Revolutionary Imperialist

By 1848 all peaceful means of giving Ireland an equal place within the British Empire seemed exhausted and William Smith O’Brien found himself a reluctant revolutionary leader. An aristocratic Protestant landlord, O’Brien nevertheless commanded unrivalled respect amonst all Irish classes. This scion of an ancient dynasty and tireless campaigner for Catholic Emancipation and Repeal of the Union had advocated a host of improving laws and policies in a parliamentary and political career spanning more than twenty years. Disilllusioned by parliament, dismayed at Ireland’s imminent disintegration during the Great Famine, and pressured by Young Irelanders of the Irish Confederation, O’Brien strove to reunite with fellow-nationalists loyal to the memory of Daniel O’Connell. The first full biography of the leader of the 1848 Rebellion paints a convincing picture of O’Brien’s private nature and public personality. Davis provides an in-depth anlysis of his long and varied political career and argues that O’Brien was a far more consistent political thinker and active nationalist than previously understood.