The author at Rock House—Galway election—_Searching_ for voters—Mr.
Ned Bodkin—Interesting conversation between him and the
author—Process-serving at Connemara—Burke, the bailiff—His hard
treatment—Irish method of discussing a chancery bill—Ned Bodkin’s
“Lament”—False oaths, and their disastrous consequences—Country
magistrates in Ireland.
The election for County Galway was proceeding whilst I was refreshing
myself at Rock House, Castlebar, after various adventures at
Ballinrobe—as already mentioned. I met at Rock House an old fellow who
told me his name was Ned Bodkin, a Connemara boy; and that he had come
with two or three other lads only to _search_ for voters to take to
Galway for Squire Martin’s poll. Bodkin came to Mrs. Burke’s house to
consult Counsellor Moore, and I determined to have a full conversation
with him as to the peninsula of Connemara and its statistics. He sent
off eight or nine freeholders (such as they were) in eight-and-forty
hours; they were soon polled for the squire, and came back as happy as
possible.