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 49
... society had been pivotal : most notably in drawing Tone into the preparations and in attempting to effect the union of sects to which the society aspired . Maureen Wall singled out Drennan and Russell as the key activists who had worked ...
... society had been pivotal : most notably in drawing Tone into the preparations and in attempting to effect the union of sects to which the society aspired . Maureen Wall singled out Drennan and Russell as the key activists who had worked ...
Page 118
... society was ostensibly non- political , politics often intruded into its deliberations . In 1792 it passed a resolution in favour of Catholic emancipation and by November 1793 , the chairman of the local Whig club , Dr Alexander Haliday ...
... society was ostensibly non- political , politics often intruded into its deliberations . In 1792 it passed a resolution in favour of Catholic emancipation and by November 1793 , the chairman of the local Whig club , Dr Alexander Haliday ...
Page 158
... society in the latter half of 1794. According to Emmet this Belfast society had continued to meet throughout the year and had avoided the attention of the authorities because of ' the obscurity of its members ' . These men were ...
... society in the latter half of 1794. According to Emmet this Belfast society had continued to meet throughout the year and had avoided the attention of the authorities because of ' the obscurity of its members ' . These men were ...
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