The Luck Of The Irish
The Luck of the Irish
I hope you enjoy this tale as much as we did!
During the Young Irelander Rebellion in Ireland in 1848, nine men were captured, tried, and convicted of treason against Queen Victoria. They were sentenced to death. These men were: John Mitchell, Morris Lyene, Pat Donahue, Thomas McGee, Charles Duffy, Thomas Meagher, Richard O’Gorman, Terrance McManus, and Michael Ireland.
Before passing sentence, the judge asked if anyone had any final words. Meagher, speaking on behalf of the group, said, "My lord, this is our first offense, but it won't be our last. If you show us leniency this once, we promise, as gentlemen, to do better next time. And next time, we won’t be foolish enough to get caught."
The indignant judge then sentenced them all to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. However, passionate protests from around the world forced Queen Victoria to commute their sentences to life transportation to the distant and wild land of Australia.
In 1874, Queen Victoria was astounded to learn that Sir Charles Duffy, the newly elected Prime Minister of Australia, was the same Charles Duffy who had been transported 25 years earlier. Upon her demand, the records of the other transported men were revealed, uncovering the following:
- Thomas Francis Meagher – Governor of Montana
- Terrance McManus – Brigadier General, United States Army
- Patrick Donahue – Brigadier General, United States Army
- Richard O’Gorman – Governor General of Newfoundland
- Morris Lyene – Attorney General of Australia
- Michael Ireland – Succeeded Morris Lyene as Attorney General
- Thomas D’Arcy McGee – Member of Parliament, Montreal; Minister of Agriculture; President of the Council, Dominion of Canada
- John Mitchell – Prominent New York politician; father of John Purroy Mitchell, Mayor of New York at the outbreak of World War I
- Author Unknown