Michael Sheedy. New York. (Fenian) Founder of the 'United Brotherhood'.
Preface by Jenny Williams Fawcett Who was Michael Sheady (sic),Irish Patriot, leader of the New York secret society 'United Brotherhood' c1810 ? We know from the following news article that Sheady died about 1878/79 (probably in America.) According to a front page news article,published by the Brooklyn Eagle in 1883 (written by the editor with a Clan Na Gael member as his informant) Sheady was the founder of the 'United Brotherhood', as well as a early member of "Clan Na Gael" The 'United Brotherhood' were a breakaway group of former members of the 'Brian Boroimhe Circle of the Fenian Brotherhood of the New York City'. 'The United Brotherhood' was to later become the 'Clan Na Gael'.The main ideal of these group was,generally speaking, to provide from America the means to free Ireland of her English shackles (through funding, arms and man power.) Michael Sheady was described (in 1883) as having been ".. a sterling Irish Patriot..quite a distinguished Free Mason away up in the order, so that he might be designated, a distinguised member of the craft..." Today many are perplexed at the idea of an Irish Freemason,the idea generally meeting opposition as the Masons are generally viewed as an English secrety society with anti-Irish sentiment. Sheedy is alledged to have organised and headed the foundation of the United Brotherhood about 1809/1810. Around that time one of his fellow members of the Brian Boroimhe Circle of Fenians was brought forward as a candiate for Office.Sheedy alledgedly opposed the Fenians bringing the candidate to the public,as he believed that American politics should not play a part in Irish national societies,and also that men should have the right to freely vote for the candiate of their own choice. When his venhement stance was defeated by the indorsement of the candidate,Sheedy and a number of his friends formed a new organisation which was then named "The United Brotherhood". They specifically targeted the well to do Irish American business men who usually kept aloof of the Fenian brotherhoods. Sheedys intent was that his club (known as No.1), was to act as a tender to the Fenian Brotherhood by assisting them with money when they took any decided step for the advancement of Irish freedom. Below is a copy of the newspaper report on Sheedy and his involvement in the Fenians. I welcome any input into identifying Michael Sheedy (who will probably be variously spelt Sheady, Sheedy,Sheehy, unless he took the corresponding clan names of Macnamara or Silk.) There was probably also others of his family in the New York region. I am also searching for any connection between Michael Sheedy and the Sheedy family members where were transported from Ireland to Australia around the same time of Michael's residency in New York. Several of the Sheedy brothers sent out are alledged to have been members of the 'International Society of United Irishmen", another secret,oathbound society, founded after the 1798 insurrection in Ireland. The surnames are variously recorded as Sheedy.Sheady, Sheehy,Sheehey, and family members often took the clan names of Macnamara or Silk(e). This leads to understandable confusing in determing relationships between family members. The Sheedyspeak website is hoping to determine family connections, and I welcome any information in relation to the families or their livelihoods, residences,deaths etc, but particularly political sympathies. The following newspaper report on the History of the Clan Na Gael was published in the Brooklyn Eagle, edition date: May 05th 1883. -------------------------------------------------- Newpaper Headline: Clan Na Gael The Origin and History of the Society. Founded by a Free Mason on the Plan of Masonry - Forced into Dynamite Dealings by Revolutionary Members -Rossa and his Followers to have a Clear Field. Byline: "The Clan Na Gael, the organization which must assume responsibility for Dr .Thomas and Bernard Gallagher,Lynch and other alleged dynamiters now under arrest in London,is a secret and oath bound society" said a well known member of one of the clubs which meets in the vicinity of Court and Folton streets to the writer recently. "Its history is no secret to advanced Irish revolutionists in this country,but it is a secret to ninety-five percent of the men who belong to it." Such a statement may seem paradoxical to a man like you,who knows nothing of Ireland and her revolutionary societies.The origin of the Clan na Gael was a somewhat peculiar one. In 1809 the Brian Boroimhe Circle of the Fenian Brotherhood of New York City had a member- ship of about 200, comprising business men and others influential in political circiles. One of the members was a candidate for office, and his friends brought up the question of his indorsement in the circle.Mr Michael Sheady, an honest and sterling patriot, opposed the dragging of American politics into Irish national societies, and vehemently denounced the proposed action of the circle. He held that every man could and should vote as he saw fit, regardless of fact that the candidate was a member of the Fenian Brotherhood. The candidate was indorsed, and Mr Sheady and his friends immediately left the circle. Mr Sheady was a Free Mason, away up in the order, so that he might be designated a distinguised member of the craft. He called his friends together promptly and proposed starting a new organization independent of the Fenian Brotherhood. He saw that the well to do Irish Americans, business men especially, kept aloof from the (fenian) Brotherhood, and he proposed getting them into the new organization. The United Brotherhood, now known as the Clan Na Gael, was started, and the club,known as No 1,but the name of which I cannot now remember, was formed. The intention of Mr Sheady was that the United Brotherhood should be a tender to the Fenian Brotherhood by assisting them with money when they took any decided step for the advancement of Irish freedom. They intention of Mr Sheady was, as I have already stated, to enlist well to do Irishmen in the cause. Many of that class kept aloof from the Fenian Brotherhood for various reasons. As the members of the United Brotherhood were not expected to do any fighting, men of some means only were courted as members. The initiation fee was placed as £2. Modeled on the Plan of Masonry "I have stated that Mr Sheady was quite a distinguished Free Mason. Every member of the Masonic order belonging to the Clan na Gael must admit that fact even though they had never heard of such a man as Mr Sheady. The fact is that Mr Sheady, as he stated publicly at the time,modeled the United Brotherhood, or Clan na Gael as it is now known, on the plan of the Masonic order, there being very little difference between their workings or even the titles of the officers. Free Masons, and there are some of them in the Clan na Gael, must have have been agreeable surprised when inducted into a Glan na Gael club. The forms are quite familiar to them, so much so that they may have doubted whether some of their fellow craftsmen of the Masonic order were not getting up a joke on them before they 'saw light'. Of course, few if any members out-side of the Masonic body can realize the nature of the forms and never once suspected their origin. 95 per cent of the members of the Clan na Gael of Brooklyn will be very much surpised when I tell them through the EAGLE for the first time that the forms of initiation of Masonry are no secret to them now. "It must be said that none but the better class of Irishmen in this country belong to the order. The startling ceremonies attending the inducting of a member fills him with the idea tha the secrets of the society are something wonderful and that his election implies extraordinary confidence in him on behalf of his associates. Three black balls exclude a man, so it will readily be seen that the society is in a sense exclusive. Its secrets have never been violated and Lynch,the informer,if he really belonged to the order, apparently knew but little about it. In fact, but few members,outside the executive of the club, whom I shall designate the chairman and the district member, know much about the secrets sinces the society became actively engaged in revolutionary projects. A feature of the initiation is that a man,when sworn in,does not see the members although they see him. After taking the oath he is admitted to light and sees his associates. The outside and inside sentinels and the guides, and even the mode of addressing the Chair savour of masonry. The forms certainly give eclatto the opter. The Clan na Gael's Founder a Free Mason "Mr Sheedy was,most unquestionably,actuated by the best of motives in forming the Brotherhood,and aimed at bringing the business and well to do class of Irishmen into the order who would have nothing to do with Fenianism. He thought it best to surround it with the safeguards of masonry so that well to do Irishmen could assist the cause of their country without being paraded in public. "The United Brotherhood dragged along slowly until after the failure of the proposed raid on Canada in 1870.Many of the members of the Senate wing of the Fenian Brotherhood then joined the United Brotherhood or Clan na Gael.. The society has probably 10,000 members at present. Brooklyn is really most influential in the councils of the Clan na Gael, since we have about fifteen clubs here, while there are probably not more than ten in New York. Brooklyn, New York and Jersey City are divided into five districts, as well as I can remember,over each of which there is a district member.You see the plan of masonry is carried out there. The ancient craft has district deputy grand masters, and the districts are given in numerical order. The name of the Executive of the Clan na Gael or the title of his office is not probably known to eighty percent, of the members today. In this connection I will say that Lynch,if he ever belonged to the order, was kept in perfect ignorance of it's workings, and most unquestionably knew nothing about its executive or the title of his office. He referred to O'Donovan Rossa as the 'old man' who was to furnish the money, but Rossa had no more to do with the business than Gladstone. In fact, the man at the head of the Clan na Gael and Rossa are bitter enemies. But in tracing the history of the Clan na Gael I must say a few parting words about its founder. When Stephens came to this country the second time and organised the I.R.B, Mr Sheady was among the first to join it. In resigning from the Clan na Gael he stated that he did so because it had departed from the purpose for which it was organized. Too much American politics had crept into it. Mr Sheady, who was,in my estimation,as good a patriot and as sincere a man as Fenianism ever produced, died four or five years ago.. the article here on covers the squabbles of the Emerald Club, and current situation of Gallagher, Lynch, Devoy and etc. Further Links: * = sighted original record.
