John Daly (Fenian)
Encyclopedia
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
revolutionary, and a leading member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
. Uncle to Kathleen Clarke
Kathleen Clarke
Kathleen Clarke, née Daly was a member of Cumann na mBan, and one of very few privy to the plans of the Easter Rising in 1916. She was the wife of Tom Clarke and sister to Ned Daly, both of whom would be executed for their part in the Rebellion...
, wife of Tom Clarke
Tom Clarke (Irish republican)
Thomas James "Tom" Clarke was an Irish revolutionary leader and arguably the person most responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising. A proponent of violent revolution for most of his life, he spent 15 years in prison...
, executed for his part in the 1916 Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
who was a leading member of the IRB
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
, and her brother ed Daly] ] who was also executed in 1916.
Early life
John Daly was born in Limerick city on 18 October 1845. His father worked in James Harvey & Son’s Timber Yard. At 16 John joined his father working as a lathLath
A lath is a thin, narrow strip of some straight-grained wood or other material, including metal or gypsum. A lattice, or lattice-work, is a criss-crossed or interlaced arrangement of laths, or the pattern made by such an arrangement...
splitter. At 18 he was sworn in as a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
, also known as the Fenians, and became fully involved in Republican activities. When he was refused absolution in confession because he admitted to being a Fenian, he decided that from then on his loyalty would no longer be to “faith and Fatherland” but to “God and Fatherland.”
On 22 November 1866 Daly and his brother Edward were arrested at their family home having been betrayed by an informer, for running a munitions factory in the Pennywell district close to their home. He was released on bail in February 1867 toughened and more dedicated by the experience.
1867 Rising
On 5 March 1867 the ill prepared Fenian RisingFenian Rising
The Fenian Rising of 1867 was a rebellion against British rule in Ireland, organised by the Irish Republican Brotherhood .After the suppression of the Irish People newspaper, disaffection among Irish radical nationalists had continued to smoulder, and during the later part of 1866 IRB leader James...
took place. John Daly took charge of the Limerick detachment of the IRB. Limerick was one of the few areas were the Fenians were able to make some show of force, however weak. Through lack of numbers they failed to make a significant impact on the vastly superior forces arrayed against them. Moving out of the city, Daly moved his men into the country and joined up with other Fenians in an attack on the Irish Constabulary barracks at Kilmallock
Kilmallock
Kilmallock or Kilmalloc is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle . The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are still visible. The Dublin–Cork railway line passes by the town,...
. The attack was repelled and Daly dispersed his men.
After this Daly had to flee the country by stowing away first on a boat the Hollywood, to England, and from London then on board the Cornelius Grenfel to the United States of America.
America
Life in America for working class immigrants was particularly tough and his first job on leaving the ship was digging a cellar. He then obtained work in a white lead factory and worked for a while as a mason’s help before getting a reasonably good job as a brakeman on a tram system. Daly was to recall these experiences in his Recollections of Fenians and Fenianism.Amnesty Association
In 1869 Daly returned to Ireland and took up his old job in the timber yard, and also his Republican activities. He began to help reorganise the IRB and took part in a number of agitations to keep the IRB agenda in the public view. He became a leading voice in the Amnesty Association to help in the release of those Fenians still in jail.In November 1869 a major tenants' right meeting took place in the city. The IRB objected to the meeting because the issue of the prisoners was not on the agenda. In what came to be known as "The Battle of the Markets" the IRB charged the platform and succeeded in dismantling it. Though the organisers of the meeting attempted to hold some form of gathering, Daly and the IRB refused to relent. It was Daly’s opinion that "it was one of the greatest moral victories ever achieved". The issue of the political prisoners was to keep Daly occupied for much of the 1870s. In 1876 Daly was again arrested for disturbing another home rule gathering, though on being brought before the court he was acquitted.
During the Land War
Land War
The Land War in Irish history was a period of agrarian agitation in rural Ireland in the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s. The agitation was led by the Irish National Land League and was dedicated to bettering the position of tenant farmers and ultimately to a redistribution of land to tenants from...
Daly was a member of the Supreme Council of the IRB and became organiser for Connacht and Ulster.
Arrest
Daly had been asked by the Supreme Council to deliver the graveside oration at the funeral of Charles J. KickhamCharles Kickham
Charles Joseph Kickham was an Irish revolutionary, novelist, poet, journalist and one of the most prominent members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.-Early life:...
while in the states.In the summer of 1883, E.G. Jenkinson, head of Special Branch, was informed that John Daly was on his way to Britain from America. When he arrived, a plain-clothes detective was assigned to follow him at all times. As a result of this, Special Branch were alerted to the importance of John Torley in Glasgow, Robert Johnston
Robert Johnston
Robert Johnston may refer to:*Robert Mackenzie Johnston , Scottish-Australian statistician*Robert Matteson Johnston , American historian*Robert Johnston , Irish rugby union player and soldier...
in Belfast and Mark Ryan
Mark F. Ryan
Mark Francis Ryan , was an Irish revolutionary, a leading Member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and author.-Family:...
in London of the IRB.
While in England, Daly settled in Birmingham, in the home of an old friend from Limerick James Egan a generally inactive IRB man. Jenkinson was fully committed to using agent provocateurs in his attempts to convict Republicans. One such recruit was a publican and local IRB man named Dan O’Neill. Both Jenkinson and a Major Nicholas Gosselin
Nicholas Gosselin
Major Sir Nicholas Gosselin was an Irish military officer and intelligence agent.Born in County Cavan, he entered the British Army at the age of 16, serving in the 39th Regiment of Foot and the Royal Welch Fusiliers before becoming the adjutant of the Cavan Militia.He was appointed a resident...
persuaded O'Neill to betray Daly. O'Neill then ask Daly to deliver sealed cases to some associates in London, and on the 11 April Daly was arrested as he was about to board the train for London, and explosives were found in the case he was carrying. The police then raided the home of James Eagan where explosives were "allegedly found buried" in Egan's garden in addition to some documents.
In prison he became friends with Tom Clarke
Tom Clarke (Irish republican)
Thomas James "Tom" Clarke was an Irish revolutionary leader and arguably the person most responsible for the 1916 Easter Rising. A proponent of violent revolution for most of his life, he spent 15 years in prison...
, who would later marry his daughter Kathleen
Kathleen Clarke
Kathleen Clarke, née Daly was a member of Cumann na mBan, and one of very few privy to the plans of the Easter Rising in 1916. She was the wife of Tom Clarke and sister to Ned Daly, both of whom would be executed for their part in the Rebellion...
and who was a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
. While in prison he claim that he was being poisoned which caused an investigated by a commission of inquiry, 1886; it was admitted by prison officials as an error by a warder.
The head of the Birmingham police later made a deathbed confession that Daly had been "convicted on perjured evidence".
Released
Daly was unopposed elected as a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Limerick City
Limerick City (UK Parliament constituency)
Limerick City was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency, in Ireland. It returned one MP 1801–1832, two MPs 1832–1885 and one thereafter. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801...
at the general election in July 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
, as a member of the Parnellite
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
Irish National League. However, he was disqualified on 19 August 1895 as a treason-felon. In August 1896, he went on a lecture tour of England with Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne MacBride was an English-born Irish revolutionary, feminist and actress, best remembered for her turbulent relationship with William Butler Yeats. Of Anglo-Irish stock and birth, she was won over to Irish nationalism by the plight of evicted people in the Land Wars...
and in 1897 on a tour of American which was organised by John Devoy. He later founded a prosperous bakery business in Limerick, and went on to become Lord Mayor of his native city.
Lord Mayor
John Daly was elected three times as mayor of Limerick City, from 1899—1901. He jointly financed with Patrick McCartanPatrick McCartan
Patrick McCartan was an Irish republican and politician. He was born in Eskerbuoy, near Carrickmore, County Tyrone to Bernard McCartan and Bridget Rafferty. He emigrated to the USA as a young man and became a member of Clan na Gael in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and edited the journal Irish Freedom...
the IRB newspaper Irish Freedom in 1910.
The Daly Cup
In 1928, Madge Daly, a niece of John Daly, presented the Daly cup to William P. Clifford, the then-chairman of the Limerick GAALimerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
county board. Since then, the Daly cup is presented to the winners of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The Limerick Senior Hurling Championship is an annual club competition between the top Limerick Clubs. The winners of the Limerick Championship qualify to represent their county in the Munster Club Championship and in turn, go on to the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship...
.
Sources
- A new Dictionary of Irish History from 1800, D. J. Hickey & J. E. Doherty, Gill & Macmillian, 2003, ISBN 0 7171 2520 3
- John Daly, The Fenian Mayor of Limerick Ciarán Ó’Gríofa.
- The IRB: The Irish Republican Brotherhood from The Land League to Sinn Féin Owen McGee, Four Courts Press, 2005, ISBN 1 85182 972 5
- Fenian Memories, Dr. Mark F. Ryan, M. H. Gill & Son, Ltd, Dublin, 1945