School: Ballinkillen, Muine Beag

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1. Tales of Kilcumney (continued)

   

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   Ballyellen Cross in '98. The ruins of this forge may still be seen. Suspecting he used make pikes for the United Irishmen, the soldiers raided his house and tho' no pikes were found he was arrested and taken prisoner to Gowran Castle. With others he was to executed next day. Mounted guard over him was a soldier named Hempenstall who was a fanatical card-player "Any money Croppy" he says to Fanning. Fanning had and they played cards for it. Fanning won all Hempenstall's money and then presented him with it and his own, saying "This will be no use to me after tomorrow". Hempenstall promised to save him from death. As so many were executed, it was customary to ask each individual prisoner's guard to "send that fellow to hell". He told Fanning to feign death when he should fire. Previous to being brought to Gowran, Fanning had been flogged and 'pitch-capped' so it did not cost him a super-human effort to feign death. In the morning Hempenstall was told to carry out the execution but said he had already done so. Fanning's 'corpse' was flung in a corner and in the evening his wife, believing him dead came to claim his body

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John Redmond

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ballinkillin, Co. Carlow