Volume: CBÉ 0407 (Part 1)

On this page

1. Father Clowry (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   The murderers escaped "scot free" but Purser had "to take to his country" for some time. He was finally brought back by Faulkner of Castletown, another "bad pill" and "limb of the devil" who gave him the best house on the estate, 20 acres of land and built for him a new forge. The smith had chanced his name to Purcell by now, and hoped to escape all the consequences of his fell deed, but murder will out.
   There lived in Kellistown on the little farm now occupied by Ireton ( and mentioned on p______ supra) four brothers named Maher - four 6-footers and their sister Biddy. "Biddy Maher and her little skillet", was a bye-word when I was young. Those Mahers were "plantmen" that is they specialised in 'growing' cabbage plants for the markets" ; they also dealt in calves, halters etc and had business "up and down every fair". The got drunk every fair evening and returned home about 4 or 5pm. As soon as they reached the forge the hullabaloo started. They besieged the forge and residence with stones shouting incessantly at top of their voices "Who killed Clowry? " The blacksmith took the precaution to fit all his windows with iron bars after the first assault, I heard such an attack being made repeatedly between 1900 and 1910. It had been going on since 1830, I believe. The Mahers were "land savages". As an example of their

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Date

   1908

   Item type

   Lore

   Language

   English

   Writing mode

   Handwritten

   Writing script

   Roman script

   Informant

   • Pádruig Mac Domhnaill