Young Irelander Rebellion in County Tipperary

Background. Young Ireland seceded from Daniel O'Connell's Repeal Association in 1847, forming the Irish Confederation. By spring 1848, the Great Famine convinced the Council that independence was an existential issue requiring national control of resources. In March 1848, O'Brien called for a National Guard, and he and Meagher returned from revolutionary Paris hoping for French assistance, setting the stage for insurrection.

Mobilization. On 16 July 1848, O'Brien, Meagher, and Doheny gathered 50,000 people on Slievenamon in County Tipperary. From 23 to 29 July, O'Brien, Meagher, and Dillon raised the standard of revolt, traveling from County Wexford through County Kilkenny into County Tipperary. John Devoy later judged that the terrible Famine of 1847 forced the Young Irelanders to rush into a policy of insurrection without the slightest military preparation.

Suppression. The rebellion took place on 29 July 1848 at Farranrory, near Ballingarry. O'Brien was recognized by a railway guard at Thurles station on 5 August 1848, who reported him to the authorities for a reward of £500. In Dublin on 5 June 1849, the sentences of O'Brien and his confederates Meagher, Terence MacManus, and Patrick O'Donoghue were commuted to transportation for life to Van Diemen's Land.