Saunders's News Letter &

Daily Advertiser

4 April 1820

(Column 4)

RIBBONMEN

GALWAY ASSIZES

Galway, March 29 [1820]

William Dowd was indicted for appearing armed by night, at Belview, on the 27th of February.

William Moran examined by Mr Vandeleur—Lived at Belview on the 27th of February; was in bed; got up on hearing a knocking at his door; there were in the house his wife, two servant boys, and a maid servant; he went to the door; they asked him to open it; he told them he would not; they then required witness to give them his arms; he returned to his room to bring his blunderbuss; his wife said she had put water into the pan; he then went to the door, and desired them to go off; they did not; he heard the shutters of the window of his bed-room open, and his wife giving out a pistol; he seized her by the arm, and forced the pistol from her; he kept the pistol in his hand; his wife was greatly agitated; she begged he would give them the pistol; he threw it out to them; it was a very bright night; he could not distinguish the features of any of them; they went off, and he closed the shutters; it was about two o'clock in the morning.

The Rev James O'Donnell, examined by Mr French—Is parish Priest of Clontuskerty; knows the prisoner at the bar; he lived in his parish for three years; the prisoner brought him a pistol on the 9th of March.

Cross-examined by Mr Blakeney—Recollects the prisoner coming to him; it was understood in the parish, that any person who delivered in his arms, and gave information of his associates, would not be prosecuted. It was in consequence of the foregoing hope that prisoner brought him the pistol; he was, notwithstanding, taken up; prisoner asked witness would he be safe from the soldiers; witness told him that he would, unless there was previous information against him; he 

held out his inducement by the authority of Doctor Trench; got up some arms in consequence of the hope he held out; had no previous communication with prisoner; he came in two days after witness held out the hope and gave up the pistol.

The Hon. and Rev. Dr. Trench examined by Mr Clancy—Is a Magistrate of this county; never saw prisoner until he was in custody; he made some communications to witness; neither held out hope nor threat; subsequent to the man's apprehension he had communication with witness; knew of no communication Mr O'Donnell had with the prisoner; Mr O'Donnell brought witness the pistol; he gave no authority to Mr O'Donnell to hold out mercy to any one; if Mr O'Donnell told the prisoner he was to have his pardon, it might have operated on his mind; it was his (Dr Trench's) habit to warn prisoners that they were not to expect hope; whether he did so in this particular instance or not, he cannot now recollect.

Doctor O'Donnell again called up—He was present when the prisoner made his confession to Doctor Trench; there was no hope held out to him; cannot recollect whether Dr Trench cautioned the prisoner not to confess.

Guilty of the misdemeanour. Sentence not passed.

Patrick Good was indicted for appearing armed by night, and being a Ribbonman, and present at administering an unlawful oath. He pleaded guilty. Sentence not passed.

March 31 [1820]

John Madden, William Staunton, Thomas Coolaghan, and Thomas Preston, were indicted for appearing in arms as Ribbonmen, and for administering unlawful oaths.

Patrick Doogan, examined by Mr Vandeleur—Head of the attack on Mr Seymour's house; it occurred about a month since, on a Sunday night; knows Patrick M'Loughlin; he lived at that time about half a mile from Mr Seymour's; witness slept in M'Loughlin's house the night of the attack; got information on Monday 

that he was to be murdered as an informer; on the night of that day he saw Peter Kelly in his own house,  which was near M'Loughlin's; he was brought from thence to a Ballinafad at Gortnamona; there were about 250 persons there, among whom was Peter Kelly; several of the party had guns, pistols, and pikes, and Kelly had a sword; when he arrived there, there were four sentinels put upon him for being an informer; the sentinels were armed with guns and pistols; Peter Kelly said he had the man who was asserted to be an informer, and he called on any man who had any thing to say against him to come forward; Thomas Coolaghan, Thomas Preston, and John Madden were present; he was marched, by two armed men, up to Thomas Egan, who had a sword in his right hand, and a book in his left; Kelly demanded to know what evidence was against witness; he swore witness never to prosecute any of the men then present; one of the party asked witness for money; they had handkerchiefs round their hats; witness remained about a quarter of an hour with them; attended another Ballinafad on the following Saturday, at Killevena, which was assembled for the purpose of uniting the parishes of Meelick and Clontuskert; there were upwards of one hundred persons there, who were armed with guns, swords and pistols; they called on him to go to the meeting, which he was induced to do through terror; the men who were at Clontuskert were made Ribbonmen at Meelick, and were sworn by one of the Honourable Knights of Saint Patrick and the Green Levellers ; the oath was—"if they were to go to fair or market they were not to drink a glass or two, without a true loving brother by their side;"; saw no Captain but Kelly; Thomas Preston was at the second Ballinafad, and he had a gun; witness remained at the second Ballinafad until near morning; they were settling their Committee.

Edmond Egan examined by Mr French—Heard that Mr Seymour's house was attacked; he lived at Classconnell; knows and identifies the four prisoners; was at a Ballinafad on the 

Wednesday night following; did not see any of the prisoners there; saw Peter Kelly there with a sword; save the last witness at the Ballinafad; there were upwards of one hundred person there; he was sworn to go there on Wednesday; was sworn previous to the attack on Mr Seymour's house; witness was desired to bring tenpence along with him. 

Here the case closed on behalf of the Crown.

The Reverend Mr O'Donnell gave a good character of the prisoner, Coolaghan.

Thomas Seymour, Esq.,* sworn— Knows all the prisoners and never heard any thing against them until this business.

Captain Davis, one of the Jury, said, that Madden was in his company as a soldier, in the Galway Militia, and that he was a well-conducted man.

All the prisoners were found guilty, except Staunton, who was acquitted on all the indictments.

Madden and Coolaghan to be transported for life. Thomas Preston to be confined for two years, and publicly whipped three times.

The Dublin Journal 

10 April 1820

(Column 5)

The Assizes of the County Galway terminated on Saturday week. Five Captains of Ribbonmen received   sentence of death. A Mr Rochford, who is charged with being a leader among this banditti, has put off his trial until next Assizes, and the trial of a Mr Egan, against whom a similar charge is pending, has been postponed, at the instance of the Counsel for the Crown, a principal witness for the Prosecution, who is understood to be an approver,  being unable to attend, in consequence of a wound he received. Eight Ribbonmen were on Saturday sentenced to transportation, and were forthwith put into Carts at the Court House and conveyed on their way to Cork to be from thence sent off to Botany Bay. Nineteen others were sentenced to be imprisoned for two years, and to be publicly whipped four times.