Thomas J. Kelly (Irish nationalist)

After the end of the war, Kelly learned about the establishment of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and joined the movement in New York. Kelly's military experience immediately made him of value to the organisation. The Fenian Brotherhood quickly dispatched him to Ireland in April 1865 to inspect the military capability of the IRB there. Kelly's valuable reports back to HQ led the IRB to "promote" Kelly to Colonel within the IRB. Kelly's authority continued to grow when, on 24 November 1865, he was able to arrange the rescue of IRB President James Stephens from Richmond Prison in Dublin. Following this, Kelly became Stephen's deputy and intermediary between Stephens and the American Fenians.^[3]

In September 1865, the Dublin Castle administration suppressed publication of The Irish People, a Fenian run newspaper and its staff. This deprived the IRB of most of its American advisors in Ireland, with the exception of Kelly and William G. Halpin. Halpin was a fellow Irishman who had also settled in Ohio and had also served in the Union Army, and together the two sat on the IRB's "Military Council". Following the bust-up of The Irish People, two plans emerged within the IRB. The first, proposed by John Devoy, would see the IRB attempt to capture important military targets in and around Dublin City using local recruits and deserters from the British Armed Forces. Kelly did not favour this plan as he felt the IRB did not have enough access to weaponry, although Kelly hoped to secure more arms from Liverpool having sent Ricard O'Sullivan Burke there to acquire them. The second plan was Halpin's, who proposed a general rebellion across the country. As Halpin had outranked Kelly in the Union Army, his plan gained traction within the IRB without necessarily receiving an official endorsement.^[3]

In March 1866 Kelly travelled with Stephens first to Paris, and then New York by May. By the time they arrived a split had occurred amongst the American Fenians. Stephens demanded the American Fenians provide him with the funds necessary to carry out a rebellion in Ireland, but they would not agree and ceased to work with him. This caused the Presidency of the IRB to be turned over to Kelly, who was then sent back to Ireland to take command there and lead the proposed rebellion.^[3]

By January 1867 Kelly was operating out of London. The plan was now to launch Halpin's general rebellion by March. The hope was that the IRB could launch a guerilla war which would then be supplemented by American aid.^[3] On 11 February 1867 Kelly ordered a raid on Chester Castle in England, with the objective of securing arms for the rebellion, this action had to be aborted.^[10]

Within days of the raid on Chester Castle, armed skirmishes began to be carried out by Fenians across Munster. By early March, small uprisings started around Dublin too and Kelly sent a proclamation of an Irish Republic to the press. However, these actions were sporadic and their impacts were limited; when it became apparent that the co-ordinated rising that had been planned was not transpiring, most rebels simply went home. The rising failed as a result of lack of arms and planning, but also because of the British authorities' effective use of informers, as most of the Fenian leadership had been arrested before the rebellion took place. O’Sullivan Burke's promised shipment of arms from Liverpool did arrive in Ireland, but the time they had the rising had already effectively been put down.^[3]

By July it was evident the rising had died before it ever truly started. In response, the IRB met in secret in August in Manchester and considered forming a new supreme council which would continue to act as a "Provisional Government-in-exile". Both the idea of proclaiming an Irish Republic and forming provisional governments would be influential upon later proponents of Irish Republicanism. Although the Provisional government idea was not truly acted upon, Kelly was formally recognised as the President of the IRB and successor of James Stephens.^[3]

Kelly was wanted by the British authorities, and for a time managed to evade capture. But on 11 September 1867, Kelly, along with Timothy Deasy, was arrested in Manchester for loitering.^[11] Though they gave their names as Martin Williams and John Whyte, they were soon identified and charged with more serious offences.^[12] Seven days later, Kelly and Deasy were being transferred from the courthouse to the county jail on Hyde Road, Manchester, when about thirty supporters attempted to free them. During the attack, police sergeant Charles Brett, was killed, but Kelly and Deasy managed to escape. Three men arrested in connection with the attack were later executed, and thereafter known as the Manchester Martyrs. Both Kelly and Deasy escaped to the United States and were never recaptured. Kelly later obtained employment in the New York Custom House.^[13]

Following Kelly's return to New York, he continued to associate with the Irish Republican Brotherhood but did not seek the same prominence he once had. In 1871, he was secretary to the committee which welcomed the "Cuba Five", a group of released Fenian prisoners, to New York.^[14]

In 1869 Kelly married Catharine Gillogly, a native of Ohio with whom he had five children. Catharine died in 1891, and Kelly would go on to marry her sick nurse Anna Dunne in 1891, with whom he had two further daughters.^[3]

Kelly was active in Union veteran circles as a member of the Alexander Hamilton Chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic. After his death, the New York State Senate posthumously awarded him a Liberty Medal, its highest honour, in recognition of his past work for the US armed services.^[3]

Kelly died at his residence, 31 East 130th Street in New York, on 5 February 1908.^[15] He and his second wife, Anna Frances (née Dunne) (May 1860 – September 1913) are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.^[6] In 1967, on the centenary of the Fenian Rising, a commemorative plaque was placed at Kelly's ancestral home in Mountbellew.^[3]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas J. Kelly (Irish nationalist).

• Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park's website
• 10th Ohio Infantry references
• Thomas J. Kelly at find a grave