# Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/O'Doherty, Kevin Izod

contains biographical information of his wife, Mary Eva Kelly
​O'DOHERTY, KEVIN IZOD (1823–1905), Irish and Australian politician, born in Gloucester Street, Dublin, on 7 Sept. 1823, was son of William Izod O'Doherty, solicitor, by his wife Anne McEvoy. After a good preliminary education at Dr. Wall's school in Hume Street, Dublin, he entered the School of Medicine of the Catholic university there in 1843. While pursuing his medical studies he identified himself with the Young Ireland movement and contributed to its organ, the 'Nation,' and was one of the founders of the Students' and Polytechnic Clubs, which opposed the constitutional leaders under O'Connell. When John Mitchel [q. v.] seceded from the 'Nation,' and openly advocated revolution, O'Doherty leaned to his views, and when Mitchel's paper, the 'Weekly Irishman,' was suppressed and himself arrested, O'Doherty helped to carry on Mitchel's campaign, chiefly in the 'Irish Tribune,' which he started with Richard Dalton Williams, the first number appearing on 10 June 1848. After five weeks the paper was seized, and O'Doherty and his colleagues were arrested and charged with treason-felony. After two juries had disagreed as to their verdict, he was convicted by a third jury, and sentenced to transportation for ten years to Van Diemen's Land. He arrived in that colony on the Elphinstone with John Martin (1812–1875) [q. v.] in November 1849.
In 1854 O'Doherty received, with the other Young Irelanders, a pardon on condition that he did not return to the United Kingdom. He went to Paris to continue his medical studies, but managed to pay a flying visit to Ireland in 1855. In 1856 his pardon was made unconditional, and having taken his medical degrees in the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians of Leland in 1857 and in 1859 he practised his profession for a while in his native city. In 1862 he emigrated to Sydney, New South Wales, soon proceeding to the new colony of Queensland, and settled in Brisbane. Here he long practised as a physician. He was elected a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. In 1877 he was made a member of the legislative council of the colony, but resigned in 1885, and returned to Europe. He was presented with the freedom of the city of Dublin in that year. At Parnell's invitation he was elected nationalist member for North Meath in 1885. But he had lost touch with home politics and in 1888 went back to Brisbane, where he failed to recover his extensive professional connection. His last years were clouded by pecuniary distress. He died on 15 July 1905, leaving his widow and daughter unprovided for. Four sons had predeceased him.
His wife, Mary Anne Kelly (1826-1910), Irish poetess, daughter of a Galway gentleman farmer named Kelly by his wife, a Miss O'Flaherty of Galway, was born at Headford in that county in 1826. Early in the career of the 'Nation' newspaper she contributed powerful patriotic verses. Her earliest poem in the paper appeared on 28 Dec. 1844 under her original signature 'Eionnuala.' Subsequently she adopted the signature 'Eva.' Of the three chief poetesses of Irish nationality 'Mary' (Ellen Mary Patrick Downing), and 'Speranza' (Jane Elgee, afterwards Lady Wilde [q. v.]), being the other two), 'Eva 'was the most gifted. She also wrote much verse, full of patriotism, feeling, and fancy, for the nationalist papers, 'Irish Tribune,' 'Irish Felon,' the 'Irishman,' and the 'Irish People.'
Before O'Doherty was convicted in 1849 he had become engaged to her, and she declined his offer to release her. In 1855 O'Doherty paid a surreptitious visit to Ireland and married her in Kingstown. After her husband's death in 1905 she was supported by a fund raised for her relief by Irish people. Mrs. O'Doherty died at Brisbane on 21 May 1910, and was buried there by the side of her husband. A monument was placed by public subscription over their graves.
'Poems by "Eva" of "The Nation"' appeared in San Francisco in 1877. A selection of her poems was issued for her benefit in Dublin in 1908, with a preface by Seumas MacManus and a memoir by Justin McCarthy.
D. J. O'D.