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In the late 1940 Cork Corporation built an estate at Glasheen Road and it is called after the Shears Brothers.

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St.Michans Church

Supernatural Dublin – St. Michan’s Church

Courtesy Myles Dungan:

On This Day – 14 July 1798 The Sheares brothers are hanged in Dublin

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Myles Dungan

Irish rebellions should probably all come equipped with something we could call an IQ. That’s an Informer Quotient. This is a scientific measure of how many British agents from among the ranks of the rebels it took to betray the insurrection.

The scale would go all the way from ‘Genius’ at one hundred and fifty, to Witless Imbecile at zero. Let’s take a couple of examples. Obviously the 1798 rebellion was so riddled with spies and informers that if it had been a boat it would have sunk in a calm and windless cup of tea. So, we’ll call that one hundred and fifty. Then, right at the other end of the scale, there’s the 1916 Rising. Here the rebels desperately tried to tip their hand repeatedly, even to the extent of calling the whole thing off in a newspaper advertisement, but the exceptionally dim British authorities had no idea what was going on under their noses. We’ll call that an IQ of zero.

Totally off the scale of course is the War of Independence where Michael Collins’s own spies and informers were tripping over each other in Dublin Castle. That would be a minus IQ of about fifty for the rebels.

But the prize for individual revolutionaries most beset by informers has to go to the United Irishmen, the Sheares brothers. It took not one, not two, but three spies to bring them down. Given the going rate for intelligence information in 1798 it must have cost the authorities almost as much as the bribes paid to pass the Act of Union two years later.

The brothers Sheares, John and Henry, from Cork were both lawyers who had witnessed the French revolution and the frequent use of the guillotine. On the boat back home from Calais they met an utterly disillusioned Daniel O’Connell, pledged to non-violent political action, based on the bloodthirsty slaughter he had observed in Paris. The Sheares brothers were not so easily put off. When they got back to Dublin in 1793 they joined the United Irshmen. Both began organizing in their native Cork.

Enter Spy Number 1. His name was Conway and he kept the Castle well informed of the activities of the brothers, while passing himself off as an enthusiastic supporter.  He gets the bronze medal.

While busying themselves in Cork the brothers were also part of the Dublin Society of the United Irishmen. Here their nemesis was Thomas Collins, another apparent republican fanatic but, in reality, a well-embedded British spy. Because he ratted on so many other prominent revolutionaries he gets the silver medal.

But the gold unquestionably goes to Captain Warnesford Armstrong. You’d think his name would have given him away. How could you be called Warnesford and not be a British spy? After the capture of most of the members of the United Irishmen’s Directory (note the French influence) in March 1798, John Sheares took over and ordained the date of 23 May for a nationwide uprising. Armstrong insinuated himself into the confidence of the brothers, to the point where he was a regular visitor to their house on Baggot street, and dandled the children of Henry Sheares on his treacherous knee. He recorded that he didn’t even have to take an oath in order to become a member of the United Irishman. Not that he would have let something as silly as an oath get in the way. John Sheares himself actually warned Armstrong not to come to the house on one occasion, because certain activists believed him to be in the act of betraying the movement, and were intent on murdering him!

Two days before the planned rising John and Henry Sheares were arrested, on information supplied by Armstrong, and put on trial. Armstrong himself, clearly pleased at his handiwork, testified against them. Despite being defended by the great advocate John Philpot Curran, it took the jury a mere seventeen minutes to convict.

John and Henry Sheares, victims of three separate informers, were hanged, drawn and quartered, two hundred and nineteen years ago, on this day.

Rev. Somers Payne (1785-1857), TCD, A Bundle of Contradictions, Grand Master of Orange Order, Co. Cork, Master Political Operator, Alleged he Enrolled his Labourers as Apprentices so They Would Have a Vote, Nephew of Patriot Shears Brothers, Executed for Being United Irishmen in 1798, Agent to Lord Bantry, Pioneering Agriculturalist, Sympathy for Cottiers, Smallholders, his Son Augustus Agent to Bantry Estate, Died of Famine Fever, Bantry aged 26 in 1844, his Son Rev. Gethin Payne Died of Fever 1844 aged 26.

Rev. Somers Payne (1785-1857), TCD, A Bundle of Contradictions, Grand Master of Orange Order, Co. Cork, Master Political Operator, Alleged he Enrolled his Labourers as Apprentices so They Would Have a Vote, Nephew of Patriot Shears Brothers, Executed for Being United Irishmen in 1798, Agent to Lord Bantry, Pioneering Agriculturalist, Sympathy for Cottiers, Smallholders, his Son Augustus Agent to Bantry Estate, Died of Famine Fever, Bantry aged 26 in 1844, his Son Rev. Gethin Payne Died of Fever 1844 aged 26.

1801. Will of Eliza Gethins, Probably Grandmother of Rev. Somers Payne, Political Operator, Head of Orange Order in Cork, Agent Bantry Estate, Uncle of John and Henry Shears, Barristers in the City of Cork, who perished on the scaffold for alleged ‘high treason’ at the opening of the ‘present century’.

1895 Funeral of Bantry Solicitor, Daniel O’Donovan, aged 26.   Native Skibbereen:

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he Coughlans of Ardmore, fleet of cargo vessels Bristol, Newfoundland of which the north part has many Coughlans we dont know if Cathoilic or Protestant or related to Jeremiah.  The black servant taking the Coughlan name and  buried 1820s in Youghal, one of the women painted by Gainsboro

In summary

Further genealogical information will be posted showing the Spenser link and the French one over the next 2 weeks..

Was amazed to learn that Lady Dianna Spenser is a Coughlan (Carrignmanus) and Durrus (Evanson) descendant as is the wife of Marshall McMahon (1808-1893) of France.   Marshal McMahon (President and Marshal of France in 1873) on his marriage to Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of the Duc de Castries Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta was a French general and politician, with the distinction of Marshal of France. He served as Chief of State of France from 1873 to 1875 and as President of France, from 1875 to 1879

In the Paddy O’Keeffe papers in the Cork Archives dealing with a query on the Symms family there is a letter from Edward Keane (National Library) of the 5th September 1961.   He states that the Marshall and a few other famous McMahons are descended from  Patrick McMahon and Margaret O’Sullivan who married in Bantry in 1707.   He asks Paddy O’Keeffe for knowledge of this Margaret.
O’Coughlans clients of the O’Mahonys of Mizen.  About 1600 a falling out they switch to Boyle adn Hull and become Protestant.  According to Maziere Brady enclosed after the 1641 ‘Rebellion’ they hightail to England.  Slight error in Maziere Brady last page he refers to Rev. Fisher Teampall na mBoche his father he says is 2nd name Devonshire wrong it should be Devonsher old Cork merchant family.
Of the family Jeremiah (Jeremy) an attorney marries Susann Evanson of Durrus.  He is involved in a number of deeds in Durrus with his brother in law Nathaniel Evanson.  These deeds are part of the former McCarthy lands west of the current Durrus Village.
1705, in Cork Susanna Evanson, Jeremiah Coghlan Assuming that Jeremiah is the same as Jeremy who appears in Bandon records 1730 re Gearhameen townland. legally trained Seneschal Dungarvan, agent with Andrew Crotty of Devonshire Estates Prob. Durrus Court, Carriganus Three Castle Head. Jeremiah/Jeremy’s great grandson Rev.Demetrius O’Coghlan of Carrigmanus fled to England during rising 1641 and died there. Nathaniel 1730 Bandon estate records show Nathaniel and his brother-in-law renting townlands from the Bernards around Gearhameen and surrounding townlands. Conjectured that Jeremy’s relations were settled on one of the better farms in Clashadoo, now occupied by the Johnston family. Thomas Dukelow married into that farm in 1818 to Frances Coghlan, probably a relation of Jeremy Coughlan Coughlans of Carrigmanus working with Hull from the early 17th century acquired former O’Mahony lands. Among children Rev. Henry Coughlan, George Esq, possible nephew Joseph. Jeremiah died before 1737. See Registry of Deeds project. Susanna 3rd child Evanson family history, MLB

I see in 1790 Charles and Richard Coughlan were renting probably the former townlds in Kilcrohane owned by the College of St. Mary in Youghal after the relation Nathaniel Evanson is renting.
he is joint manager of the Boyle (DEvonshire estate West Waterford)
Durrus  Marriages, quite a number of Durrus C of I families, Attridge, Dukelow, Shannon are Coughlan descendants so going back 10,000 to first people in the area.:
It may be that either Richard or Charles Coughlan who are in Kilcrohane deed 1790 are the father of Elizabeth adn Frances maybe no male heir.

The late Mary Dukelow, Brahalish, Coughlan/Dukelow marriage and descendants,  Dukelow Genealogy:

Both of these farms abut my late fathers
1805 Robert Ferguson Elizabeth Coughlan Possibly Clashadoo Some time later a marriage Frances Coughlan, Clashadoo (Johnson farm) to Dukelow MLB I would think the Fergsons are the local enforcers of the Evanson landlord family. Now thre farm of the late John McCarthy, Clashadoo. It aslo adjoining the farm that Frances Coughlan married from
1814 Thomas Dukelow Fran(ces) Coughlan Clashadoo (now Johnson farm) Crottees? Margaret m 1845 John Attridge Gearhameen 4 children, Sarah m 1851 David Shannon, Brahalish son Thomas m Ursula Dukelow 1881 Frances M 1st Charles Dukelow Carrigbui 1852 2nd Paul Shannon 1858 lived in Clashadoo 1st marriage Robert 1854- m Mary dukelow Upper Crottees lived there, Frances 1855 m 1878 Charles dukelow Dunbittern Frances 2nd Marriage Elizabet m 1887 George Shannon Rooska Sarah m George KIngston, Drimoleague Mary m 1893 Thomas Hurst Bantry, Thomas m Kate Allen Goleen lived in Clashadoo, Paul m ellen Newman There is a lease c 1730 from Francis Bernard later the Lord Bandons to one (Durrus Court) of the Evansons of Coolnalong and his brother-in-law of a few of the townlands around Clashadoo. Coghlan was from Crookhaven and a minor landowner. Is Frances Coghlan connected? Johnson farm, Clashadoo
Attachments area

Click Here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/101VuopWDnsDSFuig5cLFIFMIiZZpNXdYTHyZHOLfgfE/edit?pli=1

ReplyForward

Ignatius O’Brien was the youngest son of a struggling Cork business family. After somewhat unhappy experiences at a Cork Vincentian school and the Catholic University of Ireland, he studied to become a barrister while supporting himself as a reporter on Dublin newspapers. Over time he built up a reputation in property and commercial law, and an ultimately successful career led to him being appointed a law officer and later lord chancellor under the post-1906 Liberal governments.

O’Brien avoided party politics, but was a moderate home ruler who attributed the troubles besetting relations between Britain and Ireland to a failure to implement moderate reforms in time. After being created Baron Shandon on his removal as lord chancellor, he moved to England, where as a member of the House of Lords he was involved in various peace initiatives.

His reminiscences of and reflections on the relatively self-contained world of mid-Victorian Cork, of student and journalistic work and play in Land War Dublin, of the struggles of an aspiring barrister on circuit and of the declining years of Dublin Castle, provide new insights into Irish life in the closing decades of the union. He also gives his impressions of prominent contemporaries, including Charles Stewart Parnell, Edward Carson and Lord Chief Justice Peter O’Brien (“Peter the Packer”).

The publication, part of the Irish Legal History Society series, of this important memoir is accompanied by detailed notes and commentaries on its legal and political context by Daire Hogan and Patrick Maume.

Daire Hogan is a solicitor and former president of the Irish Legal History Society. Patrick Maume is a researcher with the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of Irish Biography, who has published extensively on nineteenth- and twentieth-century Irish history.

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His salary as Lord Chancellor was £6,000 per annum. To give an idea of this a Resident Magistrate had a package of about £500 p.a.taking in allowances.  So he was paid 12 times their pay. The RM would roughly equate to a present Irish District Justice who is paid in sterling just over £100,000 pa. So the modern equivalent annual salary would be  about €1.4 million a year. Remember De Valera said no man is worth more then £1,000 a year!

A remarkable turnaround, when he was called to the Bar he could not afford the customary dinner

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A mini Census. A roll call of who is who in Bantry in 1877.

\https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YDU3hh4LS58xUGz_aP9DCJJUpsDXdwuEPhcX9AAA7mE/edit#