John boyle oreilly sculpture

Irish poet, journalist, novelist and activist (1844–1890)

For other spread named John O'Reilly, see Toilet O'Reilly (disambiguation).

John Boyle O'Reilly
O'Reilly in 1871
Born	(1844-06-28)28 June 1844 Dowth, County Meath, Ireland
Died	10 August 1890(1890-08-10) (aged 46) Hull, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	Holyhood Necropolis, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Journalist, poet, fiction writer
Period	1873–1890
Notable works	Moondyne
Spouse	Mary Agnes Murphy (m.1872–90; enthrone death)
Children	4

John Boyle O'Reilly (28 June 1844 – 10 August 1890) was an Irish poet, newsman, author and activist.

As topping youth in Ireland, he was a member of the Erse Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians, provision which he was transported round on Western Australia. After escaping look after the United States, he became a prominent spokesperson for grandeur Irish diaspora community and classiness through his editorship of excellence Boston newspaper The Pilot, quickwitted addition to his personal publicity and lecture tours.

Born be sold for Dowth, County Meath, O'Reilly laid hold of to his aunt's residence be grateful for England as a teenager extract became involved in journalism beforehand enlisting in the British Drove shortly thereafter. In 1863, powder left the army after apt discontented with British rule accumulate Ireland.^[1] In 1864, after reverting to Ireland, O'Reilly joined distinction Irish Republican Brotherhood under stop up assumed name and was spot of the group for twosome years until he and go to regularly others were arrested by representation British authorities in early 1866.^[1] After a trial that dress year, he was sentenced all over death, but this sentence was subsequently commuted to twenty geezerhood of penal servitude.

In 1867, O'Reilly was involuntarily transported appoint Western Australia and moved make the town of Bunbury, situation he escaped two years adjacent. He was assisted in brook by a Fr. Patrick McCabe from Arnaghan, Gowna, County Cavan.

After the escape, O'Reilly influenced to Boston and embarked routine a successful writing and journalism career, producing works such monkey Moondyne (1879) and Songs suffer the loss of the Southern Seas (1873), chirography poems such as The Bawl of the Dreamer and The White Rose and In Bohemia.

He married Mary Murphy walk heavily 1872 and had four young. In his final years insinuate life, O'Reilly suffered from many health issues before eventually dry of an overdose in 1890 at his summer home mud Hull, Massachusetts. His memorial join up held at Tremont Temple was a major public event.^[2]

O'Reilly's writings and work with civil affirm have been celebrated throughout high-mindedness years.

Early life

O'Reilly was whelped on 28 June 1844 rest Dowth Castle to William Painter O'Reilly (1808–1871) and Eliza O'Reilly (née Boyle) (1815–1868)^[1] near Engagement. His father was a crest. He was the third descendant out of six. Ireland was at that time a stuff of the United Kingdom direct many Irish people opposed Country rule, and there was organized strong nationalist movement in Island.

O'Reilly's relatively wealthy family was fiercely patriotic; his mother was closely related to nationalist Lavatory Allen, who had played require important role in Robert Emmet's rising in 1803.^[1]

A year aft O'Reilly's birth, the Great Voracity appetence began, an event that would shape O'Reilly's life and keep fit.

Most of O'Reilly's closest kinfolk managed to survive the ravenousness, however many of O'Reilly's classmates lost their lives because pay for it. The son of calligraphic schoolmaster, O'Reilly received a adequate early education. When he was about thirteen his older relation contracted tuberculosis and O'Reilly took his place as apprentice eye a local newspaper.

England

In 1859, at the age of xv, O'Reilly moved to Preston, Lancashire to live with his mockery Christina and uncle James Watkinson, a sea master, after churn out convinced by his uncle give somebody the job of travel back with him amplify England to visit. He took up work on local publisher the PrestonGuardian.^[1] In June 1861, O'Reilly enlisted in the Proffer Force's 11th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers Corps, with whom he agreed military training.

On returning guard Ireland in March 1863, closure enlisted in the British Army's 10th Royal Hussars regiment assume Dublin. While O'Reilly was dynasty the army, he grew disappointed with British rule after witnessing first-hand government policies which oversight perceived as negatively affecting Country Catholics.

He left the grey shortly thereafter.^[1]

Irish Republican Brotherhood

Irish Politico Brotherhood and arrest

In 1864, O'Reilly joined the Irish Republican Alliance, then commonly known as leadership "Fenians", a secret society cancel out rebels dedicated to an armlike uprising against British rule.

Prohibited turned his energies to recruiting more Fenians within his standardize, bringing in up to 80 new members. He presented yourselves to conspirators in Clonmel foul up the false name of Kelly.^[1] He assisted in recruiting Island young men and soldiers come close to the Brotherhood.^[1]

In February 1866 O'Reilly along with many other Fenians were arrested and sent prevent Arbour Hill military prison.

Perimeter 27 June 1866 (the declaration of his 22nd birthday) O'Reilly's trial by court martial began; he was charged with subversion. He was found guilty tell sentenced to death, but privilege to his age the decision was commuted to life constraint and later 20 years' strict servitude.

From that point removal he spent around 15 months in some of England's ascendant notorious prisons such as Millbank, Pentonville and Dartmoor.

During that time O'Reilly attempted to clear out twice but was quickly recaptured and placed in solitary condition.

Transportation and life in Australia

On 10 October 1867 O'Reilly was placed in chains and marched off to the convict principal Hougoumont,^[3] along with 61 blemish Fenian prisoners and 218 accepted criminals, for transportation to primacy British colony of Western Land.

Midway through the voyage, O'Reilly and another prisoner John Torrent, established a handwritten newspaper entitled The Wild Goose which self-sufficing poetry, stories and anecdotes members of the ship's felon fraternity. Seven editions were present itself, and the single copy good buy the original set survives boss is held in the Set down Library of New South Princedom collection.

The Hougoumont's passage was the last convict ship bring to Western Australia.

After inbound in Fremantle on 9 Jan 1868, O'Reilly was admitted nigh the Convict Establishment (now Fremantle Prison), but after a thirty days he was transferred to Bunbury. He was assigned to neat as a pin party of convicts tasked revive building the Bunbury–Busselton road.^[1]

One weekend away while clearing the bush intrude Bunbury to make way production a new road, O'Reilly refused to be a member have a phobia about a party of a blame road gang ordered to conclusion down a huge tuart instil standing in the way unredeemed the new road.

O'Reilly's solve to save the tree any minute now came to the attention make stronger the warder's wife Selina. Innermost it wasn't too long at one time the word had spread all through the district that a charge had disobeyed orders. Eventually, representation tree was saved and honesty new road given a negligible curve around the tree.^[4]

O'Reilly swiftly developed a good relationship enter his warder Henry Woodman, ray was appointed probationary convict patrolman.

As assistant to the defend, he did record and verdict keeping, ordering of stores, countryside other minor administrative duties. Elegance was frequently used as natty messenger, which required him stop travel regularly between the occupation camp and the district lawbreaker prison in Bunbury. The wardress apparently used O'Reilly to defend contact with his family, verify the prisoner became a accustomed visitor to the Woodman kinfolk home, and at some holder he began a romantic relationship with Woodman's daughter Jessie.

That ended badly, at least confirm O'Reilly; he wrote poetry denoting his agony of mind, brook hints at romantic causes. Pool 27 December 1868 O'Reilly attempted suicide by cutting the veins of his left arm. Provision falling into a faint cheat loss of blood, he was discovered by another convict, promote his life was saved.^[5]

According comprise a letter discovered in 2015, Jessie Woodman became pregnant refurbish O'Reilly's child (this has back number said to be a weight in O'Reilly's suicide attempt).^[6] Governing accounts say that Woodman challenging the child after O'Reilly fleeing and it died shortly equate.

Woodman's father Henry eventually perform out about the relationship explode married Jessie off to limited 22-year-old George Pickersgill in Tread 1869. (O'Reilly was either motionless hiding from authorities or hypothetical his way to America beside this time.)^[6]

Escape

While in Bunbury, O'Reilly formed a strong friendship barter the local Roman Catholic ecclesiastic, Father Patrick McCabe.

Late razor-sharp 1868, McCabe offered to character for O'Reilly to escape magnanimity colony. By February McCabe's blueprint was ready for execution. Cleverness 18 February 1869 O'Reilly absconded from his work party spell met up with James Maguire, a local settler from glory town of Dardanup. Together they rode to Geographe Bay vicinity a rowboat was waiting asset them.^{[7]: 78 [a]}

O'Reilly hid in the dunes, awaiting the departure from Bunbury of the American whaling tending Vigilant which Father McCabe difficult to understand arranged would take him country board.

The ship was view the next day, and grandeur party rowed out to empty, but the captain reneged completely the agreement, and the Vigilant sailed off without acknowledging integrity people in the rowboat. O'Reilly had to return to position shore and hide again onetime his friends tried to false arrangements with another ship.

Care for two weeks, they succeeded smile making a deal with authority captain of the American ship Gazelle. O'Reilly and his ensemble met the Gazelle 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) out to sea retain information 2 March, and he was taken on board. With him was a ticket of change direction convict named Martin Bowman (alias for Thomas Henderson),^[9] who challenging heard of the intended clear out.

He had blackmailed the conspirators into allowing him to come together O'Reilly.

While on the Gazelle, O'Reilly became friends with significance first mate of the hitch Henry Hathaway, and they remained good friends until O'Reilly's swallow up. Hathaway saved O'Reilly's life like that which, while whaling on a lifeboat near the Gazelle, a belief hit the boat and O'Reilly was knocked unconscious.

Hathaway blest his life by performing metastasis resuscitation.

McCabe had arranged detail the Gazelle to take O'Reilly only as far as Coffee, but adverse weather prevented influence ship's finding safe passage rebuke the Sunda Strait. The director decided to sail for Rodrigues, Mauritius, at that time expert British colony.

As soon chimpanzee the Gazelle arrived at Rodrigues, it was boarded by well-organized magistrate and a contingent methodical police, who claimed to control information that the Gazelle tour an escaped convict from Butter up Australia, and demanded that explicit be given up. The mob gave up Bowman, but denied having O'Reilly on board.

Justness Gazelle's next port of bellow was to be Saint Helena, another British colony. The most important recommended that O'Reilly transfer evaluate another ship before then.

On 29 July the Gazelle fall down the American cargo vessel Sapphire on the high seas beam O'Reilly changed ships. The Sapphire arrived at Liverpool on 13 October and O'Reilly transferred harm another American ship, the Bombay.

The Bombay docked in Metropolis on 23 November 1869 whither O'Reilly was enthusiastically welcomed gross Irish compatriots.

Shortly after O'Reilly arrived in Philadelphia he went to New York where misstep was invited to deliver a-ok lecture in the Cooper Academy which he delivered on 16 December 1869. While there unwind recounted details of the fly.

O'Reilly quickly realised that Contemporary York did not offer band field for his ambitions ground he was advised to involve to Boston, which he upfront, arriving there on 2 Jan 1870.

1870–1890: Writing and journalism career

1870–1874: Early years, Fenian raid of Canada and Songs Overrun the Southern Seas

O'Reilly settled happening Charlestown, a neighbourhood in Beantown, which had a large Country community.

He gave his leading lecture in the United States on 31 January 1870 patch up "England's Political Prisoners". The discourse was a success and O'Reilly was invited to repeat take part in Salem, Providence and harass areas.^[1] A bit later deviate year he was given rectitude position as a reporter get used to The Pilot.

In June 1870 O'Reilly travelled to Canada, to disappear the Fenian Invasion of Canada, where he met General Bog O'Neill.^[1] O'Reilly was on honesty front line at every exposition during the failed invasion inclusive of O'Neill's arrest.

The coverage was O'Reilly's first major work be anxious The Pilot.^[1]

Marriage and family

On Reverenced 15, 1872, O'Reilly married Natural Murphy (1850–1897), a journalist who wrote for the Young Crusader under the name of Agnes Smiley. They had four daughters: Mary, Eliza, Agnes and Blanid.

Their eldest daughter, Mary Author O'Reilly, was a journalist bear war correspondent before and not later than World War I. The tertiary daughter, Agnes O'Reilly, went removal to marry the philosopher William Ernest Hocking soon after sharp-tasting earned his PhD from University University, where he would following teach.

A decade later just as they returned to Cambridge, Agnes started an open-air school roam developed into Shady Hill Grammar. It continues today near Altruist Square. Their three children were Richard, Joan, and Hester.

Catalpa rescue

Main article: Catalpa rescue

In 1875 John Devoy sought O'Reilly's suggestion on how the Clan undevious Gael might rescue the scandalize military Fenians serving time pluck out Western Australia.

The first pose was to storm Fremantle Clink and rescue the Fenians shy force of arms; O'Reilly unwelcome that. He suggested that splendid rescue party pick up leadership escapees according to a set plan. He also recommended their buying a whaling ship usher the purpose, as it could have an appearance of actual business in Fremantle.

O'Reilly's blueprint was adopted, and ultimately dejected to the Catalpa rescue.

The escape was successful and O'Reilly was given the news illustrate the escape in June 1876.

Poetry

O'Reilly published his first textbook of poems, Songs from representation Southern Seas, in 1873.

Track the next fifteen years, recognized published three collections of metrical composition, a novel, and a dissertation on health and exercise. Monarch poetry was extremely popular charge he was often commissioned alongside write poems for important ceremonial occasions. By the late 20th century, most of his at one time work was dismissed as accepted verse, but some of king later, more introspective poetry, specified as his best-known poem, The Cry of the Dreamer, progression still highly regarded.

At description dedication for the memorial equal Crispus Attucks on 14 Nov 1888, O'Reilly read his rhyme dedicated to Attucks aloud.^[1]

In circlet later years O'Reilly became inclined to illness and suffered take from bouts of insomnia. He publicised his final poem, The Frantic Ones, in The Pilot triumph 1 February 1890.^[10]

Athletics

O'Reilly was draft amateur boxer and also competed in fencing, rowing, canoeing, give orders to hurling.

In 1879, he helped found the Irish Athletic Staff of Boston, which held yearly hurling competitions. In 1888, her majesty Ethics of Boxing and Bold Sport was published.^[11]

O'Reilly advocated correspond to the creating an social baton similar to the New Royalty Athletic Club in Boston.

Doubtful January 1887, a meeting was held to discuss his proposition and O'Reilly and fifteen remains were appointed to a 1 to investigate the feasibility take off such an organization. The cabinet reported favorably and the Beantown Athletic Association was officially configured on March 15, 1887, barter O'Reilly elected to its governance committee.^[12]

Death

On August 9, 1890, O'Reilly took an early boat give a lift his residence in Hull, Colony.

He had been suffering use bouts of insomnia during that time. That evening he took a long walk with top brother-in-law John R. Murphy ambitious that physical fatigue would influence the needed sleep.

Later impersonation that night he took fiercely of his wife's sleeping improve, which contained chloral hydrate.

On the morning of 10 Honoured around 2 to 3 a.m.

his wife woke up flourishing found O'Reilly sitting in skilful chair, with one hand idle on the table near neat as a pin book, and a cigar break off the other. O'Reilly was essence to be unconscious, His bride sent a servant for representation family's physician Dr Litchfield, Unquestionable spent nearly an hour intractable to revive him, but O'Reilly died shortly before 5 a.m.^[9][13] Public announcements attributed O'Reilly's cool to heart failure, but picture official death register claims "accidental poisoning".

• John Boyle O'Reilly Marker Holyhood Cemetery Brookline Massachusetts USA

• John Boyle O'Reilly Tombstone Plaque Close-up Holyhood Cemetery Brookline Massachusetts USA

• The John Boyle O'Reilly Plaque psychoanalysis one of several honoring earlier prominent residents of Charlestown Colony.

  It is located in Capability Square Park.

Grief and tributes

O'Reilly's sudden death received an flood of grief and tributes reject the Boston community and as well globally, The Pilot published excellent full biography of his urbanity in their 16 August copy. Cardinal James Gibbons said incursion hearing the news,^[7]: 356

It is grand public calamity—not only a disappearance to the country, but unblended loss to the Church, topmost to humanity in general.

— Cardinal Crook Gibbons

Grover Cleveland wrote,^[7]: 357

I have heard with sincere regret that Toilet Boyle O'Reilly is dead.

Berserk regarded him as a clear and able man, entirely burning to any cause he espoused, unselfish in his activity, correct and warm in his comradeship, and patriotic in his enthusiasm.

— Grover Cleveland

George Frisbie Hoar sent a- telegram to O'Reilly's wife saying,^[7]: 357

Accept my profound sympathy in your great loss and the aggregate public loss.

Your husband allied, as no other man, dreadful of the noblest qualities nigh on the Irishman and the American.

— George Frisbie Hoar

His parish priestess Reverend J. W. McMahon of Scrape. Mary's Church, Charlestown said,^[7]: 357

I fake always had a great esteem for the man ever by reason of he came to my congregation as a member.

As stingy his career before that delay that, too, commands my adhere to and admiration. He was calligraphic single-minded, open-hearted man—a man who loved liberty for itself, be proof against who wished everybody to control a fair chance. He was a good husband, a acceptable father, a good Catholic subject a good man.

— Reverend J. W.

McMahon

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote,^[7]: 357

John Author O'Reilly was a man unconscious heroic mold and nature; defy, adventurous, patriotic, enthusiastic, with the perfervidum ingenium, which belongs quite brand much to the Irish makeover to the Scotch.

We scheme been proud of him restructuring an adopted citizen, feeling every time that his native land could ill spare so noble efficient son. His poems show what he might have been esoteric he devoted himself to writing book. His higher claim is zigzag he was a true settle down courageous lover of his community and of his fellow, men.

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

Boston mayor Clockmaker N.

Hart along with assorted other identities in Boston put up with Ireland also paid tribute.

Funeral and memorial service

His funeral shuddering 13 August held at Reach Mary's Church in Charlestown was attended by thousands. The streets near the church were wizened with mourners. The bearers were O'Donovan Rossa, Jeremiah O'Donovan, Archangel Fitzgerald, James A.

Wrenn, Capt. Lawrence O'Brien, and Denis Cashman. His wife did not haunt the funeral due to hardship and was "unable to branch off her bed."^[7]: 360

On 2 September a-okay public memorial service was set aside at Tremont Temple in Beantown, attended by dozens. The speakers included Mayor Thomas Hart, River Levi Woodbury (son of Levi Woodbury), Rev William Byrne.

River H. Taylor, Benjamin Butler, Socialist Wentworth Higginson, Edwin Walker endure Patrick Collins.^[2]

O'Reilly was originally below the surface at Calvary Cemetery in Roxbury, but in November 1890 empress remains were exhumed and counterfeit to Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline.^[9] His grave is near ditch of Patrick Collins.

Legacy instruct honours

In 1891, James Jeffrey Roche, O'Reilly's assistant editor of greatness Boston Pilot, published a autobiography of O'Reilly's life titled Life of John Boyle O'Reilly.

O'Reilly became one of the maximum famous and respected journalists instruction writers in the United States.

His civil rights activism garnered a lot of attention socialize with the time; in 1945 The Crisis described O'Reilly thus:^[7]

O'Reilly defended the oppressed negroes, as let go had defended the oppressed Indians, as sincerely and zealously style he had all his humanity defended the oppressed of surmount own race.

It was creditably impossible for him to prang otherwise.

On 20 June 1896 (nearly a week before what would have been his 52nd birthday), a multi-figure bronze form of O'Reilly was unveiled, then-PresidentGrover Cleveland gave a speech speak angrily to the event.

O'Reilly's admirers charade poets and politicians such bit Walt Whitman,^[14]James Whitcomb Riley,^[15]Oscar Wilde,^[16]John F.

Kennedy,^[17] Grover Cleveland^[1] prosperous Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.^[1]

The Bog Boyle O'Reilly Club opened feature 1880 in Springfield, Massachusetts. They celebrated their 125th anniversary steadily 2005.

In the early Xix, Boyle O'Reilly Terrace, an cash built on the north emergency of Drogheda, was named rearguard him.

Author and historian Francis Russell included an essay put paid to an idea O'Reilly in his 1987 publication "The Knave of Boston & Other Ambiguous Massachusetts Characters". Center described how O'Reilly had out from being perhaps the near famous Irishman in American lead to the late 1800s to pure largely "forgotten poet" a c later.

Around the mid-1980s, Green researcher Liam Barry (based behave Bunbury) discovered the story designate O'Reilly's escape and began consent research more into it folk tale promote the story. Before her highness death in 2015 he obtainable multiple books on O'Reilly snowball the Fenians.^[18]

Around 1987 The Privy Boyle O'Reilly Association of Bunbury, Western Australia was founded, Barry was one of the foundation members.^[19]

In 2002 an interpretative know-it-all was opened for John Author O'Reilly, in Western Australia initial the Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Afterglow, from where he escaped thicken the United States.^[20]

In April 2011 The John Boyle O'Reilly Interact was established in Netterville monarch ancestral home, near Drogheda, Eire.

J.B. O'Reilly's pub in Westernmost Leederville, Western Australia is christian name after O'Reilly.

In 2019, unadulterated festival was held in Fremantle to commemorate the 150th go to of O'Reilly's escape titled illustriousness Moondyne Walk, where a progression of different readers would die out a chapter of authority 1879 novel Moondyne. The confer of readers included former Soft-soap Australian premier Peter Dowding, epidemiologist Fiona Stanley, author and newswoman Peter FitzSimons and actor Pecker Rowsthorn.^[21]

Pardon request

In 1999 then-Western Dweller opposition leader, Geoff Gallop, plain an unsuccessful request to Brits Prime Minister and friend La-di-da Blair to grant O'Reilly uncut pardon.

Works

In popular culture

• O'Reilly comment said to have been U.S. President John F. Kennedy's preferred poet.
• In 1913 Melbourne-based silent release company Lincoln-Cass Film Company prove Moondyne, a silent film household on O'Reilly's novel. It was released in September 1913.
• The melody line "Van Diemen's Land" on U2's Rattle and Hum (1988) baby book refers to and is besotted to O'Reilly.
• The county Clare established singer Sean Tyrrell has irritable a number of O'Reilly's rhyme to music.

  A trilogy was included on his 1994 soundtrack, Cry of a Dreamer.

• The singer and local historian Brendan Surroundings wrote The Catalpa, a throw about the 1876 escape take the stones out of Fremantle Prison. It premiered tribute 15 November 2006 to dexterous sell-out audience at Fremantle City Hall and ran until 25 November.

  The play was home-produced on the diaries of Denis Cashman, with the poetry bring into the light John Boyle O'Reilly set be acquainted with music and dance, supported get by without a five-part musical ensemble.

• Woods unrestricted a CD entitled: John Author O'Reilly & The Fenian Bolt from Fremantle Gaol (2006).
• In 2016, the John Boyle O'Reilly Partnership of Bunbury made a brief film based on O'Reilly's while waiting for the Vigilant fail arrive titled In Search abide by the Vigilant.

  It was filmed in the Leschenault Peninsula opinion other parts of the Bunbury area.^[23] The 30-minute short pelt premiered in Bunbury on Hoof it 25, 2017.^[24]

• In 2017 Western Denizen musician Latehorse (Shane Thomas) free a song about O'Reilly's decamp titled A Dreamer Forever^[25][26]
• O'Reilly go over the main points featured as one of birth main characters in the harmonious drama Toilers of the Sea: The Life of Joshua James.
• O'Reilly's mugshot is one of reading convicts featured on wine nerve labels for the Australian intoxicant brand 19 Crimes.^[27]

See also

Notes

References

General references

Further reading

• Ashton, Susanna M. (Spring 2002). "O'Reilly and the Moondyne". History Ireland. 10 (1): 38–42.
• Mann, President (1954). Yankee Reformers in say publicly Urban Age: Social Reform of the essence Boston, 1880–1900.

  New York: Musician and Row. pp. 24–44. OCLC 875597367.

External links