76 THK RECOUDER OF BALLYPOREEN. 



lived in these clays, he would have observed, that it is only Irish-like 

 to bring the shilellah to a dance, a wedding, or a fair. Other people 

 when they have amused themselves generally retire, pleased and 

 satisfied with each other, to their respective homes, it is Irishmen 

 only who .stop to fight. The congregation of Hall's supporters in 

 Bally poreen, was too favourable an occasion for mischief to let pass 

 without a quarrel, and accordingly she sent Corney O' Kelly over the 

 town, while the orange and blue flag was floating over the Court- 

 house. The ancient prejudices of the fighting pedagogue were 

 aroused he too, like old Hall, thought, when he looked on it, of 

 Vinegar Hill ; but it was with far different feelings. This he con- 

 sidered would be a favourable opportunity for avenging the defeat, 

 which his party had many years before sustained ; and accordingly 

 he resolved to take advantage of it. He hastened to the bog-hole, 

 and for the first time since '98, he unearthed the musket, which he 

 had then concealed, with the intention to use it, whenever "his 

 country should demand its service." 



In a short time after he entered the town, Corney O' Kelly was 

 seen running from house to house, and carrying upon his shonlder a 

 ponderous gun, which, from its length and thickness, seemed to be 

 one of those formidable matchlocks, with which the Spaniards had 

 once fought upon the Irish soil. Corney as he entered the houses of 

 the Papists, explained to them that the exhibition which they had 

 looked upon in the morning was an Orange procession, and that he 

 knew well that the Orangemen went out to collect all the Protestants 

 in the neighbourhood, that had fire-arms, and that they would return 

 in the evening and murder every man, woman, and child in the town 

 of Ballyporeen, that was known to be a Papist. He said, he knew, 

 that was what they meant to do, for that was what the Orangemen 

 used to do, when he was out in Wexford ! Shrieks, cries, and 

 groans arose from the women, when this announcement was made to 

 them ; while the men collected in groups, and as they got their 

 scythes, alpeens, and sticks in readiness, they cursed the Orangemen, 

 and swore they would not let a living man of them enter the town, 

 that night. Amongst others who were visited by Corney O'Kelly 

 was Hogan, but he, instead of yielding to the schoolmaster, resolved 

 to prevent the mischief and bloodshed, which must be the conse- 

 quence of a conflict between the two parties one of them having 

 fire-arms, and the others sufficiently equipped to do immense injury, 

 and "determined to have a fight." 



Hogan, with such benevolent intentions, hastened to the house of 

 old Switzer, where he saw the lovely Anne, and explained to her the 

 necessity of immediately sending forward a mounted messenger to 

 the nearest police station, with direction to bring in all the constabu- 

 lary force at once. His business was told in a few words, and then 

 he explained to her, the state of his affections for " the pretty Pro- 

 testant/' and she inspired by gratitude for his anxiety for a parent's 

 safety, and not a little taken by the figure of the dapper little Papist, 

 bid him " ask her father's consent." The messenger had been dis- 

 patched, and as the lovers never could tell how long their conversa- 

 tion lasted, it is impossible now to guess it ; but Hogan still held the 

 hand which he had first pressed, when he saw her ; he still sat 



