What date is that Derreen's record?
Your not having any luck with the newspaper so I'll just pick out the relevant bits as I think the description of where the house was may be important.
'The next claim was that of Mr Peter Penthony O'Kelly, who claimed compensation for the loss sustained by the malicious burning of a dwelling house, his property, in the townland of Barrettstown, on the night of Wednesday, the 10 of October, 1883, or early on the following morning. £30.
(Skipping forward)
Mr Routledge the agent was examined by Mr White. He recovered possession of the place from the tenant, O'Shaughnessy, by an ejectment process.
(skipping forward, still questioning Routledge )
What reason have you to believe the fire was malicious? There was a great deal of trouble with this man who was ejected for the house.
How long was it from the time of he was ejected till the burning took place? The ejectment was in February and the fire in October.
Where was he living in the mean time? In a house on the other side of the ditch.
(skipping forward)
Mr Rutledge in reply to Mr White said that after O'Shaughnessy had been put out he erected another house on the land close to where he had lived. He(Mr Rutledge) had levelled the house.
(skipping forward)
P Fulham, the balliff was examined next. He got possession of the place for the sheriff. The fire took place about 9.30 in the morning. He saw it as he was on his way to Naas to attend at the Quarter Sessions where he was to give evidence in cases that were pending against other tenants. In reply to Mr Brown he said that he saw the house several times between February and October. There was a fastening on the door but "it was not put on." The house was close to two roadsand was partly built of mud. As to it being manure he could not say it was. The evicted tenant had thatched about a fourth of the roof some time previously. He never saw any props or under pinning to the walls.
(skipping forward)
In reply to further questions witness said he did not think there was anything in the house that would ignite. There had been a dresser and form but they had been removed.'
The skipped bits are just about O'Kelly's right or other wise to make the claim, the value of the house, if it was secured or not and such like.
The interesting line I put in bold, near two roads, we have three townlands named for the O'Shaughnessys, Barretstown, Thomastown and now Derreens.
Thomastown and Derreens are beside each other, Barrettstown is on the other side of the road. There are several roads meeting in this area.
O'Shaughnessy built another house on the other side of the ditch which Rutledge leveled so where did O'Shughnessy go than, did he build another house? (In another part Rutledge calls it a hut, was this the same place that was leveled or another dwelling) Which townland did he end up in? We'll never know for sure but he doesn't appear to have left the area, he wanted his land back and the loan to Pat to buy land looks like they did get their farm back.
