"By the way, the trial of those fellows comes on next week," one of
the officers said when the laughter subsided; "so if the transports
don't come in you will be able to see the last of them, O'Connor."
"I shall have no objection to see that red rascal hung; but as to the
other poor devils, I should be glad enough for them to get off. An
Irish peasant sees no harm in making whisky, and it's only human
nature to resist when you are attacked; beside it was the Red
Captain's gang that set them to fighting, no doubt. If it hadn't been
for them I don't suppose there would have been a shot fired. I hope
that's the view the authorities will take of it."
As it turned out this was the view taken by the prosecuting counsel at
the trial. The Red Captain was tried for the murder of his officer and
for the shooting of two constables in Galway, was found guilty, and
hung. The others were put on trial together for armed resistance to
his majesty's forces, and for killing and slaying three soldiers.
Their counsel pleaded that they were acting under the compulsion of
the gang of desperadoes with them, that it was these and these only
who had fired upon the soldiers as they ascended the rocks, and that
the peasants themselves had no firearms; indeed, it was proved that
only five guns were found in the cave. He admitted that in their
desperation at the last moment the men had defended themselves with
pikes and bludgeons; but this he urged was but an effort of despair,
and not with any premeditated idea of resisting the troops.
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