On this day January 7, 1841, John "Red" Kelly, the father of the infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, was sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing two pigs in an effort to feed his starving family. The judge handed down the harsh sentence at the Cashel quarter sessions in County Tipperary. He was held prisoner there and was eventually taken to Dublin on the 31st of July.

There he was placed on board the transport ship named the ‘Prince Regent,’ which sailed for Hobart, Australia, on the 7th of August with 180 prisoners arriving at Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land (now the state of Tasmania, Australia) on 2 January 1842. Red Kelly was born in 1820 at Clonbrogan, near Moyglas, County Tipperary, Ireland. His son Ned went on to become one of the greatest thorns in the side of the English crown and was hunted relentlessly.

Ned was hanged on November 11, 1880, in Old Melbourne Gaol. In the condemned cell, the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church were administered to him by Father Thomas Donaghy, the Dean of Melbourne. Father Donaghy was born in Lisleitrim, not far from Cullyhanna, South Armagh.

Pictured is Ned Kelly, c. 1880.

Many thanks again to Michael McShane and Creggan Historical Society.

Thanks to Paddy Crilly for the inspiration.

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