Midnight Legislators – Galway – 1831

The Sydney Monitor 12th November, 1831

A combined movement of various detachments from different parts of the county of Clare, and the county of Galway, was executed on the 22nd instant, for the purpose of surprising and surrounding the midnight legislators of county Galway.
The detachments from Clare consisted of those of the 74th Regiment. Those of Galway consisted of strong parties of the 28th, 56th and 59th Infantry and a squadron of 8th Hussars.
All these parties met at a given point at 6 o’clock on the morning of Monday and secured 261 Terry Alts. The combined parties of the 74th Regiment succeeded, after a long chase, in securing Michael Conolly, a chief leader of the Terry Alts, charged with having directed the late attack on Sir John Burke’s house at Marble Hill. All of the above prisoners were sent under strong escort to Loughrea. Of the above prisoners, several have been identified as being concerned in recent outrages. The investigation commenced on Wednesday and is still going on. Many most respectable witnesses have been summoned.

The Terry Alts were a secret society in County Clare who agitated for land rights, fair rent and against payment of tithes to the established church. The movement began in 1828.