Conclusion
The object of this study was to investigate the early life and the influences
on James Patrick 'O'Gorman Mahon' and show how he rose to fame in the
Ireland in the early nineteenth century. Although there are few records
existing it has been established that he was born James Patrick Mahon
in Mill Street, Ennis, in March 1802. Both sides of his family had come
through the eighteenth century well, amassing capital and lands. His
mother's side, as merchants, were not much affected by the penal laws.
His father's side used the system to ensure their survival with many
of them changing religion to ensure they retained possession of their
lands.
There were several influences on Mahon's political life. First and foremost
was his family background. In his early life he may well have been influenced
by tales of his Gaelic lineage and how his uncles fought for Catholic
rights in the final years of the 1700s while in his early schooling
he would have read tales of the dispossessed Irish and their struggle
to survive. In his years at Clongowes he mingled with the Irish Catholic
elite and it was during his time here he first encountered Daniel O'Connell.
As a friend of O'Connell's son he saw first hand O'Connell's rise to
the top of the Irish Catholic political activity. After finishing his
education he joined his uncles and O'Connell
at the forefront of the battle for emancipation as a member of the New
Catholic association.
His adventurous lifestyle would seem to have been inspired by reading
books like Freney, a notorious robber and Jorgensen's Travels. It is
unclear who was most influential in Mahon adopting duelling as his favoured
method of conflict resolution, though seeing how O'Connell and others
of that time gained respect from their peers by showing their bravery
in duelling and seeing how his father was humiliated in court after
not accepting a duel must have been a factor in his decision. Whether
or not the accusation of murder levelled at his father influenced him
in any way is impossible to say, nor, indeed, is there any sign that
he knew anything about it.
It was during the Clare Election of 1828 that Mahon came into his own
and played a huge part in O'Connell's success. In the run up to this
election Mahon received a lot of coverage from the newspapers which
brought him fame. There is little doubt that the attraction of crowds
cheering at his antics and speeches would have been like a drug for
this outgoing, handsome, wealthy and unattached young man.
Although the main influences in his life were his family this coincided
with a period in Irish history when Catholic gentry were exercising
rights the previous generation only dreamt about. It was a combination
of both of these that enabled Mahon stand tall in the belief that he
was more than an equal to anyone else and God help anyone who would
question this. Recent research has shown how some Catholic families
prospered in the eighteenth century and this study confirms this. Further
research on Mahon's family is needed to show the full extent of their
wealth and how they acquired it. This research would compliment the
recent work on Catholic families during the era of the penal laws.
This study also advances our understanding of relations between the
Catholics and Protestants in county Clare. We see how the relationship
between them was for the most part good. Although the incidents relating
to the proselytising by the bible schools cause some bad feelings it
was not until the Protestant community felt their position of power
and control threatened by O'Connell that we see the relationship between
the denominations becoming strained, something which is reflected by
the serious change in tone from local newspaper editorials around the
time of the Clare Election. The character of Mahon's father and uncles
are revealed in this study. As well as learning about Mahon's father
Pat and his character we get an insight into the administration of the
county at this time. From studying Mahon's maternal uncles we can trace
the development of the nationalist and emancipationist politics and
we see how this changed the mindset of Irish Catholics which in turn
gave Mahon the confidence to hold his head high without the feelings
of inferiority of the proceeding generations.
In conclusion this study has chronicled the early life and revealed
many of the influences that shaped James Patrick O'Gorman Mahon into
the charismatic character that earned his place in Irish history.
