School: Baile an Ghaorthaidh, Cluain Meala
- Location:
- Ballingeary East, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Seán Ó hAodha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0569, Page 030
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- XML School: Baile an Ghaorthaidh, Cluain Meala
- XML Page 030
- XML “Story - Michael Hayes and the Shooting of the Landlord's Agent in Tipperary”
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- (continued from previous page)The song of Michael and Nancy Hayes was banned by the police and whoever was found singing it would be put to gaol. To avoid gaol the name of the song was changed to “Michil and Nancy Kays”. A story is told of an old ballad singer who stepped out on the square of Cahir on a fair day singing the song, “Michil and Nancy Kays”. When the police of Cahir came to him, they could not arrest him as he had the name changed. But they told him to keep moving on from the town. The ballad singer kept moving from side to side marking time to the song.When Michael Hayes was on the run he used travel by night from house to house. On night as he was about to jump a fence, he heard a noise in the bushes. Thinking it was the police who were following him he jumped backwards and fell headlong to the other side. Two revolvers, which he always carried, went off and shot him. The neighbours found him in the morning, and they filled a cart with haying put him in the middle of it. They buried him in the churchyard at Doon, Co. Limerick. The police never found Michael, living or dead.
- Informant
- Mr John Tierney
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Chamberlainstown, Co. Tipperary
- Informant
- Mr William Tierney
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Chamberlainstown, Co. Tipperary
