Passaic City record., 1892-03-12
PETER o'NEILL CROWLEY.

PETER o'NEILL CROWLEY.
The Tragedy of Kilclooney Wood Graph
ically Told.
One of the most picturesque figures in
Irish history is Peter O'Neill Crowley.
He was born in the barony of Imokil-
leagh, in the county of Cork, and Joined
the Fenian organization at a very early
age. When the rising of March, eight
cen hundred and sixty y-seven, took place
he was in the van.
He and four or five Of his companions
Mcclure, Kelly, Walsh and O'Neill
among the number-had secreted them
selves in the wood at Kilclooney, not
far from Mitchellstown. They were
practically outlaws, for price had been
offered for their capture. But 1T was
not destined to be paid-in money. De-
spite informers and government spies,
the authorities had no idea of how many
leaders, or of their followers, were in the
wood.
It was terrible ordeal for these few
brave men, practically deserted by the
thousands who had sworn to follow them,
and living beneath the trees, with no
other shelter for over three weeks. 1t
was most forlorn condition; but Mack
ey-who was the Mercury of the little
band-and Crowley, determined to ''tire
out the enemy" and the latter's little
nephew brought them bread and other
food from the village unobserved. Zone
of them told me that the loyalty and
strategic patriotism of this little fellow
is unexcelled in any history.)
But there is an end to all things; and
to this romance of outlawry of the sixty
seven rising there came sad and ter
rible ending. The authorities, believing
that at least thousand Fenians were in
Kilclooney wood, arranged for a grand
coup and detailed a regiment of soldiers
and several hundred policemen to SUR
round it. 1t was in the dawn of the
morning when this formidable little
army approached Kilclooney from OPP
posite directions. The wood descends
from the converging hillsides of pic
turesque valley to little stream in the
center.
The soldiers came down the western
side, on the northern end of the wood,
and the police forces on the eastern.
AS the light was dim, at this early hour,
and mist had gathered around the
glen, the officers of the military force,
seeing the body Of darkly dressed men
descending the opposite slope, decided
that they were Fenians. Orders to fire
were Immediately given-a real battle
was believed to be imminent and a
redcoat volley was poured into the ad-
vancing body of green coated police
men. And for moment it was not
unlike real battle, for the policemen,
enraged by the deaths and wounds OF
that volley, responded unerringly with
Royal Irish green coated shower OF
bullets.
The result of the affair was uneven
the royal Irish constabulary are much
better shots than the military. Icannot
tell with any accuracy how many were
killed on both sides, but do know that
there were many more on each side than
the entire number Of Fenians, 'swhose
blood they were looking for" But the
most tragic part of this episode has yet
to come. Against the advice of his COM
panions, Peter O'Neill Crowley said,
g 'Tis no use trying to escape; but I'll
pink a few redcoats before they get me
dead or alive" And just when the
sun was breaking in the heavens and
the clouds had rolled away, he rushed
down the woody slope and into the
stream.
Armed with two revolvers, he waded
up the stream, and as he waded dis
charged every one of their twelve bar
rels at the English soldiers. A thou
sand rifles rang through Kilclooney
glen.
Peter O'Neill Crowley had given his
life doing battle for Ireland.
His was the last life that was given in
5 battle for Ireland. Today, close to the
spot where he died, there stands Celtic
cross, and generations of Irish1nen syet
to come will bring their children and
say, ssPeter O'Neill Crowley died here.
They will not need to be told more, they
viii understand, for the Irish people
revere their dead. o. r.