Fight With Moonlighters.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 18, 16 October 1907, Page 10

Fight With Moonlighters.

» STRANGE STORY FROM GAL WAY. A telogram from Atheiiry states that on the night of August 28 an attack was made by moonlightersvupon'.tho house of Mr. Martin M'Donagh,'.which is about twelvo miles from Galway. Mr. M'Donagh holds a large farm, made up of tho holdings of a nutnbor. of small tenants who woro ovicted some years ago, and works it with the aid of ten labourers, who como-'from Galway for the purpose,"' returning on Saturday nights. During the week they occupy Monatique .House, a large building on the farm. The proceeds:—The'-house and place have been under constant protection for months.past,'arid a pitched battle took placo on the night of .'August 28 between the police and moqnjighters, over fifty shots being fired. Tho police lying in ambush,quite close .to the house, and when the, first volloy of ifour shots had boon fired they confronted a party of ten at thirty yards or so, and poured a volley of buckshot and bullets into them. When the moonlighters had.fired their first volloy thoy were on the point of retiring, but on the polico attacking thorn, they reloaded and fired on tho officers, who niado a vigorous answer with their magazine rifles. A 'desultory, fire continued for somo time between the polico on tho ono hand and tho moonlighters on the other. Tho continued rifle and gun firo was heard for many miles around. The polico, being confident that their fire must have taken effect, searched for wounded "men, but up to the time of wiring the services of the doctor have not been requisitioned. Some of tho police had a narrow oscape. ' 'Asubsequbiit message states:—lnquiries at Dublin Castle confirm the report so far as it states that an affray took plapo, but if the .description given in tho foregoing message is '.'accurate it is strange that no trace of bloodshed 1 is reported; A later account says that after leaving Monatique "the moonlighters, about half a mile further on, encountered a police patrol from Craughwell, who were .hurrying towards Monatique, having heard tile-gunfire. The moonlighters at.oncn opened firo on the Craughwoll patrol, ami tho police replied by firing at close range It seems incredible that none of the polico shots at such a close range—a few yards in.both,instances have taken effect. From inquiries ■oil the spot it is learned that none of tho moonlighting; party, was injured. It is'impossible to discover whether any of the police was wounded or not, owing to tho usual reticence on such occasions.