The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-01-09
WILLIAM ]. O'NEIlL DAUNT.
he Was g. Striking Personality and an
Important Factor in the Irish
Movement.
THE NEST0R OF IRISH POLITICS.
Though Protestant He Hated Religious
Pre;ndices, and Uhampioned Uatho-
lie Emancipation.

LTti iuNCeS, tHu OuanpAoutu Udtuo
lie Emancipation.
Since the death of the O'Gorms n
Mahon, says Eugene DAVIS in the Bos-
ton Pilot, William J. O'Niel Daunt has
become the Nestor of Irish politics.
To some modern readers the name Of
Mr. Daunt may recall no historical or
political souvenirs, for that gentleman
belonged to the past rather than the
present generation; and it is quite pos
slble that there are some young IRISH
men of to-day who never heard CT Dim
chic fly because the old man feSlred
wears ago from the stormy arena OF life
Yet O'Nelll Daunt was for a long time
q striking personality and an Important
factor in the Irish movement. lie re-
ceived, SO to speak, bis baptism Of fire
when connected though he was by birth
and education with the Protestant as
cendancy party, he overcame all rell-
gious prejudices, and championed the
cause of Catholic Emancipation as far
back as the twenties OF the present
century. Later on he was O'Connell's
private secretary, and an active organ.
izer of the Repeal Association. He was
moreover, writer OF no mean me1lG
His nt1ibutions to Irish and tlstorl-
cal literature on the causes that led up
to the Union are among the most scath-
ING condemnations Of the Infamous
policy of Pitt and Castlereagh. Mr.
Daunt has not only made his mark as
an historian and essayist, but also as a
novelist of no incousiderable talent.
A few biographical details concerning
such man, who, though still living, is
as much a personage Of the past as Tom
Steele or Richard Lalor Shell, may not
be found altogether uninteres'ing-
more particularly as the Ioodern gener-
alton Of readers may be presumed to
KNOW but little Of his checkered career.
THE O'NE1LL DAUNT FAMILY.
O'Ne,ll Daunt's life extends over al
most The entire span OF the century.
He was born in Tuilamore in 1907 in
the house of his na:erna! grandmother,
the widow of the Rev. Thomas Wilson,
a Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin,
and rector Of Ardstraw, county Tyrone.
Mrs. Wilson's social recollections
largely included the pre-. Union life OF
Dublin, an epoch of glory and nagnlh-
cence in that capital; and her nara
tives of those days had. doubtless, the
effect of developing and Strengthen lug
the national instincts OF her grandson.
The Rev. Mr.. Wilson. who was ap-
pointed rector of Ardstraw in 1885, had
as his diocesan lnstitutor the celebrated
though eccentric Mr.. Harvey Earl OF
Bristol, who, as Bishop of Derry, has
left memorable record behind him in
the history of the Volunteers of 50
The Bishops family, by the way, had
such reputation for oddi'y that Ches
terfeld used to observe that ssthe human
family consisted of men, women, and
Harveys''-sc unlike in bis opinion
were the Harveys to ordinary mortals.
Mr.. Daunt's grandfather, though not
sharing his Lordshlp's eccentriclt'es,
shared his political opinions, and was
an enthusiastic champion Of az indie
pendant Irish Parliament. ONeill
Daunt's father was an officer IN the
Louth militia. His conneclns were
among the landlord class, in whose
Toryism he participated. His property,
KilcascaD, county Cork, where his
veteran son of to-day still resides, en-
titled him to all the honors and p'1v-
ileges enjoyed by the gentry in those iar
off times. Daunt. senior, was killed III
a duel in 1925
A CONVERT TO CATHOLICITT.
O'Nelll Daunt had from his earliest
boyhood two strong and leading pro
cllvities; one for the legislative iDde-
pendence Of Ireland, ard another for
the Catholic religion. He was most
omniverous reader, and was passionate
ly ford of reading up the records Of the
vile conspiracy that had robbed Ireland
Of her legislature. Grattan's immortal
speeches were his especial favolltes.
Despite the fact that bis surroundings
at the time were to a large extent anti
j National, he never waveTed in hi, be-
lief In Irish autonomy Born in the
Protestant faith, he was early in life
attracted to, and fascinated bv. the:
Catholic Church. A study OF the Doual
5catechism convinced him that there
was no reliability to be placed 10 the
repr esen tations Of s Popery,'' then
widely disseminated by falla j ;ai Prot
H s1 1oat n M nraf f.nrs IN 1900 fading III.