John Moore (1763 – 6 December 1799) was an Irish rebel leader, a
appointed in August 1798 "President of the Government of the
Province of Connaught" by the commander of a French invasion force,
General Humbert
General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (22 August 1767 – 3 January 1823) was a French military officer who participated in several notable military conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th century. Born in the townland of La Coâre Saint-Nabord, ...
.
Early life
From Ashbrook, near
Straide
Straide (), or Strade, is a village in County Mayo, Ireland. It is located on the N58 national secondary road between Foxford and Castlebar. The name Strade is an anglicisation of the Irish words ''an tsráid'', meaning ''the street''.
Straid ...
,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
, John Moore was the son of a prosperous merchant, George Moore. He was educated at the Catholic school of
Douai
Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...
, and at the
University of Paris
, image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of Arms
, latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis
, motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin)
, mottoeng = Here and a ...
under the assumed name of "Bellew". On his return to Ireland he studied for the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
but seems to have shown little interest in his studies.
Appointment as president
At the time of the
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirà Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influence ...
a force of 1,000 French soldiers under
General Humbert
General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (22 August 1767 – 3 January 1823) was a French military officer who participated in several notable military conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th century. Born in the townland of La Coâre Saint-Nabord, ...
landed at
Killala
Killala () is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West (known locally as Enagh Beg), which contains a number of ancient ...
. Moore joined the French, as did a considerable number of his tenants. After the
Battle of Castlebar
The Battle of Castlebar occurred on 27 August 1798 near the town of Castlebar, County Mayo, during the Irish Rising of that year. A combined force of 2,000 French troops and Irish patriots routed a combined force of 6,000-strong British and P ...
which took place on 27 August 1798, General Humbert, on 31 August 1798, issued the following decree, which ''
inter alia'' appointed John Moore as the President of the Government of the Province of Connacht:
The above decree refers to an ''Irish Republic'', not a ''
Republic of Connacht
The Irish Republic of 1798, more commonly known as the Republic of Connacht, was a short-lived state proclaimed during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 that resulted from the French Revolutionary Wars. A client state of the French Republic, it the ...
''. Hence, strictly speaking, it appears to be incorrect to refer to any formal establishment of a ''Republic of Connacht'' or of John Moore being appointed its President. Instead, an ''Irish Republic'' had been proclaimed, and John Moore was appointed the President of one of its provinces, Connacht. Nevertheless, as civil or political appointments were not made for any other province of the short-lived ''1798 Irish Republic'', the ''Republic of Connacht'' is the name that has long been commonly used for that ''Irish Republic''. Either way, the new republic was proclaimed by the French to increase their political and logistical support in Ireland.
The general tasks with which Moore was entrusted as President are apparent from the above decree. However, the rebel Republic was a
puppet state
A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its o ...
and was very short-lived (discussed below). The main problem for Moore was that the Irish
Roman Catholic Hierarchy
The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...
was vehemently opposed to French republicanism, whether from the
Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution
The dechristianization of France during the French Revolution is a conventional description of the results of a number of separate policies conducted by various governments of France between the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the Conc ...
, or the French expulsion of
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799.
Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...
earlier in 1798, that resulted in a short-lived
"Roman Republic".
Nevertheless, among the things which President Moore did have time to do was to issue "''paper money to a considerable extent...
the name of the French Government''".
Capture and trial
In September 1798, just weeks after its proclamation, the
Irish Royal Army
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
mobilised westwards and the Republic was lost with defeat at the
Battle of Ballinamuck. President Moore was captured in Castlebar by a Lieut.-Col. Crawford. From a letter dated 10 December 1798 from
Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
to the
Duke of Portland
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
, it appears that President Moore was:
:''"taken a prisoner by His Majesty’s forces at Castlebar where he was found with a commission in his possession from the commander of the French invading army, under which commission he had acted and exercised authority under the enemy, being at war with our Sovereign Lord the King ...
ndhe had continued to so act until he was made a prisoner."''
Moore's trial was delayed for some time as the British authorities took the view that owing to the general strife in
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
and the presence of rebels, there was a significant chance Moore could be rescued by rebels if they tried to bring him to Dublin to stand trial.
Owing to the delay in his trial, an attempt was made to force Moore's release under the
writ
In common law, a writ (Anglo-Saxon ''gewrit'', Latin ''breve'') is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, a ...
of
habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...
. However, this was unsuccessful. Moore was subsequently sentenced to
transportation
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...
. According to contemporary accounts, the ''"lenity"'' of
Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
to Moore ''"and other rebels, gave considerable offence to the violent loyalists"''. While being taken to Duncannon Fort in
Wexford
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 N ...
, en route to
New Geneva, he died in the Royal Oak Coaching Inn, Broad Street,
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
City.
State funeral
After he died, Moore was buried in the cemetery of Ballygunner Temple in
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
. The location of his grave was forgotten until it was rediscovered by chance in 1960. On 12 August 1961 his remains were exhumed and conveyed under Army Guard to
Castlebar
Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...
. On 13 August 1961, after funeral mass in Castlebar, Moore's remains were reinterred at The Mall in
Castlebar
Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...
at a
state military funeral attended by President
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
, the
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
,
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass (born John Francis Lemass; 15 July 1899 – 11 May 1971) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1959 to 1966. He also served as Tánaiste from 1957 to 1959, 1951 to 1954 ...
, several
TDs, the ambassadors of Spain and France, and some of John Moore's living descendants.
The inscription over Moore's grave reads:
:''"Ireland's first president and a descendant of
St Thomas More
Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...
, who gave his life for his country in the rising of 1798 ... By the will of the people exhumed and reinterred here with all honours of church and state."''
The claimed ancestral link between John and St Thomas More is unproven, and was presumably included for bizarre emotional and not historical reasons. In 1798 the Irish Catholic hierarchy had seen Rome occupied by Moore's allies and
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799.
Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...
expelled, in a manner that St Thomas More would certainly have disapproved of. Quiet opposition by the Church resulted in the general lack of popular support for John Moore. Despite the victories at Castlebar and
Collooney
Collooney or Coloony () is a town in County Sligo, Ireland.
Toponymy
Collooney is thought to derive from . Reverend Terrence O'Rorke has previously also suggested ''Culmaine'', as Collooney is designated this way in such works as ''the annals ...
, the United Irish numbers in the French army had declined, resulting in the defeat at the
Battle of Ballinamuck.
In 1998, in connection with the bicentenary of the 1798 rebellion, at least one member of
Mayo County Council
Mayo County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo) is the authority responsible for local government in County Mayo, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and co ...
proposed that Moore's remains should be exhumed once again and this time reinterred at
Moore Hall, the ancestral home of the Moores. Nothing came of the proposal.
[See th]
Connaught Telegraph of 11 March 1998 ''Controversial plan to exhume General Moore's remains again.''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, John
1767 births
1799 deaths
18th-century Irish people
Heads of Irish provisional governments
Moore family of Mayo
Politicians from County Mayo
United Irishmen