The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-11
THE PLUNKETTS

On the eleventh of July. 1861, just
 235 years ago today. Oliver, Arch
 bishop Plunkett, was led to the scaf-
 fold at Tyburn in London and there
 put to death The aged Irish church.
 man had been convicted of treason,
 having conspired, it was alleged, to
 land an army of French and Span
 iards for the invasion of Ireland.
 Last May Joseph Plunkert of Long
 ford, Ireland, young, handsome and
 wealthy, was executed Tn Dublin hav-
 ing been convicted of treason es the
 lea der of the recent rebellion. He
 had conspired, it was afteged to land an army of GevmansN fer the invasion
 The seventeenth century Archbish-
 op Plunkett and the twentieth century
 Joseph Plunkett were representatives of the same famous Irish family. and the latter was the eighth ot the
 Plunketts to be executed for treason to the British crown, as the Arch bishop, was the first. Since Arch bishop Plunkett was put to death on
 Tyburn gallows, almost every gen. eration has produced at least one Plunkett who has achieved death as a traitor to England.
 Archbishop Plunkett when accus- ed of treason, fled from the episcopal palace and sought refuge in tiny mud cottage. When the search for him grew hot he took refuge in a cave, and for months he was on the verge of starvation. Captured at length. he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle. That his trial was unfair, and his conviction unjust, is an opinion since expressed by many English legal authorities who have no sympa- thy for the Irish cause. Such a be- lief seems to have existed at the time, for many Protestants were among those. who followed the Archbishop to the scaffold, crying out against the judgement of the courts. Archbishop Plunkett's memory mas been highly honored by the Church of Rome, and it is probable that his name will soon be added, to the roll of Hibernian saints.
 Lord Oliver Plunkett, an uncle of the Archbishop, was the next of the clan to die on the gallows. He. too. was convicted of conspiring with for eign enemies. Since then every Irish l rebellion has enlisted the support of the members of this family. Follow ing the last rebellion, five ,Plunketts | were arrested, including Joseph, John l and George, brothers, and their father 1 and mother, Count and Countess l Plunkett. John and George were 1 sentenced to death, but this was com muted to imprisonment for ten years. |
 The passing of Joseph P1unkett | was of a nature to arouse the sym pathy of those who have the deepest | detestation for the movement of | which he was one of the leaders On the night before his execution he was married in his cell to Grace Clifford. The unhappy woman. who wore weeds to her wedding, spentl the night with her bridegroom. wheE the first streaks of sunlight filtered through the bars the soldiers came and led him away. The pathetic part ing of the newly welded husband and wife brought tears to the eyes of those who witnessed it. With youth, love, health, wealth, all at his command, Joseph PlunlSett bartered all to. lead a forlorn hope that was doomed from the first to failure.
 Rebellion is in the blood of the To those who are gov- erned by reason. rather than by their emotions, they must seem a family of madmen and fools and yet their persistence in folly, in the face of death, must arouse spark of admira- ton in the breasts of the most coldly Heredity and environ ment cast AJoseph Plunkett in a mold which inevitably made him what he was-a fanatic, in the eyes of the wise world; traitor by British con demnaticn; martyr in the estimate of his cOuntrvmen