The Irish standard., 1891-07-04

'''Who, sir, are your exclaimed tn
High Sheriff (Mr. Molony) in tone o
imperious solemnity, which be had ac
|uuired at Canton, where he had Ion!
resided in the service Of the East Indl;
Company.
"sMy name is O'Gorman Mahon,
was the reply, delivered with firmnes'
which clearly showed that the person
who had conveyed this piece Of intelli'
gence thought very little of a High
Sheriff and great deal of O'Gormal
MahOn.
The Sheriff had been offended by the
general appearance of Mr.. Mahon, who
had distracted the public attention from
his own contemplation; but he was par
tlcuIarly irritated by observing the in
surgent symtol Of 'the order of Liber.
ators' dangling at his breast.
"I tell that gentleman said Mr..
Molloy, to take off that badge
"rhere was a moments pause, and
the following answer was slowly and
articulately pronounced:
"sThis gentleman (laying his hand
on his breastl tells that gentleman
(pointing with the other TO the sherltf),
that if that gentleman presumes to
touch this gentleman, that this gentle
man will defend himself against that
gentleman Or ang other gentleman,
while he has got the arm of gentleman
to protect him.
"This extraordinary sentence was FOL
lowed by a loud burst of applause from
all parts of the court house The High
Sheriff looked aghast. The expression
of self-satisfacti ion and magisterial COM
plsceney passed off of bi, visage, and
he looked utterly blank and detected.
After an interval Of irresolution, down
be sat. The SOUP Of O'G Mahon
Ito use Curran's expression), walked
forth in it's own majestv;' he looked
redeemed, regenerated, and disen~
thralled.' The medal of the order of
Liberation was pressed to his heart.
O'Conneu surveyed him with gratitude
and admiration; and the first blow was
struck which sent dismay into the heart
of the party of which the sheriff was
considered to be an adherent."
Soon after the passage OF the Emanci-
patton Act O'Gorman Mahon was
elected to Parliament as a Repeater,
representing first the County Of Glare
and subsequently the borough OF Ennis,
which scat he held till 1852, when. ow~
ing to disagreement with the remnant
CT the Young Ireland Party, he was de-
5eated, and lett ireland in disgust, not
returning for nearly a quarter OF cen
tury. The intervening years he spent
in travelling ON the Continent and IN
Central and South America. He served
ia the armies Of the Republics of Chill
and Costa Rica, in which he received
the rank Of Colonel, and also in the
Brazilian army. He returned to Ire
land in 1874, in time to take part in the
Home Rule conference Of that year in
the Rotunda, Dublin, and was shortly
after returned again to Parliament
from Clars as one of the little band
that then began anew the struggle for
Ireland's national rights. On the reor
ganization of the party, at the succeed
ing general election, which swelled the
ranks of the Irish party to eighty six
O'Gorman Mahon was
elected, in place of ex-Lord Mayor
Dawson, for Carlow, which county he
continued to represent up to his death,
A mao of commanding presence and
giant stature, standing over 6 feet 3
inches in height, with thick curling
hair, whiskers and flowing
beard. he was at once the most striking
and picturesque figure in the House,
while his energy and activity might
we'll put to shame the best efforts OF
nany of his colleagues who We're young
enough to be his grandsons. He will
onp be missed from the ranks Of the
Irish phalanx, which he so often cheered
through the varying phases OF desper-
ate all-night session.