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| The Wild Goose Lodge and Ribbenmen in Ireland |
 In February 2005 Monsignor Raymond Murray's new book The Wild Goose Lodge and Ribbonmen in Ireland was launched in the the Ó Fiaich Library, Armagh. The book is reviewed here by Mosignor Denis Fall.The Wild Goose Lodge was a farm building in the parish of Tallanstown - Reaghstown in Co. Louth, near the bridge of Aclint over the Glyde river. It was burned in 1816 with all its eight inhabitants. As a result eighteen people were hanged and gibbeted. This terrible and terrifying piece of history is presented in all its horrible detail in Monsignor Murray's research. His book is a brilliant piece of work, which would earn and should earn a Doctorate in any Irish University. Edward Lynch and his son in-law Thomas Rooney and families lived in this ill-fated house in a depressed period of Irish history. After the massacres and transportations of the 1798 rebellion, the Act of Union, took away a native Parliament from the Irish people. After the Napoleonic war ended in 1815, a severe period of agricultural depression set in. The Irish peasantry suffered terribly; they lost even the little potato gardens which were their life line. Many were evicted without pity by the larger farmers, land Stewarts and landlords. The poor had no chance. They could not pay rents to landowners and tithes to the protestant Clergy while giving something to their own Priests. Their dreadful conditions, faced with starvation, and having no protection in law for themselves and their families led to the poor peasantry forming secret bands to steal some food to eat and some arms to terrify their oppressors. Target listed for death were informers and those who moved into farms from which poor tenants had been evicted. The British law is entirely in the hands of the landlords almost all Protestant. They also made up the Grand Juries. The administration of the law was farcical and many innocent peasants were hanged on the evidence of other condemned peasants who were condemned themselves and agreed to inform falsely against others to save themselves. Ribbonmen from Louth, Monaghan, Meath and South Armagh gathered on the night of 30th October 1816 to burn the wild Goose Lodge and its inhabitants. This was in revenge because Lynch and Rooney had given evidence about a previous raid on the house to steal guns and three men were executed. All eight inhabitants including two babies ('Burn the nits as well as the lice', was the reputed call of the arsonists). Over thirty people were arrested, eighteen were hanged gibbeted at crossroads in the district; at least half of there were innocent. It was a terror campaign by the Protestant ruling class, soon to be the cause of famine in Ireland and to be swept away by Parnell and Pearse. Monsignor Murray's book is accurate and truthful, a work of great labour and skill about the unfortunate Irish people of 1816. The book has many lessons for the present day. 'The Burning of Wildgoose Lodge', costs £10 sterling or €15 with additional £5 for packaging and posting. Orders to Mr Damien Woods, Publications Manager, 'Seanchas Ard Mhacha', St Patrick's Grammar School, Cathedral Road, Armagh, BT61 7 QZ. It can also be bought directly on calling at the Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library & Archive, Moy Road, Armagh or at Mgr Murray's residence, 1 Convent Road, Cookstown. The book is hardback with 360 pages and is selling at cost price. Monsignor Raymond Murray can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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