The Welshmen of Tyrawley

by Graham Barratt

  ‘I give thanks for the day you saved me, sire, from the dying boat. I will give my heart and soul to you and your people.’

  ‘Do not speak ahead of yourself, Cirilo. Life in Ireland can be cruel when you are different to the rest and you are surely different.’

  ‘I will embrace your plan, sir, if it gives me a chance.’

  Cirilo glanced across the yard and looked up to the room where Emily sat gazing out of her window. Both his and her eyes reflected the sadness of the moment. Although he had a chance of life, he would be leaving her forever. James looked up and also saw her. She quickly looked down, in case he saw her sorrow. She attempted to make it seem as though they had not caught her interest. That was the last time he saw his lover before he left.

  The plan was quickly finalised and no word was said to anyone, including Walter and William. James was breaching the wishes of the Nemed Council. The arrangements were to be kept secret. Only Emily and James knew of the plan, not just for the benefit of Cirilo, but for the protection of the clan from any backlash exacted by the English and the Lord Deputy. If the English were to discover the plan, there would be serious consequences for all transgressors.

  Cirilo was allowed to escape from Dael immediately and arranged to meet up with James on the road to Belleek. James was travelling with a small party of volunteers who were also joining the rebellion. More importantly, they were needed to assist in transporting the weapons successfully to Sligo.

  Although they would be away with the rebels for at least the rest of the year, James paid for their silence. The party were to transport several disguised culverins and demi-culverins from the Rata and other Spanish boats. The Irish clans had accumulated the weapons and agreed they would be handed to O’Rourke as a contribution to the rebellion. Where possible, they would travel at night, camp out and avoid the main trails by travelling across land and bog. Once handed to O’Rourke, James was to return to Dael along the main trails and on his own.

  The party set out as planned from Crossmolina with several clansmen and six cannons towards Dromahair near Sligo. Cirilo joined the party as planned and it increased in size with other rebels joining from all over Connaught, mainly Bourkes. They had hopes of being paid for their services until the late autumn when hopefully, they would still be alive and would return as heroes.

  Despite some protection from James, Cirilo was treated poorly by his clan companions. He was bullied, kicked and often had to walk and forage for food after his own was stolen. James attempted to protect Cirilo, but these men had little respect for either of them, despite James being the son of a Bourke chief. The journey seemed to have descended into a routine of bullying and beatings, mainly for the slave, but also for James if he dared to protect him. On passing people along the way, Cirilo walked alongside the carts and kept his head down in order to conceal his identity and to attract unwanted attention. He was now a fluent Irish speaker and aware of the conversations around him, so was now able to detect most aggressive attitudes and avoid confrontations.

  On the way, James determined to assign Cirilo with a new Gaelic name – Donovan, “the dark man”. He would need to keep silent on his origins with the armada. The cover story would be that he was a slave delivered to the Irish shores many years ago by Grace O’Malley and had been purchased by the Bourkes. His Spanish origins were not so detectable now that he had become accustomed to the language and culture of the Irish people.

  The carts, laden with the culverins were heavy and frequently needed pushing and pulling out of the mud and bog land. In dry weather, it was a simple and pleasant journey, however, the ground was mostly sodden and the trek had been a long difficult one. They had walked much of the distance and were cold and hungry. Their companions were also fatigued and Cirilo’s beatings and bullying were much reduced as they progressed towards Sligo. The weather was poor and it took almost three days to reach the town and the tower house of O’Rourke. They were directed to the secret makeshift barracks set into ground which was surrounded by hillocks, trees and bushes. Tents were sprawled across the fields and there were many people eating drinking and duelling with swords and pikes. The fighters were being assembled, trained and kitted out for the battles ahead. Many gallowglass warriors were preparing their weapons, kit and boys. The rebels were being sorted into their roles as Caliver-men, kern and halberds, depending on the availability of weapons, skills and experience.

  Donovan and James were able to rest for a short time, until his new role was established and he was assigned to a commander.

  Once refreshed, James walked over to the command tents and formally handed the demi-culverins to the rebel leaders. He was formally thanked by O’Rourke for supplying them and was given a letter of thanks to hand to the chiefs in Mayo. James was appreciative for the letter but declined to take it with him in case it fell into the hands of the English.

  O’Rourke already had several cannons supplied from the north coast and was indeed in need of skilled gunners. Not least because the guns were of Spanish origin and of varying calibre and type. It was soon decided that once the gun teams were established, the heavier guns would be deployed at the castles and tower houses of the earl. They were too much a burden to move along the worn and muddy tracks and would not suit the nature of O’Rourke’s strategy of “ambush then withdraw”. The lighter demi-culverins would need to travel with the rebels and were a welcome addition to their arsenal.

  With his duties complete, James now had to return to Crossmolina. He walked from the command compound to the cannons, where Donovan was helping to guard them while resting against a wheel. As James got closer, Donovan stood up to great him.

  ‘Goodbye Donovan, I fear I will not see you again but pray that you will be spared hardship and will soon be respected as an Irishman. You deserve to have occasion to prove yourself loyal to the Irish. I know that you are and I am sure that once you are given the chance, you will be respected.’

  ‘I thank you, sire, and I will surely do all I can to please my master and serve Ireland well. It makes me happy that I am here and not on my way to certain death in Galway. I will live and breathe a new life fighting for the Irish. I will keep my new name and if God decides, I will die for this country. I have faith and do not fear dying for a cause which is good.’

  To the disapproval of many clansmen, kern and rebel soldiers looking on, James embraced Cirilo, mounted his horse and rode off into the misty dusk.

  From time to time, French and Spanish gunners had become disillusioned with their countries, especially when wages went into arrears. They often defected and left to work for any army which would pay them, especially when wages were attractive. Mostly, the benefactors of this treason were the English Army and Navy. The rebellions were seen as a lost cause by many people outside Ireland, but some defectors, significantly Spanish, had come to Ireland to support and sponsorship of the rebel cause.

  Fighting for the enemy was an act of treason, punishable by summary execution. If a ship was captured and it was discovered that there were home gunners on board, they were shown no mercy and were quickly dispatched. Their throats were slit and they were left to die with the wounded. Initially, O’Rourke’s rebels were highly motivated, fighting for a political and religious ideal. Usually as long as they were treated fairly, they would remain loyal. However, many people had a price, and the earls were all aware that they would need to ensure funds were available to pay for the armies.

  Betrayal at Ballybrannagh

  After the Queen denied the supply of additional troops and supplies, Bingham was furious. He was aware of the movements of the crew of the Rata and to some extent, he defied the Lord Deputy. Supplies were needed not just to fight incursions from the armada but more importantly, to defend Ireland from a Spanish bridgehead. Bingham eventually accepted the imperative to intercept the Spanish, but it was too late. After sending an infantry regiment to engage De Leiva and his crew, he had soon discovered they were long gone. Incensed by what he saw as collabor
ation with the Spanish, he exacted revenge on O’ Kelly at Fahy and many other Irish people whom he suspected of helping them. Bingham failed to realise that if he had been more decisive of action against the Spanish, then the Welsh clans of Mayo would have been swifter in taking action too. As it was, with the absence of English forces, the clans took whatever steps were needed to provide the most benefit.

  Bingham’s army set up a temporary camp with several tents at Ballybrannagh (The place of the Welsh) to the east of Crossmolina. A checkpoint with an armed contingent was placed with a Sheriff to provide leadership and arbitration.

  He had determined that a camp to the east would attract Irish travellers not too allied to the major clans from Erris into the south of Tyrawley. Here, he would be able to interrogate all travellers passing through for information regarding the fate of any Spanish who may have come ashore. There was a suspicion (not too unfounded) that many of the Spanish were being given shelter by the Irish chiefs and lords.

  Bingham did not have to wait long. Just after dusk on the second day, a young man entered the camp and requested to speak with the sheriff.

  ‘Sir, I have information regarding a man who came ashore from the Spanish fleet. This man has now been freed by the Bourkes.’

  It was not often that an Irish man would approach the English without prompt. Despite some reasonable suspicion, the sheriff took advantage of this rare opportunity to question the man further. He may even explore the possibility of employing a new spy.

  ‘Why should I act on your say? It is not beyond belief that you could be here to allot misinformation.’

  ‘Sir, it is with a heavy heart that I come here, but I have been mistreated and denied my rights. I have great grievance and no love of the elite clans of the county. There are many times when the landowners have taken what is not theirs and profited from the people of lower classes such as the Welsh at Ballybrannagh.’

  The informant claimed that James Bourke had captured a Spanish black slave. The slave had not been sent to Galway as per orders and it was not clear where he was. He was unmistakable in appearance and so would not be difficult to find. This report would not have been so plausible if it were not substantiated by other people who had heard rumours of the slave. On the fate of the Rata, intelligence was also given to Bingham that the Spanish were allowed un-hindered passage to the Mullett at Glencastle. Whilst one slave was not of great importance, if it could be proven, the evidence of clan collusion in the flouting of English orders would be a serious charge.

  ‘I do not wish to know the motives behind the betrayal of your countrymen, but if your information is accurate, then you may be further rewarded with money and land. I have much work for you by being posted within the ranks of the Irish and will need to call on your to help in future.’

  ‘Sir, I come with this information only. While I will inform on the clans I detest, I cannot betray my country further.’

  ‘Oh, but you already have young man. It is not often that a spy for the English would come forward and you will be of great use to me. If you fail to enlist or betray our trust, a great and awful deed will befall your family, and it will be known by all who betrayed the clans of Tyrawley.’

  The informer had no choice and was briefed on his purpose and mission. There was no going back. He would become a spy for the English or die. He was given code words that would be used at any moment when he was in custody with the English and whenever he was to be identified as an informant. After spending the evening and most of the night with the English, the young man was inducted as a new spy. He left the tent in the early morning before dawn so as not to be seen. The disloyalty made him feel sick inside with treachery, but there was no going back.

  Later that day, a party of mounted English arrived at Dael. They demanded to speak with James Bourke immediately. On information received, they required to know more about the destiny of the Spanish slave. Walter had no choice but to allow James to be questioned. He was in serious trouble and would face death if found guilty of collaboration. James received several severe beatings but escaped further punishment by allowing a major search of the castle and explaining that the Spaniard in his custody was for use as a servant. He was not a noble or soldier, but a slave left for dead and intended for transfer to Galway. James explained that he had escaped from Dael and he did not know where he was. A Spanish slave would surely perish at the hands of the Irish without any money. The story seemed to agree with the account of the informant at Ballybrannagh and the English eventually accepted the account.

  After running short on information at Ballybrannagh, the English moved on to Erris, Fahy and Glencastle to patrol the coast.

  Emily soon realised she was lucky to still have her life. Her crimes were up until this point unknown by all, except herself, Cirilo and Sally. She hoped that this is how it would remain.

  For now, the English had been appeased and had moved on to more pressing activities, but someone was feeding information to the English. Someone had taken the Queen’s coin for information, otherwise they would not have made for Dael with such haste. Once a traitor had tasted the fruits of betrayal, then further treachery would be possible and they would surely all need to be more careful in the future. If there was such an Irish traitor, then the Brehons would surely allot the punishment of death.

  Shame at Dael

  As the weeks passed, it became apparent to Emily that her body was changing. Nausea developed and it was clear to her that her body was going through certain changes. At first, she tried to convince herself that there was a different explanation and that she was suffering with a variety of strange conditions, anything, but the truth.

  Gradually, she became more and more anxious at the prospect of giving birth out of wedlock and the shame that it would bring to the clan. A scandal such as this would bring huge pressures to conceal and terminate the pregnancy by whatever means were available. Despite Catholic beliefs, she had heard stories of women being forced to crudely end pregnancies. For the rich, witches could be employed to conjure up an abortion by way of many imaginative means, including potions, charms and even hanging a variety of organic items in the home. When a stillbirth or miscarriage occurred appropriately, which was quite often, it would be attributed to the success of the witch.

  Emily’s one moment of virginal passion had resulted in the dreadful prospect that she was with child. The father of the baby would be Cirilo and short of a miracle, there was no doubt.

  Eventually, it became outwardly undeniable that she was with child. Ceara, her mother had realised it for some time.

  Outside in the vegetable field, Ceara called Emily to her.

  ‘Emily, you were sick this morning and the last. You have a concealed secret, do you not?’

  ‘No Mother, I am not feeling well.’

  ‘Please do not make me a fool in this way. I know you well and I discern that you are with child. You should consider what you need to do and ponder it as early as possible. In rejecting my truth, you are delaying all and making your problems much greater.’

  ‘Oh Mother, what am I to do?’

  ‘Emily, you have sinned, and you will need to sin again before you make your next confession.’

  While in Brehon law and not totally unacceptable outside marriage, Catholic ethics forbade a woman from aborting at any stage in the pregnancy. In practice, if abortion was carried out, it was often involving dangerous herbs or surgical techniques and was often fatal for mother as well as the baby. A more common approach was to take the baby away and smother it to feign a stillbirth.

  Emily was distraught and frightened. She could only imagine the shame it would cause within the family and resentment from the community.

  ‘My dear, I can help you to end your pregnancy, but only to the point where it is not known to your father. Once he is aware, then I must stand by his wishes.’

  ‘I know, Mother, and that is why I do not know what I must do.’

  ‘You must end it now of course. It
does not require further thought or talk. It must be done.’

  Emily ran away to the tower, bolted the chamber door and sobbed until the next day.

  In the afternoon, she entered the hall where her cousin Sally was reading by the open fire; Emily was bedraggled, tired and unwashed. She had thought long and hard about her situation, considering her options and the various situations that could develop from her transgressions. The consequences for herself and her unborn baby were almost too much to bear.

  She could not keep her mind away from the horror facing her and needed the help of a sympathetic person other than her mother. Someone that would support her through these times and one who could help her to come to the right decision. Her mind raced and she was terrified inside. Her heart palpitated and she felt faint and close to passing out. She could no longer maintain a composed and calm exterior and had to share her concerns with someone. Finally, after closing her eyes and taking several measured breaths, she gathered the courage to reveal her secret to Sally.

  Sally would do anything for her cousin Emily and was dependable in action but, at times, she was not discreet. Her appetite for gossip could be all too strong and sometimes let her down. Emily felt sure that a problem such as this would be something Sally would have to treat with discretion. She sat down next to her cousin.

  ‘Sally, I have to share with you news that must not be disclosed. Can you keep a secret of the utmost importance for me? What I am about to say to you must never be revealed.’

  ‘Why yes, Emily, you can be sure of me, what is it?’

  Emily was growing up fast, but to a large extent was still very naïve. She wanted to believe that as a close friend, Sally had kept Emily’s secret up until now and she therefore felt that Sally could be trusted to keep silent, particularly as they were close friends and cousins within the clan. To an uncaring and shallow person though, it would depend on the value of the disclosure and the reactions she would gain from people whom she might tell. Emily was not sure how Sally would treat the news, but she needed to share her anxieties with someone.