{"id":4403,"date":"2018-09-21T00:05:51","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T23:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=4403"},"modified":"2018-09-21T00:14:17","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T23:14:17","slug":"funeral-for-a-thief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/funeral-for-a-thief\/","title":{"rendered":"Funeral for a Thief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Chicago May caused more than one man to die over her looks&#8230; an innocent street fight such as this is one such occasion&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The ladys honour, though no lady<br\/>Among such company is a queen<br\/>The offender sighted, the lady slighted<br\/>Tolerated it could not be seen<br\/>So quick of blow, and more were traded<br\/>Uppercut to hefty jab<br\/>Alas, fell dead for a ladys honour<br\/>On the kerb from a blow of the driver of a cab!<br\/>She of the red red hair<br\/>The Helen of Troy that launched another fight<br\/>She was no queen bar of the underworld&#8230;<br\/>This striking lady of the night&#8230;<br\/>George Kirby was to stand on trial<br\/>For getting involved were he aught not&#8230;<br\/>But the thieves came through upon their honour<br\/>Let that too not be forgot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"189\" height=\"267\" src=\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Chicago-May.jpg\" alt=\"Mary Ann Duignan was the daughter of Francis Duignan of Edenmore in Ballinamuck where she grew up, and Ann Grey of Mohill in Leirtim. From a poor background she would rise - or fall as we may see it! - to being one of the biggest conwomen of her time, who would call herself the &quot;Queen of Crooks&quot;, in time though, the law caought up with her and she died in poverty and obscurity. She was the Ronnie Biggs of her day...\" class=\"wp-image-2564\"\/><figcaption>Mary Ann Duignan was the daughter of Francis Duignan of Edenmore in Ballinamuck where she grew up, and Ann Grey of Mohill in Leirtim. From a poor background she would rise &#8211; or fall as we may see it! &#8211; to being one of the biggest conwomen of her time, who would call herself the &#8220;Queen of Crooks&#8221;, in time though, the law caought up with her and she died in poverty and obscurity. She was the Ronnie Biggs of her day&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyman, no matter how low<br\/>He is in life, through life or birth<br\/>To his tribe he has his rank<br\/>To those higher and lower, he has his worth.<br\/>Poor Walter Finch, the lady cared not<br\/>For whose honour he lost his life&#8230;<br\/>A hero in the now gone ages of chivalry<br\/>She was no lady, and made a bad wife.<br\/>Becky Cohen&#8217;s people, selling holy images<br\/>Gave wake to him the world rather did not know<br\/>Her mother, the matriarch, solemnly declared<br\/>He as a Catholic, to be buried would go.<br\/><br\/>It was some parade, of rank and file<br\/>In their place, as all men knew<br\/>There is aristocracy in mediocrity<br\/>Leaders and followers in the criminal crew.<br\/>As with all funerals, there was the carriages<br\/>Followed by horseborne men, side by side<br\/>Costermongers in corduroy suits of Whitechapel<br\/>Red neckchiefs worn, known far and wide&#8230;<br\/>Then the throng of the common criminal<br\/>Neither bad nor good at being good or bad<br\/>The beggars took up the rearguard<br\/>Being the station in life in the underworld they had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Such a throng at the alter gathered<br\/>The priest looked down, baffled and dismayed<br\/>Their church attendance was shown by woeful ignorance<br\/>Of prayer and ritual, abunantly displayed.<br\/>Some sat when they should stand<br\/>More stood when they aught kneel<br\/>The Protestants of cource refused to<br\/>The Jewish folk, confused at the scene, surreal.<br\/><br\/>&#8220;Poor Walter, he has trailed his last guy&#8221;<br\/>Tribute by Tim Oakes said<br\/>Who betrayed his own for pieces of silver&#8230;<br\/>Mourning poor Finch now dead&#8230;<br\/>Ashes to ashes, intoned the priest<br\/>So to the earth Finch was laid<br\/>Fights broke out in the drunken late hours<br\/>So, by such, his funeral was made.<br\/><br\/>She, her of the red red hair<br\/>That caused remark that caused offence<br\/>Went on the be the cause of other men to kill or try<br\/>Men so excited know little sense<br\/>For she, as with those of her kind<br\/>For men of his care little, but passing through&#8230;<br\/>No matter how rough a man in life carries himself:<br\/>Being a gentleman can be his undoing too.<br\/><br\/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"297\" src=\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854.jpeg\" alt=\"Finchley Cemetry when it was consecrated in 1854\" class=\"wp-image-4405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854.jpeg 624w, https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854-300x143.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854-332x158.jpeg 332w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><figcaption>Finchley Cemetry when it was consecrated in 1854<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships&#8230; Chicago May and her wild red hair sent many men to their deaths, or to kill&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,2925,23,1],"tags":[2695,489,4158,4160],"class_list":["post-4403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-death","category-longford","category-north-longford","category-uncategorized","tag-chicago-may","tag-fight","tag-george-kirby","tag-womans-honour","column","twocol","has-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Finchley-Cemetry-when-it-was-consecrated-in-1854.jpeg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-191","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3690,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/longford-folk-speak-of-the-pashtun\/","url_meta":{"origin":4403,"position":0},"title":"Longford Folk Speak of the Pashtun","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"23rd April 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Willie Carty worked for the Dopping Hepenstal family, and heard stories of their relative who was in the British Army in Waziristan at the time, and of a mysterius warrior people, tied to their faith and identity, who were savage, unyeilding and unfailingly honourable and hospitable in equal measure. He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;North Longford&quot;","block_context":{"text":"North Longford","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/north-longford\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Maxwell Edward Dopping Hepenstall - one of the Longfordmen who fought against the Pashtun in the British Army and brought back tales of a fierce but honourable people","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3948,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/weekend-of-hit-and-miss-in-banagher-and-longford\/","url_meta":{"origin":4403,"position":1},"title":"Weekend of Hit and Miss in Banagher and Longford","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I made the Readings at the Pallet this year, and found that its ten years since I was in at the first one that I attended, with next years being the official 25th its hoped I was told to do something special such as a publication for it which would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Banagher&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Windows in Saint Mels Cathederal in Longford","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Windows-in-Saint-Mels-Cathederal-in-Longford-165x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":105,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/he-lost-her-that-he-desired\/","url_meta":{"origin":4403,"position":2},"title":"He Lost Her That He Desired","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"19th June 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"He lost her, that he desired, A love that was not to be, Her\u2026 she married another, That she loved more, though she loved he. The night before her wedding, To elope with her he did plead, But she loved McGovern more than he And she would not do the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Irish Civil War&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Irish Civil War","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/irish-civil-war\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Michael Collins love for Kitty Kiernan is well known, as played by Julia Roberts in the film, Kitty was but the second of the Kiernan girls Michael Collins fell in love with, losing the first, Helen, to a young solicitor Paul McGovern\u2026","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130815142834im_\/http%3A\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Helen-Kiernans-Wedding.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5128,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/remembering-bernard-o-reilly-a-soldier-of-australia-and-old-aughagreagh\/","url_meta":{"origin":4403,"position":3},"title":"Remembering Bernard O&#8217; Reilly, a Soldier of Australia and old Aughagreagh","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"14th November 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Its a long way to Australia from old Aughagreagh, Where his family left from decades before And the ladies he laughed with when he visited that day Shall enjoy his laughter and company no more. In Belgiums flat fields between Holland and France Which Germans had taken in 1914 Hard\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Ireland&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Ireland","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Bernard-J-O-Reillys-of-Australia-and-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Bernard-J-O-Reillys-of-Australia-and-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Bernard-J-O-Reillys-of-Australia-and-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Bernard-J-O-Reillys-of-Australia-and-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4577,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/home-made-explores-concept-of-home-for-longford-writers-group\/","url_meta":{"origin":4403,"position":4},"title":"&#8220;Home Made&#8221; explores concept of home for Longford Writers Group","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"3rd December 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Longford Writers Group - featuring yours truly - launched their anthology of poems and stories in Longford Library, to the musical accompaniment of Bernie on the keyboard, and Valerie on vocals. The anthology explored the concept of home, as it is known to each of us, and a contribution\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Launch of \"Home Made\" - the anthology of Longford Writers Group","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Launch-of-Home-Made-the-anthology-of-Longford-Writers-Group-1024x467.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Launch-of-Home-Made-the-anthology-of-Longford-Writers-Group-1024x467.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Launch-of-Home-Made-the-anthology-of-Longford-Writers-Group-1024x467.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4187,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/remembering-a-country-girl\/","url_meta":{"origin":4403,"position":5},"title":"Remembering a Country Girl","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"25th November 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Verses pondering the life of May Ann Duignan (Degnan), aka Mrs May Churchill Sharpe, aka Chicago May, as I walked past her families homestead on the way to my own one summers evening. Indeed, any of us could have turned out the same, if we take the path she took\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Lesser Known Ireland&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Lesser Known Ireland","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/lesser-known-ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Duignan homestead in Edenmore in Longford where Chicago May grew up - picture from Google Streetview","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/The-Duignan-homestead-in-Edenmore-in-Longford-where-Chicago-May-grew-up-picture-from-Google-Streetview.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/The-Duignan-homestead-in-Edenmore-in-Longford-where-Chicago-May-grew-up-picture-from-Google-Streetview.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/The-Duignan-homestead-in-Edenmore-in-Longford-where-Chicago-May-grew-up-picture-from-Google-Streetview.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/The-Duignan-homestead-in-Edenmore-in-Longford-where-Chicago-May-grew-up-picture-from-Google-Streetview.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4403"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4411,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4403\/revisions\/4411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}