IRELAND.
An affray between the peasantry and police occurred on Friday the 21st instant, at Dunkerrin, in Tipperary. Philip Ryan, the notorious " rebellion-ruflian," with his bailiff Hogan, and seven policemen, set out on the morning of the day in question to serve tithe-processes for Dean Hawkins, the Rector of the parish. The reception which the party met with, and the collision which ensued, are thus described in a letter to the Dublin Evening Post from Dutikerrin- " The people appeared in crowds on the hills, without making any attempt at resistance, save and except a few hearty shouts, which prevented him from effecting his object. On his return to Dunkerrin, lie met a large number of persons at the cross-roads at the turnpike-gate. On his passing through, a few stones were thrown, without any personal injury to him or any of his party. The instant he got clear through the crowd he .fired into the midst of the people. Two policemen tired instantly after. Melancholy to state, John Fogarty, a poor and honest man, having a family of six helpless children, was shot through the breast, the bullet entering within an inch of the nipple of his left breast, and passing out under his right shoulder-blade. The medical gen- tleman who visited him from Roscrea states that his recovery is impossible. Ryan escaped unhurt. Hogan was not so fortunate; he was beaten so severely, but not till after Fogarty was shot, that his case is nearly hopeless. Fortunately, the Reverend A. Nolan, parish priest, came to the spot at this instant—Hogan being left for dead on the side of the road, and the police surrounded by some hun- dreds of persons armed with stones. The sergeant and Hogan (the bailiff) the Reverend Mr. Nolan had to protect in his own house for smile hours. The people were so excited, so infuriated, as to disregard their lives: they would have killed every one of the police at his very gate had he been one minute later. I must remark that this tithe niassacre has taken place with fifty perches of the parish priest's house. His coming up at the moment was purely acci- dental, being, with both his curates, engaged at a station in a remote corner of the parish during the entire of the morning. Allow me to remark, that the
order for the police to assist Ryan w is given by Dean Hawkins, who fills the situations of Magistrate for the King's County and Tipperary, Dean of Clon- fert, and Rector of Dunkerrin."
This is one story. Ryan has sent his version of the affair to the Dublin Evening Mail-
" Having sent a writ of assistance to Mr. Duckett, the Sub-sheriff, and ap- pointed to meet him early on Friday morning, the 21st instant, at Mr. West- ropp Smith's gate, in the parish of Rathnavogue, to protect me whilst posting subprenas, I arrived at Dean Hawkins's at an early hour, and he sent five police with me to the appointed place. When we had proceeded about one hundred yards, cries of ' Tithes tithes !' resounded front every quarter: the mob as- sembled in large numbers on the surrounding bills, and at Mr. Westropp Smith's gate the people formed into one immense body of several thousands. Our party consisted of the five police, my poor man Hogan, and myself. There we were surrounded and pelted at intervals for upwards of four hours. We made several attempts to return, but were as often dri%en back by willies of stones. You ran judge with what anxiety we expected the Sheriff to relieve us from our murderous assailants : they repeatedly cried out that the police should not be molested, but that neither my man nor I should take our lives off the spot. About twenty minutes past two o'clock, having given up all hopes of seeing the Sheriff, the police primed and loaded, and I rode up in front of the murderers. They let me appt oach within a few yards, and the handful of brave police close after me, when they again drove us back towards another body which had formed in our rear. We again advanced, and the crowd in front gave way. All this while we were severely pelted, and frequently struck by those behind, who literally drove us before them for miles, as if they were driving bullocks to a slaughter-house.
"On reaching the turnpike-house on the Dublin road, another large body joined, and the whole, giving a tremendous shout, rushed on us from all sides. A stone struck me on the head, and carried off my hat ; the police were all knocked down and poor Hogan was inhumanly murdered. All the police were shockingly maltreated, and their arms taken. Shots were fired during the deadly conflict ; and for a few seconds I was so completely stunned tuna the blows, that I was near falling off my horse, in which event I should have shared poor Hogan's fate ; but being well mounted, I dashed through the thick
of them, and got off; my entire body, arms and legs, are black from blows, but 1 have received no serious injury. One of the rebels was shot by a police-
man and others are wounded. From the moment I cleared the crowd taut:: I
reached Dean IlawkirA's, every man amongst the hundreds who were running to the conflict, had a pelt at me as I passed. Having arrived at the Dean's
house, thousands followed waiting to murder me ; they stopped the coach twice that night to search fur we; notwithstanding all, I came home by the mail next morning. By a letter which I received from the Sheriff on my return home, it appears that by mistake it was the order for the writ of assistance which I sent, instead of the writ itself, and therefore that officer was not bound to attend."
Ryan, it will be seen, says nothing of the interference of the Catholic priest, or of the shot he fired himself. He mentions that others were wounded besides Fogarty. As to his being pelted with stones for four hours by a mob of thousands, and yet escaping with a few bruises, it is incredible. Take which account we will, however, it proves the in- tense hatred of tithes in Tipperary. Dean Hawkins is described as being " foppish and fashionable," and till within a few months a resi- dent in England or in Dublin. His name appears among the recipients from the Distressed Clergy Fund against the sum of 18351 Ils. 5d. In his parish the Catholics are to the Protestants in the proportion of about ten to one-3900 to 388.
Hogan died soon after ; and an inquest has been held on his body, and on that of Fogarty, the peasant. The Jury consisted of eight Catholics and four Protestants. The former found a verdict, that "John Fogarty died by a pistol-shot fired by Philip Ryan :" the Pro- testant's verdict was "justifiable homicide." The Coroner sent the verdict to the Crown lawyers. " Wilful murder against persons un- known," was the verdict on Hogan's body. It is certain that the men engaged in the conflict are well known to the policemen and others ; but nobody dared speak to their identity.
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