Feargus O'Connor

Written for both a general and academic audience, this full-length biography of Feargus O'Connor (1795–1855) provides an overview of a turbulent and active political career, from positions in journalism and the House of Commons to mass demonstrations for the People's Charter and working for the Chartist Land company. At the height of his popularity as a leader of the Chartists' campaign for democratic reform, O'Connor enjoyed the support of millions of working people. But more than any other popular leader of his generation, he sought to bring the "working Saxon and Celt" together in a common struggle, an aspiration that had its roots deep in the Irish past. Uniquely, this account restores the Irish dimension of O'Connor's career to its proper place by offering, for the first time, an evaluation of his heritage, his ideas, and his public life on both sides of the Irish Sea.