James Fitzharris nicknamed Skin-the-Goat (4 October 1833 – 7 September 1910) was a member of the Dublin, Ireland-based Invincibles.

Biography

Born at

Ferns A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except th ...

, County Wexford, where his father was an employee at the Sinnott estate, he later became an Irish republican. When working as a cab driver, he earned his nickname when he found a goat eating the horse hair in his horses' collar. Fitzharris killed and skinned the goat on the spot, using the hide to cover his knees when he drove his cab. Ultimately, he served as

getaway driver A crime scene getaway is the act of fleeing the location where one has broken the law. It is an act that the offender(s) may or may not have planned in detail, resulting in a variety of outcomes. A :crime scene is the "location of a crime; e ...

during the assassination of Permanent Under Secretary Thomas Henry Burke and Lord Frederick Cavendish in

Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...

. He was later tried and found not guilty of the murders but in a retrial in May 1883, was convicted of conspiracy and accessory to murder and sentenced to penal servitude for life. He was released from prison in 1899 and visited the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

until he was deported back to Ireland in 1900. He is mentioned in the Irish folk song, "

Monto (Take Her Up to Monto) "Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)" is an Irish folk song, written in 1958 by George Desmond Hodnett, music critic of the ''Irish Times'', and popularised by the Dubliners. Frank Harte was also known to sing the song. Lyrics Well, if you've got a wi ...

", written by

George Desmond Hodnett George Desmond "Hoddy" Hodnett (25 February 1918 – 23 September 1990) was an Irish musician, songwriter and long-time jazz and popular music critic for the ''Irish Times''.The Dubliners The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-ye ...

. He is also mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses (pp. 133-134, 1934 ed.). FitzHarris died on 7 September 1910, in the South Dublin Union workhouse where he had been living in penury. He is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. His death certificate noted that he was married but little is known of his wife or family.

References

External links

The Invincibles and the Phoenix Park killings
theirishstory.com 1843 births 1910 deaths 1882 crimes in the United Kingdom 18th-century Irish people 19th-century Irish people Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood Irish rebels People deported from the United States People from County Wexford Place of death missing {{Ireland-hist-stub