O'CO murder of the guard, and was acquitted, although there were grounds for believing that he had planned the affair to secure cer- tain letters, the possession of which was of importance to him. An agent to whom he had paid ^700 was robbed of the money before he was clear of O'Connor's land, by persons who were never discovered. Roger O'Connor has been described as " a hale, hearty, joyous, good-humoured, kindly- looking, broad-faced, honest-minded seem- ing person — a man in the full vigour of life. . . His conversational powers were of a high order ; his manner was fascinating ; his tone of voice sweet and persuasive ; his style impressive, full of energy, and appa- rent candour ; his language eloquent, and always appropriate." In 1822 he pub- lished, in London, in two bulky volumes, Chronicles of Eri, being the History of the Gael, Sciot Iber, or Irish People; trans- lated from the Original Manuscripts in the Phoenician Dialect of the Scythian Lan- guage. The work is dedicated to his friend Sir Francis Burdett, and is illustrated with numerous maps and plates. A por- trait of the author faces the title-page, with the words : " O'Connor Cier-rige, head of his race, and O'Connor, chief of the prostrated people of this nation. Soimiis, pas vaincus." The book is an extraordi- nary production ; as far as the annals are concerned, a piece of gross literary forgery. Roger O'Connor openly advocated the most extreme free-thinking opinions in religion. He died at Kilcrea, County of Cork, 27th January 1834, aged 71, and was buried in the vault of the MacCarthys at Kilcrea. a^i
O'Connor, Arthur, a prominent United Irishman, General in the French service, brother of preceding, was born at Mitchels, near Bandon, 4th July 1763. He was educated in Trinity College, Dublin, and in 1788 was called to the Bar ; but, inheriting a fortune of about £1,500 a year, never practised. In 1791 he entered Pai-liament for Philipstown, and next year delivered such an able speech on Indian affairs, that it is said he was offer- ed by Pitt a place as Commissioner of Revenue. He early attached himself to the popular party, led by Grattan, and joined in demanding Catholic Emancipa- tion and other reforms. Beforerlong, how- ever, he went fai-ther, and in 1 796 was in constant intercourse with Lord Edward FitzGerald and the leaders of United Irish- men. In November he formally joined the organization, and soon became one of the most active members of the Leinster Directory. He accompanied Lord Edward to the Continent, and had an interview O'CO with Hoche on the French frontier, rela- tive to the possibility of obtaining French assistance in asserting the independence of Ireland. Arrested next year, he suffered six months' imprisonment in Dublin Castle. Shortly after his liberation he was mainly instrumental in starting the Press newsr paper, the organ of the United Irishmen, It was suppressed in March 1798, after sixty-eight numbers had appeared. On 27th February 1 798, he and his friend Rev. James O'Coigley (or Quigley), a Catholic clergyman, with Binns, Allen, and Leary, were arrested at Margate, on their way to France, on a supposed mission from the United Irishmen. In O'Connor's baggage were found a military uniform, £900 in cash, and the key to a cipher correspond- ence with Lord Edward FitzGerald. They were put upon their trial at Maidstone in May. Erskine, Fox, Sheridan, Grattan, the Duke of Norfolk and several other noblemen, testified to O'Connor's character, and their belief that he was innocent of the charges preferred against him. The prisoners were all acquitted but O'Coigley, who was sentenced to death, and executed on Pennington Heath, 7th June, aged 35. He bore himself with singular dignity and fortitude. Interesting notes of his career will be found in the State Trials. Before O'Connor could leave the dock he was re- arrested on another warrant, and after a few days detention in the Tower of London, was transferred to Dublin, and committed to Newgate. The Earl of Thanet and a Mr. Ferguson, for attempting O'Connor's rescue in court, were sentenced to a year's im- prisonment in the Tower and a heavy fine. Arthur O'Connor, with the other state prisoners, entered into a compact with Government, under which, on the under- standing that the executions should be stopped, and that they should be permitted to leave the country, they agreed to reveal, without implicating individuals, the plans and workings of the society of the United Irishmen. The examination of O'Connor and his fellow-prisoners before select com- mittees of the Irish Lords and Commons throws the fullest light upon the origin and progress of the movement that led to the Insurrection of 1798. The correctnessof a report of this examination was question- ed by some of their number in a letter to the papers. This breach of prison discipline, and the refusal of Ruf us King, the United States Ambassador, to permit their depor- tation to America, induced the Govern- ment to alter its intentions with regard to them, and in April 1799, the following prisoners were committed to Fort George, in Scotland : John Chambers, Matthew 383
