On 21 July, 2004 Mr. Tom Parlon, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works performed the official opening of the Famine Warhouse 1848, Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary. OBAIR 14
During the Great Famine (1845-50) the
Irish self-government. He was an idealist
Warhouse was the scene of the 1848
who tried to unite landlord and tenant and
Rebellion by the Young Irelanders. The
to stage a bloodless revolution in 1848
new permanent State exhibition in the
but when he was met by the forces of the
house tells the story of the Famine and
State at Ballingarry the limits of his moral
the Rebellion, and the trial, imprisonment,
force were reached. He was just after
and penal exile of the leaders in Van
shaking hands with some of the forty-
Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania, Australia).
seven police in the house and telling them
The Rebellion is one of the best-
that all that he wanted was their guns and
documented events in Irish history and
they would be free to go, when the police
eyewitness accounts from participants –
commander ordered his men to open fire
police, rebels and the children who were
on O’Brien’s local supporters. The
in the house – have been used throughout
attempts by John O’Mahony to re-start
the exhibition.
the Rising in September 1848 at Glenbower, Ahenny and Portlaw are
The Rebellion was led by the Protestant
covered in the exhibition, as is James
aristocrat William Smith O’Brien, who was
Fintan Lalor and the 1849 movement.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, described the house as ‘an important historic monument and part of our national heritage’ and acknowledged the appropriateness of it housing a permanent exhibition.
born in Dromoland Castle and was a descendant of Brian Boru. O’Brien was
After the failure of the Rising, O’Brien,
MP for County Limerick and he regarded
Thomas Francis Meagher, Terence Bellew
the horrors of the Famine and the deaths
MacManus and Patrick O’Donohoe were
of a million people as justifying his
tried for High Treason at Clonmel. They
resistance to the State. He hoped to use
were sentenced to death, which they
moral force to convince the State to grant
refused to appeal. The sentences were
OBAIR 15
It locates the Famine Rebellion in its European context and shows how the Young Irelanders were influenced by and closely monitored the Revolutions across Europe – in France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Hungary – in 1848.
commuted to penal exile in Van Diemen’s
movement. The Young Irelanders,
purchased by the State in 1998 during
Land where the transported were joined
Charles J. Kickham (from Mullinahone)
the 150th anniversary celebrations. At
by John Mitchel, John Martin and Kevin
and John O’Leary (from Tipperary Town),
the time the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD,
Izod O’Doherty. O’Brien was deprived of
went on to become prominent Fenians.
described the house as ‘an important
his parliamentary seat as a convicted
Others achieved high offices abroad that
historic monument and part of our
traitor. The exhibition tells how a number
were denied to their talents in Ireland.
national heritage’ and acknowledged the
of the leaders escaped from Van Diemen’s
Charles Gavan Duffy, editor of The Nation,
appropriateness of it housing a
Land to the United States of America
became premier of the state of Victoria in
permanent exhibition. It is a substantial
where they became the leaders of the
Australia; Thomas D’Arcy McGee became
two-storey building dating from about
Famine Irish who had fled Ireland
a cabinet minister and one of the
1844; it has been the subject of an
into exile.
founders of modern Canada. Richard
extensive conservation and renovation
O’Gorman became a judge of the
project by the Office of Public Works.
Meagher who gave Ireland it’s tricolour
superior court in New York. John Blake
The Famine Warhouse 1848 is an historic
flag in 1848 (a fact commemorated at the
Dillon, who escaped to New York after the
cultural amenity and a new visitor
1848 flag monument in The Commons)
Rising, later became an MP for County
attraction with an important educational
became a Brigadier General leading the
Tipperary and the founder of the Dillon
role mid-way between Cashel and
Irish Brigade in some of the greatest
dynasty.
Kilkenny City.
battles of the American Civil War and died as acting governor of Montana.
The historian Dr Thomas McGrath, a native of Ballingarry, has written the wide-
The Kilkenny man, James Stephens, aide-
ranging historical exhibition in the house.
de-camp to William Smith O’Brien at the
It locates the Famine Rebellion in its
Famine Warhouse, escaped after the
European context and shows how the
Rising with his 1848 colleagues John
Young Irelanders were influenced by and
O’Mahony (from Ballycurkeen, Carrick-on-
closely monitored the Revolutions across
Suir) and Michael Doheny (a native of
Europe – in France, Germany, Austria,
Fethard who lived in Cashel) and with
Italy and Hungary – in 1848.
these men he founded the Fenian
The Famine Warhouse 1848 was
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