Historians describe the spot where the execution took place as being in field adjacent to a little house concealed by trees, opposite the Aylesbury estate, close to the Old Bawn Bridge.
The ‘murdered’ man John Kinlan lived in Friarstown. He acted as a Land Stewart for the wealthy Shaw family. He was disliked and feared by local tenants (Maloney 2010). When he disappeared one night no one was particularly upset as he was suspected of being an informer (Hopkins 2007). His body was never found.
A short and inadequate investigation took place. The Kearney’s were prime suspects as they had been heard saying they would kill Kinlan. A hatchet was discovered in the area with blood on it and hair that looked like Kinlans. Back then this circumstantial evidence was deemed sufficient to convict. Judge Lundy Foot sentenced three members of the Kearney family to death and imprisoned in them Kilmainham Jail. The authorities wanted to have a public hanging to show the people that if anyone did anything like that again they would suffer the same fate.
The Kearney family were well known locally and lived nearby in Piperstown, Bohernabreena. William Kearney owned a pub where the Old Mill Pub and Restaurant now stands, which is at the crossroads close to the cache location. William Kearney had played an active role in the 1798 Insurrection and was friends with members of the United Irishmen. The Society of United Irishmen, founded in 1791 aimed to remove English control from Irish affairs.
Their case was not helped by the events of earlier that week. On July 28th 1803, just 5 days after the failed 1803 rising the Kearneys provided a safe house for Robert Emmet and his comrades. They spent the night hiding in the attic and were nearly discovered when a military patrol, led by Captain La Touche, searched the house. The quick thinking of Mrs. Kearney saved them from discovery as she persuaded the soldiers that the floor of the attic was unsafe. She argued that if they tried to walk on it they would most likely fall to their death. Had they been discovered all the Kearney’s would have been executed. The following morning Robert Emmet left Bohernabrenna but was arrested later that day in Harold’s Cross. The Kearney’s attended each day of Robert Emmets court trial.
Meanwhile back at Old Bawn, a heavy police escort brought the father and his two sons from Kilmainham Jail. As they passed Bushy Park, where the Shaw family lived, their carriage halted. The Kearney’s knelt and cursed the Shaw family for all eternity.
Thomas Galvin, who was known locally as the “hangman” supervised the erection of the gallows. He has also the executioner of the rebels after the 1798 rebellion and he beheaded Robert Emmet in 1803. Despite the protest of thousands of onlookers they were hung by the neck until dead. Hopkins (2007) wrote how an eyewitness had seen the men hanged on a triangular scaffold. One son climbed up the ladder, he helped his father up and was followed by the second son. Another brother who was not accused of the crime offered to take his father’s place, but his request was refused.
The judge named Foot who convicted the three men was already very unpopular in the area. He was renowned for callous, cruel and harsh sentences (Maloney 2010). Foot came from an extremely wealthy family who were well known for snuff and tobacco manufacture. He lived in a house called Orlagh House (then called Footmount) which is now owned by the Augustinian order. Following the hanging the judge feared for his life and he moved to Co. Kilkenny. He was shot there but survived and moved to Co. Wexford. There he evicted many of his tenants.
Lundy Foot was attacked in 1835 near his home in Co. Kilkenny and was beaten to death with a stone at seventy one years of age. There was speculation that members of the Kearney family had been responsible. The prosecutor of the case was the son of Lundy Foot. Edward Foot convicted James Murphy, a local man who had been evicted by Foot. He was hung following an unexpected piece of testimony that was given by a child, who claimed she saw the killing (Hopkins 2007).
A ballad was written about the Land League and the events and the events in Tallaght
“Between Old Bawn and Ferndale,
Not far from Tallaght Town,
On New Year’s Day to seek fair play,
Land grabbing to put down,
And to redress a grievance
Of which landlords are the cause
Those long oppressive laws
Chorus
Come and join the Land League
Whatever may be your lot;
Better to be evicted
Than to be boycott
James McGrane was the chairman’s name
With high dignity did wage
This great mighty Land League
It’s the miracle of our age
That this at holy Christmas
Some thousands it did save
From the slavedom of the stranger,
the poorhouse and cold grave
It’s well I do remember
About Seventy Years ago,
Not far from this great platform
The Kearney’s blood did flow,
Then in our glen there were such men
as Lundy, Foot and Shaw
They’ve gone away
A debt to pay
Too high for English law.
The cache is a micro container
Please bring your open pen
There is a gap in the wall a short distance from the cache which is listed as a waypoint if you need it, not that walls have ever been known to stop a cacher on a FTF run....
Happy Hunting
***CONGRADULATIONS TO JUMPIN JIM ON BEING THE FTF***
Buses: 49, 75
Sources
BOHERNABREENA A WALK IN TIME by Bohernabreena I.C.A. 1991
Hopkins, Frank (2007) Hidden Dublin, Deadbeats, Dossers and Decent Skins, Mercier Press
Maloney, Eamon (2010) Tallaght a place with History, Armu Design
Tallaght trials tales and walking boots, By the Tallaght Heritage Teamwork Scheme. Funded by FAS Training and Employment Authority.