THE Doneraile Conspiracy had its origins in the Whiteboy movement, a secret society that sprung up in the mid to late 1700s.
Initially they agitated against landlords fencing off commonage thus depriving tenants of grazing  rights. They later moved on to fighting for fair rents and against tithes which had to be paid to the established Church, irrespective of the tenants’ religion. In the 1820s, Whiteboys were particularly active in the North and East Cork area. It has been said that there was a conspiracy among them to assassinate three prominent local men, namely two landlords, Rear Admiral Henry Evans and Michael Creagh who was also High Sherriff for Cork and a local magistrate, George Bond Lowe.
An attempt was made on Creagh but in a case of mistake identity, shots were fired at a local doctor John Norcott. Creagh convened a meeting of magistrates and offered a reward of over £700 for information on the perpetrators.  Shots were fired at Lowe but he succeeded in capturing one of the attackers, John McGrath. McGrath was taken to Cork where he was tried, convicted and hanged.
An informant gave evidence that there was a conspiracy to kill the three men and that members of the Whiteboys had signed a declaration that they were willing to do so. Twenty-one local men were arrested. When there was not enough jury members for all the trials, they were adjourned but this did not satisfy the three possible victims. They petitioned the government and a special commission was established to try the cases.
Baron Pennefeather and Judge Torrens were to preside and the Solicitor General for Ireland, John Doherty, prosecuted. The trial of the first four men lasted less than a day. The evidence of the informant was presented, Doherty summed up and then the jury took only 20 minutes to find all four guilty. Judge Torrens then sentenced all four to be hanged and fixed the trial of the next four for the following morning. This was a Friday but the second trial was slower and when it had not finished, it was adjourned until Monday morning.  
This was the chance the prisoners’ relatives needed. John Burke, brother of one of the accused, rode overnight to Derrynane in Kerry to beg Daniel O’Connell to act for the defence. Following some rest he returned, arriving at the courthouse early Monday morning, with O’Connell not long behind.
The Solicitor General had started summing up when O’Connell arrived. Since he had travelled overnight, O’Connell got permission from the Judge to eat some refreshments in court. O’Connell continuously interrupted him with challenges such as “that is not law”, “that is no longer law” and objected to the Solicitor General actually giving evidence. He taunted him, made fun of him and threatened to have him impeached in the House of Commons. This time, the jury deliberated for over 40 hours and the men were acquitted. It was a similar case with the next group and eventually the conspiracy trails petered out. The first four men who hade been sentenced to hanging were instead transported. 
The Doneraile Conspiracy Trials, which were based on informers’ evidence and which did much to add to the mystique of Daniel O’Connell, started on October 22, 1829 – 183 years ago this week.
Not much has changed in the intervening years. The Cork Constitution reported that the costs of the Special Commission were just over £3000. Judges expense came to £738, witnesses and administration £556 but legal fees came to £1718 – almost 60% of the total.
Michael Torpey