John Boyle O'Reilly - Charlestown, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 22.322 W 071° 03.709
19T E 330240 N 4693142
A bas-relief medallion sculpture honoring John Boyle O'Reilly is located at the second gateway to City Square Park in Charlestown, MA.
Waymark Code: WMHR23
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/07/2013
Views: 6
John Boyle O'Reilly was born on June 28, 1844 near Drogheda, Ireland. Because he was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, he was exiled by the British to Western Australia. He escaped to the United States and settled in Charlestown, MA and became the editor of the Boston newspaper, the Pilot.
O'Reilly published his first collection of poems, "Songs from the Southern Seas" , in 1873, followed by "Songs, Legends and Ballads, in 1878, "The Statues in the Block", in 1881, and In Bohemia in 1886. His poetry was extremely popular, and he received commissions to compose poems for special occasions.
Between 1993 and 1995 the Halvorson Company, Inc. was hired to design City Square Park. Together with sculptor David Phillps four gateways were constructed each with a pair of famous Charlestown residents. A bronze medallion in honor John Boyle O'Reilly is on the left side of the arts and humanities gateway.
An oval medallion is inscribed:
JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY
1844 - 1890
Poet & Author
ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Inside is a bas-relief of the right profile of John Boyle O'Reilly in front of a shelf of books and next to the Pilot newspaper.