The original nucleus of the Young Ireland movement in Ireland comprised three Irish intellectuals, Thomas Davis, Charles Gavan Duffy and John Blake Dillon. By 1848, when the movement's political activities were reaching fever pitch, Davis had already died (September 1845), Duffy was gaoled in Ireland where he remained until April 1849 and Dillon had escaped to America. In New York Dillon set up a law practice and it can be speculated that he became a member of the New York Irish Directory that funded the escape attempts from Van Diemen's Land.
Patrick James Smyth was one of the Young Irelanders who evaded arrest in 1848 by escaping to America. Smyth, working as a journalist in New York, became involved with the Irish New York Directory—a group of Irish sympathisers who supported Irish freedom—and its plans to liberate the Young Irelanders from Van Diemen's Land.
Thomas Davis, born at Mallow, County Cork, on 24 October 1814, is widely regarded as the true leader of the Young Irelanders. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, graduating in 1836. Although called to the bar in 1838, he did not practise law but was drawn to journalism. He was heavily involved in the Trinity College Historical Society, which became the incubator for many of his nationalist ideas. Also of great influence to Davis was Daniel O'Connell, whom he greatly admired. Davis was also influenced by Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, published in 1835, which advocated education for all classes as well as the democratic responsibilities of those already educated. Davis joined O'Connell's Repeal Association in 1841 and between 1839 and 1841 wrote numerous articles on politics and history for the monthly magazine The Citizen, later called the Dublin Monthly Magazine. Dillon, Charles Gavan Duffy (also a journalist), and Davis together founded the weekly journal The Nation,which became both a springboard and a forum for Irish nationalism. The first issue appeared on 15 October 1842. Although Davis's promising life was cut short when he died of cholera on 16 September 1845 at the age of thirty-four, his intellectual views and Irish patriotism inspired both the Young Irelanders and the Irish nation at large, even those with different political views.1
Helen F. Mulvey, 'Davis, Thomas Osborne (1814-1845)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 23 June 2009].
Charles Gavan Duffy was a mainly self-educated Catholic who worked his way up to become an influential journalist and newspaper proprietor. He owned and edited, at a relatively young age, The Vindicator, a Catholic paper in Belfast. Duffy supported Daniel O'Connell's Repeal Association and advocated the use of a weekly journal to support the association as well as to impart ideas of cultural nationalism to the Irish people. The result was The Nation, which proved a phenomenal success. Its inflammatory articles, however, eventually led to Duffy being indicted for sedition in January 1844, and he was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment the following May. Upon his release Duffy returned to edit The Nation, but when Thomas Davis died Duffy invited John Mitchel to sub-edit the paper. Although supportive of the Irish Confederation after the Irish uprising of 1848, Duffy, unlike other Young Irelanders, managed to escape arrest. The Nation, however, was closed down on 28 July 1848. Duffy later revived the journal but it was never the same, and in October 1855 he emigrated to Australia where he enjoyed a successful political career. In 1873 he was knighted for his services to the state of Victoria.1
R.B. O'Brien, 'Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan (1816-1903)', rev. Brigitte Anton, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, accessed 23 June 2009]. Note Duffy also wrote an early history of the Young Ireland movement, see C. G. Duffy, Four Years of Irish History, 1845-1849, Melbourne, 1883.
John Blake Dillon was born in Ballaghaderreen, the son of a farmer and shopkeeper. He was educated at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, and then Trinity College, Dublin, where he excelled in political economy and graduated in logic and ethics, after which he was called to the Irish bar. Dillon met Thomas Davis at Trinity College, where they both participated in the Historical Society. It was Dillon, along with Thomas Francis Meagher, who persuaded William Smith O'Brien to lead the insurrection in Tipperary in 1848. After the failure of the incident Dillon escaped to America with a £300 bounty on his head. In America he became a successful lawyer and it can be speculated that he was heavily involved with the New York Irish Directory. Dillon returned to Ireland in 1856, where he became involved in politics. He was elected MP for Tipperary in July 1865 but died suddenly of cholera in Killiney 15 September 1866.1
Brendon Ó Cathaoir, 'Dillon, John Blake (1814-1866)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 23 June 2009].
Patrick James Smyth was born in Dublin, the son of a prosperous Catholic merchant. He was educated at Clongowes with Thomas Meagher and felt similarly strongly about Irish self-determination. Smyth joined the Repeal Association and seceded with the other Young Irelanders in July 1846 to form the Irish Confederation, soon becoming a leading member. After the July 1848 Ballingary Uprising, in which he was not directly involved, he escaped to America, worked as a journalist, and became involved with the New York Irish Directory. With their encouragement he travelled to Van Diemen's Land to arrange John Mitchel's escape. Because of Smyth’s previous journalistic support for railway projects1 in Nicaragua, John Mitchel and his family nicknamed Smyth 'Nicaragua'. Smyth married a Tasmanian girl, Jeannie Regan, at St Joseph's Church, Hobart, in 1855 and later returned to Ireland where he worked as a newspaperman, became involved in politics and was elected to Parliament as a member for Westmeath and later Tipperary before his death in early 1885.2
Memoires of the Late Mr P.J. Smyth, M.P. Unpublished manuscript written by one of his children. Circa 1900.
D.J. O'Donoghue, 'Smyth, Patrick James (c.1823-1885)', rev. Brigitte Anton, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008. [http://www.oxforddng.com/view/article/25956, accessed 23 June 2009]. Note: a biography of P.J. Smyth is yet to be written.