70 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



of all that was worst in Munster, whilst as the place 

 for embarkation for America it had conveniences of 

 its own for such a purpose. 



When the outbreak occurred, 2000 or 3000 of the 

 lowest rabble of Cork started for Tipperary to assist. 

 They were physically worse than inferior. A stipen- 

 diary magistrate, a man of much police experience, 

 who saw them returning, and also many of them in 

 gaol, described them as not even sturdy roughs, but 

 the most wretched assemblage of shop -boys and 

 butchers' and bakers' boys he had ever met with a 

 thoroughly useless class, without one quality to fit 

 them for their enterprise. About fifteen miles from 

 Cork this mob came to a country police barrack in 

 a lonely place, with its five policemen. This they 

 resolved to attack. The house was a bad one for 

 defence, and the police had to withdraw to the upper 

 storey as the best way of defending themselves. The 

 Fenians got in below, and fearing, though so many, 

 to storm the five men above, they set fire to the 

 house. But as the fire grew serious they became 

 frightened lest the policemen should be burnt, so 

 they entreated them to come out, declaring that 

 their victims would be committing suicide if they 

 stayed there, and they brought a ladder and put 

 it to a window to help them to come down, which 

 accordingly they did, as soon as the fire made it 

 necessary. All this had taken time, and it was 

 known that there were troops at Mallow, six or 



