Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

278 SECRET SOCIETIESwere held in various towns, especially at Liverpool, wheremen of considerable means were found to support the Fenianobjects and organisations ; and on one occasion as much as£200 was collected in a few minutes in the room where ameeting was held . But disputes about the money thus collectedwere ever arising . The man who acted as treasurerto the Liverpool Centre, when accused of plundering hisbrethren, snapped his fingers at them, and declared that ifthey bothered him about the money he would give evidenceagainst them and have the whole lot banged . The Fenians,to raise money, issued bonds to be redeemed by the futureIrish Republic, of one of which the following is a facsimile :-Harp. £1 Goddess of Liberty . £1Shamrock .Ninety days after the establishment ofTHE IRISH REPUBLICRedeemable byBoard ofFinance .Sunburst .666 . Origin of Name .-Irish tradition says that the Fenianswere an ancient militia employed on home service for protectingthe coasts from invasion . Each of the four provinces hadits band, that of Leinster, to which Fionn and his familybelonged, being at the head of the others . This Fionn isthe Fingal of MacPherson, and the leaders of the movementno doubt saw an advantage in connecting their party withthe historical and traditionary glories of Ireland . . But theFenians were not confined to Erin . The name was inventedfor the society by O'Mahoney, but the Irish never adopted it ;they called their association the Irish Republican Brotherhood,or briefly, the I . R . B . Fenianism was officially restricted tothe American branch of the movement .667. Fenian Litany.-From the Patriotic Litany of SaintLawrence O'Toole, published for the use of the FenianBrotherhood, the following extract may suffice :-44Call to thine aid, 0 most liberty-loving O'Toole, thoseChristian auxiliaries of power and glory-the soul-inspiringcannon, the meek and faithful musket, the pious rifle, and theconscience-examining pike, which, tempered by a martyr'sfaith, a Fenian's hope, and a rebel's charity, will triumph