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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Of the 61st, Devoy later recalled: "It was supposed to be an English Regiment but there were not one hundred men in it who were not Irish, and there were 600 Fenians. It was the banner Fenian regiment." Amongst this lot of course was Robert Cranston of Catalpa-fame

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Really enjoyed taking a jaunt down to Inchicore recently to take part in the 'Talks at the Mess' series in Richmond Barracks - thanks to Donal Fallon for the invite and serving as fear an tí ar an oíche !

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Buried in St Lawrence Cemetery, only a stone's throw away from where the Yale Bowl now stands, his friends and comrades erected a fitting monument to the often understated role of "Catalpa Jim" in the expedition's success

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Clan na Gael leader John Devoy (then in New Bedford) contacted the New Haven-based Irish republican activist and businessman, James Reynolds, in a panic over the nearly $5,000 shortfall. Reynolds promptly mortgaged his Connecticut home as collateral, saving the expedition.

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Meanwhile, on the east coast of the US, the role of one local participant was being etched in stone. In the run-up to the expedition, the effort nearly fell through when Clan na Gael's funds for purchase of the vessel were delayed.

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Accredited to an anonymous Irishman who lived in the area around the time of the escape, the correspondent claimed the song was "sung at almost every [local] Irish gathering," and at the time of writing, "served as a kind of link with the past."

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

In 1903, one resident of Western Australia remarked how the episode was recalled locally through the following song. It was noted that despite having been "simply handed down by word of mouth," the piece was "known to almost every living person in Western Australia."

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the whaling ship Catalpa's arrival in New York harbor, carrying six Fenian prisoners rescued from Fremantle. It's worth taking a look at how the escape was remembered by two diasporic communities around the turn of the 20th century

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Personal highlight for me was the opportunity to visit the grave of renowned Fenian and veteran of the 99th NY National Guard, Patrick Leonard.

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

It was a pleasure to make an appearance at the first annual John Boyle O'Reilly Festival in County Meath at the weekend. Really great to see so many engaging with the history of Fenianism. Congrats to the organisers, especially Ciarán and Catriona Warfield.

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

One week since The Fenian Empire hit US shelves! A massive thank you to everyone who has reached out, and to the brilliant series editors Kevin Kenny & Nicholas Wolf - and the entire @nyupress.bsky.social team for putting together a final product that really captures the spirit of the text.

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Pádraig Fhia Ó Mathúna @patrickjmahone1.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Honoured that the Enchanted Bay was named runner up for the 2025 Katharine Briggs Award tonight by the @folkloresociety.bsky.social - Fantastic to see this recognition go to a work of Irish folklore!

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