School: Béal an Átha Móir (B.)

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1. Lord Leitrim (continued)

   

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   Leitrim, though badly wounded made an attempt to return the fire, but his attackers rushed in on him. He fought fiercely against them.
   Another shot, and blows of the butts of the guns in the head, finished him.

   The occupants of the second car were hardly in any hurry coming on the scene. None of the attackers was ever arrested. Two of them went to Australia; two others died in the Boer War: and Stephens, the leader, died in America (some time since 1926) under the assumed name of Hugh Boyle. Stephens, the last survivor, was a man of exemplary conduct.

   Lord Leitrim's death was termed by most people at that time as a fitting end to a rotten chapter. After his death a real descendant of the family of Clements, who was a lieutenant in the British army, was raised to peerage. Neither this Lord Leitrim nor any of his successors showed any sign of the vices of the tyrant tinker.

   "Cuir bacach ar mhuin chapaill agus rachaidh sé a' marcuigheacht go h-ifrionn"

   Below is the only portion I can get at present of an old ballad:-

   ''It was on the rise they did behold
   Three lifeless on the spot.
   And the word went far and near
   Lord Leitrim, he was shot.
   It was going around by Cratloe Wood
   He met his sad downfall.
   He was there he met bold Rory
   On the Hills of Donegal.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. place-space-environment
      1. land management (~4,110)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   James Gilheany

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 80

   Address

   Clogher, Co. Leitrim

   Drumcroman, Co. Leitrim