The Story of Liam Mellows

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THE STORY OF LIAM MELLOWES. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, seven years ago, one of the darkest deeds ever done in Ireland, took place in Mountjoy Jail. In the cold grey dawn of that Lady Day, four young men, Liam Mellowes, Rory O'Connor, Dick Barrett, Joe McKelvey, were brought out from their prison dungeon, and shot dead. These four names will be remembered forever, and when Ireland is free, every school in the country will give a special holiday in honour of their memory. One of these martyrs might have lived and died unhard of, if he had not when a little boy come across an old bock, telling the stories of the wonderful and heroic deeds of our forefathers when Ireland was free. The story of the young Cuchulain, and especially his Boy-corps which saved Wister while the men of the country slept, filled Liam with a wonderful idea that, perhaps, the boys of his day would save Ireland while the men of Ireland slept. The more he read about Ireland's many fights for freedom the more he longed to grow up and do something himself. But as he was very shy and knew none of the Republican leaders, he found it hard to begin. However, he soon thought of a plan. He went in to the office of a Republican paper called "Irish Freedom," This priest told them that Pearse and Connolly and all the leaders up in Dublin and throughout the country had surrendered to superior force, and that they in Galway were the only people who had not disbanded and were still in arms. Poor Liam listened in sadness, in despair. Was this to be the end of his glorious dream of fighting to death or victory? He must, however, let the men choose: it was not for him "who would be shot, anyway," as he was told, to drive others to death. They chose, and bitter it is to tell, one by one they slunk up and bade good-bye to their young commander, some weeping, some pretending to be gay, but all deserting except two, faithful comrades who shared all his hardships and adventures for the next few months. If you, boys of to-day, had been there, what would you have done? Liam Mellowes and his two comrades now took to the mountains, where for months and months, they led the life of hunted outlaws. The British Government used its well-trained spies to try to capture them, and hardly a day passed awthout some hairbreath escape. Over and over again they were almost caught, but always they were in the most extreme danger they used to feel the presence of a Fourth Person, and their fear fled because they knew that this Fourth Person was Our Lord Himself, the friend of those in danger. Weeks and months passed and Liam heard of the execution of all his best friends up in Dublin. At last one day he got orders from his officers in Dublin to go away to America, disguised as an ordinary sailor, on a British ammunition tub which was to leave from Liverpool. Liam hated going to America, but orders were orders, and he was told he could do very useful work over there. He always used to say afterwards that…