01/06/2026
Community Historian, Brendan Matthews. “ Local youths Transported beyond the seas”. Photo by Brendan Matthews captured in the late 1990`s depicts a ray of light reflecting off the roof of the ruinous & dilapidated old mud-cabin house that stood at the western end of Watery Lane until the early years of this new Millennium. This humble abode was once the home of the Morris family in the early to mid 19th century before it became the home of the Rooney family who were the last family to have lived in this particular homestead. Back on June 19th 1841, young James Morris of Stamullen, who was aged just 14 years old, was convicted at a Court-Sitting in Duleek on a number of charges of larceny in the Stamullen area. The Court heard that the boy was an old offender, who had already spent some time in jail for similar offences. The young lad then pleaded guilty to the charge before him and the bench decided that they would once more try to “reclaim him in the country by a term of confinement”, however, the boy told the Court that he would commit more offences on his release, which, according to the Judge, `gave the bench no option but to sentence him to be transported for seven years`. Another local parishioner, Thomas Tiernan aged 20 years, was also sentenced to be transported for seven years, after being found guilty of stealing two pigs, the property of a man named McLoughlin. Both of these local youths would then have been taken to Cork and held in confinement there until they were placed on board a Convict Ship bound for New South Wales in Australia, taking three months to arrive at their final destination. Once in Australia, they would then be handed over to a supervisor Guard who would have them employed on a chain-gang, making new roads and the likes. There are accounts of many of these young boys and men escaping from their confinement only to have been recaptured after hours, days, or sometimes weeks on the run and, having been taken back to their area of confinement, they would often be severely beaten and forced back out into the chain-gang, often being deprived of food and water.. Once their term of seven years, or more, was complete, most were given their liberty of freedom; however, being so far distant from their native `Emerald Isle` and, very often the horrific memories they may have had regarding the conditions in the said `Emerald Isle`, very few, if any, ever returned. The conviction and transportation beyond the high seas of two local youths which occurred in the month of June back in 1841; 185-years-ago this very month. Researched &written by Community Historian, Brendan Matthews.©2026
