1798 in Athy

Next Sunday at 3 o’clock in the afternoon Dr. Pat Wallace, Director of the National Museum in Dublin, will unveil the monument erected in Emily Square to commemorate the men and women of 1798.  That year of rebellion was a pivotal time in Irish history, marking the early stages of Irish Republicanism which would garner support and inspire many over the succeeding 200 years. 

The unveiling of the ’98 monument in the centre of Athy allows us to dispel once and for all the oft repeated claim that Athy is a garrison town.  Growing up in Athy and attending the local Christian Brothers School I was unaware of the impact the 1798 Rebellion had on the town and the people of Athy.  In much the same way we believed that the Great Famine appeared to have not touched the lives of people living in this area.  Of course, with the more recent collating of reports of those times we now have a fuller, if not necessarily, a complete picture of the events surrounding the ’98 Rebellion and the Great Famine and how both events impacted on the people of this area.

Our principal informant for the events of over 200 years ago was local man Patrick O’Kelly, while letters from local residents such as Rev. Nicholas Ashe, Thomas Fitzgerald and Thomas J. Rawson, preserved in public or private libraries, give an even deeper insight into what was happening in Athy in ’98. 

Consider the letter Rawson, who lived at Glassealy before moving to Cardenton when his house was destroyed by rebels, wrote to the Duke of Leinster on 13^th August 1799

‘When Campbell commanded this Garrison he caused barriers of hogsheads sods and earth to be made on the different approaches and on the centre of the Bridge – he was ordered to evacuate the Town and it was left for a long time to the sole protection of the Yeomanry – weak and threatened as the Town then was a large body of rebels having the next night approached within 100 perches of it, I considered it absolutely necessary to put up temporary gates and a paling, at an expense of upwards of £50 out of my pocket – the town was protected.  In November last Capt. Nicholson and a company of the Cork City Militia were sent here, he saw the sod work going to decay, he applied to General Dundas, and by the Generals special directions [the Inhabitants at large having subscribed a larger sum] strong walls of lime and stone were added to my gates – two large piers and a strong wall and platform were erected on the center of the bridge under the direction of Capt. Nicholson.  In the beginning of May last Gen. Dundas inspected the Athy Inf.  New made pikes had been recently found in the back house of a rebel Capt. of the town, several new schemes of insurrection were discovered, for which many have been since convicted by Court Martial – the large House in the Market Square was occupied by a noted rebel from the Co. of Carlow and it appearing to the General, that the barrier on the bridge, could be commanded from the house, he was pleased to approve of the building a second wall to cover the men – I neglected it for some time – on the account arriving, that a French Fleet was out, and destined for this country, I concluded that the town, would as before, be left to the Yeomanry.  In a hurry I had temporary walls ran up, merely doubling the former barrier, and recollecting that for four months last summer we had lain on the flag way on the bridge, in the open air with stones for our pillows – I covered the walls with a temporary skid of boards which are not even nailed on.’

We can gauge from Rawson’s letter the depth of loyalist fears and the measures which they felt were necessary to protect themselves from the rebels.  Their fears were well founded as evidenced by the massacres of Hannah Manders and four other at Glassealy in the summer of ’98.   Another atrocity followed a rebel attack on Narraghmore Courthouse where a number of loyalists had sought refuge.  Having surrendered to a large force of rebels six of those taken prisoner were hanged in a nearby wood.

Atrocities were committed by rebels and government forces alike.  Seven men, believed to be rebels, were hanged in the town of Athy in the early days of June ’98 and again Narraghmore figured prominently as six of the unfortunate men were from that area.  They included Daniel Walsh whose brother had been hanged a short time earlier in Naas.

These were dangerous times which like the Great Famine never formed part of the local folklore passed down from generation to generation.  It was if a community memory had been obliterated for reasons which this generation, spared the atrocities of armed rebellion and the inhumanity of death by starvation, can never know or understand.

On Sunday 7^th November we can pay our respects to the men and women from Athy and district who in 1798 suffered for their involvement in the United Irishmen’s drive for civil and religious liberty.

Jens Preisler who died recently will be remembered at 7.30 p.m. Mass in the Dominican Church on Friday 5^th November.  I had intended to write of Jens in this Eye but will do so next week.

Letters to Duke of Leinster concerning 1798 activities in Athy

Athy Urban District Council, as it was then called, commissioned a sculpture to be erected at Woodstock Street to commemorate the townspeople’s involvement in the 1798 Rebellion. I gather this sculpture has been completed but there is still no sign of it being displayed near to where a number of local men were hanged over 200 years ago.

During the 200th anniversary commemoration of the 1798 Rebellion many books were published in the North and South of this island, outlining the part played by local communities in the events of that period. The interest generated by these publications was gratifying and this has led to an amount of new information coming into the public domain for the first time.

An interesting cache of letters belonging to William the 2nd Duke of Leinster were acquired by the National Library about two years ago and amongst them were a number relating to Athy. Several local men wrote to the Duke at different times during 1798 and amongst them were Nicholas Ashe, Sovereign of Athy and the infamous Thomas J. Rawson of Glassealy, Athy.

Nicholas Ashe was an interesting character who operated a classical school for boarders in the town. By all accounts, he appears to have been a fair minded individual and a man who did his utmost to maintain peace in Athy. As the Sovereign he exercised some judicial functions but in doing so he fell foul of a number of his fellow loyalists as the following letter which he wrote to the Duke of Leinster on 17th April 1798 explains.

“The indictment of the solder against Conolon and Malone one of your Graces yeomen was quashed. This prevented the exposition of a wretch - who strove to take away the lives of two innocent men - for five guinea’s Blood Money.

I am sorry to add - a Clergyman - was averse to bailing them - tho’ every shadow of imputed guilt was cleared by the inconsistency and prevarication of the Soldiers’ testimony - the bills were thrown out by a shameful interference - had they been found I would have proved a perjury of a most dangerous and bloody tendency ……… I have since been very anxious to get the Soldiers off the town. An opportunity occurred on the Cork being removed by the Kings county. The Capt. expressed a wish to have his men in barracks - I immediately filled up the under part of the Session House - and in five days had an excellent barrack for one hundred men - which took off the town a tax of five hundred and brought in an advantage of three thousand expenditure. This A. Weldon himself cou’d not dispute the advantage, both to town and army - yet he and his party opposed it to the utmost and I with difficulty established it ……… The inhabitants offered to repay my expenses. To this I cou’d not submit to secure the barrack I offered to erect four large sheds and finished one - together with some paling to enclose a yard. But the interference of the party saved me the experience. One hundred and sixteen men are already accommodated. But have this instant received a note from Col. Campbell to provide Quarters for two hundred additional men to come in next Friday. Rawson has been addressed by a party calling themselves the Loyal Protestant Corporation of Athy to memorial Government for a Corps of Infantry. In consequence a number of Protestant boys came headed by Redshaw, to demand their freedom. They knew I refused Weldon Molony - therefore it was more impertinence. They were clamorous and your Grace may suppose I was resolute - Rawson wished to get my signature - and insinuated that it wou’d be dangerous to wait ‘til your Grace cou’d be consulted - It was extreme impudence to expect, I wou’d sign a Corporation Memorial without your advice or that I wou’d sanction the formation of a Corps to exclude our Catholic Brethern. I left them to themselves yesterday, Rawson show’d me the Memorial - it is sufficient to say, he drew it up himself - I saw a curious list of names annexed - I asked Capt. Thomas James Rawson who wou’d be Lieutenants. He cou’d not tell but I hear Ben Braddell first on the List. I hope the second contest shall be between Ben Willcock and Ben Redshaw. At my last Court I proved by testimony of both that Redshaw pointing at me, declared I was a papist at heart, and shou’d soon be counted out - I thought the expression deserved reprehension particularly as some people suspect an Orange Lodge in the town.”

Ashe’s letter gives an interesting insight into the local politics of the time.

The prime mover in the formation of a Loyalist Militia in the town was Thomas Rawson who was himself apparently in a spot of bother as indicated in his letter to the Duke of Leinster of 13 April 1799. The letter written by Rawson when forwarding the Grand Jury Presentments mentioned that the Duke had expressed doubts of some of the town Burgesses and had called on Rawson to resign. This undoubtedly resulted from complaints from the likes of Thomas Fitzgerald of Geraldine, a relation of the Duke who referred to Rawson as the “offal of a dunghill”. Rawson in defending himself to the Duke against the charge of seeking Grand Jury funds to build a house on the bridge of Athy gave the following account.

“The history of any and every barrier in the town of Athy is simply this and the truth can be proved by thousands. When Campbell commanded this garrison he caused barriers of hogsheads, sods and earth to be made on the different approaches and on the centre of the bridge - he was ordered to evacuate the town and it was left for a long time to the sole protection of the yeomanry - weak and threatened as the town then was a large body of rebels having the next night approached within 100 perches of it, I considered it absolutely necessary to put up temporary gates and a paling, at an expense of upwards of £50 out of my pocket - the town was protected. In November last Capt. Nicholson and a company of the Cork City Militia were sent here, he saw the sod work going to decay, he applied to General Dundas, and by the Generals special directions [the inhabitants at large having subscribed a larger sum] strong walls of lime and stone were added to my gates - two large piers and a strong wall and platform were erected on the centre of the bridge under the direction of Capt. Nicholson. In the beginning of May last Gen. Dundas inspected the Athy Inf. New made pikes had been recently found in the back house of a rebel Capt. of the town, several new schemes of insurrection were discovered, for which many have been since convicted by Court Martial - the large house in the Market Square was occupied by a noted rebel from the county of Carlow, and it appearing to the General that the Barrier on the bridge could be commanded from the house, he was pleased to approve of the building a second wall to cover the men - I neglected it for some time - on the account arriving, that a French fleet was out, and destined for this country, I concluded that the town, would as before, be left to the yeomanry. In a hurry I had temporary walls ran up, merely doubling the former barrier, and recollecting that for four months last summer we had lain on the flag way on the bridge, in the open air with stones for our pillows - I covered the walls with a temporary skid of boards which are not even nailed on .

His detailed explanation gives us, for the first time, a sense of the danger and anxiety experienced by the townspeople during the 1798 Rebellion and the measures which were taken to protect the town.

I started off this article by referring to the 1798 memorial which remains to be erected in Athy, even though it has been ready for some years. Perhaps the Town Council will ensure that the Memorial is in place before the national commemoration for Emmet’s Rising of 1803 comes around.