Each December members of the Fredericksburg, Virginia Thomas Francis Meagher AOH division honor the members of the Irish Brigade. We place a wreath at a plaque near the City Dock where General Meagher spoke to his troops before the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Thomas Francis Meagher is quite famous in Montana.  He has a county named after him, as well as the AOH division in Helena.  There is a statue of him on the front lawn of the capital building, there.  As the territorial governor, he called for the territory's first constitutional convention, unfortunately, not enough residents voted for statehood at that time.  He was either killed or died falling overboard a steamboat near Fort Benton, Montana.  His body was never found.

Hi Elaine
Do you have any Roscommon (Ireland) connections

Patrick O'Flynn
smarterfones@yahoo.ie

Hi Elaine
I do know of a Patrick Flynn and Margaret Green whose first child Miles recorded was born 1819 last 1838 seems Patrick was in the Molly Mcguires and was with others raiding houses for guns when the owner was killed. This was in 1845 and he was hanged in Roscommon in 1848

Patrick

Some extra reading on the work of Irish freedom workers that you may find of interest:

"John Devoy's Catalpa Expedition" ed Philip Fennell and Marie King (New York Uni Press 2008) gives details of the rescue from Fremantle gaol in 1876. It is based on many primary sources.

Keneally, Thomas: "The Great Shame' (Random House Australia 1998) has details of Thomas Francis Meagher and others associated with those working for irish independence.

Anne Maye

Thanks Anne Maye and others. I read another great book last year about Thomas Meagher titled "The Immortal Irishman" by Timothy Egan  Published by Houghton Miffllin Harcourt, 2016.

John Hogan

Thanks John for the extra reading. An important thing to remember is that the fight for Irish Independence was not just a religious one. It was about Irish Independence and if we look carefully at the people involved we find that there were lifelong connections and collaborations between people of all faiths, as well as some who fought on opposite sides in the American Civil War but who remained committed allies to the Irish cause.

Anne Maye