sh National
League of Great Britain, and United Irish League of Great Britain--has
been in existence since 1873, working in accordance with and taking the
name of whatever has been the recognised organisation for the time being
in Ireland.

John Barry, who had borne an active share in the struggle for
self-government--irrespective of the methods being constitutional or
unconstitutional--was a man of attractive personality and an
indefatigable worker and organiser. He was the Secretary of the
Manchester Home Rule Association, and, seeing the want of some body in
which the various associations in Great Britain would be represented,
he, in the name and with the authority of his branch, issued invitations
to the associations then known to exist to send delegates to a
Convention to be held in Manchester. To give importance to the occasion,
and the necessary authority, Isaac Butt was invited to preside, and to
attend a great demonstration in the Free Trade Hall, on the night of the
Convention, January 18th, 1873.

Although I bore an active part in the organising of that first Home Rule
Convention of Great Britain, it is only a short time since, after a
lapse of over thirty years, that I heard from John Barry himself the
difficulty he had in securing the presence of the Home Rule leader. It
was a long time since we had seen each other, but I found him the same
cheery, warm-hearted, generous, and patriotic John Barry as ever. It
was in the office of his firm in London we met, and took advantage of
the opportunity to fight our battles over again; and he reminded me of
the sort of inner circle of the I.R.B. to which he and I, and others who
have since been prominent in Irish politics, belonged.

He was always, however, a practical patriot, and would use every
legitimate method to serve Ireland. That was why he threw himself with
such ardour into the Home Rule movement.

He told me of how he went over to Dublin to secure the promise of Isaac
Butt to preside at the projected Convention, and to attend the
demonstration in the evening. He got the requisite promise, and the
announcement was made in all good faith in Manchester. So far all looked
promising; but what was his alarm to hear, within three days of the
event, that Isaac Butt's professional engagements would prevent his
being able to attend. Added to this he had heard that Butt, who was of a
somewhat irresolute temperament, was being warned that he was falling
into the h