The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-10 00:00:00

A ROMAN CATHOLIC PASTORAL.

LIPS Its TIPPERARY.

An extraordinarypastoral has just been addeerised
by Dr. Leahy. the Ronan catholic archbishop of OW*
" To those calling themselves the Three-year-old and Four-
year-old factions in the pariah of Emly and thereabouts."
The archbishop with grief complains that those people—
"almost alone of the people of Ireland, certainly alone of
the people of these diocese"—have revived those wicked
factions which some years ago were the disgrace of the
country. Emly la the stronghold of two Roman catho-
lic factions—" The Three-year-old" and " The Four-
year-old." They originated some years ago in a personal
quarrel. This was converted into • family feud, in-
volving kith and kindred to the remotest degree. It set
family against family, townland against townland, &Oriel
against district. Neighbours as well as kinsmen wen drawn
into the feud, which has grown into a war between two
wide-spread, bloodthirsty factions. When they meet they
fight furiously in markets and fairs, and even at the chapel
doors during the celebration of meas. But this is not the
worst. They waylay one another in the most treacherous
manner, half a dozen falling suddenly upon one de-
fenceless man. In the following condensed recital of
atrocities we adhere to the archbishop's language almost
verbatim. If a man belonging to either of the factious
is seen returning home in the evening from the market,
some of the rival faction hang upon his footsteps, or lie
in wait for him in the dark, and then, when he inspects no
danger, fall upon him without mercy. If a public fair is
held here or there, the ery of the Threnvear-olds is raised,
and is promptly answered by the cry of the Four-year-olds.
The combatants rush to the fight ; people who come upon
their honest business are sent flying in every direction for
fear of their lives, and the fair green, appropriated to the
peaceful avocations of buying and selling becomes • field
for the dis;lay of all the fury of the rival 'factious. Again,
" if people come together in numbers to enjoy some public
amusement (of which the Irish have lees than any people in
Europe), the same factious cries are raised, and then coma
the onset, with savage yells and 'dicks sod stones.
If, worse still, it happens to be the Lord's day, or
the church's holiday, when congregate to
worship the living God, to kneel before the same
altar—et is • shame to have it to tell, but the truth it is to
tell—that men calling themselves Christiana and catholic.,
on the Lord's own day, in the House of God, kneeling
before His altar, bowing down in presence of the Lamb
that is offered for the sins of the world, then and there
thirst for anther's blood, and scarcely pat foot outside the
'scrod threshold when they fall upon one another with the
fury of demons. The consequences are maimings for life
and manslaughter, happy homed turned into mourning,
hearths made desolate, parents' grey hairs brought in
sorrow to the glans ; now a fine young man in the morning
of life struck down by a bludgeon or a stone ; now a One
young man torn from his family for having struck the blow,
doomed to undergo the living death of penal servitude."
Dr. Leahy then gives a well authenticated detail of mur-
ders and maiming., and other grievous bodily injuries, that
have occurred in the district in question during the laid
sea yams. Perhaps such a record was never before em-
bodied in any bishop's pastoral :
"9th July, 1856.—Denis Quinlan, a Four-year-old, parish
of Emly, killed at the fair of Hospital.
"August, IBl6.—John Fitzgerald, a Four-year-cdd,
killed at his own door in Emly.
"October, 1856.—John Henna, pariah of Emly, killed
at Rode; in seine pariah. He did not belong to either
faction.

T`
September
1858.—Michael Hayes, parish of Hospital,
a Four-year-old, killed at thegfair of HospitaL
" 1859.—James Brown, Knocicany, received a stab which
put his life in danger.
" 1859.—At a funeral in Kilteely John 11.`Grath, of
Emly, a Four-year-old, badly fractured
November 6, 1860.—Returning from the fair of
Knockany Edward Fitzgibbon was inlled. It is doubtful
whether his death is to be sacribed to faction.

" 1860.—One Murphy, a Three-year-old, was killed be-
tween I3allylanders and Gelb,"lly.
"June 12, 1860.—At the !Mr of Itallybrood several
persons were injured in a faction fight between the Mukahys
and Connolly', of Caherline, and the Smalls, of Kilteely, on
the one side, and the London! and Conway", of Kilteely, on
the other.

" May, 1861.—At a funeral at Emly a wicked fight took
place between the Three and Four-ymrolda, from which
nine from the pariah of Emly, and four from the
of Hospital, were punished by Sergeant Howley at
the sessions of CuheL

" 186 L—John Molony, • Three-year-old, and Daniel
Connors, a Four-year-old, both of the parish of Eady, began
to fight at the chapel pte on a Sunday, and, having retired
to a field close by, fought it out during maw, in presence
of several spectators.
" December, 1861.—At a hurling in the pariah of Emly
a man named Taylor was badly fractured, for which a man
named Kennedy was sentenced to three or four year.' penal
servitude.

" 1861.—A man named Callaghan, not of any party, re-
turning from the fair of Emly. was killed by a person who
did not belong to any pan,.
" 1861.—At a hurling in Kilteely a man named Small
was badly fractured by persons of the opprAite faction.
This ocourrenoe arca, out of a faction right at the fair of
Ballyrood, in 1860.

"1862.:—At the fair of Kilteelv, Molony, a Three-you:-
old, badly beaten by Connolly, a Four-pear-old."
April, 1862.—At the fair of Ballinoreena, parish of
Knocldong, Roger Egan was badly fractured by some of the
Three/ear-olds because he was seen in company with some
of the opposite party, though he did not belong to either.
" Almost 22, IB62.—Edward Fitzgerald, Hospital, was
killed in same place. This death was not owing to (maim.
" 1862—Michael Buckly, of Emly, was badly fractured."
The cause of the feud which has led to such deplorable
results was so trivial and ludicrous that it would be almost
incredible if given on a less authority than this pastoral.
A spark struck out in a dispute between two men about an
insignificant fact has blazed out into a flame of faction and
has now become a widespread conflagration. The cause was
too ludicrous to be more than alluded to by the archbishop.
It was all about a bid!! The Sforniny News gives the his-
tory of the origin of the feud as follows :
In former times there was • bull located near the town
of Tipperary, about whose age some persons disputed. One
party asserted that he was three years old, and another
swore as lustily he was four. It was a time when a lesser
matter would suffice for riot, or fury, or bloodthirstine
and blows ensued. One party, of course, was defeated, and
hatred sprung up against the victors, husbanded for a day
of greater strength. Then there WWI another trial by
battle, and defeat one side or other added fuel to make the
flame of discord grow. Thus it went on. Its existence
has been marked by the ruin of many • borne, the widow-
hood of many a wife, and the orphanage and misery of
many an innocent child. From time immemorial they have
fought their battles. Fair or market, wedding or funeral,
race meeting or hurling match, have seen them find some
opportunity for the deadly strife."
Nothing can exceed the earnestness and solemnity with
which Archbishop Leahy exhorts those savage people to
give up their faction fights. As a mesas of reforming them
and of eradicating the evil, be has invited the Redemptorist
Fathers to bold"a mission" among them for several weeks.
' The fathem are to sit daily and hourly, hearing confessions,
and this process will be accompanied by frequent preaching'.