The Convict and the Soldier

by John P F Lynch

  The desk attendant asked, “May I help you, sir?”

  Michael explained his business and paid for the advertisement. He paused and then asked, “What is the name of that man in that office?”

  She answered, “Oh, that’s Mr Brendan, the new owner.”

  “Could we be introduced, please?” The attendant came back with Mr Brendan.

  “How may I help you?” They shook hands and Michael asked if they could speak privately. He agreed and they went to his office, and he closed the door behind them. He invited Michael to be seated.

  Michael looked closely at him. He was Brendan Devine, the famous Irish rebel. Michael said quietly, “Do you remember Galway Bay and the SS Nantucket?”

  Brendan’s face did not change; it remained expressionless. After a second or two he said, “Could you explain that comment?”

  “Yes, I was one of the two crew on the boat that sailed you to Galway Bay. I wore a sheep skin bonnet and had a short beard,” Brendan replied.

  “Should I remember you as such? But I do have a name that I have not forgotten.”

  Michael said, “I am Michael Keogh.”

  Brendan smiled broadly. “Yes, I remember you and your father. I have never forgotten your help. What a small world we live in. To meet you again is unbelievable.” He stood up and hugged Michael. “Your help allowed me to escape to America and establish a branch of the Free Ireland Party called the ‘The Fenian Brotherhood of America’. I am now doing the same here.” He looked up at the clock on the wall. “I must apologise for now. Do you mind? I have an urgent appointment. Could we meet later and talk again?”

  Michael invited Brendan to dinner at the farm within the week. He was delighted to meet this man again and looked forward to seeing him for dinner.

  ¶

  The dog started barking causing Michael to look in the direction the dog was facing and in the distance he could see a rider approaching. He could not help but be amazed at the extraordinary hearing of the dog. The rider was nearly a half mile away!

  It was Brendan. He dismounted, smiling. They shook hands and he presented Michael with a bottle of Irish whisky. Seamus walked up to them and offered his hand and introduced himself, welcoming him to Woodlea.

  It was an evening that none of them would forget. After dinner the three of them sat and told each other their life stories. It was probably the only times in their short lives that they had completely considered their previous deeds and the reasons they were now in Victoria. They each considered what they would do differently if they had another chance.

  Both Brendan and Michael said they would still have done the same deeds again, as they believed they were morally right in their actions and were satisfied with their current positions in life. However, Michael made the point that he would consider his life a failure if he did not recover the stolen sword and cape, the Irish treasures taken from his father by a British Army officer named Colonel Lang.

  Seamus thought for a while before he made a comment. He had been an apprentice roof thatcher in Limerick for a year before he fell afoul of his employer’s vicious temper. His employer drank from noon until dusk leaving Seamus to do the majority of the work. His last job was required to be completed on time. It ended up needing two more days work to satisfy the house owner. His employer was penalised and was not paid the full amount of the original agreed price. The employer blamed Seamus and struck him with a paling. Seamus retaliated by throwing a stone at him and hit him in the face. The employer then sent for the constable. Seamus had no option but to run away and left the town forever. He was only able to obtain menial jobs and eventually this resulted in him becoming a poacher. He said he had enjoyed being a roof thatcher but having not completed his apprenticeship and having no money to start up this employment, this situation lead to him ultimately becoming a convict and fortunately now a farmer.

  Seamus laughed and summed up saying, “I think my employer did me a favour by hitting me.”

  Michael asked Brendan about what had happened when he boarded the SS Nantucket.

  Brendan started, “Well, I picked a bad time to board the ship. The ship’s captain was entertaining some British officials. The two seamen who met me at the ship’s side took me below into their quarters in the bow and that’s where I stayed until the ship sailed for New York two days later. They said that the captain was an American and often carried Irish passengers, legal or otherwise.”

  “However, as I thought, there were Irish crew members on board and they went ashore to meet with my contacts in Galway and returned with a small box for me. With the two Irish crew members keeping watch, I opened the box in the seclusion of the rope locker and found several brochures, a list of names written in Gaelic and a quantity of money in various denominations.”

  Brendan continued. “After giving the crewmen a token payment, I hid the box in the shipwright’s timber store. With a great sense of relief I felt the ship get underway. My next concern was that the crewmen took me to the captain. I hoped that this would not be a problem. I knew he would not turn back to Galway but also I didn’t want to be in the brig for the entire voyage.

  “We waited outside the captain’s room until a voice called, ‘Enter’. A tall middle aged man sat behind a desk studying a large navigation map. Another man stood alongside him with dividers and a pen in his hand. I found out later that he was the first mate and navigator. One of the Irish crewman explained that I wanted passage to New York. Captain Stevenson smiled. He agreed to my passage provided I kept to myself, and to keeping me off the manifest provided I did not make any trouble. Then he asked me my name. I gave him the name I was told to give — Brian Boru and he laughed. Apparently, the name is popular because I was the second one to use it that year. We agreed that I would pay the normal passage price. I gave my word that I would adhere to his rules Then Captain Stevenson told the Irish crewmen to take me to a small cabin on the main deck. After retrieving the box, I paid for my fare and began to inspect the contents in depth. The brochures were similar to the ones that I had got into trouble with in Kilrush. I presumed correctly that they would be used as a basis to write an appropriate American brochure to support ‘The Fenian Brotherhood of America.’

  “The list of names — fourteen in all — were of Irish origin. Some names were familiar and I looked forward to meeting with them. I had heard that the Irish in New York were more Irish than those living in Ireland.

  “The voyage was uneventful, with the ship tacking continuously into the westerly winds, the pitching and the rolling became monotonous, up then down, over and back with the seas smashing into the bow and spraying the fo’castle. The top sails had been reefed to reduce the stress on the masts from the wind strength. We passed a few ships and saw little sea life. All in all it was an extremely boring trip. The coastline of America appeared at dawn, with the sun rising behind us, shining on the shores, a calm sea and I was full of anticipation for my future crusade. This day was memorable as the last day of my voyage of escape from Ireland.”

  He continued to tell them how the SS Nantucket was positioned alongside the wharf by two small boats and tied to the wharf bollards. After bidding farewell to Captain Stevenson, Brendan went ashore with the two Irish crewmen, who took him to a popular Irish pub frequented by well-known Irish businessmen. Brendan ordered three meals for them while they asked the barman and patrons, who were their friends, if they knew any of the names Brendan gave them. By the time they had completed their meals, two men had approached them and introduced themselves. They were on his list. The Irish crewmen bid farewell and wished him success in his venture and departed.

  Mick Hogan and Will Badger introduced themselves as New York policemen. Brendan was to learn that seven of the men on the list were policemen, three of the others were city officials, one a lawyer and the other three were dock workers who held influential positions.

  Each of them was in a position of influence either political or industrial and they were well organised.
/>   Thousands of Irishmen lived in America and most of them were in New York. Mike and Will knew of Brendan and his escape and subsequent mission. They arranged accommodation and meals at the home of a prominent businessman and then took him shopping as he had arrived with virtually nothing. Over the next month he was taken throughout the city. He was indoctrinated with the district, its history, local customs and politics, meeting people, identifying problems the Irish had in New York. Brendan was most interested in what was being done to raise money and how they highlighted the problems of the Irish people in Ireland, to the people in Europe.

  The committee of the Fenian Brotherhood of America was in its infancy when Brendan arrived in New York. After he felt he had a feel for the New York way of life and the Irish interface, he asked to meet with the committee. The committee consisted of ten of the fourteen names he had been given in Galway. They all had one thing in common — a fierce Irishness and had left Ireland determined to help recruit members and improve the lot of their countrymen, either by returning in armed conflict or to provide material support with money, arms or both.

  The first meeting he attended was basically a discussion, with an open agenda and loose discussions, without seeking policies, actions or plans. Brendan could see that some committee members would not be team members and could be difficult to keep focused on a task however well-meaning their intentions might be. He found Mick, Will and Lionel Jamieson, the lawyer, to be the most logical thinkers who did not lose their trend of thought on important issues. He listened to their comments and made notes on their reasons and possible solutions. There was considerable discussion on minor problems which were of no interest to Brendan and his mission. He decided he would give tacit support to these problems to keep the other committee members on side but he would be focusing on the acquisition of arms and money and getting the ‘Irish Message’ to Europe. The meeting ended cordially with the members patting each other on the back for their contribution, no matter how important or menial it had been. It was decided to have a formal meeting within the month with a set agenda to identify priorities and with suggested solutions. They then proceeded to open the bar and drink, somewhat to excess in Brendan’s opinion. He knew it was the Irish way.

  Brendan began work on the wording of the brochures for the Fenian Brotherhood of America. He wished to emphasise the horrors and the deaths from the famine and the barbaric British rule. The wording was factual, accurate and pointed, aimed at having the maximum impact on the reader. The brochures would have large lettering and could not be more than eight inches by twelve inches, to fit on the gas lamp poles and be easily handed out. He focused on disputing comments made by the Times newspaper whose editor was a known bigot and critic of the Irish population.

  After a week he had decided on the wording and approached Mick, Will and Lionel for their comments. He was more interested in Lionel’s opinion from a legal point of view because he did not want to cause any local animosity towards the Irish or end up in a law suit in New York. He needed the Americans’ support to be able to carry out his mission.

  They all agreed that the wording was suitable. The final judges would be the public. The response was much better than even Brendan expected, with recruits and money literally pouring in.

  The Fenian Brotherhood of America was delighted and they could and would continue their attack on both the English government and their press, using Brendan’s methodology and would now deal directly with contacts in Dublin. He had done his job in New York quicker than expected. He had originally planned to be in New York for three months but had done his task in two. He was then off to the colonies of Australia, funded by The Fenian Brotherhood of America, arriving in Melbourne in January 1854. Since then he had established himself as a prominent member of the local society, despite some bias against the Irish.

  Michael and Seamus had sat listening to him, totally absorbed in Brendan’s story.

  Suddenly he yawned, stood up and said he must be away. “I’m travelling to a meeting in Melbourne on the noon coach.”

  They agreed to meet frequently. Each shook hands and Michael and Seamus walked out to his horse with him. Brendan mounted, gave a wave and headed back to Kyneton. It had been an incredible evening of revelation.

  Michael and Seamus had now been in Victoria for nine months and during this time they had continued to keep a low profile. Generally, they were self-sufficient and if they did need goods they drove the shearing cart into town. It gave them an image of respectability as journeymen. They had planted the vegetable seeds, pruned the fruit trees, cut wood for the approaching winter months and had built another room onto the house. This was the time to improve the property and plan their produce as shearing would not start until the end of winter, several months away. They had succeeded in their objective to establish a farm. The only wish Michael still had was to receive a letter from Maeve.

  Her last letter told him of his father’s and her decision to travel to the colony but it had no local address or date of arrival. He had received an answer from Heather Alford acknowledging his request to use the Woodlea address in future but nothing further from Maeve. Why had he not received a letter?

  CHAPTER SIX

  The Keoghs Emigrate

  Edmund Keogh patted the dog. “Let’s go for a walk.” He headed out of his cottage and strolled down the path towards the cliffs. The day was cloudless and the sun shining made for a pleasant stroll. He never tired of the view he had known from his earliest years — the birds, the flowering lichen, the rabbits and the rugged cliffs with the seas continually spraying upwards as they smacked into the cliff face. The smell of the salt water spray, the wind in his ears and the noise of the waves completed the scene. Such serenity!

  He was under pressure from his family to make up his mind whether to go to Australia or to stay in Ireland. If he did go, he would miss visiting this setting. What to do?

  His brother, Sean, had returned from his gold prospecting in America and now intended to stay home. Both Sean and Jane needed to be together after all of the years of separation. Maeve had moved back to be with her father two weeks ago, and had taken Michael’s bed.

  She had broached the question of leaving Ireland and going to Australia. Edmund did not answer immediately and just sat there looking at her. He looked out of the window for several minutes. Finally he said, “I think it is a good idea. The future of Ireland is not promising — it may even get worse — so you should look to your future. You have John waiting for you in a new country. Yes, you should go.”

  Maeve interrupted. “No, I mean we both go.”

  Edmund waved his hand in the air. “No, it’s your future that is important, don’t worry about me.”

  Maeve replied and tried a bluff. “We both go.” She then got up and started to prepare the evening meal.

  Edmund shook his head, stood up and walked out of the cottage. He knew she would raise the subject again and soon. He would like to be with her but he was getting on in years, with health problems and he was comfortable with his lot in life. The fear of the unknown, at his age, concerned him and there was also the cost of the passage. He had some money but not a lot.

  Aunt Jane knew that Maeve wanted to go to Australia and encouraged her. She also guessed that Edmund would be reluctant to leave Ireland and go to a new country.

  She invited Edmund and Maeve to dinner with the express purpose of helping to solve the impasse. Sean had returned to Ireland and had become very interested in farming again. When he found out that Maeve intended to go to Australia, he wondered if Edmund would accompany her. If so, he would like to add their farm to his and Jane’s farm.

  During dinner, Sean asked his brother, “If you go to Australia, we would like to continue farming your land. We would pay you a reasonable amount and it would help you and keep the land under Keogh control.”

  Edmund appreciated the concerns of his family, for him, but he knew that Sean and Jane did not have much money to spare. He had only made
wages in America and their farm produce sustained them but they made little profit. However, Sean believed that with Edmund’s land they would gradually save some money. The dinner finished without Edmund giving an answer either way.

  A week after the dinner meeting, Sean went to the Kilrush market, and like all farmers, joined with a group. They started talking and discussing local news. One farmer made the comment that he and his family were off to Australia as Government Assisted Immigrants.

  Sean was fully attentive and, after asking a few questions and making further enquiries, he went and obtained an application form from the customs office at the docks. If money was Edmund’s main concern, Sean hoped that this offer of a free passage to Australia would help him make up his mind.

  On his return Edmund listened to Sean explain the Government Assisted Passage terms and he had to admit it did appeal to him. The money he had and what he would get from Sean and Jane would give him some independence. He knew that Maeve and John would want him to live with them and he accepted that situation would not be debatable, nor need it be.

  Edmund, after his stroll to the cliffs, with Maeve in tow, walked to Sean and Jane’s farm. They all sat down and dramatically Edmund stood up and said, “I will go to Australia with Maeve.” Then equally dramatic he sat down.

  The women both kissed Edmund, and Sean shook his hand. Sean opened a bottle of whisky he had been saving for an important occasion such as this. They toasted each other, the Australian colonies, Ireland and when somewhat inebriated, even the dogs, while they all absorbed the implication of Edmund’s decision now that it had finally been made.

  Edmund and Maeve walked home in silence; Edmund with his thoughts of travelling to a new land and leaving Ireland possibly forever, and Maeve with her thoughts of seeing John again. It was over a year since they had parted and now they would meet again.