William Smith O'Brien

William Smith O'Brien (17 October 1803 – 18 June 1864) was an Irish Nationalist and Member of Parliament (MP) and leader of the Young Ireland movement.

Early life

Born in Dromoland, Co. Clare, he was the second son of Sir Edward O'Brien, fourth baronet of Dromoland Castle. William took the additional surname "Smith", his mother's maiden name, upon inheriting property through her. He claimed to be able to trace his ancestry back to the eleventh century Ard Rí (High King of Ireland), Brian Borucite book
last = O'Donoghue
first = John
authorlink = John O'Donoghue
coauthors =
title = Historical Memoir of the O'Briens
publisher = Hodges, Smith & Co (reprinted 2002, Martin Breen)
date = 1860
location = Dublin
pages = pp. 544-545
url = http://books.google.ie/books?id=_lIBAAAAQAAJ
doi =
id =
isbn = 0-9519551-2-8] . He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Politics

From April 1828 to 1831 he was Conservative MP for Ennis. He became MP for Limerick County in 1835, holding his seat in the House of Commons until 1848.

Although a Protestant, he supported Catholic Emancipation while remaining a supporter of British-Irish union. However, in 1843, in protest against the imprisonment of Daniel O'Connell, he joined O'Connell's anti-union Repeal Association. Three years later, disillusioned by O'Connell O'Brien withdrew the Young Irelanders from the association, and in January 1847 founded the Irish Confederation. In March 1848, he spoke out in favour of a National Guard and tried to incite a national rebellion. He was unsuccessfully tried for sedition on May 15, 1848cite book
last = Gwynn
first = Denis
authorlink = Denis Gwynn
title = Young Ireland and 1848
publisher = Cork University Press
date = 1949
location = Cork
pages = pp.165-187 ] .

Rebellion

On 29 July, 1848, he led peasants in a futile, almost bloodless battle against police at Ballingarry, County Tipperary. The jury in his subsequent trial found him guilty of high treason and he was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Petitions for clemency were signed by 70,000 people in Ireland and 10,000 people in Englandcite book
last = Lawler
first = Ruth
authorlink = Ruth Lawler
coauthors = from originals held by National Archives of Ireland

title = CD ROM - The 1848 Petitions – The William Smith O'Brien Petition, Irish Records Index Vol. 2
publisher = Eneclann Ltd
date = 2001
location = Dublin
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0-9537557-2-X] .

In Dublin on 5 June 1849, the sentences of O'Brien and other members of the Irish Confederation were commuted to transportation for life to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania).

Transportation

O'Brien attempted to escape from Maria Island off Tasmania, but was betrayed by a certain Ellis, captain of the schooner hired for the escape, and sent to Port Arthur where he met up with John Mitchel. The cottages O'Brien lived in on Maria Island and Port Arthur remain as they were then to this day. Ellis was tried for this betrayal by Terence MacManus at a lynch court in San Francisco, but freed for lack of evidence.cite book
last = Touhill
first = Blanche
authorlink = Blanche Touhill
coauthors =
title = William Smith O'Brien and His Irish Revolutionary Companions in Penal Exile
publisher = University of Missouri Press
date = 1981
location = Columbia & London
pages = p.124
isbn = 0-8262-0339-6 ]

In 1854, after five years in Tasmania, he was released on the condition he never return to Ireland, and settled in Brussels. In May 1856, he was granted an unconditional pardon and returned to Ireland in July, but played no further part in politics.

Legacy

There is a statue of him on O'Connell Street, Dublin.

His older brother Lucius O'Brien (1800-1872) was also a Member of Parliament for County Clare.

Quotes

*cite book
last = Smith O'Brien
first = William
authorlink = William Smith O'Brien
coauthors =
title = Principles of Government or Meditations in Exile
publisher = James Duffy, Patrick Donahoe
date = 1856
location = Dublin & Boston
pages = Vol. I – 388pp., Vol. II – 380pp. US edition single vol. 480pp.
url = http://books.google.ie/books?id=4VUBAAAAYAAJ
doi =
id =
isbn =

References

hidden begin
title=Books by Young Irelanders (Irish Confederation)
titlestyle = background:pink; text-align:center;

;Additional Reading

* [http://www.astonisher.com/archives/mjb/irishlit/irishlit_ch1.html The Politics of Irish Literature: from Thomas Davis to W.B. Yeats, Malcolm Brown] , Allen & Unwin, 1973.
*John Mitchel, A Cause Too Many, Aidan Hegarty, Camlane Press.
*Thomas Davis, The Thinker and Teacher, Arthur Griffith, M.H. Gill & Son 1922.
*Brigadier-General Thomas Francis Meagher His Political and Military Career,Capt. W. F. Lyons, Burns Oates & Washbourne Limited 1869
*Young Ireland and 1848, Dennis Gwynn, Cork University Press 1949.
*Daniel O'Connell The Irish Liberator, Dennis Gwynn, Hutchinson & Co, Ltd.
*O'Connell Davis and the Collages Bill, Dennis Gwynn, Cork University Press 1948.
*Smith O’Brien And The “Secession”, Dennis Gwynn,Cork University Press
*Meagher of The Sword, Edited By Arthur Griffith, M. H. Gill & Son, Ltd. 1916.
*Young Irelander Abroad The Diary of Charles Hart, Edited by Brendan O'Cathaoir, University Press.
*John Mitchel First Felon for Ireland, Edited By Brian O'Higgins, Brian O'Higgins 1947.
*Rossa's Recollections 1838 to 1898, Intro by Sean O'Luing, The Lyons Press 2004.
*Labour in Ireland, James Connolly, Fleet Street 1910.
*The Re-Conquest of Ireland, James Connolly, Fleet Street 1915.
*John Mitchel Noted Irish Lives, Louis J. Walsh, The Talbot Press Ltd 1934.
*Thomas Davis: Essays and Poems, Centenary Memoir, M. H Gill, M.H. Gill & Son, Ltd MCMXLV.
*Life of John Martin, P. A. Sillard, James Duffy & Co., Ltd 1901.
*Life of John Mitchel, P. A. Sillard, James Duffy and Co., Ltd 1908.
*John Mitchel, P. S. O'Hegarty, Maunsel & Company, Ltd 1917.
*The Fenians in Context Irish Politics & Society 1848-82, R. V. Comerford, Wolfhound Press 1998
*William Smith O'Brien and the Young Ireland Rebellion of 1848, Robert Sloan, Four Courts Press 2000
*Irish Mitchel, Seamus MacCall, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd 1938.
*Ireland Her Own, T. A. Jackson, Lawrence & Wishart Ltd 1976.
*Life and Times of Daniel O'Connell, T. C. Luby, Cameron & Ferguson.
*Young Ireland, T. F. O'Sullivan, The Kerryman Ltd. 1945.
*Irish Rebel John Devoy and America's Fight for Irish Freedom, Terry Golway, St. Martin's Griffin 1998.
*Paddy's Lament Ireland 1846-1847 Prelude to Hatred, Thomas Gallagher, Poolbeg 1994.
*The Great Shame, Thomas Keneally, Anchor Books 1999.
*James Fintan Lalor, Thomas, P. O'Neill, Golden Publications 2003.
*Charles Gavan Duffy: Conversations With Carlyle (1892), with Introduction, Stray Thoughts On Young Ireland, by Brendan Clifford, Athol Books, Belfast, ISBN 0 85034 1140. (Pg. 32 Titled, Foster’s account Of Young Ireland.)
*Envoi, Taking Leave Of Roy Foster, by Brendan Clifford and Julianne Herlihy, Aubane Historical Society, Cork.
*The Falcon Family, or, Young Ireland, by M. W. Savage, London, 1845. ( [http://www.quinnipiac.edu/other/abl/etext/irish/falcon/falconmain.html An Gorta Mor] )"Quinnipiac University"