James Fintan Lalor (in Irish, Séamas Fionntán Ó Leathlobhair) (10 March 1809 – 27 December 1849) was an Irish revolutionary, journalist, and “one of the most powerful writers of his day.” John Mitchel, The History of Ireland, Vol 2, James Duffy, London, 1869 A leading member of the Irish Confederation (Young Ireland), he was to play an active part in both the Rebellion in July 1848 and the attempted Rising in September of that same year. Lalor's writings were to exert a seminal influence on later Irish leaders such as Michael Davitt, James Connolly, Pádraig Pearse, and Arthur Griffith.Thomas P. O'Neill, James Fintan Lalor, Golden Publications, Dublin,
Early life
James Fintan Lalor was born in Tinnakill House (Fintan Lalor always referred to his birthplace as Tenakill), Raheen, County Laois (known at the time as Queen's County) on 10 March 1807. The first son of Patrick "Patt" Lalor and Anne Dillon (daughter of Patrick Dillon of Sheane near Maryborough). Patrick and Anna were to have twelve children. Patrick was to become the first Catholic M.P. for Laois in 1832 - 1835, and was to lead a campaign of passive resistance to the payment tithes. Patrick was to outlive his eldest son by six years, dying in 1856, and his mother Anna was to die in 1835, the same year as his brother Joseph.
James was, according to Tomás Ó Néill one of his biographers, a fine healthy baby when born, but as the result of an accident as an infant, was left semi-crippled. Though small for his age, being both pale and delicate, James was to display unexpected strength of body. Though hardy enough he was never sent to school, having private tuition at home instead. This was to continue up until he was seventeen when it was then decided that he should go to college.
St Patrick's, Carlow College In February 1825 he went to St. Patrick's, Carlow College, the vice-president of which, Father William Kinsella, was to go on to become the bishop of Ossory. It was Father William himself who welcomed James to the college and introduced him to Maurice Lenihan, who was to be his advisor and guardian. In College, James studied both chemistry, under a Mr Holt and the classics under Father Andrew Fitzgerald. While in college he became a member of the Apollo Society, where literature and music were studied, his favourite author at the time being Lord Bolingbroke.
In college one of the great influences on James was Bishop James Doyle. In the controversies over tithes, education and the freedom of religion Dr. Doyle, writing under the pen name J.K.L, was considered very influential. An atmosphere of patriotism in the college was encouraged, and this was shown later, not just in James Fintan's later life, but in that of students such as John O'Leary, Richard D'Alton Williams and Maurice Leyne.
While in college James worked hard and learnt the basics and principles not just of chemistry but law also. This understanding of law, Tomás Ó Néill suggests became evident from his writings later on. He suffered greatly through ill health during his time in college, and in February 1826, being ill and very weak he had to return home.
After College Not much is known about James after he left college, most information being based on oral tradition. One suggestion is that he became an apprentice to a Dr. John Jacob, who worked in Portlaoise county hospital. In June 1827 Dr. Jacob died and was replaced by his son who was a young medical student. The suggestion is that they did not get on and James left the hospital. Another account put forward for this period is that he left the hospital because of a "disappointment in love.” It is then suggested that James intended to sail to France. Tomás Ó Néill is fairly certain that James never went to France, and points to the fact that there is no reference to it in James's later writings.
However, T. F. O’Sullivan's account of his life, in The Young Irelanders, states that he did in fact go and lived there for a couple of years, being supplied with money by his mother.T. F. O’Sullivan, The Young Irelanders, The Kerryman Ltd. 1945. What is known though, is that there is no real definite account at all about him for several years.
Tithe Campaign Catholic Emancipation had been granted in 1829, and according to Patrick Lalor, Catholics would never be fully free while the burden of a foreign faith was on them in the form of tithes. Supported by his family, Patrick at a public meeting in Portlaoise, said he intended to give up paying tithes to a foreign faith. As a result of this declaration, Arthur Moore Mosse, who was the secretary of the Grand Jury, asked Patrick to call off his campaign offering to give him a receipt for the year's tithe, but he refused. Mosse then offered him a receipt that would free him from tithes for the rest of his life, and this was also refused.
Shortly after, the proctor seized twenty of the brothers' sheep, but they got replevin and the sheep had to be returned. When the sheep had to be sold the family painted "Tithe" on them, which meant no one would buy them. On the way to Smithfield market in Dublin, no one would offer any help to the drovers. In Dublin, the only bid for them was from the steward of the Rev. John Latouch, a Mr. Brough. It was Latouch who had sent the proctor to the Lalors in the first place. As a result of this, the sheep had to be placed on a boat for Liverpool, but even there no one would bid for them, so they were then driven to Manchester and then to Leeds: most died on the road.
The Lalor brothers had through their father become politically active. (The Tithe War had started according to O'Neill, but it would be some time before it would end.)
Politics
Politics began to play an important part in the life of the Lalor family. In 1832 Patrick Lalor, was called to give evidence before a Select Committee, having been recognised as one of the leaders in Daniel O'Connell's Repeal Association. He founded himself the Laois Liberal Club, which was in later years part of the election machinery for Parnell. During the elections of this year, Patrick was to come in ahead of Sir Charles Coote, the Tory Party candidate winning the seat, and this was seen as a major victory for the cause. During the campaign the Tory paper, the Leinster Express, attempted to destroy Patrick's character, claiming he himself was a tyrant. Patrick was in 1835 to lose his seat to Thomas Vesey, the son of Lord Vesey. Lord Vesey during the election compelled his tenants to vote against their conscience, and those who did not were evicted from their holdings.
Around this time there were a number of secret societies in Ireland. With names such as the Blackfeet, Whitefeet and the Terryalts. These groups originated from the Whiteboys of the previous generation. It was these groups who reacted to these types of evictions. James was of the view the root of the problem lay not with the societies but with the power of the landlords to evict tenants. Lalor's great friend at this time was John Marnell, also the son of a farmer, and he too shared Lalor's views. It was the issue of land and the ownership of land which was to shape the rest of James Fintan Lalor's life.
Temperance and The Shamrock Friendly Society
In 1838 Father Mathew, the temperance priest, began his campaign. In just a year or two of starting this campaign, millions were to give up alcohol. One such society was formed in Raheen and Fintan Lalor became a member. In November 1840 he then proposed that the Society should become an association and that it should have additional aims also. This was agreed and the name was changed to The Shamrock Friendly Society. In this Society, they planned to organise free legal aid to help the poor, as well as organise reading and promote healthy games.
In addition to the Society, Fintan Lalor was influenced by a group of agrarian reformers in his native county. They were led by William Conner, who suggested a scheme for arbitration on rents and fixity of tenure for tenant farmers. Conner's suggestions were to find few supporters, but Fintan Lalor was one of them. He became closely associated with Conner and spent weeks at his house near Athy. He also attended Conner's public meetings which were held in various parts of Kildare and Laois.Leaders and Workers, Edited by J. W. Boyle, Mercier Press, Dublin, 1978,
Conner was finally charged with making a seditious speech at Mountmellick in 1841 for which he received a sentence of six months’ imprisonment. As a result of his activities, Conner was expelled from the Repeal Association because he proposed that Repealers should not pay rent, county cess, rent charge, tithe poor rate or any other charge arising out of land until repeal was granted. Fintan Lalor agreed with Conner and it was at this stage that his political differences with his Father really began.
Repeal Association
In 1840 Daniel O'Connell split with the Whigs and re-established the Repeal Association as a separate parliamentary entity. While support for another one of O'Connell's associations was slow to start, with the adhesion of both Thomas Davis, John Blake Dillon and Charles Gavan Duffy the Association was to quickly develop. James was totally opposed to both O'Connell and the Association. He thought O'Connell's whole policy was flawed, and wrote a letter to Robert Peel the head of government, calling for it to be suppressed. "Mr. O’Connell, his agitators, and his series of wretched agitations" had so "disgusted him" that he thought it "probable" that he should "soon be obliged to join the Conservative party openly and actively". In consequence, and notwithstanding that his "family—friends are all violent Repealers", he was offering his services to the government.
See Full text here: s:Letter to Robert Peel calling for Repeal to be suppressed
This opinion of O’Connell was to cause a rift to develop between Fintan Lalor and his father, who much admired O’Connell. The final event was an article Fintan Lalor was to write in January 1844 about the aims of the Irish Agricultural Society. As a result of this, their relationship was to break down completely, and Fintan Lalor was obliged to leave home.
Dublin and Belfast Having left home Fintan Lalor headed to Dublin. While in the capitol his health deteriorated and was to break down completely. Thomas Brady attended to him and treated him for a chest complaint. Based on the medication proscribed, O’Neill suggests that it seems likely that what he was suffering from was tuberculosis. Fintan Lalor was to never fully recover from this episode. When his father found out about his son's condition, he sent money to help him out. Though he could have returned home at this time, he went instead to look for employment. His friend John Marnell introduced him to William Blood, who ran a bank come pawn shop, where the poor could get loans at reasonable rates. Fintan Lalor then went to Belfast to learn more about this from a similar establishment run by a Father James Finn. He took ill again, at one stage vomiting blood, and on the advice of his family and friends was urged returned home to Tenakill. He wrote to his father and apologized for his many faults. As a result, the bonds between the two were mended. Fintan Lalor, did not return home though, instead staying in the city and attempting to find employment. But his health was again to break down and at last, he was forced to return home. By March 1846, he was back with his family in Tenakill.
The Nation The Great Irish Famine led him into direct action: he attempted to found tenant-right societies and organise rent strikes.