Patrick O'Donoghue (Young Irelander) facts for kids
Patrick O'Donoghue (1810–1854) was an Irish Nationalist and journalist from Clonegal, County Carlow. He was an important member of the Young Ireland movement, which worked for Irish independence. He was also known as Patrick O'Donohoe or O'Donoghoe.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Patrick O'Donoghue was born into a farming family in County Carlow. He taught himself many things and worked hard to get into Trinity College Dublin, a famous university. After his studies, he worked as a Law Clerk in Dublin.
The Young Irelander Rebellion
In July 1848, a group called the Young Irelanders tried to start a rebellion against British rule in Ireland. This event is known as the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. The rebellion happened in a place called Ballingarry, County Tipperary, but it was not successful.
After the rebellion, Patrick O'Donoghue was arrested. In October 1848, he was put on trial in Clonmel, County Tipperary. He was found guilty of trying to overthrow the government. At first, he was sentenced to death. However, like other Young Ireland leaders, his sentence was changed. Instead of being executed, he was sent away for life to a penal colony. This was a place where prisoners were sent far away, and for Patrick, it was Van Diemen's Land (which is now called Tasmania).
Life in Van Diemen's Land
In 1849, Patrick O'Donoghue, along with other famous Young Irelanders like William Smith O'Brien and Thomas Francis Meagher, was put on a prison ship called the Swift. The journey was very long and difficult, lasting six months and covering 14,000 miles. Some prisoners did not survive the harsh conditions.
Once he arrived in Hobart Town (Van Diemen's Land) on January 26, 1850, Patrick O'Donoghue started something amazing. He began publishing a weekly newspaper called The Irish Exile. He used materials he found or borrowed to create it. This newspaper was mainly for other Irish prisoners and people who had been sent to Australia. It is thought to be the first Irish Nationalist newspaper ever published in Australia.
The Irish Exile newspaper shared many things. It featured Irish songs and poems, stories about Irish history, and updates from John Martin about the Repeal Association. This group was working to cancel the Act of Union 1800, which had removed the Irish Parliament. The paper also shared local news about the thousands of Irish people living in Hobart Town.
Patrick O'Donoghue even published parts of his own journal from his journey on The Swift in The Irish Exile. These stories were so interesting that other newspapers in Australia, Britain, and Ireland reprinted them.
The governor of Van Diemen's Land, Sir William Denison, did not like the newspaper. Even though publishing it wasn't against the law, the governor found a way to stop O'Donoghue. He arrested Patrick for leaving his assigned area.
In March 1851, Patrick was released and sent back to Hobart Town. But he didn't give up! He immediately started his newspaper again. He even wrote a long story about his time working in a chain gang, which is a group of prisoners chained together for forced labor. The governor was very unhappy and sent him back to a chain gang, this time to a more distant place called the Cascades Penal Station.
Escape to America
Three months later, the governor ordered Patrick to be released from the chain gang and sent to Launceston. On the way there, Patrick O'Donoghue managed to escape from his guards. Other prisoners helped him hide on a ship called the Yarra Yara, which was sailing to Melbourne.
In Melbourne, he successfully hid from the British authorities. With more help from Irish supporters, he managed to travel to San Francisco in America. Some of his friends from the Young Ireland movement, like MacManus and Meagher, also ended up there.
Patrick O'Donoghue died in New York City on January 22, 1854. His wife was on a ship from Ireland, but she arrived shortly after he passed away. It is believed that the difficult time he spent in the chain gang might have made him very sick.
Legacy
Today, a local branch of the Sinn Féin political party in Carlow is named after Patrick O'Donoghue, honoring his memory and his fight for Irish independence.
See also
- List of convicts transported to Australia
