AN EXTRAORDINARY DEMONSTRATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 41, 8 February 1884, Page 9

AN EXTRAORDINARY DEMONSTRATION.

Wfi (Ration, Dec. Bth), have previously had several references in these columns to the two Mi-ses Kinsella, who have each suffered imprisonment for the " crime " of trespassing on the farm at Kuockree, county Wexford, from which they were evicted in the course of the Land League agitation. The latest sentence they have undergone — three months' imprisonment each — expired on Monday week, when they were released from Wexford gaol. On the following day, Tuesday, they travelled home to the Land League hut at Parnell's Cross, where they live at present. The extraordinary demonstration made in their honour on Tuesday week is described as follows in the Wexford People of Saturday last : — Seldom has it fallen to the lot of a newspaper correspondent to record a sight such as the extraordinary scene which on Tuesday night marked the release of the Kinsella girls. Messrs. Robert Power and Gregory Murphy accompanied the Kinsella girls from Wexford gaol. At Enniscorthy they were waited on by a deputation of the late Ladies' Land League, of Davidstown, and soon afterwards we found ourselves landed at the station of Ferns. Here a scene awaited us such as never before have I had an opportunity of witnessing, and such as shall not readily fade out from my memory. From end to end of the platform at Ferns a vast and surging throng was gathered, and when the two poor victims of British hate and landlord oppression showed their pale and worn faces at the carriage windows, a wild shout rent the still night air, wakened the echoes of the Ferns hills, and sent the rooks and ravens in circling flights from their roosting places amid the ruins of the old stronghold of Dermot M'Murrougn that frowns in gloomy grandeur above the quiet little hamlet. A scene of indescribable joy and welcome here took place, as many an old and faithful friend bounded forward to wring the hands of the Kinsella girls. On all sides were words and ories of welcome— 'twas, indeed, a brimming, bursting, cead miUe faiUhe. The crowd bore many lights and strangely illuminated devices, and were literally canopied by the boughs of evergreens borne in the hands of the processionists ; and now the gate of the station is opened, and after a sharp struggle we are out in the space outtide, and here a fresh surprise awaited us. Fully 500 horsemen were drawn up in martial array outside, each equestrian bearing aloft, like a lance, a long ashen pole, at the summit of which was attached a torch, whose ruddy glare shone bright and red in the calm, cold, frosty night air. Far as the eye could reach were rows of side-cars, traps, carts, and every imaginable species of conveyance, and each and all bore some species of light or flambeau. Besides these there were fully two thousand pedestrians. Not alone did the members of the Ferns Labour League and the hardy peasantry of the surrounding district turn out to swell the ranks of this extraordinary proces»ion, but the long ranks of pedestrians contained full many a contingent from the " Streams of Bunclody," and the still more distant plains of '• Old Deer Park." And now the procession is formed and marshalled under the artistic eye of Mr. Gregory Murphy, who seems to l>e the peculiar genius of thescene. My friends, Mr. Power, Mr. Murphy and myself were cosily seated in a comfortable croydon that bad rolled that day from the distant plains of Carlow. We took our place immediately behind the waggonette in which were seated the Misses Kinsella and a goodly number of the members of the late Ladies' Land League of Newtownbarry. In front of the waggonette was fastened a handsome banneret, with a very well executed likeness of the dead singer of the Land League— Miss Fanny Parnell. But the spirit that she breathed foith in gushing streams of immortal song lived and lives warm and strong in the hearts of the women of Newtownbarry as when first her words fanned it into glowing flame. Suspended at each side of the banner were Chinese lights, which threw a tinted gleam upon their surroundings. In front of the waggonette the fantastic and picturesque looking cavalcade formed into a long-extending line, their torches flaring redly-far off in the darkness, while, behind the long string of vehicles formed into line one after another. And now a start is effected, and soon the thunder of five hundred galloping horses and the crash of hundreds of vehicles call to their doors the good people of F^rns. Almost all the houseß of the village were illuminated,' and the good villagers joined with the grand anthem that rose in the magnificent swell of a thousand manly voices as the multitude sang in one mighty chorus the glorious hymn of "God Save Ireland." And now the hardy Ferns men, and the lithe and active peasants' of Newt owbarry's hillsides have fully tested their soundness of wind and strength of limb as they bound along besides the cars and horsemen, their flambeaux only burning all the stronger from the increased speed of their pace. Soon Ferns is left behind and the processionists slacken their speed as they work their way far out amongst the hills. And now far as the eye eau reach the ruddy glares of bonfires answer each other from the circling hill-tops. > ear hand on either side of the road, and far off on the dusky horizon, as their ruddy tongues lick the bending heavens, they tell each and all of the growing, glorious spirit of North Wexford. Tombrack is reached, and here fresh contingents of torch-bearers leinforce us. A brief halt is made at Mr. Lambert's, and then we are off to Parnell's-cross, some distance outside Tombrack, at a place called Ballyboy, the sweet strains of a fife and drum band sound afar off in the distance, and soon the sturdy fellows are in the midst of us and fall into line. All goes well till Kidd's-grove is reached, at which point the martial music of the Irish-street Independent Brass Band of Newtownbarry makes the welkin ring. Here a presentation of a land-grabber dressed up as a pedlar is made to Misses Kinsella, after which the procession moves on, gathering fresh strength and numbers as it goes till Chapel-lane is reached, where we are informed a posse of police is stationed to witness the procession as it passes. For a long portion of the road, as the processionists pass the Kinsella farm at Knockree, the cheers and music were changed to continued groaning, hissing, etc., until at last the Land League hut at Parnell'S' cross came in view. Here the scene was simply indescribable, as the procession formed round * neat little platform which had been erected outside the Land

League hut. Two contingents of torch-bearers were present— one from Ballyboy, the other from Wicklow. Two lessons are derivable from Tuesday night's demonstration— first, that the old spirit of Wexford has not passed away, but lives and burns brightly in the hearts of her people ; secondly, that the teachings of the Land League, and the principles laid down by the glorious Michael Davitt, are not forgotten. They are cherished in North Wexford, and not all the Coercion Actg of a tyrannical Government can blot them out from the minds of our people. I forgot to mention that at Ferns we were met by Messrs. J. J. Keating, of Moneymore, and Maurice Murphy, P.L.G., who drove there to meet us all the way from Enniscorthy.