Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-11-11
Why the RedcOats Were Out
witted at the Trial of Rev.
Tom Doyle.
How Missionary Fathers Came
to Witness a Suppressed
Meeting.
OPEN HANDED HOSPITALITY TO ALL

The proclamation of the Dromahair
meeting recalls many stories of the old
fighting days, when a v. R. document
pasted on the village pump or on police
barrack shutter didn't attract as much
attention as a hen on hall door on a
wet day.
Crowds of "reminiscences surge up. Yet
there is one recollection which elbows
out many others. Canon Tom Doyle
sturdiest of fighters, and many an ugly
wipe he gave some of us later on-was
being tried in Arthurstown, that delight
full little nook on the Wexford side of
Waterford harbor. Redcoats lined the
sea wall; police swarmed the two streets
of the village; mounted men secured the
county around. Strict orders we're issued
that under no consideration were demon
STATIONS of any kind to be permitted. As
for out -and-out meeting, why it would be
repressed with bloodshed.
Well, the trial of the men who dared
to encourage the Foley's Fort defenders
and such others was going on. Silence
hung pall-like over the place. Then,
without as much as "by your leave" two
Lighters, or barges, came along, towed by
a putting, painting little canal tug, that
with unparalleled audacity anchored in the
bend of the barber, right opposite the
court house. A loud-spoken brass band
was in one barge, the other was crammed
with sympathizers and refreshments. The
banks resounded with the clamor of
"O'Donnell Aboo," and Capt Slacke-
now Sir Owen-went frantic.
Every dint in the rocks was searched
for boat. No boat Then mounted men
we're dispatelsed iii hot ifaste-to Duncaif-
non and Ballyback to seize on any craft
there and make an attack on the band
and the refreshments from two points of
the broad and rapid river. No craft And
the band played "We're off to Philadel-
phia in the Morning" Telegraphic COM
munications with Dunmore, on the OPP
posite side of the harbor, were opened
and the coast guards were begged to
make a descent on the daring demon
strators. But the tug at anchor swung
with the tide and the band played "Hur-
roo, DoolanI' Capt. Slacke's only chance
now was artiIlery-and he had none.
In the evening a thoroughgoing Sup
pressed" meeting was held. Sir John
Swinbourne was there, and rumor got
out that he was a returned Fenian; so
the respect he was shown nearly turned
his head. AS a matter of fact, he was
only an English baronet. At night an
other suppressed or forbidden meeting
was held, and then q curious thing hap
pened. A very worthy man was telling
his hearers that they had the blood of
fighting ancestors in their veins, when a
panic seized the crowd, and in ten
minutes the moon looked down on a field
wherein was not single soul A few of
us distracted the speaker from bonny
briar bush, he was all over needles, like
the barrel of Swiss musical box.
The cause of the fright was apparent.
Coming down the road was a stately body
-of armed men. Their long black over
coats swayed in the wind; one could see
the CLINT and CLEAN of the steel as they
mounted the crest of the road, bright in
the moonlight. Nearer and nearer they
came. And then we found that they
were three of the Passionist Order who
were holding mission in Ramsgrange,
aud the sheen was the glistening of their
big silver crosses that hung on their
breasts. They had concluded their
services; they wanted to see a genuine
suppressed meeting Should they be dis
appointed No. So back the men and
women who had fed were gathered, and
the good fathers heard more treason
that night in twenty minutes than their
ears have drunk in ever since.
The description of this Arthurstown
trial; the massed soldiers; the hundreds
of police; the securing of hooks and Gran.
mics to find fishing cot to hurry off ia
the daring tug and its two lighters; the
cavalry patrols and all the rest made up A
sensational column in the London Star
that afternoon. The lines read like dis.
patches from the seat of war, and the eli
, max was perfected when T. P. O'con.
nor's special telegram wound up with
Cavalry patrols are securing the barony
the telegraph wires are cut" How the
message went over severed wire has
never been explained, nor has any fore
stallation Of Marconi's theory been limited
at by any scientist.
There was more good huinor at tiiess
Z meetings than we will see again In Ire
land for many long day. remembcl
: In Tallow there was dinner given in
+ the Creamery buildiugs after the meeting
The yiands were splendidIy cooked. bu
= chairs run short, 50 empty butter hrkin
4 were pressed into service. These. q
= banquet'ng stools. are a. unstable a