| Annals of Shrule - 1800 to 1900 . |
| From Proselytism and Famine to the beginning of the 20th century
. |
| |
| 1850 |
| Proselytism as a result of the famine, Bible readers from
Tuam became very active in our area, distributing tracts to Catholic homes,
attributing the misfortune of the Catholics to their fidelity to Rome, promising
bribes. There is even mention of distribution of anti Catholic literature
outside the catholic churches on Sunday mornings. Bible reading and prayer
houses were opened in Shrule and Headford, the mission house in Shrule,
situated at the back of what is now Craddock’s bar, also ran a school,
using it to indoctrinate children.This eventually brought much anti-protestant
protest and disturbance in the village of Shrule. |
| |
| 1851 |
| Sale of the Glencorrib estate, belonging to the Brownes,
under the Encumbered Estates Act. In Shrule parish the main part of the
estate was purchased by Captain Fitzgerald-Higgins, this included Ballynalty
and Bunnafollistrane, (Ravenhill and Cahercat), the land of Mochorha was
purchased by James D. Meldon, while Ballisnahyny became the property of
Colonel Charles Knox. |
| |
| 1852 |
| Sale of the Moyne estate, belonging to the Blakes, the purchasers
were: Philip Jones for Cloghmoyne, Paul Ward for Moyne and Toorard, Joseph
Burke for Rosstaff and Boulah,Sale of the Kirwan’s Dalgan estate, the
lot was purchased by Francis Russell, Duke of Bedford, his great grand son
became Lord de Clifford from his mother’s side. |
| |
| 1853 |
| Sales of the Kinlough estate under the same act, all passed
into the hand of Pierce Joyce of Merview. |
| |
| ( Extract from The Mayo Constitution) |
| “On the evening of the day when the sale of the Dalgan
estate was announced in Shrule,as having being effected in the Emcumbered
court,the Romish inhabitants of the town, forgetful of all the claims which
the Kirwan family had upon their gratitude and sympathy, testified their
base joy by lighning a large bonfire. Thus our countrymen.....taught by
a degraded priesthood to trample upon the ties which ought to bind them
to their landlords.The Kirwans have always been......kind and indulgent
to their tenancy. The best roman catholic chapel in Shrule was built by
an ancestor of the late possessor, but because the members of the familly
are now protestants, all has been forgotten.What a lesson this teaches to
the landlords of Ireland. It clearly show the necessity on their part to
aid the deliverance of our countrymen from the instruction of those who
crush the brightest......of our native for their unallowed purposes.” |
| |
| Two priests, Fr. Rinolphi and Fr. Lockhart, conducted a mission
in Headford and in Cong, as counter measure to the proselytists. They also
visited every Catholic home in the area, their actions were very succesfull
and very few people here changed their religion (the ones who did were called
jumpers and were much despised by all). |
| |
| 14/19 November |
Riots in the street(s) of Shrule as a direct result of the
action of the more fanatic among the Protestants, especially the Bible readers. |
| |
|
| 6 December |
(The Mayo Constitution) |
| Roman catholic intolerance in Shrule.In this herefore neglected
locality,a protestant congregation has been collected.The Lord Bishop of
Tuam has licenced the Irish mission school house as a place of worship,
until a church be built there. Already upwards of twenty two assembled every
Sunday, and in doing so have to brave the shouts and threats of mobs who
collect opposite the school house. Those misguided slaves of priestcraft
spare neither age nor sex, all are alike receivers of their execration for
daring to worship in the so called catholic town of Shrule. |
| Some Sundays ago the Rev. W.D. Roe was interrupted when elevating
the holy communion by the shouting of a mob outside, consisting of several
hundreds; the same interruption has been frequently given to him while preaching.A
lady of the congregation when returning to her car from prayers was shouted
at by this mob, who in their intolerance seemed regardless whether loss
of life would occur if the horse (which was a spirited animal) should take
fright.A cariage containing ladies from Headford was passing through Shrule
on a week day and because they were protestants were subjected to the shoutings
and abuses of those wretched bigots. It was with great difficulty that the
coachman prevented the horses from runing away. |
| The windows of the mission house have been repeatedly broken
and the children attending the school chased and insulted.Will such shouting
and calling of names be tolerated in a free country, we are glad to learn
that the executive seems determined to take steps for it’s repression. |
| The att. General has ordered all arrested in the last riots
at Shrule to be sent for trial at the assizes instead of the sessions.The
resident magistrate Chas. Arabian, Esq., has been directed to take up his
residence in Shrule and an aditional force of police to be sent to support
him in maintaining the peace. |
| |
| 28 December |
Ballinrobe ¼ session report . |
| A court case in Ballinrobe ¼ session, which hapened
on that day, gives us more detail of the troubles in Shrule that year.The
plaintiff was Ellen Joyce ,a minor from Shrule, the defendant was Irwin
Tighe, a constable of police based in Shrule. This was an action for twelve
pounds damages sustained by the plaintiff by reason of the defendant having
in September imprisoned and assaulted the plaintiff in Shrule. |
| C. B. Jordan, J. Griffith, L. O’Donnell were attorney
for the plaintiff and I. Kelly was attorney for the defendant. Judith Lawless
was a witness for the plaintiff. |
| The plaintiff examined by one of her attorney stated that
sitting by the fire at her house at Shrule when she was called by a girl
who came in the house. The girl talled her that the minister was coming
down the street and asked her to come at the door with her to shout at him. |
| She went at the treshold and shouted at him but did no more.Two
hours later the defendant came in and requested her to go before Mr. Arabian
the magistrate. She refused to go with him, having considered that she had
done nothing wrong, therupon he took her by the shoulder and forced her
to go with him. |
| Mr Kelly |
You have three attorneys employed here. Who employed them? |
| Plaintiff |
I did, the day I was arrested. It was a Sunday,
I know because the Rev. Rowe, he is a prod. clergiman, came to town that
morning and he was shouted at. |
| Mr Kelly |
Why? Is it because he is a minister? |
| Plaintiff |
Yes |
| Mr Kelly |
Did he do anything to you or any other raison? |
| Plaintiff |
No, but he is building a church and we had no ministers or
Jumpers until he came. I shouted at him when I saw others do so. |
| Mr Kelly |
A nice state that part of the country must be in. |
| Plaintiff |
I did not see any persons forming themselves into bands,
playing flutes, using kettles as drum and following Mr. Rowe. The scripture
readers are not like in Shrule. I live opposite the Barracks, I did not
see stones being thrown at those barracks but the police came out with their
guns loaded. |
| Judith Lawless as witness corrobored the plaintiff. After
some evasion she admitted that it was at the suggestion of Fr. Phew, parish
priest of Shrule, that she attended the court and that it was him who employed
and paid the three attorneys for the plaintiff. The defendant, examined
by Mr. Kelly, said: He was standing op- posite the house where the plaintiff
resided and saw her hooting and shouting at the rev. Rowe, who was then
going to prayer, and it was very likely a riot would have ensued, numbers
at the time having acted in the same manners |
| He also stated that about two hours later Mr. Arabian came
into town and he reported the matter to him and the magistrate directed
him to bring the plaintiff before him. He then went to her house but she
first refused to go with him.That the town had been for sometime past in
a most riotus state, a band of boys having organised with whistles and kettles
to follow and abuse the minister and the jumpers as they are so called,
riots so constantly taking place that the police had to be reinforced considerably.It
was a constant state of tumult, their barracks was attaked on a recent occasion
and to protect their lives they had to load their guns.When he came to Shrule
his party consisted to four subconstables under his command, now there was
ten men and himself and a royal Magistrate was stationed there. |
| The assistant Barrister said so audacious an action never
was brought before him: A clergyman proceding to his place of worship was
insulted by the plaintiff and others, the defendant might have at once arrested
her and detainned her in custody until he brought her before the magistrate,
but instead of which he with a degre of forebearance, finding she had not
exited a riot to an extand to have called for his direct interferance, had
merely reported her to the magistrate and on his direction had brought her
before him and for this damages were sought to be recovered. He therefore
dismissed the case on the merrits, he would further remark that he did not
envy the feelings of the party who had conceived this action and if any
of the partners should after this become participants in the riots and be
brought before him he should know how to deal with them. |
| Mr. Griffith, attorney for the plaintiff, stated that he
was misleaded as the facts of the case otherwise he would not have fitted
the civil bill. |
| |
| 1854 |
| |
| 14 March |
Patrick Greany, Ber...(?), James Jennings, Patrick Keane,
Thomas K...(?) and Catherine Connely were brought before the bar and charged
with having been guilty of riot and tumult in the town of Shrule on the
14 November 1853. Mr. Robinson represented the Crown and Mr. West the defendants.
Pat. Keane and Cath. Connely were sentanced to one fortnight imprisonement,
the others were bound to the peace. |
| |
| An action for false imprisonment was taken by a thirteen
year old Shrule boy, James Grady, against the magistrate of County Galway
at Headford.Grady, an employee of Mr. Golding, called a man a jumper one
day while in Headford on an errand for his employer. A few days later he
was arrested in Shrule on a warrant of Mr. Hunt, kept overnight in Shrule
barracks without bed or fire, handcuffed and brought to the magistrate in
Headford the next day.Bail was offered by friends of the boy but the magistrate
wanted more. As this was not forthcoming Grady was kept overnight in the
Headford barracks and transferred the next day to Galway gaol where he stayed
four days until bail was produced by a Mr Rochford who also acted as the
boy’s attorney.The counsel for Grady described the action of the magistrate
as illegal and cruel. He deplored all religious feuds and went on to describe
“Jumpers” and Bible readers as the veriest(?) pest of society
who caused disturbance of the public peace, he used the situation in Shrule
as evidence in the case.Grady was awarded twenty pounds in damages, as he
was an orphan and could not pay the attorney and his three councellors a
collection was made among the clergy to reward them for their work, fourty
pounds was collected. |
| |
| A mixed national school was erected in Glencorrib, where
the hall stands today. |
| |
| 1855 |
| Tuam post town, list of sub offices |
| Ballindine , Claremorris , Drumgriffin , Foxhall , Headford
, Shruel , Miltown and Glencorrib: postmaster: Patrick Hennelly |
| |
| 1857 |
| Shrule national school built beside the bridge on land donated
by Lady de Clifford: |
| Master Daniel O’Connell, age 43and Teacher Margaret
O’Connell, age 23 .The master was trained in Malboro St. Dublin and
formely taught at Rathmines, Dublin. 20 pounds per annum were donated by
Lady de Clifford toward school expences, the teacher’s salary was 10
pounds per annum. Pupils contributed 1/ , 1/6 and 2/6. |
| |
| 1857 |
| The Mayo election. |
| There were three candidates for these elections; Colonel
Higgins of Glencorrib, George Henry Moore of Ballinrobe and Captain Palmer.Though
Palmer was new to politics and his father got a bad reputation because of
his behavior during the famine, he was not unpopular. Both Moore and Higgins
had been for some years in parliament, Moore was the most popular with the
people, Higgins had previously been elected on his pledge of independent
opposition, he had great power and influence with the authority but that
in fluence came to him as a sort of bribe to make him forego his pledge.
Both clergy and laity of Mayo accused him of betraying the people and he
lost his seat in favour of Palmer, Moore being reelected. |
| Higgins then lodged an objection on the grounds of intimidation
and interference from the clergy, a parliamentary committee was set up and
found in favour of Higgins and George Moore was unseated.This was a severe
set back for the people of Mayo and it took eleven years for Moore to regain
his seat. |
| |
| 14 June 1861 |
| Minutes of postmaster general (P.O. archives London.) |
| Glencorrib Sub Office, salary 3 pounds per annum, abolish
and pay postmaster usual gratuity. |
| |
| 23 Feb. 1867 |
| The newspaper of the day report that the “Baroness de
Clifford, with her accustomed liberalities, has during this inclement season,
through her agent in Dalgan park, distributed a large quantity of blankets,
garnments and other clothes to the tenantry on her ladyship’s properties
around Shrule.” It was hoped that others in like circonstance would
follow her ladyship’s laudable exemple. |
| |
| 21 march 1867 |
| A young girl aged about seven, residing near Shrule, was
burned to death. Left in charge of house and young children while her mother
went out, her clothes caught fire at the open fire place, she ran out but
with the breeze the flames must have got worse, she was dead when found
later in a field near the house.(No name given) . |
| |
| 1869 |
| After the Disestablishment Act, proselytism and other malpractices
forced by a fanatical few upon an impoverished population were discontinued.
|
| |
| 1870 |
| Gladstone land act; provision for compensation on disturbances
and for tenants purchase. |
| |
| 1876 |
| Dedication of the newly build church of Glencorrib, townland
previously called Bunnafollistrane, to the Blessed Virgin under the title
of the Immaculate Conception. This church was built to replace the one in
Kilroe now in a very bad state of deterioration. Glencorrib was chosen to
replace Kilroe because of it’s more central position. The name Glencorrib
came from the name of the residence of the donor Col. George Higgins. |
| |
| 1877-79 |
| Poor harvest, decreasing demand for agricultural produces,
falling prices are causing much hardship to the tenants. |
| |
| 1879 |
| Formation of Irish national land league. |
| |
| 1871-79 |
| There was a large drop in the price of wheat during that
period which badly affected Shrule parish as a wheat produsing area.In 1871
the price of wheat was 31s. 11d. per barrel of 20 stones, that price progressively
went down to 20s. 4d. per barrel by 1879 |
| |
| 1881 |
| No rent manifesto issued by land league. |
| |
| Large portions of the Dalgan estate were sold, about one
third, this was when the land league agitation was gaining momentum, just
a year after Captain Boycott was compelled to leave Lough Mask house.
|
| |
| Jan. 1883 |
| Prices at Galway market, from newspaper report: |
| |
wheat 8s. 6d. to 9s. per cwt |
| |
oats 11d. to 11s. 6d. per stone |
| |
barley 15s. 4d. to 15s. 6d. per barrel |
| |
potatoes 6d. per stone |
| |
hay 2s. 6d. to 3s. per cwt |
| |
straw 2s. to 2s. 4d. per cwt |
| |
butter 3s. 6d. to 4s. per pound |
| |
eggs 1s. 10d. to 2s. per score |
| |
turnips 9d. per cwt |
| The high price of eggs, butter... provided a welcome source
of income for the poor tenants. In some households the eggs produced were
seldom, if ever, eaten as they were too valuable income wise. |
| |
| 1884 |
| Poor harvest due to drought. |
| |
| 5 April, 1885 |
| Death of Thady McHugh of Shrule, farmer and shopkeeper, his
estate passed to Julia Murphy, his great grandaughter. |
| |
| 1885 |
| Ashbourne’s land purchace act provide 5 million pounds
as loans for tenant purchace, it will be increased by 30 million in 1891
and again in 1896 |
| |
| 1887 |
| Again poor harvest due to drought. |
| |
| 5 January 1887 |
| On that date Pat Moran of Shrule received a spirit licence
at Ballinrobe ¼ sessions court |
| |
| 1897-8 |
| Potatoes failed. |
Contents
