150th Anniversary Commemoration of the Catalpa Rescue Mission Being Held in the US, Ireland and Australia

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The Catalpa, Photo courtesy of City of New Bedford

The 150th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue mission is being celebrated this month in cities around the world, including New Bedford, Massachusetts, Dublin, Ireland and Rockingham, Western Australia. 

On April 17, 2026, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and the New Bedford Port Society commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue mission by raising a replica of the American flag Captain Anthony hoisted during the rescue mission. The ceremony takes place at New Bedford City Hall at 5 p.m. Afterwards, author Peter Stevens gives a lecture on the Catalpa at Seamen’s Bethel. Click here to register.


Catalpa Memorial, Rockingham, Photo Credit Chris Doyle

Earlier this month, on April 6, the Australian Irish Heritage Association held "a commemoration of oration, song, theatre and verse" at the Catalpa Wild Geese Memorial at Palm Beach, Rockingham. 


Image courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland 

In Dublin, the National Museum of Ireland is displaying the original American Flag that flew atop the Catalpa on April 18-19 at Collins Barracks. 

The Catalpa rescue mission of April 17, 1876, is considered one of the most daring rescues of the 19th century.  The New Bedford-based whaleboat sailed to Western Australia to retrieve six Irish prisoners from a British penal colony in Freemantle, Australia.  The escape plot was hatched for months by Irish leaders in America including Fenians John Devoy and John Breslin, who masterminded the escape plan, and Boston's own John Boyle O'Reilly, who had himself escaped from the penal colony in 1869 on another New Bedford whaler, the Gazelle. 


The Catalpa was captained by George S. Anthony, an experienced sailor who faced down an Australian attempt to re-capture the freed prisoners on the high seas. According to the Boston Evening Transcript, the Georgette, an Australian war steamer, pulled alongside the Catalpa as it was making its escape and demanded to come aboard to search for the prisoners, which Captain Anthony quickly denied. The Australians then fired a cannon at the Catalpa's stern, and threatened to blow up the ship if they did not relinquish the prisoners. Anthony immediately hoisted the American flag and said in response, "Fire if you dare. I'm on the high seas, and that (American) flag protects me." The Australian captain capitulated and sailed away.


The Catalpa  pulled into New York harbor on August 19, 1876, after the daring high seas adventure. Once on American soil, the six Fenian prisoners were hailed throughout the country, especially in Boston and the New England states. 

On September 24, 1876, a massive celebration for the prisoners was held at Boston Music Hall, where happy Bostonians greeted Captain Anthony, Breslin, and the prisoners themselves. Also present was Gazelle whaling boat Captain Hathaway of New Bedford, who had rescued O'Reilly in 1869.

The daring rescue, including the events leading up to it and the aftermath, are included in a book by Z.W. Pease entitled, The Catalpa Expedition, published in 1897 in New Bedford by Captain Anthony.

Learn more about Irish history and heritage in Massachusetts at Irishboston.org.



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