that the lamps were not lighted, fent to the board that fuperintends that bufinefs, to know the reafon of it; and they returned in anfwer, that the lamp-lighters were deeply concerned in the plot the yeomen therefore compelled thefe traitors, at the point of the bayonet, to light the lamps.

The gate-ways and lanes in Church-ftreet, and Mary ’s-lane, were crowded with pike-men. Numbers were feen in the way leading to the burial ground of St. Michan ’s, and pikes were found concealed there next morning.

As the rebels expected that the Rathfarnham corps of cavalry would come to the relief of the city, they planted a number of men with mufkets behind a wall in New-ftreet, to fire on them as they entered.

It was proved that two fmiths, employed in the ordnance, had been reduced and bribed to fpike all the cannon there.

In the watch-houfes of St. Luke, St. Catharine, and Vicar-ftreet, the carabines were left charged, that the rebels might feize them.

It is a pofitive fact, that near three thoufand men entered the city on the North fide of it, through one turnpike, on the evening and the night ot the twenty-third of May, for the purpofe of joining the infurgents.

Samuel Neilfon meditated an attack upon Newgate, for the purpofe of refcuing lord Edward Fitzgerald, and other ftate prifoners who were confined there; and he was to have been affifted by a numerous band of rebels, to whom he had affigned their different ftations the preceding night,*

Southwell McClune, a rebel colonel, who had furrendered himfelf to government, and obtained his pardon, declared upon oath, that Neilfon had affembled at a houfe in Church-lane, a noted rendezvous for rebels, fifteen colonels; and having produced a map of Dublin, affigned to each the poft which he and his regiment were to occupy that night

* John Sheares oppofed his defign. See his letter found in Neilfon ’s pocket, Appendix XIII.

A numerous party of his followers were about Clontarf, and in the demefne of Sir William Newcomen; another party in the fields contiguous to Eccles-ftreet.

When Neilfon went to reconnoitre Newgate, about ten o ’clock at night, he formed a line of pofts at certain intervals, in order to have them called fpeedily to his affiftance.

It appeared afterwards by information upon oath, that the officers ot the rebel corps, pofted near Eccles-ftreet, were one Kearney of Abbey-ftreet, a member of the Merchants corps, who held the rank of colonel in it; one Byrne of the hotel in Earl-ftreet, was lieutenant colonel, and one Whelan was major, all Roman catholicks.

Captain Medlicote of the Rotunda corps of yeomanry feeing a large body of people affembled in Eccles-ftreet, defired them to difperfe, on which one of them fnapped a piftol at him.

A party of the Merchants corps of cavalry, who were ordered to patrol at Clontarf, hearing the drums beat to arms in Dublin, returned rapidly to it, thinking that the infurrection had begun. They fortunately went by the Strand road; for had they gone by the upper one, near Sir William Newcomen ’s, they would have been cut off by a numerous party of rebels, who were on each fide of the road.

Neilfon, in his attack upon Newgate, was to have been feconded by a large body of rebels, headed by one Seagrave, who was to have taken poffeffion of Mr. Halpin ’s diftillery, at the corner of Pettycoatlane, the windows of which flanked it, and were to have kept up a conftant fire on the front of the prilon; while another party fcaled its walls in a different quarter.

Mr. Gregg, the gaoler of Newgate, perceiving a perfon reconnoitreing it between nine and ten o ’clock, approached him; but jon doing fo, he turned away, and endeavoured to conceal his face. Gregg, on clofing him, recognifed Neilfon; and having feized him, a fcuille enfuvd, in the courfe of which he proftrated him on the ground, and threw himfelf oh him. After ftruggling fome time, Neilfon drew a piftol from his bofom, and endeavoured to fire it; but Mr. Gregg was fo fortunate as to let the powder out of the pan.

While this conflict lafted, he expected to be perforated by the doggers of the affaffins, which probably would have been the care, but

that two yeomen came up, drew their fwords, and defired Mr. Gregg to do his duty. At laft, with their affiftance, he overpowered and committed him. On this fortunate event, fome thoufand rebels, who were to have co-operated with him, and were on the tip-toe of infurrection, having loft their leader, difappeared.

The large body of rebels armed with pikes and mufkets, which had affembled in Eccles-ftreet and its environs, were fo terrifick to the inhabitants of that quarter, that a number of well-dreffed women fled in the greateft confternation about ten o ’clock to

Mr. John Claudius Berefford ’s riding fchool, and claimed the protection of his corps.
Major Sirr ftopped a man on Cork-hill, about ten o ’clock at night, with fix pike heads, which he was going to get mounted. Sir John Macartney, in proceeding to Smithfield, the alarm-poft of the Attornies corps, which he commanded, and of the Lawyers and Barrack corps, having obtained intelligence that numbers of fufpicious perfons were affembled in Greek-ftreet, near Pill-lane, went thither with fix or feven of his corps, and perceiving a man paffing by, he feized him by the breaft, and hearing fomething rattle under his coat, about a dozen pike heads of excellent workmanfhip, tied up in a piece of cloth, fell to the ground; and captain Furlong of the fame corps who was of his party, caught as many more falling on his other fide. He faid his name was Murphy, and that he had received thofe pike heads from one Ryan a ftone-cutter. Keeping Murphy a prifoner, they proceeded to Greek-ftreet, where they heard fome rebels were affembled; but they being alarmed, went through a back paffage to Church-ftreet, and crossing the tops of fome houfes, they were fired at by another party of the Attornies corps, who foon after apprehended a man concealing himfelf in St. Michan ’s church-yard, with feveral pikes lying by him.

On examining this man at the guard-houfe, he faid that his name was Ryan, and that he was a ftone-curter; but declared that he was perfectly ignorant of Murphy: that he knew nothing of pikes, or pike heads; and that he fled into the church yard merely to avoid the firing: and Murphy, on being confronted with Ryan, pretended that be was unacquainted with him; but on receiving a few lafhes with a cat-and-nine tails, their recolleftion being reftored, they acknowledged that Murphy was ferjeant in a company of united Irifhmen, of which Ryan

was captain; and that they were waiting for the orders of Neilfon to rife in arms that night, in concert with fome thoufands of that body, to liberate the prifoners in Newgate and Kilmainham, and to furprife the caftle and the city.

In confequence of the intelligence received from Murphy and Ryan, they repaired to a yard in Dirty-lane near Thomas-ftreet, and found a great quantity of ready-made pikes, fome pike-heads and pike-handles, a paper of new nails, and a hammer clofe to it, for the purpofe of mounting thofe weapons; and feveral newly-finifhed pikes.
In the fame yard, they found a travelling forge, which, from its conftruction, appeared to have belonged to his Majefty ’s board of ordnance; but the motto written on it at that time, in chalk, was, God damn the king.

On the information of Ryan and Murphy, they apprehended many united Irifhmen, and feized arms of various defcriptions; one parcel of pikes in particular, in an obfcure garden behind Eccles-ftreet, buried about two feet and a half under ground, and cabbages planted over them. They were fifteen feet long and perfectly well finifhed.

Great numbers of men having pike-heads concealed were thus difcovered in going from one part of the city to the other.

The caftle was to have been attacked in front and in rear, by two defperate bands of ruffians, armed with piftols and cutlaffes.

A felect band was to have afcended with long ladders into the bed-chambers of the principal members of government, and to have murdered them, or carried them off as hoftages.

The city was to have been fet on fire in different places; and the bafon, which fupplied it with water, and the pipes through which it was conveyed were to have been deftroyed.

As it was intended that the infurrection fhould be general all over the kingdom, and as foon as poilible after it took place in Dublin, it was agreed that the rebels in remote parts fhould rife, if the mail-coaches which fet out daily from the metropolis did not arrive at their refpective deftinations as ufual.

The Belfafh coach therefore was deftroyed and burnt near Santry, the Cork mail coach at Naas, and that going towards Athlone at Lucan. The perfons who performed that fervice at Santry, defired the inhabitants of

the neighbouring cottages to rife and join them; having affured them that the caftle and city of Dublin were at that time in poffeffion of their friends.

Near the Curragh of Kildare, the rebels murdered the guard, and the coachman of the mail-coach going to Limerick.
Numerous bodies of rebels were advancing towards Dublin, from Kilcock, Maynooth, Leixlip and Chapelizod;* another party from towards the Black Bull; but bdng informed by their fpies and videts that the garrifon was under arms, they retreated. Holt, a rebel leader, was to have defcended from the Wicklow mountains, as foon as he had received intelligence that the rebels had rifen in Dublin.

For fome nights, previous to the twenty-third of May, fires were feen on the Wicklow mountains, whofe luminous appearance by night, and whofe fmoke by day, ferved as fignals to the difaffected in the metropolis, and in all the adjacent country. The fame praftice took place on all the mountains which extend from the Scalp in the county of Wicklow, to Mount Leinfter in the county of Wexford.

From a houfe in an elevated fituation in Dublin, I could difcern them at a great diftance with a telefcope; and it is aftonifhing with what celerity they encreafed or diminifhed the number of them, by which they anfwered in fome degree the purpofe of a telegraph.

From the circumftances which appeared on the trials of Weldon, Brady, Hart, the confpirators againft Hanlon, and thofe of Dunn and Carty, which I have already quoted, the reader muft be convinced that the mafs of the Roman catholicks in Dublin harboured the moft fanguinary defigns againft their proteftant fellow-subjects, whom they meant ultimately to have extirpated, though they had inveigled a few of them.

The wanton barbarities indifcriminately committed by them on all perfons of the eftablifhed religion, in the counties of Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow and Kildare, muft remove every doubt in our minds on that fubjeft.
We may well conceive then how far the licentious and deftructive rage  of the popifh multitude in the metropolis would have extended, but that the feafonable difcovery of the intended infurrection, by the wifdom and

* It appeared by the papers found on the perfon of lord Edward Fitzgerald, that he planned this before hand.

mercy of Providence, enabled the yeomen to come forward with their united force, and to prevent it from taking place.

The fun never rofe on fuch a fcene of carnage and conflagration as the metropolis would have ex:hibited on the morning of the twenty-fourth of May; for it appears from various fources of information, prefented to the publick by the fecret committee of the houfe of commons, that the inhabitants of the counties of Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, were to have rufhed into the city as foon as the infurgents had fucceeded in getting poffeffion of it, or as foon as the conflict had begun; and it was expected, that the North and South would have rifen in confequence of the detention of the mail-coaches, which was the fignal for that purpofe.

The proclamation found in the houfe of the Meffrs. Sheares,* and which they intended to have circulated on the morning of the twenty-fourth of May, will fhew the reader the malignant defigns of the leaders of the confpiracy; and we cannot entertain a doubt, but that the inferior rebels would have exceeded and prevented their wifhes and expectations.

All the loyalifts would have been affaffinated; their wives would have been violated by the ruthlefs pikemen, that murdered their huftands; the accumulations of induftry would have been pillaged; every monument of the elegant arts would have been defaced or deftroyed; and whatever might have efcaped the rapacious and deftructive rage of the rebel plunderer, would probably have fallen a prey to the flames.

The dangers which impended over the metropolis, were very much encreafed by the following circumftance:

It was difcovered that near nine-tenths of the Roman catholicks in the yeomanry corps were united Irifhmen, and had taken an oath to be true to the rebels, in direct contradicthon to their fworn allegiance;† and that many of them, after having taken the united oath, had, by deliberate and predetermined perjury, joined the yeomanry corps for the purpofe of getting arms in their hands, learning the ufe of them, and turning them againft the loyalifts, perhaps, in the very moment of danger.

The confequences might have been horrible, had they not been prevented by a timely difcovery; for if any of the projefted nightly infurrections had taken place, the loyal yeoman, roufed from his bed, might have treacheroufly fallen by the bayonets of thofe whom he haftened to join as friends and fellow-foldier.

* Appendix XIII. See alfo lord Edward Fitzgerald ’s plan of attacking a city, Appendix XIV.         † See pages 39 and 40. This sanctioned by the Romifh church.

It is remarkable, that in the city of Dublin, above two thoufand catholicks folicited admittance into the feveral yeomanry corps during the fix weeks immediately preceding the infurrection; and that moft of them were propofed by catholick yeomen, who afterwards either proved to be rebels, or were difarmed on ftrong fufpicion.

In one company of the Rotunda divifion infantry, there were, at the .breaking-out of the rebellion, twenty-two privates yeomen catholicks; and of thefe fourteen were proved to be fworn united Irifhmen, fome of them deeply concerned in the plans of infurrection and maffacre; fix others were difarmed on fufpicion of the ftrongeft kind; fo that two only remained faithful out of twenty-two. All thefe men had frequently and anxioufly endeavoured to introduce feveral of their friends into the corps, infomuch as to produce ftrong diffenfions in the company.

The popifh yeomen of the St. Sepulchre ’s corps confpired to affaffinate their proteftant officers and fellow-foldiers, who were the minority of that corps, and they were therefore difarmed.

In the Coolock corps, there was fo much diffatisfaction from the fame caufe, that they were difarmed; and its loyal members enrolled themfelves in another body of yeomanry.*

In the county of Wicklow it was difcovered by an accident, which I fhall more fully explain hereafter, that the Roman catholick yeomen did not confider an oath of allegiance prefcribed by law to a proteftant ftate, as obligatory, and that they would refufe to take a teft oath framed by their officers. The captain of a corps in that county prefented fuch a teft to the members of it, and nineteen out of twenty of the Roman catholicks refufed to take it, and were therefore difmiffed.

The fame experiment having been made with many corps in Dublin, they refufed to fwear it, though they had taken the ufual oath of allegiance; and therefore were difbanded, or voluntarily laid down their arms.

The dangers which hung over the city of Dublin were very much encreafed by the following circumftance: It was difcovered that the popifh fervants, both male and female, with very few exceptions, had taken the united oath, and were to have affifted in the infurrection and maffacre on the night of the twenty-third of May, by which domeftick fecurity was completely deftroyed; for, while the loyalift trufled to the protection of his houfe, his domefticks in the dead hour of the night would have

* About one half of the Rathdown corps were in this predicament.

admitted the affaffins, who would have butchered him in his bed. A friend of mine, who had his fervant arrefted, affured me, that he acknowledged that he knew of twenty thoufand fervants, fworn and attached to the united caufe, who were to have joined in the infurrection.

A proteftant houfekeeper of my acquaintance, who had a popifh kitchenmaid, prone to ebriety, informed me, that fhe, when intoxicated, faid to her, about a fortnight before the rebellion broke out, “Miftrefs, you had better go to mafs; for the pikemen will foon come into the city, and pike all of you proteftants. ”

The lord mayor was to have been murdered by his own fervant, and a body of ruffians whom he was to have admitted into the mayoralty-houfe in the dead hour of the night; and as a reward for his treachery, he was to have fucceeded his mafter. To prevent the lord mayor from defending himfelf, he drew the charge of the piftols which he kept by his bed-fide.

Information of his treachery having been given to the honourable captain Cavendifh and captain Beresford, they arrefted him about midnight: The lord mayor arofe, affured them that he had not a doubt of his fidelity; that there muft be fome miftake as to the charge againft him, and he requefted that they would treat him with tendernefs; but the information which they received turned out to be well founded, and even the delinquent acknowledged the truth of it.

Though the firft effort of the rebels to rife in the metropolis was defeated by the vigilance of government, and by the fpirit and loyalty of the yeomen, as it was well known that they entertained the moft fanguinc hopes of fucceeding in another attempt, general Lake, commander in chief, publifhed the following notice on the morning of the twenty-fourth of May:

“Lieutenant General Lake, commanding his Majefty ’s forces in this kingdom, having received from his excellency the lord lieutenant full powers to put down the rebellion, and to punifh rebels in the moft fummary manner, according to martial law, does hereby give notice to all his Majefty ’s subjects, that he is determined to exert the powers entrufted to him in the moft vigorous manner, for the immediate fuppreffion of the fame; and that all perfons acting in the prefent rebellion, or in any

wife aiding or affifting therein, will be treated by him as rebels, and punifhed accordingly.
“And lieutenant general Lake hereby requires all the inhabitants of the city of Dublin, (the great officers of ftate, members of the houfes of parliament, privy counfellors, magiftrates, and military perfons in uniform excepted) to remain within their refpective dwellings from nine o ’clock at night till five in the morning, under pain of punifhment.

By order of lieutenant general LAKE,
Commanding his Majefty ’s forces in this kingdom.
G. HEWETT, adjutant-general. ”

Dublin, adjutant-general ’s office,
 24th May, 1798.

The better to fecure the peace of the city, the lord mayor publifhed the following proclamation:

By the right honourable the lord mayor of the city of Dublin.

“Whereas the circumftances of the prefent crifis demand every poffible precaution: Thefe are therefore to defire all perfons who have regiftered arms forthwith to give in, in writing, an exaft lift or inventory of fuch arms at the town clerk ’s office, who will file and enter the fame in a book to be kept for that purpofe; and all perfons who have not regiftered their arms are hereby required forthwith to deliver up to me, or fome other of the magiftrates of this city, all arms and ammunition of every kind in their poffeffion: And if, after this proclamation, any perfon having regiftered their arms fhall be found not to have given in a true lift or inventory of fuch arms; or if any perfon who has not regiftered, fhall be found to have in their power or poffeffion any arms or ammunition whatever, fuch perfon or perfons will, on fuch arms being difcovered, be forthwith fent on board his Majefty ’s navy, as by law directed.
“And I do hereby defire that all houfekeepers do place upon the outfide of their doors a lift of all perfons in their refpective houfes, diftinguifhing fuch as are ftrangers from thofe who actually make part of their family; but as there may happen to be perfons who, from pecuniary embarraflments, are obliged to conceal themfelves, I do not require fuch names to be placed on the outfide of the door, provided their names are
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fent to me. And I hereby call upon all his Majefty ’s fubjects within the county of the city of Dublin immediately to comply with this regulation, as calculated for the publick fecurity; as thofe perfons who fhall wilfully neglect a regulation fo eafy and falutary, as well as perfons giving falfe ftatements of the inmates of their houfes, muft, in the prefent crifis, abide the confequences of fuch neglect.

In confequence of the intelligence received by lord Camden, that the rebels had rifen at Rathfarnham, his excellency font lieutenant O ’Reily, with a troop of the 5th dragoons, in purfuit of them, and he was joined by the earl of Roden and lieutenant-colonel Pulefton of the Ancient Britons, as volunteers; and having been informed at Rathfarnham, that they had gone towards Rathcool, they proceeded in queft of them; and in their way they met a corps of yeomen, who were retreating after having attacked the rebels, and been repulfed by them.

Lieutenant O ’Reily having halted the troop for the purpofe of confulting what was moft advifable to be done, it was agreed that lord Roden with one half of the troop fhould take the road to the right, and that lieutenant O ’Reily fhould proceed to the left, in order to furround the rebels.

Lord Roden ’s party came up with them at the firft turnpike gate on the Rathcool-road, and after a fhort flcirmifh drove them to the place where lieutenant O ’Reily was pofted; and he having fallen in with them, killed two, and wounded a good many of them, after which the main body made their efcape; for the country was fo much enclofed, as to prevent the poffibility of a purfuit.

The bodies of James Byrne and James Keely, two of their leaders, whom they killed, were brought into the caftle-yard, and exhibited to publick view; and Edward Keogh, another of their leaders, was brought in there defperately wounded.
Ledwich and Wade, the two deferters from lord Ely ’s corps, were hanged on the Queen ’s-bridge in Dublin, on Saturday the twenty-fixth of May.

On the night of the twenty-third of May, lieutenant colonel Finlay patroled with a party of foldiers near Clondalkin, four miles from Dublin,

where he met a body of rebels, proceeding to join thofe from Rathfarnham. After a flight fkirmifh, he killed three of them, whofe bodies were fufpended next morning in Barrack-ftreet, as an example to the difaffecteded inhabitants of that quarter of the city.

So fure were the rebel inhabitants of the country, adjacent to Dublin, that their fellow traitors would overpower the government and get poffeffion of it, that a number of them remained under arms till eleven o ’clock in the morning near Artane, within two miles of the city, expecting a fummons to co-operate with them; and they threatened the lives of fome loyal subjectls in the neighbourhood of that village.

On Saturday the fecond of June, Thomas Bacon, a tailor, of the proteftant religion, was hanged at Carlifle-bridge, purfuant to a fentence of a court martial.

Though deeply concerned in the confpiracy for fome years, he declared in his laft moments to major Sandys and other gentlemen, that he did not difcover, till the rebellion broke out and the maffacre of proteftants took place, that religious bigotry had a prevailing influence in it; and that he meant for that reafon to have withdrawn himfelf from it. He was bred a proteftant and died in that profeffion. He was reputed an honeft man, and in extenfive bufinefs, till volunteering made him an idler and a fpeculatift in politicks; and at laft, a rage for political innovation led him from a peaceful induftrious fphere into the vortex of rebellion.

In the country, for many miles round Dublin, the rebellion broke forth in various places, made a formidable appearance, and produced the moft fatal eflfefts.

The right honourable David Latouche had between feventy and eighty labourers employed in his work, at Marlay, the twenty-third of May, and the whole, except about ten, attended the Rathfarnham rebels.

A party of rebels entered the houfe of Mr. Minchin at Grange, headed by Curran his gardener, and McDonagh his gate-keeper, about feven o ’clock in the evening, when he and his family were in Dublin. They plundered it of various articles of houfehold furniture, which they carried off in two of his carts. Curran declared that all Ireland was rifen that night, and that he would return in a day or two, and take poffeffion of the houfe and demefne as his own.

Major Sirr the elder, the father of Mrs. Minchin, who had paffed a very long life in the fervice of his Majefty, and a female fervant of the name of Middleton, were the only proteftants in the houfe at that time; and the latter overheard the wife of McDonough declare, that fhe would cut their throats, which fhe probably would have effected, but that fome other women, who affifted her in plundering the houfe, diffuaded her from it.

It was proved afterwards, and acknowledged by fome of the affociates of Curran and McDonough, that fome affaffins had been pofted that evening with mufkets in the avenue leading to the houfe, who were to have fhot Mr. Minchin as he approached it;  but it fortunately happened that he remained in Dublin.

On the fame evening, a large party of rebels fhot at Tibbradden, about two miles beyond Rathfarnham, Mr. Philip Proffor, a proteftant, formerly an eminent filk-throwfter in Dublin, and who then refided there, becaufe he refufed to deliver up his fowling-piece.

All the farmers and peafants in that large tract of country, between Dublin and the Wicklow mountains, were in a ftate of infurrection, waiting the fignal which they expected, to enter the metropolis, and affift their fellow traitors there; and in the mean time, they continued to commit various acts of outrage. In every other part of the adjacent country the rebels were equally terrifick and deftructive.

A numerous body of them, varioufly armed, entered the town of Dunboyne, feven miles from Dublin, on the morning of the twenty-fourth of May, murdered its proteftant inhabitants, and rifted and plundered their houfes; but did not injure the perfon or property of any Roman catholick.

In the police-houfe there were fix conftables on guard, of whom they affaffinated three, who were of the eftablifhed religion; but did not moleft the remainder who were papifts.

They then proceeded to the houfe of the reverend Mr. Duncan, vicar of Dunboyne, the only remaining proteftant in that town; but he having made his efcape, they plundered it of various valuable articles to the amount of £500.

Mr. Wynne, of Clonfillagh, having been informed by two of the yeomanry corps, which he commanded, of the infurrection and of thefe

atrocities, proceeded about fix o ’clock in the morning, with four of them, and eleven highlanders, commanded by lieutenant George Armftrong of the artillery, to Ratoath,* where the rebels were in force, and had in their cuftody captain Gorges, member for the county of Meath, Mr. Corbally the lieutenant of his corps, and fome of his privates, whom they furprifed, and were on the point of hanging.

Mr. Wynne, having been at this time feafonably reinforced by Mr. Frederick Falkiner, with eighteen of the fifth dragoons, they charged and difperfed the rebels, and killed thirty-five of them in the purfuit.

Soon after they fet out to return home; and the dragoons having left them, the rebels, perceiving the diminution of their numbers, purfued them as far as Clonee-bridge, where the highlanders under lieutenant Armftrong difplayed prodigies of valour; fix of them having been killed in attempting to ftop the progrefs of the rebels.

On the fame day, they murdered fix of the Angusshire fencibles, who were guarding the baggage of that regiment, and were on their route to Dublin.

A large party of rebels, headed by one Gihhahan, a popifh farmer, entered the town of Dunfhaughlin,! in the county of Meath, and fearched for arms in a fmall barrack in which they had been depofited; but having been informed that they were removed to the oppofite houfe, in which the reverend Mr. Neilfon lived, they, after firing a volley at the windows, rufhed into it, killed Mr. Neilfon, his brother-in-law Mr. Pendleton, and a gardener, all of the proteftant religion. They then plundered the houfe of arms, and of every valuable article of furniture which they could carry off. They did not injure the perfon or property of any popifh inhabitant of that town; but did not fpare one of thofe of the proteftant religion.

A party of ruffians, headed by Thomas Connor, and Thomas Atkinfon, entered and plundered the houfe of Mr. John Braffington of Ballymacarney, in the county of Meath, of arms and other articles, and carried off four horfes.

On the trial of thefe men, by court martial, held the twelfth of July, 1798, at the barrack of Dublin, Meffrs. John and James Braffington proved upon oath, that Connor and Atkinfon declared, at their

* See plate 1.6.   † Ibid.

houfe, that they were ordered to kill all hereticks,* and to wade in their blood; and they boalted that they had killed the police-men at Dunboyne, and the Ray fencibles at Clonee-bridge.

On the fame morning, they entered and plundered Woodpark, the feaT of Mrs. Shell, near the Black-Bull, of various valuable articles; and robbed mifs Bradfhaw, her gueft, of a large fum of money. One of their leaders declared, that his orders were to put all proteftants to death.

Twenty of the Fermanagh regiment were quartered at Weftfieldftown, near Balbriggan, under the command of enfign Cleland. As he was returning to his quarters on the evening of the twenty-third of May, he was fired at from behind a bridge, by a ruffian with a blunderbufs; but though feverely wounded in different parts of his head and body, he was able to ride to Swords,† where his wounds, which appeared to be mortal, were dreffed.

On the fame evening, his detachment at Weftfieldftown, was furprifed by about two thoufand rebels, who difarmed and carried them off as prifoners, after having wounded fome of them.

As the inhabitants of Ballyboghill, noted for difaffection, were principally concerned in this outrage, a company of the Fermanagh regiment joined the Swords yeomanry, and burned the houfes of the difaffected in that village. While major King was engaged in doing fo, an officer arrived, and informed him of the difafler which had befallen the detachment at Weftfieldftown; he therefore purfued the rebels, who carried them off, for about fix miles, and found that they had plundered and deftroyed in their progrefs the houfe of every proteftant which had come in their way, and compelled great numbers of people to join them.

The major took prifoner a rebel leader, of the name of Carroll, a cotton manufacturer, in good circumftances, and of the Romifh perfuafion, whom they found in arms, and he was hanged the twenty-fixth of May, on one of the bridges in Dublin.

Mr. Sherwood, a revenue officer, feeing, on the night of the twenty-third of May, a number of rebels affembled near Dalkey, who were on the point of going to attack the camp at Lehaunftown, in which they

* Thefe expreffions are to be feen in the bloody oath found upon the rebels in different parts of the province of Leinfter.   † Plate I. 6.

expected the affiftance of a number of foldiers attached to their caufe; with laudable zeal, though at the rifk of his life, harangued them for the purpofe of diffuading them from fo bafe and fo dangerous an enterprife.

On the night of Friday the twenty-fifth of May, a party of rebels attacked and entered Mr. Blair ’s extenfive iron works at Lucan, carried off a confiderable quantity of arms and ammunition, and compelled fome of his artificers to attend them to the hill of Tara. This party was headed by George Cummins, a popifh yeoman, of the Clonfillagh corps, who became a traitor on the breaking-out of the rebellion, though he had taken the oath of allegiance; for which he was tried in Dublin the tenth of July, 1798, and hanged.

The following paragraph appeared in the Dublin Journal the twenty-fourth of May:

ROMAN CATHOLICKS. “An addrefs to the lord lieutenant, intended to be immediately prefented, and containing a declaration of political principles applicable to the circumftances of the prefent moment, lies, for fignature, at Fitzpatrick ’s, bookfeller, Ormond-quay; at the earl of Fingall ’s, Great George ’s-ftreet, Rutland-fquare; lord vifcount Kenmare ’s, Great George ’s-ftreet; Malachy Donelan ’s, efquire, Mountjoy-fquare; and counfellor Bellew ’s, No. 6, Upper Gardiner ’s-ftreet, Mountjoy-fquare. All fignatures muft be given in, on or before Saturday next. May 24th, 1798. ”

A yeoman officer, and a magiftrate, who patroled the country for four miles round Rathcoole, in the county of Dublin, affured me, that he did not find a fingle man but one in above a hundred cabins and farm houfes, which he fearched for arms, the night before the rebellion broke out; their inmates having affembled, in order to concert meafures for the general infurrection.

Captain Charles Ormfby, who commanded the Rathcoole infantry, confifting of forty-three privates and three officers, was ordered to maintain that poft at ’ all rifks.

The rebels intended to attack Rathcoole on the night of the twentythird of May, when all the garrifons in the county of Kildare were furprifed; and captain Ormfby ‘s corps, who were all, with a few exceptions.

tions, papifts and traitors, intended to have murdered him, his brother who was his lieutenant, and one or two more proteftants, who were privates in it, and to have joined the rebels on the firft attack; but they were fortunately deterred from perpetrating their nefarious defign by the following incidents:

Twenty of the Armagh regiment, brave, loyal, and well-difciplined, were ftationed with him, and twenty of the fame corps at Newcaftle, at the diftance of about one mile and a half. The Rathcoole cavalry commanded by captain Kennedy, of whom many were proteftants, compofed alfo part of his little garrifon.

The rebels, whom they could difcern, in great numbers, every evening exercifing on the adjacent hills, had appointed many different nights to make the attack, in which captain Ormfby ’s traitorous yeomen, who kept up a conftant correfpondence with them, were to have joined; but they were intimidated by the few brave men of the Armagh who were pofted there.

General Lake, confidering the importance of the place, and the fmall force deftined for its defence, fent there a reinforcement of eighty of the Angusfhire fencibles, commanded by colonel Hunter, an experienced officer, which completely put an end to the hopes of the rebels to furprife that poft.

Captain Ormfby difcovered the confpiracy of his corps in the following manner: The garrifon being fhort of provifions, he went to a hill over Rathcoole with a party, to forage; and finding there a fhepherd ’s boy, who was conftantly watching his flock, he afked him, whether he had feen any people affembled on that or the adjacent hills? and he anfwered in the negative. On which he feized him by the fhoulder, gave him three or four ftripes with the fcabbard of his fword, and faid, that he had told him a falfehood. The boy immediately exclaimed, “Oh! fir, take me from this place, and I ’ll tell you the whole truth! ”

Having led him to Rathcoole, he next day acknowledged that he had feen frequent meetings of the rebels on the hills, to the number of two or three thoufand, and among them feveral men with crofs belts; and he alfo pointed out John Shee and his brother, privates in the corps, to whofe father he had been fhepherd.

Captain Ormfby having taken up John Shee, and having given him a few ftripes, he difclofed the whole of the treafonable defigns of the corps, whom he inftantly ordered to parade, in prefence of a party of the Cavan regiment under arms, and he difarmed them; and committed ferjeant Walfh, corporal Dillon, corporal Byrne, John Shee and William Harvey, leaders among the rebels, and principals in the plot.

Walfh, foon after he was committed, confeffed the whole of their treafonable fchemes; and that he and ferjeant Rourke had been fworn by Mr. Clinch, a Romanift, and the fecond lieutenant of the corps.

Felix Rourke, the permanent ferjeant, had been early appointed a colonel of the rebels, and had deferted to them fome days before the rebellion broke out. His brother had been a competitor with lieutenant Clinch for a captaincy in the rebel corps of Rathcoole; but the influence of Felix was fuch, as to obtain fuccefs for his brother; and the zeal of Clinch in the rebel caufe was fo great, that he continued to ferve in it as a ferjeant.

Lieutenant John Clinch was the fon of a very wealthy man, had received fome education, was naturally humane and benevolent, but was perfuaded by the malignant influence of father Harold, his parifh prieft, to violate his oath of allegiance, and to become a traitor; for which he was tried and executed in Dublin the fecond of June.

He acknowledged the juftice of his fentence, and died loading with curfes father Harold, his parifh prieft; at whofe inftigation, he faid, the inhabitants of Rathcoole, and all the adjacent country, had fwerved from their allegiance, and became traitors. He declared alfo, that the organization of rebellion had taken place at his houfe, which was conftantly the rendezvous of the rebel leaders; and yet, that very prieft frequently exhorted his flock to loyalty from the altar, for three months before the rebellion broke out; and on Sunday preceding that event, he preached two fermons eminently loyal, at the chapels of Sagart* and

Newcaftle, in the prefence of captain Ormfby and lieutenant Chrifhopher Clinch† of the Rathcoole cavalry.
It was proved alfo, that Harold encouraged his rebellious fectories to furrender fome bad pikes, and to keep their good ones, in order to deceive the magiftracy

* Plate I. 7.   †This is a proteftant gentleman, confpicuous for his loyalty, and no way connedled with Clinch the traitor.

As foon as the confpiracy at Rathcoole was difcovered, he and many of its popifh inhabitants fled; but having been afterwards taken, government offered him his choice, either to be tranfported, or to ftand his trial for his life; and confcious of his guih, he preferred the former,

I mentioned before that Mr. Buckley, a refpectable gentleman farmer, was murdered near Rathcoole, on the thirteenth day of March.

On the trial of the traitors of that town, the following circumftances were brought to light Being on his return from Dublin, through Rathcoole, he was prevailed upon by old Clinch, the father of the traitor, to continue drinking in his houfe till nine o ’clock at night After which he was murdered, and his body mangled with favage barbarity, a little beyond that village, and near the houfe of Felix Rourke, in confequence of his noted loyalty.

Captain Ormfby having difcovered that a bayonet belonging to one of his corps was found fticking in Mr. Buckley ’s body, ordered there to parade, but did not find that any of them wanted a bayonet.

Felix Rourke, who abfented himfelf, was believed to have been concerned in the murder.

Lieutenant Clinch, a fhort time before his execution, confeffed to captain Ormfby, that four of the corps had been concerned in the murder; and that he rofe on the night of its perpetration, and gave a bayonet out of the ftore, which was under his care, to one of the affaffins, to replace that which he had left fticking in Mr. Buckley ’s body.
The roads leading to the metropolis were fo completely obftrufted by bands of rebels, who roamed through and pillaged all the adjacent country, that no mail coach arrived there from the twenty-fourth of May to the thirty-firft of the fame month.

On the firft of June, the lord mayor, attended by Mr. Dawfon the high-conftable, paffed above two hours in fearching the vaults and cellars under the parliament-houfe, left gunpowder or any other combuftibles fhould have been laid there by the rebels.

A minute recital of individual outrage committed in the neighbourhood of the metropolis would be tedious and difgufting to the reader: I fhall therefore proceed to defcribe fome of the achievements performed by the rebels in the county of Kildare, which gave ftronger indications of their boldnefs and malignity.

In the year 1795, defenderifm had fpread fuch deftruction and difrnay in it, by the conftant Gommiffion of nocturnal robbery and affaffination, that many of the loyal families were obliged to fecure the lower windows of their houfes with bricks and mortar; and fuch of them as had been active in checking its deftructive progrefs, were obliged to introduce fome of the military into them for their protection; and as defenderifm had made the popifh multitude peculiarly fufceptible of the doctrines of the united Irifhmen, which were introduced into the county of Kildare in the year 1796; and as they were diffufed and fublimated by the refidence and the active malignity of lord Edward Fitzgerald, the rebellion broke out with deftructive rage in that county.

His lordfhip had laid a plan of furprifing all the military ports in it, which occafioned much carnage, though it fortunately did not fucceed in the extent which he expected.

In the beginning of the year 1797, the rebels robbed the houfes of proteftants of arms from Athy to Monaftereven, Kildare, Kilcullen, Dunlavin, Timolin, and Caftledermot;* and were fo fuccefsful, that none efcaped, but thofe who fortified their habitations, and maintained a party of the military in them.†

An encampment of fome regiments of cavalry on the Curragh of Kildare, in the fummer of that year, furnifhed a plaufible pretext to the difaffected of fpreading a report that orangemen, aided by the military, were to murder all the Roman catholicks; in confequence of which, numbers of the lower clafs of people, intimidated by fuch tales, propagated for the worft of purpofes, lay in the open fields, where they were fworn and organized.

The following fymptoms of the approaching rebellion appeared in the county of Kildare, in the years 1797 and 1798: Conftant nightly meetings which the utmoft vigilance of the magiftrates could not prevent The abftinence of the lower clafs of people from fpirituous liquors, to a degree of fobriety too unufual and general not to be fyftematick: The infrequent application to magiftrates in matters of difpute: The declining to pay rent or any debts whatfoever, by thofe who had means to do fo, and who had been before very regular: The conftant refort of the popifh multitude to the confeffion boxes of their clergy: The refufal to take bank notes,

* See plate I, 7 and 8, for thefe places.   † This fulfilled the prophecy of Sir Laurence Parfons in the year 1795. See page 133.

from an idea that the approaching convulfion by fubverting the government, would put an end to their currency.
I fhall now proceed to defcribe the operations of the rebels in that county.