Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/538

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Collectajiea.

his agony sprang up thrice as high as the cross beam of tlie roof before he fell dead. The other English were slain, and their bodies buried near the bank of the Shannon at Temple Meegh or Mead {Teanipi/l Meadhach) near Querin, which since that time has only been used for the burial of strangers and unbaptized children.

Jack Cusack, " the priest taker," lived about the same time. He was High Sheriff in 1708, and became that most hated of persons, — a " protestant discoverer " under the penal laws in his own interests. Eut his only daughter married a Studdert and died childless, and all the lands Cusack had acquired passed then out of the hands of his family. When Cusack was buried at Clonlea near Kilkishen, according to tradition an enemy cut on his tomb, —

" God is pleased when man does cease to sin. Satan is pleased when he a soul doth win. Mankind are pleased when e'er a villain dies. Now al! are pleased, for here Jack Cusack lies." '"^

The stone is said to have been broken or thrown into the lake near the church.

Tradition preserved the recoUeciion of good as well as of ill, for I remember old people blessing the various families who had acted as friendly " protestant discoverers " and trustees, thus saving the lands of the O'Briens and of the MacNamaras. The tradition was true, for I have unearthed amongst long-forgotten papers ^^ an account how Marcus Paterson befriended the Barretts, and F. Drew of Drewsborough and J. Westroppof Lismehan the O'Briens.^ I have not been able to verify the saving of certain MacNamara

'^ M. Lenihan, Li»ierick (1866), p. 30S. This verse has other-attributions.

^2 At Edenvale and Coolreagh. It is only from private papers that the true character of a "protestant discovery" can be ascertained. The Law and its records, of course, regarded the trustee as the actual owner, and it depended entirely upon the personal integrity of him and of his successors whether the Roman Catholic owners enjoyed the benefits. However, such a trust was rarely broken, and its breach was never forgotten nor forgiven.

^^Drew and Westropp took counsel's opinion, got a Dublin wigraaker to act as discoverer, bought up his rights, and then each leased the lands to the family for which he acted. When the Penal Laws were repealed, the trustees sold their rights to the true owners for small sums. The Barretts then repudiated sales made in their interest by Paterson, and so caused litigation lasting even as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century.