In 1808 James Wall was killed by the "White Boys" because he knew too much. The story goes;
Hanging at the cross where the streets meet in Newtownsands.
Told by Con Shine (carpenter).
Written by J.B. Connell (NT Moyvane)
My father remembers the white boys. There was a landlord in Kilbaha called Wall. There was another in Moyvane named Sands. Sands knew the names of all the white boys in the district. So did Wall. The white boys trusted Sands. But they were afraid that Wall would tell all the names. So they decided to do away with wall. Wall was afraid of them. He made up his mind to take a house in Glin and went the Kerry line to Glin . But he came back by Newtownsands way. The white boys watched him they attacked his house that night and the firing went on till morning. In the morning they set fire to the house and Wall was burned to death. 200 soldiers came from Limerick the following day. They were to kill everybody they met. But Sands met them over on the Tarbert road near Johnny Nashs and told them not touch anybody that he would have all the white boys arrested that he knew them all. The soldiers did no harm then. They went to Kilbaha and the first they met were my father and my uncle Johnny threshing in the haggard. Sands said they are two honest boys, theyre a widow sons they never did harm to anybody. And so they did noting to them. My father was about 18 at the time. Sands gave the names of all the white boys and they were arrested and tried in Tralee. Three of them were sentenced to be hanged one of them was ordered to be brought to Newtown to be hanged his name was Neill (Nayle). He was the ringleader he was hanged in Newtown by the soldiers. They drove 2 poles in the ground below at the cross and put another pole across they then put him standing in a horses car put a rope around his neck then pulled away the car and left him hanging there. He was hanging there all day. The soldiers use to come often and give him a swing for sport and leave him swing away for himself. All the doors were shut that day. You would not see a head out the door.
In the evening they took him down and carried him to Tralee in a car. But they lost him above at Shea`s height Clountubrid. They turned back and found him again and carried him to Tralee.
The other two were hanged in Tralee on of them was Mulvihill. I do not know who the other man was. Wall lived in Kilbaha where the road turns up to Kennelly`s house.
Note Michael Mulvihill tried Tralee 3rd march 1809 .He set fire to Walls House . Executed 29th July 1809 .
Danny McMahon claimed that Wall was not at home the attackers set fire to his house took the child from the maid and tossed it into the burning house .
Report in Limerick Chronicle 15th April 1823. Kelly white boy attack Kitson on Sept. 1821.
3 March 1809 Michael Mulvihill Tralee Jail, he set fire to Wall's house. Executed
29 July 1809.
Are there any Wall descendants researching this Kerry branch?
Saturday 1st Dec 2012, 01:00AM
Message Board Replies
-
Thanks for sharing this story and piece of local history!
Genealogy Support.
Wednesday 30th Jan 2013, 12:55PM -
Note: Michael Mulvihill tried Tralee 3rd March 1809 .He set fire to (James) Wall’s House . Executed 29th July 1809 .
• Danny McMahon claimed that Wall was not at home, and the attackers set fire to his house took the child from the maid and tossed it into the burning house. Wall in Kerry Evening Post of 10 March 1860, 4 Nov. 1908. (?) Murder of James Wall/sentencing of John Neil to hang, Jan. 1809 Special Commission. 'Mr. Wall was a respectable gentleman, residing near Newtownsandes. Freeman's Jn., 4 August 1809:
• 'Michael Mulvahill found guilty of the murder of James Wall and John Scanlan, to be execute on the same day' (July 29, ); executed with Michael Murphy (see Tisdall op.cit.) 'opposite the gaol'.
- More than four years later, the Knight of Kerry noted that Timothy Mulvihill, the principal suspect, was still at large (National Archives of Ireland, SOC 1532/22.Ballinruddery, Listowel, 30 Sept. 1813,
- Maurice Fitzgerald to Robert Peel); apprehension of Timothy Mulvihill reported in The Limerick General Advertiser of 31 May 1814 'at Knockanure by the spirited and judicious exertions of John Sandes, Esq ... aided by a party of the Waterford Militia'.
I found the rest of the information and I now have several questions.
1. Where can I find and research "The Freeman's Journal"?
2. (National Archives of Ireland, SOC 1532/22.Ballinruddery, Listowel, 30 Sept. 1813, )- what does this refer to and where can I find a copy
3. The Limerick General Advertiser of 31 May 1814- where can I find and research this article?
4. What happened to Timothy Mulvihill?
BarbaraScanlon
Thursday 31st Jan 2013, 01:18PM -
Hi Barbara thanks for your message.
The Freeman's Journal was a newspaper from Ireland that ran from 1763 until 1924. You can browse the newspaper on the irishnewsarchives website. If you want to look at particular issuese etc you have to pay a subsrcription. Follow this link:
http://www.irishnewsarchive.com/freemans-journal.php
With regards to the Limerick General Advertiser, the Limercik City Library may have a copy of the Article in question. If you like to contact the library and inquire here is the contact information:
City Hall,
Merchants Quay
Limerick City
Ireland.
TEl: +353 61407100
email: info@limerickcity.ie
Perhaps in order to find out what the National Archives reference is refering to, you could get in contact with them. Here is a link to their contact page on their website:
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/visit-us/contact-us/
To find out what happened to Timothy Mulvihill, it would help if you knew what County he was tried in. From there you could contact the county library. If he was tried in Tralee, as was Michael Mulvihill you could try contacting the Kerry County Library. Their email address is info@kerrycolib.ie
I hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Genealogy Department
Friday 1st Feb 2013, 01:12PM -
Apprehension of Timothy Mulvihill reported in The Limerick General Advertiser of 31 May 1814 'at Knockanure by the spirited and judicious exertions of John Sandes, Esq ... aided by a party of the Waterford Militia'.
Friday 1st Feb 2013, 07:30PM -
Who was John Scanlan? Was he the child reportedly thrown into the burning house or was there another victim?
Friday 1st Feb 2013, 07:35PM -
I don't know what Scanlon family he belonged to. My husband is a descendant of Timothy Mulvihill and Johanna Connor family. Timothy Mulvihill and eight of his children came to Kansas City Missouri. Timothy died in 1872, in the 1870 census he said that he was 89 years old. He was living with Tim Scanlon, who was Timothy Mulvihill's son-in-law. The key to finding this family was a Civil War pension packet for Timothy Mulvihill's son Michael Mulvihill. In the paperwork he documented his marriage.
"May 2nd 1870. I united in Sacred bonds of wedlock Michael Mulvihill son of Timothy Mulvihill and Johanna Conors- the one part-and Ellen Clifford daughter of William Clifford and Catherine Englin - the other part.
Witness - Thomas Clifford & Elizabeth Jane Sheehan
J.D. Power
The above is a true record of the marriage records as preserved at
St. Joseph Cathedral
St. Joseph Missouri
Buchanan Co.
Newman Rector
St. Joseph's Cathedral
St. Joseph, MO
29th day of March 1894
After finding this paperwork I was able to find the baptismal records for four of the eight children in the Moyvane records. TheTimothy Mulvihill family lived in Kilbaha. I have found a Timothy Mulvihill in Griffith's Valuation living in Kilbaha South.
Johanna Mulvihil granddaughter of Timothy Mulvihill married Micahel Scanlon (from Athea) in 1880 in Kansas City Missouri. My husband is a great-grandson of this couple.
BarbaraScanlon
Saturday 2nd Feb 2013, 03:08AM -
*a
Saturday 19th Jul 2014, 03:03AM