Prosperous Heritage
A Dáil Court Sitting in Prosperous - September 1920
Aside from the military struggle against Britain, another part of the Irish Revolution was the setting up of bodies to replace parts of the British Administration. One of these was the holding of Dáil Courts or Parish Courts. Plaintiffs were encouraged to bring their legal actions to the local court to be adjudicated by the Dáil Court, rather than to the British Petty Sessions Courts. This served to undermine the local Constabulary and British legal system in Ireland.
One such court was held in the village of Prosperous on 17th September 1920, where a number of cases were heard. One involved a farmer suing a neighbour for trespass and seeking damages as the neighbour’s horse had injured his mare by kicking it. For the trespass, the court ordered the neighbour to mend the fence between the two farms within two weeks, or else the plaintiff would be entitled to apply for costs for same from his neighbour. For the injured mare, the neighbour was ordered to pay £5 in compensation.
A case of a Publican being open after hours was adjourned for a month.
In the 3rd case that the court heard, an elderly woman applied to the court to have her son and daughter-in-law bound over to be of good behaviour.
She stated that she had signed over her farm to her son when he married, on condition that she retain right of residence and that she be allowed food and clothing. She stated that the defendants became aggressive to her, and she gave details of assaults which she claimed they had committed on her. She had been obliged to leave the house and was at that point lodging with a friend. As neither the son nor daughter-in-law appeared in court, the judges decided to adjourn the case for one month, and issued a warning to them not to interfere with the complainant pending the next hearing. During her evidence, the elderly lady stated that she had spent some time in America, the President of the Court asked her if she was an American Citizen ‘I am not’, she replied, ‘I am a real Irish Republican’.
Ambush at the Hill of Allen
Here is an account of the ambush as recorded by the OC of the 7th Brigade and a map they drew to support their account, along with dispatch notes to the quartermaster to move weapons from Newtown Donore to Killybegs as searches were happening in the area.
An extract on a report of a train ambush near Hazelhatch where members of the Prosperous Company took part in.
Names of the Members of the Prosperous G Company
