Meaghers Escape

Meaghers Escape

The tune below is a Hannah Foley original composition recorded live at a practice session at the Republic Bar Hobart Tasmania in June 2009

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Listen to the recording 'Live at the Mecure Hotel, Launceston 2009'

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This high energy tune captures the daring escape of Irish Rebel Thomas Meagher from Van Diemands Land to New York in 1852. With the aid of a network of friends and fresh horses Thomas rode across the state to a waiting ship and found freedom in America. Thomas Meagher was a political prisoner who led an uprising during the time of the potato famine. This movement was crushed and Thomas was sent as punishment to Van Diemands Land for the term of his natural life. Following his escape to America he became known as the Irish General for his part in the Civil War where he faught for the Union.

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Thomas Meagher, was sent to Van Diemen’s Land along with fellow Irish political prisoners, William Smith O’Brien, John Mitchell, John Martin, Kevin O’Doherty and Terence MacManus in 1849 after being found guilty of sedition for their role in what became known as the ‘Battle of Ballingarry’ in 1848. They had prepared for the ‘battle’ by visiting France earlier that same year to learn about revolutionary movements and returned to Ireland with a gift from the French of a tricolour flag coloured orange, white and green. While slightly different to the current flag, Meagher and his friends were the first to fly the Flag of Ireland at the ‘Wolfe Tone Confederate Club’ in Waterford in March 1848. After all of those involved in sedition initially being sentenced to death it was only due to pressure from the public and those of importance from overseas which led to the sentences being commuted by royal clemency to transportation across the seas. Meagher may have considered himself fortunate, as prior to the original sentence of death he commented to the judge ‘My Lord, this is our first offence, but not our last. If you will be easy with us this once, we promise on our word as gentleman to try better next time.’ After arrival in Van Diemen’s land each man was assigned to a different region of the colony and forbidden to have contact with one another, although talk of clandestine meetings at Lake Sorell and two of the men sharing a meal on the bridge at Tunbridge; each with their chair in their own district, suggest that they may have bent the rules somewhat. In order to be granted a Ticket of Leave, which ensured relative ease of movement in their own district, each man promised in return that they would not attempt to escape from Van Diemen’s Land. Meagher was to famously go back on his word, but in doing so, legend has it that he announced to the authorities his imminent escape, giving them a fighting chance of capturing him. In January 1852 Meagher sent his ticket of leave and a letter expressing his intention to escape to the authorities. Leaving his heavily pregnant wife with her parents at New Norfolk, he set off for Lake Sorell. It was at Lake Sorell that Meagher is said to have told police that it was his duty to escape and theirs to attempt to capture him. The police, on the other hand, reported that Meagher had already left prior to their arrival. Riding through the high country, Meagher eventually reached the town of Westbury in the north of the colony and here he was aided and kept hidden by members of the large Irish community. Laying low for several days, Meagher eventually made his way to the Tamar River north of Launceston and was rowed to an island where he was supposed to rendezvous with a ship. The ship was said to have been delayed for several days and Meagher left not knowing whether it would ever arrive. When it finally did arrive Meagher was soon heading to a new life in the U.S.A. As if his escape was not sensational enough, Meagher went on to raise and command an Irish brigade for the North in the American Civil War and after the war concluded he became acting Governor of Montana. Meagher died in mysterious circumstances when he fell from a boat into the Missouri River on 1 July 1867 and drowned. Some suggested suicide and others that he was murdered. Nothing conclusive was ever proved. Thomas Meagher is remembered as both one of the heroes of the ‘Young Ireland’ movement and someone who was as controversial in death as he was in life.

Links
* http://members.tassie.net.au/~rwatson/meagher.htm
* http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmeagher.htm
* http://www.city-data.com/picfilesv/picv27188.php
* http://governor.mt.gov/speeches/ltgov/speeches.asp?ID=124

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Meaghers Escape

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