Black Francis and his gang were essentially gentlemen Jacobites who did not go to the Continent after the Williamite War but rather took to the hills and were known as Rapparees, robbing the rich and giving to the poor. The gang included Patrick "Supple Dick" Corrigan, Tom Acheson, Tarlach Mhuiris, James Mc Quaid, Brian Mc Alynn and Alex Wright. They operated from their base in the Tievemore Mountains around 1770–1780. It is almost certain that Proinsaís Dubh's last name was McHugh, however some oral historians call him Corrigan. This may refer to another member of the gang, Supple Corrigan.
Stories
There are many tales in the oral folklore about this Rapparee.
Daring Deeds
In one tale, the outlaw relieved the regular army of 70,000 gold sovereigns. This booty was disposed of by hiding it in a foal's skin and burying it. It is thought that the treasure is still there at a place which is "in line with the 3 spires during the last rays of the setting sun on the 22nd of June". In another brush with the Red Coats, Proinsias Dubh took cover in a house in Segronan. In those days houses only had a front door but in this case Proinsias Dubh slipped out a back door before the soldiers had surrounded it.
In way of reparation for the English establishment's seizure of Lisgoole Abbey and as a measure to reimburse their fellow countrymen for punishing burdens of debt, Black Francis's gang raided the abbey. It is unclear who owned Lisgoole Abbey at the time. Sources say it was a Major Armstrong, who informed the authorities, the so-called Militiamen, of the raid. Other sources state that the abbey at this time belonged to Sir Joseph Davies, an English lawyer. After the raid, the soldiers pursued Black Francis to the Sillees River from Enniskillen. When it looked as though the Militiamen would successfully cut off the highwayman's escape route, he leaped the Sillees River in a single bound with his horse, a jump of 20 feet. The Captain of the guards remarked ”Corrigan, that's a good jump", and the Highwayman retorted "the Divil thank ye, I had a long race for it". Both parties continued their chase until Black Francis came to a hill called Druminiskill and there he threw the money he had looted in a bog hole, declaring that "some man or woman that came by after him would be rich". Other accounts of this story say that it was actually Black Francis's companion Supple Corrigan that leaped the Sillees. After his jump, it is said that Supple made his escape to America.
When he was captured, Black Francis was reputed to have said that he had "run too fast to run long". The trial of Proinsaís Dubh took place at the prison in Enniskillen where the Technical School is now situated. It was thought that Supple Corrigan escaped capture by disguising himself as a woman and hiding in the crowd of onlookers at the public trial. During the trial of Black Francis, the daughter of General Armstrong asked for clemency due to Black Francis's gentlemanly behaviour to her during the Abbey raid, but this was rejected by the jury and he was sentenced to be hanged. Proinsaís Dubh's final oratory from the gallows was quite lengthy and when told to speed it up, he countered that although the hangman's day was very long, his day would be without a doubt quite short. His body was transported by boat through Lough Erne to the Waterfoot near Pettigo from whence it was borne through the village to Carn Graveyard, on the road to Lough Derg. There lies the final resting place of the rapparee Proinsaís Dubh in 1782, although other sources state it was May 1780
Songs and Poems
There is a poem or song devoted to this highwayman
