From the Irish Times, 1 March 1878:
“ACCIDENT TO MR MACDONOGH, QC
Yesterday afternoon, as Mr Frank Macdonogh, QC was returning in a brougham from court, a serious accident occurred to him at Ormond-quay, by which, we regret to say, the learned gentleman received some injury. It appears a float owned by Mr William Browne, of Bellevue, was going up the quay towards the Kingsbridge Railway Terminus, and it is stated that when approaching Mr Macdonogh’s brougham a wheel of the float got on a tram track, causing the float to swerve, and come into violent collision with the brougham. The result of the violent shock was that Mr Macdonagh’s coachman and his well-known servant man, Rooney, were both thrown from the box to the ground with great violence. Rooney’s left eye was all but knocked out of his head, and he received serious cuts on the temples, from which the blood profusely flowed. Mr Macdonogh, we are glad to say, was not seriously injured, but received some scratches on his face and was greatly shaken. When the collision occurred, Mr Macdonogh was thrown forward, his head going through the plate glass in the front of the carriage; but, fortunately, having his wig on at the time, his head was not cut. The learned gentleman immediately got out of his brougham, and had Rooney, who was lying on the ground in an insensible condition, removed to the establishment of Dr Willis, close by, where his injuries were attended to. After receiving treatment, Rooney recovered sufficiently to speak, but his eye became much swollen and discoloured, and the bleeding continued for a considerable time afterwards. Mr Macdonogh remained with Rooney until such time as he was sufficiently strong to be removed in a cab, and himself assisted in bathing the unfortunate man’s temples, and administered every aid, without attending to his own injuries, although the blood was at the time trickling down his face.”
Francis Macdonogh QC, who was in his late seventies at the time of the above accident, died in 1882, leaving Rooney a large bequest in his will. In addition to travelling every day to the Four Courts in a carriage, robed, Macdonogh always wore white kid gloves; you will see them on him in the image above.
An obituary in the Central Somerset Gazette of 6 May 1882, noted that Rooney, commonly known as ‘Faithful Rooney’ was almost as well-known as his master, and vouched for the truth of the following:
“During a long vacation Mr McDonogh, who was a great dandy, and very vain of his personal appearance, promenaded daily on the Parade at Brighton, umbrella expanded to keep off the sun’s rays, the faithful Rooney following at a respectful distance in his wake. Poor Rooney at length grew tired of the promenading, and taxed his wits to get a holiday. Opportunity ere long arose. His master enquired what the people said of him; were they not struck by his distingué appearance etc. Rooney scratched his head, and answered, ‘Och, sure, your honour might be vexed if I told.’ ‘Not at all. I command you to tell me,’ said the lordly Frank. ‘Well sir,’ said Rooney, with pretended diffidence, ‘when they see me following your honour, they say that you are a lunatic and I’m your keeper.’ ‘Rooney,’ said Mr McDonogh in awful accents, ‘I must go without you in future.’
Mr Macdonogh would no doubt have been pleased to read, in another obituary in the Belfast Morning News of 19 April 1882, of his
‘distinguishing characteristics as a leading member of the Bar, no less in his amiable disposition and gentlemanly bearing as a man… it is not too much to say that in a pre-eminent degree he combined the suaviter in modo with the fortiter in re… when comparatively a young man, he displayed abilities no less noteworthy for legal acumen than breadth of thought’ and in his earlier days had not a peer in the circuit in which he practised… Called to the Bar in 1829, while yet a junior, he was engaged in the O’Connell State trial. Probably the not the least striking event in his lifetime was the defence he made on behalf of the Land Leaguers, in the recent state trials, an effort, it may be noted, not more creditable to his admitted ability as a barrister, than a reflection of his worth as a man… Full of quiet humour, a warm friend, a genial companion, the memory of his life and his work the members of the Bar and the general public will not willingly let die.”
Macdonogh and Rooney made a great team, and there are many stories of them in Irish bar lore. Looking forward to sharing some more of their escapades in the future!
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