John and Henry Sheares

Their names were synonymous with the lead up to the 1798 rebellion and in the 1930s there were thousands of visitors on an annual basis to visit their final resting place, yet to many they will not have heard of their names.

Brothers John and Henry Sheares were barristers, and prominent members of the Society of United Irishmen in Ireland in the lead up to 1798.  The brothers were influenced by the French Revolution, visiting Paris in 1792 and meeting with revolutionary leaders and returned to Ireland and joined the United Irishmen, formed in Belfast the previous year. Captured in March 1798, the brothers were tried on 12 July 1798 and executed two days later outside Newgate prison.

In 1939 the Evening Herald reported on plans for new coffins for the brothers:

Preparations for the re-coffining of the remains of the brothers, John and Henry Sheares, were made this afternoon when three members of the John and Henry Sheares Memorial Committee made their first official visit to the Bailey vault at St. Michan's Church, Dublin, where the bodies of the two patriots were placed on the night of July 14, 1798. In 1853 the two bodies were placed in the lead caskets in which they now rest by Dr. Madden, the famous historian, but these have fallen into dilapidation. They are now to be placed in period caskets, which will be placed on an elaborate memorial bench. This work will be completed shortly.

Permission for carrying out the work was granted by Rev. Dr. A. W. Barton, following negotiations with Rev. R. J. Kerr, rector of the church. The members of the committee present at to-day's preliminary ceremonies were Messrs. John McCann (chairman), John Holden (organiser) and Christopher Nolan.

Of the 12.000 tourists and others who visited the vaults last year, two thirds came from America.

For more information search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )