Richard D'Alton Williams (8 October 1822 – 5 July 1862) was an Irish physician and poet, "Shamrock" of the ''

Nation A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...

''.

Life

He was born in Dublin, the son of James and Mary Williams, who came from Westmeath. He grew up in Grenanstown, a townland near the

Devil's Bit The Devil's Bit or Devil's Bit Mountain (, historically anglicized as 'Barnane Ely') is a large hill in County Tipperary, Ireland, which rises to . It lies north-west of the town of Templemore. The mountain is usually climbed through the townl ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

, where his father farmed for Count Dalton. He was educated at Tullabeg Jesuit College and St. Patrick's College, Carlow. He started contributing verses to the ''Nation'' in 1843. He was immediately successful; in the edition of 21 January 1843 there appeared: "''Shamrock'' is a jewel. He cannot write too often. His verses are full of vigour, and as natural as the harp of Tara". Later in 1843, he came to Dublin to study medicine. In 1848, with

Thomas Antisell Thomas Antisell (16 January 1817 – 14 June 1893) was a physician, scientist, professor, and Young Irelander. He fought in the American Civil War, and served as an advisor to the Japanese Meiji government. Early life and education Antisell was ...

and Kevin O'Doherty, he brought out a newspaper, ''

The Irish Tribune ''The Irish Tribune'' was a short-lived nationalist newspaper printed weekly in Dublin in 1848. Five issues were published until its suppression by the British Government. History It was founded during the atmosphere of the revolutions of 1848 ...

'', to take the place of the suppressed '' United Irishman'', founded by

John Mitchel John Mitchel (; 3 November 1815 – 20 March 1875) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist writer and journalist chiefly renowned for his indictment of British policy in Ireland during the years of the Great Famine (Ireland), Great Famin ...

. Before the sixth weekly publication, it was seized by the Government, and proceedings were instituted against the editors. On 30 October 1848, at a third trial, O'Doherty was convicted and transported to Australia; Antisell fled to the US, arriving in November. Williams tried two days after O'Doherty, was acquitted. He resumed his medical studies, took out his degree at Edinburgh in 1849, and emigrated to America in 1851. In the USA he practised medicine until he became ill and died of tuberculosis in

Thibodaux, Louisiana Thibodaux ( ) is a city in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Thib ...

in 1862. He is buried there in St. Joseph's Cemetery. His headstone was later erected that year by Irish members of the 8th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, then encamped in Thibodaux.Irish-American Index
/ref> He was married to Elizabeth Connolly, with whom he had two children.

Bibliography

*''The Poems of Richard D'Alton Williams'', edited with biographical introduction by P. A. Sillard, Third Edition, Dublin, 1901

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Richard Dalton 1822 births 1862 deaths 19th-century Irish medical doctors Medical doctors from County Dublin Irish emigrants to the United States Alumni of Carlow College Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Irish poets People educated at St Stanislaus College Medical doctors from County Tipperary Christian clergy from County Dublin Writers from County Tipperary