Figure 1.- This incredible photograph shows the O’Halloran sisters (Annie, Honoria, and Sarah) from Bodyke, County Clare (1887). They came out fighting when the baliffs came to evict them from their cottage homstead. A sketch of the Bodyke Evictions appeared in the nationalist ‘United Ireland’ newspaper (June 18, 1887). Notice the lack of British press censorshp. Click on the image to see the sketch.

One of the most notable acts of resistance to the Land War evictioms was caried out by the O'Halloran sisters from Bodyke, County Clare, who came out fighting when the baliff and police came. The sisters (Annie, Honoria, and Sarah), lived with their parents and their brothers, Patrick and Frank, in the townland of Lisbareen, southwest of Bodyke village. The family were the tenants of Colonel John O’Callaghan, whose actions would make him notorious during the Irish Land War. The published accounts of the evictions resulted in Parliament passing laws to offer more protections to tennnts. The Second Irish Land Act of 1881 in particular had attempted to give tenants more security. It provided a legal basis for rent reductions, froze rents for up to 15 years, and made some attempat proprietorship. O’Callaghan was insistuing on £31. The matter was adjudicated by the Land Courts. This was legsal forum and system that was the first important step towards the break-up of the old estates in Ireland. The Court ordered that the O’Halloran's rent be reduced to £22-10s. The O'Hallorans insisted, however, that the vreduced rent was unfair, pointing outthat their rent had been only £13-10s. And the O'Hallorans stil owed 2 years’ back. Col. O’Callaghan insisted that the higher rent was justified because he built a new two-story slated house and outhouses. The O'Hallorans prepared to resist the eviction. The built defensives, they built earthworks, dug atrebch ariund the cottage, barricaded the windows and doors, and knocked out small openings. They stockpiled pitchforks, wooden poles, and sandbags. A substantial crowd of some 8,000 people gathered in the village daily--mot knowng jutwhen the baliff woukd rruive. [Freeman’s Journal (May 1887)] The eviction pary finally arived (June 2). The party consisted of acting Sheriff, the O’Callaghan agent, a Resident Magistrate, the Royl Irish consatbualry, the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, bailiffs, and 14 emergency men. The militia and emrtgrnvy mnemmwere present because the ceviction had become so highly publicized attrvtuing a crowd that gathered daily in the village The O'Halloran prepared, boiling a mixture of dirty water and meal. When the bailiffs approached the collage, the O’Halloran sisters threw the boiling substance at them through the preoared onenings. The police threatened to open fire, the O'Halloran held out. Thy were enthusiasticlly appluded by the sympstheric crowd. The sisters threw cans of boiling water from the windows to keep the bailiffs at bay. The police depoloyed ladders to climb in the second floor window. Honoria grabbed a police officer’s bayonet. Her brother Frank knocked him out. Armed with the rifle bayonet, Honoria forced the bailiffs to retreat while her siblings fought with those who had made it inside the collage. They were, however, no match for the armed force that sescended on them. of IRC policemen, military, and emergncy men. The whole affair was widely reported in the press with detailed accounts. The family was lauded as the ‘the indomitable O’Halloran family’. [Cork Exminer (June 11, 1887).] Irish politicians Mchael Davitt and ??? Cox oversaw a public meeting in which the family was commended for their bravery, particularly Harriet’s heroic defense of threir hoime. Crges were leveled aginst the family for resistingthe authoities. thy were tried at Ennis Courthouse (June 20). Following the testimony of plaintiffs and witnesses, Frank and Patrick were sentenced to 3 months imprisonment at hard labor. Honoria and Annie received a sentence of one-month imprisonment with hard labor Sarah and Harriet were not sentenced Col, O’Callaghan's finances declined. He continued trying to increase rents and seize livestock from tennts who would not or could not pay whivh was a violation of the Land Act. The Land Commission seized the Bodyke section of the O’Callaghan estate (1909). The Land Coutrt granred the tenants the right to buy the land. According to the 1911 Census, some of the O’Hallorans were still living in Lisbareen, including Harriet who by tht time had become a landowner.

Created: 12:49 AM 8/30/2022
Last updated: 12:49 AM 8/30/2022