The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-04-24
PRIEST
AsEs ~ lUOuvOIu6O
A Statue Is Erected to the
Memory of the Abused
Father O'Neill
Who Was Flogged in Yong
hal by the British Military
15| in 1898.

back to the old penal days of New
South Wales and the convict priests,
+ has recently been received by Cardinal
Moran. of Australia, from the Very
h Rev. Dean Keller. P. p, who writes
from Youghal, County Cork:
am sure it will interest your
< Eminence to learn that the people of
i this district have erected a fine statue
of Father Peter O'Neill, who was so
cruelty flogged in this town by British
H soldiers in the year 1898, and after
wards transported to Australia. The
figure is a beautiful one in white
Carrara marble, and is to be erected
in the public park here, together with
the memorials of three other men who
also suffered in 1887, viz, Mccarthy.
who was flogged like Father ONeill.
and O'Brien and Gallagher. who were
both hanged from the clock tower in
this town, the former of the two being
father of the late Dean O'Brien, of this
diocese"
Wet priest who landed upon Austria
liam shores. Among the state papers
of the Colonial Office. in London.
there Is d despatch of Governor King,
addressed from Sydney to the Home
Department. in the first months of
1901. in which he sets forth among the
hardships attendant upon his unenvi-
able function that one hundred and
thirty-five convicts had just arrived
from Cork-"men." he goes on to say,
'of the most desperate and diabolcal
characters that could be selected
throughout the Kingdom" The new ar
rivals brought up to six hundred the
number "of avowed and unrcpentant
wild Irishmen" in this colony ard,
among those that just arrived there
was Catholic priest of the most
notorious. seditious and rcbellious
principles" The clergyman thus re-
ferred to was the Rev. Peter O'Neill
Parish Priest of Ballymacoda, in the
County Of Cork, Diocese of Cloync.
u The story of his transportation is
told in Cardinal Moran's History of
the Catholic Church in Australia" In
Ballynacoda. Father O'Ncil gave
proof of indomitable energy and UNI
4 bounded zeal. He was up at 4 o'clock
a. M, and in all seasons of the year,
and till late at night was engaged in
discharging his round Of pastoral
duties. He built two commodious
good parochial schools. Out of his
slender income he supported many
poor families. and it was nothing I'M
usual to witness thirty or forty poor
people waiting for relief at his door.
An informer's body having been
found in deep hole in the river Form
isk, others We're soon ready to make
Father O'Neill responsible. One wit
mess stated that if Father O'Neill had
\ done his duty the murder would not
have occurred. Another improved on
this by affirming his belief that Faith
er O'Neill had presided at the secret
meeting OF United Irishmen in which
the murder was decreed. Lord LOTUS.
4 who commanded tho military in the
the "Popish rebel tell all he knew"
and the order was given for the ar
u rest and flogging of Father O'Neill.
It is not easy for us. at this period,
to realize the anti-religious and blood
{ thirsty spirit which prevailed during
\ those days of martial law that married
i the close of the eighteenth century In
Ireland The fact, however, is unqucs-
stionable. Lord Holland, in his MEM
y cries of the WING Party" tells us of
the free quarters and excuses of the
Il soldiery, which are not permitted i'm
g;civilized warfare, even in an enemys
n country" Lord CORVALLIS, the then
viceroy of ireland. asserts in his cor
4 respondence that murder and violence
& were "the favorite pastime of the mi
u litia, and he adds, in a. letter to Cen
II eral Ross, that "even at his own ia
d BILE, where he did his best to prevent
n IT. the conversation always turned on
81 hanging, shooting and burning. and
sif a priest had been put to death the
4 greatest joy was expressed by the
whole company"
The account of Father ONeill's SUIT
b fering will be best given in his own
SaWOrds. Many accusations were made
#4gainst him as being a rebel priest OH
HIS return from Australia, and he was
thus compelled in self defense, to pub
dish. under the title of an Humble
an authentic nara
Tive Of the cruel treatment he received.
Fl & this Remonstrance," Father
sNeill writes:
sImmediately upon my arrest. I was
follght into Youghal, where, without
M previous trial. I was confined 4,