The Kellys and the O'Kellys

h Mr O'Connell, [1] his son, the Editors of three different repeal newspapers, Tom Steele, the Rev. Mr Tierney-a priest who had taken

versation, can have no idea of the absorbing interest which the whole affair created in Ireland, but more especially in the metropolis. Every one felt strongly,

ntly shown, by instituting his trial, its determination to put down proceedings of which they did not approve. On the other hand, that class of men who then styled themselves Repealers are now aware that the continued imprisonment of their leader-the persecution, as they believed it to be, of "the Liberator" [2]-would have been the one thing most certain to have susta

y engaged. All the tactics of the opposed armies, down to the minutest legal details, were eagerly and passionately canvassed in every circle. Ladies, who had before probably never heard of "panels" in forensic phraseology, now spoke enthusiastically on the subject; and those on one

irulently assailed; every legal step which he took was scrutinised and abused; every measure which he used was base enough of itself to hand down his name to everlasting infamy. Such were th

came famous or infamous, according to the opinions of those by whom their position was discussed. Their names and additions were published and republished; they were declared to be men who would stand by their country and do their duty without fear or favour-so said the Protes

ad, and scanned with the minutest care. Then, the various and long speeches of the different counsel, who, day after day, continued to address the jury; the heat of one, the weary legal technicalities of another, the perspicuity of a third, an

ches appeared word for word the same in the columns of newspapers of different politics. For four-fifths of the contents of the paper it would have been the same to you whether you were reading the Evening Mail, or the Freeman.

at: and except by the favoured few who were able to obtain seats, it was only with extreme

as a three-year-old denizen of Dublin, who knew the names of the contributors to the "Nation", who had constantly listened to the indignation and enthusiasm of O'Connell, Smith O'Brien, and O'Neill Daunt, in their addresses from the rostrum of the Conciliation Hall [7]; who had drank much porter at Jude's, who had eaten many oysters at Burton Bindon's, who had seen and contributed to many rows in the Abbey Street Theatre; who, during his life in Dublin, had done many things which he ought not to have done, and had probably made as many omissions of things

nd weakness of the Repeal ranks. He was a young farmer, of the better class, from the County Mayo, where he held three or four hundred wretchedly bad acres under Lord Ballindine, and one or two other small farms, under different la

nkeepers love, Mrs Kelly was accounted a warm, comfortable woman. Her husband had left her for a better world some ten years since, with six children; and the widow, instead of making continual use, as her chief support,

th of Ireland. Her second son was the attorney's clerk; and the farm had descended to Martin, the younger, whom we have left jostling and jostled at one o

d, though it was odd how a man who drank so much could ever have kept a shilling by him. Others remarked how easy it was to get credit in these days, and expressed a hope that the wholesale dealer in Pill Lane might be no

called, were in the County Mayo. One of her three daughters had lately been married to a shop-keeper in Tuam, and rumour said that he had got ￡500 with her; and Pat Daly was not the man to have taken a wife for nothing. The other two girls, Meg and Jane, still remained under their mother's wing, and though it was to be presumed that they would soon fly abroad, with th

r devotional duties, confessed with most scrupulous accuracy the various peccadillos of which she might consider herself guilty; and it was thought, with reason, by those who knew her best, that all the extra prayers she said,-and they were very many,-were in atonement for commissions of continual petty larceny with regard to sugar. On this subject did her old mistress quarrel with her, her young mistress ridicule her; o

essed by the turkey-cock, which is sometimes presented by the heads of young women in her situation; her mouth extended nearly from ear to ear; her neck and throat, which were always nearly bare, presented no feminine charms to view; and her short coarse petticoat showed her red legs nearly to the knee; for, except on Sundays, she knew not the use

y alone which led him to Dublin. His landlord; the young Lord Ballindine, was there; and, though Martin could not exactly be said to act as his lordship's agent-for Lord Ballindine had, unfortunately, a legal agent, with whose services his pecuniary embarrassments did not allow him to dispense-he was a kind of confidential tenant, and his attend

Martin Kelly might be supposed to look, with propriety, for his bride; but Martin was a handsome fellow, not much burdened with

-shall, in due time, be made known; or rather, perhaps, be suffered to make themselves known. In the mean time we will

of it by her own deed,-and certain other particulars always interesting to gentlemen who seek money and love at the same time. John did not quite approve of the plan; there might have been a shade of envy at his brother's good fortune; th

ly on Repeal and O'Connell, and partly on matrimony and Anty Ly

stice!" exclaimed Martin, "and are ye

bigger man than himself an't there? Dan and the other boys isn't in it

ore of here this day than the lot of 'em, though the place

. He's the traverser, as I told you before, and that's not being a prisoner. If he w

his own free will and pleasure he'd come here to listen to all t

ll be, av' there's a ghost of a conscience left in one of them Protesthant raps, that they've picked so carefully out of all Dublin to make jurors of. They can't convict 'em! I heard F

le a Protesthan

ownright murdhering Tory set. Poor Tom doesn't throuble the Church much; but you'll be all for Protesth

thank God, makes no differ for Roman and Protesthant. Anty's as good a Catholic as ever breathed, and so was her mother before

d of, Martin! And I wondher at that,

ver did a good deed before, he did one when he didn't la

for squalls with

John. I don't mane to squall, for one. I don't see why I need

inking of his own insufficient guinea a-week, "and you must look to have some throubl

to a very fat citizen, who was wheezing behind Martin, and who, to escape suffocation in the crowd, was endeavouring t

ght look a long time in Dublin before he got a quarter of the money. Bu

e's not over young, she's not over old. She's not so much older than myself, after all. It's only bec

ten years older than Barry,

years older than him. Besides, what

right side. But it's the w

s say, wouldn't you marry a woman twice her age, av'

rty. There'd be some chance then of having the money after the

ugh I know you won't believe me-I wouldn't marry her av' she'd all Sim Lynch's ill-gotten property, ins

mother what you'r

. The girls and Anty are thick as thiefs since old Sim died; though they couldn't be at t

y anything abo

m Lynch tried to get Toneroe from her, when father died, she'd never a good word fo

me with her. But where'll you live, Martin? The little shop at Dunmore'll be no p

y-be I'll build up the ould house at Toneroe; some

y years ago, too, since they lived there. Why you'd hav

got three new lifes in the laise, I'd do that; and

of any lord, and you with ￡￡400 a-year of your own? Giv

's married? The biggest house in county

h'll stay at Dunmore afther

why

m to the same English school with the lord on purpose?-tho' little he got by it, by all accounts! And d'you think he'll remain in Dunmore, to be brother-in-law to the son of the woman that kee

t give up the farm av' she'd double the money! But, John, fai

the traversers-that's Dan and the rest of 'em. They're c

av' they do, they'll have as hard work to g

em: tho' they are traversers now, they didn't dare but l

sn't yet built that'd hould ye, nor won't be! Long life to you, Sheil-sure you're a Right Honourable Repaler now, in spite of Greenwich Hospital and the Board of Trade! More power, Gavan Duffy; you're the boy that'll set

up to stand his trial for conspiracy and sedition, in just such a manner as he might be presumed to proceed to take the chair at some popular municipal assembly; and this was just the thing qualified to please those who were on his own sid

ee of the four judges, and the wigs of four of the numerous counsel employed. The Court was so filled by those who had a place there by right, or influence enough to assume that they had so, that it was impossible to obtain a more favourable situation. But this of itself was a great deal-quite sufficient to justify Martin in detailing to

of the four counsel whose heads were visible, merely from the different shades and s

torneys for the traversers, furiously busy with their huge bags, fidgetted about rap

o be a judge as I am to be a general. That queer little fellow, with the long chin, he's Burton-he's a hundred if he's a day-he was fifty when he was called, seventy when they benched him, and I'm sure he's a judge thirty years! But he's the sharpest chap of the whole twelve, and no end of a boy afther the girls. If you only saw him walking in his robes-I'm sure he's not three feet high! That next, with the

he heavy-hatted policemen in his front, who enforced his commands for silence, with a backward shove o

buse which his education as a Dublin Jackeen well qualified him to inflict. But he p

s, they have probably before this been read by all who would care to read them. When he commenced, his voice appeared, to those who were not accustomed to hear him, weak, piping, and most unfit for a popular orator; but this effec

e general conduct and politics of the party, such as O'Connell himself attempted in his own case, nor did it contain a chain of legal arguments to prove

two specimens, which will not be forgotten; when a Privy Councillor, a member of a former government, whilst defending his client as a barrister, proposed in Court a new form of legislation for Ireland, equally distant from that adopted by Governme

Attorney-General sent a challenge from his very seat of office; and though that challenge was read in Court, it was passed over by four judges with hardly a reprimand. If any seditious speech was ever made by O'Connell, that which he made in his defence was especially so, and he was, without check, allowed to use his position as a traverser at

y, till four o'clock; and then the latter had to effect his escape, in

ed his conviction, that Repeal must soon follow so decided a victory, and that the hopes of Ireland would be realised before the close of 1844. John was neither so sanguine nor so enthusiastic; it was the battle, rather than the thing battled for, that

aving then to contend for the election of an Irish Sovereign, and the possible dear delight

s, and Martin turned in to wash his face and hands, and put on clean boots, be