Bawnboy and Templeport
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CAPTAIN McLEOD’S ASSASSINATION |
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By the late Frank Quinn
The Molly Maguires appointed two members to assassinate Captain McLeod. One of these was Patrick Dolan of Lisgruddy, Garadice, Co. Leitrim, and the other was a man named McKiernan of Cronera, Corlough, Co. Cavan. Dolan was not the Dolan who shot George Bell Booth at Crossdoney. Indeed they were not related to each other. It is very likely that Dolan of Lisgruddy was sent along with McKiernan because living within a mile of Percy’s of Garadice, he would have been very familiar with the terrain. It was McKiernan who was appointed to do the shooting.
Regarding the exact location of Dolan’s residence- it was situated between the end of the Drumcullion road and Mrs. Christina Kennedy’s house on the opposite side of the road. I, (Frank Quinn) now own his land and the site of his house. Mr. McKiernan’s relatives still live in Corlough and they may still know the exact location of McKiernan’s house.
It is obvious that the Molly Maguires had someone living very close to Percy’s whom they could trust. This ‘someone’ might even have been working on Percy’s estate. How else could Dolan and McKiernan have known that Captain McLeod was down on Mr. Percy’s estate for a day’s shooting on the fateful day. He visited the Percys quite often but I’m sure the workers or tenantry were not told of the visits beforehand.
Percy’s estate lay along the Cavan-Sligo road and the avenue to the residence met that road at the Garadice Post Office as can be seen today. The house and lands are now owned by the Allertons of Garadice. It was at this place where the avenue meets the road that the assassins took up their position. This was a most advantageous spot for their purpose. Anywhere else the coach would have been in motion and therefore the occupant a more difficult target; but here it had to stop for the opening of the gate.
Captain McLeod and the Percy household remained chatting until very late in the night after the day’s shooting. When the visitor rose to go home, Percy said to him – “It is very late and these are troubled times, so I think you should stay the night, rest in the Green Room until morning”. The ‘green room’ was the visitor’s room in the mansion. McLeod declined saying –“ No, no, I have to be in Cavan in the morning. I have a few necks to crack there”. This referred to his role as magistrate.
When his coach reached the end of the avenue, things
went according to plan for the gunmen. The coach stopped. McKiernan raised
his gun, but his hand was shaking. No wonder, they were waiting there
since nightfall in the bitter cold and the dreadful tension. Dolan reached
over, took the gun and shot McLeod. He fell dead in the coach. The coachman
who was opening the gate ran back to the coach, saw the situation and
then ran in to Quinn’s door- now the Post Office. He hammered and
kicked the door to awaken Mr.Quinn- who wasn’t asleep at all, my
grandfather said. He was shouting too – “My master is shot,
my master is shot”. Mr. Quinn, I think my grandfather called him
Edward - rose, dressed hurriedly and ran out. The coachman said “Hold
up my master till I drive back to the house”
“No” said Mr. Quinn “you hold up your master and I’ll
drive back”. This was done.
When the Percys got over the initial shock, the police were notified, and before dawn a search was underway for the assassins. While the coachman was arousing Mr. Quinn, the men ran from their cover and headed north. They must have been a pair of very unhappy men because there was now a little snowfall and therefore tracking them would be easy. As they passed through Knott’s land – now owned by Louis Smyth- what should happen but a meeting with the owner of the land, Mr. Knott. He was out lamping blackbirds. This was a practice which continued up to my boyhood time. A lantern was held under a coat and then shone suddenly into a bush where the bird was known to be roosting. The dazzling effect allowed him to be grabbed. Mr. Knott and the two men bade each other goodnight and went their ways. I’m sure Mr. Knott stopped lamping and went to bed. Two men with a gun at that hour of the night was surely a cause for unhappy surmise. In the time that followed, Mr. Knott never breathed a word of his chance meeting with them. He might not have known McKiernan but he certainly must have known Dolan who lived less than a mile away.
The two men continued across country until they reached the Bawnboy-Ballinamore road and followed it until they reached the Blackwater Bridge. Here they parted; one of them travelling on each side of the river. They were a little happier about one aspect of their escape. It was snowing again so their tracks could not be followed.
McKiernan proceeded on the northern side of the river to his home in Corlough, while Dolan travelled along it for some distance and then swung left back towards Aughawillan district. He came down to his house past Aughawillan Church. He went into the church, lifted a board in the sanctuary, put the gun in under the floor and replaced the board. I do not know if he prayed or not, but if he did, I’m sure it was that Knott would keep his mouth shut. He then went the remaining few yards to his home and went to bed.
According to accounts of the incident which persist to the present in this locality, the police arrived at Dolan’s house next morning. He was still in bed. His boots were wet and the police wanted to know why. He answered that as soon as frost and snow came, his children were up before him to go out sliding and snowballing and ruining his boots. Apparently, this explanation was accepted. This episode demonstrates that the police knew who was in the Molly Maguires.
After some time he emigrated. Whether this was because he assessed the situation to be becoming dangerous for him, or that he got a tip-off, is not known. I wonder is it known which of these men was involved in trials of Molly Maguire sympathisers in America. The Pat Dolan involved in these, escaped the execution which befell many of his workmates.
As I have already stated I got most of the information about these two assassinations from my grandfather. He was a man not given to telling tall stories. He lived only a half mile from Percy’s house and was a relative of Bell-Booth’s assassin. So he was close to both events. In view of these facts, I believe the above account of them to be very authentic.
Frank Quinn.
Lislahy
Garadice