The Fenian  The Instrument Maker  James Stephens Escape  The Presentation  Commemoration

The Fenian Michael Lambert The IRISH REPUBLICAN BROTHERHOOD was founded on St. Patrick's Day 1858, following contacts between James Stephens in Dublin and John O'Mahony,leader of the Irish Republicans in New York. They soon adopted the nickname FENIANS. Michael Lambert was recruited into the Fenians in the early 1860's by Colonel Thomas Kelly. [Colonel Kelly was arrested some years later in England and shortly after was at the centre of a rescue which led to the shooting dead of a police sergeant, after the subsequent round up of those involved three men were executed in November 1867 by the British Government. William Allen, Michael Larkin and Michael O'Brien became known as The Manchester Martyrs. ] In November 1865 Colonel Kelly asked Michael Lambert to help with the plan to rescue James Stephens from Richmond prison by making duplicate keys from wax impressions taken by one of the prison guards and this he did and also acted as a watch out with several others on the night of the escape. It was believed by the majority of Fenians that James Stephens was the man that could organise the much talked about rising against British rule in Ireland. The escape of James Stephens was a huge embarresment for the British Government and they offered large rewards for information leading to his recapture and for the arrest of anyone involved. Soon after Stephens escape Michael Lambert left for Paris to avoid arrest where he stayed for about one year. After several postponements of the rising because some of the leadership believed they had not enough weapons to succeed the date was finally set for the 5th of March 1867. Found during a Police raid on Michael Lambert's home at 5 Canon street, Dublin. December 1869. Michael Lambert led a small group of about fifty men to a rendezvous point in Tallaght as he knew that area very well, with him were the Breslin brothers and General W.G. Halpin who was in command of the Dublin district. They were expecting to meet a large group of men at the rendezvous point and then proceed to take control of the local barracks but the rest of the men did not show up. A large group of men en route to Tallaght and being lead by Stephen O'Donoghue were fired upon by police who had advance warning of their arrival. O'Donoghue was shot dead and many others were wounded including Thomas Farrell who died later from his injuries. Farrell and O'Donoghue became known as the Tallaght Martyrs.The rising at Tallaght was effectively ended before it started with two men dead and many others arrested. There were several other Fenian attacks around the country including ones in Cork, Clare, Limerick,Tipperary and Kerry,all of which had little success and in total led to the arrest of many men. By 1869 there were Fenian prisoners held in Ireland, Britain, Canada, the U.S.A. and Australia, this urged John Nolan to set up the Irish National Amnesty Association.This was established to campaign for the release of political prisoners, Isaac Butt M.P and leader of The Irish Parlimentary Party was appointed as first President of the Association. Michael Lambert was a prominent member of the movement from its inception and some time later he was President of the Association himself. Irish Independent 15th August 1908 Over the years he remained loyal to The Fenian Chief and after 26 years in exile James Stephens returned to Dublin on the 25th September 1891. Soon after his return there was a committee formed to raise enough funds to purchase a house for Stephens and his wife. The committee was made up of Irish Party MP's, Councillors and other well known nationalists. The Chairman was William Redmond MP(a brother of John Redmond and later a member of the British army killed in action 1917) and Michael Lambert was one of four secretaries of the committee.At their first meeting there were several telegrams read out pledgeing donations to the fund and one of the telegrams was from Charles Stewart Parnell,this was the day before Parnell died. Stephens lived out his last 10 years in Dublin and died in March 1901, the pall bearers at his funeral were all men from the '67 Rising, Michael Davitt, Charles G. Doran, Michael Lambert, William Brophy, James Birmingham and William Hickey. In 1908 a group of old Fenians, some of whom were home from the USA walked back over the ground at Stepaside and Tallaght, the scene of the 1867 Rising. During this walk Michael Lambert took ill and was brought to St. Vincents Hospital where he died two weeks later on the 14th of August. His funeral took place two days later and was initially to be a private one but there was a very large turn out of friends and admirers. Amongst those present were Major Roantree, Major John Mc Bride several Irish Party MP's and many councillors including the Lord Mayor of Dublin. Amongst the organisations represented were The United Irish League, The Trades Council, The Old Guard Union,The National Amnesty Association, The College of Science, Corporation Workmen,The Knights of Glendhu,The Parnell Commemoration Association,The Wexfordmens '98 Association, Government Workers Association and The Ancient Order of Hibernians. The route of the funeral procession was Rathmines Road, Leinster Road, Harolds Cross Road (Where he resided at No. 123) past the barracks on the South Circular from which James Stephens was rescued, Camden Street, South Great Georges St., Dame Street, Westmoreland Street, O'Connell Street and on to his final resting place in Glasnevin Cemetery. Contact Aidan Lambert