The Irish standard., 1886-05-29
THOMAS OSBORNE DAVIS.
Short Biographical Sketch of a Singer
Whose Songs Inspired q strug-
Cling Nation,
AN HONEST, LAB0Rl0US STUDENT
His Attainnlents Were Characterized LESS
by Brilliancy than by Depth and
Compass.

Mal}ow in 1915. His father was a ma
tive of Wales, who came to Ireland as q
military surgeon and settled down in
the County Cork, Here he met his fu-
ture wife, lady sprung ftom the O'Sul-
liyans and Atkinses of the South.
Thomas Davis WAS not, indeed, VIII oily
Irish, but the influence of native land,
the magic OF it's history and the warm
blood of its ancient chieftains which
came to him through his mother, con-
trlbuted to make him, as they made
many others before him, S'more Irish
than the Irish themselves. His youth
was spent in Mallow, and, as far as We
can learn, had nothing in it to foresha-
dow the brightness Of bis future. He
was, suppose, as mischief making as
boys will be. He WAS shy, retiring and
timid, and loved like TAsso 'tto dream
the visions that arise without a sleep"
He was accustomed, we are told, to
wander often among S'the monuments
Of clay and stone" around the pleasant
city of his birth. The surroundings of
his early years must have done much
to instil into his young heart the en-
thusiasm he afterwards displayed in
the language, antiquities and history Of
Ireland. The very breezes thaE lifted
his sunny locks as he strolled on the
banks of the Elackwater came laden
with the glowing traditions of the South
and the songs of forgotten bards, and
prepared his soul Cor the reception CT
those noble impulses which, in after
life, drew him from the quiet pursuits
of bis profession to do and dare for Ire
land. Often amid the din Of busy life
did his thoughts SO back. in later years
on the wings of poesy to the happy
days of his boyhco0.
'sWhen thoughts were mine inearly youth,
Like some old Irish song
Brimfnl of love, of life and truth,
My spirit gushed along
And again:
"When boyhood's fire was i'll my blood
read Of ancient freelnen,
For Greece and Rome who nObly stood,
Three hundred men aud three men.
And then hoped [ yet might see
Our fetuers rent in twain,
And Ireland, long province, be
A nation once again.
He was sent IN due course to Trinity
College, Dublin, where it was intended
he should pursue his studies for the
bar. In Trinity College he attracted
NO notice by the manifestation OF more
than average abilities, but was known
to all as
ANHONEsT, HARD w ORKING STUDENT {.
His attainments were characterized less
by bril]iancy than by depth and COM
pass; and as be plodded on in his sober:
quiet way his superiors and his fellow
students failed to discover in his unas-
suming manner and dogged perseyer-
ance the genius that was yet to burst
forth IN the service of his country. He
had. in fact, been looked upon as more
of an Englishman than of an Irishman,
and was perhaps the last man in Trim
ity that would be suspected of sympa-
thy with the popular cause. From
Trinity College he went to study law
at the Inns of Court, London. One
evening while resident here, he and a
fellow-student of his, also an Irishman,
visited Drury Lane Theatre, and dur
ing the evenings performance an incl
dent occurred, which, though slight in
itself, gives us an insight into his feel
ing towards ireland even at this period.
It happened that, contrary to the uni
yersal custom then prevailing in Eng
lish theatres, some allusion of gener-
GUS nature was made upon the stage
about the Irish people. So much was
Davis affected by even this slight token
of Just appreciation OF his country
men that, as his companion afterwards
related, his head sunk with emotion
and tears fell from his eyes. Lie must
have felt towards ireland then as he
did later on when, in the ardor of his
patriotic love, he poured forth his feel
ings in the words Of that noble song:
ssShe is Rich and Rare Land" Soon
after his return to Trinity College a
marked changed became evident in his
manner. He was no longer the shy, re-
firing youth, the silent devourer of
BOOKS that had passed unnotlced
through the halls Of Trinity. A genial
frankness beamed from his eyes; the
cheerfulness and bnoyancy Of his con-
yersation made him a favorite
GUEST IN THE GAY DRAWING ROOMS
of the metropolis. But all this time his
mind was at work wandering through
the vast region Of legal and phil ophlic lc
speculation, and layi up there 1' stores 1eeS