The Castle Lambert Tapes: Tape 4 The Road to Mass

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This is tape 4 of 10 Lambert tapes recorded at Pat Kelly’s house, Castle Lambert in August 1990. The main speakers were Pat Kelly and his son Martin T. Kelly, Nora O’Brien (nee Egan) Paddy Kelly, his brother Jack and John “Mac” Kelly. Michael O’Malley interviewed the gathering and Frank Burke was on the camera.

Paddy: I’ll say something that has to be said! The Lamberts, Captain Lambert I mean, was getting “windy” when they sold the land to my grandfather right back in the 1900s. But me father said that if he got the land he’d go to work in it and that he wouldn’t herd for the Lamberts or who’d but it next. Taylor bought the land and Taylor asked my grandfather would he herd for him. “No”, he said “I won’t. I’ve got a farm of land and I’ll try and work it. That was Knocknacreeva now and no house built on it – where Jack works – and I worked it for years until I got Castle Lambert. He evicted us then – the Kelly’s – ‘cause my father wouldn’t herd the land for him. Seven days before Christmas! And my mother went out to him with Jack in her arms and I one side of her. She asked him to leave us there for Christmas but he wouldn’t. He turned us out and brought the bailiff and the police. Me father had an old barn made in the mountain and we had to go to the barn for the Christmas. We lived eighteen months there before we put up a house.

Paddy: He closed the gates and wouldn’t let them to Mass in Athenry and they had to go (the) Derrydonnell way around about. Me father said we would go the way Antony Poniard came down but he got lost in the mountain coming down and he left me and my mother in the horse and cart and said he’d go to Antony Poniard’s and Antony Poniard came out with a lantern and brought the horse and car down to the house and they went home.

Paddy: The gate was closed. Then they went to walk across (the lawn) to Mass. He put the bull in the field before them. God rest all their souls! They are all gone now. The police were than brought to Castle Lambert to mind the gate and to keep the gate closed. Mick Shaughnessy, Joe’s father, was the first man to break the lock. He had a load of timber filled on the horse to go to Tuam but he said he’d test the police. Two police stood at the gate and he asked them to open the gate and let the horse out with the load of timber. The said they wouldn’t. “Well I’ll go in spite of ye! He caught the hatchet. “If one of ye come near me” he said “I’ll split ye” and he broke the lock, fired it in the wood and pulled out the horse at the gate and the policemen were afraid to stir or say a word. Big Mike Shaughnessy! That’s the first man that broke the first lock. They (the people) broke all the locks, let the bull out on the road and the cattle on the road. He let them out then through the lawn with the car and go to Mass everyway they wanted. He turned out a very nice man – he was great friends with us.

Michael: That was Shawe Taylor?

Paddy: Yes!

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Written by Anonymous

Published here 08 Feb 2021

Page 204 of The Castle Lambert Tapes

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Browse the tapes:

Tape 01 – Aughrim Park

Tape 02 – The Land

Tape 03 – The Shooting of Captain Lambert

Tape 04 – The Road to Mass

Tape 05 – Tom Kelly

Tape 06 – The Assassination of Shawe Taylor

Tape 07 – The Murder of Tom Egan

Tape 08 – Tragedy at the Pavilion

Tape 09 – The Black and Tans

Tape 10 – Hurling and Songs and Things

Return to the Castle Lamberts Tapes

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