Mr. Michael Donnellan who is from Killshany, County Clare came to the United States in 1902. He joined the John Boyle O'Reilly Club in 1904 which had been organized in 1880. Membership requirements were very strict. Character references and the background of prospective members were privately investigated both in the United States and in Ireland. Bi-monthly meetings took place and members were admitted with a password, which was changed periodically. Membership in the John Boyle O'Reilly Club is available to anyone at least 18 years old and of Irish decent.
John Boyle O'Reilly was born on June 28, 1844. His journalistic career started at the age of nine when he went to work as an apprentice printer with the salary of 21 pence a week. At age 15, he went to England to get another job because his previous job’s owner died. When he was 19, his father asked him to return to Ireland. John had become a member of the Fenians, a group dedicated to ending British rule in Ireland by force of arms. He met John Devoy, a leader of the Fenians. He enlisted in the 10th Hussars, the Prince of Wales Regiment. His purpose was to infiltrate the regiment and recruit other Irish members of the regiment to mutiny and fight for Ireland when the signal came. Through his efforts, 80 of the 100 Irishmen in the regiment became Fenians. After being in prisons for a couple years and going all around as a prisoner due to his ‘planned intended mutiny,’ he escaped and finally settled in Boston, working first as a journalist, then editor.
This club matters to the Blasket Islands because not only this club intends to preserve the Irish culture, but also, Mike Carney who is from the Great Blasket was the president of the club for 16 years. Many Blasket Islanders have escaped the Islands and moved to Boston, and the club being in that location shows how important it is for them to preserve their culture.
There is a news article that talks about how the parking lot of the John Boyle O'Reilly club will soon be transformed from an entryway to a bastion of the city's Irish-American heritage to a boxing ring with a USA versus Ireland rivalry.
There is a more detailed biography of John Boyle O'Reilly on this website:
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/oreilly-john-boyle-4338
http://www.jbo-club.com/content/about-us
John Boyle O'Reilly was born on June 28, 1844. His journalistic career started at the age of nine when he went to work as an apprentice printer with the salary of 21 pence a week. At age 15, he went to England to get another job because his previous job’s owner died. When he was 19, his father asked him to return to Ireland. John had become a member of the Fenians, a group dedicated to ending British rule in Ireland by force of arms. He met John Devoy, a leader of the Fenians. He enlisted in the 10th Hussars, the Prince of Wales Regiment. His purpose was to infiltrate the regiment and recruit other Irish members of the regiment to mutiny and fight for Ireland when the signal came. Through his efforts, 80 of the 100 Irishmen in the regiment became Fenians. After being in prisons for a couple years and going all around as a prisoner due to his ‘planned intended mutiny,’ he escaped and finally settled in Boston, working first as a journalist, then editor.
This club matters to the Blasket Islands because not only this club intends to preserve the Irish culture, but also, Mike Carney who is from the Great Blasket was the president of the club for 16 years. Many Blasket Islanders have escaped the Islands and moved to Boston, and the club being in that location shows how important it is for them to preserve their culture.
There is a news article that talks about how the parking lot of the John Boyle O'Reilly club will soon be transformed from an entryway to a bastion of the city's Irish-American heritage to a boxing ring with a USA versus Ireland rivalry.
There is a more detailed biography of John Boyle O'Reilly on this website:
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/oreilly-john-boyle-4338
http://www.jbo-club.com/content/about-us