Story of Nine Fine Irishmen

The Nine Fine Irishmen authentic Irish Pub has been inspired by the stories of nine Irishmen whose lives were entwined around that tumultuous year of revolution in Europe 1848. Young England, Young Italy, Young Poland, - all across Europe revolutionary movements sprang up inspired by ideals of liberalism and romantic nationalism.

When the Paris revolution of February overthrew Louis Phillipe and installed the poet Alphonse de Lamartine at the head of the provisional government of the second French Republic a wave of revolution spread across Europe causing the sudden collapse of established regimes and threatened the survival of others. In Ireland too, albeit the country had not yet begun to recover from the disaster of the Great Famine, there was a new generation ready to take up arms - The Young Irelanders.

In Ireland the movement that bore the name Young Ireland was first given it as label of derision and a sobriquet of contempt by its contemporary enemies. Yet despite the fact that the revolutionary activity in which they engaged was a hopeless failure, those Young Irelanders who are commemorated here have taken up a place of honour not only in the history of their own country but also in the histories of the United States, Canada and Australia.

Neither in their own lifetimes, nor in subsequent generations, have their actions or ideals received the universal approval of their fellow countrymen. The most prominent of them were controversial figures both in their land of birth and in the lands where they made their eventual homes (or passed a good portion of their lives).

Nonetheless, nobody can deny the sterling qualities of courage and selfless motivation, which characterised the romantic nationalism that was the common currency of these Nine Fine Irishmen.

These nine whose destinies became interwoven in the revolutionary activities in Ireland of 1848 were men of hugely varying backgrounds, temperaments and character. Charles Gavan Duffy came from a prosperous Catholic merchant family. John Mitchel was born into the family of a Unitarian minister. William Smith O'Brien was the son of one of the few old-Irish Gaelic Catholic families to be assumed into ruling Protestant ascendancy.
Patrick O'Donohue came from impoverished small farming stock while the others - Terence Bellew McManus, Richard O'Gorman, John Blake Dillon, Thomas Francis Meagher and Thomas D'Arcy Magee came from backgrounds of varying degrees of middle class prosperity.

Though they were all members of the Confederates, the principal organisation of the Young Ireland movement, even their political ideas spanned a wide spectrum of beliefs. When seven of the nine arrived in Australia whence they had been deported by the British government for their revolutionary activities, they were genuinely abhorred to find themselves all tarred with the same brush. Both in terms of the politics of nationalist Ireland and in the political issues of their adopted countries, they proved themselves to be greatly at odds among themselves.

In the American civil war Meagher raised a brigade to fight on the side of the abolitionists, while Mitchel lost two sons to the Confederate cause. Mitchel enthusiastically embraced the next generation of Irish revolutionaries the Fenians and became their agent in Paris for a time. D'Arcy Magee roundly condemned them and was consequently assassinated by them. In Van Dieman's Land (now Tasmania) during their exile, O'Donohue embraced a strange brand of radical socialism and liberal Catholicism that was completely at odds with the political ideas of the other transportees.

In New York O'Gorman and Dillon considered D'Arcy Magee to a be an opportunist exploiting Ireland's woes for his own gain and the three quarrelled fiercely over where to put the blame for the failed revolution.

Splits and divisions were the order of the day - both in Ireland and abroad.

Yet for however briefly or incongruously, the Nine were swept up together by an idea of nationality which inspired them to acts of great courage. Apart from their unflinching courage perhaps their greatest common feature was their age for it was not for nothing that they were called Young Irelanders.

These men were not only young in years but saw themselves very self-consciously as leading a new generation. A generation that defined itself by its opposition to the old Ireland as represented by Daniel O'Connell. The country might have laid in ruin after the devastation of the famine but these young men could believe that, perversely, the experience of the famine had created the circumstances for the emergence of a new unity of purpose.

A new nationality that would animate all classes and sections of society to act together in the interest of the nation. Albeit, as it would turn out, very naively, these young men could believe that the crisis of the famine had brought out the very best of the Irish character and in their romantic idealism they were prepared to risk their lives for that.

In the end none of them forfeited their lives. Though four were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered, and though Smith O'Brien appealed for his own sentence at least to be executed, the sentences were commuted. Lord Clarendon, the Irish Lord Lieutenant advised the British Prime Minister Lord John Russell, that to carry out the sentences would only be to create martyrs and the sentences were commuted by Queen Victoria on what were presented as grounds of clemency.

Five of the men - John Mitchel, Thomas Francis Meagher, Patrick O'Donaghue and Terence McManus and William Smith O'Brien were exiled to Australia. Three- John Blake Dillon, Thomas Magee and Richard O'Gorman escaped to North America and the ninth Charles Gavan Duffy went into self-imposed exile in Australia.

A Summary of all the facts

The Young Irelanders

• An Irish political movement set up the try to achieve some form of independence from British Parliament
• Attracted diverse range of leaders to it's fold from both sides of the divide
• Struck a cord with peasant population and became a worry for the British authorities

The Rising in 1848

• As with all good Irish Risings, this one was poorly planned, hopelessly equipped and lacked (enough) native support to succeed
• Impromptu battle took place at Ballingarry, Co Tipperary where rebel forces pinned local British garrison in a peasant house
• As usual, British re-enforcements arrived and the Irish scarpered
• As usual, the Leaders are captured and tried
• As usual the shockwaves from the trial create bigger impact than the original skirmish

Thomas Francis Meaghar

• Born in Waterford on 3 August 1823.
• Known as 'Meaghar of the Sword'
• Magnificent orator
• Core member of 1848 uprising
• Sent to Tasmania following trial Escaped to the US in 1852
  to be greeted by 7000 people and presented with Medal of
  Honour
• Undertook expedition to Central America
• Set up Brigade to fight in US Civil War and became Brigadier General and fought many battles
• Appointed Governor of Montana in 1865
• Mysteriously drowned off Steamboat at Fort Brinton

Charles Gavan Duffy

• Born 12th April 1816 in Co Monaghan to a prosperous family
• Dogged with ill health throughout his life.
• Intrinsically involved in 1848 rebellion.
• Set up famous 'Nation' Newspaper on release from jail.
• Set sails for Australia with his family in 1855 and received a
  hero's welcome in Melbourne.
• Elected to the Australian Parliament in 1856 and served as Minister for Public Works.
• Continually rowed with Irish political figures in Australia and Ireland
• Became Prime Minister of Victoria in 1871
• In 1873 he accepted a knighthood from Queen Victoria, much to the anger of his Irish co-horts
• Retired to Southern France and died in 1903 - his remains were sent to Ireland where they received full national honours

John Mitchel

• Born in Co Derry in 1815 - son of a Unitarian Minister
• His father was a member of a rebellion movement
  'The United Irishmen'
• Became a lawyer and was sentenced to life in Tasmania
  following the 1848 rebellion. He wrote his jail diary called
  Jail Journal, which became a massive bestseller.
• Escaped to San Francisco by boat to a huge welcome.
• Set up 'Citizen' newspaper in New York
• Moved to Virginia to farm and do lecture tours
• Sided with Confederates and lost 3 sons in the civil war
• Became key influencer to President Jefferson
• Moved back to New York and set up 'Daily News' newspaper and imprisoned due to it's content. Moved to Paris to raise funds for Irish Fenian movement
• Returned to Ireland and elected to British Member of Parliament
• Died in Ireland in 1875

Thomas D'Arcy Magee

• Born in Co Louth in 1825
• Emigrated to US in 1843 to become editor of 'The Boston'
  newspaper
• Returned to Ireland and jailed for his part in the 1848 rebellion
• Escaped to America disguised as a priest
• Moved to Montreal via Boston where he was elected Mayor
  in 1855, then to the Canadian parliament
• Became Minister for Agriculture in 1864
• Returned to Ireland and made a speech rejecting his revolutionary past "Politically we were a pack of fools, but we were honest in our folly and no man need blush at forty for the follies of one and twenty unless he still perseveres in them."
• Returned to Canada and made significant contributions in the areas Education, Agriculture
• He was assassinated in Canada in 1868 by Irish republicans

William Smith O'Brien

• Born in Dromoland Castle Co Clare to influential family
• Direct descendant of famous Irish warrior King Brian Boru
• Attended English Public Schools and Cambridge University
• Elected to British Parliament in 1828 and was strong supporter
  of British rule over Ireland Experienced a 'Road to Damascus'
  moment in 1843 and changed his allegiance to the
  Irish freedom movement.
• Natural leadership qualities ensured his quick rise to play a
  leading role in 1848 rebellion
• Death sentence commuted to life in Tasmania on 5th June 1849
• Refused 'ticket-of-liberty' and was imprisoned on Maria island.
• After several failed escape attempts he was pardoned by the local authorities (who feared his influence) and returned to Ireland in1856
• Became powerful international figure visiting the US in 1859
• Died in Wales in 1864

John Blake Dillon

• Born in Co Mayo in 1814, son of a peasant farmer
• Attended illegal 'hedge' schools and then University
• Described by colleague Mitchel as "tall, slight and thin
  but broad-shouldered, dark as a Spaniard complexion,
  with regular noble features and great melancholy eyes"
• Following rebellion he escaped to New York disguised as a priest
• Distanced himself from other Rebel colleagues living in the US
• Admitted to New York bar at Albany in 1849, and was delighted
  by the lack of formality (no wigs, gowns etc)
• Set up law practice with fellow NFI O'Gorman which flourished
  and became a member of the elite
• Eventually returned to Ireland (due to ill-health of Mother-in-law)
• Became embroiled in politics and was elected to Westminster Parliament.
• Died suddenly 12 months later

Terence McManus

• Born in Co Monaghan in 1823
• Emigrated to Liverpool to work as a shipping agent
• Became very successful, earning €2000 per year and
  rose to become leader of Liverpool Irish.
• Returned to Ireland and became heavily involved in
  Young Irelander movement.
• Sentenced with fellow NFI and transported to Tasmania
• Escaped to San Francisco
• Tried unsuccessfully to set up a shipping business
• Died in poverty in St Mary's hospital in January 1861
• His heroism not forgotten, his remains were brought in military style procession across America to New York with huge crowds meeting the cortege en route
• His body was shipped to Cork, Ireland and transported to Dublin where he was laid to rest surrounded by a 50,000 strong torchlight procession.

Patrick O'Donoghue

• Born in Co Carlow to a peasant family
• Educated himself and managed to enter Ireland's
  most prestigious University, Trinity College Dublin.
• Became embroiled in the bid for freedom and joined
  the Young Irelander movement
• Captured by the British and sentenced to death -
  sentence later commuted to life in Tasmania
• Became editor of local 'Irish Exile' newspaper
• Suffered real hardship in Tasmania and eventually escaped
  to San Francisco in 1852 as a stowaway on board the Yarra Yarra
• Lived in squalor and moved to New York
• Died in poor circumstances in 1854

Richard O'Gorman

• Born in Dublin in 1826
• Entered Trinity College in 1842
• Joined Young Irelander movement
• After unsuccessful rebellion he escaped to New York
• Set up law practice with fellow NFI Dillion which flourished
  and became a member of the elite
• In 1869, he became a counsel to New York corporation
• Appointed to the Superior Court of New York in 1880
• Died in NY in 1895