John Moore (Irish politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Citizen
John Moore
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Memorial plaque on John Roberts Square, Waterford
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| President of the Province of Connacht | |
| In office 1798–1798 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1763 Ashbrook, near Straide, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Died | 6 December 1799 (aged 36) Waterford, Ireland |
| Cause of death | "a lingering and obstinate disorder" |
| Resting place | Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland |
John Moore (1763 – 6 December 1799) was an important Irish rebel leader. He was a member of the Society of United Irishmen, a group that wanted Ireland to be independent. In August 1798, a French army arrived in Ireland to help the rebels. Their commander, General Humbert, appointed John Moore as the "President of the Government of the Province of Connacht."
Contents
Early Life of John Moore
John Moore was born in 1763 in Ashbrook, near Straide, County Mayo, Ireland. His father, George Moore, was a successful merchant. John went to school in France, first at the Catholic school of Douai and then at the University of Paris. He studied under the name "Bellew" while in Paris.
After returning to Ireland, he began studying to become a barrister (a type of lawyer). However, it seems he was not very interested in his legal studies.
Becoming President of Connacht
In 1798, a major uprising called the Irish Rebellion of 1798 took place in Ireland. During this time, about 1,000 French soldiers, led by General Humbert, landed in Killala. John Moore joined these French forces, and many of his tenants (people who rented land from him) also joined the fight.
After the Battle of Castlebar on August 27, 1798, General Humbert made an important announcement. On August 31, 1798, he issued a decree that named John Moore as the President of the Government of the Province of Connacht.
The decree said that the government for Connacht would be in Castlebar. It also stated that John Moore would be in charge of choosing the other members of this government. Their main tasks were to organize the military in Connacht and make sure both the French and Irish armies had enough food. The decree also called for all men aged 16 to 40 to join the army to fight against the "Tyrant of Anglicized Ireland."
Army Of IrelandLiberty, Equality
Head quarters at Castlebar, 14th Fructidor, sixth Year of the French Republic, One and Indivisible.
General Humbert, Commander in Chief of the Army of Ireland, desirous of organising with the least possible delay, an administrative power for the Province of Connaught, decrees as follows:
— General Humbert, Commanding-in-Chief
- The Government of the Province of Connaught shall reside at Castlebar till further orders.
- The Government shall be composed of twelve members, who shall be named by the General-in-chief of the French Army.
- Citizen JOHN MOORE is named President of the Government of the Province of Connaught, he is specially entrusted with the nomination and reunion of the members of the Government.
- The Government shall occupy itself immediately in organising the Military power of the Province of Connaught, and with providing subsistence for the French and Irish Armies.
- There shall be organised eight regiments of infantry, each of twelve hundred men, and four regiments of cavalry, each of six hundred men.
- The Government shall declare rebels and traitors to the country all those who having received clothing and arms, shall not join the army within four and twenty hours.
- Every individual from sixteen years of age to forty, inclusive, is REQUIRED in the name of the Irish Republic, to betake himself instantly to the French Camp, to march in a mass against the common enemy, the Tyrant of ANGLICIZED IRELAND, whose destruction alone can establish the independence and happiness of ANCIENT HIBERNIA.
Although the decree mentioned an "Irish Republic," people often refer to this short-lived government as the "Republic of Connacht." This is because John Moore's appointment was the only major civil leadership role created by the French in Ireland at that time. The new republic was set up by the French to gain more support from the Irish people.
One of the things President Moore managed to do was to print "paper money" in the name of the French government. However, the new republic did not last long.
Capture and Later Life
In September 1798, only a few weeks after it was declared, the Irish Royal Army moved westward. The "Republic of Connacht" was defeated at the Battle of Ballinamuck. President Moore was captured in Castlebar by a British officer.
His trial was delayed because the British authorities were worried that rebels might try to rescue him if he was taken to Dublin for trial. Eventually, Moore was sentenced to be sent away from Ireland. While being taken to Duncannon Fort in Wexford, he became ill and died in the Royal Oak Coaching Inn in Broad Street, Waterford City, on December 6, 1799.
State Funeral and Legacy
John Moore was first buried in a cemetery in Ballygunner Temple in Waterford. The exact location of his grave was forgotten for many years. It was only rediscovered by chance in 1960.
On August 12, 1961, his remains were dug up and brought under military guard to Castlebar. The next day, August 13, 1961, after a special funeral mass, John Moore's remains were reburied at The Mall in Castlebar. This was a state military funeral, meaning it was a very important event. Many important people attended, including the President of Ireland, Éamon de Valera, the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Seán Lemass, and ambassadors from Spain and France. Some of John Moore's living relatives were also there.
The inscription on Moore's grave reads: "Ireland's first president and a descendant of St Thomas More, who gave his life for his country in the rising of 1798 ... By the will of the people exhumed and reinterred here with all honours of church and state." It's important to know that the claim about him being a descendant of St. Thomas More is not proven.
