Fenian trial re-enactment at Nenagh Courthouse

Ormond Historical Society, in conjunction with Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution, are organising a re-enactment of the trials of the participants in the Fenian Rising, which took place in Nenagh in 1867.

The event takes place on Monday June 12th and is part of the programme of commemoration of the Fenian Rising of 1867, which has been undertaken by Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution.

In North Tipperary the Fenian Rising, which occurred on the night of March 5th 1867, was confined to the area stretching from Templemore to Hollyford. The authorities were in possession of the planned date in advance and were well prepared for the insurrection when it commenced.

Under the direction of John Gore Jones, RM and District Inspector Mularkey RIC, the insurgents were quickly rounded up and incarcerated in the County Gaol at Nenagh. Most of those arrested were from the Upperchurch and Borrisoleigh area. The courts had been busy over the previous year dealing with several people from many parts of the North Riding including, Borrisokane, Nenagh, Roscrea and Thurles all of whom had been arrested for membership of the Fenian Brotherhood.

Pending the Summer Assizes, which were held in Nenagh in July, some of the participants were released on bail. However, a young man named Treacy had been killed when a house was attacked near Roskeen and those suspected of involvement in this incident and in the burning of Roskeen barracks were charged with murder and treason-felony. These men and some suspected of being ringleaders were confined in the gaol right up to the commencement of the Assizes, which opened on July 29th of that year.

 

Having disposed of the usual business of the grand jury, in addition to ordinary criminal and civil cases, the courts moved to deal with those indicted for their part in the insurrection. Between participants scheduled to be tried in the Record Court and those for trial in the Crown Court, the total number for trial amounted to 54, making this the largest mass trial to take place in the history of Nenagh Courthouse.

 

One prisoner, Michael Sheehy, who had been arrested in Cobh while trying to flee to America, disguised as a woman, was found guilty of treason-felony. The judge added that, as leader, he had no doubt that he was responsible also for the death of Treacy and sentenced him to 20 years of penal servitude.

Other sentences were not anything as severe, with terms of six and nine months being imposed in a few other cases. The majority, deemed to have had only minor roles, were bound to the peace and released on bail. All in all, the Crown treated those involved in the Fenian Rising quite leniently. No death sentences were imposed and most prison terms were quite short in comparison to what had transpired in earlier times.

 

This mass trial, which exercised the people of Nenagh and the North Riding of Tipperary in the summer of 1867, will be brought to life with a re-enactment in the courthouse on Monday, next June 12th. It will include participation by members of the legal profession, local drama groups, singers and the general public.

The trial was covered in full in the pages of the Nenagh Guardian back in 1867 and the paper's archives provide the basis of the reconstruction. Musical interludes on the night will be provided by Nóra Butler with songs associated with the Fenian Rising. Horse-drawn vehicles and period costumes will add to the age of pageantry as Nenagh reverts to the 1860s. There will also be a launch of a DVD of the earlier event to commemorate the actual Rising. 

The event which is open to all, is free of charge, and anyone who wishes to dress in costume appropriate to the time is welcome to do so.

Proceedings get under way at the courthouse at 6.30pm. The organisers wish to thank the Courts Service and Nenagh District Court Clerk for their permission and assistance in the staging of this event.