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The Folklore and History
Summerhill and 1798
Compiled by Niall Fagan
This story is attributed to Thomas Mooney (1795 - 1891) of Coragh, Summerhill. It was often related by his grandniece Brigid Fox (nee Fagan) 1875-1959. Three of Thomas Mooney's uncles were killed in 1798. The view of events described here from her notes and memory may vary slightly in parts with other '98 stories but it does give an account of a column from South-western part of Meath and Northwest Kildare which has not been recorded in print previously. It is part of the folklore and history of 1798 that has survived around South County Meath. It is recorded here as described more or less in the language and grammar of the storyteller.
For many years proceeding 1798 Summerhill, as indeed all Meath was in continual turmoil, because of compulsory tithe payments on every potato patch for the enrichment of the clergy of the Established Anglican Church. Rack-rents, evictions and labour disputes. Retaliation by the Defenders such as burning and cattle hocking against grabbers who took the rent, increased disturbances such as burning of the barracks and riots in the village of Surnmerhill. The Landlords who were always insecure and fearing loss of the land titles acquired by conquest scarcely 100 years previously formed the sectarian Yeoman Corps with the collusion of the 'government'. The Landlords and the Established Rectors themselves acting as Magistrates and 'law enforcement agencies', were continually raiding and house burning any they imagined was a Defender or a United Irishman, a term they were loath to use. The Government formed a militia - a supposedly Local Defence Force - by a type of conscription in which they involved the Catholic clergy in submitting names of 'suitable subjects'. When the locals were sworn in, they were marched off under Protestant Officers to other counties to be Quartered in the houses of unfortunate people especially selecting places where the husband was on the run. The Ascendancy section was vehemently opposed to even Catholic conscript soldiers training in the use of guns. Martial Law in Meath was declared on the petition of the Ascendancy. This gave them and the military the power to administer the 'Law' as they saw fit without the obligation of having to bother with courts. Trim Jail for instance had in excess of 150 'prisoners' with as many as a dozen publicly executed in one-day. There were jails in every other town. A small town Kilcock had suffered with the billeting of 70 soldiers including Mayo militia in 1795! This fact can be verified from the trial of the Summerhill School master and parish clerk, Lawrence O'Connor who was charged with High Treason, the first such instance of this 'law' for 'imagining the death of the King' in swearing a Mayo Militiaman into the United Irishmen on the 12th July, 1795. O'Connor was hanged, and while still alive as determined by the court his intestines to be drawn and quartered. His head was spiked over the gates of Naas Jail. As punishment, nine days later July 21st 43 men and women of Kilcock were belittled and insultingly forced to swear allegiance to the King! Their names and the oath administered by John Walsh J.P. are in the Records Office.
This abbreviated sketch gives an indication of the state of the country leading up to 1798 and which inevitably goaded the people to premature revolt in which 30,000 were killed and countless thousands maimed for life. Lawrence O'Connor, a schoolmaster well versed in Gaelic, Latin and English, who had a hedge school at the Moy, Summerhill and was also parish clerk for Fr. Cregan PP was mainly responsible for converting The Defenders into United Irishmen in the area as far as Athboy. He was arrested at Kilcock July 12th 1795 and charged with Treason for swearing a Mayo militiaman into the united men. He was hanged drawn and quartered in Naas in September 1795.
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