In the war between the North and South, there was an increased demand for coal. English, Welsh and German miners were sent into the mines to work, and Irishmen of American birth or who were American citizens, taken away to fight. Replacing Irishmen that were fighting for America, with their most hated foes, the English, also with Welsh and Germans, caused trouble, with the result that they began to oppose conscription, and some army officers were roughly handled.
From this onward, rough handling, burning, faction fights and murder went on in the coal mines. The Molly McGuires were blamed for nearly all crimes, no matter who committed them. On or about the year 1865, they killed a colliery superintendent, which attracted widespread attention.
James McParlan, an Irish Catholic detective, joined the society and became one of its leaders. After three years a member he secured damaging evidence which led to the execution of the ringleaders and imprisonment of a large number of the Molly McGuires.
Moonlighting.—In 1878 this name was assumed by an unknown leader in this county (Kerry), who wrote threatening letters containing a diagram of a coffin, skull-bones and a rifle. He signed himself "Captain Moonlight." Small bands of men, secretly armed and disguised, went by night and raided the houses of land grabbers, emergency men and bad land agents. Gladstone and Foster's Coercion Acts, prohibiting the holding of meetings or allowing the people any means whatsoever of seeking a redress of their grievances forced this regrettable but necessary evil. In some cases in those moonlighting raids lives were taken, and to satisfy the Government and the ascendency class many innocent persons were hanged and others sent to penal servitude. The police and landlord under-strappers manufactured many crimes for which moonlighters and land leaguers were wrongly blamed and punished.[7]
National School Teachers Slapping Their Pupils for Speaking Irish.—The movement for the preservation and revival of the Irish language put a stop to the National school teachers' habit of beating their pupils for speaking their native language.
When I was in Old Mexico I found the peons and Indians made use of a number of words corresponding in sound and meaning to words in the Irish language.
Ogham Characters.—These are a species of ancient Irish writings, marks and lines cut into upright pillar and monumental stones which are very numerous in Corkaguiny. It is said that the term Ogham was first applied to the sacred writings of our Druids.
Orangemen.—These are foreign Irishmen espousing the cause of William of Orange, who on the 1st of July, 1690, defeated dirty King James of England at the Battle of the Boyne. About the year 1795 Orangemen began to organize. Their first oaths and declarations were that they would never rest satisfied until they would be victoriously knee-deep in Papist blood, i. e., Catholic blood. In suppressing Irish societies, administering those oaths were also forbidden, and in 1857 the Lord Chancellor ordered that justices of the peace should not be members of Orange clubs. Orangemen in their 12th of July celebrations wrecked Catholic churches and police of the Orange type in our locality often celebrated the 12th of July by assaulting civilians, afterwards arresting them.
(See Supplementary History County Kerry for a clear account of the Battle of the Boyne, the Fall of Limerick and the Broken Treaty of Limerick.)
Parnellite Splits.—On the 6th day of December, 1890, this unfortunate Parnellite split took place. On the 17th of November of that year a decree of divorce was granted to Captain O'Shea, separating him from his wife on the grounds of improper conduct with Parnell. Three days after the decree was pronounced by the court, a meeting of the Irish Parliamentary party was held in Linster Hall Dublin. Here Justin McCarthy proposed and Timothy Healy seconded that Parnell possessed the confidence of the Irish nation and five days after the Irish Parliamentary party unanimously elected him their leader. While these proceedings were taking place amongst the Irish Nationalists, Gladstone addressed a letter to John Morley, Chief Secretary of Ireland, demanding Parnell's resignation from the leadership. Parnell refused to yield to Gladstone's dictation.