The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-02-18
w. ]. FITZPATRICK
The Gifted Author Has Exhumed
Traitors From the Archives
Of Dublin Castle.
A PROLIFIC IRIRH WRITER

4 :
Secret Service Under Pitt is His
Latest Contribution to His
torical Literature.
The great literary success achieved by
the recently published volume, "Secret
Service under Pitt makes the personal
ity of it's author, Mr.. VIM. j. Fitzpat-
rick, a timely subject for public interest,
says Eugene Davis in the Boston Pilot.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick is one of the very few
Irish writer's Of to day who, though re-
siding in Dublin, still commands the ears
lf British readers. All the publications,
dealing as they did exclusively with Irish
subjects, that en1anated from his pen
during the past thirty and odd years,
have had at least as ready sale in the
English as in the Irish market. That
his books deserve the patronage which
is bestowed upon them, none save the
most bilious of critics would deny; for
from cover to cover they are replete with
valuable information gathered by the
author throughout long years Of labor
and research, and contain here and there
some very curious aud interesting revel-
ations which throw new light on the
pre-union records of Ireland. In the
department Of biography Mr.. Fitzpat-
rick may be justly styled a bright par
ticular star. He is indeed the Plutarch
Of Irish celebrities. He has given us the
biographies and correspondence of some
of the most eminent Irish of this GEN.
tury. authors and statesmen, laymen and
ecclesiastics, about each of whom he
| furnishes his readers with much spicy
aDecdote.
Mr.. William j. Fitzpatrick was born
on Aug. 81, 1880, in:Ballyowen, county
Kildare. His father, John Fitzpatrick,
was lineal descendant of Capt. James
Fitzpatrick. whom the great genealogist
the Rev, j. F, Shearman, M. r I. A {,
refers to in his "Loca Patriciana" as fig
uring in the Act of Settlement, A. D.
| 1862 His ancestors, who were staunch
Catholics, lost their estates in the reli-
gious persecution that characterized the
penal days in Ireland, and had to en-
bark ia commercial pursuits. MIR. Will
liam j. Fitzpatrick's mother, whose
maiden name was Elizabeth Brett, was a
lady of literary talent, having written
some exquisite poems, as well as novel
entitled "Mervinrath." It is to her her
son attributes his weakness for the goose
quill. Early in lfe-his primary educa-
tion being cIosad-he was sent to the IA
nous Jesuit College of Clongowes Wood,
where he had as co-disciples the late
Lord Chancellor Naish, and the present
Chief Baron Palles o+>tlre Four Courts,
Dublin. Mr.. Fitzpatrick passed through
the educational curriculum of this es-
tablishment with signal honors, and thus
| prepared himself for the end which he
contemplated devyting his talents to in
after years.
When the time came for him to adopt
a profession, various avenues opened
themselves up to him in which he might
have secured fame and fortune. One
only could satisfy his youthful enthusi
asn,, and that was literature. A Ii erary
career is not at the start very profitable
one IN the best favored of countries. In
Ireland from start to finish it is almost
invariably precarious profession to fol-
low. Mr. FL zpatrick, however, having
private means at his disposal, as veil as
unsh ken confidence in his own abilities
to succeed, threw himself into literary
work with the utmost zeal and ardor.
He became devoted student of Irish
history. That portion of Irish records
dealing with the years anterior to the ILL
fated union had particular fascination
for him. In these records his growing
knowledge and power of keen discrinnin-
alton discovered many gaps which later
on, thanks to his indefatigable, spiriting
research, he himself was destined to fill
when his talents had reachea their per
feet maturity.
His first work, the Life of Lord Clon-
curry was published in 1855, now thiI-
ty-eight years ago. Cloncarry, it will be
remembered was an United Irishman
who was confined as a State prisoner for
a couple OF years in the Tower of London.
In 1859 appeared The Friends, Foes
and Adventures Of Lady Morgan = which
had such successful run that in 1900
he was induced to prepare and publish a
larger and more omprehensive work on
the same subject, which was entitled
Lady Morgan, Her Career, Literary and
Personal. !" His reputation having now
become 9 national one, Mr. Fitzpatrick
ldevoted himself u the moro energetic