The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #75894   Message #1339417
Posted By: GUEST,JTT
26-Nov-04 - 03:01 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Grave of Wolftone
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grave of Wolftone
If you're interested in some facts about Theobald Wolfe Tone, Searc's Web Guide
has extensive information. It starts:

Theobald Wolfe Tone was born in Dublin and educated at TCD. He entered Middle Temple, London in 1787 and was called to the Irish Bar in 1789. Tone published a pro-independence pamphlet Hibernicus in 1790 and in 1791 he, together with Thomas Russell and William Drennan, founded The Society of United Irishmen in Belfast. In the same year Tone published An Argument on behalf of the Catholics of Ireland (1791) from which the extract below is taken. In 1792 Tone became Secretary of the Catholic Association with whom he worked until 1795 when he was exiled to America for his revolutionary activities.
The next year Tone journeyed to France and successfully petitioned the Directory to aid an rebellion in Ireland. In late December, 1796 a fleet of 15,000 troops sailed with Tone for Ireland under the command of General Hoche. Bad weather scattered the fleet and they were forced to return to France. Tone petitioned the Dutch Government and in July, 1797 a Dutch expedition likewise set sail for but failed to land in Ireland.
When the Rising occurred in May, 1798 another French fleet of 1,000 troops under the command of General Humbert landed at Killala, County Mayo where they were met by the numerically superior forces of the English Army commanded by General Lake to whom they surrendered. Tone persuaded the French Directory to send another expedition to Ireland and in September, 1798 a French fleet of 5,000 troops set sail for Ireland commanded by General Hardy with Tone as Chef de Brigade. The fleet was apprehended by the British navy in Lough Swilly on 11th of October, 1798 and Tone was captured. He was imprisoned at Derry Gaol before being moved to gaol in Dublin, tried for Treason and sentenced to death. When Tone's request for a military execution was refused he tried to commit suicide in prison and died of his injuries on November 18th, 1798.©