LOCAL HISTORY AND FOLKLORE
MURDER AT THE BLACK BOTTLE PUB
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IN THE LATE 19 th CENTURY THE ENGLISH RULED SUPREME IN IRELAND AND THE LANDLORDS SHOWED NO MERCY WHEN THE NATIVE IRISH FARMERS COULD NOT PAY THEIR RATES.A RATES COLLECTOR IN THIS LOCAL AREA CALLED TO COLLECT THE RENT FROM A FARMER.
HE WAS NOT AT HOME BUT WHEN THE MAN CAME TO BLACK -BOTTLE CROSS ROADS HE SPOTTED THE FARMER GOING INTO THE PUB.HE FOLLOWED THE MAN INTO THE PUB AND DEMANDED PAYMENT OF THE OVERDUE MONEY.THE FARMER REFUSED TO PAY,A FIGHT ENSUED,AND THE RATES COLLECTOR WAS FOUND DEAD IN DENIS RYAN'S FIELD ,JUST ACROSS THE ROAD,THE NEXT DAY.NO-ONE SAW OR HEARD ANYTHING AND THE MURDER CASE WAS NEVER SOLVED.
WHEN THE BLACKBOTTLE PUB CLOSED THE LICENCE WAS TRANSFERED TO RUSSELLS IN CROSSPATRICK WHERE A NEW PUB WAS ESTABLISHED.
THE ROSS -RYANS
THE ROSS -RYANS , SO CALLED BECAUSE JACK ROSS RYAN CAME FROM ROSS,RATHDOWNEY ORIGINALLY LIVED OPPOSITE THE SEVEN STEPS.HE WAS GIVEN THIS HOUSE TO LIVE IN BY AN UNUSUAL ACT OF GENEROSITY BY PATSY PHELAN WHO LIVED UP BOHER LANE . HE WAS A THATCHER BY TRADE AND KEPT HIS OWN HOUSE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION.HIS HOUSE WAS THATCHED TO PERFECTION AND ALWAYS SHONE BRIGHT WITH WHITEWASHED WALLS.ROSS-RYAN'S HOUSE WAS KNOWN AS THE PUB WITH NO-BEER AS PEOPLE VISITED THIS HOUSE TO MEET
THEIR NEIGHBOURS ON A REGULAR BASIS.ON AN AVERAGE DAY THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS 10-15 PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE AT ANY ONE TIME.JACK TIERNEY [GRANDFATHER OF COLIN,DEREK ,SHARON AND CARMEL ]WAS IN ROSS-RYAN'S HOUSE ,ONE DAY,TO CONGRADULATE HIM ON HIS WIN IN THE SWEEPSTAKES.TIERNEY SAID THAT ROSS-RYAN SHOULD BECOME AN UNDERTAKER AND BUY A HEARSE WITH HIS NEW FOUND WEALTH. WHEN HE SUGGESTED THAT HE WOULD MURDER TOM DOYLE,HIS NEIGHBOUR,TO START HIM OFF ,ALL GATHERED IN THE HOUSE FELL AROUND LAUGHING.
ROSS-RYANS WAS A VERY POPULOR MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AND HIS PASSING WAS MET WITH GREAT SADNESS.LOCAL UNDERTAKER TOM HARRINGTON ,FROM URLINGFORD ,DID NOT RISE IN LOCAL POPULARITY,WHEN HE REFUSED TO BRING ROSS-RYANS REMAINS FROM CROSSPATRICK TO RAGH TO BE BURIED BECAUSE THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND.THE LOCAL MEN STEPPED IN AND CARRIED HIM IN RELAYS FROM THE CROSS ,PAST HIS HOUSE,AND UP THE SEVEN STEPS AND ACROSS TO RAGH .THEY MADE SURE ROSS-RYAN WAS GIVEN THE RESPECT AND DECENT BURIAL HE DESERVED.
PAT MacCORMICK'S MURDER AND JOE KENNEDYS ESCAPE
DURING THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE AN I.RA UNIT WAS OUT ON PATROL IN THE GENERAL AREA WHEN THEY WERE AMBUSHED BY THE MURDEROUS 'BLACK AND TANS'.JOE KENNEDY , ORIGINALLY FROM HILLEND IN TULLAROAN AND HIS FRIEND PAT MACCORMICK FROM FERTAGH MANAGED TO ESCAPE ARREST.PAT MACCORMICK WAS SHOT IN THE THIGH DURING HIS ESCAPE AND LOST SO MUCH BLOOD HE DIED SHORTLY AFTER. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AS THE MEN MADE THEIR ESCAPE FROM BEHIND A PUBLIC HOUSE IN JOHNSTOWN.THEY WERE ON THE RUN FROM THE TANS AND USED TO STAY IN 'SAFE HOUSES ' FOR SHORT PERIODS.THE NIGHT BEFORE PAT MACCORMICK WAS SHOT HE SPENT THE NIGHT IN BARTONS OF COULOUTHA.IN HIS POSSESSION HE HAD A GRENADE
WITH IT'S PIN MISSING. A PIECE OF WIRE WAS USED TO REPLACE THE PIN.HE SLEPT IN A SECRET HIDING PLACE IN THE HOUSE WITH THE GRENADE SITTING ON THE TABLE NEXT TO HIM.NO ONE SLEPT EASY IN THE HOUSE THAT NIGHT AS THEY WERE AFRAID THE GRENADE WOULD EXPLODE AND BLOW THE WHOLE PLACE TO SMITHEREENS.
JOE KENNEDY CAME TO LIVE IN BARTONS OF LOUGH TO LEARN THE TRADE OF SADDLERY.SADDELRY NEEDED YEARS OF TRAINING AND PRACTICE BUT THINGS DIDN'T WORK OUT AS PLANNED.HIS TUTOR,CHARLIE BARTON ,LEFT FOR AMERICA TO FIND WORK AND WHEN HIS WIFE REFUSED TO JOIN HIM IN AMERICA 6 MONTHS LATER THEY WERE PARTED FOREVER.CHARLIE BARTON NEVER RETURNED TO LOUGH AND IS BURIED IN AMERICA.JOE KENNEDY WORKED THE FARM FOR MANY YEARS AND BECAME A POULAR AND RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH REPUBLICAN PARTY GAVE HIM SERIOUS POWER IN THE AREA AND EVEN THE LOCAL CLERGY , PREACHING PEACE AND GOOD WILL TO ALL MEN,KNEW WHEN TO BACK DOWN AND BUTT OUT.IF AN IRA UNIT WAS OUT ON MANOUVERS IN THE AREA THEY HAD THE ASSISTANCE OF ALL DECENT PEOPLE IN THE LOCALITY.ANY ONE WHO REFUSED TO ASSIST WERE GENERALLY SHOT AT BUT NOT KILLED
JOE KENNEDY DIED IN 1978 AGED 78 YEARS.HE DREW TWO PENSIONS :THE OLD AGE PENSION AND THE IRA PENSION AND THERE WAS NO BETTER MAN TO TELL A STORY OR TWO IF YOU MET HIM IN YOUR TRAVELS.HE IS BURIED IN KILAHY GRAVEYARD, THE BURIAL SITE OF THE KENNEDY CLAN.
