Author researching death of Mullingar RIC constable near Ennis

Joe Queally, a history buff from Fanore in Ballyvaughan in County Clare, is researching an incident known as the ‘Ballygastel Outrage’, involving a Mullingar man who was a constable in the RIC, and who was killed on the night of September 11, 1887.

Joe has previously published two historical works including The Fanore School Case 1914-1922, and Echoes from a Civil War, and is now doing a case study on the events that took place in Ballygastel that fateful night, for a book which he hopes to publish later this year.

Joe is hoping to obtain a photo of Head Constable Gerard Whelehan, who stationed in Ennis and who was 45 years of age at the time of his death.

“On Sunday night, September 11, 1887 an outrage took place at the home of Thomas Sexton in Ballygastel, North Clare,” Joe wrote in a note to the Westmeath Examiner.

“The outrage was carried out by seven moonlighters, a term used for gangs who used violence, especially at night, to promote agrarianism in Ireland during the Land War of the late 19th century.

“The moonlighters came to Sexton’s house to force him to give up land which they claimed he had grabbed from his neighbour Patrick Slattery. What the moonlighters didn’t know on their way to evict Sexton and very possibly shoot and kill him was, among them was an informer from Kerry, one Jeremiah Cullinane,” Joe writes.

“Cullinane had been put in place by the RIC to infiltrate the moonlighters cell. Chief Constable Gerard Whelehan, who hailed from Mullingar, had been in constant touch with Cullinane and was paying him money to inform on the moonlighters.”

It was around 10pm when events began to unfold.

“Constable Whelehan had 12 of his officers placed inside and around Sexton’s house to arrest the moonlighters. Constable Whelehan himself had stayed in the outhouses next to the back door where the moonlighters were to enter. This was arranged by the informer, that he would lead them to the back door of the house from which there was no escape as it was surrounded by high walls of the outhouses.

“The moonlighters knocked on the door of Sexton’s house, which was opened by Thomas Sexton, who was immediately assaulted. The four police who were inside the house made their move and went to arrest the offenders. A fierce fight took place as the moonlighters were surprised to find the police in place, and while Constable Whelehan, along with three of his officers, moved in to make an arrest, one of the gang fought hard with the chief constable and dragged him down a boreen to the side of Sexton’s house.

“Another moonlighter who had been positioned on the road to keep watch got involved in the fight, picking up an iron bar, lashing out at Whelehan and killing him almost instantly. The two men then made their way to safety across country, leaving the dead constable on the ground. Meanwhile inside the house, the police had got the better of the other five and had arrested and handcuffed them.”

The two who fled the scene were arrested following day, says Joe, and all seven were charged with the murder of Constable Whelehan and the raid on Sexton’s house and incarcerated in Galway Jail. It was reported in the Freeman’s Journal that Head Constable Whelehan’s body was conveyed to Kilronan by train from Galway, for burial less than half a mile from the Catholic Church of Gainstown.

Joe says it would be greatly appreciated if anyone in the area of Mullingar and Westmeath had any information or photos to pass on to him about the case study. You can contact by email joequeally@yahoo.com or call 087 6260301.