The Irish standard., 1886-05-01
FAMOUS IRISH DyELLISTS.
Some "reminiscences Of the Golden Age of
the Code IN the Emerald
Isle,
BULLY" EGAN AND OTHERS.
Three Hundred Duels Fought by Prom
inent Persons From 1882
to 1900.

In the latter part Of the last and be-
ginning of the present century it was
that duelling most generally prevailed
in most continental countries, as well
as iii Great Britain and Ireland. In
France, at the close OF the last century
according to all eminent authority
''there was scarcely man worth look
ing on who had not killed his man.;
and in Great Britain about the same
time genJle1nan's education was held
to be hardly perfect until he had
smelt POWDER" Legislators, lawyers,
Judges even, and members OF other
learned professions, gentry and estated
persons of every degree, were so jeal-
Gus of their honor and the preservation
Of the ''tone'' Of high society, that they
engaged in deadly conflict on the
smallest provocation. One, indeed is
puzzled to recall the names Of more
than a few of the many eminent per
sons of the period who are recorded as
having fought duels: FROM ''the Minis
ter down to the clerk Of the crown, y
all public and prominent men were
duellists-indeed, to doubt the morality
OF deny the necessity Of the duel, in
these :'brave days Of old,'' would have
been thought excessively t'bad form y
That it was illegal rather added to its
attractiveness and increased the zest
with which it was had recourse to as
the occasion seemed to require. More
over, but few offenders We're ever
brought to justice. and most OF them
escaped punishment. But the Emerald
Isle has been pre-eminently the land
where duelliDg tlourished in the inlne-
d1ate past. Due]ling. without doubt,
was universal in Ireland at the corn-
mencement; Of the present century. NO
gentleman was held to be qualified FOL
permission TO polite society until he
had encountered, if not killed, his man.
No barrister could so circuit until he
had made reputation in this way, and
scarcely an assiZe passed over without
a number Of duels. Sir Jonah Barring
ton gives a list Of famous lawyers who
had been often ''out" with antagonists
and OF Judges who are said to have
fought their way to the bench; and his
statements obtain ample veritication i'll
the works of contemporary historians
Among the most famous Of the duel
lists spoken Of by writers, of and con
cerning this period, was Bully" Egan.
chairman Of quarter sessions for the
county of Dublin, who was SO good
natured that he never sentenceda male
factor without blubbering on the
bench"; yet he fought more duels than
any of his contemporaries, His most
remarkable encounter was one that he
had with the master of the rolls, at
Donnybrook, in the presence of an i'm
mense crowd. 1t was, however, blood
less. The s'bully'' reserved his fire
and when his antagonist had dis
charged his pistol without effect, threw
down his weapon: inviting the Judge tc
' shake hands or go to the devil" Il
was no unusual thing, according to the
same writer's, for two opposing counse.
to fall out in court in discussing lega
point, retire to a neighborlng field tc
settle it with pistols. and, if no blood
was shed, as was generally the case. re-
turn to court to resume their business
Sir Jonah Darlington gives many illus
trations of this comical contempt fol
the law held by it's paid advocates, one
of which, 'SBully'' Egan, already re-
ferred to. was the hero. That worthy
person and a barrister named Keller
had tough law argument at the
Waterford assizes which became warm
and personal, and both simultaneously
retired from court. Every one con.
cerned knew perfectly we'll what was
up, and calmly awaited the result. The
two gentlemen both crossed the Suir tc
a fed on the opposite bank, which
happened to be in the county Of Kill
kenny. and, therefore. out of the juris.
diction of the presiding judge, where
they exchanged shots without any
harm being done. Having thus adjust
ed their differences satisfactorily. they
returned to court to find the bench
bar, Jury and spectators patiently wait
ing to learn which of them had been
killed. Can any one outside Bedlam
now conceive such scene possible
Or does it now seem credible that oc
cupants of the highest positions on th'
judicial bench should have had part a:
principals IN distinctly illegal practices
Clearly not; but yet it is on record tina
Attorney General Fitzgibbon, who wa
afterward lord chancellor Of Ireland
fought with Curran, who was subse
quently master of the rolls, with 'senor
NOUS pistols twelve inches longs" tina