The Keoghs needed to apply to be listed as Government Assisted Immigrants. This arrangement was handled by Edmund’s brother, Jack. As a businessman he was held in high regard; even the British conceded that he was a valuable citizen. The paperwork took nearly two months to be completed and Maeve and Edmund were advised that their ship would be leaving from Cork Harbour in the first week of November 1855.
The final weeks, prior to travelling to Cork for their departure, were difficult. Both Maeve and her father decided to only take family mementos and clothing. The furniture had no real value either as heirlooms or in money. They would take some books, prints, letters, ornaments and bric-a-brac, including Mary’s gift, Etiquette for a Young Lady. They would only take two sea chests as personal belongings. One of the chests was almost as old as the one which had contained the stolen sword and cape. Sean gave them the second chest which had accompanied him during his wandering years. The letters, ‘KEOGH’, on the lid were starting to fade now.
Their friends dropped by more often now, as they had appeared to have increased their image in the local community by their decision to make the trip to the antipodes. Many jokes were shared as to what they might expect from the weird and wonderful Australian animals and what the Aborigines might be like! Edmund and Maeve enjoyed the good natured jesting. They had made up their minds to go and they would not be deterred, no matter what comments were made. They even decided to accept Jack’s invitation to stay in Kilrush for a week with his family.
It was difficult leaving the farm and the animals, particularly the dog, man’s best friend! They left the furniture and tools in the farm and took the bedding and clothes they did not want to Aunt Jane’s farm. It would not get mildewed there. Patrick had indicated he would visit Kilrush occasionally and would stay at his father’s farm. Sean was satisfied he could manage the extra workload and had settled back into country life again with Jane.
Edmund and Maeve left the farm without fanfare. Tears were shed and promises made by both parties to write often, kisses all round and away they went down the road for the last time. Aunt Jane gave Maeve a wedding veil as a farewell gift. Maeve looked back from the top of the road and in the distance she could still see Aunt Jane waving goodbye. They had left the farm forever.
Sean had borrowed a large cart and drove both of them with their two chests to Jack’s home. He needed to get the cart back so didn’t linger. After a quick wave to them he turned his cart around and headed back home.
Edmund and Maeve had accepted Jack and Anne’s invitation for them to stay a few days. James was still living at home and worked with his father at the boat yard and seemed as excited as Edmund and Maeve about their voyage. He had bought them a book and a map of the Australian Colonies as a going away present, after reading them himself. He was enthralled by the description of the unique animals. Perhaps he might travel there himself one day! Edmund and Maeve had a daily walk into Kilrush and down to the docks, taking their last look at town. They would both miss County Clare and their acquaintances but they balanced this with the optimism of a voyage to a new life in a new land together with meeting John again and possibly locating Michael.
Two days before they were scheduled to leave Kilrush, walking up past the barracks to Jack’s home, they heard a voice call, “Mr Keogh, sir.” Looking around they saw a British officer waving to them from the barracks’ gates.
Edmund recognised Lieutenant William James. He had been introduced to him by John Hall when they were on a military deployment to Galway and stopped at his farm.
He walked over to them. He saluted Maeve and shook hands with Edmund. “Good afternoon to you both. I have heard you are leaving for the Antipodes, namely Melbourne.”
Edmund replied, “Yes, we leave here the day after tomorrow and sail from Cork next week.”
“Have you heard from John?” he asked.
Maeve replied, “Yes, he is well and serving in the military in Victoria.”
He thought for a moment and then replied, “We are having an Open Day at the barracks tomorrow for selected local identities. Would you care to come as my guests? I should like to hear more about John’s life in Victoria.”
Edmund looked at Maeve and, seeing no visual objection, he turned to him and said, “Yes, we would be delighted. Thank you.”
“Good I’ll meet you here tomorrow at noon. I must go now; I’m the duty officer. Good bye for now.” He saluted, turned and marched back to the gates, passing a hawker selling caps and scarves.
Maeve was surprised at Edmund’s acceptance, but Edmund felt that as Lieutenant James had been a very good friend and also supportive of John during his tribulation, he felt quite comfortable about discussing his voyage and his life in the regiment in Victoria with him.
The Open Day was a pleasant day. The sun was shining and, after having their credentials checked by the guards, Lieutenant James escorted them to a table shaded by an old tree. The new commandant made a short speech and drinks were served together with sandwiches. Edmund and William chatted away with questions and alternating answers. Edmund showed him some drawings of John’s farm and the farmhouse. With all of William’s questions, Edmund began to wonder if William was contemplating going to the Antipodes himself. They did not socialise with the other guests and as soon as the conversation slowed they bid their farewells with the colonel and William and walked out the gates. Edmund noticed that the hawker was still at the gate selling caps and scarves. He nodded to him as they passed.
They both were nervously looking forward to their voyage. They had an early dinner that evening and after packing their belongings ready for a noon departure next day, they went to bed.
After a fitful night’s sleep, Edmund and Maeve both arose to a bleak overcast sky and had breakfast in near silence. Jack had arranged the coach to pick them up at his home. This saved them all a considerable amount of inconvenience. Edmund thanked Jack and Anne for their hospitality. The coach arrived on time at noon, with the jingling and creaking of leather and wood. Again with kisses all round; even James seemed overwhelmed with their departure. They boarded the coach with a packed lunch and a bottle of drink, courtesy of Anne. Away the horses went, with the crack of a whip and a few verbal urgings, up the hill heading for Cork. They looked back, waving, seeing Kilrush slowly disappear behind the hill. Would they ever see the town again?
The coach was clean with comfortable seats and they were not cramped. The horses were changed each hour with the coach stopping for a short break after four or five hours, for a meal and a nature break. The journey was monotonous with very little conversation between the few passengers but they were making good time. They continued into the early evening heading for Ennis and then onto Limerick.
The coach was rocking from side to side rhythmically speeding through the night with the passengers either dozing or sleeping. Suddenly, the coached lurched forward, waking them all.
The driver was shouting. “Get out of the way!” The coach drew to a stop, the driver sitting back in his seat pulling tightly on the reins. In the full moonlight he could see a line of men across the road.
Two of the men walked forward, carrying arms. The leader said, “All of the passengers are to leave the coach!”
The passengers lined up on the road.
The smaller of the men walked along the line and pointed to Edmund and Maeve. “That’s them.”
The other man told them, “Come with me, you two, and pull out your baggage.”
Edmund put his arm around Maeve who was shaking with fear. The other men carried their baggage to the side of the road and told Maeve to sit down. She refused and stayed with Edmund. The passengers and the driver were made to stand in a group near the coach.
The second man came forward. “Do you know why you have been taken from the coach?”
“No,” said Edmund.
“We have reason to believe you have been associating with the British army and that you are passing on local information to them. Don’t lie; thi
s man saw you,” the second man said as he pointed to the smaller man.
Edmund retorted angrily. “I would never collude with the British; I am a loyal Irishman.”
Edmund suddenly recognised the smaller man as the hawker at the barracks gate. Edmund hesitated unsure how to explain the day at the Open Day at the barracks.
A voice said, “You will be shot if you can’t explain to our satisfaction why you were in the barracks.”
A young man stepped forward and walked around them. He continued to circle them and their luggage. He stopped and looked at their luggage closely. “Is your name Keogh?”
“Yes,” replied Edmund.
“Are you related to Michael Keogh of Liscannor?” the questioning continued.
“Yes, I’m his father and this is his sister,” Edmund answered.
“Where is he now?” was the next question.
Edmund told him. “He was been transported for seven years to Van Diemen’s Land.”
It was Jaime Neyland, who had become a member of the Free Ireland Party and been active in seeking out Irishmen who were pro-English. When he saw the coach pull up he stood back and watched the event unfold. He felt sorry to see a young woman involved but they had been identified by the hawker from their attendance at the Kilrush Barracks Open Day. Their group had a technique; several persons would take turns questioning a suspect. This often caused confusion with the alleged offenders and generally the group obtained the answers they expected. However when he saw the name ‘Keogh — Liscannor’ on the trunk, it brought back memories of Michael and he taking Brendan Devlin to Galway Bay. Thank God he saw the sign! Edmund would have had trouble explaining John’s letters being shown to a British Army officer.
Jaime shook Edmund’s hand. “I’m Jaime Neyland. I knew your son very well. He was my friend and is a loyal Irishman. He and I helped Brendan Devlin to escape to America.” He paused and queried, “To where are you travelling now?”
Edmund replied, “We are immigrating to the Australian colonies and, hopefully, we will meet with Michael again. We know where he is.”
The others of the group had gathered around and had heard what Jaime had said and all now stepped forwarded and shook his hand.
The tall man ordered, “Load their baggage back on the coach.” Turning he said, “Please accept our apologies. I hope that you can appreciate our objectives. Enjoy your voyage.” He quickly walked away with the group following him.
Jaime escorted Edmund and Maeve back to the coach, bidding them a safe trip. He asked to be remembered to Michael, and then waved good bye to them. He walked off into the roadside shrub, quickly vanishing from sight.
The coachman took charge and helped the remaining passengers on board.
Maeve was still shaking and snuggled close to her father. Edmund would probably never realise how close they had been to being shot as collaborators. The coach continued rocking its way through the night while the passengers sat in silence, each unsure what to say about the hold up. They changed horses at Ennis and continued to Limerick, reaching it well into the night.
There they stayed overnight in the Irish Arms Hotel. As they had arrived over an hour late they decided to have a quick meal and immediately go to bed, hoping for a few hours of good sleep ready for the next day’s travel to Cork.
The trip to Cork was due south from Limerick. The roads were better and the coach only rocked slightly. Each coach seat was occupied and these passengers were now conversing. They seemed friendlier than those on the trip from Kilrush. No doubt their previous coach companions had become unsure of them after the ‘hold up’ incident.
During the course of Maeve talking with another passenger, Mary Cooney — a young Irish lass from Limerick — they discovered that they were both voyaging to Melbourne on the same day. Perhaps they would be on the same ship! Mary’s father was in the British Army with her mother in Victoria; she was joining them.
While the two young ladies chatted, Edmund started to have doubts about the voyage. It was not so much about going to a new land, indeed a new life; he was worried he would not find the contentment he had enjoyed on his farm.
The green lush fields of County Cork rolled by monotonously. Edmund could see labourers building stone fences and clearing the road edges and laying new tracks. Sheep and cattle grazed contentedly, idly looking at the coach. The milking cows were responsible for Cork’s major export produce, its butter. Cork even had a Butter Exchange where butter was graded, indicating its importance. Various crops had been sown. They would not be harvested for a few more months yet and then would only benefit the landlords and the English markets. The efforts of tenant farmers would go unrewarded again. He wondered, would Australian fields be green like Ireland’s? County Clare seemed to have castles over every hill and dale, although they were picturesque, many seemed to be in a sad state of disrepair and many uninhabited.
The coach rolled on and on until small groups of houses eventually increased in density to become the city of Cork. The centre was situated on an island between two channels of the River Lee. The city was much larger than both Kilrush and Limerick, the main roads lined with small shops supplying all of one’s needs. Large warehouses and Government buildings completed the picture.
The coach rolled to a stop with plenty of creaking wood and leather and jingling from the horses’ harnesses. The coach driver helped the passengers alight and then unloaded their luggage, bidding them good bye. Maeve said good bye to Mary Cooney; both were hoping they would be travelling to the colonies on the same ship. They would know in three days’ time when they were scheduled to sail.
Edmund and Maeve were in the centre of Cork outside the British Arms Inn, a large limestone building within walking distance of the wharfs. Both channels had ships lining the docks. They were very impressive with their tall masts and extensive rigging. Porters were hurrying to and fro pushing carts laden with all types of cargo and food products.
A voice called, “Father.” Turning, Edmund saw Patrick waving to them as he hurried to join them. Father and son embraced. They had not seen each other for nearly twelve months. Patrick then hugged his sister and gave her a brotherly kiss. He had borrowed a friend’s hand cart to help with their luggage. After loading it on he led them to his abode two streets from the docks.
Both Edmund and Maeve were enjoying the walk through the streets after their two days on the coach. Patrick was giving a running commentary of the city during their walk. It was obvious he enjoyed living in Cork and no doubt had a wide circle of friends due to his affable nature.
Patrick’s rooms were on the first floor of a large building. Although the rooms were small they had a homely feel about them. Pictures on the walls, mats on the floor and a table cloth with a flower arrangement in the middle of the table completed the main room. Patrick had made two beds on the floor for his sister and himself and gave his single bed to his father to sleep in.
Edmund accepted the offer thankfully but he would have slept on the floor if necessary.
It was now evening. Patrick had prepared a meal of broth followed by a meat and turnip dish. Edmund and Maeve retired immediately after dinner with Patrick leaving to return the cart to his friend. They had agreed to stay up and have a family talk the next night. No one knew if they would have another chance.
Next day Patrick took them to see the shipping agent to collect their travel documents and find out which ship they would travel on. Also, importantly, where the ship was moored. Patrick knew you could walk for several hours trying to locate the vessel if you didn’t know the port. However, as luck would have it, it was directly opposite the street leading to the British Arms Inn. After sorting out the travel arrangements, Patrick became a tour guide and showed them around the fair city of Cork.
The city of Cork derives its name from the marshy land of the rivers banks. Corcaigh means marsh in Gaelic. The city had several imposing buildings including churches and monuments. These buildings together with the city setting on the
river made for a memorable tour. The most famous landmark was the church of St Ann’s Shandon sited on a hill overlooking the river and the city. Adjacent was the butter market which was an important commercial concern.
The three enjoyed the long walk but were glad to return to Patrick’s abode. That night they sat around the table and talked for hours about the past, the present and what they wished for in the future. Each was comfortable with their lot in life but was still looking forward to the future. For Edmund and Maeve it would start tomorrow on the outgoing tide.
¶
The ship had been partially rigged ready for sailing and was being loaded for the long journey to the antipodes. The farewells were painful for them all — Patrick because his family was travelling to the other side of the world, Edmund and Maeve, because they were leaving the land of their birth and neither party may see each other again.
The two of them stood on the deck opposite where Patrick stood on the dock.
The bosun called, “Release the lines,” and then signalled the row boats to start rowing and towing the ship into the river channel. Once into the river the ship slowly gained speed under half sail.
They continued waving to each other until they vanished from each other’s view.
The day was cloudy and chilly but both Edmund and Maeve were unaware of the weather. They were wondering what lay ahead for them. Edmund was wondering if he would see Michael again and Maeve was eager to see John again. Had he changed? What was their house going to be like? Would she like the colony?
The ship slowly made its way south down the Cork Harbour passing Cobh with its convict hulks and the coastal towns of Whitegate and Crosshaven, through the estuary and out into the open seas, turning onto a heading of south-south-east. The captain raised the topsails. They soon filled with the twenty knot westerly wind. The ship heeled and ploughed on through a four foot wave swell. It was not overly uncomfortable but Maeve was pleased when she was able to lie down on her bunk.
The Convict and the Soldier Page 21