N a tio n a l U n iv e r s ity
S t.P a tr ic k 's
of
Ir e la n d
C o lle g e ,
M ayn ooth
T itle
FENIANISM - A MALE B U S IN E S S ?
A CASE STUDY OF MARY JANE 0 ' DONOVAN ROSSA
(1 8 4 5 -1 9 1 6 )
by
SYLKE LEHNE
I N PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE DEGREE OF M .A .
DEPARTMENT OF MODERN H ISTO RY,
ST.
P A T R IC K 'S COLLEGE,
MAYNOOTH
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: P r o f e s s o r
S u p er v iso r
of
R esearch:
A ugust
R . V . C o in e r f o r d
P ro fesso r
1995
R .V .C o m e r fo r d
SUMMARY
M ary J a n e O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a w a s b o r n
in
January
Ir e la n d
1845.
H er
m ovem en t,
m a r r ia g e
to
in flu e n c e d
th e
th e
th e
fa th e r 's
a c tiv e
e x p e r ie n c e
fe n ia n
fo r m a tio n
of
C lo n a k ilty ,
in v o lv e m e n t
of
le a d e r ,
in
th e
F a m in e
J e r e m ia h
her
in
Co.
th e
years
Young
and
0 ' D onovan
p o litic a l
Cork
a ttitu d e
her
R ossa,
and
her
ard en t n a tio n a lism .
As
th e
e ld e s t
r e sp o n s ib ility
c o n sid e r e d
sa c r ific e
w ere
h im se lf
M ary
to
p a r tic u la r ly
fo r
Jane
be
in
th e
her
w ork
h is
p la c e
as
to
ta k e
o f her
a lw a y s
as
p r in c ip le s
and
over
life .
p r im a r y
and
She
to
str o n g ly
le ft
w henever
to
h im .
th e
b e h in d
of
fe n ia n
th e
of
a ttitu d e
scen e,
th e
le a d e r sh ip
she
L a d ie s'
and o f
th a t
proved,
C o m m itte e
ta k in g
over
u n c o n d it io n a l s u p p o r t e r o f h e r h u sb an d and
b e a r in g
she
to
S ecreta ry
sh e was c a p a b le
B e in g a lw a y s a l o y a l ,
c lo s e
h e lp e r s
r e sp o n sib ility .
life ,
was
sta g e
fa m ily
su b m itte d
p o litic a l
e n tir e
she
p o litic a l
and t h o s e
th a t
cause
her
fo r
(1 8 6 5 -6 7 )
h is
c h ild r e n
a t titu d e a g a in st R o ssa 's in c o n s id e r a te w illin g n e s s
A lth o u g h
w om en
d u ty
sa c r ific e s
d efen d ed t h i s
to
ten
f o r h e r f a m ily a t an e a r ly
her
unnecessary
of
severe
h a r d sh ip
th e p o lit ic a l
he
was
u n a b le
fo r
them
th rou gh ou t
sta g e to R ossa
to
a tten d
to
her
and o n ly to o k
h is
p o litic a l
d u tie s.
H er
a c tiv itie s
show
th a t,
c a p a b le and e x p e r ie n c e d
d id n o t a c c e p t a l l
and
her
Jane
husband
was
w ith o u t
c o n tr a d ic te d o f f i c i a l
th e
d e sir e
because
of
to
step
of her
Ir e la n d 's
and a t t i t u d e s
c r itic ism .
w ith
th e
th e
On
c o n sid e r e d
m en
of th e
of
fe n ia n
o c c a sio n s
her
sex
she
le a d e r s
M ary
w hen
she
N e v e r th e le ss sh e n ever f e l t
shadow and r e f u t e
m a le
le a d e r sh ip
fe m a le d is o b e d ie n c e m ig h t dam age t h e
in d e p e n d e n c e .
m ore
f i g h t t h a n wom en,
several
lim ita tio n s
fe n ia n p o lic y .
out of
fea r,
she
in th e n a t io n a lis t
d e c isio n s
co n fro n ted
a lth o u g h
cause
A part
and
Ir is h
from
M ary
a c tiv e
n a tio n a lism ,
p e r sp e c tiv e
supp ort to
her
and
th e
her
becam e
an
c o n tr ib u tio n
p o etry
a lso
im p o r ta n t
to
th e
fe n ia n
r e fle c te d
m eans
fo r
m ovem ent
her
p o litic a l
her
fin a n c ia l
m ovem en t.
J a n e 's
life
was
but
one
e x a m p le
fo r
th e
s e lfle s s
c o n t r i b u t i o n o f n a t i o n a l i s t I r ish w o m e n t o t h e c a u s e o f I r e l a n d ' s
in d e p e n d e n c e .
S h e r e p r e s e n t s t h e c o u n t l e s s wom en w h o ,
p la y e d an e s s e n t i a l p a r t in I r is h
an a p p r o p r ia te p la c e
in
Ir ish
f o r m any c e n t u r i e s ,
n a tio n a lis m
h isto r y
books.
have
b u t n ever r e c e iv e d
Table of Contents
Introduction - Women in Irish Historiography
ch ap ter
1:
M ary J a n e O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a
in
Ir e la n d
-
th e
e a r ly
1 .1 .
C h ild h o o d an d Y o u th
1 .2 .
As S e c r e ta r y
L a d ie s'
ch ap ter
2:
D r iv e n
of
14
years
1845-1867
16
th e
C o m m itte e
in to
e x ile
Y ears
in
23
1867-1871
30
E x ile
30
2 .1 .
The F i r s t
2 .2 .
A L e c tu r e Tour th ro u g h
2 .3 .
The F ig h t
fo r
th e
S ta tes
M ary J a n e v s .
th e
36
B r itish
A u th o r itie s
2 .5 .
ch ap ter
3:
L e c tu r in g
R e u n ite d
33
th e
F e n i a n B e lm o n t M oney
2 .4 .
1
in
40
Ir e la n d
and B r i t a i n
1871-1915
42
46
3 .1 .
T h e Woman a n d h e r F a m i l y
46
3 .2 .
M ary J a n e a n d P o l i t i c s
55
i n A m e r ic a
3 .3 .
The U n i t e d I r i s h m a n
59
3 .4 .
The L a s t Y ea rs
65
ch ap ter
4:
A lo n e
J u ly
4 .1 .
a g a in
-
of
The f i n a l
1915-A u gu st
M a k in g R o s s a
R o ssa 'sL ife
1916
year
69
a Sym bol o f
Ir ish
N a tio n a lism
69
4 .2 .
Back in
P o litic s
71
4 .3 .
The L i t t l e
4 .4 .
M ary J a n e ' s
P oetess
73
L egacy
94
ch a p ter
5:
The R o le
o f Women i n
5 .1 .
F e n ia n
5 .2 .
F e m a le F e n ia n O r g a n i s a t i o n s :
th e
th e
S iste r s
F e n ia n
in
F e n ia n ism
98
A c tio n
S iste r h o o d
in
L a d i e s ' C o m m itte e I n
98
A m e r ic a
103
and
Ir e la n d
B ib lio g r a p h y
121
L ist
127
o f A b b r e v ia tio n s
A c k n o w led g em en ts
128
1 . In tr o d u c tio n
Women i n
O ver
th e
h isto r ia n s,
w om en,
in
who
tw o
have
th e ir
recorded
In h er
la st
I r is h
H isto r io g r a p h y
decades
se v e r e ly
ow n r i g h t ,
it
was
c r itic ise d
have
been
(D u b lin
M argaret
W ard
effo rts
im p o rta n t
w h ic h
m ade
in
I r is h
recorded
in
referen ce
te a c h in g .
the
Joe
Roy
from
r e p r e se n tin g
to
a d iffe r e n t
in
t h e m a k in g o f
It
is
th a t
I r is h
h isto r y
th e
it
is
Modern
in
w o m en 's
n e v e r th e le ss,
as
w e ll
Irelan d
P o litics
as
1600-1972
and
S o ciety,
of
th e
fem a le
in
I r is h
th e ir s
th e
has
u n d e r e stim a te
its
im p o r ta n c e
research
begun t o
h isto r y
books.
have
brought
of
h isto r ia n s
N ancy C u r t in ,
general
a sp ects
d iffe r e n t
so c ia l
Dim ension
(e d s .),
by
of
stra ta
Women
p a r tic u la r :
in
wom en t h e i r
The
fo llo w in g
in to
th e
in
th e
lik e
M a r ia
R osem ary C u lle n
M c C u r ta in 's
show
M urphy
a very
darkness
of
and
and
and
p la c e
of
su r r o u n d in g
wom en
b e lo n g in g
to
fo u r
c e n tu r ie s
in
la st
M c C u r ta in
r ig h tfu l
p u b lic a tio n s
S o ciety.
Women i n E a r l y Modern I r e l a n d ,
Luddy and C lio n a
th e
life
Irish
M argaret
M argaret
g iv e
lig h t
sex
g e n e r a l.
M a r g a re t M a c C u r ta in ,
p rocess
in
Irelan d
O w e n s , C l i o n a M u r p h y , M a r y Dowd a n d o t h e r s t h a t a l o n g
slo w
of
th a t d e sp ite
L y o n s's
c o n tr ib u tio n
s till
e x a m p le
r e c o g n is e
F .S .L .
1912-1985:
ex ten t,
m a in ly due t o
to
w orks,
th e
th e
lite r a tu r e
F o ste r 's
Irelan d
L e e 's
on
h isto r y ,
h isto r y ,
T hese
Famine,
a lth o u g h
Luddy,
w ere
p la c e
h isto r y
and
e x c lu d e d
com m en ts
t h r e e m a jo r r e f e r e n c e b o o k s on I r i s h
sin ce
fa ct
The M i s s i n g S e x . P u t t i n g G e n d e r i n t o H i s t o r y
1991)
p o o r ly
th e
fem a le
h isto r y .
essay
som e
m a in ly
The
D onncha
M ary
H isto rical
O 'C o r r a in
0 ' D o w d 's
(e d s .)
Women S u r v i v i n g b y M a r i a
(e d s .),
T hey
a lso
in te r e stin g
w ith
t r a d i t i o n a l m a le h i s t o r y
1
ten d en cy
w r itin g .
in
c o m p a riso n
W hereas t h e
la tte r
co n cen tra tes
p o litic a l
fa r
or
m ore
a lso
on t h e a c t i o n s
so c ia l
c o m p le x
c o v e r in g
th e
sp h eres,
of p e r so n a litie s
in
th e
w om en
h isto r ia n s
presen t
th e ir
o b jects
of
in te r e st,
of
every
p ic tu r e
of
p r iv a te
sphere
and a s p e c t s
a
day
life .
E x a m p les
in
of
Irish
such
a c o m p le x a p p r o a c h c a n b e
S ociety.
The H i s t o r i c a l
E a r l y Modern I r e l a n d . T h e l a t t e r
d e ta ile d
to p ic s
c o lle c tio n
r e la tin g
e d u c a tio n
and
and
to
in
a
h isto r io g r a p h y
Ir ish
lu c id
wom en.
tr a d itio n
fe n ia n
T h is
of
trea tm en t
w om en
fem a le
of
and
v a r io u s
15th
and
th e
Women
in
Women i n
c o m p re h e n siv e ,
a u th ors
on
w ar,
r e lig io n ,
19th
c e n tu r ie s
d e v e lo p m e n t
c o lle c tio n
of
a
c o n ta in s
an
'Women a n d E i g h t e e n t h - C e n t u r y
as
e s p e c ia lly v a lu a b le
it
d em o n stra tes
n a tio n a lis t
th e
by
way
R e p u b lic a n is m ', w h ic h i s
on
a very
p o litic s ,
th e
by N ancy J .C u r t in on
research
is
la w ,
b etw een
very
of
D im ension
a r tic le s
w om en i n
fa m ily
a n a ly se s
a r tic le
of
fou n d
fe m a le
an
o r g a n isa tio n s
sex
in
Ir ish
fo r th e
e x istin g
and
of
th e
n a tio n a list
propaganda.
Women S u r v i v i n g
g iv e s
in flu e n c e
on
d e sc r ib e s
th e ir
b e in g
s o le
To
stra ta
in tr o d u c e
w ere
th e
th e
reso rted
W o m e n ',
h e ld
sam e
c o m p re h e n siv e
A part
sm a ll
in
from a
ex ten t
p a r tic ip a tio n
as
is
d o m e stic
It
breaks
th e
it
p o rtra y s
th e
fe m a le s'
a ffa ir s
nuns,
d o m e stic
m y th o f
w om en o f
and
th e
m a le
d iffe r e n t
a liv in g .
of
lik e
D u b lin
or
in to
b r e a d w in n e r s,
etc.
to p ic
to
title
as
p r o v id e r
e a r n in g
in sig h t
s o c ia l
r o le
p r o stitu te s
so c ia l
c le a r
n a tio n a l,
serv a n ts,
th e
a
w om en
th e
in
in to
h isto r y
e x h ib itio n
1991.
b e n e fic ia l
The
on
o th er
'T e n
a c c o m p a n y in g
p a r tic u la r ly
because
m eans
D u b lin
book
of
of
its
b ib lio g r a p h y .
few e x a m p le s,
refer
in
to
how ever,
th e
n a tio n a lis t
th ese
s ig n ific a n c e
m ovem en ts.
2
w orks o n ly
of
to
a
w o m en 's
The
very
la c k
of
c le a r
a p p r e c ia tio n
in
n a tio n a lism ,
referen ce
a lth o u g h
of
to
w ith o u t
w o m en 's
th e
r o le
becom es
tr a d itio n a l
th e ir
ardent
and
Ir ish
a m b itio u s
s u p p o r t m any a n a t i o n a l i s t m o v e m e n t c o u l d n o t h a v e b e e n a s
su ccessfu l
or
d u r a b le
n a tio n a lism ,
cen tu ry ,
is
th e ir
m arked
in
th e ir
th e ir
as
tim e
m a le
by
th ey
of
th e
end
of
th e
of
th e
recorded
m a le
sam e
to
th e
fe m a le
D e sp ite
on
essay
th e
th e
la te
on
in
r e m in isc e n c e s
need
of
'm issin g
19th
a ssu m p tio n
w ith
a lth o u g h
sex'
and 2 0 th
of
in te n siv e
have
c e n tu r ie s.
The M i s s i n g S e x a t t r i b u t e s
r e a s o n f o r a c o n c e n t r a t io n on t h a t g e n e r a t i o n
n a tio n a lism
of
19th
in te r e st
co u n terp a rts,
a p p r e c ia tio n
on t h e
her
th e
crea ted
p u b lic a tio n s
M a r g a r e t W ard i n
b efo re
th e ir
fou n d
c o n c e n tr a te d m a in ly
h isto r io g r a p h y
absence
c o n te m p o r a r ie s.
research ,
The
F e m a le n a t i o n a l i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n s
never
th o se
w as.
th e
fie ld .
effo rts
h isto r ia n s
it
p a r tic u la r ly
endeavours in t h is
and
as
th a t
'th is
w hen Ir ish w o m e n w e r e a t t h e i r m o st a c t i v e
is
of
th e
I r is h
p e r io d
in th e p o l i t i c a l
arena. '1
T h is
sta tem en t
its e lf
th e
oth er,
so
reason
fo r
is
a im
fa r
g rea ter
and
oth er
to
q u ite
prove
c h o ic e
of
a v a ila b ility
p rim a ry
r e m in isc e n m c e s
of
M a c B r id e,
G onne
and
rep o rts,
Im p ortan t
w ork
of
th e sis
w ere
very
p e r io d s
lik e
th e
tim e
and e a s i e r
and
c o u ld ,
in
to
th e
sets
a c tiv e
1860s.
how ever,
access
sources
A
lik e
lie
at
O ne
in
m a n u sc r ip ts
e x is te n c e
Servant
th e
of
R evo lu tio n a ry
have
c o n tr ib u te d
u n d e r s ta n d in g o f t h e tim e and t h e way o f
w om en.
th is
wom en
th at
p rim a ry
M a r k ie v ic z 's
su b je c tiv e
and
of
b y w om en t h e m s e l v e s .
of
C on stan ce
th a t
sources
The p u b l i c a t i o n
Maud
correct
unresearched,
th e
th e
not
secondary
fem a le
sources
n a tio n a lists,
th e
Queen,
Women,
a
or
a lth o u g h
lo t
to
th e
th in k in g o f th e se
d e a lin g
lik e
r e c o lle c tio n s
w ith
th e
M argaret
life
W a rd 's
Un ma nag eable R e v o l u t i o n a r i e s . Women and I r i s h N a t i o n a l i s m
3
(L o n d o n
1983)
w ere a ls o
in str u m e n ta l
o f w o m en 's c o n t r i b u t i o n s
b e in g
one
of
n a tio n a list
very
to
Ir ish
few
effo rts,
to
th e
u n d e r sta n d in g
n a tio n a lism .
w orks
refers
in
on
a
T h is
book,
c o lle c tiv e
p e r io d
w h ic h
fe m a le
has
to
be
c o n sid e r e d as a l a t e
s t a g e o f w o m e n 's p a r t i c i p a t i o n
in
th e
n a tio n a list
i.e .
in
th e
1880s
It
fig h t.,
le a d in g
is
to
th e
th e
Land
League
Cumman n a m B a n .
c h a r a c te r istic
n a tio n a lis t
L a d ie s'
h isto r y
p a r tic u la r ly
w r itin g
th a t
of
w om en,
if
a ll,
do n ot ap p ear as in d iv id u a ls w ith t h e i r
and
a sp ir a tio n s
in d e p e n d e n tly
of
or
th e ir
th e
m en
a b ility
to
su r r o u n d in g
tr a d itio n a l
m e n tio n e d
ow n a t t i t u d e s
m ake
th em .
ju d g em en ts
In stea d
th ey
a r e r e d u c e d t o m ere a p p e n d ic e s o f t h e i r m a le r e l a t i v e s
in
th e ir
to
as
m e n tio n in g
M rs
J e r e m ia h
m en tio n
m ost
b y nam e:
Tom C l a r k e ,
0 ' D onovan
o n ly
in
ty p ic a l
M ary
R ossa,
fe m a le i d e n t i t y
of
In
th e
th ese
because
c o n sid e r s
of
th e ir
co u n terp a rts.
H is
h is
a d u la tio n
h e r o in e s a re
w ith th e
fa cts
th e
of
w ith
to
case
la te r
n a tio n a lism
h u sb a n d 's
w ish
The
to
O 'L e a r y
b ro th er
tr a d itio n a l
stereo ty p ed
w om en w o r t h
m e n tio n in g
not
in d iv id u a ls
m a le
John.
a
The
of
d e sc r ip tio n
su b jects
of
get
r e d u c tio n
lo y a lty
id e a s
M rs
Seam us K e l l y ' s S w e e th e a r ts
very
are
as
or f e e lin g s ,
and th u s
As h i s
h e r o ism .
to
m e r e ly
th e ir
w ith
m a le
th e ir
h is w ork i s
d e s c r ip tio n s
of
so m e tim e s in c o m p le t e o r do n o t c o r r e s p o n d
he c r e a te s
d e ta il,
0 'D o n o v a n
0 'K e lly
m e r e ly
c a m p a ig n
a m isle a d in g
and
to
to
R ossa,
lo y a l
o f th em .
who w i l l
m in im ise s
her
her
p ic tu r e
her
be
d e a lt
c o n tr ib u tio n
supp ort
c o m m u n ic a tin g
In
h is
for
her
b u r ia l
Thom as C l a r k e .
o th er
D e v lin
th e ir
eg.
referred
R ossa
and
M ary J a n e
in
h is
E lle n
is
r e la tio n sh ip
ow n p e r s o n a l i t i e s ,
a m ere
w ith
ca n be fou n d in
C la r k e
0 ' Donovan
M ary a n
th is
o f the I r is h R eb els.
au th or
Jane
or
c o n n e c tio n
e x a m p le
K a th le e n
at
ex trem e
becom es
e v id e n t
in
i n E am on M a c T h o m a i s ' s The L a d y a t
4
th e
e u lo g y
of
Ann
th e G ate. T r y in g
to
e m p h a s i z e Ann D e v l i n ' s
w ork in
co n tra st
n a tio n a list
book
th at
th e
ic o n
of
e x a m p le o f
to
ow n p e r s o n a l i t y
th at
of
ra th er
fa cts
a
hum an b e i n g .
is
a
n a r r a tiv e
h isto r y
w r itin g
is
d o u b tfu l
p resen ted
p a r tic u la r ly
h is
lite r a l
b e t w e e n Ann D e v l i n
he m akes h i s
th a n
M a c T h o m a is
sc ie n tific
E m m e t,
r e p e titio n
in c r e a sin g
in
th e
p rim a ry
m a n u sc r ip t
The
m a te r ia l
m ovem ent
sources
o r ig in a te d
th at
in
of
by
th e
new spaper
th e
are
o n ly
fa ct
h ig h
in
Ir ish
th e
n a tio n a lism
r o le
la r g e
of
ex ten t
and
th a t
th e
of
and t h e
a
th e
I r ish m e n ,
I r is h
its
wom en i n
wom en
based
on
s t ill
in
one hand,
no m en tio n
of
of
th em i n
w h ic h
a
fo r
th e ir
th a t
and
th ese
referen ces
in
w e ll-o r g a n ise d
was
e sse n tia l
fo r
F e n i a n Women
F e n ia n ism
not
t o w a r d s Women
d iffe r
m ovem en ts,
tow ard s
for
of
proved
r e la tiv e s
rem a in e d
as
m ovem en t.
d id
a s w om en w e r e n o t
of
m a le
r o le
a d m itte d
how ever,
num erous
te ll
b u sin e ss
secon dary
r e c e iv e d
of
But
n a tio n a list
fig h t
m a le
not
is,
th ey
sc a le
fe n ia n
a ttitu d e
th e
w ere
im p r e ssio n
la rg e
m ovem ent
p u r e ly
T h is
rep o rts
A ttitu d e
fe n ia n
p r e c e d in g
th ey
cases.
p o lic e
on
a
r e m in isc e n c e s
e x c e p tio n a l
e x iste n c e
was
an u n im p o r ta n t,
The P r e s e n t a t io n
of
cases,
d ia lo g u e s
e x c lu siv e ly
a
a p p r e c ia tio n
th e
support
The
to
o r g a n isa tio n .
N e v e r th e le ss
wom en w e r e
fe m a le
to
a lm o st
F e n ia n ism
th e
th e
c o n tr ib u tio n
fr ie n d s.
r e la tin g
is
and t h e s e
a n d t h a t w om en p l a y e d
w rong
m any
of
fo rm .
p r e ju d ic e
m em bers
an
a n d R o b e r t E m m e t.
th e
fe n ia n
th a n
accuracy
a lle g e d
a
K e lly 's
ra th er
in
of
h e r o in e
L ik e
and th e
A l t h o u g h t h e nu m b er o f w o r k s o n wom en i n
is
and o u t s t a n d in g
th e
r o le
Ir e la n d 's
a d m itte d
o ffic ia l
5
fe n ia n
m uch
from
oth er,
eg.
th e
U n ite d
and in f l u e n c e
in d e p e n d e n c e .
a s m em bers,
papers
or
On t h e
th ere
is
a p p e a ls.
N e ith e r
is
th ere
m uch
referen ce
secon d ary lit e r a t u r e .
But i t
th e
a tta ch
F e n ia n s
d id
n a tio n a lism
Thanks
and p o l i t i c s
to
Joseph
not
th e
A
any
as
im p o r ta n c e
th e
fo llo w in g
of
le a d in g
Personal
(S h an n on
R eco llectio n s
an d
J e r e m ia h
and
0 'D on ovan
Irish
John
R eco llectio n s
Postbag.
and
v o ls .,D u b lin
a c tiv itie s
r e c e iv e d
fo r
and
th e
ex ten t:
m a le
how ever,
D e n ie ffe
O 'L e a r y ,
1953)
event
fr ie n d s
m a in
o r g a n ise r s
w ere
e x te n s iv e ly
cause
d e a ile d
honoured
and
R ossa
and
a c tiv itie s,
fo r
th e
th at
Y ork
1898)
1899)
and
(N ew
Y ork
2
on w o m en 's
a p p r e c ia tio n
t h e w om en t o
fe n ia n
fe n ia n
th ey
(see
E lle n 's
of
w ife .
th e ir
a lso
w e ll
E lle n
ch a p ter
1864,
3 .)
a la r g e -
w om en
as
th e
O 'L e a r y
c o n tr ib u tio n
D evoy
assessm en t
to
lik e
m e n tio n e d .
s iste r
h is
a d iffe r e n t
wom en
pup oses,
even
c o m p re h e n siv e
r e fe r r in g
1 8 9 6 ),
and r e l a t i v e s .
to
not
h is
as
Irish
(N e w Y o r k
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e C h ig a g o f a i r
fu n d r a isin g
su ch
O 'L e a r y 's
Rebel
C a t h e r i n e M u l c a h y o r M rs B u t l e r
e g .in
show .
th e
in fo r m a tio n
and
tr ib u te
s c a le
th e
we g e t
referred to
p a id
in
(e d s.W .O 'B r ie n /D .R y a n ,
m ovem ent
from t h e i r
The a u t h o r s ,
b u t,
1948
wom en
(L ondon
(N ew
an I r i s h
1871-1928
to
John
Fenianism
of
assum e t h a t
of
R ec o llec tio n s
R o ssa 's
m odern
F e n ia n s
19 6 9 ),
R ebels in E nglish P riso n s
D e v o y 's
1929)
Fenians
in
e x a m p le s
N arrative
R e v o lu tio n a r y B rotherhood
of
them
w o u ld b e w ro n g t o
r e m in isc e n c e s
D e n ie ffe 's
to
gave
of
a
to
m ore
w o m en 's
r e sp o n sib ilitie s
and
o r g a n isa tio n s.
W o m e n 's a c t i v i t i e s
p a p e r The I r i s h
wom en.
It
tow ard s
fa m ily
a lso
p resen ted
in
th e
F e n ia n
P e o p l e , am ong w h o s e c o n t r i b u t o r s w e r e m any
g iv e s
w om en
and
w ere
and
th e
an i n s i g h t
th e
fe m a le
in to
way
th ey
sex
(lik e
th e F e n ia n 's
e x p lo ite d
a ttitu d e
issu e s
p r o stitu tio n )
of
fo r
th e
th e ir
propaganda.
Its
p u b lic ity
S ep tem b er
c a m p a ig n
1865,
c o n tin u e d
w as,
a fter
its
su p p r e ssio n
in
a s i m i l a r way by t h e Irishm an
in
new spap er.
The
im p o rta n ce
p a r tic ip a tio n
in
th e
F e n ia n s
th e n a tio n a l
6
fig h t
a tta ch ed
is
to
w o m en 's
u n d e r lin e d by a b ig
p r o p a g a n d a c a m p a ig n t o
A part
from
rep o rts
d em o n stra ted
m ake t o
th e
th e
T h is
them
set
e x a m p le s
w ere
of
e .g .
an
R obert
E n g lish .
O th er a r t i c l e s
w o u ld
P eople
th e
th e
by
F e n ia n
e q u a lly
by
fo r
p r o te c tin g
used
of
in
th e
had
h is
Ir ish w o m e n
h e lp in g
th e
in
The d i s c u s s i o n s
m en
to
th e
propaganda.
U n ite d
lim ite d
and
e v ils
th e ir
e x p lo ita tio n
S ta tes,
and w ere
w ere
a
rare
heard.
and t h e n e c e s s i t y
ty ra n n y was
H ere we f i n d
o p p o r tu n itie s
by
a c tiv itie s
o f E n g lish
regards
th e
cau se
be
th ey
Ir ish m e n 's
as
th e
a g a in st
U n ite d
m ake t h e m s e l v e s
th e
cen tu ry
and
c o u ld
and
to
s e llin g
fe n ia n
th e
th e
to rtu re,
F e n ia n s
fo r m a tio n
o r g a n isa tio n
and
D e v lin ,
h id in g -p la c e
th e
th e
Ir ish w o m e n
endured
d e fe n d in g
about
a g a in st
18 t h
m ovem ent
b etra y
w om en
fe n ia n
b e t w e e n w o m e n 's
th e
to
I r is h w o m e n 's
Ann
o f I r i s h w o m e n 's v i r t u e
it
s im ilia r itie s
tu rn
had
fe llo w -c o u n tr y w o m e n .
about
who
t h e wom en t o
The n o t io n
w id e ly
and
c e r ta in
th e ir
d e a lt w ith
S iste r h o o d .
o p p o r tu n ity
of
not
fe m a le
jo in e d
fo r
p r ie sts,
m oney,
F e n ia n
a r tic le s
w om en
about n a tio n a lis t
a r tic le
new spap er,
d e n u n c ia tio n s
of
m any
fe n ia n
about
E m m e t,
she
c o lle c tin g
c o n tr ib u tio n
a r tic le s
because
Irish
cause.
Ir ish w o m e n
d isc u ssio n s
as w e ll as
'se r v a n t'
h e r o ic
th e
cause.
w h ic h w e r e t o
Am ong
on
a c tiv e
in c lu d e d
p ro b lem s
a t t r a c t wom en t o
a sto u n d in g
c a m p a ig n
th e
of
at
th e
c o n tr a d ic tio n
p a r tic ip a tio n
as
'sy m b o ls
of
an
o p p r e s s e d n a t i o n , and a s m o d e ls o f r e p u b lic a n p r o b i t y '
d e sc r ib e d
It
of
th e
th e ir
An a r t i c l e
as
a
ju stific a tio n
and fo r
c o n c e r n in g
th e
num ber
th e
m eans
for
r e je c tio n
of
e m p lo y e d
by
th e ir
any k in d
them
to
a im .
b y K ic k h a m c o n c e r n i n g
o f T oron to t o
h ig h
F e n ia n s
and p r i n c i p l e s
co m p ro m ise
fu lfil
1 as
by N ancy C u r t in .
served
stra teg y
in
th e B ish o p s o f
of
Ir ish
th e
le tte r
of
th e
B ish o p
I r e la n d c o m p la in in g a b o u t th e
fe m a le
p r iso n e r s
A m e r ic a n
th e b a sis
F e n ia n s' p r in c ip le s
i n t h e i r p a p e r . K ic k h a m , c o m m e n tin g on
B ish o p 's
sta tem en t th a t
'o f
7
983
ju stific a tio n
fem a le
of
and
C a n a d ia n to w n s l a i d
th e
fo r th e
in
p r iso n e r s
th e
in
th e
ja ils
o f T oron to,
in
e ig h t
th is
ra te
one
ja il
la st
year!
com e t o
th is l
p o llu te d
fam ed
out
by
fo r
of
...'
th e ir
sta rt
d isc u ssio n
It
fo r
was
can
th e ir
on
by
E n g lish
c itie s .
605
w ere
The
th e
th e
T o ro n to w as
in
A m e r ic a 's
w om en
w o r ld
v ir tu e
At
M e r c if u l G od,
K ic k h a m 's
one
D isp e n sa tio n '
of
over.
has
it
c itie s
are
Ir e la n d
w ere
But
what
a r tic le
of
of
th e
see
was
soon
I r ish w o m e n
sam e
d e sc r ib in g
T h is
J a il
p r o stitu te s
'O h !
...
to
and
th e
fa ll.
fo llo w e d
Borough
2
Ir ish w o m e n !
wom en i n
Ir ish m e n .
a ll
d o .'
S p e c ia l
th e
it,
p u r ity
la w s
reason
I r is h
cou n tryw om en .
E n g lish
a
703 w ere
c o n tin u e d :
T h in k o f
our
1863,
report
by
L iv e r p o o l
P ro testa n ts,
I r is h
th e
and
e n title d
th a t
of
num ber
of
1 ,5 2 6 .
hundred
in
c h a p la in
'th e
th e y e a r was
n in e
'T h e
p r o stitu tio n
C a th o lic
sta ted
c o m m itte d d u r in g
k in d
and
Of t h e s e
tw en ty -o n e
C a t h o l i c s and I r i s h w o m e n . ' A n d h e s u m m a r i z e d w i t h r e p r o a c h
and
d isg u st:
'M o re
p r o stitu te s
of
cou n tryw om en !'
d iffe r e n t.
th a n
60
per
P ro testa n t
3
th e
Irish
r e a c tio n s
A resp on se
d e fe n d in g
crea tu res
P eo ple:
in to
'W h en
of
in
th is
th e
a
Saxon
h o t-b ed s o f v ic e
p o v erty
I r is h
th ey
once
tem p ta tio n ,
tre m b led
im m e d ia te w a n t s ,
fr ie n d s
in
to
and t o
Ir e la n d
-
th in k
I
th in k
p e r se c u tio n
is
th e
c h ie f
it
never
have
fa lle n ,
if
poor E r in ,
The r e a c t i o n
of
a n o th er
p r e se r v in g
w o u ld
be
it
th rou gh
o n ly
in
lo v e
th e ir
fem a le
in
as
w hereas t h is w r ite r ,
lo n g
and by d e g r e e s
lo st
be
g u ilty
E .F .,
to
fa m ish in g
th e ir
from
th a t
fa ll,
so c ia l
f o r m any o f
never
m o th er,
was
fr e e .'
sta ted
th a t
c h a stity ,
not
own
r e lia b le
and
was
what
th e ir
tru e
reader
by
r e lie v e
le a r n e d
c r itic ise d
8
of
v ic e ,
she
of
a n d w hen a s s a i l e d
p o sse ssin g
as
e d ito r
th ey
th e m id st o f te m p ta tio n s ;
v ir tu o u s
from
a liv in g ,
th e ir
of
th e
fo r
too
of
cam e
poor
to
I
w ere
th ese
to
is
cause
th ese
not
of
a f a c t w h ic h
so
c o n s is ts
dared
own
caused
drove
lo o k
s e n d hom e h e l p
a u th o r ity ,
fe ll
th ey
our
g ir ls
to
m isr u le
h o r r o r t h e y had o f c r im e ;
and
are
le tte r
to
la w -b r e a k in g
a r tic le
g r a d u a lly becam e in u r e d t o w ic k e d n e s s ,
th a t n a tiv e
th e
L iv e r p o o l
The
A TIPPERARY GIRL w h o w r o t e
cent
w o u ld
4
'v ir tu e
but
in
o t h e r w i s e w om an
tem p ted . '
t h e wom en f o r
But
th e ir
fa ll
sh e condem ned t h e
7I f
w om en
in
general
n o t surrounded
th e
a b le
b e lo n g s
was
m ake
th e
w ith
"T h e
c h ie f
of
T h e e d i t o r 7s
in d ic a tio n
of
how
th e
propaganda:
d e c la r in g
th at
7We
th e
le a d in g
liv e s
E n g la n d
and A m e r ic a ,
been
d r iv en
of
but
p o litic a l
of
aspect
in to
Irishm an
g ir ls
used
th ey
to
it
en tirely
to
Ir ish
7T h e
sta tem en ts
So
in
have
is
a
th e
to
th e
w h eth er
th is
F e n ia n
be
th a t
th e
cou n try
propaganda
R ossa
m en,
sw orn i n
of
past
or
as
th ey
som e u n i n h a b it e d p o r t i o n
purposes
was
is
a lw a y s
to
sw ear
in
them
U nited
h is
know
a n d we know g i r l s
th a t
v ir tu e
and
was
7d e s e r v e
on th em ,
w ere
fo llo w e d
p a tr io tism .
presen t
as
sp e n d in g
...
by
S tir r e d
but
very
...
know
th ey
h isto r y
o f th e g lo b e ,
9
I r is h
I r e l a n d 7 : 7We
I r is h w o m e n ....
if
of
... 7 7
w o m e n 7s
you b esto w
and
sta ted
g ir ls
" sw ea r in "
th e p r a ise
u n fo rtu n a te
o w in g
p r o te c tio n
s o ld ie r s
n a tio n a lism
of
of
th e F e n ia n s th e m s e lv e s u se d
o n w o m e n 7s
little
it
fe m a le v i r g i n i t y
seduce
o r g a n isa tio n .
th e
fo r
a rg u m en ts
as
are
th a t
q u e s tio n a b le
fo r
ra th er
a lth o u g h
b r i n g m en t o
of
...
p r o c la im
is
on
little
Ir ish w o m a n
to
bad.
w ere
in
cou n tryw om en
and e x p o se d
d isc u ssio n
by
to p ic
th ey
The
up
a c le a r
because
m akes
or
th a t used to
to
an
h is
not
fe n ia n propaganda,
about
is
th is
fin d
by
degraded,
in itia te d
a ttr a c tio n
th e
s o c ie ty
c itie s
h om es,
w h ic h
r e p u ta tio n
fe m in in e
seek
r u le r s .7 6
w o m e n 7s
advanced in
bosom w o u ld
crow ded
p e o p le
r e a lly
th a t,
m an
le tte r
poor
w h ic h he
th e
a
was
fa ct
her
have
in
w orse
of
th e ir
of
to
as
No
from
th is
sorry
and
d efen ce
th e
are
w hen
w o u ld
fa ll.
in te r p r e te d
sham e
because
cry
d e m o r a liz a tio n
One
and
from t h e i r
tem p ta tio n ,
tyran n y
sin
h is
e x ile d
answ er t o
th o u sa n d
it:
so
sex to
th e ir
honour in
are
becom e
th a t th e
of
F e n ia n s
or
D isp e n sa tio n "
cause
crea tu res
h a v in g h e lp e d
and c o m fo r ts o f hom e",
S p e c ia l
a spark o f
c a p ita l
k in d .7 5
th e ir
of
for
p r o stitu te s,
he ought to r e c o l le c t
th erefo re,
to
are
sex
"by t h e i n f l u e n c e
w r ite r
us b e lie v e ,
o p p o site
of
th e ir
th e ir
th ey
liv e s
are
so
backw ard
to
in
th is
my m i n d ,
. ..'
8
prove
a
a
m y th ,
lo t
th e
of
im p o r ta n t
of
th e
r u le
and
c h ild r e n
as
m a k in g
e a sie r
th e
fo r
Women
of
Ir e la n d ',
au th or
as
tr ie d
an
th e ir
q u e s tio n
th e ir
to
r o le
L u b y 's
w o m e n 's
tak e.
W o m en 's
th e ir
v ic tim s,
th e
but
cause:
h isto r y ,
h isto r y
c o u ld
'In
we
of
fin d
our
w om en who c o u l d
c o u n tr y 's
C la r k e
The
in
'to
d isp la y
m en' t o
of
by
h is
but
p la y in g
has
a ll
a
not
e n title d
and
'N o b le
P eople
v o l .1 ,
John
O 'L e a r y
fr ie n d
who
happened
by
v ir tu e
a ffa ir s,
'to
o n ly
by
V ir tu o u s
son s,
th e ir
w om en
husbands
m ust
be
h e r o ic
10
fo r
life
The
as
fo r
in
past
h ig h -h e a r te d
dear
th a t
fr e e ly
9
recorded
p a rt.
m eant
to
th e ir
wom en w e r e
g iv in g
up
th e ir
e a s e t h e c h o i c e w h i c h m en
prepared
and t h e i r
b e lie v in g
supp ort
str u g g le s
m u st o f t e n m ake b e t w e e n h a p p y d o m e s t i c i t y
. . .
h o ld
regarded
th e ir
w a n ted
th a t
to
ju stifia b le . '
not
t h a t m akes
And a l l
c iv ic
n a tio n a lis t
h e r o in e s
p a tr io tic
w om en
d ev o te
th e ir
and
m en fo lk
Luby
Irish
wom en w e r e
becom e
10
th e ir
d u ty
th e ir
Ir ish w o m e n '
person,
cou n try
good. '
th e
n o .24.
th a t
m ost
by
m en fo lk
fa m ily
sa c r ific in g
'B a d
c h a r a c te r iz e d
show s
w ith
about
in flu e n c in g
was u n d er no c ir c u m s ta n c e s
se r ie s
in
th e
lie s
e d u c a tin g
b etw een
an
co u n try
d e fin e d
hom e,
Thom as
appeared
'u n o r th o d o x
d iv o r c e
had
e n te r ta in e d
sh o u ld
c h o ic e
by
and v o l . 2 ,
was
wom en
u ltr a o r t h o d o x v ie w s on t h e q u e s t io n o f m a r r ia g e ,
th a t
to
T h is was im p r e s s iv e l y d e m o n s tr a te d
'T h e
an d 52
to
th em ,
a r tic le s
w h ic h
th e
it
n a tio n a lis ts ,
of
Ir ish w o m e n '
th a t
im p o r ta n t
r e str ic te d
se r ie s
th u s
is ,
in d iv id u a l
fe m a le ,
a c tu a lly
form
a
The
an
fr e e in g
Thus
a c c o r d in g
tru e
d u ty
in
b e in g
what
s o c ie ty ,
sense,
make
never
fo r th e n a tio n a l c a u se .
n o . 50
and
d e n ie d
e q u a lity .
w as,
as
n a tio n a l
in
m a le
su ch
never
to
th ey
and
c o n tr ib u tio n
th a t
m et
Ir ish w o m a n
a n d a l s o m ade th e m a n i m p o r t a n t i s s u e
regarded
p a r tic ip a tio n
in
b oth
F e n ia n s
th e ir
th ey
church
a p a tr io tic
h a v in g
w r ite r s,
propaganda,
what
never
c o n tr ib u tio n
from E n g li s h
th o u g h t
th a t
o p p o site .
A lth o u g h
th e ir
resp ect
and p u b lic
d u ty .
s a c r ific e
th e ir
to
b ro th ers
to
th e
p u b lic
good.
Women m u s t
good
r e p u b lic a n
w ords:
to
of
th e
But
d ea th
of
but
sam e
to
12
to
a sense
lig h te n
Luby
th e
ex p ected
a r e t im e s w hen
one
be
sh o u ld
t h o s e who l o v e
th e
fo llo w in g
'th a t th ere
Ir ish w o m e n '
of
th e
a c tio n ;
h is
m en tio n e d
was
of
life
13
w ere
ty p e
a source
h im , w h i l e
sham e a n d s o r r o w . '
'B a d
one
lea r n
in
r e lin q u ish
a p a th e tic
brave. '
a b e lo v e d
of
fin a lly
th is
aw aken t h e
th e
joy to
o n ly
a r tic le ,
to
and
be a sou rce
not
and
Luby p u t
Ir ish w o m e n t o
and te n d e r
sh o u ld
11
is
tru e
g lo r io u s
p r id e
n u rtu re,
sham e t h e w a v e r i n g i n t o
n a tio n a lis t
th e
m en. '
'H e r m i s s i o n
o f d u ty;
to il
breed,
in
d e d ic a te d
an
to
'B a d
H u sb a n d s' , w h ic h u n d e r l in e d a g a in t h a t t h e F e n ia n a t t i t u d e
to
wom en
d id
e sta b lish e d
'm a r r ia g e
w o m a n 's
th an
not
by
d iffe r
th e
is,
church.
and
career,
m ust
and
ill-su c c e ss
no
in
her
life
-
and v ir t u o u s
H ere
a
from
and
th e
th e
ty p ic a l
correspond s
b r ig h te r
w ith
th e
Women h a d t o
m en tio n in g
her
out
her
from
of
a happy
w h ic h
is
d e r iv e d
th ese
w ork t h r o u g h m en,
if
th ey
rebel
-
S .L .]
th a t
of
a
lo n g
th e
THE I R I S H WIFE u n d e r l i n i n g
as
a n o th er
th ey
r e g u la r
w rote:
d e n u n c ia tio n s
'B u t
as
th e
SPES,
wom en
to
th e ir
D e s c r ib in g
th e
fea rs
of
a
w om en
who
her
lo v e r
in to
w ith
th e w ords:
11
sex,
as
fo r
d e d ic a te d
u n c o n d itio n a l
of
fo llo w
p o r tio n
a r d e n tly
stern er
[b y
n a tio n a lity ,
great
dependence
fin is h
th ey w ere
O n ly t h e n w e r e
a g a in st
A n o th er w r it e r ,
m o th er b e h in d t o
a ttitu d e
th o u g h t and f e l t
H arvey B ir c h ,
c o n tin u e d
e sp e c ia lly ,
15
I r is h
I m u st n o t f o r g e t t h e w om en. T h ey t o o
a u th o r ity
y o u n g w om en
her
b e fa ll
a
cen tre
tr a d itio n a l
r e m e m b e rin g ,
C hurch
good
e n th u s ia s tic
le ts
in
ornam en t and b l e s s i n g
m a le r e l a t i v e s .
and
w ith
R om an C a t h o l i c
r e c k o n in g .'
th a t
event
can
sh u ts
appears,
th e I r i s h P eople,
d isg u ste d
on
It
one
sta ted
grand
m isfo r tu n e
a ttitu d e
sam e way a s t h e i r
it
au th or
th e
v en tu re.
th e
tr a d itio n a l
p ow er o f b e co m in g t h e
s p e a k in g o f t h e m en,
th e
th e
be,
g rea ter
th at
fe n ia n
c o n tr ib u to r to
have
it
Ir ish w o m e n an d h e r o i n e s o n l y
w orth
are
In
th e
h o m e . ' 14
o f w o m en 's r o l e :
tru e
from
a lw a y s
t h a t w h ic h c o n s t i t u t e s
of
m uch
husb ands
as
le a v e s
th e
th e
and
of
I
th em ,
th e
m ost
th e
day
a poem t o
lo y a lty
G o d 's
and
la w .
her
lo n e ly
war t h e
au th o r
'I
know
'tis
hard
To b e a r t h e
B u t,
fo r you to
lo n e lin e ss
hear
-
and w oe;
God made him n e a r ,
m o th er d e a r ,
N e a r e r than you - an d I m u st g o
T h is
r e str ic tio n
sphere'
show s
e q u a lly
a b le
in te r fe r e
r e c e iv e
of
th a t
to
in
th e
about th e
in
in
an o b s t a c l e
in
A sso c ia tio n ,
or
o th ers,
m o th er
and
very
m em ber
n o tic e .'
p r in c ip le ,
to
to
ex p ected
F e n ia n s
in
to
about d e c is io n s
A n o th er
to
th e ir
th e ir
S ta tes,
th o se
o b lig a tio n s ,
d e p e n d in g
be
A lth o u g h
fu ll
w o m e n 's
d isc u ssio n s
o f w om en
d e d ic a tio n to
p redecessor
o n ly
sh o u ld
17
su p p osed
ig n o r e d .
th e
o b v io u s
U n ite d
a d m itte d
fa m ily
of
or
E m p h a siz in g t h e r o l e
The
th e
from
not
e q u a ls
on t h e on e hand t h e y r e g a r d e d m a r r ia g e
cause.
B roth erh ood
free
a ttitu d e
'n a tu r a l
as
ju st
sim p ly
s e n s e o f m a rr ia g e.
n a tio n a lis t
T hey w e r e
but
16
th e ir
th e ir c r itic is m
was
th e
to
regarded
m a tters,
m ovem ent becam e
fa m ily as
not
cause.
ord ers,
fa m ily r e la t io n s
and
th e
le a d e r s
c o n tr a d ic tio n
a c tiv ity
w om en w e r e
h e lp
and f u l f i l
in
fe m a le
p o litic a l
fe n ia n
r o le
of
! 1'
m a rr ia g e w as o n ly
th e
as
th em
to
F e n ia n
Em m et
M onum ent
m e m b e r sh ip
such
ready
th e
th e
to
upon
of
'w h o w e r e
h a v in g
fo r
serve
F e n ia n s
d id
a ccep ted
if
th e
a
w ife ,
su p p o rt.
at
a
not
th e
Each
m o m e n t's
e m p lo y
fa m ily
th is
sto o d
c o m p le t e ly b e h in d th e n a t i o n a l i s t w ork and su p p o r te d i t
every
w as
resp ect.
a c la ssic
m a rr ia g e
as
a tte n tio n '
of
course,
John
of
S tep h en s
in
to
w ife
was
sta ted
p o p u la r w ith
-
b oth
th e ir
of
m a rr ia g e
th e
a ll
m ass
'sh e
of
of
course,
knew t h e
to
m a k e m en s u b o r d i n a t e
fa ct
to
p a id
'd e se r te d '
b la m ed
p la y e d
'I
th a t
Jane
H opper
o p p o sitio n
o p in io n
he added
th e
w e d d in g
F e n ia n s'
p a r tly
th at
w h a te v e r ...'
k in d
th e
h i s young w if e and
h is
m a rr ia g e
and th e
S te p h e n s's
e x a m p le
O 'L ea r y
F e n ia n ism
h is
Jam es
on
no
a g a in st
'to o
m uch
th e cau se and,
th is .
A lth o u g h
d ir e c t
m ay h o w e v e r
part
say
th a t
a ll
h e w as m a k in g -
was a n y th in g
but
"The C a p t a i n ' s "
fo llo w e r s .
p u b lic
to
of
th e
12
m a rr ied
p r iv a te
W h ereas O 'L ea r y k e p t a r a t h e r m o d e r a te
m a rr y in g
in
at
ten d en cy
he was
in
T hey,
c o n d itio n
in te r e s ts .'
a ttitu d e
to
18
S t e p h e n s 's m a rr ia g e o th e r F e n ia n s ,
Jam es
O 'C o n n o r r e a c t e d
None o f
H opper
th em e v e r
had
lo y a lly
d e s c r ip tiv e
account
fo r
co n tra st,
0 ' Donovan
th e
th e
th is
m ay b e
fe n ia n
im p o r ta n c e
fa ct
h is
th a t
m ovem ent
c o u r tsh ip .
h is
w ife
Jane
fin a n c ia lly
fou n d
and
sto o d
sid e .
on
th e
and
F e n ia n s'
refers
a ttitu d e
to
h is
and
tow ard s
w ife 's
real
F e n ia n m ovem en t.
M ary
R ossa
w ith
F e n ia n
to
D e n ie ffe or
The F e n i a n C h i e f g i v e s a v e r y d e t a i l e d
m a rr ia g e
im p o r ta n c e
th e
D evoy,
and d e s p i t e p o v e r ty and d e s p a ir a lw a y s
D esm ond R y a n 's
In
th e
by h er h u sb a n d 's
S te p h e n s's
h o s tile
a p p r e c ia te d
su p p orted
as a c o u r ie r ,
o p e n ly
lik e
was
Jane
a
I r w in 's
p r im e
e x p e c ta tio n
in
e x a m p le
of
r o le
t h e m ovem en t.
13
w ith
w h ic h
m a r r ia g e .
t h e m ore a c t i v e
o f M ary J a n e t o
u n io n
J e r e m ia h
correspond ed
The
reason
and t h e
fo r
g rea ter
ch a p ter
1:
M arv J a n e O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a
The e a r ly
years
in
Ir e la n d
1845-1867
Mary Jane O'Donovan Rossa is but one example of the
tremendous
support
women
gave
to
a movement
which,
at
least publicly, denied them their right to dedicate their
imaginative ideas to the cause of Ireland's freedom.
The
n e g le c t
of
now adays i s
nam e
is
house
known
A c c o r d in g t o
her
of
in
th e
her
g iv e n
b ir th
fo r
in
part
in
th is
of
a
la c k
in
hom e
resp ect
th e
tow n
p la q u e
to
of
be
m ise r a b ly ,
of
C lo n a k ilty ,
of
th e
a ttem p ts
erected
as
'd u e
c o m m u n ic a tio n
e r e c tio n
even
fa c t th a t her
new spaper r e p o r ts
fa ile d
or
th e
her
lo c a l
form
m isu n d e r sta n d in g ,
once
J a n e 's
d e m o n str a te d m ost v i s i b l y
h a r d ly
C o .C o r k .
honour
M ary
th e
to
on
to
th e
som e
p e r m is s io n
p la q u e w as w ith d r a w n .'
19
D e sp ite
Jane,
th e
u n su ccessfu l
s e v e r a l p e o p le
m em ory
lo c a l
by
th e
anonym ous
fir s t,
th e
life ,
p u b lic a tio n
of
3 A p r il
g iv in g
fe m a le
a p p lie s
Seam us
a lre a d y
J a n e 's
la c k
and
th e ir
honour
p r iv a te
M ary
of
th e
J a n e 's
M ary
r e v iv e
her
research
in
to
o th er
a s s is ta n c e
a r tic le
secondary
in
th e
0 'K e lly 's
fo r
m en tio n e d
one
a c h ie v e m e n ts,
to
M ary
of
w ork
th a t
a lth o u g h
in
the
p a id
a
The
her,
research
a resu m e o f
on
her
R ossa.
on
th e
m ovem en t,
of
tw o
w ork.
about
fu rth er
c o n ta in e d
fe n ia n
S w eeth earts
and
m a te r ia l
lite r a tu r e
p r e se n ta tio n
1984 p r in t e d
life
and h er r e la t io n s h ip
in v o lv e m e n t
to
on
The s e c o n d
a c tiv itie s
The
of
1982 and 4 A u g u st
referen ce
su p p ort
su b ject.
p u b lic ly
from t h e a r e a a t t e m p t e d t o
a r tic le s
req u ested
to
The S o u t h e r n S t a r an d C o r k C o u n t y C h r o n i c l e
papers.
(S k ib b e r e e n )
effo rts
su b ject
lo g ic a lly
J a n e 's
life .
Irish
tr a d itio n a l
a lso
W ith
R ebels
tr ib u te
of
we
to
M ary
and
one­
s id e d way.
The C a t h o l i c B u l l e t i n
draw a t t e n t i o n
to
th e
u sed her d ea th a s
r o le
and
14
an o p p o r t u n it y
s ig n ific a n c e
of
her
to
e x is te n c e
20.
in c lu d e s
of
her
an
tw o
a r tic le s
in te r v ie w
life
p a y in g
Of
and
tr ib u te
w ith
la b o u r s
to
in d iv id u a l.
The
c o n v e n tio n a l
way
her
on
cause
of
refers
lo y a l
one
by
num erous
freed om ,
p e r s o n a lity
to
c o m p a n io n
MAIRE
a sp ects
Ir ish
o u tsta n d in g
one
th e
Jane
th e
an
o th er
as
M ary
fo r
as
p u b lish e d ,
her
and
and
in
th e
su p p o rter
of
h er husband.
O ne
of
th e
very
few
w orks
to
O 'L u in g 's
to
th e
a
very
in te n siv e
research
R ossa d a u g h ter E ile e n
d e ta ile d
w r itte n
in
th e
p u b lish e d
account
Ir ish
E n g lish
pays
an
a p p r o p r ia te
S e a n O ' L u i n g ' s 0 D o n n o b h a in R o s a .
a c c o l a d e t o M ary J a n e i s
Due
th a t
and
M cG ow an,
of
M ary
la n g u a g e .
tr a n sla tio n
h is
h is
r e la tio n sh ip
w ork a l s o
J a n e 's
life
U n fo r tu n a te ly
of
th is
very
g iv e s
and
th ere
w ork
is
e x p lic it
no
and
c o m p re h e n siv e w ork a v a i l a b l e .
P r i m a r y s o u r c e s o n M ary J a n e ,
in
great
num ber
F e n ia n s,
m o stly
she
and v a r ie t y .
was
referred
never
trea ted
r ig h t.
John
m en tio n e d
to
as
as
an
th e
how ever,
B e in g
in
w e ll-k n o w n
th e ir
h e r o ic
of
le a d in g
R ossa,
in d iv id u a l
R eco llectio n s
O 'L e a r y 's
to
r e m in isc e n c e s,
w ife
o u ts ta n d in g
are a c c e ssib le
of
in
but
and
was
her
ow n
F enians
and
Fenianism r e f e r t o h e r o n l y b r i e f l y i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h h e r
p o etry
John
fo r
th e
D evoy,
I r i s h P eople.
how ever,
h a v in g
been
a
c lo s e
fr ie n d
of
th e
R o s s a f a m i l y , m e n t i o n e d h e r am ong n u m e r o u s o t h e r wom en a n d
t h e ir v a lu a b le c o n tr ib u tio n s t o
for
M ary
Jane
was
w o m en 's a c t i v i t i e s
The
M ary
Jane
part
fo r
fo llo w in g
new sp ap er and p o l i c e
in
th e
shadow o f
th e
h is
H is h ig h r e g a r d
general
a p p r e c ia tio n
R ossa,
rep o rts
about
th e
w h ic h
are
life
and
m a in ly
w ork
of
based
on
as w e ll as her correspond en ce
w i l l p r o v e t h o s e w ro n g who o n l y
R ossa
M ary J a n e w a s m o r e t h a n
of
m ovem en t.
ch a p ters
0 ' D onovan
and r e m i n i s c e n c e s ,
of
th e ca u se.
and h i s
ju st
w ork.
th e
15
It
w ill
fa ith fu l
saw h e r
show t h a t
p a rtn er,
a d v iso r ,
c o n s o le r
o u tsta n d in g
w ill
th e
a lso
c r itic
in d iv id u a l,
of
th in k in g
had t o
fa ce
of
and
d em o n stra te t h a t
way
o ften
and
in
an
but
in
e x tr a o r d in a r y
M ary J a n e ' s
her
stro n g
R ossa,
an
wom an.
It
c r itic ism
su r r o u n d in g s,
o p p o sitio n
tru th
e n r ic h e d
a lth o u g h
p a r tic u la r ly
she
fro m
her
m a le c o u n t e r p a r t s .
1 .1 .
M ary
M ary J a n e ' s
Jane
O 'D o n o v a n
Ir w in ,
R ossa,
C h ild h o o d
lik e
her
fu tu re
d escen ded
from
known t o b e a s t r o n g h o l d o f
Ir ish
o c c u p a tio n ,
th e
1850,
caused
w h ic h
forced
a n o th er
t h e m in d s o f
W orks l i k e
1977)
U n io n
of
th e
to
th e
c o lle c tio n
a lth o u g h
area
of
and
of
w h ic h
one
of
m illio n
had
le ft
was
The E n g lis h
F a m in e
D istric t.
and
J a n e 's
d a u g h ter
te r r ify in g
th e
e m ig r a te ,
m a te r ia l
M ary
p o etess
area
J e r e m ia h
1845
to
p e o p le
its
and
m ark
T h is C i t y o f Cork 1700-1900
C lo n a k ilty
of
C ork
n a tio n a lism .
( P u b lic a t io n C lo n a k ilt y C .Y .M .S .,
p ic tu r e
husband
in
Ir ish .
S .F .P e ttit's
and
th e
and
d eath s
m illio n
th e
1801
an d Y o u th
draw n
g iv e an im p r e s s iv e
la tte r
p la c e s
and
p e o p le ,
and
th ere,
h is
referen ce.
The
is
m en tio n e d
g iv e n
in
Present
The
about
not
1959)
and
h isto r y .
fa th er
is
im a g es
its
Past
(C ork
any
Edw ard
G a rn er 's
To
is
d ie
a
by
i n c h e s . The Famine i n N o r t h E a s t C o r k ( M i d d l e t o n , C o . C o r k ,
1986)
im p r e ssiv e ly
p u b lic
and v i v i d l y
p e r io d
on
c e r ta in
how m any d i e d .
S o m uch t h a t
a ll
but
rem a in ed
ta le s
th e
c o u ld
dead.
e p to m ise
Dogs
j u s t anyw here in
rep ea ted
e a tin g
fr a n tic
one
th e
w ill
im p a c t o f
ever
know
th is
fo r
E v e r y o n e knew a b o u t S k i b b e r e e n .
cen tres
k n o w le d g e
be
'N o
...
w hen o t h e r
lo c a l
to
m em ory:
e x p la in
th e
of
m em ory
Ir e la n d 's
anyw here.
th e
s u ffe r in g
dead.
of
th a t
su ffe r in g s.
C a b in s
H u r rie d
passed
C ork
from
u n io n
S k ib b e r e e n
p o p u la te d
b u r ia ls,
w ith
o ften
a t te m p ts t o w ard o f f p e s t i l e n c e .
16
C a b in s
dead
b e in g
burned
w ith in .
S to r ie s
u tilita r ia n
So
r o a d sid e ,
lip s
is
F a m in e
m ade
to
1847
about
sta in e d
from
b o d ie s
to
th e
w ay.
com m on
by
g n a w in g
w rapped
20 m i l e s
C lo n a k ilty
from
houses
3 ,9 9 3
Ir w in
th e ir
C lo n a k ilty .
to
in c r e a se d
th e
R osscarberry,
in
one o f th e
fe n ia n
a
...
21
sou th w est
p la c e was a f f e c t e d
and
S k ib b e r e e n
its e lf
as
a
by
p e o p le
to
board
r e su lt
3 ,2 9 7 ,
from
th e p u b lic
of
63 t o
was
th e
184.
not
num ber
22
a ffected
e x p e r ie n c e o f th o s e
sh o c k in g
m em bers.
M a x w ell I r w in and M a r g a r e t K eo h a n e o f
m a rr ied
T here th e
'4 8 m en,
c o n v ic tio n s
of
d ir e c tly
m ark o n i t s
had
w hereas
in
1844
and
groom had b u i l t
had
a house
s e ttle d
fo r
h is
i n w h i c h M ary J a n e w a s b o r n o n e y e a r l a t e r .
h is
ju st
graveyard
(c a .3 2 k m )
th e
grass
fa m in e -s tr ic k e n
tow n
fa m ily
I r w i n , who w as t h e l o c a l
sh o p k ee p e r and p u b lic a n ,
sin c e
le d
la te r
sy m p a th ise
new
M a x w ell
had b een
w hen h e h a d b e e n know n t o
h im t o
in
R ossa,
w ith
th e
m ovem en t.
was
known
fo r w a r d m an,
and
e le c tio n
resp ected
as
and he e d u c a te d h i s
h o n esty ,
resp ect
as
and t r u s t
an
honest
c h ild r e n
in
T ow n C o m m i s s i o n e r
and
in
h im w a s
of
th is
d eath
for
h is
i n May 1 8 7 9 :
C lo n a k ilty
p e o p le
and
in
and h is
m any
th e
of
cause
'L o n g an d e a r n e s t l y
co u n try .
them
of
th e
w ere
W ise an d
th e
w orks
d istr e sse d
17
str a ig h t­
m anner.
m a n ife ste d
The I r i s h m a n n e w s p a p e r r e m a r k e d o n t h e
h is
hands
fou n d
o ff
M ary J a n e ' s p a r e n t s ,
w ords,
w retch es
ca rted
In
le ft
1874.
th o se
from R o s s c a r b e r r y
scen es
h is
w ere
M any
sta r v a tio n ,
T h is
b o tto m ,
green
s im ila r
by th e
He
h in g e d
a
A lth o u g h
and
g h a stly
of
th e ir
and e m ig r a tio n t h e p o p u la t io n d e c r e a s e d b e tw e e n
u n o c c u p ie d
fa m ily
th e
b ir th
c o ffin -sh ip .
1845
sh o rta g es,
a n d M ary J a n e ' s
way
s ta r v a tio n
v ic tim s
of
s itu a te d
in
th e ir
fev er
acco u n ts
and
C lo n a k ilty
th e
a
And
shroud
S k ib b e r e e n
w ith
ta le s
ground,
c o ffin
and t e e t h
n e ttle s.
rough
of
to o
th e
of
c o ffin
currency.
and
to
in
by
M arch
o c c a sio n
of
had he la b o u r e d
sin c e r e
of
and t h e
h is
w ere
h is
b r a in
and
s o r r o w i n g . /23
M ary J a n e
was
ten
c h ild r e n
of
as
th a t
som e
of
d e fin ite ly
th e
27
th a t
th e
know n.
January
C h r iste n in g .
very
referen ce
a r tic le
to
in
fa m ily .
in
th e
g iv e n .
her
nam ed 27
la tte r
C h a rle s
25th
M ary J a n e
The
th ese
O th er
P a r ish
is
A ugust
1846,
of
and
d a te
H enry
A lfr e d
M a r ia
of
Anne
A m e lia
as
is
not
P a r ish
th e
of
day
her
regarded
au th or
of
of
to
fa ct
in
th e ir
th e
above
s is te r s
of
nam ed
are
as
C h r iste n in g
life
1 9 1 6 /J a n u a r y
J a n e 's
January
1846
M ary J a n e ' s
th a t
p o in ts
1917
to
b roth er
th e
as
u n lik e ly
if
sam e y e a r .
in
th e
C a th o lic
fo llo w s:
d a te /p la c e
of
d eath
1 2 /0 8 /1 8 4 6
C lo n a k ilty
1 8 4 7 /1 8 4 9
C a lifo r n ia )
2 4 /1 2 /1 8 5 0
C a lifo r n ia
0 1 /0 2 /1 8 5 2
1894/B r o o k ly n
0 1 /0 4 /1 9 3 8 /S ta te n
I s la n d
C lo n a k ilty
1 3 /0 3 /1 8 5 8
C lo n a k ilty
1 8 8 4 /1 8 8 5 /C lo n a k ilt y
A u str a lia
e v id e n c e
of
W arren,
who d o e s
b etw een
1847 and 1849 a s t h e r e
an o th er
n ot appear th e r e .
Ir w in
th e
Jam es
1 5 /0 5 /1 8 5 6
how ever,
th e
w e ll
C a th o lic
d iv id e d
2 7 /0 1 /1 8 6 1
A lb e r t
in
as
lik e ly
are
are
th e
1 7 /0 7 /1 8 5 9
is,
of
m ore
w h ic h w o u ld h a v e b e e n
2 9 /0 1 /1 8 5 4
K a te
b ir th s
1845
M ary
C lo n a k ilty
(T im o th y W arren
T here
th e
D ecem ber
was b orn i n
Jam es C h a r le s
E liz a
as
refern ces
of
b ir th
b ro th ers
nam e
Is a b e lla
how ever,
sources
18 4 5 24. A n o t h e r
th e
R e g iste r
W illia m
e ld e s t
s is te r s
r e g iste r s
W hereas
Book L o v e r
h e r se lf
o th er
and
is,
1845,
January
b ir th .
January
in
th e
Southern S t a r o f 4 A u g u s t 1984 c l a i m s
th e
d a te
It
January
sources.
Irish
th e
as
H er b i r t h d a t e ,
b roth ers
to be th e year o f her b ir th ,
in
1845
In s e v e r a l s o u r c e s and on h er g r a v e s t o n e
G e n e r a lly
r e lia b le
January
her
1846 i s
nam es
in
Ir w in
of
sh e was born
R e g iste r
born
fa m ily .
18
is
b ro th er,
T im o th y
He w a s p r e s u m a b l y b o r n
a gap in
th e
sequence
of
Of M a x w e ll I r w i n ' s
b ro th ers,
Jam es
n a tio n a lis t
g iv e
and
can,
how ever,
bond
to
m oral
her,
be
a
to
a ffo rd
a
e n r o lle d
m a ster,
norm al
was
th a t
a
p u p il
J a n e 's
lite r a r y
fr ie n d ,
at
1860
A lth o u g h
sin g in g
a
M ary J a n e ' s
tr a its
in
w ith
M ary
1992
in
th a t
'p r ix
correct
It
is
e d u c a tio n
of
the
a very
p o etry
no
It
c lo se
of
la te r
H eart
en try
sta tes
in
in
lite r a r y
d 'a p p lic a tio n '.
her
th a t
she
a
fee
to
th e
ta le n t
in
D e sc r ib in g
was
in
and had
D ecem ber
fe llo w -p u p il
sa id
th a t
p oetry
in
M ary
C onvent
a d d itio n
and
th ey
c h ild r e n .
Sacred
a tte n tio n ,
and
and
1861
M ary
life lo n g
'en d o w ed
w ith
a m o n g t h o s e whom t h e w o r l d
sc h o o lin g
I sla n d ,
str ic t
in
M o llo y
N ew Y o r k ,
te a c h in g
Mary
national
From a c o n v e r s a t i o n
E ile e n
S ta ten
that
im p o sed o t h e r v i s i b l e
and a t t i t u d e .
p r o n u n c ia tio n
interesting
supporter
had
th e ir
her
g ra n d d a u g h ter
very
gram m ar,
or
25
h er b e h a v io u r
was
her
t h a t n e e d e d b u t t im e and o p p o r t u n it y
h o n o r .'
h e r hom e i n
she
little
her
d ra w in g
was
M oore,
J a n e 's
is
e x c e lle d
t o w in f o r h e r a fo r e m o s t p l a c e
w ith
who
fo r m a tio n o f
r e a so n a b ly w e l l - o f f
th e
and
it
w ondrous m en ta l g i f t s
d e lig h ts
of
fo r
she
a b ility ,
M argaret
su r v e illa n c e .
o f h e r m o th er on h e r .
and th e
a ttra cted
aw arded
in th e
som e
e d u c a tio n
c u r r ic u lu m ,
p a r tic u la r
rep o rts
b e sid e s R ossa,
T here
p a ren ts w ere
on 4 O cto b er
m u sic
p o lic e
th e
h e r m o th er.
good
as
her
fo llo w e d
or
M ary J a n e
in
and tw o o f
and
arrests
a ttitu d e s.
exp ressed
E 35 w as p a i d .
she
th e ir
assum ed t h a t
as
d e d ic a te d
R oscrea
of
of
fa m ily ,
or in flu e n c e
A s M ary J a n e ' s
Jane
th e
was m a in ly h e r f a t h e r ,
e v id e n c e on t h e r o l e
c o u ld
W arren,
in flu e n c e d th e young g i r l
p o litic a l
years
T im o th y
of
e v id e n c e
F o r M ary J a n e i t
str o n g ly
M ary J a n e
and
tr a d itio n
num erous
c h ild r e n
and c l e a r
Jane,
cause,
her
in
N ovem ber
we le a r n e d
own
c h ild r e n
speech .
although
always
an
confined
activities to a certain standard of behaviour that
19
ardent
her
correspond ed
d u r in g t h e
o u tra g e
e a r ly
about
fe n ia n
her
up
gath ered
th e
b u r n in g
th e ir
E lle n
of
E liz a
a n ti-E n g lish
a
a p ic tu r e
of
K in g W i l l i a m
been
b o ld n e ss'
and
house,
d e la y '.
she
a
a
her
la tte r
had
th a t
her
n ig h td r e ss
had
fa th er
at
'su ch
her
and
w in d o w .
of
R ossa
fr ie n d
m ob
jo in in g
in
to
exp ressed
The
of
o u tb u rst
'su ch w ic k e d n e ss'
fu rth er
by
w e a r in g
c r itic a l
le tte r
p erson al
fe e lin g s
her
o n ly
a
C a lla n a n .
of
had
In
m a r r ia g e
b e h a v io u r
M ary J a n e ' s
w ith o u t
of
rank.
fron t
she
caused
th e
in
so c ia l
days
su p p orter,
stir r e d
th at
w ith
in
The
fa ct
th e
tim e
u n fe m in in e
and h er t h r e a t t o
'c u t her
26
A f e w m o n th s a f t e r t h e e n d o f h e r s c h o o l i n g M ary J a n e
m et
th e
life ,
m an
to
whom
J e r e m ia h
area
on
she
was
0 ' Donovan
fe n ia n
to
d ev o te
R ossa.
b u sin e ss
in
He
A p ril
but
of
t h e wake a s t h e
R ossa
d e c la r e d
her about f iv e
fa th e r 's
house
was
to
sa id
w e ll-k n o w n
fifte e n
tw ic e
fr ie n d s
been
and
and
in
p o e te ss',
of
little
At th e
th e
C ork
th e
M ary J a n e r e c a l l e d
th e
th e ir
fir s t
th at
m e e tin g ,
he
had
seen
th is
w ith
area
th a n
of
M ary
sons
The
n o tio n
wom an o u t
of
h is
h is
to
b ir th .
he
of
had
'u n a b le
h e a d .'
to
he
been
in
th e
R ossa
was
B e in g
g e ttin g
'w ith
h im .
27 a n d
who w e r e
m in d
and he had b een
door
wom en'
Jane
fiv e
R o ssa 's
th e
th e
a
about
w id o w ed
care
m a rr ied
p ic tu r e
get
her
of
had
of
th e
a
im a g e
28
tim e o f t h e i r m e e tin g R o ssa was w o r k in g a s b u s i n e s s
m anager o f
S h o r tly
opened
p o p u la r
r e la tiv e s .
in
her
a tten d ed
of
and
r e m in isc e n c e s
had
h im w i t h
p retty
th e
she
o ld e r
a sso c ia te d
to
of
y e a r s b e f o r e w hen h e h a d g o n e t o
'v e r y
m an
le a v in g
h is
or s ix
be
years
in
o c c a sio n
rest
com e
1864
w a k e o f o n e o f M ary J a n e ' s c o u s i n s .
n ig h t
had
th e
th e
a fter
F e n ia n
th e ir
poem s f o r t h e p a p e r .
w ere u n a b le t o
The I r i s h P e o p l e i n D u b l i n .
organ
m e e tin g
Due t o
M ary
R o ssa 's
Jane
com m enced
fe n ia n
s p e n d m uch t i m e t o g e t h e r ,
a c tiv itie s
th ey
w h ic h w a s a m a jo r
p o i n t o f c o m p l a i n t i n M ary J a n e ' s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e t o
20
w r itin g
R ossa.
Despite their admiration for Rossa and his political
attitude
Mary Jane's parents disapproved of their close
relationship, as to them it presaged a lot of trouble for
their
daughter.
They
wanted
her
to
marry
a
settled,
wealthy man, who would provide her with solid support and
already had a hotelkeeper in Brisbane, Queensland, in mind
for her, whom her aunt had recommended to them. 29
Due to the opposition
of Mary Jane's
parents the young
couple became engaged secretly, and they only became aware
of this fact when they discovered the engagement ring on
their daughter's finger. They told Mary Jane to break off
her
engagement
their wish
and despite
out
of humble
her
duty.
own
feelings
Realising,
fond their daughter and Rossa were of
Jane's
parents
helped
to
eventually
arrange
with the church.
it
agreed
despite
the
to
she
obeyed
however,
each
the
other,
how
Mary
marriage
apparent
and
difficulties
The Catholic hierarchy was very hostile
to the fenian movement and refused to give sacraments to
its members and those suspected of cooperating with it. As
Rossa was known to belong to the organisation the parish
priest, Fr Leader, objected to marrying the young couple.
Later,
her
however,
resolve
realising that Mary Jane was adamant in
to
circumstances,
be
united
with
Rossa
regardless
of
he relented and gave them the sacraments.
This conversation between the priest and the young couple
is described in detail in Rossa's I r i s h R e b e l s .
On 2 2
M ary
O ctob er
Jane
and
s ig n ific a n c e
fo r
in te r e stin g
from
1864,
R ossa
th e
h a lf
m a rr ied .
la tte r 's
th e
a year
p o in t
a fter
T h is
fe n ia n
th a t
30
th ey
m a r r ia g e
and
c o n n e c tio n s
he
had
had m et,
had
its
is
'little
c o n n e c tio n w ith th e C lo n a k ilty d i s t r i c t u n t i l h i s m a rr ia g e
w i t h t h e d a u g h t e r o f M a x w ell I r w i n ,
21
p u b lic a n
of
th is
tow n
about
th e
year
a fe n ia n
Mary
1864
31 a s
d e sc r ib e d
in
th e
report
of
in
the
in fo rm er.
Jane's
correspondence
with
Rossa,
now
possession of the National Archives as part of the Fenian
Briefs, also reveals that she kept him informed on fenian
matters or arrests in the area,
and that she had to lie
frequently about his whereabouts, even to her parents.
Immediately
after
Stephens's orders,
their
marriage
Rossa,
acting
on
took Mary Jane to England to combine
fenian business with their honeymoon.
A fter
th e ir
retu rn
at
C h ristm a s
hard to
assum e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
e a r lie r
m a r r ia g e s.
few tim e s
D e n n is
fo r
M rs.
purpose o f
(* 1 8 5 4 ),
C o r n e liu s
second
John
(* 1 8 5 8 )
H e a ly ,
(* 1 8 5 5 ),
h is
th e
was
g ra n d p a ren ts.
D e sp ite
husband
Jane
in
th e
th e
in siste d
on
R ossa
k e e p in g
th e
about
th em
from
tr o u b le
w hen
you
th em .
of
are
Of
h is
me
th e
m in d
th ey
tr o u b le
about
T h a t's
I
of
are
of
me
how
le ft
them
e x p e n siv e
to
...
th e
of
rem edy
me
and
have
fa ir ly
th em w o u ld
w ith
as
not
in
be
I
th e
boys
th in g s,
it.
If
D u b lin
presen t
trea ted
sta te
22
of
an
tak en
me
q u e stio n
have
life
of
as
us
tr o u b le
w ish
th in g s.
w ish
g r ie v e s
e ith e r
have
are
ra th er
ru n n in g
I
she
you
th e
It
th e
as
not
easy
and
sh e w rote
feel
of
by
had
tw o u ld
I
th a t.
C a r iss.
you
1865
w o u ld
th an
are
a
m a tern a l
boys
w o u ld
such
le ss
In
out
I w o u ld n o t e x p e c t
not
th em .
you
tr o u b le
lo v e ,
h is
th e
'...
because
a w id o w ,
from h e r p a r e n t s
a d o p tin g
sons:
put
c o u ld
a bad s t a t e
te ll
I
concerned,
course
th in k
o n ly
th em .
h a v e had and h a v e .
to
e ld e st
and
The son o f R o s s a 's
r e g a r d e d t h e m a s p a r t o f h e r ow n f a m i l y .
to
of
a
son s,
(*1857)
care
care
o p p o sitio n
so n s by h is
e ld e st
J e r e m ia h
in
tr ie d
S k ib b e r e e n
fo u r
t h e ir m o th e r 's d e a th .
m a rr ia g e
fiv e
had v i s i t e d
se e in g
who h ad b e e n
sin c e
M ary
fo r R o ssa 's
She and R o ssa
th e
1 8 6 4 M ary J a n e
about
of
I
me
and
my
id le .
y o u w o u ld
a
been
house
as
B e sid e s
and
little
th e y 'd
have
of
proper
s c h o o lin g
th e m s e lv e s ..'
M ary J a n e ' s
fo r
her
she
house in
was
a llo w e d
M ary J a n e a s
S ecreta ry
of
o ffe n siv e
1865
th e
a g a in st
th e
Irish
o r g a n isa tio n
a ll
fir s t
to
be
S ep tem b er
D ecem ber.
he
was
th e
a
in
was
about
F u rth er,
day
from
th e
was
speak
put
to
I
a ll.
h im .
w ith d r a w n .
I
on
15
to
of
M ary
to
by
see
My o f f e n c e
and
w ith
Jane
d e c la r e d
and
was
but
I
was
ask
was
escap e
not
su ch
w as m e r e ly
1865.
to
th e
at
th e
th e
day
a llo w e d
on
th is :
I
to
F r id a y
p e r m is s io n
was
s a w my
I b r o u g h t h im b r a n d y .
33
h im
refu sed .
to
accorded
fr o m h im s i n c e . '
23
husband,
D ecem ber
tr ia l
h im ,
her
to
to
1 8 6 6 ),
14
L a w le ss,
life
a r r e s t and
in te r v ie w
Mr S t e p h e n s ' s
s it
(M ay
h u m b led m y s e l f
Mr
fo r
tra n sferred
B etw een h i s
M ail
P e r m issio n
kept
se r v itu d e
P o r tla n d
a lle g e d
I
fa stin g ,
have been
am ong
cu sto d y
la te r
an
forw ard
m ig h t
h u sb a n d w eak from
of
but
a llo w e d
sta tem en t,
th rou gh
p u b lic ly
a r r e s tin g
was
in to
penal
(1 8 6 8 ).
not
E vening
th is
to
1 8 6 5 ),
a n d C h ath am
Jane
R ossa
tak en
M o u n tjo y ,
'S u c h an i n t e r v i e w ,
th at
by
sta rted
b y t h e S p e c i a l C o m m issio n on 9 t o
A tto rn ey -G en er a l,
was
was
sen ten ced
report
C o n tr a d ic tin g
e v e n in g
had
m ovem ent
co u n try .
(C h r istm a s
D ublin
or
C o m m itte e
He
in
see
her
a rrested .
M ary
my h u s b a n d
L a d ie s'
governm ent
fe n ia n
to
th e
to
p ress:
boys
th e
co n tra ry
th e
th e
day
over
(1867)
tr ia l
won t h e
th e
im p r iso n e d
M illb a n k
care
P e o p le an d l e a d i n g m em bers o f
B e in g
P e n to n v ille
ta k e
1 8 6 6 a f t e r M rs H e a l y
th e
E n g lish
th e
1865 and t r i e d
11
to
fin a lly
in A p r il
th em .
sta ff
fit
ta k e
co p e w ith
of
th e
to
to
In S ep tem b er
th e ir
be
stu b b o rn ess
C lo n a k ilty
had becom e u n a b le
1.2.
sooner
32
s in g le -m in d e d
w hen
fa th e r 's
and t h e
That
R ossa
was
fe ll
not
v ic tim
C h a rle s
and
to
fo r
th e
in
of
M arch
of
th e
se r io u sly ,
a d v ic e
1866.
R e tu r n in g
1866
he
of
h is
f a m i l y M ary J a n e f e l t
s is te r s .
a tta ck ed
In
th e
h im i n
was
have
b itte r
on
b a il
fa th e r 's
house,
how ever,
and h i s
req u ests
because
th e
of
and
on
10
M ary J a n e ' s
e ld e st
of
th e
Ir w in
fo r her younger b ro th ers
1 D ecem ber
1866
a ttr ib u tin g
m em ory
l e s s w e a lth y d a y s .'
r e le a se d
cou n try
in
May
of
sen ten ces
th is
fo r
of
34
1867
and e m ig r a te d
R e le a se s
she
str o n g ly
J a m e s's
rearrest
to
k in d ,
my
fa th e r 's
Due t o
on
h is
a s s is ta n c e
ill-h e a lth
c o n d itio n
of
th em
in to
to
ta k e m a tters
of
th o se
fr ie n d s
a rrested .
of
how ever,
th e ir
w ere
lo n g .
F r a n c is
rare
and
The a r r e s t s
th e ir
proved.
c o m m itte e,
In
sta rted ,
th e
w ife
O ctob er
th is
S ta te
s iste r
fin a n c ia l
supp ort
im p r iso n e d
F e n ia n s.
was
a lth o u g h
1865,
Women o f
fo r
Thom as
soon
a lso
her
'L a d ie s'
Ir e la n d ',
th e
in
w ife
in
p a rt.
th e
c o u ld
of
w ork
not
tr ia ls
be
had
fo r
th e
R e lie f
p u b lish e d
its
fir s t
w h ic h
d e stitu te
24
L u b y 's
a m a jo r
fir s t
or
and M ary,
and t h e
C o m m itte e
F a m ilie s '
r e la tiv e s
in v o lv e d
th e
fa m ilie s
E lle n
m e m b e r sh ip
a fter
d e c id e d
C la r k e
p la y in g
m any
th u s p u ttin g
m o stly
C a th e r in e ,
I s a b e lla
Jane
P r iso n e r s'
th e
w ere
p r iso n
le ft
w om en,
o f John O 'L e a r y ,
s o -c a lle d
'A p p e a l t o
a c tiv e
M ary J a n e ,
siste r s
th e
ow n h a n d s a n d h e l p t h e
R o a n tree,
S te p h e n s's
A few
la d ie s
w ith
D o w lin g M u lc a h y 's
W illia m
Jam es
th e
sta te.
T h ese
F e n ia n s,
w ife L e t it ia ,
D e n is
in to
th e
A m e r ic a .
c o n sp ir a c y v ery
a d e stitu te
to
Jam es
le a v in g
f a m i l i e s w it h o u t a b r e a d w in n e r and an in c o m e ,
of
h e a lth
' t h e m a l i c e o f a m a g i s t r a t e nam ed F r a n c i s E v a n s B e n n e t t
w h o m ay
of
h is
r e le a s e d
r e sp o n s ib le
by
Jam es
a c tiv itie s
p r iso n
was
who
danger,
h is
of
b ro th er
fe n ia n
on 1 D ecem b er
a le tte r
fa m ily
in
B e in g
a u th o r itie s
H er
In
life
was
to
Irishm an.
th e
J a n e 's
fo r
I .R .B .
th a t
m e d ic a l
M ary
a rrests.
freed o m w ere r e j e c t e d
se llin g
to
of
su d d e n ly r e a r r e s t e d
h is
and
m em ber
wave
a rrested
so
N ovem ber
he was
o n ly
m e m b e r sh ip
d e c lin e d
due
to
was
h is
th e
th ey
fa m ilie s
asked
of
for
th e
Mary Jane as the Committee's Secretary,
(Treasurer)
played major roles
committee,
and Letitia Luby
in the foundation of the
and in their functions had to account to the
public for its work.
Due t o R o s s a ' s
a
s im ila r
situ a tio n
d e p e n d in g
on
fin a n c ia l
su p p ort
son
'We
slig h te st
m eans
h e lp
on
o u ts id e .
c r u c ia l
a fter
th e
our
we
se r v ic e s
w ere
fa m ilie s .'
w ith
th e
'6 6 ,
to
1867
severe
d iffe r e n c e s
M ary J a n e
and
som e
of
A m e r ic a n
A c c o r d in g
to
in a d e q u a te .
A lth o u g h
fu n d s
and
th e
th e
from
th e
a lw a y s w hen
our
a llo w a n c e
on
a ll
o th er
in
a id
of
r e la tiv e ly
1867
M ary
of
w ere
th e
th e
m oney
o p in io n
b etw een
su rfa ced .
fro m A m e r ic a w a s
new spap ers
in
of
su b sc r ib e r s
support
c o lle c te d
am ou n ts
C o m m itte e w e r e
th e
th e
p ic n ic s
th e
January
th e
M ary J a n e
la r g e
fa m ilie s ,
In
to
w ith o u t
accept
im p o se d
in
bazaars
L u b y 's
w hen o u r p r i v a t e
r e d u c in g
r e d u c tio n
her
35
E a r ly
about
and
fo r
of
L e titia
in
fo r,
need
b ir th
£ 2 p e r w eek ea ch ;
str a ite n e d
p r o p o r tio n a lly
H er
th e
fr e e ly
n e c e ssita te d
co m m itte e fu n d s a s a la r y o f
grew
cared
f u n d s M ary J a n e e x p l a i n e d
r e m u n e r a tio n u n t i l A u g u st
fa ilin g ,
fu n d s
from
she
30 A p r i l 1 8 6 6 .A b o u t
in
gave
Jan e so o n fou n d h e r s e l f
th o sefa m ilie s
becam e
ow n s h a r e
p u b lic :
as
fin a n c ia l
Jam es M a x w e ll
and h er
a r r e s t M ary
th a t
fu ll
S ta tes
p r iso n e r s
reached
of
very
rep o rts
at
fa ir s ,
and
th e
th e ir
L a d ie s'
sm a ll.
Jane
d e c id e d
to
m ake
th e
m a tter
p u b lic .
In
a
le tte r
F e n ia n
to
A nna J .M c D o n a ld ,
S iste r h o o d ,
Novem ber
1866,
past
m o n th s
tim e
have
she
r e fe r r in g
sta ted
c o n tr ib u tio n s
m et
S ecreta ry
to
th a t
th ey
from
d isa p p o in tm e n t,
a r r i v e d . ' 36
25
th e
th e
D e tr o it
su b sc r ip tio n s
'w e r e
A m e r ic a ;
as
of
none
e x p e c tin g
but
up
to
except
up
to
th ese
th is
yours
The L a d ie s '
th e
C o m m itte e ,
w h ereab ou ts
fo llo w in g
of
fu n d s
c o n tr ib u to r s,
p u b lish e d
U n ite d
up t o
S ta tes
num erous
r a ise d
th e
to ta l
February
1867,
in q u ir ie s
by
of
o th er
about
A m e r ic a n
r e c e ip ts
a m o u n tin g t o
from
th e
£ 448
15s
Id. 37
In another appeal
'To the Subscribers of the Relief Fund
for the State Prisoners' Families' she
faith had been
stated that
her
'disappointed not only by the sudden and
almost limitless re-arrests made by the Government,
but
also by the treachery of the trustees of money in America,
subscribed by the Irish-American people for the relief of
their suffering brethren here.' 38
It
was
p a r tic u la r ly
'tr e a c h e r y
of
c o n sid e r a b le
c h a r ita b le
to
th em ,
w ith
ev en ts
but
p r iso n e r s
th e
at
A m e r ic a
a cco u n ts
Jam es
th e
S tep h en s,
who
th e
in
of
th ey
saw
had
r e m a in d e r ,
by
th e
a
Jones'
in
of
sent
th e
to
th a t
w h ic h
very
was
som e
g e n tle m a m
who
m o n th s
sent
to
in
how ever,
su sp ic io n
is
w h eth er
c lo s e r
to
th is
th e
us
26
in
to
have
le tte r s
Irishm an
th e
ex a g g era ted
of
sum ,
S ta te
'th a t
th e
in
la st
th a t
or
tim e ,
r e a lity
was
January,
and
was
e m b e z z le d
e x p la n a tio n
tru th .
th e
th en
o t h e r m o n e y s e n t r u s t e d t o t h e m e s s e n g e r . ' 39
te ll,
refer
th e
p r e v io u s,
it)
not
fu n d s r e a c h e d
new spap ers
sent
th o se
in d ig n a n t
from
la r g e
of
S tep h en s
sin c e
caused
N ew Y o r k ,
th e
sta tem en t
A m e r ic a n
a
of
th e
en tru sted
of
W ood,
m any
lea r n e d
p ic -n ic ,
been
fa m ilie s
Due t o
had
how ever,
b e lie v e d
p u b lish e d
am ou n ted
H a lf
th em .
th ey
th e
we
£ 50.
fo r
th ey
th a t
o r g a n ise r s
d id ,
p ic n ic
about
m oney'
It
fo r
D u b lin
th a t
fa n c ie d
to ld
am ong
A m e r ic a .
a fe n ia n
p la n s
proceeds
th e
in
to
in
e x p la in in g
o n ly
of
rem ark
1866. As o n ly a sm a ll p o r tio n
d iffe r e n t
we
tru stees
su b sc r ib e d
la d ie s
fro m
J a n e 's
e x ite m e n t
m oney
O ctob er
th e
M ary
It
(w e
w ere
w ith
som e
is
hard to
th e
in itia l
In
May
S ecretary
her
of
1867
of
M ary
th e
L a d ie s'
ow n d e p e n d e n c e
th e
tru stees.
th e
needs
fa m ilie s
announced
C o m m itte e
on a p u b l i c
She e x p la in e d
my ow n a l l o w a n c e
for
Jane
(£
of
r e sig n a tio n
g iv in g
fu n d
of
as
th a t
w h ile
she
b a r e ly
I
as
reason
was
'fe e lin g
w o u ld m ore t h a n
o f tw o o r t h r e e w o r k in g m en,
one
w h ic h
fu rth er
2 p er w eek ),
my f a m i l y ,
her
one
th a t
su ffic ie n t
r e lie v e
th e
fin d m y se lf i l l
at
e a s e . ' 40
H er s u s p i c i o n
th e
of
fo llo w in g
in d ic a te
m ore
b etw een
rem arks
th a t
th a n
S te p h e n s 's m isa p p r o p r ia tio n
th e
h ig h lig h te d
and
th e
le tte r
was
m a tters
Jane
by
her
d isse n t
personal
M ary
in
m uch
o n ly .
th e
to
L a d ie s'
announcem ent
of
w ith o u t r e c o g n itio n
M ary J a n e ' s
and d e v o te d w ork .
In
her
com e
le tte r
to
A m e r ic a .
'to o
Jam es
S tep h en s.
of
o ffer
in
As
of
M ary
fo n d ly
th e
th e
Jane
s till
If
S te p h e n s's
m a te r ia lise ,
M ary
in
Jane
r e la tio n sh ip
fu rth er
S ecreta ry ,
a p p r e c ia tio n
of
to
to
M ary J a n e
th e
fa il
and
th a t
th ey
p r o m ise s
us,
th e m se lv e s
D e tr o it,
was
d e c la r e d
and
a ll
a v a il
am ong t h e
p r o m ise
th en
sh o u ld
concerned
41
Ir e la n d
w ill
S iste r h o o d
m y se lf
had
to
th ese
su fferers
A m e r ic a ,
or
and
J .M c D o n a ld
new
A n na M cD o n a ld h a d p r o p o s e d
c lu n g
m any
ten se
th e
fu n d s
and
C o m m itte e
C a t h e r in e M u lca h y ,
a c tiv e
Anna
deeper
The
of
d o u b tle ss
of
seek
of
th e
th e ir
k in d
hom es
n u m b e r . ' 42
of
a
m ade
su ccesfu l
up
her
r is in g
m in d
to
d id
not
fo llo w
M rs
M c D o n a ld 's p r o p o s i t i o n .
Even a f t e r
her
rem a in e d v e r y
r e sig n a tio n
in te r e ste d
o f t h e C o m m itte e .
c o m p la in in g
'...le t
of
th e
th e
you,
p u b lish in g
to
and w e ll- in f o r m e d
In a l e t t e r
about
me t e l l
and e m ig r a t io n
la c k
to
of
about th e
w ork
h er husband sh e c o n tin u e d
su p p ort
t h e A m e r ic a n p e o p l e ,
o f M iss M u lc a h y 's
27
New Y o r k s h e
from
a fter
p e titio n ,
A m e r ic a :
fo u r w eeks
have
g iv e n
not a s in g le c e n t. That sp ea k s v o lu m e s. The f a m i li e s
jo in e d
it,
in
an
a p p e a l,
and t h e W est o f
and
Ir e la n d
A m e r ic a s e n d s no r e l i e f
to
a n o th er
L e titia
W iv es
and
and
th e ir
th e
lo o k a f t e r
by
S ta te
in
th e ir
w ork f o r
answ er
C a th e r in e
A m e r ic a . '
fo r
p r iso n e r s
a t th e tim e .
and
M u lca h y
B e h a lf
P r iso n e r s
request
a g a in ,
to
In
of
-
th e
To t h e
th is
110
The a r t i c l e
Ir ish
appeal
m oney w it h
and t h e
and
an
th e
account
fa m ilie s
th ey
was r e p u b lis h e d
The I r i s h m a n o f 2 0 J u l y 1 8 6 7 .
A lth o u g h
b etw een
th ere
M ary
e m ig r a tio n ,
in
th e
in
M ary J a n e h e r e r e f e r r e d
'A p p ea l on t h e
of
hom e
fa m in e -s tr ic k e n
w r itte n
Ir e la n d
co n n ected
had t o
in
of
is
goes
t h e r e . ' 43
e n title d
F a m ilie s
F r ie n d s
la d ie s
of
a r tic le
Luby,
n o th in g
have
Jane
it
A m e r ic a ,
is
is
no
and
th e
very
proof
th at
th o se
she
S e n a te w in g ,
C o lo n e l R o b e r ts,
A fter
M ary
sta y
C o lo n e l
w rote
S ep tem b er
H is
a
1867
le tte r
S ep tem b er
le tte r
to
e n c lo sin g
was
1867.
The w ork
b een w e ll-k n o w n t o
to
th e
th e
th e
in
of
th e
its
B r o t h e r h o o d d e m a n d in g fro m e a c h c i r c l e
£
200
seem ed
w h ic h
it
In
was
su b sc r ib e d ,
May
1868
a n d M ary J a n e
get
th ey
co n tro l
'ju d ic io u s ly
th e
over R o ssa 's
to
have
in
'a
su m e q u a l t o
fo r
str a in e d
R o b erts
none o th e r
assum e a v i v i d
28
th e
in te r e st
in
to
fo r
44
C o m m itte e
form er t r i e d
A cc o r d in g
one
e m p h a siz e d
...'
b etw een
w hen t h e
c h ild r e n .
May
be p a id
expended fo r th e purpose
r e la tio n sh ip
g r e w m ore
'p r e te n d e d
and
to
27
t h e m em bers o f t h e
th e
w o u ld b e
in
of
as a lr e a d y
b efo re
h ea d q u a rters.
th e
S te r lin g .
f o r e a c h a n d e v e r y m em ber o f t h e c i r c l e ' t o
th at i t
w ork.
fa m ily ,
d o lla r
th e
th e
C o m m itte e
C o m m itte e
1867 R o b e r ts had p u b li s h e d an a p p e a l t o
2 6 May t o
of
Irish -A m erican
t h e A m e r ic a n F e n i a n s ,
her
co n ta cts
le a d e r
L a d ie s'
th e
a fter
support
of
co n ta ct
her
R ob erts
r e m itta n c e s
p u b lish e d
used
w ith
w ith
d ir e c t
C o m m itte e
fe n ia n
J a n e 's
any
L a d ie s'
lik e ly
p a r tic u la r ly
of
to
M ary J a n e
th ese
c h ild r e n
and
w orked
. . .
he
had
th at
n e g le c te d
th e
th em
fa th er
T hey
(th u s
expenses
of
r e c e iv e d
body or
As
c h ild r e n ,
r e q u ire d
not
D u b lin ,
jo u rn ey ,
to
be
condescen d
term s o f c u t t i n g
co m in g
a g a in st
assum e
th e
fir s t
h im
£
th e ir
and
fa th er
th a t
I
had
p ro tected
c o n su lt
in so le n c e
p a id
to
to
my
me
by
on
r e q u i r e d my
15
fo r
th e ir
r e sp o n s ib ility ),
la st
sum
he
ever
f o r th em from t h e c o m m itte e o r a n y o t h e r n a t i o n a l
i n d i v i d u a l . ' 45
M ary
Jane
m oney f o r
la d ie s
charge
th ese
th ey
d id
th em up t o
c lo th in g
fa ls e
ill-tr e a te d
but in
sen t
a
and t h a t
c o m m itte e .
th a t m a tter,
up
sta ted
fu rth er
a court case,
p la c e d
them
th a t
her
fa th er,
sen t th e boys to
w ith
d iffe r e n t
h a v in g
D u b lin ,
fa m ilie s
to
no
w here th e
lo o k
a fter
th em .
A le tte r
The I r i s h m a n
in
a ssu m p tio n
th a t
about R ossa'
of
th e
w r ite r
one
h ea rted
p erson
S ep tem b er
who
a fter
p r a ise d
of
th e
w om an
I
M ary
her
...
th e
If
Ir ish
S ie n n a
heart
ever
L a d ie s'
have
of
ever
m et,
a m o th er
a w om an c a n
S t.C a th e r in e
h is
le a d s
a ll
th e
to
th e
tr o u b le
be
of
m ost
a n d whom I
th e
a fter
sh a ll be,
C lo n m e l.'
have
th o se
so litu d e
c a n o n ise d
29
th u s;
th e
lo o k e d
nad
r e sig n a tio n .
a r tic le
C o m m itte e ,
i n t e r e s t s my p a t r o n e s s
but
in itia te d
J a n e 's
in
m any a n d s u c h p l e a s a n t y e a r s ,
w ith
1868
s o n s w as C a t h e r in e M u lca h y , t h e new S e c r e t a r y
C o m m itte e
unnam ed
th at
th e
in
for
know
g r a c io u sknown
so
c h ild r e n
a
sa in t.
d e v o tio n
to
n o t S t.C a th e r in e
of
46
her
of
'I
The
chapter 2; Driven into exile 1867-1871
2.1. The First Years in Exile
When in early 1867 rumours about the ill-treatmant of
the political prisoners
started to circulate,
Mary
Jane
wrote to the Governor of Portland Prison to inquire about
Rossa's health and why he was not allowed to write letters
to his family.
once
since
prison
his
conviction
authorities
stated that
and
She had only been permitted to visit him
has
was
in
very
1865.
The
reply
unsatisfactory,
from
the
it
only
as
'Jeremiah 0'Donovan Rossa is in good health
no
ground
of
complaint
against
the
prison
authorities' 47 and that he has forfeited the privilege of
writing, receiving letters, or visits.' 48 All legal means
having failed, Mary Jane resorted to clandestine channels
to obtain her husband's release. According to Rossa
she
borrowed
wax
£
100
to
bribe
the
wardens
and
had
impressions made of the prison door keys. The plan failed,
however,
cells
due to Rossa's
because
of
his
frequent transfers
provocative
to different
behaviour
towards
the
wardens. 49
On her second visit to Rossa in spring 1867 she informed
him of her intention to leave Ireland in order to regain
her independence and to start a new life. On 30 May 1867
she sailed for New York, which had become one of the most
important centres
of Irish revolutionary
activity
after
the failure of the rising of 1848.
Mary Jane had to leave Rossa's
five sons,
three of whom
then stayed in her father's house, and her own little boy
behind.
The following years, marked by separation and loneliness,
were to become the hardest in a life full of hardship and
a touchstone of their marriage. As before she hardly
30
received
any
message
from
Rossa
due
to
censorship
or
suppression, and if she learned something about him it was
mostly
through the
newspapers. The
separation
from
her
infant son and her uncertain future increased her feeling
of despair.
Adding to the difficulties was the fact that she obviously
had problems in adjusting to the different climate which
at first had a 'pernicious effect' on her and left her in
a 'truly lamentable condition.' 50
In the first few months
Mary Jane had to move several times:
a boarding house
expensive
she
in
13th
boarded
street,
with
some
first she stayed in
but
as
it became
acquaintances
too
of
her
father's in Dominick street.
Mary Jane's letters to Rossa and her diary bear witness to
that difficult time. They not only vividly demonstrate her
worries and despair, including thoughts of death, but also
her little joys, her strong desire to live, to withstand
all the trials and the struggle against her own self.
Despite this heartbreaking existence she found strength to
carry on from the
desire
to
existence
be
meant
following
independent.
hope
and
a
sources:
The
Secondly
future
first was
James
for
her
her
Maxwell's
as
she
had
described in a letter to Rossa shortly after her arrival
in New York:
'I have one good angel far across the water
that looks through the eyes of my child, my bright little
boy. This angel smiles on me through my sleep,
stretches
his tiny little hands across the sea, lisping my name; and
with tiny feet tries to tread the waves
that divide me
from him and the sunlight: The spray gleams on his child
hair
and
over
the
ruddy
little
face.
While
this
angel
appears, a firm anchor holds me to life; but if he goes,
my heart will sicken; and I pray to God spare me so deep
a grief and leave me one object to live for.' 51
31
Another
source
of
Mary
J a n e 's mental
strength
was
her
ardent belief in God. According to her daughter Margaret,
'every joy that came to her was a blessing from the Lord,
every sorrow a cross to be borne as bravely as possible in
His name. Her religion was as vital a part of her as her
backbone;
...' 52
Finally, her work helped her to overcome the adversities
of that time.
Initially
Instead
she
she
did
found
not
get
the
herself
in
help
the
she
had
middle
of
expected.
the
fenian
faction fights between the O'Mahony wing and the Roberts
party.
Mary
Jane
entreated
Colonel
O'Mahony
and
the
leaders of his wing to get help in finding a job. O'Mahony
promised her a position as a governess or teacher in one
of the public
schools,
but told her it would be a long
time before a vacancy occurred. The only position he could
offer her immediately was to write poetry and sketches for
their paper, the New York
When Colonel
Roberts
Iris h
returned
P e o p le
for $10 a week.
from Europe
on
13 August
1867, Mary Jane approached him for help.
It was a vagary
of
had
fortune
that
Roberts,
whose
policy
caused
the
fenian split, was willing and able to help Mary Jane to
make a new start. He provided Mary Jane with the necessary
connections to his friends in the Senate; he took her into
his home in Bloomingdale where she spent seven weeks, and
where
she
found
collection
of
the
Iris h
time
and
L y ric a l
tranqulity
Poems
to
write
(1868).
She
her
later
defended Roberts against Rossa's attacks on him and they
could never reconcile their different opinions.
One of Mary Jane's greatest and most important supporters
at
that
time
O'Reilly'
as
was
he
General
was
known
prominent Fenian himself,
the
New
York
T im es
Charles
to
his
G.Halpine,
friends.
was editor of
and the New York
32
or
'Miles
Halpine,
newspapers
C itiz e n ,
a
like
a participant
in the American Civil War and a well-known poet,
'who ever
since M r s .0'Donovan Rossa first thought of embracing what
must now be called a brilliant and remarkable career, has
interested himself in her success with a generosity and
enthusiasm
that
"Private
Miles"
alone
is
capable
of
bringing to bear on any movement of the kin d . ' 53
It
was
him
who
persuaded
Mary
Jane
to
take
elocution
lessons with one of New York's most famous elocutionists
at
that
time,
Professor
Frobisher,
so
as
to
adopt
the
profession of a public reader. Frobisher was Professor of
Elocution at St.Xavier's College and New York College.
In summer
course
of
1868,
a few months
training
with
after
she had started her
Frobisher,
correspondent of the Dublin
Iris h m a n
the
New
York
wrote of her success
in a slightly exaggerated way that
'so rapidly
has
she
progressed that she is now regarded by men and women of
taste and culture as the best reader in America.' 54
In June
1868
Mary Jane began a
tour of readings to display
her burgeoning talent.
2.2. Lecture Tour through the States
Mary
Jane
began
her
tour
of
readings
with
a
succesful
performance in the Cooper Institute in New York on 16 June
1868.
address
General
and the
Halpine
demand
himself
for
delivered
tickets
was
the
so
opening
great
that
newspapers stated 'that those who can find standing room
in the hall may call themselves fortunate.' 55
Her
tour had three main
aims:
first
of
all
it was,
of
course, to provide May Jane with the necessary means for
her own life and to pay back all her debts;
secondly it
was a huge propaganda campaign for the fenian cause, Irish
independence and the fenian prisoners; and thirdly, as
33
Mary
Jane
wrote
to
Rossa,
she
intended
to
aquire
'a
sufficient sum of money to justify me in engaging counsel
to re-open your case and appeal to the House of Lords. ' 56
In the
many
following
states
everywhere.
of
fourteen months
the Union
Her
readings
she
and Canada
were
travelled
receiving
highly
through
ovations
praised
in
the
American newspapers, and she was invited to read in some
cities twice.
Her repertoire
included Irish poetry
like
THE BELLS OF SHANDON. FONTENOY or WE'RE IRISH EVERYWHERE
as well as poems of her own, eg.
IRISH MISSIONERS
- THE
BRIDGE.
In the beginning people mainly respected her because
of her name and the cause it represented.
But Mary Jane
was very demanding of herself. Her dissatisfaction with an
appreciation that she owed to her surname and her search
for
recognition
evident
for
her
own
ability
and
talent
in her following lines to Rossa:
think that I am "begging"
in your name;
became
'You need not
even if I could
descend to that, people's hearts are closed,
and I'd be
losing time in trying to open them. I am earning honestly
my income and have gone through a careful training, have
studied my
role
scrupulously,
so that
at
least
could call me an amateur reader or a very
• • •
/
no
one
inferior
one
57
But slowly people's attitude towards her changed and they
came to see her because of her talent. She attracted even
those who did not necessarily support the fenian cause,
although her choice of poems and her clothing,
black dress with green ribbons,
plitical
attitude.
Her
mostly a
left no doubt about her
readings
were
considered
as
occasions where the hostile fenian factions 'could meet in
peace
and harmony
. . . and remember
for the moment
that
they had a common cause to serve and a common enemy to
fight.' 58
The great succes of her tour made her
34
financially independent and enabled her to give readings
for charitable and fenian purposes only, as eg. in Chicago
where the proceeds went to the families of the Irish State
prisoners.
The countless newspaper reports about Mary Jane's readings
also bear witness to the great impression that she left
with the Irish-American population. These reports resemble
each
other
very
much
repeatedly mention
as
regards
her beauty,
poetry and tenderness',
their
contents: they
her black
her voice as
'eyes
full
of
'rich and musical'
and her lyrics as 'of no ordinary merit, those which come
directly from the heart being full of tender pathos,
and
indicating the sensibility of a young imaginative mind of
a woman subdued by suffering and tried in the furnace of
sorrow.' 59
her
by
The greatest compliment, however, was paid to
the
sceptical
Pawtucket, Rhode Island,
report
about
her
in September 1868:
readings
in
'We had been
led to suppose that she was a good reader from the reports
from
other
night,
places,
tall,
and
gaceful,
when
she
arose
handsome,
before
us
vivacious,
we
last
were
prepared to be pleased with whatever she might read to u s .
But
great
handsome
was
lively
our
astonishment
lady
before
elocutionists we ever heard,
to
us
...' 60
35
recognize
one
of
in
the
the
best
2.3. The Fight for the Fenian Belmont Money
In September 1865 John O'Mahony,
Head Centre of the
Fenian Brotherhood, had logded certain amounts of money in
a New York bank, which was intended to support the fenian
organisation in Ireland. With the seizure of papers
manuscripts
at
the
Iris h
office
P e o p le
the
and
English
government also seized letters containing the money orders
for this money. They directed the payment to be refused by
the bank in Dublin where the orders were made
payable.
John O'Mahony demanded the money back from the New York
bankers
court.
and as the
latter refused,
brought
the case
to
This case against August Belmont, who represented
the bankers, was to last for about seven years with the
Fenians
failing
to
recover
the
money.
However,
when
O'Mahony seemed to gain the upper hand in the fight for
the $ 20,000 in September 1869,
his political opponents
tried to find persons who had a legal claim on the money
and turned to Mary Jane.
Not
realising
the
main
intention
of
her
advisers,
she
agreed to claim $ 8,000 of the fund, the equivalent of a
sum that the fenian organisation still owed to Rossa for
the establishment of the
Iris h
P e o p le
newspaper in Dublin
in 1863.
The reason for Mary Jane's claim was to enable her to give
Rossa's
sons
finance
their
by
his
first
education.
two marriages
There
political motive behind her claim,
is
no
a home
and
evidence
in
to
a
as she never intended
to interfere in the discussion about fenian principles or
policy and had
friendly
relations with
Fenians
of
both
parties.
In a statement in the press concerning her intention Mary
Jane emphasized that 'personally I am uninterested in the
36
success of my suit,
except in so far as
it benefits my
husband and children. ' 61
Mary
Jane's
O'Mahony's
strongest
critics
claim
caused
supporters,
possible
was
contributor
the
and
terms.
Denis
to
a
storm
she
was
One
Holland,
of
a
New York
of
outrage
attacked
the
Fenian
Iris h
among
in
the
most
malicious
and
important
In
P e o p le .
a
letter
published by several Irish American newspapers he accused
Mary Jane of lying and denied her righteous claim:
'But
the most monstrous case of all, and one which has excited
sorrow and indignation among those who have hitherto been
her friends, is the astounding claim put forward by Mrs.
0'Donovan Rossa through her
lawyers.
...
How
false
and
frivolous, how utterly preposterous this claim is, a few
words will show. First of all, the Fenian Association in
America had no connection with the Dublin newspaper,
and
did not originate it: the paper was simply a political and
mercantile speculation of a number of persons in Ireland.
O'Mahony, as Chief of the Fenian Society, was not in favor
of its establishment and the connecting of its name with
the Society. ' 62
Holland is probably referring to the general differences
of opinion between Stephen and O'Mahony which,
to
John
Devoy,
relationship
Iris h
had
between
P e o p le
staff,
sufaced
O'Mahony
eg.
Luby,
in
and
the
other
Kickham
marked by mutual respect and sympathy,
R e c o lle c tio n s
o f
F e n ia n s
and
early
according
1860s.
members
and
of
Devoy,
The
the
were
(see: John O'Leary,
F e n ia n is m ,
c h s . XVII
and
XXVIII).
Some futher comments
in Holland's
letter
show,
however,
that it was less the financial side of the issue as rather
the
fact
that
it was
a woman who according
judgement dared to interfere in fenian policy:
to
her
own
'... of
course, she has no authority from her noble husband in the
37
matter.
claim
She
-
cannot
no
man
recover
would
a
dollar
readily
scout
of
her
such
outrageous
a
claim
than
O'Donovan Rossa himself and she is merely a cat's-paw in
the hands of knaves.
I am sorry for the plight this lady
has got into.' 63
If Holland might have been wrong in other matters, he was
certainly right in the following:
first of all that Mary
Jane's lawyers were more concerned with harming O'Mahony
than
in her
interests
and rights.
Secondly,
that
Rossa
would have never accepted the money even though it was a
righteous claim.
In a letter to Mary Jane he wrote about
the
you
case:
lawsuit,
'How
engaged
influenced
by
in
anyone
this
who
Belmont-0'Mahony
could
to influence me,
use
contemptible
reasons
understand.
...
opinionated,
let it be a caution to you to be aware of
But
though
it
is what
such
may
make
I cannot
you
self-
acting on the advice of others against your inclination.
If you are led much by others, it is ten to one you will
be led astray. '
64
Mary Jane was well
aware of Rossa's
herself admitted that
disapproval
as
she
'if Rossa were at liberty he would
not put in a claim for this mon e y . ' 65
Another critic was James Cody of Callan, who claimed that
Rossa had been paid back his expenses with ten per cent
interest. Although Rossa initially intended to stay away
from
the
conflict
about
the
fund
he
emphatically
contradicted Callan's claim and denied having been paid
back any money at all. He, however, once more emphasized
that he had no interest in the Belmont Fund.
Mary
Jane
was
very
surprised
and
66
rattled
at
this
severe criticism, but she did not think of giving in that
easy. Answering to the allegations she defended her
viewpoint
A m e ric a n
in
a
letter
to
the
editors
of
the
: 'On my arrival in America I applied to Mr
38
Iris h
Anthony A.Griffin, the Executive of what is now the Savage
Branch of the F.B., for payment in part or whole of this
debt.
But
as
intentions,
their
he
his
declared
that,
party would be
exchequer
being
then
even
with
powerless
empty,
I
the
best
to assist me,
did
not
push
the
matter. I do so now by advice of some of the highest legal
authority in New York. The Belmont money, long turned from
the channel in which it should have flowed,
is again in
the market awaiting the claims of all who can prove their
right
to
it.
On
the
part
of
my
husband,
and
for
the
benefit of his children, I have put in my claim; and I do
not believe that any impartial jury will set it aside, as
either
fraudulent
unpleasant
names
or
by
ungenerous,
which
men
or
any
of
the
other
ignorant
of
the
facts
stigmatise it.' 67
When Rossa learned about Mary Jane's involvement in
the fight about the funds he advised his wife strongly to
stay withdraw her claim.
In his
about his reaction to this news:
reminiscences
he wrote
'Some people
say that
some things made me mad in prison. Well, if anything made
me mad it was that, and I wrote to my living widow to have
nothing whatever to do with law suits about Belmont money
or
other
Fenian
money.
I
was
proud
of
my
life
in
connection with Fenian affairs, and I did not want to have
this pride killed.
me.' 68
It was what was
keeping the
life
in
Mary Jane, then realising the intention of her
advisers herself, followed Rossa's orders and withdrew her
claim a few months later.
39
2.4. Marv Jane vs.the British Authorities
After Rossa's
election as Member of Parliament
for
Tipperary in November 1869, Mary Jane thought it time to
undertake new efforts to effect his release. She went to
Washington
to
meet
important
and
infuential
men
in
American political life many of whom, including President
Grant,
assured
official
letter
her
to
of
their
support.
the American
She
received
embassador
to
an
Britain,
J.L.Motley, requesting support for her endeavour to obtain
her
husband's
release.
In
January
1870
she
left
for
England, willing to undertake all measures to get Rossa
free.
As
already mentioned
Mary
Jane
intended to
reopen
Rossa's case before the House of Lords. Rossa himself did
not approve at all of what he called 'the foolish notion
of getting me out of prison by going to law with the devil
...' 69
What Rossa was worried about most was that
'when
one so near to me as my wife was to write or speak in the
matter, it would, of course, be taken for granted that she
spoke
with
ability
authority;
to
state
her
and
though
case
I
did
honourably,
not
I
doubt
had
her
very
uncomfortable anxiety lest things be said that would give
my enemies satisfaction.'70 This shows that, particularly
after the Belmont affair, Rossa did not trust Mary Jane as
much as he always professed and thus he made her promise
'that she would do or say nothing that was not Irish or
principled.' 71
The efforts of the Amnesty Movement, its support by Irish
MPs, eg. George Henry Moore and others, rumours about the
ill-treatment of the prisoners and Rossa's election had
increased
the
probability
of
a
general
amnesty
which
probably led Mary Jane to the naive conclusion 'that it
40
only needed an approach from the prisoners' friends, with
a request for release' 72, to get a favourable answer from
Gladstone. She was soon to learn that things were not that
easy.
After her arrival
she
sent
a letter to Gladstone
asking for an interview which was refused. In February and
June 1870 she was allowed to vistit Rossa in prison.
her latter visit
she was
On
only permitted to talk to her
husband through an iron fence and he had to refrain from
all
reference
to
his
treatment.
Disappointed
and
in
a
disturbed state of mind she turned to her old friend, the
editor of the
bears
Iris h m a n
witness
to
, Richard Pigott. Her letter to him
her
changed
opinion
about
the
easy
achievement of an amnesty and her despair in realising the
fraud behind the Commission of Inquiry into the Treatment
of
the
likely
Irish
that
Political
the
Prisoners
discomfiture
of
and
that
the
'it
is
prisoners
more
and
a
fraudulaent governmental triumph will be the result. ' 73
When
Rossa
decided
to
counsellor.
learned
give
about
the
evidence
But Mary
Jane,
Commission
and
employ
now very
assist.
The
publication
of
Inquiry
he
his
wife
as
doubtful
about
the
purpose and success of such a mission,
to
of
her
initially refused
letter
had
the
consequence that she did not receive permission to visit
Rossa to discuss his statement to the Commission with him
on Friday, 1 July 1870. As the inquiry was due to begin on
Monday,
4 July and there was no permission of visits at
weekends, this single visit was insufficient to serve its
purpose and so Mary Jane rejected the offer.
But she was not to give in and explained to Rossa:
no compromises.
"All
or nothing"
have
'I want
become my watch­
words . So will I have all of my husband or none of him;
and will have all of its promises from the Crown or none
of them. ' 74
She
turned
to
the
press
again,
sending
her
correspondence to Pigott. Other Irish nationalist
41
personal
newspapers,
nasty
reacting very indignantly
treatment
letters
from
by
the
the
British
Iris h m a n .
about Mary Jane's
authorities,
As
the
copied
honesty
her
of
the
Commission and the inquiry was very controversial due to
previous
Government
incorrect,
reports
this disclosure
which
had
proved
had the desired effect:
Jane was informed by the authorities that
allowed
free
access
to
to
her
husband,
to
be
Mary
'she would be
assist
in
the
preparation of his case, and that the Commission had been
adjourned
over
the
19th
inst.,
so that
she would
have
ample time to avail of the new offer. ' 75
2.5. Lecturing in Ireland and Britain
On her tour through Ireland and England Mary Jane
added
to
the
through the
success
States
and
one year
earlier.
of
her
itinerary
Statements
in the
several weeks prior to her return to Ireland that
Iris h m a n
'... she
... will appear before such large audiences,
I am sure she will obtain,
Ireland
reputation
and
readings'
Great
76 led
to
in all the principal towns of
Britain,
the
as
to
listen
assumption
to
that
her
this
charming
tour
had
already been set up and arranged in the United States.
Like the newspapers in America it was now the Irish
nationalist ones who fell over themselves in praising Mary
Jane's enthusiastic appearances.
The program of Mary Jane's readings did not differ much
from that of her tour through the United States although
there were
slight alterations which helped its
success.
Thus she included Rossa's 'Entombed' into her repertoire,
which had been written during his imprisonment in Chatham.
This poem consists of two parts and was published in the
Iris h m a n
on
19
February
and
5 March
1870.
Whereas
first part deals with Rossa's 'dead past' which
42
the
' ... only mirrors now the memories of life The Fatherland, the hope of years, the friend,
the child and wife.' 77
'Entombed II' describes Rossa's ill-treatment in prison.
The poem has an implicit appeal not to forget Rossa
( 'Am
I dead to the world or is the world dead to m e ? ') and Mary
Jane stirred up the feelings of the Irish for him by her
enthusiastic and impressive recitation.
Stops of her tour in Ireland were Cork,
Limerick,
Ennis
and Waterford. At her readings at the National School in
Tipperary the Committee presented her with the proceeds of
those readings and stated in their address that they were
'more than repaid by the delight and instruction they have
afforded us, and your thrice welcomes amongst us.' 78
She
also
followed
a
request
of
the
Rossa
and
Kickham
Committee who had approached her as she stated in a letter
to Rossa:
'It seems
they
are
heavily
in
debt
and they
naturally turn to me to get assistance in the shape of a
few readings.
I couldn't easily refuse so I have at once
consented. ' 79
Due to her
success in Ireland
she extended her tour to
England. Starting in London in August 1870, she continued
her 3-months itinerary through North and Central England
including major cities like Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham,
Sheffield etc., as well as smaller towns such as Wigan or
Bradford.
No matter where Mary Jane made an appearance she always
received a hearty
and enthusiastic welcome.
Due
to
his
different political viewpoint the following remarks by the
churchwarden
of
Chatham
probably
make
it
the
most
impressive recognition of Mary Jane's talents. In a letter
to her Mr. Millis wrote referring to her performance on 19
September 1870 in the town of Rossa's imprisonment at that
43
time:
'I do not presume to enter into the causes that have
made it necessary for you to enter into the position of a
public reader, but I cannot refrain from saying that the
public are largely benefited by having the opportunity of
hearing
a
lady,
willing
and
able
to
give
a high
class
entertainment. ' 80
Another form of respect and appreciation of her talent can
be found in the poem WEDDED LOVE by DUNCATHAIL dedicated
to Mary Jane
'To her who moves before our view,
On platform pleading well,
With courage, modesty and grace Playful, or tragic spell.
O'Donovan, himself, must once,
Have, by some rath-crowned mould,
Captured the Lepracaun, and found
The far-famed crock of gold:
For her's the chest with heart of gold,
And air to breathe a spell,
And linger in each hidden fold,
In camp, or hall, or delll
Ohl Erin, lift thy drooping brow For she - beyond the sea Thy fairy godmother, with wand,
Hath not forgotten theel
As before
in the
States
...
' 81
her appearances
in
Ireland
and
England were also carefully watched by the police. 82
44
A
In December 1870 the British Government decided to grant
a general amnesty as the pressure from the public and even
within the parliament itself had become too strong. Due to
the
conditions
attached
to
their
release
the
fenian
prisoners were not allowed to remain or return to Britain
for a certain period of time, which in Rossa's case was
twenty years. Despite extensive public criticism of the
conditions attached to the prisoners'
release, Mary Jane
seemed to have been one of very few people who publicly
expressed their gratitude and happiness about the amnesty.
Learning about the government decision
she finished her
tour of readings remarking on the amnesty at one of her
last appearances
in Sheffield in December
1870:
'We are
all glad of it and my husband among the rest will no doubt
accept the terms. To do so, he will have to make up his
mind to leave dear old Ireland, and wherever he goes,
of
course,
to
I shall
go too;
but no matter where we
go,
America, Australia or elsewhere, we shall ever be proud to
remember that we're Irish everywhere.' 83
45
chapter 3; Reunited 1871-1915
3.1. The Woman and her Family
Rossa was
released
from Chatham prison
in
January
1871, together with his fellow-Fenians John Devoy,
Henry
S.Mulleda, Charles Underwood O'Connell and John McClure.
Complying with the conditions of his release Rossa,
his
wife and their son James Maxwell boarded the
for
New York along with the other four Fenians.
'Cuba'
After their
arrival Rossa applied for American citizenship and due to
Mary Jane's five years residence in New York in time was
duly granted an American passport. 84 Resuming the role of
breadwinner for his family, Rossa tried to make a living
as newspaper editor of the
Northern
and
Chatham
and as manager of the Great
Era
hotels.
Not
being
successful
in
business matters, however, both these ventures failed and
as his son Denis commented in a letter to Mary Jane about
his father that 'he'll never be a success in the business
- the patriots have too much
'vantage ground.
peculiarly unfitted for the business,
Father is
anyhow.'
85
Later
Rossa obtained a position as a ticket agent for the White
Star Line and the National Line of Steamers.
Despite several business opportunities Rossa's earnings
were very meagre, and his expenditure greatly exceeded his
income, as it also financed various political adventures:
His
newspaper
great
U n ite d
financial
founded
Iris h m a n ,
gamble
and
his
in
1880,
Skirmishing
was
policy
a
was
probably also supported by his private funds. Due to this
Mary Jane frequently had to tighten the financial belt to
make ends meet, but despite the problems and hardship of
those
years
her
unquestioning
loyalty
to
Rossa
became
efforts
Rossa
politics
again,
proverbial.
Coinciding
wholeheartedly
with
involved
his
business
himself
in
standing as a candidate for the New York Senate, opposing
46
Tammany Hall. Also being involved in several law suits he
earned himself a reputation as a trouble maker.
Rossa
was
often
referred
to
as
the
'man
of
two
loves': his dedication to Ireland's freedom and his love
for Mary Jane and his family. Mary Jane herself referred
to these two loves in her poem MY LOVE written 1862 just
before
their
marriage,
whose
lines
according
to
John
O'Leary 'are perhaps not of her best, but at least direct
and forcible and lend themselves easily to quotation' 86:
'When first he called me "Mollis" he sighed,
And told me he loved one other beside One other who was already
And I should love her
his bride,
for him - I cried;
Then he told me that other was Erin. ' 87
Admitting
to
her
acceptance
of
Rossa's
devotion
for
Ireland she refers to her husband as 'My Lover and thine,
Oh Erin' 80 in her poem.
The importance of either love in Rossa's life is, however,
a matter of argument among those close to him.
His daughter Margaret Rossa Cole indicated that they
had
equal
emphasized
importance
the
for
her
significance
father
of
the
as
two
she
loves
always
89.
She
contradicted this assumption, however, by saying that her
mother
'never questioned
first in his heart,
(nor
did we) that
Ireland
was
and our family life was arranged to
allow him the greatest possible peace and quiet for his
constant reading and writing and the receiving of his many
associates in the Great Cause.'90
Rossa's
life-long
friend
critics,
John Devoy,
and
one
of his
most ardent
however, coined the phrase that
'in
the exercise of this predominant Fenian quality of selfsacrifice 0 'Donovan Rossa was the most typical Fenian of
them all.' In his
R e c o lle c tio n s
47
Devoy criticised Rossa as
beginning
'to
sacrifice
himself,
his
family
and
his
interests at the very inception of the movement, and he
continued
it
to
his
last
conscious
sacrifice was wholly unnecessary,
hour.
Often
the
even unwise, but Rossa
believed it was called for and never hesitated or counted
the costs.' 91 This criticism of the primary importance of
Rossa's political fight is further proved by his attitude
to the Belmont Money and his venture, the
U n ite d
Iris h m a n
(see: chapter 3.3). The criticism of Rossa sacrificing his
family for his political aims was also shared by members
of the
family.
Rossa's
sons by his
first marriage were
very critical of their father's fulfilment of his family
duty.
His
son Denis,
in a letter to Mary Jane in
1876,
turned down her request for financial help claiming that
Rossa 'has always been careless of his own family...' 92
When in 1891 Rossa's banishment ended, he was allowed
to
return
to
Ireland,
but
at
the
time
was
financially
unable to do so. The Rossa Testimonial Committee was then
especially founded to raise funds thus enabling him to go
back.
In May
1894
Rossa
left New York
and his
family,
without having provided for them as the harsh criticism of
Mary
Jane's
sister
Isabella
proves:
'You
tell
me
that
Rossa is to sail for Ireland on the 30th but you do not
give me the least idea as to what assignments he has made
for your and the children's support. I feel very uneasy at
that point as I know quite well that should he be arrested
when he landed or later, the excitement would either cause
paralysis of the whole or part of the body.
...
In the
meantime what is to become of you and your children?
If
Rossa thinks for one moment that you will be taken care of
by the public he had better put this idea out of his head.
... surely he owes you something in return for your years
of unceasing devotion and faith in h i m . ' 93
48
Margaret O'Donovan Rossa stated in her reminiscences that
her mother approved of Rossa's sacrifices and quoted her
as laughingly saying to him: "Tis a good thing your heart
is
so big,
dear, . . . "God made it extra
large to harbor
both your loves, Ireland first and then the rest of us."'
94
This contradicts the facts as on several occasions Devoy's
criticism of Rossa's unnecessary sacrifices was shared by
Mary Jane herself. So, eg., did she severely criticise him
for his provocative behaviour during his imprisonment in
the late 1860s by which he brought additional punishment
on himself. After having read the Knox Pollock Report on
the
treatment
'What
is
of political
the
punishments
use
of
prisoners
bringing
on yourself by
so
impotent
that holds you in its grasp?
she wrote
much
to
him:
successive
defiance
of
a rule
... Need I remind you that
you have six sons - four of them in my father's house and
likely to remain there
house
over
them,
for
I
if the poor man
have
failed
in
can
keep
getting
a
any
provision for them here. Need I remind you that you have
a
wife
-
a
sorely
wronged
girl
whom
you
took
in
her
inexperience and world-ignorance whom you afterwards with
open eyes left unprovided for .. . ' 95
The
objectivity
doubtful
and
of
the
Rossa's
Knox-Pollock
statement
report
that
it
was
highly
intended
to
'whitewash the Government and blackwash' him 96 bears a lot
of truth. Sean O'Luing's statement in his introduction to
Iris h
R e b e ls
which attributed Mary Jane's
acceptance of
the report to a lack of information from Rossa's side is
also
irrefutable,
different
although
attitudes
of
Mary
it
denies
Jane
and
the
Rossa
completely
about
the
degree of self-sacrifice. Mary Jane rejected unnecessary
and unreasonable self-sacrifice, which becomes obvious in
her
pointing
out
that
other
Fenian
leaders,
as
ardent
supporters of the cause as Rossa himself, did not follow
his example. She remarked:
'O'Leary is a proud, sensitive,
49
high-spirited man;
so also is Luby.
Yet,
with admirable
dignity, they hold up their heads and take no insult from
creatures who are beneath their contempt. This is wise in
every sense.
They have less reason to be far-seeing and
politic than you, for think what reasons have you?' 97
Their dissent being a matter of principle on both sides
they
published
issue
as
some
their
private
things
in
it
correspondence
'are
calculated
about
to
the
give
a
lesson to "patriots" ... ' 98
For
national
Mary
Jane,
cause
for
despite
which
her
she
ardent
support
sacrificed
so
of
the
much,
her
family and her children always took precedence. She tried
to make compromises to suit both, whereas for Rossa there
was never any doubt about the priority. Although Mary Jane
allowed her husband a free hand and tried to compensate
for the losses herself, in certain issues, along with his
sons, she severely criticised him for his attitude in the
early
stages
of
their
relationship:
'They
[the
boys
-
S.L.] ought not to be neglected for any cause, no matter
how pressing.
They are your first duty - ought to be at
any rate. That is not too hard for you Cariss for being so
careless of them. ' 99
How
deep
this
life-long
dissent
between
Mary
Jane
and
Rossa regarding his family duties was, becomes obvious in
Devoy's
1870s.
description
In a
letter
of
the
family
to James
crisis
Reynolds,
in
the
a member
of
late
the
Committee for the Catalpa rescue operation, he wrote on 10
March 1878:
'She also said that Ford can't afford to keep
him and that he'll soon be without any means of living.
She described herself as sitting on a rock with the tide
gradually rising around her with an inevitable fate before
her if she remained. ' 100
The danger to Mary Jane's existence, however, was to
become evident in a direct threat to her life. It is well
50
known and documented that in 1885 an attempt was made by
a Mrs Dudley,
kill
Rossa.
Jane
daughter of a British Cavalry officer,
Generally
shared
a
not
similar
known
is,
however,
experience
to
that
Mary
of
her
because
relationship to Rossa and her loyal support for him. While
she was reading in Montreal on 21 February 1881 a shot was
fired through the window at her.
Fortunately nobody was
injured. 101
The Children
Apart
completely
from
occasional
retired
release
and
the
reasons
for
this
into
her private
family's
lie
readings,
in
Mary
life
settlement
Rossa's
in
Jane
after
New
almost
Rossa's
York.
reappearance
The
on
the
political scene and their rapidly growing family.
Mary Jane had known the meaning of an intact family life
since
her
childhood
and
it
played
an
essential
part
throughout her life. Apart from her own thirteen children,
she
now
also
took
responsibility
for
her
brothers
and
sisters, many of whom emigrated to the States and helped
them to found an existence. Rossa's four sons by his first
marriage,
who
followed him to America,
were
also
taken
care of by Mary Jane.
She had been in constant contact with Rossa's boys while
they were looked after and apprenticed under the care of
the Ladies' Committee.
According to Rossa's son John the Ladies' Committee paid
for his and his brother Cornelius's upkeep 'the rate of
£ 0.12.0 per week, but then it fully costs them £ 1 or
£
1.5.0
per
week
when
our
clothing
is
taken
into
consideration. I get 7/6 per week from Mr Lawless of which
sum I give 6/6 to the Ladies' Committee towards our
51
support and they allow me the other 1/0
as pocket money. '
102
In 1869 Denis, in a letter to Mary Jane, complained about
the bad treatment he received in his apprenticeship and
asked her for permission to come
Jane
agreed
eventually
apprenticeship to the
John
also
attended
Iris h
followed
his
course
in
a
university.
He
after
over to America.
having
P e o p le
father
gratuated
arranged
Mary
for
his
office in New York.
to
New
York
where
jurisprudence
at
from
University
New
York
the
103
he
local
Law
School in May 1877.
Despite
Mary
remained
a
Jane's
tension
care
for
between
the
them
boys
and
the
there
rest
always
of
the
family, as they did not feel they owed anything to their
father and did not support him when he needed help.
Despite her deep and unconditional love for her own
children, Mary Jane was known as
'the disciplinarian and
she did not believe in sparing the rod and spoiling the
child ...
' . 10i
of the thirteen children born to her only
seven reached adulthood. They were as follows:
name
born
died
James Maxwell
30/04/1866 Clonakilty 22/11/1893 New York
Kate Ellen
28/12/1871 New York
12/07/1872 New York
Frank Daniel
26/01/1873 New York
05/09/1873 New York
Maurice
19/05/1874 New York
12/07/1874 New York
Sheela Mary
29/02/1876 New York
25/03/1951
Eileen
08/04/1878 New York
1963
Amelia
1880 Philadelphia
1881 New York
Jeremiah
29/07/1881 New York
November 1956
Isabel
25/03/1883 New York
June 1972
Mary Jane
28/12/1884 New York
March 1973
Margaret Mary
04/04/1887 New York
September 1968
Joseph Ivor
19/01/1889 New York
29/01/1889 New York
Alexander Aeneas 22/08/1890 New York
28/03/1891 New York
52
The closeness
their
children
nationalist
great
of the bonds between the Rossa's
certainly
attitudes.
importance
children,
part
to
contributed
But
a
Mary
Jane
nationalist
of which was
their
much
to
herself
their
attached
education
learning
and
of
Irish.
her
Mary
Jane did not speak Irish herself and always regretted this
fact. Referring to Rossa as a 'great Gaelic scholar' who
'could read and write and speak the language fluently' she
stated about herselfin a letter
1914:
to Devoy
on 3 February
'I'm an ignoramus except that I learnt a poem in
Irish to recite like a parrot when required. I started to
study
Gaelic
many
years
finding it so difficult.
deficiency
ago,
but
got
discouraged
on
I was very much ashamed of the
when I went back to Ireland in 1906 until I
met Alice Milligan and that brilliant and charming lady
though lecturing and travelling for the Gaelic League did
not know how to speak Irish either. '
The closest relationship,
her first child,
105
however, was to James Maxwell,
whose existence had helped her to get
through the years of separation from Rossa. He symbolized
for
her
everything
that
Rossa
was:
she
wanted
him
to
become as great a fighter for Ireland as his father. That
her vision of James Maxwell as successor of his father's
political legacy was shared by the public as well can be
seen
from
a
newspaper
report
about
the
arrival
of
the
Rossas in New York in 1871, which described the four year
old boy
"being
as
Irish
'the youngest
since
rebel
he was
born"
of
the
may
lot
do
. . . who
good
work
...
for
Ireland before he dies.' 106
Most poems that Mary Jane dedicated to a person revolved
around her eldest child. Her pride of her son speaks also
from her memories described in a poem that she dedicated
to him on the occasion of his 25th birthday:
53
'Our little knicker-bockered boy
Would climb some nearby highland
And hands in pocket gazing
Upon a ship in motion
Would softly murmur "When a man
I'll sail upon the ocean1
I'll take my ship to Ireland home
I'll fly a green flag o'er her
And when I beat her cruel foes
To glory I'll restore herl ' 107
James Maxwell joined the U.S.Navy, qualified as an
engineer
letters
merely
and was
to
a
stationed
him during
mother-son
in New Orleans.
that
time
reveal
relationship.
She
Mary
much
Jane's
more
confided
than
in
him
about all her trials and tribulations and he became one of
her
closest
allies.
In
spring
1893,
however,
tragedy
struck when James Maxwell was involved in an accident on
board his ship which severely damaged his lungs from steam
inhalation,
Not
resulting in his death on 22 November
surprisingly,
it
took
her
a
long
time
and
1893.
strong
support from her family to gradually recover from it.
her book Mary Jane's daughter Margaret
states that
In
'not
without a bitter struggle did my mother recover from the
overwhelming shock of Maxwell's death, but day by day she
fought her battle,
throwing herself whole-heartedly into
anything that might occupy her mind and tire her body. ' 108
The family even moved house to spare Mary Jane the pain of
his memory.
Although
the
preference
feeling
other
for
children
James
neglected
and
were
Maxwell,
admired
their mother did.
54
aware
they
him
of
accepted
in
a
her
obvious
it without
similar
way
as
The environment that Mary Jane created for her children to
grow
up
in
was
not
just
important
to
them,
but
was
essential for Rossa as it fortified him in his numerous
battles and supported him when all seemed lost. Mary Jane
was well aware of how essential it was for Rossa's cause
to keep a loyal and strong home,
especially in times of
crisis as in the late 1880s when Rossa faced his severest
trials:
'I think if he did not find faith and sympathy and
encouragement at home his heart would break. As
never remember seeing him so frustrated
it is I
as he has
been
this week. /109
3.2. Mary Jane and Politics in America
Some of the severe criticism Rossa faced in America
due to his behaviour was because he sympathised with the
Reds.
Rossa
had
International
received
Workingman's
great
support
Association
from
Marx's
'had
fought
who
hardest for the amnesty in Great Britain . . . ' 110
Marx,
in
connection
with
his
colonial
studies,
had
carefully followed the developments and the situation in
Ireland
and
was
a
strong
supporter
of
the
Manchester
Martyrs. His studies at the time resulted in excerpts from
the
E c o n o m is t,
C o u rrie r
the
Money M a rk e t
R e v ie w ,
The
on the Irish economy,
F ra n ç a is
T im e s
and the
Irish - English
economic relations and tenant right issues in Ireland as
well as from Michael Thomas Sadleir's
and
th e ir
R em e d ies
the
P rin c ip le
in
possession
o f
of
Ire la n d
and John Leslie Foster's
C o m m ercia l
the
Exchange.
Institute
of
An
It s
e v ils
Essay
on
These excerpts are
Social
History
in
Amsterdam.
It was particularly Marx's daughter Jenny and the French
communard Gustave Flourens, who had written many articles
55
about
Rossa's
newspapers
imprisonment
(especially
and
The
ill-treatment
M a rs e illa is e )
in
French
and thus helped
the cause of his release. When Flourens was killed in the
rising
of
the
French
Commune
of
1871,
Rossa
publicly
defended the Communards and stated that 'he certainly did
not
believe
that
the
French were
behaving
as
badly
as
newspaper reports pretended: he thought that the English
Government had possession of the telegraph wires and were
using them in the interest of the monarchist party,
and,
consequently, the French might be as much misrepresented
as the Irish were during the Fenian rising. /111
Rossa's (although not formal) participation in Flourens's
funeral in New York in 1871 caused a lot of criticism and
outrage.
Mary Jane had had contact with the Reds since 1865,
when
the
paper
Association,
the
of
the
W o rk m a n 's
International
Workingman's
had republished the
A dvocate,
Ladies' Committee's appeal for funds on January 6th, 1866.
At the meeting of the Central Council on 16 January Marx
announced that Mary Jane had thanked his friend Peter Fox
in a letter
for their
congratulated
him
on
support.
three
In this
articles
question, which had appeared in the
letter
about
W o rk m a n 's
she also
the
Irish
A d vo cate
of
14, 21 and 28 October 1865.
In 1870 Marx's daughter Jenny tried,
the
publication
in
Hanover
in
1870
in connection with
of
a collection
of
Irish folk songs by Thomas Moore, entitled 'Erin's Harp',
to obtain Rossa's photograph to precede the work. For this
purpose she contacted Richard Pigott only to be told that
he was
not
able to
help
her
as
the
British
Government
prohibited the sale of fenian photographs, but that he had
forwarded her letter to Mary Jane.
112
However,
as Mary
Jane never replied to this request the contact ceased.
56
Rossa,
who
undoubtedly
was
no follower
of
Marx's
doctrine, pursued his own political strategy. In the early
1880s
very
he,
as
ringleader
disputed
because
of
and
his
of
violent nationalism,
unpopular
support
and
with
many
involvement
became
Irish-Americans
in
a
series
of
bombings in England. His most ardent critics included his
former
friends
dynamite
James
campaign
miscreants'
as
and
John
for
a
Stephens,
'either
who
considered
inspired
O'Leary,
who
Skirmishing
Fund
by
Rossa's
fools
denounced
or
it
by
as
criminal'. 113
Rossa's
call
found
such
great
response and the collections reached such dimensions that three
months
after
the
publication
of
his
appeal
the
collection
reached the $ 10,000 mark.
The
Clan
na
Gael
leadership
decided
to
bring
it
under
its
control and Rossa was appointed one of the trustees, but as his
financial dealings were not very business-like and accusations
of his
resign.
embezzling money were voiced,
Several
public
remarks
he was
that
Rossa
later
forced
made
about
to
the
Skirmishing Policy which did not have the backing of the Clan na
Gael
leadership
furthered
his
and
Rossa's
downfall.
When
drinking
Rossa
problem
suddenly
at
the
time
fell
ill
with
paralysis in summer 1878 Clan na Gael took over the fund.
Rossa's
Jane who,
severe
being
illness
caused
left without
any
serious
support,
problems
had to
for Mary
sell
their
belongings and brought her three children to Ireland to be taken
care
of by her parents with whom they stayed for more than a
year. Police, suspecting some kind
of plot behind her return to
Ireland, watched her movements carefully, but got the impression
that
'the efforts made in Dublin to raise money for O'Donovan
Rossa, have failed, and if Mrs Rossa is in Ireland no notice is
taken of her. /114
A political motivation is not evident in her
journey to her home land.
57
However disputed Rossas's bombing activities were with the
public,
he
received
unconditional
support
from
his
family.
Although there is very little direct reference some remarks by
his son James Maxwell leave no doubt about the family's loyalty.
In
a
letter
to
Mary
Jane
he
expressed
his
hope
that
'the
Skirmishing Fund is increasing, and that it may make the light
shine
so brilliant
in England,
that
you will
see
perfidious
Albion going down and regenerated Ireland rising over her ruins
• • •
,
115
It is difficult to say in how far Mary Jane was aware of
the details of Rossa's activities. Although there is very little
direct
evidence
about
her
attitude
to
the
bombings
and
the
endangering of innocent life, some comments by her point to her
support for Rossa's policy as a matter of principle.
She was
very interested in the success of the Skirmishing Fund and seems
to
have
approved
of
its
being
taken
over
by
Devoy
and
his
friends. Referring to Mary Jane Devoy reported in his letter to
James
Reynolds
on
10
March
1878:
'She
has
been
over
here
complaining to us and warning us of danger to the fund and our
talk with him on Thursday satisfied us she was right in this
respect whatever she may be in others.' 116
Mary Jane's approval of physical force also becomes evident in
the following lines of her poem FIGHT FOR I T :
And said they not to cast aside
As useless evermore
All foolish faith in Parliament
Our freedom to restore?
Tis twenty weary years ago
Since fighting was the fashion,
And now the tide of hope returns
To patriotic passion!
58
Too long misled, false prophet-fed,
By Will-o'Wisp deluded,
We dreamed that in Westminster Halls
Our goodess was secluded;
But now awake we break the spell
By knaves or cowards planned,
And pledge again the arms of men
To free our native land I ' 117
As
the signs of a resurgence to militancy began to surface,
Mary Jane, who shared her husband's long nurtured ambitions for
this action, grieved for his inability to share in this new age
of
Irish
letter
nationalism,
to
Devoy:
'Oh,
as
she wrote
how
sad
it
on
is
30 November
to
think
he
1913
is
in
not
a
in
condition to realise what he always hoped for and believed sure
to come
and what is actually in the air at
return
of
the
Irish
people
to
the
the present time, the
old doctrine
of
physical
force 1 ' 118
3.3,
The
U n ite d
Iris h m a n
After the breakdown of Rossa's political connections
to Clan na Gael and the severance of relations with many
of his former friends, he tried to find an organ to make
his political opinion heard and in 1881 founded the
Iris h m a n
U n ite d
as a mouthpiece for his own political attitudes.
The paper, which was referred to by his daughter Margaret
as
a
'one
'queerest
man
Irish
paper'
paper
119
and
by
evr published'
John
Devoy
120 played
as
the
a major
role in Rossa's defence against his political opponents.
59
But it was not only Rossa who dedicated a lot of work and
efforts to the paper, but also Mary Jane, not only for her
poetical contributions.
During the time of Rossa's stay in Ireland in 1894/95
he transferred all responsiblity, including publication of
the
U n ite d
Iris h m a n
, to Mary Jane. Nevertheless Mary Jane,
as many times before, had to combat the disrespect shown
to her because of her sex. How severe this problem was for
her can be concluded
from the
letter to Rossa at that time:
Connolly
to
understand
following complaint
'Isuppose
that
I
a
you have given Mr
am the
Arbiter of
destinees and can imparatively say"stay there"
her" and you must accordingly. '
in
your
or "come
121
The paper was initially also intended to contribute
to Rossa's income, but in this respect failed as it cost
more than it yielded.
Rossa's lax way of handling money
matters, which contributed to its financial failure
becomes obvious in his daughters statement that 'if anyone
ordered the paper and could afford to pay for it, pappa
was greatly pleased,
and if anyone wanted the paper but
could not pay for it, pappa was still greatly pleased and
sent the paper without the bill.' 122
This problem was a major point of contention between Rossa
and Mary Jane, who on several occasions tried to convince
him to discontinue publication. In June 1894 she wrote to
him:
'Regarding
the
United
Irishman
I
think
if
the
receipts for the paper do not sum up more satisfactorily
it had better be discontinued. The few friends who send in
more
than
two
dollars
would
do
so
outside
the
paper
altogether and if you count them out the receipts would
not half pay for printing and mailing, much less pay the
time of an editor or office boy.
You know my time is of
value at home and I am worried into uselessness by the
profitless responsibility of the office.' 123
60
Whereas Rossa did not strictly observe the payment of
subscription fees, Mary Jane used his absence in Europe to
repeatedly
criticise
contribution:
week
subscribers
for
not
paying
their
'The United Irishman did not come out last
because we
have
not
so much
patience
as
the
Editor and we are tired of loosing money by it.
real
But
as
Rossa is coming home in May we make a mighty effort to
keep up the connection lest his reception be embittered by
the
thought
the
United
Irishman was
let
starve
in
his
absence. He can deal with the delinquents himself ...' 124
When Rossa involved himself in a lot of trouble and court
proceedings against Patrick Sarsfield Cassidy in the late
1880s
and
had
no
other
means
of
publicly than through his paper,
expressing
Mary Jane withdrew her
demands for the discontinuation of the
The
Cassidy
case
was
the
himself
most
U n ite d
Iris h m a n
important
and
.
most
nerve-wracking of several cases, which Rossa was involved
in and which were mainly charges of criminal libel due to
mutual accusations of spying and embezzlement of money on
Rossa's part.
Worth mentioning are in this connection the case of Denis
Dowling Mulcahy
allegedly
due
against Rossa in
to
him
for
his
1885
to recover
services
to
the
$ 480
fenian
organisation, Rossa's legal action against the editor of
the
C a th o lic
difamation
of
News,
Herrman
character
in
Ridder,
1889,
and
for
Henri
libel
and
LeCaron's
accusations of Rossa's misapprehension of money
fom the
Skirmishing Fund in the same year.
In the spring of 1889 Patrick Sarsfield Cassidy brought a
charge of criminal libel against Rossa for his accusations
he was
Iris h m a n
a British spy in several
articles
in the
U n ite d
which had appeared in the paper since 1887. Mary
Jane, obviously not convinced of her husband's ability to
61
substantiate his accusation, wrote to James Maxwell:
'Your
father
prove
feels
quite
confident
of
Cassidy all he has called him.
proofs
and
have
a
horrible
his
ability
I have
fear
he
to
seen none of his
will
find
himself
overmatched and in the grip of National Law. ' 125
Despite the obvious lack of Rossa's business talent her
support for him was unconditional:
heart
your
father
had
rto more
'Cassidy knows in his
of
the
informer
as
the
political thief in his blood than the angel Gabriel but
seconded by your father's deplorable want of method and
order
in
his
business
habits
he
opens
a
series
of
libellous charges against him and when the unfortunate man
clumsily tries without science or craft to get the law to
punish Cassidy the fox turns the tables like greased
lightening on the unsophisticated plaintiff and comes out
on top of the heap grinning. ' 126
Cassidy further accused Rossa of not repaying a debt of
$ 130. He claimed that some of the
U n ite d
Iris h m a n
money
belonged to him and demanded Rossa to present his books
which the latter refused.
This
trial
stability,
did
not
only
affect
but also the entire family,
particular
suffered
letters
James
to
greatly
Maxwell
under
give
the
Rossa's
mental
and Mary Jane in
the
pressure.
reader
a
Her
very good
impression of the scars this case left with her caused by
the pressures of the trial and her desire to support and
comfort Rossa.
In June
1889
she wrote to her son about
Cassidy's further accusations:
'... your father is the man
without any documents at alll
He has no receipts for
payments
on
to
put
somewhere surely;
his
hands
when
his
needed. They're
... but he don't know where to find them
and to go through all those bags and boxes is a task which
I have no time to undertake for
As
Rossa
could
not
prove
his
him. '127
point,
but
refused
to
withdraw his claim, he was found guilty in autumn 1890 and
fined $ 100.
62
The
U n ite d
Iris h m a n
was essential in representing Rossa's
side in the trial. It was, however, not before long until
he was ordered to refrain in his paper from any reference
to
the
trial.
Realising
for
Iris h m a n
Rossa
in
the
importance
this
particular
of
the
U n ite d
situation
she
considered it 'a mistake and a misfortune' to discontinue
publication at a time 'when his enemies have the field and
misrepresent him so foully and his own [paper] is the only
might
left
to
defend
him
. . . ' 128
Thus
the
paper
was
published with interruptions until 1910, when Rossa became
totally unable to attend to it because of his illness.
We
already
enterprises,
mentioned
Rossa
made
that,
several
apart
from
his
political
attempts
to
find
a
secure
position to give himself and his family a reliable income.
In
May 1896 he had applied to the Civil Service Board of New York
for
a
clerkship
informed
that
in
the
one
Board
of
the
city's
would
not
departments,
consider
his
but
was
application
because of his prison record.
For
many
years
his
friends
had
also
tried
to
combine
the
necessity for Rossa to earn a living with his desire to return
to his
native
land.
The
fruits
of their
efforts
resulted
in
Rossa being offered a position as correspondence secretary to
the Cork County Council
in September
been
for him and yielded
especially
created
According to the
been
C ork
'instrumental
C o n s titu tio n
1905.
This position had
£ 100 per year.
the Young Ireland Society had
in getting the County Council to create
a
nominal office, with a real salary, for Rossa's benefit...' 129
It
was
Rossa's
'declared
intention
remaining days on the old sod'
...
to
spend
his
130 and thus himself, Mary Jane
and two of their daughters set out for Ireland. They arrived in
Queenstown
Co.Cork,
on
where
19
November
1905
the Cork Young
and
proceeded
to
Blackrock,
Ireland Society had
'secured a
cosy dwelling for the Rossa family. ' 131
Rossa, worshipped and
welcomed by his friends as a hero and a living symbol of Irish
nationalism, immediately attended to his political duties. One
63
day
after
his
Manchester
arrival
Martyrs
in
he
attended
Cork.
Many
the
commemoration
other
public
of
the
appearances
followed, as his position in the Cork County Council allowed him
the freedom to give public readings from his books in England,
Scotland and Wales.
Rossa himself obviously did not place any
great importance to his position as his reply to a query about
his duties implied:
'I'm a sort of a secretary to the Board;
then again, I'm not. I guess I'm an adviser.'
132
Mary Jane's activities at that time are not known in detail, but
she presumably used the opportunity to visit friends and
relatives in Ireland, whenever she did not accompany Rossa.
Rossa's daughters decided to return to New York in January 1906.
In the spring Mary Jane suddenly fell ill with pneumonia,
the
disease
children.
Her
affected,
and
by
condition
which
she
grew much
had
worse
lost
as
most
of
her heart
her
became
friends and relatives feared for her life.
Following
medical
advice,
Rossa,
according
to
his
daughter
Margaret,
'made the greatest sacrifice of a life of much self-
denial ' 133 , resigned his position and took Mary Jane back to
New York. His own version of the situation and his resignation
was that 'Tis no wonder she got sick, separated as she was from
her six children in Staten Island and from seven more of them
living in one graveyard in Staten Island. An eminent doctor Doctor
Edward
Magner
-
was
attending
her
while
ill,
• •• /
recommended that she go to some seaside place for a few weeks as soon as she was able to travel.
... We live on the seashore
road at New Brighton, within fifty yards of the salt sea,
and
the expense of coming home to a seaside place in America is not
much more than would be the expense of living for some time at
a seaside place in Ireland.' 134.
That this was not the whole truth can be seen from an interview
he gave American newspapers on his return. Asked if he intended
to return to Ireland in the near future he declared:
know how soon I'll be going back.
... I won't be in a hurry'.
And he continued referring to his salary in Cork:
64
'I don't
'I only get 17
dollars a week ...and my daughters make more at typewriting than
I do.' 135
Another
reason
was
obviously
his
disappointment
situation in Ireland and the obvious
imminent rising:
about
the
lack of intention for an
' I don't want to say this too loud
... but
Ireland is going to the bad. The poor deluded people - God help
them - think they're going to get Home Rule, but it will never
co m e . ' 136
The Rossas returned to America in June
1906 where Mary Jane's
condition slowly improved.
3.4.The Last Years of Rossa's Life
Four years after Mary Jane's severe illness Rossa's
condition
A m erica n
declined
rapidly.
In
declared that Rossa
October
1910
the
G a e lic
'lies stricken in his
illnes at his home in Staten Island.
last
- As he is 79 years
of age on September 11, and has been rapidly failing for
a year it is not possible hat he can recover.' 137
Rossa's health was very delicate and had failed several
times before which was attributed to his prison treatment
in the late 1860s.
Mary Jane tried to nurse Rossa at home, but in September
1913 she broke down from the strain of having nursed him
for the past three years, so that he had to be removed to
St. Vincent's Hospital, Staten Island.
letting him go to the hospital,
'She was averse to
but had to consent when
she broke down...' 138
Apart
from
his
failing
physical
health
his
mental
condition had worsened as well. Nevertheless Mary Jane was
'determined
to
take
him
home
as
soon
as
she
sufficient strength to be able to nurse him ...
Devoy,
who
was
very
much
concerned
about
her
recovers
' . 139
health,
warned in his paper that her friends 'ought not allow her
to do so, on account of his hallucination that he is in
65
prison again and his efforts to escape. ' 140 and that
if
she undertook to do so after her recovery would speedily
break down again. ' 141
That
his
friend were willing
to
support
Rossa
and
his
family was proved by the foundation of the Rossa Fund in
1911,
which
was
Jane,
although
funded
in
by
need
private
of
the
subscriptions.
money,
concerned not to appear as a beggar.
was
Mary
very
much
In October 1913 she
wrote to Devoy in relation to new requests for support:
'I'm just as afraid of getting to much as too little ...'
and that the authors of the circular should only 'send an
appeal
to
personal
friends
who
can
well
afford
to
be
generous. ' 142
To keep Rossa's friends in America and Ireland informed
and the memory of
him alive
Mary Jane
regular reports on his condition in the
Soon
after
Rossa's
illness
decided
G a e lic
became
to
give
A m e ric a n .
known
and
it
appeared to be terminal, the fight over the responsibility
for his burial started.
Just about one year after the decline in his health and
three and a half years before his actual death a movement
was founded in Cork to arrange for his burial place.
December 1911 the
G a e lic
A m e ric a n
In
reported on a meeting in
Clonakilty, Mary Jane's birth place, at which the speakers
advocated the position 'that when 0'Donovan Rossa died his
body
should
be
taken
to
Ireland
and
buried
in
Rosscarberry, and that the demonstration should be "non­
partisan" - that is not confined to men who believe in the
principles of Fenianism but participated in by men of all
shades and political opinions. 143
Despite Rossa's wish to be buried in Ireland, he answered
to questions about his burial wishes:
66
'... take your time
in bringing me over.
I am to wait here until ye have at
least Home Rule, if not absolute freedom from England.' 144
After his death on 19 June
1915 Mary Jane handed over
responsibility for the funeral preparations to the Clan na
Gael and left it to Thomas Clarke in Ireland to choose a
plot in Glasnevin.
Rossa's remains were sent to Ireland in early July
1915
and Mary Jane and her daughter Eileen followed on 10 July.
They were met at Liverpool by representatives of the Irish
Volunteers, among them Kathleen Clarke.
Strangely enough Kathleen Clarke
only
briefly mentioned
her meeting with Mary Jane, whereas the latter described
Kathleen Clarke with great admiration:
'Mrs Clarke is a
young woman of great dignity and personal grace
... She
looks like one's ideal of a poetess, but she has a fund of
practical good sense in stock and a very firm mind of her
own with all her gentleness and youth'
A
detailed
description
of
Mary
145
Jane's
Ireland is contained in her report in the
(see:
chapter 4.2.),
activities
G a e lic
in
A m e ric a n
but particularly two issues of her
stay deserve a mention.
As Mary Jane herself reports she and her daughter
'were
constantly shadowed by detectives and Secret Service men
and
during
Hotel,
in
our
absence
Dublin,
our
from
our
warderobe
rooms
and
in
the
personal
Gresham
letters,
mostly telegrams and letters of condolence from prominent
citizens of the United States were stolen.'146
To add to
the troubles she had to endure because of her mission was
the
attempt
American
by
the
passports
authorities
when
they
failed in doing so.
67
were
to
confiscate
leaving
their
Ireland
but
Due
to
the
character
of
the
event
and
the
police
surveillance particular measures had to be taken to secure
the success of Rossa's funeral. As Mary Jane was obviously
not
aware
of
the
precariousness
of
the
situation
she
freely gave away information to the press and consequently
was reprimanded by Thomas Clarke:
'It was in the back of
my mind that Mr Clarke would disapprove of my giving any
information to the
F re e m a n 's
Journal
and here I was in the
midst of what was really an interview ...
took occasion to remonstrate with me
which
people
could
interview
me.
. M r Clarke ...
for the
He
ease with
would
not
give
interviews to people of whom he was doubtful or
disapproving.
I
professed
myself
ready
and
willing
to
follow his counsel literally from that moment though it
would
not
be
in
accord
with
my
own
judgement
or
disposition, as I felt everyone who held out the hand in
friendship
and
looked
at
me
with
a
kindly
eye
welcome guest whose reasonable questions
I would
and
to
honestly
answer,
with
due
regard
was
a
freely
safety
and
propriety. ' 147
Despite all the difficulties and harassment she was deeply
impressed by the tremendous support the event received and
having fulfilled her mission successfully left Liverpool
on 7 August 1915.
68
chapter 4: The final year June 1915-Auqust 1916
4.1. Making Rossa a Symbol of Irish Nationalism
Since Rossa's illness Mary Jane had reappeared on the
political
stage,
to
continue
his
mission
for
Ireland's
freedom.
These efforts included her reports on Rossa's condition in
the
G a e lic
A m erica n
(see:
chapter 3.5.),
her defence of
Rossa's principles and his reputation and to her attempt
to make him immortal by giving him a respected place in an
encyclopedia.
MacGowan
According
her
father
to Mary
'was
dictionaries of biography,
in
Jane's
one
daughter
of
the
Eileen
standard
but shortly before his
death
they wrote for a new sketch because Mamma had complained
about the item they were carrying. Mamma intended to write
up an item,
but Pappa died and then a year later Mamma
died so that the matter was never attended to. ' 148
More successful was Mary Jane's fight to present and
defend Rossa's true ideas and principles. On 1 July 1915
the
New
York
published
an
correspondent
article,
of
declaring
the
D a ily
himself
had
T e le g ra p h
to
be
a
close
friend of Rossa's and quoting Rossa with the words:
'When
I die ... you might tell the English people I have fought
a good fight according to my views, and long ago lost all
hatred
let
alone
prejudice,
against
the
British
Government. '149
Mary
Jane
Ireland.
she
learned
about
this
article
on
her
way
to
According to her own statement about the claim
first
'would not take
it seriously,
but
laughed to
scorn the idea that it was necessary to justify Rossa in
face of the persistent and insistent rumors of his "change
of heart". ... But gradually I realized the necessity of
stemming the false tide' 150 and to write a contradiction,
demanding the correspondent's name. Quoting his famous
69
phrase
from the
dock
in
1865
she
made
it
unmistakably
clear that 'Rossa was, as he said of himself in the dock,
an Irishman since he was born, and I can testify that he
was the
same unconquerable Irishman,
breathing the
same
unalterable desire for the absolute freedom of his country
and its separation from England that he breathed in the
dock. ' 151
On the other hand the Redmonites
'that Rossa was
in Ireland had claimed
a devoted follower of
John Redmond
and
resumed them two days later, notwithstanding the emphatic
contradiction made by the dead patriot's wife.' 152
After Mary Jane's return from Ireland she wrote a detailed
account of the events and her impressions during her stay
in Ireland. This series was published in twelve issues of
the
G a e lic
A m erica n
between
September
1915
and
January
1916. In this very lengthy report she described in detail
Rossa's
last
arrangements
illness
in
America
and
his
and
death,
Ireland,
the
her
funeral
journey
to
Ireland and the funeral itself.
It
is a piece
cause
of
of
nationalist propaganda,
Ireland's
independence.
On
the
promoting
the
one
she
hand
emphasized the great support in fulfilling Rossa's burial
wish
and
the
organisational
ability
of
the
Irish
Volunteers to make Rossa's funeral a success. On the other
hand she launched severe attacks on the British government
and the Irish authorities for her treatment. This contrast
stretches through the entire series and becomes especially
obvious
in
her
remarks
about
the
'governing
folk
of
Britain', who 'as we all know, have souls of such mean and
stealthy
predative
diminutiveness
that
no
mouse
could
contract itself to such small possibilities to entry and
possession
Liverpool
as
they.'153
Relating
to
her
departure
she contrasts the British officials who
from
'were
very surly (they couldn't look pleasant for their lives),'
70
and who 'did not enjoy their surliness either' 154 with the
warm reception she received from the Irish Volunteers.
Mary Jane's propagandist intention becomes obvious also in
relation to several political issues referred to, eg.the
participation
of
Irishmen
in
the
First
World
War
as
soldiers in the British Army and remarks on the freedom of
the
press.
American
should
It can
public
not
also be
of
rich
their
Irishmen
seen in her
duty
of
to
reminder
serve
America
do
to the
Ireland:
as
'But
much,
in
proportion, to prove your love to your motherland as well?
Let me aid the still small voice of conscience to suggest
to you the joy of duty fulfilled to God, your neighbor and
your motherland. ' 155
4.2.Back in Politics
After
an
absence
of
forty
five
finally reappeared on the political
years
Mary
Jane
stage and dedicated
the last months of her life actively to the campaign for
Ireland's independence.
She was invited as speaker and reciter to numerous public
events and political meetings. In her speech at the Irish
Race Convention, which took place in New York on 4 and 5
March 1916, she decided to 'speak principally in order to
be a witness to the fact that the Irish people in Ireland
are not loyal to England'. 156
Ireland
for Rossa's
Reporting about her stay in
funeral
she
further vindicated
her
fellow-countrymen by declaring that 'when Rossa's remains
were taken to Ireland __
the Irish people received them
with reference and devotion, and with all the honors that
could have been accorded to an Irish king if he had been
one.
... Very
[British]
few of the Irish people entered into the
army,
and
those
extraordinary circumstances.
who
did
were
pressed
... The Irish women
71
by
supplement
their
men
...
I
saw
among
the
families
in
Ireland many of the women training their little chidren in
the
old
Irish
cutoms.
I
saw
the
societies, the Cumman na mBan,
women
represented
in
pledged to support their
brothers, The Irish Volunteers, in every manner ...
The poem she chose to recite at the Convention,
157
'We're
Irish everywhere', had played a major role in her tours of
readings through America, Ireland and England.
For her appearance at a mass meeting in New York on
30
April
written
1916
for
Mary
the
Jane
occasion
recited
and
poetry
dedicated
particularly
to
THE
MEN
OF
IRELAND THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS.
At
every
influence
and
opportunity
contributed
she
her
used
share
her
to
considerable
various
events
organised in America to support the impending rising in
Ireland. According to a report in the
G a e lic
A m e ric a n
, at
a big nationalist meeting in New York's Carnegie Hall a
Green-White-Orange
table.
It
was
a
flag
was
donation
spread
of
Mary
over
the
Jane's,
chairman's
had
covered
Rossa's coffin at his funeral and was given to her by the
Irish Volunteers. 158
Apart from her moral support for the cause, she also
contributed to it financially by the sale of Rossa's books
and her participation,
along with her daughters,
in many
fundraising events.
Mary Jane gave her services without being attached to
any organisation.
speak
at
Cumman
Nevertheless
na
mBan
she was often invited to
meetings
and
her
opinion
was
highly appreciated.
'She never missed one of the latter until two days before
her death. ' 149
72
4.3. The Little Poetess
Poetry for
The
Iris h
P e o p le
Poetry always played an important part in Mary Jane's
life.
It was
not
only
a means
of
earning
a
living
or
supporting herself and her family in times of need, but it
was also a medium of communication with herself and her
surroundings,
of expressing her inner feelings,
a friend
to talk to in all the years of trouble and loneliness, her
poems speak of the hardship of her life, the strength odf
her character, people and events that impressed and moved
her - her poems are in themselves a story of Mary Jane's
life. But most of all they emphasize her ardent desire to
see Ireland free.
Although
Mary
Jane's
renowned
poets,
it
verse
was
did
very
not
compete
picturesque,
with
the
emotive
and
populistic and therefore favoured by the general public.
A great part of Mary Jane's poems were published by Irish
and later by Irish-American newspapers,
(Dublin),
The
Iris h
New York, Rossa's
P e o p le
U n ite d
(Dublin)
Iris h m a n
eg.
The
Iris h m a n
and its namesake in
, Devoy's
G a e lic
A m e ric a n
and others. But many of her poems have never been brought
to the public eye. This concerned mostly verse written for
private and family purposes.
We can distinguish between seven periods
in Mary Jane's
literary activity which do not differ from the point of
style
or
contents
of
her
poems,
but
depended
on
Jane's personal situation and her political activity.
73
Mary
They cover the years:
1) 1864-September 1865
2) October 1865-May 1867
3) June 1867-beginning of 1868
4) mid 1868-end of 1869
5) 1870
6) 1871-1915 and
7) beginning-August 1916
The
first
fenian organ
1864
The
shortly
Jeremiah
period
covers
Iris h
after
O'Donovan
Mary
which
P e o p le ,
she
had
Rossa.
Jane's
met
The
work
for
the
she started in May
its
Iris h
business
manager
had
P e o p le
been
established in 1863 and was issued on a weekly basis 'but
up to this was not bringing in enough to pay expenses,
although
it
had
a
fine
circulation.
Most
of
its
subscribers had already advanced money to put it on its
feet, and the returns were very slim. ' 160 Among those who
advanced a large sum of money to establish the paper was
Rossa.
Mary Jane was publicly,
to
the
readers
as
a
although anonymously,
new
contributor
judging her talent the editor wrote:
week
comes
from
our
fair
in
introduced
May
1864
and
'All our poetry this
contributors,
here
is
still
another fair lady demanding a hearing. She evidently has
fancy and feeling, but we would recommend her to take more
pains to be correct in future. We have omitted a very few
defective
lines,
which we
think
she
might
have
easily
avoided. ' 161
Before her marriage to Rossa Mary Jane signed her poems
with her initials, ie. 'M.J.I.' whereas later she used the
nome
de
plume
'Cliodhna'.
Mary
Jane
used
this
female
Christian name probably to express her opposition against
English rule in Ireland and her loyalty to her motherland,
74
as
the
emphasis
on
anything
Irish
always
symbolised
antagonism to everything English.
There was always a close link between Mary Jane's poetry
for
The
Iris h
and her relationship to Rossa which
P e o p le
becomes particularly obvious in her letters to him. In one
of then written before their marriage Mary Jane referred
to a rumour that Rossa was regularly seeing a rich, older
woman
in
Dublin.
Out
of
anger
and
jealousy
she
even
rejected Rossa's praise for her first poem in the paper,
THE RU I N . At the same time she made it clear that she did
not want to copy anybody in her poetry but follow her own
style:
'So
Mr.
E[ditor]
wishes
a
continuation
of
"the
Ruin" style, I did not think he called that national
...
I was puzzled to know what you did think national and you
modestly sent me your own [poem - ie. THE SOLDIER'S TALE S.L.]
as
a model!
...
I was
not
at
all
surprised you
undertook to mould me after your own pattern.' 162
Like most of poetry at that level this poem described the
desperate situation in Ireland, the misery of its people
and
in the
rule
in
strongest
Ireland.
possible
In
it
Mary
terms
Jane
criticised
drew
the
English
comparison
between happy childhood days with rich fields and cattle
on
the
present
one
hand
days
and
the
on the other.
dilapidated
As
reason
lonely
for this
house
of
worsened
situation she saw the the policy of absentee-landlordism
which left the Irish peasants with nothing but ruin while
'On foreign soil their splendthrift lord
Scattered the wealth their year long toil
Had gathered from the yielding soil.' 163
Mary
Jane's
Fenians
as
agitation.
poetry
it
in
was
an
particularly
impressive
way
welcome
with
supported
the
their
Further examples for that are her poems about
the tragedy of Irish emigration. The Fenians had
75
introduced this element into Irish nationalist agitation
to demonstrate the inhumanity of English rule which left
the
Irish
with
the
choice
between
starvation
and
emigration. The most impressive piece about this topic and
probably
one
MISSIONERS
of
Mary
Jane's
best
- THE BRIDGE. In it
poems
was
her
she described
IRISH
in a very
emotional way the fate of a young Irish girl who emigrated
to
America
but
failed
there.
The
only
way
for
her
to
survive was prostitution, but she kept it a secret to her
family in Ireland and left them in the belief that she did
well
inthe New World. When her
her,
she
brother decided to visit
found only one way to escape the shame of
the
discovery of her real status - suicide:
'Gainst the span of the dark-tinted bridge,
Where the rough severed waters unite in a ridge
Like a furrow of snow, when the late morning sun
Looked down thro' the city smoke misty and and
dun A chill form was
floating there,
a white face
appearing there,
Lost,
doubtly
lost,
and
no
being
in
hearing
there,
Under the arch of the dark-tinted bridge 1 ' 164
This
period
P e o p le
ended
September
Jane's
of Mary
with
1865.
In
Jane's
the
its
contributions
suppression
office
the
of
to
the
the
police
Iris h
paper
seized
in
Mary
letters and many manuscripts of her poems which,
because of their contents, were classified as 'manuscripts
selected by reason of their seditious tendency'.
those were eg. THE DROUCHTEEN.
165 Among
IN MEMORIAM. THE TEMPEST
and A SONG OF FREEDOM, which had appeared in the
P e o p le
vol.l,
Iris h
14 May 1864, p.392; 28 May 1864, p. 424;
June 1864, p.459 and
11
16 July 1864, p.539
Although the first one had no political content, the other
76
three highlighted the plight
English
domination.
In
her
of the Irish people under
poem
IN
MEMORIAM
Mary
Jane
described the fading away of a young beautiful girl which
might possibly refer to the death of on of her relatives,
at whose funeral she met Rossa. THE TEMPEST depicts that
spectacle of nature and the following dawning of the new
day may also refer to Ireland and its emergent freedom. In
her SONG OF FREEDOM her wish
for
Irish
independence
is
directly expressed as she demands:
'AriseI our exiled brothers call.
Arise 1 uplift the tearful pall
From Erin! 166
One of her unpublished poems of that period, entitled OUR
BRIDAL
ady,
OCTOBER
22nd
1864. described her memory
which was to change her life completely.
of
that
This poem
was found among Mary Jane's letters to Rossa which were
seized at the police raid at the
Iris h
was
in
written
on
their
honeymoon
P e o p le
England
office.
or
It
Scotland
about a week after their marriage.
Although it is not obvious from the document itself that
the
poem was
written
by
Mary
Jane,
comparisons
of
her
handwriting as well as the particular occasion described
in it leave little doubt about its author.
Although Mary Jane was very young at the time the poem
shows that she knew very well about the hardship that this
marriage would bring to her life, and she was willing to
face
it.
Its words prove the depth of her
feelings
for
Rossa and her intelligence, maturity and realism at this
early stage of her life:
'Mine, since I wed thee is a span of peace Crowding a lifetime's joys in moment's flight Yet well I know they may cost years of pain
A lifetime's weeping - aye, - a life of night!
77
Still would I yield them not
As too unworthy of such heavy cost
For days like these are very leaves of time
When happy thoughts are writ, rewrit, and crost
When
future
reading
-
years
cannot
steal
their
memory,
Grief cannot blot their pages,
Nor with them life be joyless, though each hour
Seemed
burthened
with
ag e s . '
And indeed, these few weeks,
the
gathered
grief
of
167
in which she was often left
alone, were a happy time for her - the last for many years
to
come
in
unprovided
which
for
and
she,
having
forced
to
been
leave
left
alone
Ireland
to
and
make
a
living, led the life of a 'widowed wife'.
Poetry 1866-1868
There is no evidence of any poetic activity by Mary
Jane
during
her
work
as
Secretary
Committee.
When
she came to New York,
forced
make
a
to
living
by
writing
American newspapers, eg. the New York
of
the
Ladies'
however,
she was
poetry
Iris h
for
Irish
P e o p le ,
which
had previously printed her appeals and correspondence on
behalf of the Ladies' Committee. Her most important poems
of
the
period,
TWILIGHT
THOUGHTS.
IN
THE
PRI S O N . THE
STEWART'S BROWN-CHEEKED B O Y . THE WIDOW W A I N . THE SAILOR'S
BRI D E . DORA DUNREEN. appeared in the
6 July and 31 August 1867.
78
Iris h
P e o p le
between
All of these poems, exept one, revolve thematically around
the topic of the pitiable deserted or widowed wife. They
reflect Mary Jane's feelings at that time as well as her
political
convictions.
In
TWILIGHT
THOUGHTS
Mary
Jane
described her own thoughts and feelings at nightfall:
'I
love
the
brooding
stars
that
smile
their
brilliance to the night,
They 'mind me of thine eyes, my love, with glory
dreamings bright,
They 'mind me of thy soul, my love, that dared to
be as free,
And in the dungeon glitters still for Land and
Liberty. ' 168
Mary
Jane's
IN THE PRISON deals with
hope of an imprisoned Fenian that his
the
betrayed
'lady-love' would
wait for him and pleaded gulity and thus escaped with a
light
sentence.
The
issue
of
pleading
guilty
to
one's
membership of the I.R.B. as betrayal of the cause seems to
have been a problem that particularly moved
the
female
relatives of imprisoned Fenians. In another case Isabella
Roantree,
Ladies'
wife
of
Committee
William
Francis
claiming
that
Roantree,
she
could
left
not
the
work
together with the wife of such a traitor.
In
contrast
to
the
fenian
expectation
of
'female
patriotism, sacrifice and restraint' which always held the
woman responsible if a man left fenian business
for his
family, in Mary Jane's attitude blame lies with the Fenian
himself as she let him state:
'For weakness wore my soul and body chains,
And weakness shall dissolve the pledge you plighted,
Till all the recompense of wrong is blighted
By wrong's first cause - so slighted Miriam, I blame you not,
'tis fair,
'tis just,
the acme of my pai n s . ' 169
79
Unlike these poems THE STEWART'S BROWN-CHEEKED BOY is
a memory of home, an eulogy to the beauty of Rosscarberry
on a day in spring.
Most of the poems written
for the
Iris h
in
P e o p le
Dublin and its namesake in New York up to that time are
contained in the only volume of her poems ever published,
her
Iris h
carefully
L y ric a l
Poems.
watched
and
The
publication
collected
by
notices
the
were
British
authorities, as police files show 170. Colonel Roberts and
his friends supported Mary Jane financially in publishing
her
little
volume,
as
she
herself
described:
'I
was
enabled to put my idea in execution for Col.Roberts and a
few wealthy members of the Irish Senate quietly made up a
purse of $ 300 for me and as quietly presented it. This
money
•
• •
/
published an edition of my
"Irish Lyrical
Poems"
171
Although the book was widely advertised and distributed
Mary Jane had to admit that for her personally it did not
have the expected financial success
'owing to the shabby
manner in which many people calling themselves
ordered and forgot to pay for them.
circulated,
patriots
The book was widely
but there is hardly a state in the union in
which I could not find a goodly number unpaid for. ' 172
Apart from her poetry the
pieces
in prose
by Mary Jane
Iris h
on
P e o p le
20 July
published two
and
24 August
1867. Both stories play in the Irish countryside and the
main characters
their
servants
come
or
either
the
more
from the
landed
prosperous
gentry
country
and
people,
among whom Mary Jane herself grew up - the milieu she knew
well from her childhood.
Its character is underlined by a lot of Irish colloquial
terms and expressions like 'Wisha'.
80
The first of the stories,
MARY KELEHER,
AN IRISH S T O R Y ,
deals with the cliché of unhappy love and has a glorious
ending where the prince,
princess,
the
a landlord's son, Dan, wins his
neighbouring
landlord
Keleher's
only
daughter Mary, against the intrigues of Mary's aunt, Mrs
Carrigan.
Unlike in her poems, the problems that appear in Mary
Jane's prose were not caused by economic or social reasons
nor by English rule, but by lack of personal integrity of
the characters concerned. The relationship between gentry
and peasantry that Mary Jane described is characterized by
friendliness, mutual respect and acceptance of each others
status.
The
second
CONNELLY'S
piece
STORY,
of
could
prose,
be
THE
TWO
considered
LOVES.
as
a
MARY
kind
of
moralistic story, a warning of unfaithfulness in marriage
which would be punished by God. The story is told by the
betrayed wife, Martha, who lost her husband Sam to a young
girl, she had taken into her house out of mercy. Sam falls
ill the very day he wants to leave Martha and recovering
from his illness regrets his sin and makes up for all the
wrong he had done to his wife.
The
author
puts
the
moral
of
her
one-sided,
unsophisticated story in the following of Martha's words:
'...
but
alasi
ma'am,
fortune melted,
that
God
broken
took
his
scattered,
him
grieving
in
for
health
was
ruined
and, perhaps,
a
short
the
past.
time,
his
it was a mercy
for
Blessed
and
his
be
heart
God
helped me to bear my troubles with resignation,
who
was
has
and to
look forward to a better world in which is our reward for
all our sufferings, our "heart trials of this".' 173
81
Neither
story
can be
regarded
as
of
high
quality
because of their simplicity and one-sided presentation of
the problems, so that it seems the main purpose for their
creation was Mary Jane's need for money.
obviously
writers
correspond
at
that
with
time.
the
Their contents
expectations
Another
fact
that
on
female
points
to
a
superficial storyline is that many points are unclear or
confusing
to
unknown
the
why
reader.
the
In
servant,
MARY
Taid
KELEHER
Canty,
it
remains
delayed
his
revalation of the intrigue for so many years. Furthermore
it
seems
MARY
paradoxical
CONNELY'S
that
STORY
the
while
second
the
story
is
narrator
entitled
is
Martha
Connelly.
Another paper
arrival
in
published
New
a
for which Mary Jane wrote
York
report
by
was
the
Dublin
'CLIODHNA',
after
Iris h m a n
Mary
Jane's
,
her
which
nome
de
author
as
plume, on a fenian pic-nic in New York.
The
actual
print
in
the
paper
states
the
'CLOIDHNA', which is very likely a spelling mistake. The
assumption of Mary Jane's authorship is supported by the
following statements introducing the sketch:
correspondent,
following
lately arrived in New York,
sketch
. .. ' 174
The
report
'An esteemed
sends us the
also
contains
a
detailed report of Colonel Roberts's wife, with whom Mary
Jane very likely boarded at that time, as well as of the
surroundings
of
Millbank
Prison,
imprisoned then.
82
where
Rossa
was
Mary Jane's Poetry in 1870
As
Mary
Jane
did
not want
waiting for Rossa's release,
to
spend
the
time
idly
she had decided to continue
her literary activity in Ireland and write poetry for the
paper
that
Pigott's
she
had
supported
Most
Iris h m a n .
after
of the poems
Rossa's
arrest,
written by her
at
that time are retained in a small diary.
The
diary
itself
is
a
very
interesting
witness of Mary Jane's feelings,
during that time.
quotations
remarks
biblical
about political
topics,
events,
important
thoughts and activities
Apart from numerous
regarding
and
eg.
poems it contains
her
attitude
and
the Franco-Prussian
war and a memorandum in which she looked back at the years
from her marriage
early
1870.
in
It was
1864
to
her
return
presumably written
to England
between
1869
in
and
early 1871. The fact that none of the poems in the diary
appeared in Mary Jane's
Iris h
L y ric a l
Poems,
nor refers to
a time earlier than 1868 define the preobable beginning of
the diary. Mary Jane's lines:
'Tis pastl
'Tis Overl
The power is gone
That well nigh destroy me.
Thanks be to God! -'
which
possibly
release in late
refer
1870,
to
the
announcement
of
175
Rossa's
supports the assumption about the
date of completion of the diary.
It is very likely that this diary was
not the
only one
that Mary Jane wrote. Rossa stated that in 1865 his wife
sewed an important fenian document inside her notebook to
hide
it
from the
police
in the
case
of
his
arrest.
176
There is, however, no information about the whereabouts of
this notebook or any other document of that kind. They may
have been destroyed or lost, and even from the maintained
diary several pages are missing. The following remarks by
83
Mary Jane's daughter, Eileen MacGowan, in a letter to the
Rossa biographer, Sean O'Luing show how narrowly the diary
escaped destruction:
'I haven't yet had the time to copy
from the diary and I don't want to send the whole book to
you because Mamma in her lonesomeness talked to the book
and she didn't hesitate to write in what
some people;
she thought of
if I find I can't copy it I will tear out
some pages because eventually the book must be destroyed
before it falls into the hands of an unscrupulous p e r s o n . '
177
The following is a choice of the most significant poetry
and remarks from the diary giving a deep insight into Mary
Jane's outstanding personality and strength of character.
Seven
of
between
these
4
poems
June
and
were
published
9 July
1870.
in
Several
the
of
Iris h m a n
them
dedicated to persons that impressed Mary Jane,
were
like the
Marchioness of Queensbury or to whom she had a very close
relationship eg. her mother and her son, James Maxwell.
In
CAROLINE,
MARCHIONESS
OF
OUEENSBURG
Mary
Jane
paid
tribute to this active supporter of the Ladies' Committee
and
close
friend
of
the
Rossa
family.
This
friendship
seems to have been based on close political views between
Rossa
and
former's
the
Marchioness,
Skirmishing
constitutionalism.
In
who
policy
the
obviously
rather
late
than
1880s
interested reader of Rossa's paper, the
Mary
Jane's
correspondence
poems,
mother,
nor
although
her diary,
not
was
favoured
she
U n ite d
Parnell's
became
an
Iris h m a n .
mentioned
the
the
in
addressee
of
her
two
ROSSCARBERRY and MY MOTHER'S GRAVE, both written
after her death on 12 May 1870. Margaret Keohane was, like
Rossa,
a native
of Rosscarberry, a fact that
have tightened the bonds between Mary Jane's
Rossa, as expressed in ROSSCARBERRY:
84
seemed to
family and
'And from that fair town by the sea,
Rosscarberry, Rosscarberry1
Came forth two beings dear to me,
The mother of my infancy,
And from it also forth came he,
My husband, son of Liberty. '
178
The detailed description of James Maxwell in SHALL WE TELL
HIM SO MY BOY was meant to remind of the fact that four
years previously the prison authorities
of Portland had
refused to give Rossa a picture of his newly-born son.
As the diary was a mirror of Mary Jane's most
thoughts
and
expresses
a
emotions
wide
it
range
is
of
hardly
intimate
surprising
feelings,
from
the
that
it
deepest
despair to moments of joy and happines.
APPROACH OF DEATH, one of the many unpublished poems
the
diary,
is
a quiet
farewell
to
a
life
that
in
seemed
senseless without the beloved:
'Sad is my bossom,
Loth to look forth
To the incoming Bridegroom
Like blast of the North.
His cold breath has chilled me
Has frozen the glow
Of my heart in its summer
And chilled my veins flow. ' 179
Her
poem
THE
COQUETTE
-
the
description
of
the
the
flirtation of a young girl and her admirer - represents
the
joy
of
intelligent,
life.
Expressing
young girl,
the
desire
of
a
pretty,
confident of her own youth and
beauty, it might refer to Mary Jane herself.
85
The depth of Mary Jane's religious belief is another issue
that plays a major role in the diary and the poems in it.
Apart
from
poems
like
A PRAYER
OF
MANASSES
the diary
contains several quotes relating to biblical topics.
'Many sheep there are that are not of my fold,
these also
and there shall
shall I bring together
be one
fold and one Shepherd.'
180
Taking into account that Mary Jane's poetry also expressed
an inseparable unity between her belief
devotion
to
attitudes
Ireland this
towards
Irish
quote might
freedom
and
in God
refer
her
and
her
to people's
vision
of
the
conversion of its opponents.
The same unity between religious and political ambitions
bcomes clear in the following lines of Mary Jane's
A PRAYER FOR IRELAND:
'We pray Thee guide us still, that free of crime
And Heaven-sustained we reach a peaceful time,
Put Thou our enemies to shame and flight,
And lead our nation into Freedom's light.' 181
One
topic
apolitical
that
frequently
poetry was
featured
Ireland's
beauty
in
Mary
Jane's
or
Irish
sights
like the Bells of Shandon to which she dedicated two of
her poems in the diary. Mary Jane had included the picture
of these famous bells of Cork city in her tour of readings
through the U.S.A.
and Canada by choosing Father Prout's
'Bells of Shandon'
as part of her permanent repertoire.
The poem also played a major role in her tour of reading
through Ireland and England in 1870.
The diary contains one untitled poem which combines the
three major issues of Mary Jane's poetry described above:
the beauty of nature and the countryside are embodied in
a little bird she caught to let it
Using
this
picture
she
expresses
thus:
86
sing for her alone.
her
plea
for
freedom
'Tame he grew content, and happy too
within his prison,
Carolling his grateful notes mid flowers
all day long,
but never to my ear he seemed the same
gay magic minstrel
That charmed me on the maple bough
that morning long gone by. ' 182
Her personal relationship is expressed in the advice given
to her little son, James Maxwell:
Son take heedI And moral draw from this
the singer's story.
Else in after years you may have fretful
cause to sigh...' 183
The diary is also very interesting from another point
of view as it very impressively expresses the importance
of
moral
standars
like
gratitude,
honesty,
or
feelings
like love or friendship for its author. In the retrospect
of her life Mary Jane wrote in the diary:
'One of my first
writing exercises at school happened to be
"there is no
more monstrous vice than ingratitude", and the lesson sank
deeply
into my not
naturally
ungrateful
nature.'
184 In
this respect two of her poems were dedicated to theme of
friendship describing her disappointment and sadness about
the loss of a friend:
'Perhaps for the best, yet I cannot be still
Nor on my heart shall I press the4 rude will,
After long years one expects the years' friend
At a final "good bye" some warmth to expend.
One
hopes
with
the
word
some
regret
expressed,
But perhaps it is all for the best. ' 185
87
be
Poetry 1871-1915
In chapter 2.5. we referred to Mary Jane's retirement
into her private life after her return to New York.
Due to
fact
her disappearance
that much
from the public
of her poetry
of
those
stage
and
the
forty years
was
written for private occasions
and never published.
led people
to
literary
like
talent
John
which
O'Leary
in
promise of a future which,
the
the
early
assessment
1860s
gave
I am sorry to say,
This
of
her
'great
has never
arrived. ' 186
Her
poetry,
as
the majority
of
poems
forty years relate to private matters,
written
in
those
events that moved
her or people who impressed or were close to her.
Among the latter were James Maxwell and Rossa.
Among the poems witten for her son are the following:
TO MAXWELL, A WISH
and her birthday poem to Maxwell on
his 25th birthday. The first of these poems speaks of the
great painbecause of his death and her regret that
'He snatched but one leaf of the laurels
I hoped for his brow' 187
All three poems, however, are witness to her pride of her
first-born and her special relationship to him.
Two
of
the
poems
are dedicated
to her
husband.
In
the
first, A RETROSPECT - R O S S A . she tells the story of their
relationship and characterises him as
'Too loyal to make capital of public honors won,
He chose a thorny path to walk, unaided and alone.
Unspoiled
by
flattery,
unchanged,
"head-level",
modest, true,
His heart remained the boy's heart still,
His oldest comrades knew. ' 188
88
OFF
TO
return
IRELAND was
to
written
Ireland in
1894
on the
occasion
describing
the
of
Rossa's
importance
of
this event to him.
It is difficult to say how much poetry she actually wrote,
as presumably many of her poems were written for private
purposes and occasions and remained unpublished.
her published poems, however,
appeared in Rossa's
some others in Devoy's
Iris h m a n ,
poems
in
the
U n ite d
U n ite d
G a e lic -A m e ric a n .
Despite her withdrawal from the political
her
Most of
were
Iris h m a n
stage
some of
dedicated
to
political issues, eg. one poem on the Boer War.
This poem was written as a response to a letter written
from an Irish priest, Father Moloney, to Rossa in December
1899,
in which the former hoped
for the victory of the
Boers against the English. In her verse Mary Jane advises
her
fellow-Irishmen to
their own freedom. 189
learn the
lessons
and
fight
for
Two other poems, entitled FIGHT FOR
IT and HOME, BO Y S , HOME voice the same call to arms and to
fight for Ireland's independence.
Mary Jane continued to appear as a public reader on
very few occasions during this period.
were
mainly
dedicated
to
charitable
Her performances
purposes,
eg.
her
readings in support of the family of the Fenian J.J.Geary,
who died in an accident. These readings are described in
more
detail
A m e ric a ,
It
in
Rev. M.B. Buckley.
D ia ry
o f
a
Tour
in
Dublin 1889. 190
is
not
Mary
Jane's
own
literary
activity
that
should be taken into account here, but also the help she
gave to Rossa to become literary active and to write his
memoirs.
As
R e c o lle c tio n s
described
by
Rossa
himself
in
his
it was his friends who inspired him to write
89
about his life and advised him to ask for Mary Jane's help
in compiling
it,
and
'as
she
has
been
urging
me
these
years past to write that book' 191, Mary Jane was happy to
assist him. According to her daughter Eileen MacGowan Mary
Jane
'was always trying to get him to write the
part
of
the
book
...'
but
obviously
failed
second
in
her
endeavour. 192
As regards her own reminiscences Mary Jane was urged by
friends and relatives to write down her experiences,
they,
like her daughter Eileen,
believed
that
her
as
life
'would make a good motion picture. ' 193
Mary Jane herself was torn between her wish to hand over
her
knowledge
over
to
the
next
generation
but
unfortunately in the end was obviously afraid to offend
certain
people
herself
on
experiences
with
that
of
her
issue:
these
old
statements,
as
she
'I
to
write
thought
times,
but
I
am
described
the
my
own
greatest
coward living. All I want is to be let live in the shade
and have nobody look cross at me. ' 194
Poetry of the last Months of her Life
Once again her political activity was
reflected
in
her poetry, as she dedicated the poems of the last months
of
her
life
Characteristic
that
it
played
is
a
almost
of
completely
her political
exclusively
major
independence,
eg*
role
Ireland's
poetry
dedicated
in
John
to
the
Mitchel,
to
of
that
cause.
time
personalities
fight
for
Constance
is
who
Ireland's
Markievicz,
Patrick Pearse and the Irish Volunteers.
These
poems,
A m e ric a n
most
of
which
appeared
in
the
G a e lic
, give an idealistic description of the persons
concerned
and
their
contribution
movement.
90
to
the
nationalist
The Irish Volunteers represented for Mary Jane the men of
Ireland
'Who fight to make her free,
The gallant men, the generous,
Who stand for you and me
And all the scattered race who dream
Her victory to seel '19S
In
John
Mitchel
she
saw
a
symbol
of
Irish
nationalism
because he dared to oppose English rule in Ireland as he
' ... raised his dauntless forehead in the air,
The soil beneath his foot, his motto still "I dare".
Not once regretted or forgot the bold impetuous vow,
That
sealed his
fate
in
'48 and ruled his
impulse
now. ' 196
Mary Jane opposed the notion of independent
female organisations
nationalist
and their interference in what was
considered men's business, eg. military actions.
Her
poem
about Constance
Markievicz,
however,
makes
no
reference to the fact that in her own attitude women had
to remain behind the scenes. On the contrary,
she praises
the Countess for her bravery, reliability and loyalty.
IN MEMORY OF PATRICK PEARSE is a combination of memories
she shared with Pearse, of a tribute to his sacrifices for
Ireland and reference to his endeavours
education.
91
in the field of
O ne
of
M ary
p r iv a te
m a tters,
p u b lish e d
was
J a n e 's
in
M ary
poem s
of
th a t
tim e
on
c o n c e r n in g
A NEW YE A R 'S WISH TO OUR CHRISTMAS BABY,
•
M a rgaret 0 ' D onovan R o s s a 's
w r itte n
D ecem ber
few
th e
event
of
her
197
•
r e m in isc e n c e s
g r a n d c h ild 's
b ir th
on
,
25
1916.
J a n e 's
d e a ls w ith
p o etry
in c lu d e d
a lso
one
poem
in
w h ic h
she
e n t i t l e d WHEN I ' M
t h e t h o u g h t o f h e r ow n d e a t h ,
G O N E . I n c o n t r a s t t o h e r t h o u g h t s o f d e a t h i n h e r APPROACH
OF DEATH ,
life
th is
and t h e
M ary
poem
p le a ,
Jane
had
fa ile d
A ugust
th a t
M ary
c o m p la in t,
Two
days
Jane
was
and t h a t
on
She
s u r v iv e d
M a cIn ty re,
as
lo n g ,
she
1916
S ta ten
in
fu lfille d
is
gone.
her
hom e
in
I sla n d .
of
E ile e n
was
she
th e
a m em ber o f
Cumman n a m Ban
due
th e
to
was n o th in g
th e
been
m o r n in g
by
of
M acGowan,
b u r ie d
N ew Y o r k ,
of
in
a
o r g a n isa tio n
a
to
m in o r
A ugust
'It
her
D a isy
son
H er
and
le a r n
sto m a ch
se r io u s.
her bed.
fiv e
and h er
in v ite d .
phoned h e r m o th er o n ly
u n w e ll
it
had
John D evoy d e s c r ib e d
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a ,
Jane
a
h e r w hen
A u gust
w h ic h
fou n d h er dead in
was
of
a m e e tin g
sam e m e e t in g
198,
I sla n d ,
17
who w as
s u r p r ise '
M ary
on
to
la te r ,
J e r e m ia h
fo rg et
a tten d
15 t h ,
th e
to
resu m e
5 9 t h s t r e e t and M a d iso n A v e n u e , M a n h a tta n ,
d a u g h ter E ile e n ,
a tten d ed
th e
N ew B r i g h t o n ,
to
a t T uxedo H a ll,
on
not
d ie d
R ich m o n d T e r r a c e ,
She
is
17th ,
her
son
was a sh o ck and a
it.
d a u g h ters,
C o le ,
Isab el
S h e e la
and
Jane
J e r e m ia h .
in
S t.P e te r 's
grave
to g eth er
C em etery ,
w ith
her
S ta ten
son
Jam es
M a x w e ll.
H er g r a v e s t o n e ,
R ossa
and
Jam es
w h ic h c o n t a in s
M a x w e ll,
m o d esty and s e l f l e s s n e s s
can
be
in sc r ip tio n s
seen
as
a
her,
sym bol
th a t w ere c h a r a c t e r is t ic
92
for
of
o f M ary
J a n e 's
life .
The
a p p r o a c h in g
R ossa.
it,
sto n e
fou n d
th e
-
le a v in g
fo llo w s
to
not
th e
th e
is
situ a te d
v isito r
G o in g a r o u n d t h e
in s c r ip tio n
th e
sto n e
and
back
fa ces
sto n e to
o n ly
w ill
th e
th e
if
th e
M ary
v isib le
at
fir s t
lim e lig h t
to
t h e m en.
93
near
p a th
and
in sc r ip tio n
fo r
le ft
Jam es M a x w e ll's
v isito r
J a n e 's
s ig h t,
th e
and
goes
around
in sc r ip tio n
even
in
be
d ea th
4.4. Mary Jane/s Legacy
M ary
p la y e d
fo r
Jane
in
th e
w e ll
she
1915.
p a id
w h ile
in
In
th e
her
M a r k ie v ic z ,
Ir e la n d
b est
of
w o m en 's r o l e
to
a
fo llo w e d
in
th e
th e
great
b e lie v e
chance
in
to
b e lie v e
th e
in
th is
above
th ese
th in k
g iv in g
m en tio n e d
to
fo r
and
p o in t
have
no
m a tter
w here
c o n sc ie n c e
approve,
se lf-a s s e r tin g .
about
w o m en 's
good as
do
th ey
M aybe
s o c ie tie s
th e
do
fo r
or
m en
course.
a lw a y s
a ttitu d e
how ever,
John
of
silly
in
on
m ost
so,
or
want
approve
of
94
I
does
every
in te r e sts
are
w ith
to
c lin g
to
a n d wom en a t
reason
and
m od esty,
not
hear
th em
wom en a n d p a r t i c u l a r l y
w ork.
fo r
th a t
to
a
can
o f c r e a tio n
g u id a n c e
th em
perverse,
or
a ll
d o n 't
w om an
enough s t i l l
in
I
m e n 's
E very
a ffe c tio n s
d o n 't
m en,
p e r m ittin g
done
how
lo r d s
I
to
p la n s
w ith
under
-
fe n ia n
and th u s
can
her
you
th e ir
u n c o n d itio n a l
becom es,
c o o p e r a tin g
and
is
'W h ile w o m en 's s o c i e t i e s
B u t I am o l d - f a s h i o n e d
b e s t w hen k i n d l y
grave
and
of
I
or
its e lf
to
lo y a l,
lic e n c e
w om en,
t h e n o t i o n t h a t m en a r e t h e
th e ir
life
wom en
le tte r
c o m p e titio n
wom an,
th e
concerned.
G onne
D evoy,
to
u n lim ite d
in to
v o tes
days,
in d iv id u a l
tr ib u te
m ovem en t.
resp ect
h e lp
in
200
o ffic ia l
n a tio n a list
a u x ilia r y
go
in
th e
D e v lin 's
J a n e 's
be
D evoy
M aud
Ann
ex p ected
n e e d s no fu r th e r e x p la n a tio n :
be
to
wom en
resp ect
to
in
lik e
a n d M ary
she
w rote
apparent
fu n e r a l.
le a d e r sh ip ,
a ttitu d e
in
it,
she
"a g r e a t
su p p o rters o f t h e ir m e n fo lk 's c a u se ,
p r in c ip le
o b v io u s
as
her v i s i t
how ever,
u n d e r m a le
H er
or
im p o r ta n c e
had
w om en
fo r R o ssa 's
proof
and r e l i a b l e
199,
to
th e
and
becom es
p o etry
g e n e r a l,
d u tie s
a lso
of
cause
g e n e r a l'
T h is
in
C on stan ce
aw are
n a tio n a lis t
w o m e n 's w o rk i n
aurum n
in
was
fo r
my
fo r
as
as
id e a s
m uch
m uch
h e lp
as
th ey
can
g iv e
m ust
be
a b so lu te ly
and ta k e w i l l i n g
p a tr io tic
c h a r ity
under
s o c ie tie s .
th e ir
p a tr io tic
to
m a tters.
th e
from th em i f
If
th ey
th ey
ow n
p a tr io tic
o b e d ie n c e
g u id a n c e
so c ie tie s,
m anage
m en i n
are
are
th ey
a u th o r is e d
th ey
p ro fess
so c ia l
or
s u ffic ie n tly
concerns
But
in d e p e n d e n tly
m en
to
be
church
or
com p eten t
to
of
m en.
But
I w o u l d g i v e t h e m en a d e s p o t i s m o v e r t h e m a n d
-
b a n w h o e v e r m u r m u r e d . ' 201
M ary J a n e b e c a m e know n a s
liv in g
n a tio n a list
r e c o g n itio n
cen tu ry
was
g e n e r a tio n s
cause
of
of
th em .
She
as
is
a p tly
'th a t
Mamma
th e
le d
a
was
as
'c o u ld
she
to
and en cou raged
was
proud
of
th a t
of
of
m uch
th e
in
great
cause
not
h a d n 't
been
e n a b le
h im
h im a t
w illin g
to
every
fo lo w
step .
she
was
background d e s p ite
a ll
h er charm ,
she
had
th a t
to
r e c o g n itio n .
f ill
wom en w e r e
beyond th e
gap
c a p a b le
lim its
H er a r g u m e n t s ,
C o m m itte e ,
th e
eg.
set
to
By
her
fo r
of
i n h e r w ork
h er c la im
h is
to
a
m ake
th e
w ish e s;
She b e lie v e d
to
b ea u ty
by
to
th e
one
of
sta tem en t
m ade
to
of
sa c r ific e s
m an. '
life
h is
as
202
th e
m any
and
I r is h
n ecessary
she
in
rem a in
a id e d
h im a n d
in
th e
a n d t a l e n t . ' 203
s c e n e s th a t had ea rn ed
a c tiv itie s
R o ssa 's
p e r fo r m in g
th em
as
w illin g
I t w as n o t o n ly t h e w ork b e h in d t h e
and
and
end
but
M a cG o w a n 's
d id
d ev o ted
and
p u b lic
a
th e ir
effo rts
b e in g
h e r o in e
Papa
th e
share
se lf-d e n ia l
a
have
th e ir
Jane
E ile e n
as
at
trem en d ou s
M ary
h im ,
her
su cceed in
im p o r ta n c e
c o n tr ib u te
su m m a r ize d
th a t
sa c r ific e s
to
life
fo r
if
of
in d ep en d en ce,
sa c r ific e s
C au se
and
s u p p o r t o f wom en i t
f o r t h e m en t o
r e su lt
w om en
Ir ish
R ossa
lo y a lty
a im s.
p u b lic
th e
sym b ol o f
e x a m p le t h a t w i t h o u t t h e s t r o n g
w o u ld h a v e b e e n i m p o s s i b le
The
a
at
absence
tim e s
w hen
she
proved
n a tio n a list
d u tie s
by
so c ie ty .
as
S e c r e ta r y o fth e L a d ie s'
f o r t h e F e n ia n B elm o n t m oney an d h e r
95
co n troversy
th at
she
had
was
id e a s
her
w ith
not
and
fa m ily
R ossa
about
m e r e ly
r o le
an a p p e n d ix
p r in c ip le s
to g eth er
th e
of
but
her
of
to
sa c r ific e s
R o ssa 's
ow n w h i c h
gave
R ossa
w ork,
not
th e
show
but
o n ly
kept
stren g th
and
su p p ort he needed.
H er
c r itic ism ,
in
u n d er sta n d in g
a m ore
th a t
wom en
exp ress
th e m se lv e s,
c a p a b le
of
of
to
to
h is
m a le
of
a ttitu d e .
ta k e
th e
step
because
of
le a d e r sh ip ,
can
be
have
ta k en
sex
th e
if
of
fea r
fea r
by
th e
p la tfo r m
c o n fid e n c e
was
she
fou n d
to
to
in
dared
b etw een
her
of
b e in g
u n a b le
to
be
la te r
of
step .
to
fe lt
th e
th e
a sp ir a tio n s
she
th e
and
d id
a d ju stm en t,
h a r m in g
a tten d
c o n tr a d ic t
o str a c iz e d
but
of
th is
s e v e r e ly
she
se p a r a tio n ,
her
to
w om en.
w hen R o s s a
Torn
and
ow n
th e
b u sin e ss,
her
added
as
lim e lig h t
n a tio n a lis t
c o n v ic tio n s
w e ll
form
th e ir
M ary J a n e w o u ld n o t
th e
r e str ic tio n s
needed
n a tio n a lis t
U n fo r tu n a te ly
E xp osed
as
p o litic a l
g e n e r a tio n s
d e v e lo p e d
not
p o s s ib ly
cause
by
not
c o n fo rm in g .
As
seen
in
fe m a le
th e
p r e v io u s
le a d e r sh ip
b e lie v e d
w o u ld
th erefo re
in
th e
its
For t h a t r e a so n
it
a
w o m en 's
d efen d er
of
e m a n c ip a tio n .
as
a
m a tter
As
For h er
-
it
she
approve
m e n 's,
w h ic h
m ovem ent
of
she
and
was
w o u ld b e w ro n g t o
r ig h ts
p r in c ip le
she
even
or
d e s c r i b e M ary J a n e a s
an
was
a d v o ca te
lo y a l
w hen
he
h im s e v e r e l y
to
was
of
her
th e ir
husband
w rong,
and
s h e w o u ld n e v e r
h im .
fa m ily ,
was
to
not
su ccess.
a lth o u g h a t tim e s c r i t i c i s i n g
have d e se r te d
d id
n a tio n a list
d e sc rib e d ,
of
she
o p p o sitio n
s p lit
a danger to
ch a p ter
of
who
course,
gave
M ary J a n e
her
c h ild r e n
had
a
a v ita l
hom e,
fu n c tio n
com fo rt
and
se c u r ity
in an u n c e r ta in tim e and c o m p en sa ted f o r R o s s a 's
absences
and s a c r i f i c e s .
fo llo w
h is
n a tio n a lis t
She
fou n d th e
a sp ir a tio n s
96
b a la n c e
fo r
and n e v e r t h e l e s s
h im t o
su p p ort
c h ild r e n
h is
b ig
fe lt
h er by h er
fa m ily .
The
lo v e
and
fo r her are d e sc r ib e d in
s o n -in -la w
a p p r e c ia tio n
her
a poem d e d i c a t e d
to
John M a cIn ty re:
U n sp oken
To M ary J a n e O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a
The g r a v e
now e n f o l d s
The l i g h t
of
Now c l o s e d
you;
your face
are
your
w e 'll
and t h e
eyes,
see
neverm ore
sm ile s
b r ig h t
th a t
as
it
fir e ,
w ore
b la c k
as
c o a l,
And s t i l l e d
are
th e
lip s
How m u c h w o u l d w e s a y ,
My d a u g h t e r s '
I 'v e
your
c o u ld
w a ited
in flu e n c e
to
say
e lo q u e n t
you h ear us
G ran d m oth er o f
How y o u r r a d i a n t
But
of
u n itl
a m o th er h a v e you b e e n
Your k in d n e s s
as
How f o n d l y
I
c h e r ish
E xp ressed w ith
How o f t e n
as
an e le g a n c e
som e c o m p lim e n t
For lo n g
f r o m my h e a r t
But
w a ite d
You l i e
in
th e
to
And y o u r m em ory c h e e r
In
th e
T hey
fa ir e s t
la id
of
you,
sp ots
and
in
s till
to
be
-
by y ou ,
pay
u n til
her
th o u g h ts
u n itl
-
me I
th o u g h t to
but your
lik e
-
deadl
few
liv e d
say t h is
are
by
lo v in g
ground,
sa id
e q u a lle d
I
shedl
seem ed t o
th e w ords
T o t h e w om an w h o s e y o u t h
I 'v e
Love
you
you
How m u c h l i k e
ten d er
a g a in
th ree-sco re-a n d -ten l
upon a l l
th is
so u l.
you
-
la st
day,
you
sped
to
are
deadl
soul w ill
th e
charm o f
a ll
fa ir
on
your
liv e
a
lo n g ,
song.
S ta ten
fa ce
-
Isle
beam ed
its
sm ile .
As
fa ir
as
a g ir l
and a s
And y o u r h e a r t w as a s
pure
tru e
Ah,
lo n g
But I 'v e
lik e
a
w a ited
son c o u ld
to
lo v e ly
and a s
good as
'tw a s
I
say t h is
97
w ere you
k iss
u n itl
your dear head,
you are
deadl
204
chapter 5: The Role of Women in the Fenian Movement
The m a le F e n ia n o r g a n i s a t i o n s
in
fo u n d tr e m e n d o u s s u p p o r t fro m wom en.
tw o
m a in
c a te g o r ie s
in c lu d e d
a ll
o c c a sio n a l
b a sis.
C o m m itte e
fe n ia n
th o se
w h ic h
was
1863)
as
sou rces
th ey
th a t
who
an d A m e r ic a
In Ir e la n d th e r e w ere
a c tiv itie s:
w orked
secon d
th e
one
on
a
fem a le
fir s t
sep a ra te
in c lu d e d
u n o ffic ia l
th e
th e
and
L a d ie s'
branch
of
th e
e v i d e n c e a b o u t w o m en 's a c t i v i t i e s
fo r
Ir e la n d .
little
t h e m ovem ent i n
w o m e n 's
w om en
The
m ovem ent i n
T here i s
of
Ir e la n d
th e
w ere
la te r
fir s t
years
m ore
or
of
le ss
rep o rted
its
e x is te n c e
unknown
about
them
to
(1858
th o se
(eg .
to
m a jo r
p o lic e
and
new spap er r e p o r t s ) .
M ary J a n e 0 'D o n o v a n R o s s a
ca teg o ry
of
wom en
who
is
w orked
on
an e x a m p le o f
b o th
an
th e
th ir d
o r g a n ise d
and
in d iv id u a l b a s is .
The f o l l o w i n g c h a p t e r g i v e s
w ays o f w om ens'
an a n a l y s i s o f t h e s e d i f f e r e n t
c o n tr ib u tio n
5 .1 .
to
th e
F e n ia n S i s t e r s
B ecause o f t h e ir
in
su ite d
fe n ia n b u s in e s s .
The d ile m m a p o l i c e
se a r c h in g
sta tem en ts
p o s s ib le
and
to
b y W odehouse t o
arrest
fu lfillin g
a r r e stin g
and
search
S ir
of
is
he
a d v ise d
are
su b jected
in se p a r a b le
is
th e
to
no
p o lic e
annoyance
from t h e i r
done p o l i t e
to
arrest
be
fa ce
...
in
R e g a r d in g
0 ' Donovan
a
R ossa
'a d o u b tfu l m ea su re'
'v er y
ca refu l
what
is
th a t
th ey
a b so lu te ly
and b eg t h a t i f
p o l i c e m e n m ay b e e m p l o y e d a n d e v e r y
98
of
so m e tim e s
d em o n stra ted
Jane
beyond
s u s p e c t and
secret ta sk s
Thom as L a rco m .
and E l l e n O 'L e a r y w h ic h h e c o n s i d e r e d
205
th e
had t o
th em
M ary
cause.
A c tio n
s e x wom en w e r e m uch l e s s
th u s w ere id e a lly
in
n a tio n a list
a n y th in g
resp ect
p a id
to
th e ir
sex.
w ith
w o m e n . ' 206
...
It
is
very
T h e ir w ork becam e i n c r e a s i n g l y
th e
b e g in n in g
F e n ia n ism
H abeas
in
A ct
governm ent
1865
and
February
m e d d le
e sp e c ia lly
in itia tiv e
th e
1866
w ere soon p a r t i a l l y
sm a ll band o f
a id e d
in
im p o r ta n t
w ork t o
a fter
a g a in st
su sp e n sio n
of
th e
d e sc r ib e d
in
th e
as
s ta te m e n t by John D evoy:
'C o n n e c tio n s
th e
th e
S ep tem b er
C orpus
fo llo w in g
of
of
tic k lish
d e v o t e d w om en, m o s t l y
le a d in g
by
resto red ,
th e
m a le
m em bers,
w om en
and
fr ie n d s
of
how ever,
th e
w iv e s
th ey
w ere
th e
m en
and
by a
sis te r s
e ffic ie n tly
th ro u g h o u t
th e
c o u n t r y . ' 207
O f f ic i a l fe n ia n propaganda s t r e s s e s
p a r tic ip a tio n
m em bers
was
and th e
fr ie n d s
and
based
r e la tiv e s .
a c q u a in ta n c e
th e
of
in c lu d e d
th e
and
escap ed
in
th e
F e n ia n s.
of
th e ir
fa m ily
c h ild r e n ,
R e c o lle c tio n s
h is
young
m en
who
on
th em
w e ll
c o n tin u e
w o u ld
not
w ere
th e
r is in g
th e
m uch
ta sk s
w id e r
and
o f propaganda m a te r ia l,
as
g iv in g
refu g e
to
th is
k in d
h id in g
of
of
to
w a n ted
w ork
or
is
g iv e n
by
w om en
rep o rts.
sm u g g lin g
b efo re
and
im p o r ta n t
of
1867,
a c tiv itie s
from a l e t t e r
C on su l in
im p o sed
I .R .B .
R eferen ce
in c r e a sin g ly
th e ir
th e
as
becam e
in
m a le
who r e f u s e d t o
sm u g g lin g and h i d i n g
w eapons
C ases
ex tra ct
w ith
of
of
in
'm a n y g i r l s
fo r
num erous p o l i c e
w hen
e d u c a tio n
r e str ic tio n s
fu lfille d
m oney
su p p ort
R ossa
c o u r tsh ip
f a c t t h a t w o m en 's
s o c i e t y . ' 208
D e sp ite
wom en
th e
n a tio n a lis t
e m p h a siz e s t h e w ork o f
jo in
on
th e
of
P h ila d e lp h ia ,
in
and
w ere
th e
m any
w eapons
year
C h a r le s
th e
w om en w e r e
d isc o v e r e d .
a F e n ia n
and
The
in fo r m e r t o
arrested
fo llo w in g
th e
B r itish
has to
be
seen
t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e im p o r ta n c e o f t h e c o n n e c tio n
of
th e
99
K o r tr ig h t,
m o n th s
IRB w i t h
th e
them w it h
th ou san d
persons
p a rts
w eeks
p a rts,
p r e su m a b ly
up
to
num bers
based
1878,
on
and
th ere
m ig h t
fa ct.
m a c h in e s
now
th e
a b o r tiv e
rep o rts
sta te
th a t
M rs.
C a r r o ll
A m e r ic a n
b eef,
was
in v o lv e d
in
r ifle s
an d a m m u n itio n w h ic h w e r e
casks
and
Ir e la n d .
F e n ia n s i s
h is
fou n d
le a v e
escape
a h id in g
fo r
who
from
a lso
in
M arch
w orked
one
prepared
B u tle r 's
a fter
of
fo r
th e
new s
in
The t h r e a t
th e
to
cu sto m ers
she d ie d
to
report
is
In
May
1878
D u b lin ,
who d e a l t
th e
ille g a l
im p o r t
th e
packed
m eat
of
in
th e
sh ip p e d
to
of
of
b est
M rs.
e x a m p le s
fo r
d eserted
th e ir
her,
her
sh e lte r in g
p o v erty .
r u in
was
th e
M é tr o p o lita in
arrested
u n til
he
c ir c le s
to
c o u ld
was
and
a
was
show t h a t
wom en
n a tio n a lism :
M rs.
b u sin e ss
not th e
R ep orts
D u b lin
to
N ovem ber
broke
le a k e d
out
down
and
211
fin a n c ia l
refer
in
B u tle r
S tep h en s
a c tiv itie s
of
escap ed
o f c o o p e r a tin g w ith th e F e n ia n s.
su ffer
her
1866.
lo y a lis t
to
Jam es S t e p h e n s ,
B u tle r
w hen t h e i r
1868
refu g e
M rs.
w om en f a c e d
and
way
w ere r e p o r te d
R ich m on d B r i d e w e l l
w ith
th e r e fo r e above su sp ic io n
w ere
been
of
o f wom en g i v i n g
p la c e
France
d ressm ak er
She was
th e
r is in g .
t h a t o f t h e F e n ia n H ead C e n t r e ,
a fter
1865
have
210
The m o st fa m o u s e x a m p le
who
past
209
fr e q u e n tly
c o n ta in in g
th e ir
th e
th e ir
in c id e n ts
a fter
c o n ta in e r s
on
ex a g g era ted
S im ila r
on
W ith in
b y w om en. '
be
1865 t h a t
b e a r in g
.. .
are
s u p p lie d
O ctob er
hom e
m o u ld in g
c ity ,
ta k en
gone
lo n g
th e
in
th is
A m e r ic a w h ic h
r e v o lv e r s
b u lle t
in
th e
or
in
He w r o t e i n
have
r ifle s
fo u r
in
A lth o u g h
w om en
of
m an u factu red
Ir e la n d
B roth erh ood
fu n d s and w e a p o n s.
'several
few
F e n ia n
several
fo r
F e n ia n
num erous:
a
M argaret
S u lliv a n
w ere
sm u g g lin g
n a tio n a lis t
tak en
S la tte r y
in to
of
100
P o lic e
w here
E x a m p les
b etw een
wom en
of
B a lly v r e e n a
cu sto d y
new spapers
danger
th a t
w ere d is c o v e r e d .
cases
a c tiv itie s.
o n ly
in
J u ly
from A m e r ic a
had
a rrests
and
1865
been
are
a
M ary
1868
fo r
in to
The C o r k E xa m in er of 17 October 1 8 6 5 reported
Ireland, 212
under
the
headline
ARREST
unnamed young woman
OF
A
FEMALE
FENIAN
that
an
was arrested in Mallow on 1 3 October
'on suspicion of having some knowledge of the movement. On
her box being searched there was
and some sheet lead. '
A lth o u g h
in
th e
r e le a se d
a fter
p r iso n e r 's
h e a lth ,
was
been
com m uted
th e ir
m any
co n v en ts,
th e
th e
as
of
'h e r
wom anhood
I r is h
m anhood -
in
th e ir
th rou gh
fo llo w in g
in
w om en
w e ll
q u o te
th e
who
fitte d
h u sb a n d 's
in
have
of
is
m en.
is
to
in
th e
in
Ir ish
P e o p le
ed u cated
good
...
be
r e lig io u s
B u t,
fou n d
a fter
-
as
w o r k in g
a r tic le
been
render
to
sm a ll
L u b y 's
D u b lin
to
sam e s o c i a l
b e lo n g e d
se r v ic e
in
to
be ta u g h t in
e sta b lish m e n ts
a ll,
w e ll
th e
tru est
asth e tr u e s t
h o m e s o f l a b o u r . ' 215
The s u p p o r t o f
t h e m ovem ent b y f e m a le
an
fa cto r
in tr ig u in g
th e
f e n i a n w om en, d u e t o
m a jo r ity
se e m in g ly
Ir ish
to
h a v in g
. . .
S la v ish n e ss d oes n ot appear t o
e d u c a tio n
to
sen ten ce
im p r iso n m e n t
h e lp e d
Ir e la n d '
it
due
caused
F e n i a n s , cam e fro m t h e
th e
o ften
as
w ere
o f A d e l a i d e M cD o n a ld
1868,
m o n th s
o th ers,
was
th e ca se
vast
'T h e
are
dam age
in
wom en
s h a t t e r e d . ' 214
them
but
t h e ir co u n try .
for
tw e lv e
of
d em o n stra tes:
con ven ts
in
th ese
tim e ,
s o c ia l background th e
fa m ilie s ,
Women
short
N ovem ber
b eco m in g
b u sin e sse s,
'T h e
in
r e l a t i o n s t o m a le
stra ta :
c la ss
as eg.
to
R e g a r d in g t h e i r
in sta n c e s
ir r e p a r a b le
r e le a se d
her h e a lth
of
a r e la tiv e ly
arrest
who
213
m a jo r ity
p r o lo n g e d
found a military belt,
at
th a t
tim e .
school
On
23
teach ers
J u ly
1867
was
th e
L im e r ic k R e p o rter r e p o r t e d a b o u t an i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o t h e
a c tio n s
G ilh o o ly
of
a
by
M iss
th e
Anne
N a tio n a l
t e a c h e r s had sw orn f a l s e
had ta k e n
part
in
M anahan
th e
B oard
and
of
a
M iss
M argaret
E d u c a tio n .
T h ese
t e s t i m o n y t o p r o t e c t F e n i a n s , who
r isin g
at
101
K ilk e e .
216
The
fo llo w in g
su m m a r ize s
fo r
th e
th e
sta tem en t
r o le
of
th ese
m o v em e n t:'In
o r g a n iz a tio n
of
F e n ia n
w om en,
if
p le d g e ,
tru sted
w ere
im p o r ta n t
secrets,
im p o r ta n t
m essages,
th e
S tep h en s
of
le ft
M arch
proved
5,
fa ls e
in ju r y
to
And
th e
a
w o r k in g
was
la r g e
m en,
from
no
Ir e la n d
e a r ly
not
in
one
It
to
1866
was
was
a
p o in t
th e
in
k e e p in g
tim e
th e
a
th a t
R isin g
secret,
her,
or
r e sp o n sib le
record
of
b e a r in g
in
b etra y ed
fin e
th em
keepers
u n til
reposed
in d isc r e tio n
th e
from
of
T hey to o k no
a g en ts
w om an
tru st
cause.
c h ie f
wom en
r e g u la r
num ber
w ere
p o in t
th e
in
th e
or
th e
and w ere
to
c a r e le ssn e ss
by
A m e r ic a
1867.
im p r e ssiv e ly
th e y had b een o r g a n iz e d .
a liv e
fo r
th ere
but
tr a v e lle d
o r g a n iz a tio n
D evoy
in d e p e n d e n tly
Ir e la n d
w orked a s w e ll as
but
by
by
fo r
fo r
any
Ir ish
w o m a n h o o d . ' 217
T h ese
w om en,
but w ere
p o lic y ,
how ever,
a lso
eg.
very
w ere
not
c r itic a l
ju st
of
c a r r y in g
c e r ta in
I r ish m e n 's p a r t ic ip a t io n
a sp ects
in
w ere E lle n E liz a
E lle n
O 'L e a r y .
to
Ir ish
P e o p le t h e
Ir ish m e n
of
no
so
to
draw n
from
E lle n
lin e s
d e sp a ir
her
of
...
a m o th er
I
th ou gh t
in
A
at
th e
feel
in
and
of
th in k
is
w h ic h
d eath
her
had th e y
A w id o w 's
o n ly
S m a ll c o m fo r t t o
To know t h e
to
son
'lis t
in
son
my b o y
heart
N o r th e r n s won.
I
th e
have
th ey
-
th e
no
have
218
fo llo w in g
d e sc r ib e d
in
see
can be
Ir e la n d 's.
she
-
my b r e a k i n g
th ey
and
D u b lin
w hen
w h ic h
not
c r itic ism
in
fe n ia n
th e
a c a u s e w h ic h
C i v i l W ar:
'W h a t r i g h t
of
C a lla n a n
p a in e d
energy
w h ic h
her
LAMENT
e d ito r
sh o u ld
a cause
exp ressed
poem
'I
sa c r ific e d
them
th e
Ir e la n d
O 'L e a r y
th e
fo rm er w r o te :
to
b esto w
of
le tte r
r e c k le ssly
in te r e st
r ig h t
a
ord ers,
t h e A m e r ic a n C i v i l
W ar. T h e m o s t a r d e n t c r i t i c s
In
out
th e
A m e r ic a n
O h ,w a s i t
fo r
poor
That t h i s
L ik e
th e
y o u n g b lo o d w ass h e d ,
b r a v e m en o f
'tis
5 .2 .
Ir e la n d ,
h ig h I 'd
'9 8
h o l d my h e a d .
F e n i a n W o m e n 's O r g a n i s a t i o n s
The F e n ia n
The
F e n ia n
le a d in g
wom en
fe n ia n s
on
h isto r y
a
lik e
la r g e
s c a le
research
of
at
th is
th e
tim e s
a
k in d
of
'th e
was
fir s t
p o litic a l
I t w as,
Ir e la n d
a c c o r d in g
th e
U n ite d
o a th -b o u n d
fem a le
c o n sid e r e d
by
o r g a n iz a tio n
of
purposes
how ever,
as,
of
in
A m e r ic a a n d
A m e r ic a
fo r
k in d
'p a r tic ip a te d
I r ish w o m e n ,
in
220
in
S iste r h o o d
D evoy
o f th e w o r ld .'
o r g a n isa tio n
wom en
S iste r h o o d
219
not th e
to
th e
fir s t
N ancy C u r t i n 's
I r ish m e n
in
so c ie tie s
a u x ilia r y
in
w h ic h
Ir e la n d
of
U n ite d
a tten d ed
to
fu n d r a i s i n g and p r o v id in g a m e n it ie s f o r im p r is o n e d U n ite d
Ir ish m e n and t h e i r
c a r r y in g
I r is h
I r is h
re v ea l th e
its
...
oath
secrets
r e v o lu tio n a r y
Due t o
an
th e
w ere
ev en ts
The S is t e r h o o d
Ir e la n d ,
o r g a n isa tio n
is
s itu a tio n
c o u ld
o p era te
w o m en 's
c o n fin e d
and fu n d
m a in ly
in
th e
sw earer
to
and th e
id e n tity
of
to
r a is e
fu n d s
in
A m e r ic a ,
fo r
fr e e ly
to
and
in
th e
w here th e
th e
w ith o u t
F e n ia n
o r g a n isa tio n
of
r a is in g .
m uch l e s s
appeared
ta k e
th e
a c tiv itie s
known t h a n
t h e L a d ie s ' C o m m itte e .
and a p p e a ls
to
221
d iffe r e n t
th e
r e q u ir e d
fo r b id d in g
o r g a n isa tio n
purposes.
r e str ic tio n s,
so c ia l
g a th e r in g in fo r m a tio n and
c e r ta in ly
secrecy,
of th e
B roth erh ood
S iste r h o o d
w ere
of
m e m b e r s.'h a d
F e n ia n
...
s e c r e t m essa g es w it h in th e v a s t n etw ork o f U n ite d
s o c ie tie s .
U n ite d
fa m ilie s.
co u n terp a rt
O c c a sio n a lly t h e ir
new spapers,
103
its
but
in q u ir ie s
in
le tte r s
in
a r c h iv e s
and
a c tiv e ,
T h is
lib r a r ie s
in
fa ile d
to
reveal
a ll
th e
m ore
is
S iste r h o o d
was
C o m m itte e ,
its
fa r
tow n s
any
w here
its
records
of
s u r p r isin g
le ss
to
its
as,
in d ep en d en t
c o n tr ib u tio n
branches
th e
w ere
e x is te n c e .
a lth o u g h
th a n
th e
cau se
th e
L a d ie s'
was
far
from
n e g lig ib le .
Due t o
its
dependence
S iste r h o o d
th e
to
d id
presen t
n ot,
days.
F e n ia n B r o th e r h o o d
how ever,
In
fa ct,
fin d
th e
th e
m uch r e c o g n i t i o n
o n ly
a u th o r itie s
up
th a t
to
seem
h ave ta k e n t h e S i s t e r h o o d 's w ork s e r i o u s l y w ere E n g lis h
o ffic ia ls
and d ip lo m a ts
fr e q u e n tly
w arned
th e
w om en g a v e t o
The
o n ly
fou n d
th e
th e
r e p r in te d
in
account
in
con tem p orary
eg.
of
of
and
supp ort
H a sia
th e
sou rces
Ann
and
R .D in e r 's
o p in io n
th a t
nor
p o p u la r
refer
its
dependence
co u n terp a rt,
but
rep o rts
fin a n c ia l
su p p ort
S iste r h o o d
H ead
w h ic h
in
in
E r in 's
e a r ly
to
E lle n
1867,
th e
and
F e n ia n
Journal
fin :
v o l .12,
n o .l,
D a u g h ters
in
S iste r h o o d
th e
U n ite d
was
S ta tes.
A m e r ic a
They
to
u n d er e stim a te
of
p p .40-
n e ith e r
s u b o r d in a tio n
o p in io n
be
N in e te e n -C e n tu r y
O rders
th e
and
my
M istr e ss,
refer
1986,
can
sam e t i m e .
C la w so n 's
F ra tern a l
im p o r ta n t
to
th e
its
Women i n C u l t u r e and S o c i e t y ,
60)
th e ir
Sunday News i n
th e
M ary
A u x ilia r ie s
in
F e n ia n s.
I r is h m a n a t a b o u t t h e
th e
S iste r h o o d ,
who
trem en d ou s
r e m in isc e n c e s
p u b lish e d
W o m e n 's
A m e r ic a ,
th e
c o m p re h e n siv e
in
few
in
about
O 'M a h o n y ,
The
on t h e
very
c le a r ly
its
m a le
its
great
f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r t f o r t h e m o v em en t. T he S i s t e r h o o d ' s m a in
fu n c tio n
n ic s,
was t o
b a lls ,
su p p lie r
c o lle c t
fa ir s
etc.
o f m oney f o r
A m ong
th e
g ir ls
in
A m e r ic a
A c c o r d in g
c o n tr ib u te d
a fa ir ly
and th r o u g h
th e
s u b s c r ib e r s
im p o r ta n c e .
th e y d id
m oney by t h e
fu n d s
th e
to
have
seem ed
D evoy
good p o r tio n
of every oth er
th is
im p le m e n ta tio n
of
to
o r g a n isa tio n
Ir ish
'th e
of
becam e
of
poor
Ir ish
I r is h
of
th e
m a in
p la n s.
servan t
sp e c ia l
servan t
F e n ia n
fu n d , b u t t h e ir
104
p ic ­
F e n ia n
been
th e
of
g ir ls
fu n d s,
as
c o n tr ib u tio n
to
th e ir
fa m ilie s
in
Ir ela n d
to
en a b le
r a c k r e n t s im p o se d by t h e A n g l o - I r i s h
tim e s
g rea ter
th a n
The
S iste r h o o d
C o n stitu tio n
how ever,
w hat th e y
had
body to
th e
'§
8
The
11
The
to
t h e c o m p le te
pay
th e
w ere
m any
f e n i a n i s m . ' 222
stru ctu re,
fo llo w in g
D ir e c tr e ss
of
a ll
approved
hand
th e
of
its
a
a r tic le s ,
su b o r d in a tio n
of
th is
to
is
be
e le c te d
in itia tio n
by
th e
sh a ll
a p p o in te d
by
th e
branch.
She
F .B .
T reasurer
r e c e iv e
b ills
on
H ead
o ffic e r
w ill
la n d lo r d s,
e sta b lish e d
The
to
B roth erh ood :
c h ie f
§
an
and B y-L aw s.
d em o n stra te
gave
th em
th e
by
fees
branch,
th e
and
d u es,
pay
and
r e m it
th e
th e
2 5 th
day
to
ta k e
a
t h e m ovem en t,
w h ic h
H .C .F .B .
upon
a ll
b a la n c e
of
each
m o n t h . ' 223
The
m em bers
of
th e
S iste r h o o d
honour to
be a d m itte d
w ith
o a th
th e
ta k en
to
by
m en
had
fo r
th e ir
p le d g e
of
corresponded
a d m issio n
to
th e
B roth erh ood .
The
under
o r g a n isa tio n
th e
in flu e n c e
th a t se a le d
la te
1865
its
th e
sam e r i f t
The
H ead
E lle n
can
a p p r e c ia te d
On
th e
th e
w ife
o th er
p e r so n a litie s
R ob erts
th e
a very
seen
w ork
of
hand
in
th e
F e n ia n
it
and
her
done
by
as
'th e
e a r ly
1864
was
th ey
it
was
o r J .P .M e e h a n ,
S iste r h o o d
in
from Q u in c e y ,
L e titia
b efo re
A m e r ic a ,
Illin o is ,
d e te r m in e d
Luby
a c tiv e ,
she
and
young
h ig h ly
M ary
in d e fa tig a b le ,
Jane
and
224
c r itic a l
fe n ia n
about
m ovem en t,
and d e v e lo p m e n ts
105
lo n g
r e m in isc e n c e s
very
t h e A m e r ic a
not
in
S iste r h o o d .
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a ' .
she
was
s e lf-c o n fid e n t
from
c h a r a c te r iz e d
in v in c ib le
q u e stio n s
sch o o l tea ch er
be
in
W hen t h e F e n i a n B r o t h e r h o o d s p l i t
of
have been
As
whom s h e
a
e x iste n c e
B roth erh ood
appeared w ith in
O 'M a h o n y ,
wom an.
in to
th e
stra teg y
M istr e ss
seem s t o
of
fa te.
over
cam e
w ith in
eg.
th e
several
C o lo n e l
B roth erh ood ,
sponsor
eg.
th e
th e d e se r tio n
o f th e
fu n d r a isin g ca u se to
C a m p o b e llo e x p e d i t i o n .
H ow ever, h e r c r i t i c a l
w ent beyond th e
rem arks in o f f i c i a l
lim its
o f w hat was
sta tem en ts n ever
a llo w e d ,
and sh e
never
condem ned t h e a b s o lu t e d ep en d en ce o f t h e S is t e r h o o d on i t s
m a le c o u n t e r p a r t .
B ecause
F e n ia n
of
th e
dependence
B roth erh ood
it
was
of
not
su p p orted
m a le
c o u ld
L a ter
sp o r a d ic
S iste r h o o d
not
th e
effo rts
fo r
seem t o
s p lit
th e
w ere
purpose
have been
S iste r h o o d
su r p r isin g
w om en a l m o s t e x c l u s i v e l y
r e la tiv e s
th e
th e
not be
m ade
of
su ccessfu l
or
th a t
a ttitu d e s
th e
because
of
th e ir
a v o id e d .
to
fu n d
on
r e v iv e
a
ty p e
c o lle c tio n s,
but
of
d id
la stin g .
T he L a d i e s ' C o m m itte e
The
fo u n d a tio n
of
th e
L a d ie s'
C o m m itte e
in
O ctob er
186 5 g a v e w o m en 's s u p p o r t f o r t h e m ovem en t a new q u a l i t y .
Its
le a d in g
(S ecreta ry
m em bers
O ctob er
(T rea su rer),
(S ecretary
sin c e
th e
in
is
m a jo r ity
w ith
g iv e n
its
in
is
L e titia
Luby
M u lca h y
a n d M ary O ' L e a r y .
d o cu m en ted
b e in g
p r im a r y
in
num erous
sou rces.
The
secon dary lit e r a t u r e
c o o p e r a tio n
M a u r ic e
R ossa
C a th e r in e
and E lle n
la d ie s
0 ' Donovan
18 6 7 ),
and v a lu a b le a c c o u n t in
c o n n e c tio n
m ovem ent
th ese
Jane
R o a n tree,
May 1 8 6 7 ) ,
great
o n ly d e t a ile d
M ary
1865-M ay
Isa b e lla
The w ork o f
sou rces,
w ere
w ith
J o h n so n 's
th e
am n esty
M .A .th e s is
The
F e n ia n A m n e sty Movement 1 8 6 8 - 7 9 . M a y n o o t h 1 9 8 0 .
D u rin g t h e r a i d
1865
th e
le tte r s,
p o lic e
w h ic h
o f th e
se iz e d
su ffic e d
Ir ish
P e o p le o f f i c e
im p o r ta n t
to
send
106
papers,
th e
o n 15 S e p t e m b e r
m a n u sc r ip ts
F e n ia n s
in v o lv e d
and
to
p r iso n
w ere
fo r
m any
saved
O ffic e .
fo r
years,
p o ste r ity
O th er s o u r c e s
are
a r tic le s
th e
Ir ish
in
I r is h
The
in c o m e
th e
th e
N ew
Y ork
of
...
o ften
th e
som e
L a d ie s'
counsel
s ic k
w orkers
and
fo r
r e la tiv e s .'
P e o p le
The
th e
or
m o u th p ie c e
C o m m itte e 's
a lso
of
n a m in g
th e
w e e k ly
d onors.
a v ery good in s ig h t
su b sc r ib e r s.
le a d in g
F e n ia n s
lik e
g iv e n
in
th e
A
D e n ie ffe 's
R e v o lu tin a r y B ro th erh o o d
is
one
of
c o lle c te d
fu n d s
th e p r iso n e r s
on t r i a l ,
fed
fo r
d id
o th er
w ork
m e e tin g
of
th e
cause,
a
w ork
a
few
th e
fo llo w in g
p o lic e
'th a t
fu n d
e sta b lish e d
L a d ie s'
report
...
is
w ith
by
of
from
had
a lte r e d
n ecessary
adopt
to
th e
and
no
a
M rs
F e n ia n
b e s t c a p a b le
to
of
such
c a r r y in g
107
to
has
c o n tin u e d
tim e .
tim e
it
was
fou n d
fo r
th e
fu n d ,
vest
fu n d s
out
sta ted
presen t
c o lle c t
and a l s o
th e
F e n ia n p r is o n e r s
and
to
It
in
fu n d was
fir s t
th e
tim e
m easures
of
a
th e h is to r y
g iv e n
1869.
such
th e
to
from
d isp o sin g
was
G overnm ent
up
o c c a sio n s,
sum m ary o f
22 O c t o b e r
a fter
th e
c ir c u m sta n c e s
c o lle c tin g
who
ch a ra cter.
ren ted
th ey
C o m m itte
n o t new a s
in te r m issio n
to
th o se
M a r ia a n d K a t e , w e r e a r d e n t
a lth o u g h
im m e d ia te ly
d e a lt
w ith o u t
to
225
of
th e
b e n e v o le n t
room s w ere
The m o st c o m p r e h e n s iv e and f a c t u a l
persons
Irish
C o m itte e w h ic h
The c o m m itte e 's
su ita b le
eg.
w ork g i v e s
Shaw , b o th o f w h ose d a u g h te r s ,
w ere
w ork
a c c o u n ts on t h e L a d ie s ' C o m m itte e 's w ork s t a t i n g
'th e
and
C o m m itte e 's
R e c o lle c t io n s . The l a t t e r
and John D evoy.
w ere
Paper
new spap ers
th e
P erso n a l N a rra tiv e o f th e I r i s h
p r o v id e
S ta te
t h e L a d i e s ' C o m m itte e w e r e a l s o
r e m in isc e n c e s
th at
th e
d o cu m en ts
Ir ish
becom e
about
la d ie s'
background o f
d e ta ile d
of
on t h e
and
h a v in g
su b sc r ip tio n s,
R eferen ces to
report
sta tem en ts
T h is a c c o u n t o f t h e
in to
file s
th ese
a f t e r th e s u p p r e s s io n o f t h e I r is h P e o p le ,
b r ie f
by
th e
A m e r ic a n
la tte r ,
F e n ia n b u s in e s s
p u b lish e d
ir o n ic a lly ,
in
th at
A m e r ic a n ,
Irish m a n .
but
th e
in
As
th e
pow ers
of
th e
hands
of
v ie w s
of
th e
c o n tr ib u to r s
under
b azaars, co n certs
c o lle c tin g
as
so lic ite d
d iffe r e n t
c ir c u m sta n c e s.
w ere
who
w ent
sm a ll
as
a lso
about
a
p la c e d
am ong
penny.
in
th e ir
th e
p r o fe ssin g
p le a se d
to
c a ll
Ir ish m a n
in
D u b lin ,
to
S u b sc r ip tio n s
th e
c o n stitu te
" N a tio n a l
and t h e
c o lle c tin g
of
m oney
su b sq u e n tly
ex ten d ed
to
and
to o k
a lso
in G reat B r ita in
what th e y
P ress" ,
are
e sp e c ia lly
com m enced
G reat B r ita in ,
of
w ere
U n i v e r s a l N ew s i n
fir s t
R eg u la r
hands
fr ie n d s
th ru th o s e new spapers p u b lis h e d
and I r e la n d ,
R a ffle s ,
and e x c u r s io n s w ere r e s o r t e d t o .
cards
c o lle c to r s
sum s
th e
in
The
London.
The
Ir e la n d ,
th e
U n ite d
and
S ta tes,
A u s t r a l i a a n d New Z e a l a n d . T h e f u n d s r a i s e d w e r e d i s p e n s e d
b y t h e L a d i e s ' C o m m ite e t h r u t h e o f f i c e s
a llu d e d t o ,
In
th e
b e in g
and m ore r e c e n t l y t h e A m n esty A s s o c i a t i o n .
course
r a ise d
of
b e in g
A lth o u g h
th is
in to
It
th e
is
la st
in
m oney i s
fo llo w in g
su m m e r t h e r e
Ir e la n d
r a is e d
...
th a n
sta tem en t
com m en ts
are
te n d e n c ie s
of
unknown
and
th ere
needs
e x a c tly
no
of
le a d in g
th e
le a d in g
F e n ia n s
to
a
presen t
at
m en tio n
little
th a t
g iv e
...
m oney
tim e
m ore
p e r i o d . ' 226
e x p la n a tio n
a
deeper
th e
in s ig h t
w ork.
m any
o r g a n ise r s
got
th e
fu rth er
la d ie s'
how
very
was
in te n d e d
th e
was
at
in v o lv e d in t h e w ork o f th e L a d ie s '
nam es
o f th e new spap ers
wom en
w ere
C o m m itte e ,
or
in
fe m a le
a c tu a lly
a s o n ly
th e
r e la tiv e s
a p p e a ls
or
of
personal
r e m in isc e n c e s.
As
th e
m en tio n e d
la d ie s
th o se
sh o r tly
d e c id e d
a rrested ,
b r e a d w in n e r ,
fou n d ed
w as,
w ere
c o m m itte e
m a tters
la y
to
who,
had
to
a
was
in
cases
m ost
su ffer
in
th e
hands o f
fo r
th e
to
The
th e
th e
108
any
fa m ilie s
fem a le
k in d
S ecreta ry
T reasurer.
sta rted
of
body
of
and
of
th e ir
c o m m itte e
o r g a n iz e d
ta k e
had
d e p r iv e d
A m e r ic a n
lo o sly
by
tr ia ls
se v e r e ly .
th e
r e q u ir e d
headed
fir s t
h e lp
ra th er
not
th e
o r g a n ise
u n lik e
o r g a n isa tio n ,
m em bers
a fter
th ey
fe n ia n
and
o a th .
its
The
fin a n c ia l
In O ctob er
e n title d
'a sk
of
th e
n o m en t o
th ey
la d ie s
'A n A p p e a l t o
every
th e
1865
t h e Women o f
su b sc r ib e ,
creed
h e lp le s s .'
fo llo w in g
and
th e
E n g lish
resp on se
sm a ll,
poorer
th e
b e g in n in g
of
th e
Women o f
com e
forw ard
bosom s
fu ll
in te n tio n
and
to
in d e e d ,
in
th e
Ir ish ,
th e
of
The
18 6 6 )
228 w e r e
to o
in c r e a sin g
num ber
C o m m itte e
addressed
to
th a t
th e
m any
c a ll
(£
of
have
upon
very
5d
to
wom en
m eet
of
th e
The
In
Ir e la n d
lib e r a lly
th em .
to
u n til
concerned.
resp on d ed
we m ade
w ere
10s
little
th e
great
b e lo n g e d
530
fa m ilie s
a
m any I r i s h
c o n tr ib u tio n s
r a is e d
fo r
m on th s
fou n d
a lm o st e x c l u s i v e l y
fu n d s
p ity
th e
appeal
th e
and p ro v e
o r g a n ise
to w n s.
A lth o u g h
Ir e la n d
of
fo rm ed i n
sta tin g
c h e e r fu lly
th e
ad d ress,
i n w h ic h t h e y
a p p e a l c o m m itte es w ere
c la s s e s .
th e
Ir e la n d
a g a in ,
c o m m itte es,
c o n tr ib u to r s
th e
needs
of
fir s t
Ir e la n d '
to
th e ir
was t h e i r
am ong
as th e
in
227 I t
net
th e ir
b u t we a s k
and and s t a t i o n ,
h a v e w o m e n 's h e a r t s
w id e -sp r e a d
p u b lis h e d
and
poor
have
com e w it h
open
hands
little
and
lo v in g
of
poor
u n tir in g
in
th e ir
th e
r e a c tio n
c la ss
of
th e
c h ild ,
so c ie ty
c r itic a l
fo r
26
th e
January
th e ir
of
S ta te
a
5s p er w eek;
per
a p r p o r tio n a lly
m ost
be
its e lf.
had t o
th e
or
la d ie s
The
109
th e
reserved
by
th e
T hroughout
its
com bat t h e
la c k
su p p o rt.
schem e
F a m ilie s'
gave
of
m e c h a n ic
th o se
h ig h e r
been
part
e x p la in e d
e ld e st c h ild ,
To
have
'T o t h e S u b s c r i b e r s o f t h e
d is tr ib u tio n
w eek.
th e
P r iso n e r s'
1867
tra d esm a n
fo r
to o ,
g r o w in g dem and f o r
address
th e ir
and t h e w h o le w e e k 's
can
c o m m itte e
a p e r m a n en tly
of
229
th e
in
little
a lo o f.'
how ever,
in to
ls6 d
sto o d
m ovem ent
Fund
fa m ily
have
a
Som e,
but
th e
I r is h m a n o f
m o th er,
e x e r tio n s,
of
fin a n c e s
in s ig h t
g ir ls.
c la sse s
I n M ary J a n e ' s
th e
g iv e
r ic h e r
stru ctu re
R e lie f
w o r k in g
w e ll-to -d o
e x iste n c e ,
of
to
a l l . We h a v e t h e w i d o w ' s m i t e
e a r n in g s
r ic h ,
h ea rts
-
2 s 6d;
in
ra te
a
of
th e
th e
to
p u b lic
fu n d s:
th e
every
h ig h e r
in
w ife
an
'T o
or
su c c e e d in g
p o sitio n
r e lie f.'
th e
230
in
In
ch ap ter
1 .2 .
C o m m itte e
poor
th e
fin a n c ia l
fro m
had r a is e d
th e
N ew
te n sio n
s u b sc r ib e r s
The m a in
fa ir s,
fin a lly
because
a lw a y s
th e ir
w ere
sent
a m o u n tin g
its
w ork,
1865 and 1 8 7 2 ,
th e
la d ie s'
a b o u t £ 1 0 ,0 0 0
by
of
th e
to
a tim e .
ended
d ep en d en ts
b etw een
su b sc r ip tio n s
Z e a la n d ,
and d i s t r i b u t e d
th e ir
th e
to
w hen
effo rts
th e p r iso n e r s
o r g a n isa tio n
of
bazaars,
etc.
It
is
very d iff ic u lt
L a d ie s'
new spap er
A lth o u g h
c h ild r e n
th e ir
C o m m itte e ,
rep o rts
th e
c h a r ita b le
to
as
th e
p o in t
la d ie s
e sta b lish
to
e x a c tly
m a jo r ity
th e
of
th e
sta tem en ts
h u m a n ita r ia n
th e m se lv e s
a lw a y s
r o le
of
th e
p r iso n e r s,
th ere
can
of
and
ta sk
o n ly .
e m p h a siz e d
th e ir
g o a l o f h e lp in g t h e w eak and in n o c e n t w iv e s
be
no
doubt
sy m p a th ie s la y w ith t h e F e n ia n s t h e m s e lv e s
p o litic a l
In
and
to
s e v e r a l a p p e a ls b etw een O cto b er
C o m m itte e
th e
A m e r ic a n
th o u sa n d pounds a t
Due t o
and
referred
su p p o rt.
A u str a lia
several
th e
and
we
and
th a t
and t h e i r
a im s.
p o lic e
rep o rts
C o m m itte e
was
c o lle c tio n
of
it
was
m e r e ly
m oney
w om en
lik e
M ary
a cted
as
fu n d s
from F r a n c e
a
fo r
Jane
su sp ected
fro n t
th a t
o r g a n isa tio n
r e v o lu tio n a r y
O 'D o n o v a n
" p a y m istr e sse s"
231
fo r
and A m e r ic a t o
th e
purposes
R ossa
th e
or
L a d ie s
fo r
th e
and
th a t
E lle n
m ovem en t,
O 'L e a r y
sm u g g lin g
Ir e la n d .
R em arks b y D evoy t h a t
' w h i l e t h e w om en w e r e n o t o r g a n i z e d
fo r
purposes,
p u r e ly
o r g a n iz a tio n
th a t
end'
from
p o lic e
fo r
a
and
H ea d q u a rters
su b sid ia r y
M ary
and
th ere
o b ject
Jane
th a t
obeyed
was
w h ic h
th ey
th em . '
a
cen tra l
a c c o m p lish e d
'r e c e iv e d
233
in d ic a te
orders
th a t
s u s p i c i o n was n o t c o m p le t e ly w it h o u t a f o u n d a t io n .
The p o l i c e
of
232
F e n ia n
su sp ic io n r e su lte d
C o m m itte e
m em bers,
b o y c o tt t h e ir w ork.
th e ir
in th e co n sta n t s u r v e illa n c e
h arassm ent
and
a ttem p ts
to
The N a t i o n r e p o r t e d o n 3 F e b r u a r y 1 8 6 6
110
about
th e
p r o h ib itio n
M e tr o p o lita n P o lic e
th e
31 J a n u a r y
:
by th e
C o m m issio n e r s
o f a fu n f a i r
such
th e
D u b lin
and c o n c e r t o r g a n is e d
'A n d w h e r e a s t h e
th at
of
sa id
C o m m issio n e r s
m e e tin g s
have
r e c e iv e d
in fo r m a tio n
in te n d ed
f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f a s s e m b l in g a num ber o f p e r s o n s
engaged in tr e a so n a b le p r a c tic e s ,
if
p e r m itte d ,
W h ile
are lik e ly
o b v io u sly
F e n ia n
m ovem ent
years
e x is te n c e ,
in c r e a sin g ly
and
th e
under
of
ill-tr e a tm e n t
p r iso n e r s'
C o lle g e
a h ig h ly
H is
report
liv in g
The
th e
by
th e
c lo th e s
to
resp ected
w h ic h
was
p o in ts
to
c o n d itio n s
a u th o r ity
severe
in c id e n t
account
to
A sso c ia tio n ,
in
th e
how ever,
1869
N o la n ,
proof
is
S ep tem b er
John
T here
d id
to
th e
of
not
of
co m m itte e.
r e sig n a tio n
in
Ir ish
M ayn ooth ,
th e
5
M arch
p r iso n e r s
d ie t,
fu n d .
severe
w hen
th e ir
F u rth er
th e
of
a ffa ir s
in d ic a te d by
la d ie s
had
th e
r e je c tio n
to
A m n esty
of
several
236
d isse n t
in flu e n c e
how ever,
S ecretary
fo r
in
th e
am ong t h e
course
of
la d ie s
th e ir
f e a t h e r . ' 237
111
We
b e t w e e n M ary J a n e a n d
d isa g r e e m e n t
'w o rk w i t h t h e w i f e
w h ic h ,
w ork.
is
in d ic a te d
o f I s a b e l l a R o a n tr e e from t h e c o m m ite e ,
her r e fu s a l to
w h ite
in to
o f th e
M ovem ent
a lr e a d y r e fe r r e d t o th e d if f e r e n c e s
th e
becam e
p r iso n e r s'
The I r i s h m a n ,
in
A m n esty
H onorary
c la im s
th e
sa n ita r y m a tters
n e g le c t
th e
persons'
was
and h e a l t h .
of
in
M ovem ent
T hey
th e
cam e
in v e stig a tio n
c o n c e r n i n g t h e L a d i e s ' C o m m itte e i s ,
an
tw o
la te r
ta sk s
as F e llo w
or
fir s t
A m n esty
P h y sic ia n s
a u th o r ity
p u b lish e d
th e
about
an
th e
p e a c e . ' 234
co n tro l
p r iso n e r s.
co n troversy
and o f
in
la d ie s '
r e q u e stin g
o f P h y sic ia n s,
235
of
m uch
th e
and
such m e e tin g s ,
C o m m itte e
of
h e a l t h b y Dr L y o n s , w h o ,
was
1870,
and
in
L a d ie s '
in flu e n c e
Part
food
in v o lv e d
th e
th e
F e n ia n s.
p r o v isio n
d e e p ly
th e
d e sig n e d
endanger th e p u b lic
w ith o u t
from
its
and t h a t
w o r k in g
in te r fe r e n c e
of
to
are
on
by
th e
due t o
o f a m an w h o s h o w e d t h e
H a v in g
fin a l
was
fu lfille d
ta sk
to
fo r
th e
th e
g o a l w ith
th e
d isb a n d in g
of
th e
c o m m itte
hom e
and
c lo th in g
jo u rn ey s
back,
Ir is h m a n w a s t o
th e
C o m m itte e 's
w ork:
prom pt
r e lie f
co n fesso rs
of
ex ten d ed
of
th e
post
of
fu n d s w h ic h m ig h t b e
It
was
th en
had h e r o ism
w h ic h ,
lo v e
fo r
to
in
Ir e la n d
its
It
th e
of
becom es
a m ore
M ary
w hen
F e n ia n
Jane
and
th e
d e sir e d
to
of
th e
to
to
of
th e
ta k e
th e
d is tr ib u tio n
a h o ly
show
who
of
w h ils t
c h ild r e n
such
th o se
purpose.
th a t
if
m en
courage
a ttested
th e ir
dreaded no d an ger and ev en
fo r
th e
or
to
la id
be
m e n tio n e d .
fe r tile
le ss
th ey
ground
th a t
th ey
0 ' Donovan
th e
and
C o m itte e
By t h e i r
gave
a c tiv itie s
fu n d s
above
r o le
str o n g ly
w ork
to
w ork
b oth
was
it.
th e
1 8 7 1 /7 2 .
m a le
wom en
F e n ia n
But in
som e
u n d e r m in e d
c r itic ise d
in
of
sta tem en ts
c r itic ism
c o lle c te d
112
th e
a ccep ted
th e ir
R o ssa 's
fo r
th e am n esty o f
th e
gen eral th ey
le a d e r s,
of
from
in
a u x ilia r y
fe lt
th a t
F e n ia n s
in v o k e d sy m p a th y f o r t h e p r i s o n e r s '
o b v io u s
and in
m isa p p r e h e n sio n
im p r iso n e d
great p u b lic ity
la d ie s
th u s
o r g a n isa tio n s
th e
1872
of
cou n tryw om en had t h e
A m n esty M ovem ent w h ic h r e s u l t e d
cases,
fo r
forw ard
th e ir
supp ort
and a p p e a ls t h e
p la y e d
in
e stim a tio n
Ir e la n d
cam e
danger
o b ta in e d
in te r e sts
M ovem ent h a s
As
la d ie s '
238
fa m ilie s
p lig h t.
of
in
th e
none
Ir e la n d w ere in v o lv e d ,
from
th e
to
w om en c a m e
th e
i t . '
A part
th e ir
th a t
w here
braved
th e
p r e v a ile d ,
h is b r e a st in
p a tr io tism ,
r e sp o n s ib ility
w r ite
'T e r ro r ism
e v e r y m an w i t h a h e a r t i n
see
am n esty,
F e n ia n s.
L o o k in g
th e
b efo re
pay
r e le a se d
th e ir
of
A m e r ic a .)
th em
by
(see:
S te p h e n s's
D e sp ite
th e
w ork
la te r
th e
th e ir
of
n a tio n a list
w o m e n 's
1870's
fir s t
and
even
th e
on
w om en
m ovem en ts
sig h t th ere
In
dependence
lik e
th e
th e
had
th e
m a le
a
great
L a d ie s'
su ffra g e
th e
n a tio n a l
in flu e n c e
Land
m ovem en t,
seem s t o b e no d i r e c t
1850s
o r g a n isa tio n s
on
League
of
a lth o u g h
at
l in k b etw een th em .
fig h t
was
th e
o n ly
fie ld
w h e r e w om en c o u l d a c h i e v e r e c o g n i t i o n a n d a p p r e c i a t i o n
for
th e ir
not
stren u o u s
p u b lic ly
th e ir
acco u n ts
It
was
lik e
and
tir e le s s
c o n tib u tio n
was
w ork,
and
a p p r e c ia te d
if
in
p r iv a te
by F e n ia n s.
th e ir
c o n fid e n c e
for
effo rts
la te r
th e
su ccessfu l
w h ic h
w ork
becam e
th e
m ost
w o m e n 's m o v e m e n ts.
L a d ie s'
C o m m itte e
th a t
th em
im p o r ta n t
T h e ir
gave
gave
w ork
th em
e x p e r ie n c e f o r in d ep en d en t a c t io n s
s e lf-
p r e c o n d itio n
in
th e
th e
o r g a n isa tio n s
courage
of la te r
and
th e
g e n e r a tio n s o f
wom en.
And
th e
n a tio n a l
c o lle c tiv e ly
was
th e
fe lt
o n ly
te m p o r a r ily ,
trea ted
The
as
break
of
In
w h ic h
th o se
fie ld
th e ir
w here
sex
a llo w e d
set
th em ,
lim ita tio n s
fu n d r a isin g
th e
th a t
a ll
th a t
th e
of
239
th is
In
(M r s
It
w ith o u t
b e in g
m o n ie s
It
th e
A lic e
has
be retu rn ed
o n ly
e a r ly
in to
sta ted
c o lle c te d
C o m m itte e
w ill
purposes
w ith
be
th a t
'th e
o ffic ia lly
by
th e
over
th e
fo r
fig h t
th e
fo r
im p ro v ed
P r iso n e r s'
c o n d itio n s
of
L a d ie s'
exp ressed
th e
purchase
n a tio n a lis t
th e ir
D efen ce A s s o c ia t io n .
113
G reen,
C o m [m itte e ]
th e
used
1920s
2 0 th
S to p fo rd
been
and
th e
su p p o r te d im p r iso n e d c o -w o r k e r s by th e c o l l e c t i o n
th rou gh
th em .
le a st
th e L a d ie s '
am ou n t.
(M e n 's)
stip u la tio n
a r m s .'
sam e
up
D evoy
£ 500;
C o m m itte e s w i l l
P r o v isio n a l
and
th ey
at
p o litic a l
c o n tin u e d
S u b c o m m itte e
has c o lle c te d
n e a r ly
V o l[u n te e r ]
was
fo r
R e c o lle c tio n s
h is
L a d ie s '
d e c id e d
r e str ic tio n s
n a tio n a lis ts
ch a irw o m a n )
here
to
th e
o u tca sts.
im p r iso n e d
London
th e
was
o p p o r tu n ity
tr a d itio n
cen tu ry .
fig h t
of
w om en
fu n d s
im p r iso n m e n t
Sou rces:
1
N ancy J .C u r t i n .
Women a n d E i g h t e e n t h - C e n t u r y
R e p u b lic a n ism ,
Ir is h
Women i n E a r l y Modern I r e l a n d ,
in :
p . 133
2
The I r i s h
3
I b id .,
12 N o v e m b e r
1 8 6 4 , p . 809
4
I b id .,
26 N ovem ber
1 8 6 4 , p . 13
5
I b id .,
19 N o v em b er
1 8 6 4 , p . 829
6
Ib id .
7
U n ite d Irish m a n ,
a
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
9
P e o p le ,
2 1 May
24
1864, p . 409
January
1885,
19 N o v em b er
p .2
1864,
p . 828
J o h n O ' L e a r y . R e c o l l e c t i o n s o f F e n i a n s and F e n i a n i s m ,
v o l.2,
p . 57
10
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
11
N ancy
J .C u r tin .
R e p u b lic a n ism ,
5 N ovem ber
1864,
p . 792
Women a n d E i g h t e e n t h - C e n t u r y
I r is h
p . 137
12
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
13
I b id .,
5 N ovem ber
19 N o v e m b e r
14
I b i d . , 12
A u gust
15
I b i d . , 28
May 1 8 6 4 ,
16
I b i d . , 20
A u gust
17
Joseph D e n ie ffe .
1864,
1865,
1864,
p . 792
p . 828
p . 598
p . 428
1864,
p . 618
A P erso n a l N a rra tiv e o f th e I r i s h
R e v o lu tio n a r y B ro th erh o o d , p . 3
18
John O 'L e a r y ,
v o l.l,
R e c o l l e c t i o n s o f F e n i a n s and F e n i a n i s m ,
p . 2 4 4 /4 5
chapter 1
19
The S o u t h e r n S t a r ,
20
see:
1984
The C a t h o l i c B u l l e t i n ,
p p .5 6 5 /6 6
21
8 A ugust
and v o l . 6 ( 1 1 1 ) ,
Edw ard G a r n e r .
v o l.5 (II I ),
O ctob er
To d i e b y i n c h e s :
E a s t C ork. M id d le to n , C o .C o r k ,
22
C lo n a k ilty
C .Y .M .S .
C lo n a k ilty
1959,
24
John
(e d .).
W o r ld ,
1986,
p . 62
and D i s t r i c t ,
I r i s h B o o k lo v e r , v o l . V I I ,
p . 70
Ir ish
p p .538-40
p . 106
The I r i s h m a n , 2 4 May 1 8 7 9 , p . 7 4 3
25
1915,
The Fam ine i n N o r t h
( e d . ) .C lo n a k ilty
23
S .C r o n e
1916,
A u gust
26 A u g u s t
1916,
114
p .4
n o .5 /6 ,
26
M ary J a n e t o R o s s a ,
C arton
3,
14 J u l y
e n v e lo p e
[1 8 6 5 ],
11
R e c o l l e c t i o n s o f an I r i s h R e b e l ,
27
John D evoy.
28
The I r i s h m a n , 8 A u g u s t 1 8 7 1 , p . 7 5
29
M ary J a n e t o
R ossa,
see:
31
M ills
32
M ary J a n e t o R o s s a ,
R ossa.
DMP,
e n v e lo p e
13 M a r c h 1 8 7 0 ,
NA,
no d a t e ,
The D u b l i n E v e n in g M a i l ,
34
M ary J a n e
to
th e
P r iso n
CSO R e g i s t e r e d
Sean
p . 193
F e n ia n R - s e r ie s
NA , F e n i a n B r i e f s ,
16 D e c e m b e r
A u th o r itie s
Papers
5991
ca rto n
The I r i s h m a n , 4 May 1 8 6 7 , p . 7 1 6
36
I b id .,
26 J a n u a r y
37
I b id .,
16 F e b r u a r y
38
I b id .,
26 J a n u a r y
39
I b id .,
29
40
I b id .,
4 May 1 8 6 7 ,
41
I b id .,
1 1 May 1 8 6 7 ,
42
I b id .,
26 J a n u a r y
43
M ary J a n e t o
June
1867,
p .3
M o u n tjo y
P r iso n ,
p . 496
1867,
1867,
1867,
1865,
21559
35
R e b e ls ,
in :
11
33
NA,
1865,
p . 326
I r is h R e b e ls , p p . 2 9 /3 0
30
3,
H o ly T h u r sd a y
0 D onnabhain R o s a , v o l . l ,
O 'L u in g .
to
NA, F e n i a n B r i e f s ,
p . 544
p . 493
p . 345
p . 621
p . 736
1867,
R ossa,
p . 496
19 J u l y
1867,
in :
R ossa.
Irish
p . 330
44
The N a t i o n ,
21 J u l y
45
M ary J a n e ' s
d ia r y ,
46
The I r i s h m a n ,
1867,
N L I,
p . 775
MS 4 1 2
5 S ep tem b er
1868,
p . 156
chapter 2
47
H .W a d d in g to n
Irish m a n ,
to
M ary J a n e ,
23 M a r c h 1 8 6 7 ,
48
G .C lifto n
to
49
R ossa.
50
M ary J a n e ' s
51
M ary J a n e
M ary J a n e ,
24
22
January
1867,
in :
The
p . 621
D ecem ber
1866,
ib id .
I r i s h R e b e ls , p . 239
R e b e ls ,
to
d ia r y ,
N L I,
R ossa,
19
MS 4 1 2
J u ly
1867,
in :
R ossa.
Irish
p . 330
52
M a r g a r e t O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a .
53
The I r i s h m a n , 4 J u l y
1868,
54
I b id .,
p . 788
13 J u n e
1868,
115
My F a t h e r and M o t h e r , p . 4 5
p. 2
55
Ib id .
56
I b id .,
57
Ib id .
58
G a e l i c A m e r ic a n ,
1916,
p .l
59
The I r i s h A m e r i c a n , 6 J u n e 1 8 6 8 ,
p. 3
60
B o sto n P i l o t ,
61
The I r i s h A m e r i c a n , 3 0 O c t o b e r 1 8 6 9 ,
p. 8
62
The P e o p l e o f I r e l a n d , 18 S e p t e m b e r
1869,
17 J a n u a r y
1874,
p . 458
26 A u g u st
3 O ctob er
1868,
p .5
63
Ib id .
64
R ossa.
65
The I r i s h A m e r ic a n ,
66
R ossa.
67
The I r i s h A m e r i c a n , 3 0 O c t o b e r 1 8 6 9 ,
68
U n ited Irish m a n , 30 J u l y
69
The I r i s h m a n , 17 J a n u a r y 1 8 7 4 ,
70
R ossa.
71
Ib id .
72
Ib id .
73
The I r i s h m a n , 1 1 J u n e 1 8 7 0 , p . 5 0 7
74
R ossa.
75
The N a t i o n ,
76
The I r i s h m a n , 2 2 J a n u a r y 1 8 7 0 ,
77
I b id .,
19 F e b r u a r y
78
I b id .,
26 M arch
79
M ary J a n e t o
80
M illis
81
The I r i s h m a n , 2 A p r i l
82
see:
83
The I r i s h m a n , 2 4 D e c e m b e r 1 8 7 0 , p . 4 1 2
p. 7
I r i s h R e b e ls , p . 347
30 O c t b e r
I r is h R e b e ls ,
1869,
p .8
p . 346
1898,
p. 8
p .l
p . 458
I r i s h R e b e ls , p . 337
I r is h R e b e ls ,
16 J u l y
p . 349
1870,
1870,
1870,
R ossa,
F e n ia n
p . 479
p . 548
p . 628
9 A u gust
t o M ary J a n e ,
NA,
p . 768
1 8 7 0 , N L I,
no d a te ,
1870,
R -se r ie s
MS
1 0 ,9 7 4 (v)
N L I , MS1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
p . 646
7005,
5934,
5949,
5979
chapter 3:
84
see
a lso :
F lo r en ce
York I r i s h
E :G ib so n .
The A t t i t u d e
o f t h e New
to w a r d s S t a t e and N a t i o n a l A f f a i r s
1848-92, p . 255
85
D e n n i s O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a t o M ary J a n e ,
S e a n O 'L u in g P a p e r s ,
N L I,
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
R e c o lle c tio n s ,
86
Joh n O 'L e a r y ,
87
The I r i s h P e o p l e , v o l . I I ,
116
p . 107
p . 411
5 J u ly
1876,
N L I,
88
Ibid.
89
M a r g a r e t O ' D o n o v a n R o s s a , My F a t h e r and M o t h e r ,
90
Ib id .
91
D evoy.
92
D e n n i s O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a t o M ary J a n e ,
R e c o lle c t io n s , p . 320
S e a n O 'L u in g P a p e r s ,
93
p . 54
I sa b e lla
Ir w in
to
R ossa P a p ers,
5 J u ly
1876,
N L I,
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
M ary J a n e ,
no d a t e ,
N L I,
O 'D o n o v a n
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
94
M a r g a r e t O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a .
95
R ossa.
96
I b i d . , p . 3 3 2 /3 3
97
I b id .,
p . 329
98
I b id .,
p . 328
99
M ary J a n e t o
My F a t h e r and M o t h e r , p . 5 4
I r is h R e b e ls , p . 329
B r ie fs,
R ossa,
F r id a y ,
no d a t e ,
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a P a p e r s ,
NA ,
ca rto n
100
O 'B r ie n /R y a n .
101
The I r i s h A m e r i c a n , 5 M a r c h 1 8 8 1 , p . 4
102
J o h n O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a ,
D e v o y 's P o s t b a g , v o l . I ,
R ossa P a p ers,
10 3
M ary J a n e ' s
104
E ile e n
1871,
e n v e lo p e
11
p . 319
N L I,
O 'D o n o v a n
J u ly
1961,
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
d ia r y ,
N L I,
M acG ow an t o
O 'L u in g P a p e r s ,
MS 4 1 2
S ean O 'L u in g ,
18
O 'B r ie n /R y a n .
1 06
The B o s t o n P i l o t ,
107
M ary J a n e t o
D e v o y 's P o s tb a g , v o l . I I ,
4 February
1871,
Jam es M a x w ell on h i s
1891,
N L I,
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
105
30 A p r i l
January
3,
F e n ia n
N L I,
p . 422
p .5
2 5 th
b ir th d a y ,
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a P a p e r s ,
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
108
M a r g a r e t O ' D o n o v a n R o s s a . My F a t h e r and M o t h e r ,
10 9
M ary J a n e t o
P apers,
110
Jam es M a x w e ll,
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a
The B e l l ,
111
Ib id .
112
J e n n y M arx t o
v o l.32,
1889,
N L I,
O 'L u in g
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
D esm ond R y a n .
in :
19 J u n e
p . 96
v o l.X ,
n o .5,
and t h e
A u gust
L u d w ig K u g e lm a n n ,
R eds,
1945,
17 J u l y
p . 425
1870,
p . 716
113
The I r i s h N a t i o n
114
Joh n M a llo n t o
F e n ia n A - f i l e s
(N ew Y o r k ) ,
DMP,
1 0 May 1 8 8 4 ,
5 N ovem ber
A550
117
1878,
NA ,
p .2
in :
MEW,
11 5
Jam es M a x w ell t o
M ary J a n e ,
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a P a p e r s ,
22 M arch
1881,
N L I,
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
116
O 'B r ie n /R y a n .
117
U n ite d Ir is h m a n , 9 M arch 1 8 9 5 , p . l
118
O 'B r ie n /R y a n .
119
M a r g a r e t O ' D o n o v a n R o s s a . My F a t h e r and M o t h e r ,
120
D evoy.
121
M ary J a n e t o
D e v o y 's P o s tb a g , v o l . I ,
p . 319
D e v o y 's P o s t b a g , v o l . I I ,
R e c o lle c tio n s ,
R ossa,
R ossa P a p ers,
p . 418
p . 22
p . 329
6 A u gust
1894,
N L I,
O 'D o n o v a n
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
122
M a rg a ret O 'D onovan R o s s a . My F a t h e r a n d M o t h e r , p . 2 4
1 23
M ary J a n e t o
P apers,
R ossa,
12 J u n e
U n ited Irish m a n , 27 A p r i l
125
M ary J a n e t o
Jam es M a x w e ll,
M ary J a n e t o
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a
p .2
1 J u ly
Jam es M a x w e ll,
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a P a p e r s ,
1 28
1895,
O D onnabhain R o s a ,
O 'L u in g .
127
N L I,
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
124
126
1894,
1889,
v o l.I I ,
in :
Sean
p . 175
14 J u n e
1889,
N L I,
MS 1 0 , 9 7 4 ( i i i )
Ib id .
M ary J a n e t o
P apers,
Jam es M a x w e ll,
19 J u n e
1889,
N L I,
O 'L u in g
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
1 29
Cork C o n s t i t u t i o n ,
1 30
Ib id .
13 1
Ib id .
132
Ib id .
133
M a r g a r e t O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a .
1 34
U n ited Irish m a n , 28 J u l y
135
Cork C o n s t i t u t i o n ,
136
Ib id .
13 7
G a e l ic A m erica n , 22 O c t o b e r 1 9 1 0 ,
138
I b id .,
139
Ib id .
140
I b id .,
1 41
Ib id .
142
O 'B r ie n /R y a n .
1 43
G a e l i c A m e r ic a n ,
144
Ib id .
1 45
I b id .,
2 O ctob er 1915,
p .8
146
I b id .,
9 O ctob er 1915,
p .5
14 7
I b id .,
2 O cto b er 19 1 5 ,
p .8
29
29
June
1906,
My F a t h e r and M o t h e r , p . 1 5 4
1906,
June
p .2
1906,
13 S e p t e m b e r
1913,
p .8
27
1913,
p .2
S ep tem b er
p .4
p .l
p .4
D e v o y 's P o s tb a g , v o l . I I ,
30
D ecem ber
118
1911,
p. 3
p . 414
148
Eileen MacGowan to Sean O'Luing, 2 May 1957, N L I ,
O 'L u in g P a p e r s ,
MS 2 2 , 7 8 8
149
G a e l i c A m e r ic a n ,
14 A u g u s t
150
I b id .,
9 O ctob er
1915,
p .5
151
I b id .,
14 A u g u s t
1915,
p .l
152
I b id .,
21 A u g u s t
1915,
p .l
1 53
I b id .,
9 O ctob er
1915,
p .5
15 4
I b id .,
15 J a n u a r y
155
I b id .,
13 N o v e m b e r
156
Ir ish
1 57
Ib id .
158
G a e l i c A m e r i c a n , 2 0 May 1 9 1 6 , p . 2
15 9
I b id .,
26 A u g u s t
1916,
1 60
Joseph
D e n ie ffe .
A Person al N a rra tiv e
W orld ,
1916,
1915,
p .l
p .3
1915,
p .8
p. 8
11 M arch 1 9 1 6 ,
p .l
R e v o lu tio n a r y B ro th erh o o d , p . 86
161
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
162
M ary J a n e
Ir w in
7 May 1 8 6 4 ,
to
R ossa,
O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a P a p e r s ,
163
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
164
I b id .,
18 M a r c h
NA , F e n i a n
166
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
167
NA , F e n i a n
168
The I r i s h P e o p l e
169
I b id .,
B r ie fs,
170
NA,
171
M ary J a n e ' s
172
Ib id .
173
The I r i s h P e o p l e
174
The I r i s h m a n ,
175
M ary J a n e ' s
176
U n ited Ir ish m a n ,
177
E ile e n
O 'L u in g P a p e r s ,
179
M ary J a n e ' s
180
Ib id .
3,
11
11
p . 539
e n v e lo p e
6 J u ly
11
1867,
p .l
A 300
N L I,
MS 4 1 2
N L I,
24 A u g u s t
1867,
1899,
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
1870,
N L I,
p .6
p . 234
S ean O 'L u in g ,
2 J u ly
1867,
MS 4 1 2
16 D e c e m b e r
d ia r y ,
e n v e lo p e
B r ie fs,
p .l
12 O c t o b e r
M acG ow an t o
F e n ia n
p . 376
1864,
(N e w Y o r k ) ,
d ia r y ,
3,
e n v e lo p e
(N e w Y o r k ) ,
d ia r y ,
The I r i s h m a n ,
3,
ca rto n
1867,
NA,
p . 261
16 J u l y
F e n ia n A - f i l e s ,
178
ca rto n
ca rto n
B r ie fs,
13 J u l y
no d a t e ,
7 May 1 8 6 4 ,
1865,
165
p . 376
p . 10
MS 4 1 2
119
p .l
21 M arch
1957,
N L I,
181
The I r i s h m a n , 9 J u l y
182
M ary J a n e ' s
183
Ibid.
184
Ibid.
185
Ib id .
d ia r y ,
Joh n O 'L e a r y ,
187
U n ited Ir ish m a n ,
I b i d . , 28
N L I,
p . 27
MS 4 1 2
R e c o lle c tio n s,
186
188
1870,
J u ly
v o l.I ,
16 December 1 8 9 3 ,
1894,
p . 107
p .l
p. 3
189 Ibid., 10 March 1 8 9 9 , pp. 2 and 3
190
see: Rev.M.B.Buckley . D ia r y o f a T o u r i n
A m erica ,
p . 219
191
192
R o ssa . R e c o lle c tio n s , p . v i i
Eileen Mac Gowan t o
O 'L u in g P a p e r s ,
Sean O'Luing, 7 March 1 9 6 0 ,
N L I,
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
193
M acG ow an t o
O 'L u in g ,
194
G a e l i c A m e r ic a n ,
195
I b id .,
196
I b i d . , 11 D ecem b er
197
see:
1 1 May 1 8 6 0 , i b i d .
18 O c t o b e r 1 9 1 3 , p . 5
6 May 1 9 1 6 ,
p. 6
1915,
p. 6
My F a t h e r and M o t h e r ,
M a r g a r e t O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a .
p . 183
198
G a e l ic A m erica n , 26 A u g u s t 1 9 1 6 ,
199
O'Brien/Ryan. D e v o y ' s P o s t b a g , vol. II, p. 4 8 2
200
G a e l i c A m e r i c a n , 16 O c t o b e r 1 9 1 5 ,
201
O 'B r ie n /R y a n .
202
MacGowan to O'Luing, 1 1 May 1 9 6 0 , NLI, O'Luing Papers,
p .l
p. 2
D e v o y 's P o s tb a g , v o l . I I ,
p . 482
MS 2 6 , 7 9 0
203
M acG ow an t o
P apers,
204
see:
O 'L u in g ,
27 A u g u s t
1956,
N L I,
O 'L u in g
MS 2 6 , 7 8 8
M a r g a r e t O 'D o n o v a n R o s s a .
My F a t h e r and M o t h e r ,
p . 188
chapter 5:
205
W odehouse t o
L arcom ,
2 A p r il
1866,
NA,
F e n ia n
A -file s
242
206
W odehouse t o
207
D evoy. R e c o lle c tio n s ,
p . 113
208
R o ssa . R e c o lle c tio n s ,
p . 210
209
R eport
23
L arcom ,
O ctob er
3 A p r il 1866, ib id .
1865,
120
NA, F e n i a n
A -file s
40
210
R e p o r t Joh n M a llo n t o
F e n ia n A - f i l e s
DMP, May 1 7 t h ,
NA,
585
211
D evoy,
R e c o lle c tio n s ,
212
R eport
4 J u ly
213
C o r k E x a m in e r ,
1868,
p . 103
NA,
CSO R e g i s t e r e d
17 O c t o b e r
1865,
214
Irish m a n ,
215
I r i s h P e o p le , v o l . I ,
216
see:
217
D evoy.
216
The I r i s h P e o p l e ,
219
I b id .,
19 M a r c h 1 8 6 4 ,
220
D evoy,
R e c o lle c t io n s , p . 113
221
N ancy J .C u r t i n ,
NA ,
1878,
17 J u l y
1869,
Papers
6723
p .4
p . 45
5 N ovem ber
CSO R e g i s t e r e d
Papers
1864,
74176,
p .792:
23
J u ly
1867
R e c o lle c t io n s , p . 113
N a tio n a lis m ,
30 J u l y
1864,
p . 572
p . 268
Women i n
18th
C en tu ry
I r is h
p . 133
222
D evoy,
223
The F e n ia n S p i r i t ,
224
The I r i s h m a n ,
225
D evoy.
226
R eport to
DMP,
227
Irish m a n ,
28 O c to b e r
228
I b id .,
13 J a n u a r y
229
I b id .,
p . 449
230
I b id .,
26
231
NA,
232
D evoy.
233
Ib id .
234
The N a t i o n ,
235
The I r i s h m a n , 5 M a r c h 1 8 7 0 , p . 5 8 5
236
I b id .,
25
237
I b id .,
29 A u g u s t
238
I b id .,
2 S ep tem b er
239
D evoy,
R e c o lle c tio n s , p . 395
R e c o lle c tio n s , p . 355
3 S ep tem b er
9 February
1867,
1864,
p .6
p . 516
R e c o lle c t io n s , p . 113
22 O c to b e r
January
F e n ia n A - f i l e s
1869,
1865,
NA,
p . 280
1866,
p . 464
1867,
p . 493
125
R e c o lle c tio n s,
p . 113
3 February
S ep tem b er,
1866,
1869,
1868,
p . 373
p .6
p . 144
1871,
p . 140
121
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N a t io n a l L ib r a r y
Papers
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Ir e la n d
0 ' D onovan R o ssa ,
M ary J a n e
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d ia r y
0 ' D onovan R o ssa P a p ers
O 'L ea r y P a p e r s
O 'L u in g P a p e r s
S tep h en s P apers
A m e r ic a n
Ir ish
H is to r ic a l
0 'D o n o v a n R o s s a ,
p r iv a te
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of
S o c ie ty
M ary J a n e
P u b lish e d
W illia m /R y a n ,
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R o ssa F a m ily
c o lle c tio n s
M [a r x ]E [n g e ls]W [e r k e ], v o l s .3 1
O 'B r ie n ,
(N e w Y o r k )
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The B e l l
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Cork C o n s t i t u t i o n
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The F e n ia n S p i r i t
(B o sto n )
G a e l i c A m erica n
I r i s h A m e rica n
I r is h C itzen
(N e w Y o r k )
The I r i s h P e o p l e
(D u b lin )
The I r i s h P e o p l e
(N e w Y o r k )
I r is h m a n
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The I r i s h
Ir ish
W eekly I n d e p e n d e n t
W orld and A m e rica n I n d u s t r i a l L i b e r a t o r
New Y o rk H e r a ld
The N o r t h e r n P a t r i o t
The P e o p l e o f I r e l a n d
The Shan Van V o c h t
The S o u t h e r n S t a r and C o r k C o u n ty C h r o n i c l e
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-----------------------
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D u b lin
Chief:
Lays o f
1890
a b io g r a p h y
of
Jam es
Step h en s, D u b lin 1967
The P h o e n i x F la m e . A s t u d y
o f fe n ia n ism
and
John D e v o y , L o n d o n 1 9 3 7
Luddy,
3.
S p e c ia l
su b jects
M a r ia /M u r p h y ,
C lio n a
(e d s .).
Women
S u r v iv in g .
S t u d i e s i n I r i s h Women's H i s t o r y i n t h e 1 9 t h and 2 0 th
c e n tu r ie s ,
M a c C u r ta in ,
D u b lin
M a rg a ret/
S o cie ty .
1989
O 'C o r r a in ,
D onncha.
Women i n
The H i s t o r i c a l D im e n s io n , D u b l i n
126
1978
Irish
M a c C u r ta in ,
fo r
M a r g a re t/O 'D o w d ,
W o m en 's
H isto r y
H is to r ic a l
in
S tu d ie s ,
M a r y /L u d d y ,
Ir e la n d
M a r ia .
1 5 0 0 -1 9 0 0 ,
v o l.X X V I I I,
N o .109,
An A g e n d a
in :
Ir ish
M ay
1992,
p p .1-37
M a c C u r ta in
M a r g a r e t/0 'D o w d
Modern I r e l a n d ,
M issin g P ie c e s :
D u b lin
M ary
(ed s.).
in
Early-
1991
Women i n I r i s h H i s t o r y ,
More M i s s i n g P i e c e s :
Women
H er S t o r y
o f Ir ish
D u b lin
1983
H isto r y ,
D u b lin
The s t o r y
o f th e
1985
R ose,
C a th e r in e .
The f e m a le e x p e r i e n c e .
Woman Movement i n I r e l a n d , G a l w a y 1 9 7 5
Ryan,
D esm on d . 0 'D o n o v a n R o s s a a n d t h e R e d s ,
vol.X ,
The B e l l ,
N o.5
Ten D u b l i n Women, D u b l i n
W ard,
in :
M a rg a ret.
----------------------------
1991
The M i s s i n g S e x ,
Unmanageable
D u b lin
R e v o lu tio n a r ie s :
I r i s h N a tio n a lism , L ondon 198 3
127
1991
Women
in
List of Abbreviations
DMP
D u b lin M e tr o p o lita n P o l i c e
HD
H ead D i r e c t r e s s
HCFB
H ead C e n t r e
NA
N a tio n a l A r c h iv e s,
NLI
N a tio n a l L ib r a r y o f
o f th e
F e n ia n B r o th e r h o o d
B ish o p
D u b lin
128
street,
Ir e la n d ,
D u b lin
K ild a r e
street,
Acknowledgements
We
w o u ld
lik e
P r o f.C o m e r fo r d
h is
u n tir in g
th is
to
exp ress
(S t.P a tr ic k 's
supp ort
and
to
M ayn ooth )
fo r
u n d e r sta n d in g
we
w o u ld
a lso
P r o f.S ie g m u n d -S c h u ltz e
M r .A n th o n y
th e ir
C o u g h la n
su p p ort
a t th e
th e
N a tio n a l
p a r tic u la r
to
lik e
of
(T r in ity
in itia l
We a r e g r a t e f u l t o t h e
in
C o lle g e ,
g r a titu d e
in
c o m p ilin g
th e sis.
F u rth er
and
our
th e
M rs.
H a lle /G e r m a n y
and
C o lle g e ,
of
of
D u b lin )
th is
fo r
w ork.
th e N a tio n a l A r c h iv e s
fo r
M r .C h r isto p h e r
o v e r c o m in g
th a n k
sta g es
sta ff
L ib r a r y
to
th e ir
B r io d y
d iffic u ltie s
h e lp ,
for
of
h is
th e
and
in
su p p ort
E n g lish
la n g u a g e .
We
a lso
very
e sp e c ia lly
M a lo y f o r
to
th e ir
m uch
o b lig e d
M r .W illia m
a s s is ta n c e
129
to
R ossa
th e
C o le
R ossa
and
fa m ily ,
M r s.E ile e n
and h o s p i t a l i t y .