Battle of Caving Banks

Neal John O'Boyle, also known as NJ O'Boyle, was president of the Irish Republican Brotherhood from 1907 to 1910, succeeding John O'Leary in the role. Seán Ó Faoláin later characterised O'Boyle in Belfast and Tom Clarke in Dublin as typical of the 'older realists' of the movement in the period prior to the Easter Rising.^[1]

His family owned a Public House, one of many in the southern half of Duneane Parish with strong Republican traditions and he was one of the main negotiators for the IRB when they met with Clan na Gael^[2] in America.

Through the intervention of Bulmer Hobson, an ageing O'Boyle relinquished his position as Ulster representative on the Supreme Council in favour of Denis McCullough.^[3]

At times it was felt that O'Boyle was singlehandedly maintaining the IRB in Antrim, maintaining recruitment in his local area and in Belfast. As a businessman working in Belfast, he was a member of the National Literary Club, a clandestine IRB grouping, and the Henry Joy McCracken Literary Society alongside Alice Milligan and Anna Johnston (Ethna Carbery).

O'Boyle was born within Duneane Parish in an area known as Cargin in Co Antrim in the townland of Staffordstown (McVeighstown), between the village of Toome and Randalstown. A noted orator, devotee of the United Irishmen theology and with excellent commercial acuity, he was also a committed Nationalist who travelled incessantly promoting the Fenian message and was large supporter of the Land League and Fishermen's Rights on Lough Neagh.

Following his death at his Staffordstown home in January 1912, he was buried at the Sacred Heart Church, Cargin, Toome, Co Antrim, with the Rev J McConnell delivering the Mass.

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