Mary married a man named Quigley from near Ballindaggin. Pat married a Murphy of Coonogue. Mogue married a woman named Doyle and settled in Ballycrystal. Their son Mogue was wounded in an encounter at Skerries in County Dublin. Following the 1798 Rebellion he settled with his uncle, Michael in Kiltealy.

Martin also resided in Ballycrystal, and had three sons Stephen, Roger and Pat. Stephen and Roger were killed at Ardee in County Louth. Michael married Ellen Kelly of Wheelagower, he took up farming and lived in Kiltealy, Ellen an aunt of John Kelly “The boy from Killanne” had three sons Mogue, Patrick, Martin and a daughter Mary.

Patrick “Paudeen Rua” was a lieutenant to his cousin Colonel John Kelly, secured the successful escape of the wounded Kelly following the battle of Ross. Paudeen was wounded at Cromer where his younger brother Martin died in the attack on the fortified mansion of Lady Anne Butler at Cromer. Martins body is interred in the East corner of the old church yard in Castlecomer. In yet another encounter Paudeen Rua was wounded; this time by the Kiltealy yeomen at a place called the Togher near the junction of the road to Cullentragh, surviving these treacherous times he died in 1819.

Mary, Mogues sister married Edmund O’Rourke; an insurgent and a Kiltealy man. On the fifteenth August 1798 he fled to France and his wife. Joining the French Army he took part in the Battle of Waterloo. Later made his way to New York; but tragically his wife Mary and four of his five children died in an epidemic of sickness. With his surviving son he made his way West and to date, no further information.

There is little known of the young Mogue Kearns who would become the rebel priest. He was born as near as one can date it, in 1765 or 66. We know he was a skilled hurler and famed for his deeds of strength and athletic prowess. As an adult his stature is described thus: A large weighty man of powerful build and great activity.

One of the well related stories of the young priest is of Paris in 1789. Going out one evening wearing his long soutane and biretta with a doctor friend to look around, he was spotted by a lynch mob and grabbed. Tying a noose around his neck they hanged him from a lamppost, thinking their work was done they moved on. The lamppost buckled under his weight, and with the help of his doctor friend, he survived the ordeal.

Returning to Wexford, he became friends with Father John Murphy. They linked up for grouse-shooting expeditions on the Blackstairs. Father Mogue and Father John had connections both sides of the Blackstairs Mountains, they met frequently to ride out hunting; resting at relatives houses; especially Murphy’s of Rathgeran on the Carlow side. It is likely that during this time he became a member of the United Irishmen along with his family. According to Bishop Caulfield at that time, Fr. Kearns was fond of both drink and fighting, with known links to the Defenders (a secret society), he also had a high local profile as a sportsman.

Bishop Caulfield moved Fr. Mogue Kearns on loan to the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. He was given a placement as a curate in Clonard in Co. Kildare, in the parish of Balyna. Mogue continued to awaken the downtrodden; however his adopted parish priest Fr. Michael Corcoran and the Bishop saw him as an agitator and dismissed him. This occurred in 1797, his stature leading up to 1798 is unclear; he may have been listed as a suspended or unemployed priest.

As the Rebellion ignites, we find Fr. Mogue Kearns at Ballyorril Hill on the 28th May; a captain in the army of Fr. John Murphy. With him is his brother Paudeen Rua and the Kiltealy Insurgents. The town of Enniscorthy is taken by the Rebels. A story emerges from this battle; mounted on his horse, whip in hand, he among hundreds of rebel stampeding cattle through the Duffry Gate; a mounted soldier thrust his pistol at Mogue; a young pikeman dashed forward and saved his life. With the camp established on Vinegar Hill, we find Fr. Mogue listed among the leaders, he is one of twelve committee men “who continued constantly to sit and superintend and (sic) regulate the concerns of the camp, and of the newly established republic.” Musgraves in his account of a “Mrs. M” who sought a “protection” for herself and her husband; states “I was then desired to apply to one of their officers, named Morgan Byrne, whom I found sitting in their committee room, at a long table with books and papers before him. Father Kearns was at the head of the table, round which all members of the committee sat.

Fr. Mogue formed part of the contingent that set up camp at Three Rock. The 31st at Windmill Hill above the town of Wexford. There a Council of War was held.

The council decided to split their force into three divisions. Bagenal Harvey took command of the division that was to break out of Co. Wexford, through New Ross. Fr. John Murphy led the division to the North to take Gorey and Arklow. The third division was lead by Fr. Mogue Kearns, its objective to take Bunclody (Newtownbarry) link up with the Midland rebels then rejoin Fr. Murphy’s Northern Division.

Fr. Mogue’s column which included the young Myles Byrne of Monaseed pikemen, set out on the 1st June to take Bunclody. The battle is well documented, hundreds of rebels died, and the first defeat of the Rebellion was suffered. Fr. Mogue lead the reminance of his column back to Enniscorthy. June 12th with Thomas Cloney, Fr. Mogue takes part in the attack on Borris House, their primary reason to secure arms and ammunition, when Cloney realised they could not succeed he withdrew.

The next account of Fr. Mogue is the 20th June, with William Baker they engage Lt. General Johnson at Bloomfield as he closes on Enniscorthy, on the morning of the 21st they withdrew along the river and regrouped to defend the bridge. Baker is seriously wounded and Fr. Mogue takes command; he is joined by Billy Byrne and they hold fast at the bridge until the retreat of Vinegar Hill is effected. Fr. Mogue is reported badly wounded; with the rearguard he makes his way to Three Rock, then on to Sleedagh. The long march of Fr. Murphy’s column begins. Passing by his home in Kiltealy Fr. Mogue is left in a safe house; Murphy’s at Rathgeran. Reports received on the 3rd July places Fr. Mogue at Moneyhore with Thomas Cloney.

On the 4th he leaves Killoughrim and heads for the camp at White Heaps on the Crogan Mountains. Reaching the camp shortly after midnight he takes his place among the leaders with the exception of Fr. John and Michael Murphy. The leadership decided again to split the force into three detachments. By the 6th they are reported to be cutting through the midland to link up with Down and Antrim insurgents. The evening of the 8th places Fr. Mogue’s column camped in the mountains outside Blessington. To avoid the concentration of Militia around Dublin they cut West through Kildare. On the 10th they meet William Alymer, a rebel leader in Kildare and with the Timahoe rebels at Prosperous they finalise plans for the journey to Ulster.

At Alymer’s suggestion they attack the small garrison town of Clonard one may presume to secure more arms, ammunition and horses. However as the battle ragous Militia reinforcements arrive from Kinnegad. It became clear to Mogue and the other leaders that they can not succeed. In the retreat Fr. Mogue is captured, with the aid of two girls named Robinson, who have been watching from a distance as the Militia party paused for refreshments, they assist him escape his captors. At dawn on the 12th he and the rebels march north-eastwards, crossing the border into Co. Meath at Johnstown Bridge, by evening they are camped at Dunboyne. The 13th sees them in Co. Louth: within a days march of Ulster. The 14th with General Wemys and General Meyrick in pursuit; they make a stand at Knightstown. The fighting is intense and many of the rebels killed. Fr. Mogue, Anthony Perry and William Alymer lose touch with larger group, heading westwards. Near the village of Clonbullogue in Co. Offaly, at a place called Wheelabout, Fr. Mogue and Anthony Perry are arrested by two yeomanry officers; Ridgeway and Robinson. They were brought to Edenderry (Cooleystown), where they are tried and sentenced to death.

On a large oak tree overlooking the town, at a place called Blundell Wood, on the 21st July, they were hanged first Anthony Perry, then Fr. Mogue. Fr. Mogue was beheaded presumably with the intention of spiking his head as a warning to other Croppies. But the Spiking never took place and a young woman named Mrs. Catherine O’Connell retrieved the head and wrapping it in her apron she carried it to Monasterois graveyard, where with the rest of his remains he is interred in the O’Connell family plot.

In Monasterois graveyard there is a large Celtic cross erected to the memory of Anthony Perry and Fr. Mogue and in 1986 a monument was erected in Blundell Woods. In the village of Kiltealy, there is a large Celtic cross, this was erected in 1948, and in 1998 a monument was erected at Kiltealy Hill by his birth place.

by Betty Kearns

Acknowledgements:
The Peoples Rising. D. Gahan
Priests of ’98 – Seamus De Val
Myles Kavanagh

To View Kiltealy Village:
Our Village Through The Century

Many thanks to Anthony Kearns for permission to publish this journal article

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