Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa

Born: September 10, 1831, Rosscarbery, County Cork*
Died: June 29, 1915, New York*

     O'Donovan Rossa was a pivotal member of the Irish Republican movement. He was a writer, a patriot, a politico, and a speaker. He stood accused of planning an insurrection in 1865 and was sentenced to a prison term. He was elected to Parliament though he did not take up his seat because of his jail sentence. In 1871, O'Donovan Rossa was sent to America where he helped the republican cause even more. He died in 1915 in New York and was buried in Ireland. It was at O'Donovan Rossa's funeral that Padraig Pearse delivered his now famous oration, which concluded poignantly that "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace."

    *I have found that O'Donovan Rossa's birth and death dates conflict widely depending upon which source you consult. Do not take these as absolute truths. I have read that the dates given by Glasnevin Cemetery are actually September 1, 1831 and June 30, 1915.

     For more on Davis, please see http://www.searcs-web.com/rossa.html.