“Henry Downs”
Description
"Many an Orange villain fell Beneath the hand of Downs" "The trembling tyrants did propose A partial amnesty" which took "unsuspecting clowns" out of the battle. Downs continued to fight. In Dublin he was taken by Sirr, tried, condemned, and hanged.
Notes
For more about Major Sirr see "Edward" (III), "The Man from God-Knows-Where," "The Major" and the notes to "Who Killed Cock Robin?" (II).
Moylan adds some information illuminating the events here. There was an amnesty and it was accepted by many insurgents. Downs, while a member of Joseph Holt's guerilla band, killed Jonathan Eves, mistakenly taking him to be an informer. He broke with the guerillas on this account. He came close to killing Major Sirr while being taken. Moylan reports Madden, in _Literary Remains of the United Irishmen of 1798_, believed that Downs was executed for shooting Eves. - BS
Historical references
- April 1799 - Henry Downs is hanged at Malahide after being taken by Major Sirr in a Dublin alehouse.(source: Moylan)
Cross references
- cf. "Edward (III) (Edward Fitzgerald)" (character of Major Sirr)
- cf. "The Man from God-Knows-Where" (character of Major Sirr)
- cf. "The Major" (character of Major Sirr)
References
- Moylan 125, "Henry Downs" (1 text)
- BI, Moyl125