On August 15, 1857, twenty two Catholic men in the employ of Guy Lloyd of Croghan House, were fired for refusing to work on a holy day of obligation (the Assumption of Mary). The news spread quickly and the Catholic clergy and public were outraged. Throughout 1856 and 1857, donations poured in, from all over Ireland, England and beyond, towards the Croghan Labourers' Fund (established by Rev Peter C O'Connor RCC). The names of the 22 Croghan Labourers, who inspired such national empathy, appeared in the Freemans Journal [Saturday, January 03, 1857; Pg: 4]
Names of the 22 Croghan Labourers:
Thomas Berne;
Tom Casey, John Casey, M Casey, James Casey (probably of #17 Croghan Village);
John O'Dowd;
M. Heally, John Heally, M Heally, jun; James Heally, John Heally, E Heally, Michael Heally;
John Howard, Martin Howard;
Tom McDermott;
Tom McGrath, Mick McGrath, Pat M'Grath, B M'Grath (probably 'Boher');
Michael Oates, Pat Oates;
