""wrMJfW, '•"" ' '" i-w^^^^Rip^^ mm P ^?i^:^- LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN Frcan the collection of James Collins Drumcondra, Ireland. Purchased, 1918 941,5 D431 CENTRAL CIRCULATION BOOKSTACKS The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was borrowed on or before the Latest Date stamped below. llMft, muHlatloii, and underlinins off bosks oro rooaons for dlscipliaary oction and may rosult In dlimitiol from Hio Unhrorsily. TO RINEW CAU TELEPHONE CENTER, 333.1400 UNIVERSITY OP ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAION m ^ ^952 CM APR 5 1994 When renewing by phone, write new due date below previous due date. 78733 L162 THE IRISH IN BRITAIN. THE IRISH IN BRITAIN FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE FALL AND DEATH OF PARNELL BY JOHN DENVIR SECOND EDITION LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., Ltd. PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD 1894 PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. The two years that have passed since the appearance of the first edition of " The Irish in Britain" have been among the most eventful in Irish history. But, though our cause has, during that period, made giant strides, the time has scarcely yet come when a satisfactory history can be presented of the struggle still going on, which we believe to be the final rally for Ireland's freedom. It is still true to say that no portion of our race has borne a more distinguished part in this struggle than the Irish in Britain. When the General Election of 1892 found the Irish Parliamentary Party with an empty treasury, their prompt and generous contribution gave heart and- hope to Ireland. It proved to her that an appeal to her children at home and abroad would not be made in vain. In answer to Ireland's call the sinews of war were poured in, and the Irish Party were sent back to Parliament, somewhat less in number, it is true, than before the Parnell crisis, but still overwhelmingly representative of the people of Ireland. The best proof of returning unity, and that the forces of faction were diminish- ing, was that the Parnellite party in Parliament entered upon the General Election with thirty-two members and came out of it with but nine. The General Election placed Mr Gladstone in power by — iv PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. a comparatively small majority. Even that majority the great Liberal leader would not have had but for the splendid organisation of our people on this side of the Channel, The carrying of the Home Rule Bill of 1892 through the House of Commons by Mr Gladstone brought us almost within sight of that promised land, which, at one time when we were the Ishmaelites of the British Empire— few of us had ever hoped to see. The rejection of the Bill by the House of Lords was only what was expected. The breaking down of that barrier is but a question of time. Meanwhile we must not lose heart if we find the struggle longer than we expected. With perseverance we must win. Let us judge the future by what has already been accomplished. Often has her emancipation seemed within Ireland's grasp, but never since the invader set foot on her shores did she appear to be so near freedom and happiness as now. In point of material progress the terrible struggle of so many years waged by our people in this country still continues to bear fruit. In intelligence, education, and influence, their march is still onward and upward, and there seems no reason to doubt that they are reaching the end of one of the saddest and yet most remarkable stories in history. It is the fervent belief of those who know them best that our mother Ireland will have no less cause to be proud of them in a prosperous future than she has had in an arduous past. — CONTENTS. BOOK I. EARLY IRISH COLONISTS AND MISSIONARIES. CHAPTER I. PAGE Early Irish Settlements in Britain—The Scots and Picts . i CHAPTER II. Ireland and Scotland—St Columbkille and lona ... 3 CHAPTER III. Ireland and England—The Missionaries from lona—Irish Art in Britain 10 BOOK II. THE AGE OF FEUDALISM. CHAPTER IV. The Normans in England— " Base Diarmid M'Murrough " The Irish in the Scottish and French Wars, and in the Wars of the Roses—In the Tower—At Tyburn . , . 15 — vi CONTENTS. BOOK III. THE reformation:' CHAPTER V. PAGE The Irish Chiefs become English Nobles and Land-grabbers "The Reformation"—Shakespeare's Sketches of Irishmen —Irish Music in Britain 29 CHAPTER VI. The Stuarts—The Infamous " Court of Wards "—Persecution Duplicity of Charles I. —The Rising of 1641 —Valour of Irish Soldiers in Britain—Colkitto and his Antrim men Early Irish Colony in London—Martyrdom of Oliver Plunkett—James II. loses his crown . ... 40 CHAPTER VII. Irish Genius during the Stuart Reigns 59 BOOK IV. THE PENAL DAYS. CHAPTER Vin. Persecution again—The Jacobite Rising of 1745—Thurot's Expedition 64 CHAPTER IX. The Irish in London in the Eighteenth Century—Burke and Sheridan—Relaxation of the Penal Code—Scottish " No- Popery" Riots—The Gordon Riots in London—Irish Victims—The United Irishmen in England—Father O'Leary 76 CHAPTER X. Distinguished Irishmen of the Eighteenth Century ... 95 CONTENTS. vii BOOK V. FROM THE UNION TO EMANCIPATION, CHAPTER XI. PAGE Martial Law—Catholicity at the Opening of the Nineteenth Century—The Fight for Emancipation .... 97 BOOK VI. acONNELL AND THE REPEAL AGITATION. CHAPTER Xn. Catholic Progress—Orangeism—Accession of Victoria—The Chartists 107 CHAPTER XIII. The Census of 1 841—Where the Irish were then to be found throughout Great Britain 113 CHAPTER XIV. Opening of the Repeal Agitation—Father Mathew—Thomas Davis ..... 117 BOOK VII. THE FAMINE. CHAPTER XV. " Gone with a Vengeance " j2o —— viii CONTENTS. BOOK VIII. YOUNG IRELAND. CHAPTER XVI. PAGE The Nation Newspaper—The Young Irelanders—Ribbonism The Irish Confederation—Tha Young Irelanders in Great Britain—Terence Bellew M'Manus 125 CHAPTER XVII. The Confederates in Great Britain organise and arm themselves 138 CHAPTER XVIII. Thomas D'Arcy M'Gee and the Young Irelanders in Scotland . 142 CHAPTER XIX. The Rising—M'Manus at Ballingarry—Arrests in England and Scotland—Arrest, Trial, and Transportation of M'Manus His Death 146 BOOK IX. IRISH PROGRESS IN BRITAIN. CHAPTER XX. The Great Immigration— Location and Condition of our People 153 CHAPTER XXI. " " Spreading the Faith —The War of Creeds and Races . 157 CHAPTER XXII. Catholic Development—Restoration of the Hierarchy in Eng- land—The "Papal Aggression" Mania—Tenaiit Right "The Pope's Brass Band"—Riots again—Treason of the Sadlier-Keogh gang—Catholic disabilities in the Army, Navy, and Public Institutions—Fate of Sadlier and Keogh 160 — 5 CONTENTS. ix BOOK X. FENIANISM. CHAPTER XXIII. PAGE James Stephens and the Phoenix Conspiracy—^Jeremiah O'Dono- van (Rossa)—The Brotherhood of St Patrick—The M'Manus Funeral—The Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood in England and Scotland—Informers at Work—Seizure of the Irish People—Arrests in England—The Liverpool Irish Volun- teers 176 CHAPTER XXIV. Arrest of Stephens—^True Story of his Escape, told by John Devoy, one of his Rescuers—Devoy and Stephens on the chances of a Rising in 1865—More Arrests in England Arms for Ireland . .189 CHAPTER XXV. Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act—Stephens reaches France —Gladstone and Cardinal Manning on Fenianism—Fenian recruits from the Army—The Informer Corydon—More Arms for Ireland—Rickard Burke 204 CHAPTER XXVI. New Year's Day, 1867—^The Hour has come, but not the Man —How the Fenian Chiefs "squandered the Money of the Irish- Servant Girls "—Preparations for the Rising—The Plot to seize Chester Castle—M 'Cafferty—Flood—Davitt 2 1 CHAPTER XXVII. The Rising in Ireland 224 — CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXVIII. PAGE Fenian Alarms in England—Arrest and Rescue of Kelly and Deasy—"God save Ireland"—The Manchester Martyrs The Clerkenwell Explosion 228 CHAPTER XXIX. Michael Davitt 244 CHAPTER XXX. Retrospective—Church Progress—The Irish in Liverpool—The — " Irish in Birmingham " No-Popery Riots again . 248 BOOK XI. HOME RULE—THE LAND LEAGUE—THE IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE. CHAPTER XXXI. The Home Rule Confederation of Great Britain—Isaac Butt An Active Policy demanded—The Convention of 1877 Parnell succeeds Butt as President of the Home Rule Con- federation 263 CHAPTER XXXII. Release of Fenian Prisoners—The Land League—^The General Election of 1880—Overthrow of the Tory Government Liberal Coercion—Gladstone's Land Bill—Imprisonment of the Irish Leaders- -Attempted suppression of United Ireland 281 CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER XXXIII. PAGE Abandonment of Coercion and a Relapse into it—The Tredegar Riots—The Irish in South Wales—A. M. Sullivan . 294 CHAPTER XXXIV. The Irish National League of Great Britain—The 1885 Election —The Balance of Power—Supporting the Tories . 314 CHAPTER XXXV. Mr Gladstone a Convert to Home Rule—His Defeat in Parlia- ment and at the Polls * 321 CHAPTER XXXVI. The Bye-Elections— " The Flowing Tide"—The League pre- pares for the next Election—Our Muster Roll . 323 CHAPTER XXXVII. The 7V«/£j Forgeries—The "Flowing Tide" still sweeps on— William O'Brien 329 CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Forgeries Commission again—The British Spy " Le Caron" —Pigott the Forger—Explosion of the Conspiracy—Flight and Suicide of Pigott ,.. BOOK XII. THE FALL AND DEATH OF PARNELL. CHAPTER XXXIX. Parnell's Sin—His Deposition—The Irish in Britain reject him —Ireland condemns him at the Polls—Kilkenny—Sligo— Carlow—Death of Parnell—Freedom still in sight . 362 xii CONTENTS. BOOK XIII. THE IRISH IN BRITAIN TO-DAY. CHAPTER XL. PAGE The Census of 1881 and of 1891 383 CHAPTER XLI.