Pages Past: The Barbavilla Murders

Pages Past

Westmeath Examiner, March 28, 1895

The Barbavilla Murders

The Barbavilla Murder, which saw the murder of an innocent woman, Maria Smythe, at Collinstown on April 2, 1882 was a notorious affair, still occasionally coming up for mention today. The killers actually intended to kill Ms Smythe’s brother-in-law, William Barlow Smythe, who was hated after evicting tenants from the Barbavilla estate in Collinstown weeks earlier, and a commonly-held view is that those convicted in connection with the murder were not the persons actually responsible for it.

The Westmeath Examiner of March 28, 1885 carried an item revealing that the Rev John Curry, Adm, Collinstown, had issued an 84-page pamphlet entitled ‘The Barbavilla Trials and The Crimes Act in Ireland’, which, the newspaper said, contained “One of the most sweeping and well-sustained indictments of Earl Spencer’s iniquitous government which it has been our privilege to see”.

The newspaper said that Rev Curry had, with great care and much trouble, gathered the various incidents connected with the famous Barbavilla conspiracy trials in “a most readable and cogent form”.

“Some time ago, as he himself sets out by telling us, he, with approval and consent of our county members, Messrs Sullivan and Harrington, drew up a memorial containing many valid reasons why the Lord Lieutenant should grant an investigation into the whole case and submitted it to that worthy. The result was a most impertinent note from a Mr Kaye acknowledging receipt of Fr Curry’s memorial and referring to the recantation by Cole of his former false testimony at the trials as the ‘alleged’ statement of Cole, though it was witnessed and attested by three priests – Fr Curry himself being one.”

The item went on to state that to this, Fr Curry had replied, “but failing to get that satisfaction which on the part of innocent men shamefully hustled into penal servitude on the testimony of perjured hirelings of the Castle, he now appeals to the public opinion of the county and the country to support him in his demand”.

Continuing, the item revealed that the priest was now looking to the people for aid in the Herculean task he was undertaking.

“And,” it stated, “we are sure when his pamphlet has been read there will be at his back the voice of an outraged nation calling for retribution on the heads of those human vampires who nestled in the foetid bosom of Dublin Castle.”

Westmeath Examiner, March 30, 1895

Upset about tax

A deputation of the licensed traders of Mullingar – Messrs T Brophil, George Doherty, Andrew Cleary, Owen Sullivan, JH Smith and Christopher Corcoran – called to the residence of the local MP, James Tuite, in order to find out his opinion on the bills before parliament affecting the liquor trade and also to induce him, together with his colleagues, to bring such pressure to bear on the government as would result in the 6d extra tax per gallon imposed on spirits and beer being removed.

“From the published accounts of the interview, the member for North Westmeath was in anything but a pleasant humour when the deputation waited on him.

“As a preliminary, he raised objection to the representatives of the press being present. From the thoroughly unsatisfactory manner in which he dealt with this subject, one can very easily understand Mr Tuite’s objection to the press.”

After detailing the belligerence with which the publicans’ application was greeted, the writer stated: “The whole interview was most disappointing, and its net result is that Mr Tuite, if left to himself, will vote as the publicans desire, but at the same time, he will follow the behests of the Liberals should they, in their wisdom, see fit to ruin the Irish trader.”

Westmeath Examiner, March 25, 1905

Colonel Malone’s tenants

The second meeting of Colonel Malone’s Ballymore tenants had been held the previous Sunday evening to consider the terms offered to them by Colonel Malone, the Westmeath Examiner reported.

The report stated that at the first meeting, the tenants had agreed to purchase at the following terms: First term tenants, 21 years’ purchase; second term tenants, 23 years’ purchase, and the sporting rights given to Colonel Malone during his own life.

“Father Geraghty forwarded the resolution to the colonel to which he replied that he would accept 21 years’ purchase from first term tenants, but that second term tenants should give 23 and a half years; the sporting rights to be given to him during his life, and after that to his sons; that he would wipe out the hanging gale and the arrears due would be dealt with by him (the colonel) at his own discretion and that after signing for the purchase of the holdings, the tenants should pay £3 10 per cent on the purchase money, and that the terms of sale would be signed by his law agent, Mr McCreedy, and him (the Colonel) and a committee of the tenants; also that exist turbary rights would be preserved, and that no new turbary rights should be created.”

The report stated that the Rev J Geraghty presided at the meeting, and the following tenants were present: W Lenon, H O’Rourke, M Dillon, J O’Rourke, N Cunningham, J Ennis, J Maxwell, J Keena, T Cunningham, J Lynam, J McManus, J Farrell W McCormick, P Murtagh, T Ryan, O Moloney, M Clyne, J Mulryan, M Healin, W Rhattigan, J Rhattigan, W McLoughlin, P Hoare, P Fox, H Mulryan, M O’Rourke, J Kincaid, J Browne, M Maguire, B Kearney, W Rafferty, Jas Kearney, T Timms, T Kearney, P Gibney, C Fitzsimons, M Brennan, J Kilmurray, J O’Rourke, W Longworth, W Cleary, M Geraghty, J McAuley, W Cleary, J Furey, W Cleary.

Westmeath Examiner, March 27, 1915

WWI letter

A letter sent to his mother by Private Patrick Dolan of Mullingar, who was fighting in Belgium, was published in the columns of the Westmeath Examiner of March 27, 1915.

It said:

Dear Mother, just a few lines to answer to your kind and ever-welcome letter which I received yesterday.

I was glad to see you are all in good health. So this leaves me at present to thank God and his blessed mother.

I never got any of the parcels you sent me: they must have gone astray.

All the boys are going on well except Tommy Hope, who was shot, and Mick Brennan (that worked in Matty Daly’s), was killed the other day in the trench alongside of me. Johnny Gill was wounded in the arm.

Dick Keena is all right along with me. So is James O’Hanlon and Paddy Creevey. Tell William I got the note he sent me all right.

I am very sorry to hear that poor old father is so beaten up, but tell him we will have good times yet in Ballymahon together, please God

I am sending you the sprig of shamrock that I wore in the trenches on St Patrick’s Day. I will ask you never to part with it or the Queen Mary’s box I sent to you, as each of them has seen the shells bursting in the trenches where we stood.

Tell Mrs Ryan not to be uneasy about Dan as he is all right. He will write to her very soon as we are only after coming out of the trenches after a hard ten days. I am very much put out over the allowance I made to you as you should have got it long ago.

I got Jim Creevey’s father’s letter all right. I was glad to see by it that he was going on well. Dear Mother, when you are writing to me, always put my number and company as there are a lot of Dolans out here, and now and then there is a mix up in the letters. The weather out here is very bad with frost and snow. Patrick’s Day was the finest day we had since we came out here. So, dear Mother, to conclude and finish, hoping to have an answer soon, I remain your fond and loving son, Paddy Dolan.”

Westmeath Examiner, March 28, 1925

Dramatic activities

A play called ‘The Mineral Workers’ had been staged in the County Hall in Mullingar on St Patrick’s evening by the Mullingar Gaelic League Dramatic Class.

The Westmeath Examiner described it as “a clever, well-written and interesting play”.

The writer said it would be “invidious” to make special references with regard to such an all-round creditable performance of amateurs – but then went on to do so, stating that “Messrs Horan, Hynes, McCoy, and Misses Daly, Killeen and McGovern (who had some of the more exacting and most interesting parts) played with much brilliant talent”.

The rest of the cast, the writer said “also showed distinct dramatic ability”. The full list of participants was: Eamon Gannon, Seamus Hynes, Tom Horan, Michael McCoy, Joe Tormey, Sean Grogan, Joseph Nally, Patrick Lennon, Edith McGovern, Róisín Ní Citlin and Máire Uí Dalaigh.

Westmeath Examiner, March 30, 1935

Vandalism problems

Under the heading Around About, a collection of opinions about happenings in the town, was listed in the Westmeath Examiner of March 30, 1935.

The writer noted that subject of discussion at the last two meetings of the Board of Health and of communications between the Board and the Guards related to the amount of “wanton destruction” in and around the town.

“One very bad instance was the breaking of some of the globes for the electric lighting at the new County Hospital and another is the condition of the lavatory at the Market House, erected a short time ago at much expense. It would be well if a sharp lesson could be taught by exemplary punishment to the gay and light-hearted persons who take delight in the work of destruction,” said the writer.

He continued by stating that it was hoped that the attentions of the “wanton destroyers and disfigurers” would not be directed at the row of young shrubs and plants that had been set down in front of the Courthouse.

“When these plants have grown up they will not only be a decoration and a shelter to the front of the Courthouse but a pleasing addition to the appearance of the street and roads,” the writer stated.

Westmeath Examiner, March 31, 1945

Ploughing matches criticised

At the Westmeath Agricultural Committee, there was much criticism of ploughing competitions and during the discussion, Mr WJ Finerty said: “Our experience of ploughing matches does not encourage holding any more of them: I would be in favour of dropping them altogether”.

Mr L’Estrange was not in favour of dropping them: “The fact that one club kicked up should not stop other matches from being held,” he said. “Even though the Kilbeggan men did not give good example, we should not interfere with the others.”

Mr Finerty replied that what was wanted was a man to go out and plough with a pair of horses and show others how to plough, “without all this thing of marking with turkey feathers etc”.

“I know ploughmen and they would not go to a ploughing match because they think they are only a farce,” he said.

Mr Finerty also described the All-Ireland Ploughing Championships as “a farce” and said that was the opinion of the general public

Mr L’Estrange said the rule should be rigorously enforced and the time limit should be introduced and that would stop the marking etc with turkey feathers and geese feathers and there would be no time for it.

Mr Grenham said competitions for tractors should be introduced in future. “They seem to be the coming thing,” he said.

Mr Finerty said there should be a tractor demonstration at each ploughing match. Mr L’Estrange responded that there would be a tractor demonstration at the next ploughing match in Mullingar.

“The regulations should be revised if we are going to have any more ploughing competitions,” said Mr Finerty while Mr Grenham suggested that they discuss that when the time arose. Ultimately the members agreed to make provision for grants for ploughing matches.

Westmeath Examiner, March 26, 1955

Moyvore statue

A committee set up in Moyvore to erect a statue commemorating the Marian Year (1954) were disappointed when they found that they were not going to have the statue erected in time for December 8 of 1954, and since then, the weather had been so bad that operations had been further held up, the Examiner reported.

The report went on to reveal that, however, at a meeting the previous Monday, it was decided that work should start again, and the committee had received a pleasant surprise in the shape of a welcome subscription to their funds.

“It appears that way back in 1928 it was proposed to erect a ball alley in Moyvore and a fund amounting to £33.2.7 was raised. Of this amount, £14.2.3 was by public subscription. The project was abandoned and the money has been in the bank ever since, so that accumulated interest will have brought it up to quite a respectable sum,” stated the item, going on to reveal that the ball alley committee had now decided to hand over all this money towards the statue funds. The report stated that it had been agreed at the last meeting that any of the public subscribers who wished could have their subscription to the ball alley returned to them.