The Life Story of an Old Rebel

s Xavier O'Brien, I was brought into intimate connection many years after the Rising, when we were both officials, he as General Secretary and I as Chief Organiser, of the Home Ru

anity that was commended by the judge, in seeing that the women a

be hanged, drawn and quartered-this sentence being afterwards commuted to penal servitude. Certainly, whether on the field o

te-haired mild-looking old gentleman-still tolerably active and supple, though-who could blaze up and fight to the death over wha

urgents who reached Tallaght, the place of rendezvous on the night of the 5th of March, 1867, were received by a volley from the police and dispersed. One party ha

d detective, General Halpin was the last man in the world anyone would, from his appearance, take to be a soldier. He looked far more like a comf

when the Rising would take place. Knowing both men so well, I can say that none better could be found for planning out a campaig

ial gathering, giving a number of us enthusiastic young men a

afely away to America, but, unfortunately, he was identified at Queenstown in the outgoing st

in contact with him he was starting the "Lancashire Free Press," which, after passing through several hands and several changes, of name, ultimately became the "Catholic Times," which was for three years, when Father Nugent became the proprietor, under my direction. Meany was a man of fine presence

rongly condemned young Irishmen for joining the corps. All we could urge against it, however, could not prevent our young men who were coming over from Ireland at this time from joining the "Brigade" for the purpose, they said, of learning and perfecting themselves in the use of arms. C

ache over a tolerably full beard. The general impression of his face seemed to me slightly cynical, and he had a constant smile that betokened self-possession and confidence. He sometimes wore a frock coat, a light waistcoat buttoned high up, a black fashionable necktie, and light well-made trousers. After surveying him in detail, you would come to the conclusion

amuel Lover's stories-"Rory O'More"-to which I have already alluded, for, in our later revolutionar

l Rickard Burke, Captains Condon, Murphy, Deasy and O'Brien, all American officers who had crossed the Atlantic for the Rising, and still remained, hoping for another opportunity. There were about half a dozen of the Liverpool men there. Of these I can remember a tall, fine-looking young man,

ce at a moment's notice. At the meeting we learned that there was at that moment an "Expedition," as it was termed, on the sea to co-operate with and bring arms for another Rising in Ireland, should such be found practicable. It was notorious that, notwithsta

arms, three pieces of field artillery, and 200,000 cartridges. About the middle of May the vessel arrived in Irish waters, agents going aboard at various points off the coast, including Sligo Bay, which she reached on the 20th of May, 1

e an insurrection with could be thrown into Ireland, providing the

esent in Owen McGrady's beer house the night we met t

September, and the fate of their gallant rescuers, formed the most stri

sympathisers, but in the heart of a great English city, surrounded by a hostile population, showed unexpected capa

the hands of three of the Irish-American officers, Captain Murphy, who had charge in Scotland, Colonel Ri

with Captain Michael O'Brien, had been staying with Condon, upon whom now devolve

n the law courts, and for their rescue, in which latter enterprise he w

he occasion when it arises. Daniel Darragh-about whom I shall have more to say later-was sent to Birmingham, where by the aid of William Hogan he purchased and brought back with him sufficient revolvers to arm the volunteers for the rescue. T

gh with the aid of Michael O'Brien and his Manchester friends he had made all the arrangements, selecting the spot where the prison van was to be stopped, assigning to every man his post, and providing for every co

tember 17th, the night before the rescue, to meet the men chosen for the daring enterprise, when the arms

escue, when Condon and Burke came across each other in New York, each having suffered in the interval a long term of imprisonment, and it was the last night that Burke and Condon

magistrates they were remanded. "They were," said the "Daily News," "placed in a cell with a view to removal to the city jail at Belle Vue. At this time the police noticed outside the court house two men hanging about whom they

dignant at being left out. His suspicious conduct outside the court house drew the attention of the police-as we have seen-with the result, as the paper said, that the au

is occasion, owing to the incident just described, Brett, the officer in charge, went ins

our of the man whom the police had arrested that caused additional precautions to be taken. Certain it is that if the Manchester authorit

rescue is incorrectly given. One book says: "The van drove off for the County jail at Salford." In another description it is stated: "Just as the van passed under the arch that spans Hyde Road at Belle Vue, a point midway between the city police office and the Salford Jail, etc." Following this, one of our ablest writers,

nly where the railway bridge crosses Hyde Road, but if the van had been g

perpetuated. I find in one of the leading Irish-American newspapers, in a description of the death of Colonel Kelly on February 5, 1909, the scene of the

digression, may I

en sufficiently close to them he waved a white handkerchief as a signal to the men in am

of the horses effectually stopped the van. At the sound of the shots the rest of the rescuers came from th

e around the van, and kept the police and mob who had rallied to their assistance at bay, while a second party set themselves to effecting an entrance to the van. This was more difficult than had been expected, for had Brett ridden on the step behind

is it to read of the appearance of the public enemy in the heart of one of our greatest cities, organised and armed, overpowering, wounding and murdering the guardians of public order, and releasing prisoners of state. There is a distinctness of aim, a tenacity of purpose, a resolution in execution

g the lock of the van. A female prisoner then handed out the keys on the demand of the Fenians outside, and th

re then brickfields from the prison to the scene of action. But, when they saw the determined men who were guarding the leaders' retreat, they, too, like the pol

was taken, but the main object had been accomplished, and Kelly and Dea

here were numerous arrests and no lack of witnesses to swear anything to secure convictions. Every detail of the attack on the van while on the way from the courthouse to the prison, and of the release o

e docks, and yet were sworn to by numerous witnesses as having assisted in the

eration I was surprised to learn from his own lips that, although he would gladly have borne his part if detailed for the duty, he was not present at the rescue of the Fenian leaders. With the authorities in

tment of the U.S.A.-he tells me something about William Murphy that I never heard before. He says: "When Allen, Larkin, O'Brien, myself, and the other men were sentenced, Digby Seymour (one of the counsel for the prisoners) went down to a lar

s penal servitude, addressed his comrades, urging them to stand fast together, imitate our example, and die like

ty-two shouted out-'We w

rritated, went away without

Condon was reprieved, really on account of his American citizenship, and Maguire, who was a marine, because the authorities d

, no names in the long roll of those who have suffered and died for Ireland are more honoured than those of the "Manchester Martyrs," while the dete

cause

oy or we

our isle a Natio

house of an Irish professional man for some weeks, and then, all the railway stations being closely and con

ken down at the end of the voyage. I had fitted up such berths myself, and therefore perfectly understood what my friend had done to secure Colonel Kelly's escape when he described it to me afterwards at my place in Byrom Street. Egan actually built a small secret compartment, so constructed

made his wa

ssembled that night at McGrady's, I have s

ueen's College, Cork, and an accomplished linguist. He was a skilful engineer, and had served with distinction in the American Civil War. When I knew h

of effecting his rescue that the Clerkenwell Prison wall was blown up on December 13th, 1867, this insane plan causing the death and mutilation

matter was brought before the House of Commons by Mr. McCarthy Downing, who suggested that Burke

had often met before, was a gentlemanly, genial man of portly presence, and an

port of a Manchester Martyr's Commemoration in a newspaper which accompanied one of his letters, and conversations I had with him when I was delighted to have him as my guest during his recent visit to this country, I find he has just the same sanguine temperament as on that nig

number of Irishmen in the American armies, on both sides, during the Civil War who, with their military training, longed for the task of sweeping English rule from the soil of Ireland. It will be remembered that it was

terest in my publications. I am pleased, too, to find from the newspaper reports he has sent me that he is, as ever

remain on their native soil. They have, he says, to use whatever means have been left to save themselves from extermination and Ireland from becoming a desert. He, therefore, declares

s-God rest his soul! He was a noble character, and would have risen to the top in any walk of life, but though he had a good home-his father was a prosperous merchant of Liverpool-he gave his

Saxon one, for he was supposed to be an English artist sketching in Ireland. Questioned by the police, he was able to satisfy them of his bona fides. He had a friend in Liverpool, an old schoolfellow like myself, Richard Richards-"Double Dick" we used to call him-a patriotic Liverpool-born Irishman. He was an exceedingly able artist, making rapid progress in his profession, and, about this time, having some very fine pictures, for which he got good prices, on the walls of the Liverpool Academy Exhibition. Richards supplied all the trappings for the part that Rya

tiny" may be must be the seat of Government. There is some doubt, as is well known, as to where the real stone now is. At all events, the stone which is under the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey is that which was taken from Scone by King E

lliant idea of stealing the stone, bringing it over to Ireland, and, once for all, settling the Irish question. This, notwithstanding their oath to "The Irish Republic now

rett, an Irish National League organiser, in Edward the Confessor's Chapel, in front of the famous "Lia Fail." It is a rough-hewn stone, about two feet each way, and ten inches deep. I

moment, he had vaulted over the railing,

ittee of enquiry. An archaeological friend of mine suggests that, one day, when Ireland is making her own laws and able to enter on equal terms into

ever complaining, but always sanguine, and loving to look at the bright side of things. Yet I could see for myself, each time I saw him, how the life of hardship he was leading was telling upon his once splendid constitution, and, I felt sure, shortening his days. John Rya

or he has been for many years a member of Parliament. Now some of my most cherished friends are or have been members of Parliament, and I would be sorry to think any of them worse Irishmen than myself on that account. Their taking the oath of allegiance to the British sovereign wa

company comprising the Council of War at McGrady's public house. Summed up as follows,

'Brien.-Hanged at

-Sent to Penal Servitu

in Timothy Deasy.-Rescued f

ondon.-Sentenced to death

nt to Penal Servitud

rned to America. Die

ter.-A Member

Dead-God re