Spirit of Australia

“ What have we got here me lads’ said the Guarda. Have you found an unwanted sheep almost ready for the pot?’
The O’Byrne boyos looked up with a real tremble for they knew they were in real trouble. ‘Its just an old ewe that’s fallen in the ditch and passed away’ said Patrick the eldest. ‘Oh! If that’s all farmer O’Brien should be able to put it to rights. Now off home and don’t be straying from the village until I’ve sorted this out.
The four O’Byrnes climbed up to the road, and headed to their parents tumble down cottage in Clifden, Connemara.
‘ What in Gods name are we going to tell Pa said Tom the second eldest?’ We can only wait for the Guarda and take it from there.
A miserable peat fire was the only warmth, and the rest of the family, namely the father Michael and their two sisters Mary and Margaret. No sign of any food on the table as the famine had been raging for 4 years, and the only food the family received were hand outs, and these were few . Thus the boys had been giving close attention to the sheep.
Next day was Sunday and they all trouped off to church, and Father McCarthy was in fine form exhorting the parishioners not to fall into the sins of greed or theft even though times were hard. Like most of the priests in the area he did not appear to suffer from want.

Sunday afternoon and the Guardas at the door. He told the father he had bad news and he had better gather the family. The Guarda said that farmer O’Brien had said that none of his sheep had been out of sorts, and that the blood on the fleece was fresh and plentiful. The Garda said the four boys would have to go for trial in Galway on 22 June 1849.

The lads were tried by William Deane Merriman, found guilty, and sentenced to 7 years transportation. In the meantime they were sent to a prison at Spike Island, near Cork. They were kept here until April 1852, when they were shipped in the vessel Lord Dalhousie to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania), arriving on 14 August 1852. The departure from Ireland was particularly sad as the youngest lad Martin died on the very day. The Irish Civil War of 1922 saw the near total destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland.

They were involved in various projects as guests of the government,
until they were given a conditional pardon on 19 December 1854.
It seems that Patrick did not receive his pardon until 5 June 1855,
as he spent some time in a public house without authority.
However, in later years this could have stood him in good stead,
as his sons became well known Hoteliers in the Launceston area.
It is of some interest to note that when they arrived in Tasmania the following was recorded:

Thomas 20, 5’6”, Dark brown hair,Blue eyes, Large nose, read a little:
Patrick, 27, 5’5”, Dark Brown hair, Dark eyes, Large nose, No reading:
John 19, 5’6”, Dark Brown hair, Blue eyes, Medium nose, Read little:
The current generation are much given to blue eyes, but have heights
ranging between 6’ and 6’6”.

It is interesting to note, that at the time of sentencing the boys were only aged
14, 21, 13, 10?.

After receiving the pardon the boys worked on various projects around Hobart.
Mainly timber milling and farm labouring. The pay was quite good ranging
from 5/- to a Pound. They decided around 1855 to move on to Launceston,
with a view to finding some farmland for themselves. A lot of the land in
north/east Tasmania was being opened up by the Van Diemen Land Co
which sold or leased blocks in reasonable sized acreage’s.

The Government decreed that the boys, amongst others, were to be considered
as Pioneer Settlers, but they did not receive the free 100 acres given to
100 retired soldiers living in Westbury.

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Spirit of Australia

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