Fanatic Heart: A Life of John Boyle O’Reilly, 1844-1890

First Edition. Signed by Author (inscription). pp.xv, 280 Scarce hardcover.For his part in the Fenian conspiracy, O’Reilly was sentenced to twenty years’ penal servitude. It appears he was originally sentenced to death but his sentence was commuted to 20 years. He served nearly two years in English prisons before being put aboard the convict ship Hougoumont for transportation to the British colony of Western Australia. Midway through the voyage, O’Reilly and another prisoner John Flood, established a handwritten newspaper called The Wild Goose which contained poetry, stories and anecdotes from members of the ship’s convict fraternity. Seven editions were produced, and the single copy of the original set survives and is held in the State Library of New South Wales collection. The Hougoumont’s passage was the last convict ship transport to Western Australia. pp.xvi, 280 #0817X (In display cabinet, Elizabeth’s Bookshop Warehouse, 23 Queen Victoria St Fremantle.)