On August 5, O’Brien was arrested and others followed soon. Since they had taken up arms against the government, they had committed treason, punishable by death. Their juries were carefully selected to insure a guilty verdict. The leaders, O’Brien, Meagher, and Stephens, were all sentenced to death, but their sentences were commuted to transportation. The uprising was over and Irish independence had failed.
Image: Trial of the Irish patriots at Clonmel, Oct. 22nd. 1848 Thos. F. Meagher, Terence B. Mc.Manus, Patrick O'Donohue, receiving their sentence. New York : Pub. by N. Currier, 152 Nassau St., cor. of Spruce, N.Y., c1848. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.