Examination of Murtagh O Brien
- Reference: MS 829, fols 365r-365v
- County: Limerick
- Date: 11/11/1652
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Arson, Captivity, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery
- How to Cite
fol. 365r
355
<Limericke>
The Examination of Murtagh o Brien accused of murthering Gregory Thorne and Gillepatricke o Durane the first yeare of the Rebellion taken the xjth of November 1652
The Examinat sayth That in the begining of the said Rebellion he this Deponent lived at Bruffe in the County of Limericke and that about the 16th of march 1641 the English Warders then at Loghguir having bourned a village called Ballynegallagh lying a little lesse then halfe way betweene Loghguir & Bruffe aforesaid <A> Intelligence thereof came to Bruffe and that the said warders were resolued the next day following to issue forth and bourne likewise the Towne of Bruffe and the villages about it, To prevent which Incursion John Lacy then of Bruffe aforesaid and the adioyning Neighbors to a great number came together & in the morning on or about the 17th of march aforesaid went to the the Hill of Ballinegallagh some on horsback & some on foote, whereof the Examinat confesseth to haue bene one, where they discouered hard by a Party of Horse from the said Garrison of Loghguir whoe (as it seemes) observing a greater number coming vpon them and discharging some pistolls retired backe to their Garrison wherevpon the said John Lacy with diuers others in his company leaving the Hill & goeing backe the way they came, one Brien Magrath Thomas <B> Prendergast John oge mc John and diuers other young and lusty horsmen ran in pursuit of the said Party towards the Logh and not goeing very farre retourned backe, but fynding by the relation of Donogh mc Keogh (as this examinant heard) that the above said Gregory Thorne and Gillepatricke o Duran came forth of Logh that morning and were at a village called Granshagh neere adioyning they the said Horsmen and many on foote with them where (as this Deponent Examinat heard) the said Donogh mc Keogh found the said Gregory Thorne in the Cliffe of a Rocke in the water and apprehended him and found the said Gillepatricke o Durane in a Cabyn of the same village and apprehended him likewise and
fol. 365v
356
<C> And that the said Donogh mc Keogh accompanyed with one John o Mohir and the rest of the said Horsmen and footmen bringing the said Prisoners and one Cowe and a Calfe which did belong to the said Durane along with them this examinat came to them to the said village & met them in the street thereof being not (as he sayth) at the takeing of the said Prisoners and soe they all went together to Bruffe where (as this Examinant remembers) the said Prisoners were sent to the Constables Custody where they continued 24 houres or thereabouts and were afterwards taken to Kilmallocke and thence backe to Bruffe by the said Donough mc Keogh Phillip ô Cullane & others whome who the examinant doth not remember and that the said Donogh mc Keogh (as the examinant heard but was not present) seuerally hanged both the said Prisoners vntill they dyed, And being demanded whether the said John Lacy was present at the said execution or privy therevnto he sayth he did not heare that he was, but that he was then att <D> Limericke, And the said Examinat further sayth that the said Cowe was deliuered vnto himselfe by the said Horsmen to be kept for them and was and by him kept for the space of about a quarter or halfe a yeare and that then John o Cullane Mr Lacyes Sarieant or Attorney tooke the same away out of his possession and put her vpon his said masters Cattle and that she was afterwards converted to Mr Lacyes vse
Murtagh [
his marke
Being present at this Examination
John [
John Steuens
John [
John Stevens