Foreword

The students of Gaelscoil Tromaire decided to base their 2004 'Building for the Future' project on a local historical building “Tenakill House”. This house was home to the Lalor and Lalor-Fitzpatrick family whose ancestors have had a big influence on Irish and Australian History.

For the purposes of the project they chose to concentrate on five members of the Lalor Clan, James-Fintan, Peter and Richard, three brothers from the third generation together with John Lalor and Captain Joseph Peter Lalor both from the fifth generation.

Information has been taken mainly from Class History books but with the help of the class teacher Liam Ó Néill, the students have used the Internet and RTE Programme Archives to assist them with the “Australian History” part of the project. They also visited Tenakill House, which is sadly “run-down” at the moment and had the enormous pleasure of conducting an interview with two direct descendants of the Lalor-Fitzpatrick Clan, Richard and Kevin Lalor-Fitzpatrick who visited the school one morning.

Situation
Tenakill house (also known as Tinakill House) is situated in the townsland of Tinnakill near Raheen in Co Laois. In historical times Co Laois was also referred to as Leix or Queen’s County.

The Ó Leathlobhair Clan

A brief history
This name in modern times is spelt in three different ways: Lawlor, Lalor, and Lawler, the first of these being slightly more numerous than the others. In Irish it is Ó Leathlobhair, which would appear to denote a descendent of the "half-leper" or "battle-scarred one". The prefix "Ó", it may be noted, which was discarded during the period of Gaelic submergence, has not been resumed in modern times.
The clan is descended from Milesius King of Spain, through the line of his 5th son Ir, and belonged to the Clana Rory tribe, founded by Heber Donn, son of Ir. The founder of the O’Lawlor family was the famous Cohnal Kearnach, son of Amergin who gave his name to the tribe in Ulster. The ancient name was Lalach “The Giant”The O’Lawlors (Leathlabhair) took their name from Leatherlabhor, prince of Dalaradiaor Ulidia who was their ancestor. In ancient Stradbally, Co Laois (Queens County) Bec Ua Leathlabhair (O’Lalor), Lord of Dal-Araidhe who died in the year 904, was one of the most renowned Irish princes of his day.They were invited to Leix by the O'Moore's, princes of ancient Leix, married into the O'Moores, and settled near the Rock of Dunamaise, in Co. Laois, but were driven from this territory by the English invaders under Queen Elizabeth 1.
The Rock of Dunamaise The name of Harry Lalor is traditionally preserved as the hero of the massacre of Mullaghmast in 1577. On that occasion, their supposed hosts ruthlessly slaughtered hundreds of the most unsuspecting and peaceable of the Irish gentry including Lalors and O’Moores. The few who survived the bloody day owed their escape to Harry Lalor. Lalor as he was entering the fort at Mullaghmast saw the bodies of his slaughtered companions and drawing his sword fought his way back to those that survived and together they made their escape to Dysart.
It is believed that the Lalors we speak of are direct descendants from the Lalors one of the Seven Septs of Leix, driven from their homes repeatedly by the British under Queen Elizabeth 1 but always returning to settle in Queen’s County.



Introduction
The story begins in the 18th century with Patrick Lalor who was born around the year 1730. Patrick married Mary "of Doon." They built the present home of Tenakill, Co. Laois, Ireland in 1771 and had the following children: James, Edward, Patrick, Thomas, Julia, Fintan, Joseph, and Mary.
It is not clear how Patrick, a Catholic became a landowner in the 1700’s but it is assumed that due to the relaxation of “Land Ownership Laws” by the British that Patrick Lalor like many of his Catholic counterparts would have been taken ownership or lease of approximately thirty acres of land. We do know however, that within two generations Patrick and his son Patt amassed almost a thousand acres of land, which was a considerable acreage in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.
Patrick and Mary’s son Patrick, who was born in 1781 at Tenakill, was known as “Honest Patt Lalor”. He was a prosperous tenant farmer who controlled a thousand acres. His first wife was Anne Dillon, married around the year 1806 and they had twelve children. Patrick was elected M.P. for Queens County (Laois), and was a close friend and ally of Daniel O’Connell. He was instrumental in the abolishment of the Tithe System. Anne died on 4th Jun 1835 and Patrick later married Ellen Mary Anne Loughnan. They had no known children. Patt died on 10 Apr 1856.
There is a famous story of Patt Lalor's sheep and the Tithe Tax and it runs as follows:
The people of Ireland were fed up paying tithe taxes for the support of the Protestant Clergy and led by Daniel O’Connell there were public meetings held all over the country in protest. Patt Lalor attended one of these meetings on the 10th February 1831 in Maryborough (now known as Portlaoise) and declared that he would never again pay tithes, but that he wouldn’t violate the law. He stated that the Tithe Men could take his property and sell if they wished, however he was proud to say he thought his countrymen had such high respect for him that they wouldn’t bid for it.
Although it was tried, Patt Lalor’s mind would not be changed on the matter and a “No Tithe” banner hung at Maryborough Courthouse and wasn’t removed until “No Tithe” banners were spread all over the country.
A few days after the meeting the Clergyman whose name was Rev. Latouche sent his bailiff from Mountrath to Tenakill and the bailiff drove away 25 sheep.

Patt Lalor managed to get a writ and had them returned to Tenakill where he got iron brands and branded each one with the word TITHE. The sheep were brought to Mountrath to be sold one wet March day when the roads were ankle deep in mud and there was a large crowd at the fair. The Clergyman’s (Mr Latouche’s) agent was Mr Brough and the auctioneer was Mr Millar. When Mr Millar offered the sheep for sale there was total silence. After some time Brough the agent whispered to Millar who then declared the sheep sold.
Patt demanded to know who had purchased his sheep and was told that the agent, Brough himself had bought the sheep. The crowd was furious and began to surge forward. However, Patt raised his hand and stopped them. Brough now had the sheep but knew that no one locally would buy them. There wasn’t a railroad at that time, so he had the sheep driven to Dublin by a bailiff. However a scout named Tom Claxton who was faithful to Patt Lalor was sent on ahead of the sheep and everywhere the bailiff stopped on the fifty-mile journey seeking food and shelter he was told “No admittance”. When the sheep reached Dublin they were nearly starved and Brough couldn’t sell them. They were then shipped across to Liverpool for sale. However a priest of Irish origin and faithful to the cause warned the salesmen in Liverpool what had happened with the sheep in Ireland. The sheep weren’t sold in Liverpool either and were then driven to Manchester where the story goes that they died on the road.
This was just one battle in the Tithe War and while nobody really won the battle Patt Lalor at least had the satisfaction of knowing that the Clergyman did not benefit from his sheep.
One other amusing thing happened in this story. While the sheep were being branded two lambs were born. The children hid them and named them Brough and Millar. They reared them until they were fit to eat and then invited their friends to eat lamb chops from Brough and Millar.




Genealogy of Lalor Family

'Tenakill', Co. Laois, Ireland

1st Generation
Patrick Lalor (b. ca 1730)
Patrick Lalor was born c. 1730 and married Mary "of Doon." They built the present home of Tenakill, Co. Laois, Ireland ca. 1771. Patrick and Mary Lalor had the following children: James, Edward, Patrick, Thomas, Julia, Fintan, Joseph, and Mary.

2nd Generation

Thomas Lalor (b. ca. 1789)
Thomas Lalor was born c. 1789. In 1820 he married Catherine Kelly in Portlarington, Ireland. They had the following children: Peter, Michael, and Patrick Joseph. His son, Patrick Joseph at some time emigrated to Australia. It is a possibility that Patrick Joseph Lalor was the same Patrick Lalor that was convicted with James Bergin and transported to Tasmania.

Julia Lalor (b. c. 1770)
Julia Lalor was born c. 1770 and married a Mr. Kelly. There is one known child of this union; Mary Kelly.

Joseph Lalor (b. 1780)
Joseph Lalor was born in 1780. Nothing is known of a marriage of Joseph. Joseph was the Governor of the Granada. Family stories states that he assisted the Duke of Wellington oust Napoleon from Spain. This has yet to be proven.

Mary Lalor
Mary Lalor's birth date is unknown. We do know from family letters that she married William Dillon. William Dillon's sister, Anne, was the first wife of Patrick Lalor. William and Mary had a daughter, Maria, who emigrated to America and married Dr. O'Brien in Wisconsin.

Patrick Lalor (b. ca 1781)
Patrick was born c. 1781 at Tenakill. His first wife was Anne Dillon, married c. 1806 and they had twelve known children. Patrick was known as "Honest Pat Lalor" and was the first Catholic M.P. for Queens County, Ireland since the reign of James II. Patt was instrumental in the abolishment of the Tithe System. Anne died on 4th Jun 1835 and between September 5, 1848 and October 15, 1850 Patrick married Ellen Mary Anne Loughnan. They had no known children. Patt died on 10 Apr 1856.

The following is what is known of Patrick and Anne (Dillon)'s twelve children:

3rd Generation
James Fintan (b. 10 Mar 1807 / d. 27 Dec 1849)
The firstborn of Patt and Anne Lalor was James Fintan born on 10 Mar 1807 at Tenakill. He was reportedly deaf and of poor sight. James Fintan advocated and pursued for land reform. His arguments on this subject were published in the Dublin newspaper, The Nation. He was arrested for treason and jailed at Nenagh, County Tipperary, later transferred to Dublin and released. James Fintan died unmarried and is buried at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.


Margarett (b. 01 Aug 1808 / d. unknown)
Margarett was born on 01 Aug 1808 at Tenakill. Margarett, also known by her middle name of Ellen, had married James Bergan in November 1832. James was transported to Tasmania. There is a story that James & Margaret, (or Helen or Ellen) were the owners of the Colonial Inn at Campbell Town in Tasmania known as "The Fox Hunter's Return" but this is yet to be verified.

William A., Sr. (b. 23 Jul 1810 / d. 05 Nov 1892)
William A. was born on 23 Jul 1810 at Tenakill and emigrated to America in 1837 on the packet ship "Pennsylvania Swallowtail." He lived for sometime in Hillsdale, Michigan before he ventured to LaGrange County, Indiana. He married Amelia Arabella Fox in December 1845 in LaGrange County, Indiana. They settled on a farm in Dunn Township, Wisconsin. William died on 05 Nov 1892 and is buried, along with Amelia at Calvary (now Resurrection) Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin.

Joseph (b. 08 May 1812 / d. unknown)
Joseph was born on 08 May 1812 at Tenakill.

Patrick (b. 28 Mar 1814 / d. unknown)
Patrick was born on 28 Mar 1814 at Tenakill and he was a medical student who never completed that education before his death. He passed away on 8 June 1835 due to typhoid.

John (b. 01 Jun 1815 / d. prior 04 Nov 1874)
John was born at Tenakill on 01 Jun 1815. He reportedly married Ellen Dunne and moved to England. His descendants are presently located in Canada. John passed away prior to 04 Nov 1874.

Mary (b. 25 Mar 1817 / d. 30 Aug 1850)
Mary was born on 25 Mar 1817 at Tenakill. She married Joseph Grierson Fox on 22 Jun 1845. They emigrated to America and settled in Dane County, Wisconsin. Mary died young on 30 Aug 1850.

Jerome (baptized 25 May 1818 / d. 31 Dec 1898)
Jerome was baptized on 25 May 1818. He emigrated to America in 1845 and married Margaret Conklin on 21 May 1855. Jerome died on 31 Dec 1898. Jerome is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa.

Thomas (baptized 06 Aug 1820 / d. 05 May 1864)
Thomas was baptized on 03 Aug 1820. Thomas emigrated to America and married Mary Cantwell on 21 May 1855, the same time and place as Jerome married Margaret Conklin. He enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army and was killed on 05 May 1864 at the "Battle of the Wilderness" in the U.S. Civil War.


Richard (baptized Apr 1823 / d. 12 Nov 1893)
Richard was baptized in Apr 1823. He married Margaret Dunne. He traveled to Australia with his brother, Peter on the ship Scindian. Upon his father's request, he moved home to Tenakill. He was elected to represent Queens County in the Parliament in London. Richard died on 12 Nov 1893 and is buried at Raheen Churchyard. His descendants inherited Tenakill.

Catherine (baptized 06 Apr 1825 / buried 13 Sep 1900)
Catherine married David Kennedy and they lived in England for some time. In 1869 she emigrated to America with her two daughters. Catherine is buried at St. James Cemetery in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts.

Peter Fintan (baptized 05 Feb 1827 / d. 9 Feb 1889)
Peter Fintan Lalor was baptized on 05 Feb 1827. Peter emigrated to Australia aboard the ship Scindian in October 1852. He married Alicia Dunne on 10 Jul 1855 at St. Mary's Church in Geelong, Australia. On 03 Dec 1854 he led the miners' uprising at Ballarat, Victoria. He was wounded and his arm was amputated. He was later elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Peter Fintan and Alicia had the following children: Ann, Mary, and Joseph Peter. He had five known grandchildren from Joseph Peter who was born in 1857.


4th Generation
Ann Lalor Fitzpatrick
Ann Lalor Fitzpatrick was Richard’s daughter who married Dr Fitzpatrick a Kildare man and a descendant from the Fitzpatricks of Ossory. She was President of the Land League sometime during the 1800’s in Portlaoise.


5th Generation

Richard Lalor Fitzpatrick
Born in 1874, the son of Dr John Fitzpatrick and Anne Fitzpatrick (nee Lalor), Richard lived all his life in Tenakill House. He was a farmer and died in 1940 aged 66.


John Lalor Fitzpatrick MP for Ossory
John Lalor-Fitzpatrick who in a by-election in the fateful Easter Week of 1916 became the Nationalist MP for the Ossory division of Queen's County. He was the last man to hold the position. He was born in 1875 at Bolton Lodge, Naas, Co. Kildare, the son of Dr John Fitzpatrick and Anne Fitzpatrick (nee Lalor).

6th Generation
Richard Lalor Fitzpatrick

Richard Lalor - Fitzpatrick is still alive. He was born July 11th 1923 and married Mary O’ Reilly from Abbeyleix on Nov 5th 1958. He was the last Lalor to live in Tenakill House.
Richard has one brother and six sisters.


Marie Lalor FitzpatrickJim Lalor FitzpatrickSheila Lalor – FitzpatrickGrace –Lalor Fitzpatrick Nancy Lalor –FitzpatrickRose Lalor – FitzpatrickBetty Lalor - Fitzpatrick

7th Generation
Kevin Lalor Fitzpatrick
Born on 19th December 1960, Kevin is the last remaining descendant of the famous clan who is resident in Tinakill. He was married to Mary (nee Mc Kane) from Rosenallis on 15th July 1992.

There are many other relatives of Kevin who live in Laois and around the world but since we are dealing with the Story of Tinakill we will leave the rest of the family history for others to document.


James Fintan Lalor

“Someone, somehow, somewhere must strike the first blow for Ireland”.

James Fintan Lalor was born on the 10th March 1807 at Tenakill, Raheen Co Laois the eldest son of twelve children of Patrick and Ann Lalor. His spine was injured at birth and as a result he was hunch-backed. He was shortsighted, deaf and suffered from acute astma all his life. James Fintan was educated at home and later at Carlow Lay College. Although he was apprenticed for a while to Dr. Jacob, a chemist in Portlaoise most of his life was spent in seclusion.

Ireland in the 1830’s and early 1840’s was very concerned with the political struggle for repeal of the union with Britain. Daniel O’Connell, who had succeeded in achieving Catholic Emancipation, led the Repeal Movement. He organized “Monster meetings around the country to get people to support the Repeal Movement.
A new movement called “Young Irelanders” soon challenged his leadership of Irish Nationalism. This new movement consisted of young idealistic nationalists who found O’Connell’s ideas upsetting. The leading figures included Thomas Davis and Charles Gavan Duffy. The Young Irelanders movement had a newspaper called “The Nation”

James Fintan wrote mainly on the land question. He wanted the land of Ireland to be for the people of Ireland. His famous quote was “Ireland her own - Ireland her own and all therein from the sod to the sky. The soil of Ireland for the people of Ireland, to have and to hold from God alone who gave it- to have and to hold to them and their heirs forever, without suit or service, faith or fealty, rent or render.”
He is also reported as saying
“ Whoever owns the land rules the people”.

James Fintan supported his father on the Tithe Question but disagreed with him about supporting Daniel O Connell on Repeal of the Act of Union because he wanted the Land Problems solved first. He even wrote to the British Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel to complain about O Connell. This upset his father who was a friend and admirer of O Connell.

Between 1845 and 1850 Ireland was hit by a calamity – the Famine. The population fell from over 8 million to 6.5 million. The decrease in population from starvation, fever and emigration left deep emotional scars. In the long and troubled history between Ireland and Britain no issue has produced so much anger as that of the famine.

The British were accused of “failing to stop corn and other grain exports from Ireland” during this period. The British Government felt that the social structure (landlord / tenant) would collapse if it distributed free food and resisted all suggestions to do so. Meanwhile speculators made fortunes from continuing grain exports while starving families roamed the countryside looking for food. The reality for many people in Ireland from 1845-1850 was that society was collapsing, millions were dying or fleeing the country and the main consideration for most was how to stay alive.

The Famine changed James Fintan’s views and by1847 he was writing about revolution. Canon Conor O Hanlon who wrote ‘The History of Laois’ described James Fintan as “The fiercest felon of them all”.

The Young Irelanders James Fintan Lalor and John Mitchel held firmly to the view that Britain failed to stop corn exports and they published their views in The Nation, The United Irishman and The Irish Felon.

From 1847 onwards James Fintan Lalor set the revolutionary agenda for freedom from England.

Even in 1848 he was far seeing enough to know that neither the Land Problems nor the freedom of Ireland could be achieved separately. In 1848 in an article he wrote in The Irish Felon he said “ To achieve independence – the only form in which repeal can ever be carried- there is, I am convinced, but one way alone; and that is, to link Repeal to some other question like a railway carriage to the engine; some question possessing the intrinsic strength which Repeal wants; and strong enough to carry both itself and Repeal together- if any such question can be found. And such a question there is in the land. One ready prepared- ages have been preparing it. An engine ready-made- one too, that will generate it’s own steam without cost or care- A self-acting engine, if once the fire be kindled and the fuel to kindle- the sparks for the kindling are everywhere. Repeal has always to be dragged. This I speak of will carry itself, as the cannon-ball carries itself down the hill.”

In 1848 he also demanded “Our fair share of Ireland, our fair share of the earth, a house to live in that no-one can tumble down, a happy home, the necessities of life, all those things without which the world is worthless and existence itself is a misery: these we must have and security for all these”. Moreover, he wrote: “forever henceforth, the owners of our soil must be Irish…unmuzzle the wolf dog”. Lalor’s call for National Revolution was new. It promised action instead of suffering and grew directly out of the desperation caused by the ‘Great Hunger’

This is difficult language for us to understand but our teacher said that what he meant was that if the Land Problem and the Self Rule problems were done at the same time one would help the other. Ireland at this time depended almost completely on Agriculture for jobs so if the Irish owned the land they would be able to elect their own MPs and then get independence for Ireland. He said that a Man called Michael Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell later saw this and worked well together. Our teacher said that James Fintan Lalor was ahead of his time in expressing these views.

As well as his inspirational writings, Lalor sought to inspire and organize direct action on behalf of the downtrodden Irish tenant farmers. Lalor called on them to save themselves from starvation and overthrow British authority by a general strike against rent.
In his final days James Fintan who had been against violence all his life reluctantly found himself involved in two attempted rebellions in Tipperary and Waterford in September. In 1848 Lalor helped John Martin found the Irish Felon before partaking in the June 1848 Rising at Clonakilty near Thurles, County Tipperary after which he was arrested and imprisoned in Nenagh Jail, and then transferred to Newgate Prison in Dublin. His health, never good, was permanently shattered in the close confinement, but as soon as his release came, he gathered a few comrades around him where he lived in Capel St. in Dublin, and began to plan for insurrection.

He became intimate with John O'Leary and Thomas Clarke Luby, who were destined to become leaders of the Fenian Movement, and with them and John Savage and Joseph Brenan he led an attempted Rising in Waterford and Tipperary in September 1849. There was a partial rally, but it proved a failure. But Lalor was satisfied that it perpetuated, even flickeringly, the flame of revolt against British rule in Ireland.

A little over three months later he died. The imprisonment, the restless planning and working and writing had told on the weak frame, and on December 27, 1849, James Fintan Lalor, one of the greatest of the great lovers of Ireland, was carried to his last resting place in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.


The Fenian movement was greatly motivated by the writings of Lalor and Mitchel. Their writings also inspired the actions of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) and the members of the Irish Parlimentary Party. Likewise their theories greatly influenced Michael Davitt and the Irish National Land League. Davitt said of Lalor “he made the ownership of the soil the basis of the fight for self-government in Ireland”. Their ideas ultimately brought James Connolly (1868-1916) and Patrick Pearse (1879-1916) together. Connolly described Lalor as “a revolutionist and rebel against all forms of political and social injustice”.


Peter Lalor

Peter Lalor was born on Feb. 5, 1827 at Tenakill, Queen's County. He was trained as a civil engineer at Trinity College. Following the great famine, he emigrated to Victoria, Australia with his brother Richard in 1852. On his arrival he found work in the construction of the Melbourne-Geelong railway and then at the Eureka goldfield in 1853. He was leader of the 1854 gold miners' uprising at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria, the most celebrated rebellion in Australian history; subsequently he became a politician. In 1854 he staked a claim with Duncan Gillies, a Scot, on the Eureka land.He joined the Ballarat Reform League, formed by miners on Nov. 11, 1854, to protest high license fees, police mistreatment, lack of representation, and shortage of land.

In August 1851 the discovery of alluvial gold in the Ballarat district brought tens of thousands of gold prospectors flocking to the Victorian Gold fields from all over the world. In a short time the easy to get surface gold had been exploited and from there it was hard labour of digging shafts and tunnels in the hope of striking it rich and making fortunes. A few were rewarded but the majority had little or nothing to show for their hard labour and harsh living conditions.

To add to the discontent the colonial government decided to impose a licence fee of thirty shillings a month - a hefty amount in 1851. The miners on hearing the news lost little time in organising a mass meeting with militant resolutions of opposition being carried. Troubles continued on the diggings and as the occurrences of government malpractice and police corruption increased too so did the anger and grievances of "the diggers". And yet by mid-October 1851 there were 2,000 tents on the Ballarat fields and 10,000 men were working on the diggings. Police harassment grew bolder as the diggers were forced to work longer hours with greater effort to find the available gold.

In July 1853 a petition was presented to Governor La Trobe the head of an appointed Government, a Government the diggers had no franchise in the construction of or on the directions of its policies. The first section of the petition stated: ‘That in the present impoverished condition of the Gold Fields the impost of thirty shillings per month is more than the miners can pay as the fruits of their labours scarcely afford them the common necessaries of life’. On 13 August 3,000 diggers met to receive the returning delegation from Melbourne who had approached the Governor with their petition. A grand parade was held as delegations of different nationalities marched to the meeting.

The Irish with their green banner led them with the harp and shamrock on it, accompanied by the pick and shovel. The delegation reported that Governor La Trobe had refused all requests; in Melbourne meetings were held with dissatisfaction spreading against the Government, attributing it to the fact that the goldfields residents were denied their political and social rights. La Trobe was forced to resign and return to England. Another Englishman, Charles Hothan, took the position of Governor. He had as little success as La Trobe in dealing with the dissatisfaction of the population of the goldfields. The Government again answered the diggers demands with an increase in military force; to the mass of diggers this was an open provocation.

A meeting of the diggers was held in November 1854. The Reform League was formed. Peter Lalor had never taken part in any of the diggers' political agitation before the meeting of 29 November 1854 although his family had been active in the Irish independence struggle for two generations. Peter Lalor stood and proposed that the members of the Reform League should hold meetings to elect a Central Committee and that each of forty members have the power to elect one delegate to the Committee.

The meeting flew a flag never before seen by the thousands of diggers who were present. It presented a silver cross, extended on every length by four stars representing the Southern Cross constellation upon a sky blue ground. It was based on the Southern Cross, which is a bit like the Plough except that it is seen from the southern half of the globe.

It flew as the first symbol of the diggers demands, a flag of freedom and Australian independence.


At the next meeting Peter Lalor's voice once more boomed out to the assembled men. Holding a rifle with his left hand he mounted a stump and called on the diggers to fall into divisions and to choose the best of the comrades as theft captains. The call was answered by unanimous acclamation and an army of 500 immediately sprang into being.

Lalor then said: "It is my duty to swear you in and to take with you the oath to be faithful to the Southern Cross. Hear me with attention. The man who after this solemn oath does not stand by our standard is a coward in heart. I order all persons who do not intend to take the oath to leave the meeting at once". Lalor kneeling down received the salute of the captains of each division and then, with his right hand pointing to the Southern Cross, by this time flying with full glory in the afternoon breeze, exclaimed in his firm measured tone "We swear by The Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties".
Peter Lalor was not a revolutionary, but at a given time he was moved by a series of injustices. The spontaneous nature of the events at Ballarat gave him an opportunity to prove his leadership in response to the vivid threat of the authorities of a colonial power. Later Lalor wrote in the Ballarat Star "If these gentlemen mean by democracy opposition to a tyrannical press, a tyrannical people or a tyrannical Government, then I have been, I am still and will ever remain a democrat.

When the Reform League voted Lalor President and Commander-in-Chief Lalor in replying to the motion said to the meeting "I make no pretensions to military knowledge. I have not the presumption to assume the chief command, no more than any other man who means well in the cause of the diggers. If you appoint me as your commander-in-chief I shall not shrink. I mean to do my duty as a man. I tell you gentlemen, if once I pledge my hand to the diggers I will not defile it with treachery nor render it contemptible with cowardice".

The League received a further rebuff to their demands on 1st December 1854. Toward ten o'clock news reached the stockade that the red coats were under arms and that a further licence hunt was under way.

Work was increased to reinforce the stockade where the diggers were to make theft stand. Guns were being obtained and a German blacksmith was turning out pikes with vigour. Through the services of a spy within the stockade the British commanders knew of the small size of the stockade defence in the early hours of Sunday 3 December 1854.

Although outnumbered the rebels fought heroically against the might of the colonial government. Peter Lalor jumped on to the logged-up roof of a defence hole and encouraged his men to withdraw to better positions. As he was commanding he was shot down with a bullet that shattered his left shoulder. Peter Lalor escaped with an injured arm that was later amputated.

After the defeat of the diggers the captured leaders were taken for trial to Melbourne. In the following months jury after jury acquitted the men of treason and they were accepted on their release as heroes and patriots. A commission of enquiry was established and out of this enquiry came the recommendation to dispense with the licenses to mine, and export tax was levied on the merchants instead and miners and all living in the gold fields were franchised. The battle of one-man one vote had been won and Government was no longer the interest of the vested class. The enquiry only rubber-stamped what had already been won by the diggers resistance.

After the acquittals, the reward offered for Peter Lalor was withdrawn. In the subsequent elections Peter Lalor was elected to Parliament and was elected to the Speaker's chair, which duties he carried out with fairness and distinction. He was also a Minister in that same Victorian Parliament. The real Peter Lalor was the leader of the miner’s revolt, a young man of fierce idealism and uncompromising integrity, the man to proclaim "Liberty" in the country down-under.

Peter Lalor never returned to his birthplace in Raheen, Co. Laois. But the house where he was born in 1827 still stands though uninhabited. A plaque on the house, put there by the request of the Australian Government reads: "And with a burning feeling of an injured man I mounted the stump and proclaimed liberty" Peter Lalor February 5 1827 - February 9 1887. Elected President and Commander of Rebel Forces which fought at the Eureka Stockade, Ballarat, Victoria, December 3 1854, he was subsequently elected to the legislative Assembly in Victoria of which he later became Speaker.



Richard Lalor

There are no birth records for Richard Lalor but it is known that he was baptized in Apr 1823. Following the aftermath of the Great Famine in Ireland Richard, emigrated with his brother Peter to Australia in 1852. They traveled on the ship “Scidian”.

Being an engineer, Richard found work on the railway. When his father Honest Patt became ill and requested his assistance, Richard returned home to Tenakill.

He was an M.P. for twelve years and was a strong supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell and remained with him even after the Parnellite Split. He was elected to represent Queens County in the Parliament in London.

Richard died on 12 Nov 1893 and is buried at Raheen Churchyard. His descendants inherited Tenakill.

As he was dying he predicted that his grandson John would “fight on”.

John Lalor-Fitzpatrick
Ossory's last M.P.

As Richard Lalor, a devoted Parnellite and former MP, lay dying in his home at Tenakill House, Raheen, in November, 1893, he placed his hand on the shoulder of an l8-years-old youth and predicted: "I have a grandson who, when he grows up, will fight on”’

The prediction came true. The grandson was John Lalor-Fitzpatrick who in a by-election in the fateful Easter Week of 1916 became the Nationalist MP for the Ossory division of Queen's County. He was the last man to hold the position. Richard obviously exercised a strong influence on his young grandson, John.

For the 1918 general election-which he didn't contest-the Ossory and Leix divisions were combined into one constituency, Queen's County. John Lalor-Fitzpatrick retired gracefully to private life, thus ending a family political dynasty.

Until the day he died-December 8, 1956- John Lalor-Fitzpatrick adhered to his principles. To him, the constitutional path pursued by the Irish Parliamentary Party had been the correct one and he admitted to a feeling of sadness when he thought of "the might have been."

He was born in 1875 at Bolton Lodge, Naas, Co. Kildare, the son of Dr John Fitzpatrick and Anne Fitzpatrick (nee Lalor). After attending Patrician College. Mountrath, John Lalor-Fitzpatrick took up farming at Colt House, Abbeyleix. In the 1916 Ossory by-election, caused by the death of William Delaney, he was the official Irish Parliamentary (nationalist) Party candidate. His opponent was an independent nationalist, James J. Aird, a Maryborough businessman. Following a lively campaign, Mr Lalor-Fitzpatrickpolled 2,003 votes. MrAird's tally was 1,616. The electorate numbered 4,785.

John Lalor-Fitzpatrick made 40 speeches during his two years in the House of Commons, and he and his colleagues carried on a protracted battle against the implementation of the Military Service (conscription) Act in Ireland. They were ultimately successful, for the First World War was nearing its end by the time the Act became operative in this country.

Twice married, John Lalor-Fitzpatrick's first wife was Kathleen Carroll of Carmhill, Kilteely, Co. Limerick. Following her death, he in 1930 wedded Elizabeth Clare from Ballynulty, Co. Wicklow.

His last official public appearance was in Market Square, Portlaoise, in 1949, at a James Fintan Lalor Centenary meeting.

Mr Lalor-Fitzpatrick's grave is in Deansgrange cemetery in Dublin.

Captain Joseph Peter Lalor
Captain Joseph Peter ('Joe')G Company, 12th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force Born 12th August 1884 at Richmond, Melbourne, VictoriaEducated: Xavier College, Kew, VictoriaMarriedSoldier, of Military HQ, Perth, Western Australia & Elgin Street, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VictoriaWife; Hester Lalor (nee Loughrey), of Elgin Street, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria.


Captain Joseph Peter Lalor was the grandson of Peter Lalor, leader of the 1854 Eureka Stockade revolt, who lost an arm as the result of the fighting there.

The eldest son of Dr. Joseph Peter Lalor and Agnes Lalor (nee McCormick), he attended Xavier College 1892 - 99. Being an accomplished linguist and having travelled extensively he was stationed in Western Australia 1910 - 1913, transferred to, Queensland as area officer and Brigade major, 2nd Infantry Brigade. His wish was to serve amongst his friends in the west, and he secured command of G Company, 12th Infantry Battalion. He was married to a niece of Dr. Loughrey, of Hawthorn.

Joseph’s first commission was granted in 1909, and he was appointed to the permanent forces in 1910Most of the captain’s service was in Victoria and commenced as early as 1909, when he was 2nd Lieutenant in the Victorian Rangers. Captain Lalor was a born fighter. He travelled a good deal and was once attached to the French Foreign Legion in Algeria. He also visited South America and took part in two revolutions amongst some of the minor Republics.

Shortly before his death (25th April 1915), Captain Lalor was carrying a family sword. It had been dropped, but was recovered by Lance-corporal Freame some hours later, then dropped again in the stress of the fighting at dusk. It has never been found, though it was reported at one stage to have been in a Turkish museum. It seems doubtful that there is any connection between the sword and the revolt at Eureka Stockade, despite speculation to the contrary.



The Ó Leathlobhair Clan Association was formed in 1993 as a result of much interest expressed after the last national homecoming festival in Ireland. Laois Tourism supported the forming of the clan.

The Ó Leathlobhair Clan is registered with the Clans of Ireland. Its aims are:
To communicate with all those with the Ó Leathlobhair name and those descended from them including those who do not carry the name.
To maintain a register of all who join the association. To hold an annual gathering of its members and intending members.
To foster and promote the rich heritage of the clan. To help and encourage those abroad so that they may know and be proud of their heritage.
To gather information and distribute it to all members.
To promote our county and encourage others to visit it.
Clan Motto:
Láidir agus dílis
Strong and faithful
Fortis et fidelis

Clan Chieftains of Recent Times:
·1994-1995 Paddy Lalor, M.E.P., Abbeyleix.
·1995-1997 Mary Lalor, The Heath.
·1997-1998 Michael Lalor, County Councillor, Camross.
·1998-1999 Paddy Lalor, Kilkenny and Dublin.
·1999-2000 Kevin Lalor-Fitzpatrick, Tenakill, Raheen.
·2000-2001 Marion Lalor-Gunn, Dublin.
·2001-2002 John Lalor, Ballyroan.
Bill Geoghegan, Mountmellick, is Official Piper to the Ó Leathlobhair


Lalors Clan Chieftain

KEVIN Lalor Fitzpatrick Tenakill, Raheen was elected chieftain of the Lalor clan at their AGM in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise recently.
Kevin is a direct descendant of the famous Laoisman James Fintan Lalor whose ancestral home still stands to this day in Tenakill.
Kevin is son of Richard and Millie Lalor Fitzpatrick of Tenakill. A farmer by occupation Kevin and his wife Mary lead a very busy life and are very involved in local affairs and organisations.
A past member of Macra Na Feirme, he was also a radio presenter on local radio for five years. Kevin is a very active member of the Raheen Panto Group, Abbeyleix, Macra na Feirme Drama Group and the Raheen branch of the PTAA.
He loves the stage and will be remembered particularly for his role as a dame in the Raheen Pantomines.
Kevin is also a very good organiser and no doubt this will be a big help as he takes on the mantle of chieftain of the Lalor clan. He has many ambitions as chieftain and would like to promote Co Laois and its history and heritage. He thinks that the young people in our schools should learn more about our Irish history and in particular the history of Laois. Among Kevins other ambitions is to research the Lalors overseas and some day bring them all together as one happy family at a national rally.
Also on Kevin’s agenda is the prospect of a song contest and perhaps chose a Leathobhair anthem.

Tenakill House 2004

The original House built around 1750 consisted of seventeen rooms in total. It is thought two further rooms; a “Back Kitchen” and “Dairy” were added on to the original structure shortly after completion. The 2ft wide walls were built from sand and lime and are still standing today. The main door of the house that can be seen today is the original door. The house had two chimneys and it is assumed that there weren’t any more due to the “Hearth Tax” that was being imposed at the time. The two small windows seen at the top right of the house were the servant’s quarters.



The present owners refer to the house as “Teach na Coillte” (House in the woods). They are awaiting an Architect’s report as to whether or not the property is fit for restoration. Meanwhile they plan to create a separate entrance and turn the back garden into a car park for visitors. They have admitted that, for the moment they would be very happy to settle for the premises being recapped to prevent rain and other weather element damage.

The ‘Old Road’ going past the house today, was the original Main Road when the house was first built. It separates the townlands of Tinnakill and Doon. The New Road known locally as “Going Between the Hedges” was built in the early to mid 1800’s.Mary ‘of Doon’ (Honest Patt Lalor’s mother) ran a “soup kitchen” along this old road during famine times.





When the ‘New Road’ as is shown on the map was being built, new hedging was sown on both sides. A neighbour, Jack Mulhall who worked in Tenakill House told us that he still refers to this section of the road as “Between the Hedges”.We think the ‘New Road’ was built to keep traffic away from the house so Honest Patt could have more privacy for his family.

Interesting Facts & Observations.

·Richard Lalor was M.P. for Queen’s County from 1880 to 1892.

·Honest Patt was an M.P. for two years 1833 and 1834.

·Honest Patt was a supporter of the great Daniel O’Connell and O’Connell often stayed in Tenakill on his way to and from Dublin.

·Honest Patt Lalor spent a lot of his money on being an M.P. At that time MPs were not paid and had to pay for accommodation in London.

·Patt Lalor had about a thousand acres of land while at the same time the other Queen’s County MP, Sir Charles Coote controlled 47,000 acres.

·Honest Patt Lalor educated all his children to a very high standard.

·The door on Tenakill house today is the original oak door put there in 1771.

·Peter Lalor married Alicia Dunne in Melbourne. Richard Lalor married Margaret Dunne in Ireland. Alicia and Margaret were sisters from Mountrath. This means that the Lalor families in Tenakill and Melbourne were more closely related.

Tenakill House - a Building for the Future?

We wondered why the house was in such a bad state and if it could ever be rebuilt so during our visit to Tenakill House, we asked this ‘all important’ question:

“Is there a future for the house?”

Richard Lalor-Fitzpatrick explained that he had been reared in the house and he had moved out in 1958 when he married Millie. At that time it was five times cheaper to build a new bungalow than it would have been to repair the old house.

In 1974 the Australian Government was prepared to provide money to repair the house provided the Irish Government was prepared to match this funding. It seems that the Irish Government was unable to match this offer- probably due to the economic slump the country was in at the time.


The question we had to ask then: how could Richard and Kevin see the repairs ever being done?

Richard and Kevin are very hopeful that the house will indeed be restored to its former glory. They explained that although progress seems slow, interest in the project is increasing. In December 2004 Australians are holding Eureka celebrations and a delegation of the Lalor Clan representatives will make the long journey to Melbourne to participate. It is hoped that these celebrations will generate interest on both continents in the restoration of Tenakill house.

When asked if they had any objections to bodies such as Dúchas or The Heritage taking an interest in the project, the present owners said they would welcome such an interest. We know they could not be expected to hand over the house to whatever group is prepared to pay the cost of repair but they said they would be prepared to lease the building.

We were glad to hear that because we know that Tenakill House matters a lot to Richard and Kevin Lalor-Fitzpatrick and their families and we were all sad to see the house in such a bad state.


In conclusion, we agree that Tenakill House, home to a family whose members had such an impact on Irish history is definitely a building for the future!





Acknowledgements:


Thanks to the Irish Independent for giving us the opportunity to study the history of such an interesting local building.

Thanks to our teacher, Liam Ó Néill for his patience and the photos – go raibh maith agat a mháistir!

Thanks to Muinteoir Áine for driving us to see the house and most of all we extend our gratitude to Richard and Kevin Lalor Fitzpatrick for their permission to base our project on Tenakill, for coming to visit us at school and for their warm welcome when we visited them at the House.