The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-04-23
LIGHT REVEALED.
Further Revelation Concerning the
Iuformers of 90 from "Sec1e ct
Service Under Pitt"
BASENESS OF A BARRISTER.
The Disgraceful Part that Leonard
Mentally Played in that
Memorable Period.

The Disgraceful Part that Leonard
McNally Played in that
Memorable Period.
w. j. Fitzpatrick, in his recent vaiu-
able work, Secret Service Under Pit" "
throws q lot Of light on the doings of
.some OF the '98 informors, some of which,
until now revealed, were unknown to the
people. In q, recent issue we gave some
particulars Of Samuel Turner. The next
ON the list of informers is an even more
interesting figure than Turner-though
Turner, swashbuckling, hot-tempered,
irritable and Acknowledgements always
remain one of the most dramatic person
ages of history However, Leonard Nc
Nally is subtle creature, and one of
those strange mixtures of good and evil
that delight the analyst of character.
He was a barrister by profession; like
SO many another Irish law student be-
fore and since, was, during his residence
In London, devotee of the MUSES.. He
had much dramatic and poetic talent,
and great love of literature. One of
his operas Robin Hood'-was very
successful, and ''Sweet Clarinja," one Of
it's lyrics, was so clever and SO popular
chat Tom Moore records that he envled
MoNally for having written it. The pit
and the gallery have always been dicta,
tors of dramatic taste in Dublin; and
with the pit and gallery McNally was a
great favorite.
In his early youth McNally was I'M
doubtedly and sincerely strong Nation
alist. A play OF his was damned
Covent Garden because he made ell the
Irish characters angelic, and painted
other nationalities in the darkest colors.
He wes brave man, it is clear, and
more than once risked his life in duel
in defense of national principles. He
limped all through his mature lifefrom
wound he received in duel with Sir
Jonah Darlington, which arose from
some uncomplimentary observations ON
the United IrishmeD; he lost thumb
it is supposed also in duel, though on
this point he romanced so much as to
make certainty impossible; and finally it
1T recorded that during the Gordon "No
Popery" riots in London, he saved the
life of DR.. Thurlow from the mob at the
risk of his own. Finally, he had the
reputation-and not undeservedly-of
being personally a warm hearted, affec-
tionate, and devotedly loyal friend. Sir
Jonah Barrington-as is known was
not genial critic Of his contemporaries;
but he speaks of McNally as sigood-na-
tured, hospitable. and talented.
John Philpot Curran. one of the most
unbending of Irish patriots, as we'll as
the finest of Irishscholars, loved McNally
to the end of his days, and Curran's son
and biographer, described as personally
frigid-souled man, goes out of his way
to praise the fidelity of McNally's friend
chip for his father. In one memorable
scene of Curran's career, when his life
was really in danger, McNally was the
friend who stood by his side. On an
other occasion, as the colleague of Curran
in the defense of patriot, McNally
spoke for an hour and three quarters in
order to gain time
John Philpot Curran, embracing Nc
Nally, SAID: "My old and excellent friend,
have long known and respected the
honesty Of your heart, but never until
this occasion was l acquainted with the
extent of your abilities. am not in the
habit of paying compliment where they
are undeserved." Tears fell from Mr..
Curran as he hung over his friend.
Emotion spread to the bench, and Judge
Chamberlain and Baron Smith warmly
congratulated McNally.
Finally, here is the Judgment Of Cur
rams son on the relations between Nc
Nally and his father:
"For three and forty years NcNally
was the friend of the subject of these
pages; and during that long period he
performed the duties of the relation
with the most uncompromising and ro-
mantle fidelity
The final seal to McNally's popularity
was given by the Government. He was
prosecuted, insulted, annoyed SO that he
became the synonym for all that hated
tho Government, and that the Govern
ment hated. Thus it came to pass that
of all the barristers Of his time, he was
the one chosen advocate Of the rebels
who had to fight for life against the
Government with it's large array Of hang
ing Judges, brow beating .barristers, and
assassin iinfornners and spiee. 70 under
stand the full basenees of ally, the