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Surrender, Kilmainham Gaol and Australia |
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Micheal Dywer and the other rebels in the moutains were finding it hard to survive in the
mountain. The British were getting closer to catching them. Life was
getting harder. The winter was cold and they had little chance of success. On
the7th/8th December 1803 Micheal Dwyer surrendered to Mr. Hume
of Humewood castle in Kiltegan Co. Wicklow. Mr. Hume was M.P for Wicklow. The
conditions for surrrender were that he and Hugh Vesty Byrne, Arthur Devlin, John
Mernagh and Martin Burke were to be forgiven [pardoned] and they were to be allowed to go
to America with their families. Dwyer was kept in prison until August 1805 and then he was
sent not to America but to Australia where prisoners and convicts were sent. Micheal Dwyer
was furious because the agreement made when he surrendered was broken. He had to do
as he was told. On the 28th August 1805, Micheal and his wife with the four other
rebels set sail on the Tellicherry from Cobh in Cork to Australia. He arrived in 1806.
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The Tellicherry on which Michael Dwyer was taken to Australia. Drawn by Aoife |
| Micheal and the others were
treated as convicts and spent a while in Norfolk Island and Van Diemens land in Australia.
There were later released and got land near Sydney. They were farmers here. Michael Dwyer
later became a policeman for a while. Some people say he drank a most of his profits
when he owned a pub!!! He died on the 23rd August 1825 and is buried in Waverley
Cemeteryin Sydney. A special momument was put on his grave in 1898. 100 years after the
rebellion in Ireland and has this sign ''Wicklow Chieftain.''
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| Humewood Castle where Mr. Hume lived. Michael Dwyer surrendered to him at Humewood Castle. |
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By Kevin M. ,Ann and Aoife |
