Moonlighters

Lucy Anne Thompson v. Patrick and Michael Ahearne.

Irish Times, Dec 1 1881

COMMON PLEAS DIVISION.

Before Chief Justice Monahan and Mr. Justice Harrison.

This was an action for the recovery of the lands of Knocknaglough, situate mid-way between the towns of Listowel and Castleisland, in the county of Kerry. Mr. J. C. Lane moved for liberty to substitute service of the writ of summons.

It had been attempted to effect personal service, for which purpose the process server proceeded towards the lands under an escort of military and police, but was intercepted by a deep dyke, which had been dug across the road, into which some ambulance wagons fell, and several soldiers were severely injured.

The locality is mountainous and rugged, and no process server could now be got to act in it. The Court granted liberty to substitute service through the post, and by affixing a copy of the writ on the market house at Listowel.

Moonlighters and “Daylighters”

around Castleisland in the late 1800s.

At a special Petty Sessions held yesterday in Castleisland a young man named Thomas McCarthy was charged with posting threatening notices. Constables Price and Hourigan said that the prisoner was in the act of posting up the following notice when they arrested him – “Take notice that any person seen going to or speaking to D.J.Reidy, the bloody informer, by the God of Heaven, he and they will get the death of Herbert the Tyrant, in spite of the peelers in Kerry. This is the second and last warning to be given. Death will be the next. (Signed) Captain Moonlight. By order, I.R.B.”

Under this notice was the shape of a coffin marked “last suit”, the shape of a gun above. The case was adjourned and bail refused.

The Kerry Sentinel reports that at about 11 o’clock on Sunday a party of seven armed and disguised “Daylighters” visited the house of a man named Michael Scanlon, a gamekeeper to Miss Lucy Thompson and demanded possession of a gun. Mrs Scanlon and her son, a young lad, were the only occupants of the house at the time and on seeing the “Daylighters” she ran into the room where she knew the gun to be and closed the door, at the same time calling on the little boy to run for the police. He immediately ran off and one of the party fired two shots after him for the purpose of frightening him. He, however, continued to run in the direction of one of the police huts which are situated some two miles on either side of Scanlans house. Meanwhile the party fired seven shots inside. When the men found that Mrs Scanlon would not open the door they procured a crow bar and smashed it open. They seized the gun and then decamped.

What appears to have been a very determined encounter took place between police patrols and a party of Moonlighters at Caheragh, a short distance from Castleisland on Tuesday night. Shortly after 7pm three patrols left Castleisland and proceeded in the Caheragh direction armed with revolvers and lay in wait there in ditches at either side of the road. About 10 o’clock they heard the Moonlighters coming towards them through the fields and the men walked into the trap set for them.

A severe struggle, it is stated, then took place and three of the men were arrested on the spot. The others decamped in different directions. In the struggle two shots were fired by the Moonlighters at the police. Those of the Moonlighters who had fled in the first moment of surprise had by this time returned and fired other shots at the police and the police returned fire. Immediately after the occurrence the police arrested five other men. The prisoners were brought to Castleisland before Mr Considine, resident magistrate, and remanded. A considerable amount of ammunition was found at the house of some of the prisoners.