The Irish standard., 1891-07-04
The ONLY o'GoRMAN MAHON
A Sketch of That Distinguished Irish
man and What He
Accomplished.
OLDEST MEMBER OF COMMONS.
His Death Hard Blow to the
Cause Of Irish indie
pendence.

pendence.
James Patrick O'Gorman Mahon (bet
ter known among bis own people as The
O'Gorman Mahon), Nationalist mem
Der of Parliament for Carlow. died in
London, on June 17tb, after lingering
illness resulting from an attack Of the
prevailing epidemic of influenza, the ct.
fects of which his advanced age rem"
dered him less able to withstand. In
him the House of Commons loses its
oldest member in date Of election. and
one of the most picturesque of the his
torical fgures of the present century
vanishes from the stage of llish politics,
in which he took an active part from
the opening by O'ConneIl of the agita-
tion for Catholic Email cipation.
O'Gorman Mahon was born IN 1908,
near Ennis, the County Town of Glare,
being descended op his fathers side
from Mahop, the brother Of the victor
of ClOntarf, while on his mothers side
he came CT the O'Gorman stock. to
which belongs Judge Richard O'Gor-
man, Of New York, between whom and
the deceased there was, in their more
youthful days. a strong family resem-
biance. Like many other Catholics at
that time, UGorman Mahon was edu-
Gated at Trinity College, Dublin, where
he prepared himself for the legal pro-
fession, being admitted, iu 1884, to the
bar, at hich, however, he never prac-
ticed. Fer some years previous he had
been q leading figure among those who
followed O'Connell in the struggle for
Catholic Emancipation, being equally
ready to advocate the cause OH the rOs-
trum Or face it's enemies, p1stOl in hand,
on the field. In tbs latter capacity he
ventured bis life no less than thirteen
times, in these stormy days, when the
duel was regarded as an agency as in
dispensable jn partY conflicts as the bal
lot box is at present. IN the mem rable
election Of 1928, which resulted in the
return OF C'Connell for Glare, and the
overthrow Of the old 'Asceudancv"
party, O'Gorman Mahon, then twenty
i've years Old, took a prominent part,
Shie1, in his ''Sketehes of the Irish
Bar" thus describes his appearance in
the opening scene in the courthouse at
Ennis:
The election opened, and the court
house in which the sheriff read the writ.
presented a new and striking scene.
On the left hand of the sheriff stood a
Cabinet Minister, attended by the whole
body of the aristocracy OF the county of
Clare. Their appearance indicated at
once their superior rank and their pro-
found morti fcation. An expression Of
bitterness and of wounded pride was
stamped in various notifications of re-
sentiment upon their countenances;- ;
while others, who were in the interest
of MI. Fitzgerald, and who were small
Protestant proprietors, affected to look
big and Important, and swelled them
selves into gentry upon the credit of
voting for the Minister, On the right
hand of the sheriff stood O'Connel),
with scarcely single gentleman bv bis
side; for most even Of the Catholic pro-
prietors had abandoned hum, and joined
the ministerial candidate. But the body
of the court presented the power OF
O'Connell in mass Of determined
peasants, amongst whom black coats
and sacerdotal yisages were felicltous]y |
intermixed, outside the balustrade of |
the gallery on the left hand Of the
sheriff.
s'Before the business began, a gentle |
man was observed on whom every eye
was turned, He had indeed chosen
most singular position; for, instead of
sitting like the other auditors on the
seats Of the gallery, he leaned over it.
and suspending himself above the
crowd. afforded what was an object Of
wonder to the great body of the specta-
tors, and of Indignation to the High
Sheriff. The attire of the individual
who was thus perched in this dangerous
position was sufficiently strange. He
had on coat Of Irish tablnet, with
glossy trousers of the same national
material; he wore no overcoat; blue
shirt. lined with streaks Of white, was
open at his neck, in which the strength
of Hercules and ihe symmetry Of An
tinous were combined; broad green
sash, with medal Of the order OF
Liberators' at the end Of it, hung con-
spicuously over his breast; and pro-
fusion Of black curls, c,iriously fes-
tooned about bis temples, shadowed 9
very handsome and expressive connte
nance, great part Of which was occu1
pied 1bY whiskers Of 9 busby amplitude.