Edmund O'Donovan facts for kids

Edmund O'Donovan (born September 13, 1844 – died November 5, 1883) was an Irish war correspondent. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. In 1866, he started writing for The Irish Times and other newspapers in Dublin. He was the first journalist to die while reporting in the Kordofan area during the Sudan campaigns. At the time, he was working for The Daily News.

Edmund O'Donovan's Early Life

Edmund O'Donovan was born on September 12, 1844, in Dublin. His father was John O'Donovan, a famous scholar from Kilkenny. Edmund studied medicine and journalism at Trinity College Dublin.

As a teenager, Edmund and his brothers joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). This was a secret group that wanted Ireland to be independent. He was arrested a few times but kept working as a journalist. He was also very adventurous and enjoyed playing pranks. He was good with languages and knew a lot about weapons. Edmund stayed friends with Irish revolutionaries throughout his life.

O'Donovan's Newspaper Career

Edmund started his newspaper career with The Irish Times in 1866. After a big battle called the Battle of Sedan in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, O'Donovan joined the Foreign Legion of the French Army. He was hurt and captured by the Germans. In 1873, he went to Spain to report on a conflict there called the Carlist rising. He wrote many newspaper stories about it.

Reporting from Bosnia and Merv

From 1876, O'Donovan worked for the Daily News. He reported on a rebellion in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Turks. In 1879, he made a very risky journey to Merv for the same newspaper. When he arrived in Merv, the local people, called Turcomans, thought he was a spy for the Russians. So, they held him captive.

A British officer and spy, Lieutenant Colonel C.E. Stewart, was pretending to be a horse trader. He was surprised by how brave O'Donovan was. O'Donovan had told him he wanted to report on Russian troop movements. He stayed in Mahometabad for weeks. But O'Donovan decided to watch the Turcomans' fortress of Geok Tepe as the Russians advanced. He got sick and worried about problems from Persia. O'Donovan wisely did not tell his newspaper about Stewart's secret identity. Later, his adventures were shared in a book called The Merv Oasis and a report to the Royal Geographic Society. In 1881, he was set free. The Turcomans at Geok Tepe thought he was there to help them.

The Battle of Geok Tepe

The Turcoman fortress had about 10,000 soldiers and 40,000 civilians. The Russian general had 7,000 men. The Turcomans fought very hard to defend their home. The Russian general used powerful cannons to attack the fortress. The Turcomans were defeated when the Russians blew up the walls and rushed inside.

O'Donovan watched the entire battle from a safe spot high in the hills. A British leader, Lord Curzon, later wrote about how impressive it was to see the Turcomans, who had been strong enemies of Russia, now under Russian control. What O'Donovan saw was the end of the Turcomans' independence.

After the Battle

London was worried that the Russians would march on Merv. Merv was an important gateway to Afghanistan and Herat. However, St. Petersburg (the Russian capital) said they would not claim Merv. The Russian leader even spoke to the British ambassador, Lord Dufferin. This led to Merv being controlled by the Turcomans instead of Russia's ally, Persia.

A funny story spread that O'Donovan had been made "The Supreme Ruler" by the local leaders in Merv. But when they found out his newspapers were not money, he had to quickly leave for Tehran. He called Merv "a city of hovels."

After being held captive for several months, O'Donovan finally sent a message to his contacts in Persia. From there, it was sent to England. His adventures were written in his book, The Merv Oasis, published in 1882. The next year, O'Donovan was still looking for adventure. He joined an expedition led by Hicks Pasha to Turco-Egyptian Sudan. Sadly, he died along with most of the Anglo-Egyptian forces at the Battle of El Obeid.

Memorial

Edmund O'Donovan is remembered on a war memorial at St Paul's Cathedral in London. He is one of seven journalists listed who died during the Mahdist War between 1883 and 1885.

See also

• List of journalists killed during the Sudan Campaign