The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-08-03
Both Rebels and Loyalists Treated with
Almost Equal Severity by
British Agents.
Some Of the Clergy Took the Field with
the People and Displayed
Military Skill
Those Who Were Captured Were Brutality
Tortured and Executed by
the Barbarians.

Among the priests who either took
part in the rebellion Of '98 or were ac-
cused of having done so were Fathers
Bushe, o. P; Clinch, Redmond, Dixon,
Purcell, O'Neill and Kearns. The fact
that priest was charged with being a
rebel is not always to be taken as a
proof that he really was one. Indeed,
Lord Camden, writing to the Duke of
Richmond, on May 6, 1898, declares his
firm belief in the truth of the asser-
ton made by an informer, who stated
that on the previous Sunday week DR..
Troy, archbishop Of Dublin, and sixty
priests had been sworn members of
the Society of United Irishmen! This
charge was most grotesquely false;
DIR. Troy being one Of the most ardent
tloyalists'' that ever existed, and one
of the chief promoters of the internal
''union." Many Of the priests who suf-
fered for alleged completely in the re.
bellion were really loyalists, and suf.
fered not because they were rebels, but
because they were priests, says a writ.
er in the Boston Republic.
Father Dixon, a county Wexford
priest, was sentenced to transportation
the day before the outbreak of the re.
bellion. He was sent to one Of the con.
vict settlements in Australia, and thus
became the instrument which God
used for making that country what II
is today-one Of the strongholds OF
Catholicity.
Father Clinch, of Enniscorthy, "an
enormous man on a tall white horse y
according to Froude, especially dis.
tinguished HIMSELF at the battle OF
Vinegar Hill, June 21, where he was
killed by Lord Roden.
Father James NJ. Bushe, o. p, a
young Dominican, was fogged under
the windows of Castlereagh's Office in
the yard of Dublin Castle in the hope
of making him accuse others of trea.
son. A Quaker named Shaw, who was
fogged with him, died from the ef-
fects, but neither Of them would make
the false charges required. A young
man named Purcell, who was not then
ordained, but who afterwards became
curate Of Catholic church in Bridge
street, Dublin, was, with his father,
arrested on charge of taking part in
the rebellion. They were brought to
the royal barracks, tied to two trian.
giles and brutally flogged, in the vain
hope that each would give evidence
against the other.
Father Peter O'Neill, P. p, Ballyma.
coda, county Cork-whose nephew, Pc
ter Crowley, took part in the Fenian
movement and was killed in a skir.
mish with the military in Kilclooney
Wood, March 81, 1S67-was charged
with having induced his parishloners
to become United Irishmen. He was
brought into Youghal, and confined
from Friday to Monday in what he de
scribes as "the black hole of Youghal
barracks" On Monday he was taker
out to the barrack square, tied to tri
angle, and fogged by six soldiers
When he had received 275 strokes
which tore the flesh off his back and
shoulders, he was fogged across the
loins with wire whip having scraps
Of tin or lead on the ends. Then he
was transported to Botany Bay
whence he was allowed to return after
some time, the charge on which he
was convicted being shown to be false
Father John Redmond, curate to Fa
ther Frank Cavanagh Of Clough, coun
ty Wexford, was arrested on similar
charge. Rev. Mr.. Gordon, who was
Protestant curate Of the same parish
for twenty-three years, says that Fa
ther Redfond was most ardent loyal
list, who had done everything in his
power to discourage the rebellion, and
had consequently to take refuge ii
Protestant houses. Miles Byrne says
that he even went so far as to ''refuse
to hear the confessions Of the United
Irishmen, and turned them away from
his knee" But his loyalty did not save
him. He was arrested. and Lecky says