John Boyle O'Reilly
Memorial,
Hull, Massachusetts
This memorial outside John Boyle O'Reilly’s summer
home honors the famous Irish-born patriot, political prisoner, author, editor, and civic leader.
Born near Drogheda, Ireland, in 1844, O'Reilly became active
in the Fenian movement to overthrow British rule in Ireland even while he was a member of the British military. When his efforts
to recruit other Irish soldiers to the cause were uncovered, he was sentenced to twenty years of penal servitude.
After escaping from western Australia, O'Reilly began a literary
career in Boston that made him one of the most popular writers and commentators on the Irish-American scene. His influence
grew steadily, first as editor and then as co-owner of the Pilot, the most influential "Irish paper" in America.
Through this vehicle, as well as through his articles in the major publications of the period, O'Reilly became a spokesman
for racial and religious tolerance, American patriotism, Irish nationalism, and the Jeffersonian ideals of the Democratic
Party.
An indication of the esteem in which this naturalized American
was held by his contemporaries is evident in the frequency with which he was called upon to provide the appropriate sentiment
on various civic occasions. Before a gathering of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1886, for example, he delivered a Memorial
Day oration entitled "The Common Citizen Soldier." Two years later he read his poem "Crispus Attucks" at the dedication of
the Boston Massacre Monument on the Boston Common, and in 1889 he composed a poem for the dedication of the Pilgrim Fathers
Monument at Plymouth. He also wrote "Liberty Lighting the World" for the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty.
