Soul on Fire: A Life of Thomas RussellThomas Russell, the United Irishman and close friend of Wolfe Tone, had an eventful and varied life. He fought in India as an armed officer, was a journalist with the radical Northern Star, librarian with the Linen Hall Library, and one of the most important radical political activists of the 1790s. Russell played a key role in the founding of the United Irishmen, and in transforming the constitutional society into a revolutionary conspiracy. He is also accepted as the most socially radical of all the United Irish leaders, and was a fervent opponent of the slave trade and industrial exploitation. He was seen by the government as perhaps the most dangerous of the United Irishmen, and as a result he spent six years in prison without a trial. He emerged from prison in 1802 still intent on revolt, and is unique in being the only founder of the United Irishmen to participate in the society's last stand - the Emmet revolt of 1803. To assist Emmet's efforts in Dublin, he attempted to raise Ulster, but failed and was hanged in Downpatrick. There was, however, much more to his life than politics. He participated fully in the intellectual ferment of the late eighteenth century, and had wide-ranging interests in philosophy, politics, science, literature and Gaelic culture. On a personal level, he was a fascinating man, his dark striking looks and engaging personality winning him the admiration of both men and women. Yet he was an enigmatic and tortured soul, his heavy drinking and sexual promiscuity sitting uneasily with his deeply-held Christian beliefs. Born a Protestant, he was a deeply religious man, sympathetic to all forms of Christianity, and his religious views, most notably his belief in the advent of a Christian utopia or millennium, offer the key to understanding his life. |
From inside the book
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Page 48
... leading radicals in establishing a new political club . On 11 October he and Russell arrived in Belfast . The remaining preliminaries for the founding of the new society were to be carried out by a secret committee of Volunteers . Its ...
... leading radicals in establishing a new political club . On 11 October he and Russell arrived in Belfast . The remaining preliminaries for the founding of the new society were to be carried out by a secret committee of Volunteers . Its ...
Page 50
... leading role in establishing amicable relations with the Belfast Volunteers in the previous months . Despite the tentative communications between the two groups , Belfast Presbyterians were still ignorant of Catholic politics and ...
... leading role in establishing amicable relations with the Belfast Volunteers in the previous months . Despite the tentative communications between the two groups , Belfast Presbyterians were still ignorant of Catholic politics and ...
Page 246
... leading figures in Emmet's insur- rection , including McCabe , Dowdall and Long , converged on London and contacted leading English radicals . Dowdall met up with Burdett and McCabe with Despard . It may also be that John Russell had ...
... leading figures in Emmet's insur- rection , including McCabe , Dowdall and Long , converged on London and contacted leading English radicals . Dowdall met up with Burdett and McCabe with Despard . It may also be that John Russell had ...
Common terms and phrases
activities Antrim appears arms arrest attempt authorities Belfast believed brother Castle Catholic cause claimed committee common correspondence Defenders Drennan Dublin early effect efforts Emmet evidence force France French friends George given hand Henry Hope insurrection interest Ireland James John John Russell July June land later laws leading letter liberty lives London Lord Madden papers March Martha McTier Mary Ann McCracken meeting movement Neilson never North Northern Star noted observed officer organisation parliament particularly political poor preparations prisoners probably published radical reason rebellion received reform remained reported republican rising Robert Robert Simms Russell's journal seems Sept Sirr papers social society taken Thomas Russell tion Tone Tone's Ulster United Irish United Irishmen views Writings written wrote