itive of "beith," the birch, of
which there were formerly large woods in Ireland. Glenbehy and Rossbehy
mean the "Glen," and the "Ross" or "wooded point" of the birch.
[2] A letter received by me from a Protestant Irish gentleman,
long an ardent Nationalist, seems to confirm this. He writes to me (June
15),
"There is a noble river here, with a convenient line of quays for
unloading merchandise. But every sack that is landed must be carried
out of the ship on men's backs. The quay labourers won't allow a
steam crane to be set up. If it is tried there is a riot and a
tumult, and no Limerick tradesman can purchase anything from a
vessel that uses it, on pain of being boycotted. The result is that
the labourers are masters of the situation, and when they catch a
vessel with a cargo which it is imperative to land quickly, they
wait till the work is half done, and then strike for 8s. a day! If
other labourers are imported, they are boycotted for 'grabbing
work,' and any one who sells provisions to them is boycotted."
[3] An interesting account of this gentleman, and of his
connection with the earlier developments of the Irish agitation, given
to me by Mr. Colomb of the R.I.C., will be found at p.38, and in the
Appendix, Note F.
[4] See Appendix, Note F.
[5] The name of this blacksmith's son learned in the Law of the
League is given in Lord Cowper's Report (2. 18,370) as Michael Healy.
While these pages are in the printer's hands the London papers chronicle
(May 25, 1888) the arrest of a person described to me as this
magistrate's brother, Jeremiah Healy, on a charge of robbing and setting
fire to the Protestant church at Killarney!
[6] Mr. Colomb sends me, June 30, the following interesting
note:--The letter of which I gave you a copy was produced in evidence at
Kerry Summer Assizes, 1867. J. D. Sheehan, Esq., M.P., is the same man
who was arrested on the 12th February 1867, and to whom the foregoing
letter, ordering the rising in Killarney, is addressed. He was kept in
custody for some time, and eventually released, it is believed, on the
understanding that he was to keep out of Ireland. He came back in 1873
or 1874 and married the proprietress of a Hotel at Killarney. His
connection with the Glenbehy evictions is referred to on page 10, and in
Note F of the Appendix I give an interesting account, furnished me by
Mr. Colomb, of his activity in connection with the case
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