Fenian Rising

Lore & Background

The Fenians were a transatlantic association consisting of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, founded in Dublin by James Stephens in 1858, and the Fenian Brotherhood, founded in the United States by John O'Mahony and Michael Doheny, also in 1858. Their aim was the establishment of an independent Irish Republic by force of arms. The Great Famine of 1845–50 had killed about a million people and caused another million to emigrate, hardening Irish attitudes to British rule. In 1865, the Fenians began preparing for a rebellion, collecting about 6,000 firearms and having as many as 50,000 men willing to fight. In September 1865, the British moved to close down the Fenians' newspaper The Irish People and arrested much of the leadership, including John O'Leary, Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, Bryan Dillon, Thomas Clarke Luby and Stephens. Stephens later escaped. In 1866, habeas corpus was suspended in Ireland and there were hundreds more arrests of Fenian activists.

Reader's Guide

The Fenian Rising of 1867, though a military failure, had lasting significance as a symbol of Irish resistance to British rule. The rising was poorly organised and infiltrated by informants, leading to the arrest of most leaders in Ireland. Although some were sentenced to death, none were executed. The IRB subsequently carried out a series of attacks in England aimed at freeing Fenian prisoners, including a bomb in London and an attack on a prison van in Manchester, for which three Fenians, known as the Manchester martyrs, were executed in November 1867. The rising demonstrated the difficulties of coordinating a transatlantic revolutionary movement, as the American wing split over strategy, with one faction favouring a rising in Ireland and another favouring an invasion of Canada. The diversion of American money and manpower towards the Canadian scheme left the home organisation short of funds and arms. The Fenian Rising contributed to the broader narrative of Irish nationalism and influenced later movements for Irish independence.

Did You Know?

• The Fenian Rising was organised by the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), founded in Dublin by James Stephens in 1858.
• The rising of 1867 included scattered skirmishes in Dublin in early March, but was quickly suppressed due to poor planning and infiltration by the Dublin Castle administration.
• The American wing of the Fenian Brotherhood split in 1865, with one faction favouring an invasion of Canada.