Na Donnghailigh Dhubha (2012)
Brian Ó Baoill, Bealach an Doirín, Co. Ros Comáin
The murder of na Donnghailigh Dhubha, the "Black Donnellys," is a notorious and brutal event in Canadian history that unfolded in Lucan, Ontario, in the late 19th century.
The Donnelly family, Irish immigrants known for their tumultuous relationships with their neighbours, became embroiled in a series of feuds and conflicts. On the night of February 4, 1880, a mob of masked men calling themselves the Peace Society descended upon the Donnelly homestead. Armed with guns and torches, they massacred the family in a violent spree of bloodshed and destruction.
The massacre was motivated along religious lines, and the subsequent jury trial refused to convict any of the murderers due to many prominant locals having taken part.
The case remains a dark and enduring tale of violence, prejudice, and frontier justice in Canada's past.
“Nóiméad ina dhiaidh sin, lig an Cearbhallach liú as. Osclaíodh doras na cistine de phléasc agus réab slua fear isteach, a gcleitheanna in airde, agus thug siad faoin seanfhear is an tseanbhean a bhualadh go fíochmhar.
Bhuail sceon Bríd, a rith isteach sa seomra tosaigh agus suas an staighre i dtreo an lochta. Rith Seáinín Ó Conchubhair amach as an leaba agus lean sé í, ach bhí doras an lochta dúnta ag Bríd. Rith sé ar ais go dtí an seomra codlata. Agus é ag rith thar dhoras na cistine chonaic sé radharc fiáin fuilteach uafásach istigh ann. Bhí triúr de mhuintir Uí Dhonnghaile á mbualadh gan trócaire, cleitheanna á n-ardú agus á ngreadadh i gcoinne cloigne agus gach ball eile dá gcoirp. Rith Seáinín isteach sa seomra agus isteach faoi leaba leis.
Amuigh sa chistin lean an t-ár ar aghaigh. Thit Séamus Ó Donnghaile, a chloigeann briste ag fear amháin. Bhí Siobhán, a bhean chéile, ag iarraidh í féin a chosaint lena lámha. Throid Tomás go fíochmhar in ainneoin go raibh sé ceangailte sna glais lámh. Bhí sé ag ciceáil, ag cromadh, ag luascadh agus ag ligint liúnna as gan stad. Bhris sé tríd an slua agus phléasc sé trí dhoras tosaigh an tí is amach. Ach bhí fear ag fanacht ansin, píce ina lámha aige. Sháigh sé Tomás. Thit Tomás ar a ghlúine. Sháigh sé arís é. ‘Ó!’ scread Tomás, agus dhoirt an fhuil amach as a chorp ina sruthanna tiubha. Thit Tomás béal faoi ar an talamh, an sneachta á dheargadh ag a chuid fola.
Bhí Siobhán ag screadach chomh hard sin go bhféadfaí í a chloisteáil os cionn liúnna na bhfear a bhí á hionsaí. Throid sí, ach buaileadh síos í go raibh sí ar a glúine. ‘Lig dom paidir a rá,’ ar sise agus í ag cneadach.
‘Paidir a rá!’ arsa an Cearbhallach. ‘An iomarca atá ráite agatsa, a bhitseach!’ Bhuail sé arís í. Rinne sí iarracht éalú agus í ag lámhachán, ach thit sí béal faoi sa seomra tosaigh.”
“A minute after that, Ó Cearbhaill let out a shout. The door of the kitchen opened with an explosion and a crowd of people pushed in, their clubs raised, and they laid into violently beating the old man and the old woman.
Terror seized Bríd, who ran into the front room and up the stairs in the direction of the loft. Seáinín Ó Conchubhair ran out of the bed and he followed her, but Bríd had closed the door of the loft. He ran back into the bedroom. While he was running by the door of the kitchen he saw a wild, bloody, horrifying scene inside it. There were three people of the Ó Dhonnghaile family being beaten without mercy, clubs being raised and repeatedly and violently struck against skulls and every other part of their bodies. Seáinín ran into the room and he hid under the bed.
Out in the kitchen the slaughter continued on. Séamus Ó Donnghaile fell, his skull broken by one man. Siobhán, his wife, was trying to protect herself with her arms. Tomás fought fiercely despite that he was bound in handcuffs. He was kicking, bending, spinning and shouting without stop. He broke through the crowd and he exploded through the front door of the house and out. But a man was waiting there, with a pitchfork in his hands. He stabbed Tomás. Tomás fell on his knees. He stabbed him again. ‘Oh!’ screamed Tomás, and the blood pouring out of his body in thick streams. Tomás fell face down on the ground, the snow being reddened by his blood.
Siobhán was screeching so loudly that she could be heard over top of the shouts of the men that were attacking her. She fought, but she was beaten down until she was on her knees. ‘Let me say a prayer,’ she said while gasping.
‘To say a prayer!’ said Ó Cearbhaill. ‘You have said too much already, bitch!’ He struck her again. She made an attempt to escape by crawling away, but she fell face down in the front room.”
Adapted from: Ó Baoill, Brian. 2012. Na Donnghailigh Dhubha. Coiscéim: Baile Átha Cliath.
