The Fenians were members of the so-called Fenian movement in
Ireland and elsewhere, though primarily America and England .
The Fenians wanted one simple desire for Ireland - independence
from British rule. The Great Famine had a massive impact on
Ireland. Some in Ireland believed that the government in London
- to solve the 'Irish Problem' - had deliberately done as little
as possible to aid the people of Ireland – a form of genocide –
and these people concluded that the only hope Ireland had for
its future was a complete separation from Great Britain. If
London was unwilling to grant this, then the Fenians would fight
for it. Anger against the British government spilled over in
1848. In this year a group of revolutionaries known as Young
Ireland launched an ill-prepared uprising against the
government. It was a failure. Two of the members of Young
Ireland were James Stephens and John O'Mahony. In the eyes of
the authorities both had committed a very serious crime. To
escape punishment both fled to Paris. Tho