Thomas J. Kelly (Irish nationalist)

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For other persons named Thomas Kelly, see Thomas Kelly (disambiguation).

Thomas J. Kelly (1833-February 5, 1908^[1]) was an Irish revolutionary and leader of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB).

A farmer's son, Kelly was born in Mountbellew, County Galway, in 1833. After apprenticing in the printing trade in Loughrea, he emigrated to the United States in 1851, where he worked as a printer in New York. He later joined the Emmet Monument Association, an Irish-American Irish republican group.^{[citation needed]}

In 1857, Kelly went to Nashville, Tennessee, where he soon afterwards started the Nashville Democrat, which supported the presidential campaign of Stephen A. Douglas in the Presidential election of 1860. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, Kelly, a supporter of the Union, was forced to leave Nashville.^{[citation needed]}

On 3 June 1861 he joined the 10th Ohio Infantry as a captain, and experienced battle in West Virginia. He was mustered out on 17 June 1864.^[2]

After the end of the war, Kelly learned about the establishment of the IRB and later joined the movement in New York. The Fenian Brotherhood later dispatched him to Ireland as an envoy to meet with IRB leader James Stephens. He returned to New York in April 1866. He became Deputy to Stephens [the Irish leader of the Fenians] in May 1866, and brought about Stephens' downfall later in the year.^[3]

After Stephens was disposed as IRB leader in December 1866, Kelly, as "Deputy Central Organiser of the Irish Republic", took control of the organisation. Kelly participated in helping Stephens escape from Richmond Jail. He also planned the raid on Chester Castle, scheduled for 11 February 1867, which proved abortive.^[4]

Kelly played an important role in the failed Fenian Rising of 1867 and was arrested.^[5] He later escaped, and in August 1867, called a secret IRB convention at Manchester, where he was declared Chief Organiser of the Irish Republic (COIR), in succession to Stephens.

Kelly was wanted by the British authorities, and for a time managed to evade capture. But on September 11, 1867, Kelly, along with Timothy Deasy, was arrested in Manchester for loitering. Though they gave false names, they were soon identified and charged with more serious offenses. ^[6] Seven days later, Kelly and Deasy were being transferred from the courthouse to the county jail on Hyde Road, Manchester, when about thirty supporters attempted to free them. During the attack, a policeman was killed, but Kelly and Deasy managed to escape. Three men arrested in connection with the attack were later executed, and thereafter known as the Manchester Martyrs. Both Kelly as Deasy escaped to the United States and were never recaptured. Kelly later obtained employment in the New York custom-house.^[7]

He was later associated with the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood in New York. In 1871, he was secretary to the committee which welcomed the "Cuba Five", a group of released Fenian prisoners, to New York.^[8]

He died at his residence, 31 East 130th St. in New York, on 5 February 1908.^[9]

[edit] References

^ Thomas J. Kelly, mountbellew.com, accessed 16 February 2008.
^ Colonel Thomas J. Kelly , rootsweb.com, accessed 16 February 2008.
^ Desmond Ryan, Fenian Chief, 1967, p. 349
^ John Ranelagh, A Short History of Ireland, Cambridge University Press, 1995, ISBN 0521469449, p. 123.
^ Charles Tansill, America And The Fight For Irish Freedom 1866-1922, Head Books, 2007, ISBN 1406750832, p. 38.
^ Robert Kee, The Green Flag Vol. II: The Bold Fenian Men, p. 45
^ Entry on the Fenians, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911.
^ "The Irish Refugees", New York Times, 19 January 1871.
^ New York Times, 9 February 1908.