The Irish standard., 1898-03-05
A BENEDICT ARNOLD
A BRITISH SPY AND lNFORMER OF
THE LAST CENTURY.
WHO BETRAYED the PATRIOTS OF 's8
LEONARD McNALLY IS THE NAME OF
THE BLACK TRAITOR.
HOW he DECEIVED HIS NOBLE VICTIMS
HIS TREACHERY NOT DISCOVERED
IN HIS LIFE TIME.


If the world has produced greater
traitor than Leonard McNally, barrster-
at-law, who was one of the chief be-
trayers Of the men of '9S his history has
yet to be written. Unfortunately, while
we have a country fertile in patriots it
has been our lot also to produce many
men who have made patriotism a nero
cloak for the worst crimes, and amongst
them Leonard McNally is facilc princeps.
nary career He began his active life in
London, where he was called to the bar.
But he seems there to have devoted
more time to the writing Of plays and
other pieces for stage production than to
the practice of the law. At his trado
of dramatist he was no mean hand. A
great catalogue is eXtant Of his prodnc
tions which were presented at Covent
Garden, and in a book called Five Hun
dred Celebrated Authors of Great Brit
ain now Living" published in 17SS, Nc
Nally's name is included with those of
Burke, Gibbons, Walpole, Burns, ana
Cowper. Tom Moore wrote appreciate
ingly of McNully's work in a successful
opera called Robin Hood" Charming
Clorinda,' says Moore, ''was one of tho
songs l used to envy him being the au-
thor Of" Unfortunately McNally was
too good a patriot for the British, and
one Of his plays having exhibited the
Irishman as one possessed of qualities
which he denied to the English and
Scotch, 1t was hisscd off the stage.
This seems to have been one of the
things which turned McNallys thoughts
towards Ireland once more, and n bitter
day it was for Ireland. He began his
career here by publishing a legal text
book entitled "Thc Irish Justice Of tho
Peace" Though n clever littcrtcur
however, McNully was not at this period
a good lawyer, and the book, ACCORDING,
to Charles Philips the author of "Curlnn
and His Contemporaries" the book con-
taincd SO much bad law that it proved
u treasure, not to the j. P.'s, but to the
country attorneys" Mr.. McNally ut the
Irish bar, however, soon became popular.
He was witty, eloquent good-nntllrcd
and hospitablc. Sir Jonah harrington
describes him as having "a shrill, full
good bar voice." and eXtols him as tai
cnted. He was as gallant as he was
gifted. He fought ducls by the score
and in one of them was wounded in the
hip, which caused permanent lamcncss.
This lamcncss was the subject of many
Il jest. a barrister, one day, who was
himself lame, asked Parsons in the hall
of the courts, Did yon see McNally go
this way?' IL never saw him go any
other way" was the reply. Lysaght
made him the subject of an cpigram-
"Onc leg is short, which makes him lame
Therefore the legs don't tally.
And now, my friends, to tell his name
"ris Leonard MucAnnlly."
McNally himself, indeed. was not above
jesting about his infrmity, as in one ol
the secret letters he sent to the castle
signed with false initials he alludcs tl
the lawyers volunteer corps, with the
cynical snccr that "McNally might lead
blind Moore to battle" McNally had tho
entree to all the gatherings Of tho United
lrishmen, and he openly referred to
himself as one of the leaders of tho
| movement. He wrote patriotic verses
for the Northern Star, and he had q
famous silver cup which bore the inscrip.
tion -go-Dragh," which was seizct
by order of Major Sandys, to the indig-
nation of Curran and of the whole pub
lie, including Lord Kilwardcn, who, il
is declared, interested himself to have
the cup returned, as it seems it was, with
the inscription erased. McNnlly was tht
| bosom friend of Curran. The great
| forensic orator actually on ono occasion
| when McNally made Il powerful speech
wept on his bosom in open court Up tc
the day of Curran's death he was his
| friend and cOnfidant, and he assisted Chr
rams son to draw up the biography
which probably owes much of its raci
ness, its completeness, and its artistic
vcrisimilitudc to the pen of the quondan
playwright of COVcnt Garden. Except for
some observation about dirty work"
which a brother barrister once made,
and for which McNally promptly fough
him, he went down to his grave with hi,
probty, his honour, and his patriotism
unqucstioncd.
1t was indeed only when the Castle
| and government records were opened Il
the inspection of the historian that the
perfidy of Leonard McNally stood re
veaed. He figures in the pension lis
for 1900, drawn up by Under Sccretar,
Cooke for Castlcrcagh's information, fol
the sum Of .E300 year, as one Of thos
''who had given important assistance
during the rebellion" During the who'll
movement he was in the pay Of the gov
ernment, and sold his associates, hi
clients and his friends with cynical i'm
partiality. In the Alphabet of the Bar u
5s.. a NJ