re generally
called, "Copperas Hill Chapel," where I used to serve as an altar boy. I
must have been a very small boy at the time when I first remember the
Liberator coming to Mass at our Church, for, on one occasion, on
stretching up to the altar to remove the Missal it was so difficult for
me to reach that I let it fall over my head.

Without being by any means what is termed a "votheen," O'Connell was a
faithful and devout son of the Catholic Church. During the many years
when he was passing through Liverpool, going to and returning from
Parliament, and on other occasions when he came to Irish gatherings in
the town, he attended Mass daily whenever possible, and frequently
approached Holy Communion.

O'Connell spoke several times from the balcony of the Adelphi Hotel.
From my earliest days I was an earnest politician, and one of my most
cherished remembrances is of having been brought by my father to one of
these gatherings. The Liberator addressed a great multitude, who filled
the whole square in front, and overflowed into the adjoining streets. My
recollection of him on this occasion is that of a big man, in a long
cloak, wearing what appeared to me some kind of a cap with a gold band
on it. This must have been the famous "Repeal Cap" designed by the Irish
sculptor, Hogan, who, when investing O'Connell with it at the great
gathering at Mullaghmast, said: "Sir, I only regret this cap is not of
gold."

As in our later Irish movements, we frequently had meetings in one or
other of the Liverpool theatres. O'Connell was, as often as his
attendance could be secured, the central figure, and drew enormous
gatherings. At one of these meetings at the Royal Amphitheatre there was
an attempt by an armed body of Orangemen to storm the platform, on which
were all our leading Irishmen. Among the most active of these was
Terence Bellew MacManus, who had all his lifetime been a devoted
follower and admirer of O'Connell. On this particular night, which was
long before the unfortunate split into "Old Ireland" and "Young
Ireland," he had a fine opportunity of displaying his "physical force"
proclivities in defence of the "moral force" leader.

The Orange attack was of short duration. They were simply cleared out as
if by an irresistible whirlwind. We have always been able to hold our
own in Liverpool, when it came to physical encounters against all
comers. We have generally had some organisation or another--whether
constitutional