Mogue Kearns

Father Moses (AKA: Mogue) Kearns was executed by the British on July 12, 1798, in the throes of leading 2,000 Revolutionary Irish troops in the Easter Uprising in Ireland. He was an Irish Roman Catholic priest and United Irishmen who was studying for the Priesthood in Paris during the French Revolution, hanged, and survived when the lamp post broke, and he was resuscitated by a bystander, who was an Irish doctor.

Moses Kearns was born at Kiltealy, on the slopes of the Blackstairs Mountains, into a farming family. According to a story current in 1798, Kearns was a student in Paris at the height of the French Revolution and was hanged from a lamp-post by the mob. However, the weight of his body bent the lamp-post and his toes touched the ground. He was then rescued by a doctor who brought him back to consciousness.

After his ordination, was appointed curate at Balyna, on the Kildare-Meath border. He was not long in the parish when he was found to be politically active and was dismissed by Bishop Delaney. On his return from Kildare, he took up residence in Enniscorthy. Kearns joined the Insurgents from the outset and was prominent in the first battle of Enniscorthy on 28 May.

From the camp at Vinegar Hill, Kearns led a detachment of 2,000 poorly-armed insurgents northwards to attack the garrison at Bunclody. On the morning of 1 June, they halted outside the town. Kearns ignored the advice of Miles Byrne (as reported in Myles Byrne's Memoirs) to send a detachment to the Carlow road to cut off the garrison's retreat and ordered the attack to begin. The garrison retreated, but, meeting reinforcements, returned and counter-attacked. The insurgent forces suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to Enniscorthy.

In the battle of Enniscorthy and Vinegar Hill, Kearns again played a prominent part but was wounded and had to be carried by the retreating insurgents towards Wexford. Kearns took refuge until his wound had healed and then joined a large number of insurgents who were hiding in Killoughram Woods. The Protestant gentleman, Anthony Perry of Inch, and the Catholic priest, Mogue Kearns were executed in Edenderry, County Offaly, on 12th July and buried together in the cemetery of Monasteries: A large Celtic cross now marks their grave.

On 12 July 1798 he and Anthony Perry were executed at Edenderry, County Offaly.

See also

• Battle of Vinegar Hill

External links

• The Rebel Priest

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Name	Kearns, Mogue
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Date of death	1798
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