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800Years IrishPolitical, Literary&MilitaryHistory - 15thApril2014
86
EMMET,Robert.
The Speechof Robert Emmet, Esq., Leader of the Irish Insurrectionof 1803, deliveredbyThat LamentedPa-
triot, at the closeof hisTrial forHighTreason. Folio, printedonone sideonlywithin adecoratedborder, text
in three columns. Rectangular box printed at endwith the legend ‘Robert Emmet, Esq., / Beheaded, / 1803’.
PoemofThomasMoore ‘OBreathenothisName’ under title. Somemanuscript corrections anddeletemarks.
Creased at centre fold and slight fraying tomargins. Framed. 28.5 x 44cm.Manchester, Printed and sold by
T.P. Carlile, Bookseller, circa1835. Inverygood condition.
Robert Emmet, patriot, was born inDublin in 1778. Educated at T.C.D. where he took a prominent part in
theHistorical Society’s debates, andwas a friend of ThomasMoore. He travelled to theContinent, where he
interviewedNapoleon.On returninghomehepreparedplans for an insurrectionwhichbrokeout on the23rd
July, 1803, taking theauthoritiesby surprise.Disappointedof promisedhelp, andhorrifiedat theactionof his
followers in killing LordKilwarden, he retired to Rathfarnhamwhere he was protected by his housekeeper,
AnneDevlin.Hewouldnot leaveDublinuntil hehadmet his fiancee, SarahCurran,whose father, JohnPhil-
potCurran, detestedEmmet.Hewas capturedatHarold’sCross andwas triedbeforeLordNorbury. Emmet’s
speech from thedockbecameoneof themost celebratedpatrioticorationsof all time, eloquentlydeliveredon
thedaybeforehis executionwhich tookon the 20thSeptember, 1803.
“Yes, my lords, amanwho does not wish to have his epitaphwritten until his country is liberated, will not
leave aweapon in the power of envy; nor a pretence to impeach the probitywhichhemeans topreserve even
in thegrave towhich tyrannyconsignshim ... Letnomandare,when I amdead, tochargemewithdishonour;
let noman attaintmymemory by believing that I could have engaged in any cause but that ofmy country’s
libertyand independence ...whenmycountry takesherplaceamong thenationsof theearth, then, andnot till
then letmyepitaphbewritten” -Emmet’seloquentorationon thedaybeforehewasexecuted forhigh treason.
€500 - 600
87
ABRONZEDEATHMASKOFTHE IRISHNATIONALISTANDREPUBLICAN,ROBERT
EMMET
(1778-1803)22x19cmsFrom theoriginaldeath-mask taken shortlyafterhisexecutionby JamesPetrie (father
of the artistGeorgePetrie). Emmet’s deathmaskwas cast on the eveningof his executionby JamesPetrie, the
only one of Emmet’s friends with the courage to go toKilmainham Jail, where the body was left overnight.
Whenno-one claimed thebody, itwas buried in anunmarkedgravewhichhas never been traced. Amemen-
to of the young leader whose unsuccessful Rising won him a special place in the hearts of his countrymen,
throughhisnoble character andhis famous Speech from theDock.
€600 - 800
88
PolishWarHeroAidsYoung IrelanderRebellion, 1848.
A signed sworn statement by Constable John Roddy of Tullow, Co. Carlow, 29th July 1848 stating that on
the night before he had met “a person calling himself Joseph Sinosky” in a public house on Castle Street,
Carlow. He took lodging there and slept in the same bed as “Sinosky” and “in the course of conversation...
he stated he was a native of Poland... that he had been drilling the people in Limerick for twomonths and
was also drilling them in Clonmel and that he came to Carlow for the same purpose. The two page doc-
ument also states that he informed Roddy that “there would be a general rising of the people in three
weeks” and that “Poland fought for Liberty and that Ireland would do the same and that he would give
them a hand”. In fact the rebellion took place the very next day on 29th July in the village of Ballingarry,
Co. Tipperary where rebels besieged a police unit but later retreated after police reinforcements arrived.
“Sinosky” is thought to be Józef Szymanowski, a 19th Century Polish patriot and war hero who fought for
Polish independence fromRussia. He commanded a battalion of the FrenchArmy in 1808 and fought with
Napoloeon’s armies, later serving in the army of the Roman republic under Pope Pius IX. It is then believed
that Szymanowskiwas invited to Ireland in1848 tohelp theYoung Ireland rebels stage anuprising.
€200 - 300
