St. Patrick's Day 1869

St Patrick's Day_Layout 1 31/01/2012 11:24 Page 1 POYNTZPASS AND DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY 75 ST. PATRICK’S DAY 1869 BY TIM FERRISS n the morning of St. Patrick’s Day, 17th The formation of The Fenian Brotherhood in March 1869, what was described as a 1858, marked the rise of a much more militant O ‘drumming party’, set off from Poyntzpass to nationalism and confrontations occurred regularly march to Glen. The ‘party’ initially consisted of following various parades. Other events also approximately sixty ‘nationalists’ but as the day inflamed the situation. The first Liberal progressed this number increased substantially. government, under William Gladstone was The march, to and from Glen, lasted most of the perceived as being soft on nationalists and this day and culminated in a shooting incident when view was reinforced when a campaign calling for one of the party, 29-year-old Hugh McNally, was the release of Fenian prisoners, led to forty-nine seriously wounded. Various court cases arose from being freed in February 1869. On top of this the this parade and shooting, and it is on the evidence introduction of a Bill on March 1, 1869 to given at various trials, as documented in local disestablish the Church of Ireland led to the Irish newspapers, that the following account is largely Protestant community feeling embattled. based. It is important to emphasise that the witnesses were not always reliable. Some were It was against this background of tension and strife obviously inconsistent and clearly biased and may that the events of the 17th of March, 1869 in not always have said the same thing twice. As well Poyntzpass took place, but whether the ‘drumming as that, often the reporters didn’t get the stories party’ were members of the Fenian brotherhood or straight and were inconsistent or biased too, so it’s any other nationalist organisation is not clear. a matter of trying to see what the most likely story was. Most, if not all of the drumming party attended This seems the most probable reconstruction of Mass in Poyntzpass. The McNally brothers, Hugh the events. and Peter who feature largely, said they were at The ‘drumming party’ parade was certainly illegal Mass in Poyntzpass on that morning and that for, following the events at Dolly’s Brae in 1849, thereafter they adjourned to Rice’s public house in when some thirty Catholics had been killed, an the village and had two bottles of porter, before Act to Restrain Party Processions in Ireland joining the drumming party at around 10.00 am. was passed in 1850. It begins: The party headed out the Old Road towards Glen. “Whereas numbers of persons have been in the practice of assembling and marching together in procession in Ireland in a manner calculated to create and perpetuate animosity between different classes of Her Majesty’s subjects and to endanger the public peace....... all assemblies of persons in Ireland who shall meet and parade together or join in procession and who shall bear, wear or have amongst them or on any of them, any firearms or other offensive weapons or any banner, emblem, flag or symbol which may be calculated or tend to provoke animosity between different classes of Her Majesty’s subjects or who shall be accompanied by any person or persons playing music or singing any song which may be calculated or tend to provoke animosity between different classes of Her Majesty’s subjects, shall be unlawful assemblies and every person present shall be guilty of misdemeanour.” The Old Road Despite this Act, and the passing of a further ‘Party Emblems Act’ forbidding the display of Like many another St Patrick’s Day, March 17th party emblems, the 1860’s was a period when that year was, according to the records in Armagh, sectarian tensions often resulted in violence and a fairly cold and wet day with the wind from the death. The various Acts of Parliament were largely north east. ignored and while the governments of the day Constable William Adger, of the Royal Irish threatened to prosecute leaders, they invariably Constabulary, was on duty on the Newry Road lost their nerve and withdrew charges. about a half-mile from the village. St Patrick's Day_Layout 1 31/01/2012 11:24 Page 2 76 POYNTZPASS AND DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY evidence said, “We returned (and he used the word “returned” according to the newspaper reports) at Mr. Innes’ gate.” That would be the main gate to the Dromantine Estate at the Derrycraw entrance. So it appears that having gone from Glen Chapel the party marched as far as Dromantine gate, turned and retraced their steps back towards the Crack Bridge. From the Crack Bridge, Shields said, they went on by “Colonel Close’s wall” and then along the main road back to Poyntzpass Constable Adger was still on duty and he stated that at about 3.45 p.m. he saw the party coming along the present Newry Road toward Poyntzpass. He was accompanied on this occasion by two sub-constables, Gordon’s Lockhouse Scott and Anderson. He estimated that between four He said in evidence that he was there at 11.00 a.m. hundred and five hundred people were there, so the and that he heard a lot of drumming and shouting numbers had greatly increased. He counted six coming from the Old Road. He reckoned about 60 - drums and four fifes and said that shots were fired 70 people were heading towards the Crack Bridge. from the drumming party. Bernard Shields in evidence said that he heard shots being fired “from the He obviously knew where the party was going for he Co Down side” but not from the drumming party. said that he, “ran as fast as possible to the Crack Bridge” (Gamble’s Bridge). The drumming party continued Constable Adger, who was obviously a brave and along the Old Road and turned down a lane known committed officer said, “I came in front of the party, then as ‘Geddis’s Loanin’, which joined the Canal Bank held up my hand and asked them to stop, which they did at at Gordon’s (later Waddell’s) lockhouse. Constable once. I told them not to be coming into Poyntzpass but to Adger stated that when he got to the Crack Bridge he turn down to Aughantaraghan.” He said that John saw the drumming party coming from Gordon’s Burns and Bernard Shields, two of the men on the Locks. The party came along and passed over the march, were among those who tried to get others to bridge where a small group of opponents had go that way, but Adger quoted John Cassidy who gathered. Constable Adger stated “at that stage an said, “Come on, don’t mind him” and at those words, opposing party called on me to stop them passing over the they struck up the music again and headed onwards bridge. There were two drums and a fife; Thomas Connolly down into Poyntzpass, with Cassidy beating the and Felix Cassidy played the drums and Joseph Burns played drum as they went. the fife.” Sub-Constable James Scott in evidence, named John In his evidence to the Court, he identified a number Cassidy, Felix Cassidy, Daniel Bailey John Savage, of people whom he had seen at that time. He named James Handcock, William Handcock and William Meredith McAlinden, Francis Blacker, Johnny Boyle as being among the drumming party Savage, John Burns, John McCarrison and John Another witness, Patrick O’Hare, said, “I was in Mrs. Cassidy as being part of the group and stated that he Rice’s pub in the Pass with the drumming party and a great had great difficulty keeping the two opposing groups number of the party were also in at that time”. He also apart, “but when I said to the small party that I would made reference to shots being fired from Frazer summons all those in the drumming party that I knew, this Ford’s premises and a Constable Scott said that the seemed to satisfy them”. parties fired ten to twelve shots as the parade was Bernard Shields gave evidence that he was a member leaving Poyntzpass. Frazer Ford’s premises were in of the party. He said he went with the party from its Bridge Street (Railway Street today). origin in Poyntzpass heading toward Glen. The A report of the incident, not of the Court case, in the numbers grew as they went along and two more Newry Commercial Telegraph, gives a rather more drums and a substantial body of men joined them scathing account of the events of the afternoon: when they got to Glen. They seemed to have gone “The body then proceeded toward the Crack Bridge, their on from Glen towards Barr. Patrick O’Hare who numbers being about five hundred. They became bold and gave evidence said that he was leaving Barr Chapel marched through Drumbanagher on the way to Poyntzpass. after Mass on St Patrick’s Day when he heard drums This was certainly a bold step as the residents of “below the Chapel” and he went down to join the party. Drumbanagher and also of Poyntzpass are almost exclusively It is not absolutely clear where the party did go from Protestant. Constable Adger, an officer of great experience, Glen. The suggestion that they probably went up as remarkable for his coolness, proceeded with a small party of far as Barr seems unlikely and, Bernard Shields in Constabulary to meet the drumming party....(the writer then St Patrick's Day_Layout 1 31/01/2012 11:25 Page 3 POYNTZPASS AND DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY 77 Map Showing the Route of the Drumming Party 1869 Poyntzpass The Old Road Newry Canal Outward Walk 10 Return Walk 1 Old Road 1 2 Porter’s Shop 3 Geddis’ s Loanin Main Newry Road 2 4 Gordon’s Locks The Old Road 5 The Crack Bridge Newry Canal 6 Glen Chapel 7 Mr Inness’s Gate 8 McNally shot here 9 9 Demoan Wood 8 4 10 Party stopped by 3 Constable Adger Drumbanagher 6 The Crack 5 Bridge 7 Dromantine Newry Canal Approx.

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