So the Rebel Priest was hanged at Newport, Co. Mayo;

“Shortly afterwards a game-keeper passed by with his dog and gun, and saw the priest hanging on the crane. But instead of saying “Beannacht Dia ar a anam” no fada mar sin” he looked up and said he “Nac ard ara saol an saggart croicad  iniu” The scoundrel he was a noted rascal that fellow, he was one of Sir George O’Donnell’s nominees, but he got his reward, he did then. He went to the mountain with is dog and gun and he never returned, he got lost and there was no trace of him till several days afterwards when the dogs of the town found his remains on the mountain and dragged them thought the streets. I never heard of what happened to the body of Fr. Manus”

Fr. Sweeney remains were taken nearby Burrishoole Abbey, where he was buried with his parents. In 1922 a monument was erected to the memory of the Patriot Priest. He was not forgotten at his birthplace of Achill, when in 1944 Emily, Anita and Eva with the help of a committee and the islanders erected a monument too.

Fr Manus Sweeney Monument, Achill

Sources

Pat Molloy, Keel, Achill;  NFC 1015: 54-9

http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/en/towns-villages/newport/history/fr-manus-sweeney.html

“They held a special court and sentenced him to be hanged from an old crane in the market square. This crane was usually used fro weighing commodities, potatoes and and such like. We come to the day of this execution now. On that day in June 1799 all the business places in the town were closed up, land there was no traffic allowed on the thoroughfare.

When he was about to be hanged, the priest called for a drink of clean water, but there was no response to his request from his executioners. At the same time there was an old man of the name of Barrett walking along the street. He heard the priest calling for a drink, but there was no means of getting any vessel, cup, mug or anything else to bring it to him. This poor man Richard Barrett took off his boot and cleaned it, and went to a stream and brought it back full of cold water to the priest. The priest took it, and drank and said in Irish to him Fad  saol is sean agat agus glor na bfalathas ar an saol eile agat:” We are told that that man lived to a great age and died a most peaceful and happy death. He was from a place called Tirwaley.”

Sources

Pat Molloy, Keel, Achill;  NFC 1015: 54-9

Rebellion

It was not uncommon for stroytellers to relay their tales over a few sittings, like chapters in a book or episodes on TV. Pat continued;

“That brings us up to 1798. the clergy in Newport were suspected by the authorities of helping the rebellion. Helping to suppress persecution, and one night Fr. Manus got information that he was about to be arrested. He escaped from Newport to the Valley down here (Achill) Ton an tSean Bhaile- He must have travelled on foot all night till he come to a friend’s house there. There people were surprised at his coming at such an hour at night, or early in the morning. he told them what had happened so they prepared a hiding place for him in their old house.

He wasn’t long there till the soldier came, there used to be any amount of spies going them times, and likely one of them told on Fr. Manus. The house was searched upside down, but they couldn’t find any trace of him in the first search. When they were leaving the house, there was an old woman, and she thought they had gone clear away. She shouted from the kitchen below “Athair Manus build tu beo”. One of the soldiers understood, and conveyed what the old woman had said to the officer in charge. They returned to the house and made a second search, and found the priest, arrested him and brought him to Newport.”

Sources

Pat Molloy, Keel, Achill;  NFC 1015: 54-9

Bridie Mulloy may well have attended the unveiling of the monument dedicated the Fr. Manus Sweeney in 1944, as she was living on Achill at the time. The Patriot Priest featured quite a bit in her folklore collection. The most concise account of his life and death was dictated to her by Pat Mulloy (perhaps her father in law), from Keel. The entire piece and indeed all her folklore collection was written by hand, unfaltering and without mistake.

“Fr Manus Sweeney was born, according to tradition in the village of Dookinella, Achill. I heard this from my father who heard it from his father before him so I know it wall to be true. In those days 1763 or 1764, for that was about the year her was born there were poor scholars going about. They used to roam from village to village and remain in some house during the night. On the night of Fr. Manus birth one of these poor scholars happened to be in his father’s house.

the father’s name was Denis Sweeney and the mother Alice Mulloy before she married- When Mrs Sweeney took ill, when she was in labour, the poor scholar walked outside, it was a beautiful moonlight night and he remained outside for a bout ten minutes. When he returned to the house he spoke to the nurse, and asked her if it would be possible to keep the birth back a couple of hours. The nurse said it would be impossible. He walked out a second time and on his return the child was born. Said he to the nurse “I’m sorry that child is born to be hanged”. A terrible prediction wasn’t it?

The nurse didn’t inform the family as to what the scholar had said until the child was a week old, and when she did they were surprised and troubled. They were considering for themselves what to do what the boy while he was growing up, and when he came to a certain age they came to the conclusion that they would send him to college. the family had nice means, and of course they were gathering up what money they could to pay for his education in the end they decided to make a priest of him as they felt sure that, as a priest, he could commit no crime to be hanged. He had a distinguished career in college and was ordained in France, I believe it was around the age of twenty five or twenty six. His first mission was as curate in Newport, and he remained there for nine of ten years.”

Sources

Pat Molloy, Keel, Achill;  NFC 1015: 54-9

Mayo News 1893-2004*, 26.08.1944, page 3

Corrymore House in the 1940’s was a hive activity and perhaps the hub of Achill Island at the time. It was owned by Major Dermot Freyer, doctor, politician and poet turned hotelier. A colourful character, he had great ideas for his hotel, which he implemented with great success.

One of the successful ventures were his tea-dances. Bridie recalls:

Corrymore House

Our tea dances were very popular this year – I think that, it was due to the fact that there was nowhere else for people to on a Sunday. Can you imagine 150 people crammed into a lounge, some of the drinking tea and others dancing while the Major roared instructions at them, and two or three of us charged in and out among them with trays?

Bridie at only 20 years old was housekeeper and manageress of the hotel, she along with her two sisters served at the famous tea dances of Corrymore.  A 1959 article for the Sunday Independent describes those Sunday afternoons many years ago.

With Mrs. Weddall, who had accepted the West as her home, they organised afternoon-tea dances, which brought well over a hundred guest to tea hotel each Sunday afternoon to sip tea out of fine china eat the Gunning sister’s cakes and follow the intricate patterns of old Irish and English folk dances.

Sources

National Folklore Collection / Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann NFC 1015: 54-9.

Irish Independent 1905-2001*:Date Oct 3, 1959;Section:None:Page Number 9