{"id":1872,"date":"2014-10-16T15:30:54","date_gmt":"2014-10-16T15:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kildare.ie\/ehistory\/?p=1872"},"modified":"2025-10-29T17:18:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T17:18:32","slug":"tully-in-kildare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/tully-in-kildare\/","title":{"rendered":"Tully in Kildare, a poem about 1798"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poem about 1798 in Kildare by Richard Oulahan, published in the Irish American Weekly<\/em>, New York, 1 January 1881.<\/b><\/p>\n

Author\u2019s Note:<\/p>\n

Several parts are illegible in newspaper reproduction, I have guessed words (in brackets) or used \u2026<\/p>\n

The \u201cgrandsire\u201d mentioned in the third stanza of the following poem was John Oulahan, who was born at Rahilla or Red Hills, in AD 1750, and died, at (Tully) in 1834. He was one of the local leaders in \u201998, his eldest son, Simeon (Simon), was killed at the disastrous attack on Monastereven, on May 24, led by Roger Garry (not \u201cMc\u201d Garry, as his name is given in the \u201ctrooly loyl\u201d Harrop\u2019s \u201cirish Rebellion\u201d). Captain Dooley (Doorley?), whose sister was married to (Pierce) Oulahan, of Lacka, near the town of Kildare, the granduncle of the author, was another gallant Kildare leader. Many of the United Irishmen were living (in) and around the town of Kildare, in 1830 and 18.., but while their<\/i> \u201cstory of Ireland\u201d, and the part each (had) taken in the struggle is faithfully remembered (their) names except those of a few, are forgotten. Mat. W\u2026, John Hyland, Stephen Garry, John Oulahan (or as (he) more recently wrote it: \u201cHoulahan\u201d) and eight or \u2026 more of the \u201cboys\u201d, would talk, freely, of (that) (eventful) year, without appearing to notice the (eager little) listener at his \u201cgrandsire\u2019s\u201d knee. \u2013 John Malone<\/p>\n

TULLY IN KILDARE<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The fairy scenes of early youth on a fairy\u2019s tablet stand,<\/p>\n

Perennial as the shamrock green that clings to fatherland;<\/p>\n

And few of Erin\u2019s wanderers, – a very worthless few,-<\/p>\n

But think the fairest spot on earth is that their childhood knew.<\/p>\n

Her lordly Shannon bathes the feet of countless virgin isles,<\/p>\n

Potomac\u2019s fish-bonanza is ocean-like for miles;-<\/p>\n

To my thy little river once was queen of waters fair,<\/p>\n

That ran through fields of Paradise \u2013 through Tully, in Kildare.<\/p>\n

At Bride\u2019s<\/i> cathedral city, of Killdara<\/i>, on the hill,<\/p>\n

Whose ivied ruins, far apart, attest her splendour still,<\/p>\n

With beautiful Pamela, – star of gentleness and grace,-<\/p>\n

Lived Ireland\u2019s hero Geraldine, the lion of his race,<\/p>\n

What wonder that those vet\u2019rans grim, survivors of the band,<\/p>\n

Still drink the \u201cUnion\u201d toast of toasts to \u201cLet the Nation Stand\u201d<\/p>\n

What wonder if, for fifty years, I\u2019ve treasured up with care<\/p>\n

The rebel lore of Edward\u2019s men, at Tully, in Kildare.<\/p>\n

Though two and thirty springs had passed, since glorious \u201cNinety-eight\u201d,<\/p>\n

They\u2019d sit and talk o\u2019er bloody days, in secret, long and late;<\/p>\n

At eighty (still \u201cthe Captain\u201d) my grandsire loved to tell<\/p>\n

How brave, at Monast\u2019reven fight, his boy for Ireland fell!<\/p>\n

And hats were raised at mention of young Lord Edward\u2019s name<\/p>\n

By comrades of the martyred chief, – by partners of his fame:<\/p>\n

From Curragh to Kildangan, from Red Hills and Ballifare,<\/p>\n

No Reynolds*<\/i> marched to Tully Moat, the drill ground of Kildare.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve loved thee, mother darling, all the years, and ev\u2019ry day,<\/p>\n

From bud of blooming boyhood, down to waning Autumn gray;<\/p>\n

And brighter hopes than ever yet revivify my soul<\/p>\n

To see the robber-lords at bay \u2013 as freemen near the goal \u2013<\/p>\n

\u201cGod speed the plough\u201d and ploughmen! and paralyze the tongue<\/p>\n

Of knave, or fool, that prates of war, the Parnell ranks among!<\/p>\n

No men, but means; not guns, but gold; from allies ev\u2019rywhere,<\/p>\n

Can win the Land League battle now, for Ireland and Kildare.<\/p>\n

Some Christmas night, not distant, this chair will vacant be,<\/p>\n

Evoking filial tears, perchance, mid song and jubilee;<\/p>\n

And when they point to relics old, with loyal care preserved,<\/p>\n

Mementoes of the Union war in which their parent served;-<\/p>\n

If other treasured household goods receive no kindly word,<\/p>\n

Should Fashion<\/i> mask the Green<\/i> that wreathes an \u201cIrish Legion\u201d sword,-<\/p>\n

May one, more gallant than the rest, with pride of blood declare:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn life and death my father loved<\/i> Old Ireland and Kildare!\u201d<\/p>\n

RICHARD OULAHAN<\/p>\n

Washington, DC, Christmas 1880.<\/p>\n

*Reynolds was the betrayer of Lord Edward Fitzgerald<\/p>\n

Biographical note on author, compiled by John Malone \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richard Oulahan was born in Co. Dublin in 1822, but apparently spent much of his youth with his grandparents at Tully in Kildare. He emigrated to the United States around 1849, following involvement with the \u201cYoung Ireland\u201d movement, and having been a contributor to The Nation magazine. At the outbreak of the US civil war he joined the Union forces as First Lieutenant in the 164th New York Infantry in 1862. He was destined not to serve long with the 164th, being wounded and discharged due to disability in Sept. 1813. Oulahan received a brevet-major rank for his services. He was a committed Fenian both before and after the US Civil war, campaigning and fund raising for various Irish causes, and was later an advocate of Home Rule – he carried out a correspondence with Charles Stewart Parnell on the issue. \u00a0His post-war career saw him working in the Treasury Department, a position secured by political connections. Richard Oulahan died in Washington on 12th June, 1895, where his remains were interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poem about 1798 in Kildare by Richard Oulahan, published in the Irish American Weekly, New York, 1 January 1881. Author\u2019s Note: Several parts are illegible in newspaper reproduction, I have guessed words (in brackets) or used \u2026 The \u201cgrandsire\u201d mentioned in the third stanza of the following poem was John Oulahan, who was born at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-military-history","category-social-history"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1872"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8098,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1872\/revisions\/8098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}