John Thomond O'Brien (1786–1861), also known in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

as Juan Thomond O'Brien, was an

Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...

officer born in 1786 in

Baltinglass Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas (), is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road. Etymology The town's Irish name, ''Be ...

Co. Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...

, son of Martin O'Brien and Honoria O'Connor. He fought in the Chilean War of Independence.

Career

John Thomond O'Brien left

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and arrived in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

in 1812 to open a merchant house. On his way there, his ship crashed onto the rocks of Fernando Po Island in west Africa. Only he and a few others survived to continue their journey. Josedesanmartin

Soon after arriving in Buenos Aires, the local people gave him the name Don Juan O'Brien. He enlisted in the army and fought in

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

with

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Miguel Estanislao Soler Miguel Estanislao Soler (May 7, 1783 – September 23, 1849) was an Argentine general, who fought in the Argentine War of Independence. He was appointed governor of the Banda Oriental by Buenos Aires in 1814, but he was resisted by Artigas a ...

. In 1816 O'Brien joined

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...

's mounted grenadiers regiment in the Andes army. After the battle of Chacabuco, he was promoted to captain and appointed aide-de-camp to General San Martín. O'Brien fought in the

Second Battle of Cancha Rayada The Battle of Cancha Rayada (March 16, 1818), (also known in Chile as the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada or Surprise of Cancha Rayada) was fought in Chile between South American patriots and Spanish royalists, during the Osorio's campaign in th ...

and at

Battle of Maipú The Battle of Maipú ( es, Batalla de Maipú) was a battle fought near Santiago, Chile on April 5, 1818, between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during the Chilean War of Independence. The Patriot rebels led by Argentine general Jo ...

. In 1821 he was promoted to

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

, and died in 1861 in

Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

while returning to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

Honours

In 1938 John (Juan) Thomond O'Brien's remains were sent back to Argentina where he received an official funeral. On January 23, 2017 his remains were again reinterred with military honours in

Mendoza, Argentina Mendoza (, ), officially the City of Mendoza ( es, Ciudad de Mendoza) is the capital of the province of Mendoza in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern si ...

. A town was also named after him, as was the Chilean ''

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fair ...

'' class submarine ''O'Brien''. In 2006 a plaque was placed on the library of Baltinglass reading, in part, "In memory of General John Thomond O'Brien ... Hero of the independence wars of Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru."

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, John Thomond 1786 births 1861 deaths Irish expatriates in Argentina Irish soldiers Wild Geese (soldiers) Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery