A new novel, ‘The Tenant’s Tale’ by Terence Casey tells the tale of his great grandfather who was an eyewitness at the terrible Mitchelstown massacre. It is a fascinating chronicle of rural Ireland during the nineteenth century as seen through the eyes of Patrick Casey, Terence’s great grandfather, who was born in 1806 and died in 1894.

In the 1820s he worked as a navvie on the first ever railway construction between Liverpool and Manchester. On returning to Ireland he became a tenant farmer at Springfort, Charleville but his life was shattered when his brother and companion Owen was falsely accused of White Boy activities and transported to Australia. During the famine, when he had to support a wife and three sons, he was fortunate to find work on the construction of the Dublin to Cork railway.

As a railway construction worker he laboured alongside James Stephens – his cousin and lifelong friend. Stephens was a leading member of the rising in 1847; later he founded the Fenian organisation. Although Patrick was never an active Fenian, he helped Stephens and his friend Michael Doheny when they went on the run in 1847.

In subsequent years, Patrick heard Daniel O’Connell speak at various Monster meetings. After the tragic death of his wife, and encouraged by Archbishop Croke (formerly the curate at Charleville), he helped to found the local GAA.

Before his death, Patrick was fortunate to achieve his lifelong ambition when he borrowed sufficient government funds to purchase his farm.

The book can be purchased from Amazon, Waterstones and all major book shops – cost €8.20