ON Monday night, the august and newly renovated American Irish Historical Society in New York opened its door for a performance by Sean Tyrrell from Galway City, who was touring with his own production of "Cry of a Dreamer: The Life of Sean Boyle O'Reilly" on behalf of the Irish American Cultural Institute.

Only a handful of people saw it due to scant and last minute publicity, but that didn't take away from the powerful presentation given by Tyrrell on a topic that caught his attention a number of years ago as he traveled around the U.S. as a folk singer.

While many people are content to sit at home and watch dramatic historical recreations on the History Channel or PBS, there is nothing like a live artist who throws himself into the subject at hand and breathes new life into the persona of those whose lives touched us directly or indirectly in the past.

Like many, I was very unfamiliar with the fascinating story of Sean Boyle O'Reilly, whose saga and struggle for Irish freedom against the tyranny of Great Britain was fought halfway around the world in the later part of the 19th century. He only lived 46 years from 1846 to 1890 but over that span he established himself as a great Irish patriot, poet and writer who fought injustice in his native land, in England, Australia and his adopted home in America where he eventually settled in Boston.

O'Reilly was a Fenian who wanted to free Ireland from the United Kingdom, and was tried and convicted of insurrection and imprisoned first in England and then to the Penal Colonies in Australia. His lust for freedom included trying to break out of the bonds of captivity, and his guile, and ironically, the aid of Englishmen whom he befriended -- as opposed to the English Government which he despised - allowed him to do so first in England and then Fremantle in Australia.

His own escape aboard a whaling vessel back to England and eventually America later would inspire a successful rescue of more Fenians left behind aboard the Catalpa which was dramatic story in its own right.

O'Reilly became the editor of The Pilot, the leading Catholic newspaper published in Boston where he used it as a soapbox to rail against treatment of Native Americans, blacks and Jews, keeping in mind the prejudices and injustices inflicted on the Irish through centuries of oppression by the British Empire.

Tyrrell's lecture/cum performance brought these salient details to us in a well paced and entertaining mix of poetic and song verse that fleshed out the life of John Boyle O'Reilly. Utilizing his folk music sensibilities and familiarity, he was unabashed in drawing parallels between contemporary situations and those that O'Reilly faced that required conscientious reflection like current wars and injustices around the world.

Kudos to the American Irish Historical Society and the Irish American Cultural Institute for collaborating on this project and giving a talented voice and thoughtful presence like Sean Tyrrell the opportunity to learn more about our history and the people who shaped it like John Boyle O'Reilly.