Chapter 3



O`Leary sold the wharf to Thomas Murray for $700. It was flipped to the Government in less than a week for $5,000. This news came as a bombshell to the Crockett Conservative camp.

The Unity, captained by Boomer, sailed from the sight of land to the sight of lands, in just eleven days. Boomer was a Captain of the old type, and while on the "Unity", dismasted her twice. The "Unity" was one of Henry O`Leary`s famous ships.

His other ships included the "Parnell" and the "Richard". The "Parnell" on her maiden voyage under Captain John L Newman, (who later lived in the big white house at Baie Vista, Shediac Cape) also had three past captains as mates and still another trio as A.B.`s before the mast.

When the barque "Parnell" docked at Liverpool, one morning in the year 1884, little die Captain Newman dream that it was the beginning of a train of events that would make him and his vessel famous all over the world.

Charles Stewart Parnell, the man was already hated in the eyes of British patriots. He had recently been released from Kilmainharm prison and presently represented Cork in the British Parliament. Even today, he is still praised by many I.R.A. supporters. He was one off the first men to take up the cause of the Irish Nationalism and bring it world wide attention.

A group of loyal British subjects came down to the dock and were infuriated - for here was the ship with the name "Charles Stewart Parnell" proudly and boldly emblazoned on her front and flying the British Merchant Marine Flag and also haughtily flowing in the wind was in Irish Burgee (the Irish Nationalist Emblem). Word soon spread about the ship and the Irish Flag (a harp on a field of green) that in very short order, a riot broke out. The howling mob had to be quelled by the police but not before all the windows in the after cabin and fo`castle had been battered in. The final act of the mob was to tear the Merchant Marine Flag from the mizzen and tear it to shreds. After unloading her cargo of lumber in Liverpool, the Parnell sailed to Cork, Ireland. Sailing orders were received and the ship put about to head for sea. She still carried the Irish Flag, now bearing the name - "H. O`Leary Richibucto, N.B."


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