James Boland

James "Jim" Boland (6 October 1856 – 11 March 1895) was an Irish republican member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) who was linked to the Irish National Invincibles. He was the father of republican revolutionaries and politicians Harry and Gerry Boland.

James Boland was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, in 1856. His parents, Patrick Boland and Eliza Boland née Kelly, were both Famine emigrants from Connacht in Ireland. His father was reputed to be a member of the IRB and his mother was a first cousin of Col. Thomas Kelly.

Patrick and his brothers, as well as Eliza's brothers, may have been involved in the IRB campaign to rescue Kelly and Timothy Deasy from a Manchester police van. 10-year-old Jim is thought to have been a scout for the party that attacked the van and killed a police officer. As he grew older, he became more involved in the movement himself.

Boland moved to Dublin in around 1881 and became a foreman with a company paving the streets of Smithfield. He was transferred from the Manchester Fenians to the Dublin section. He married Kate Woods in 1882.

He was awarded the Royal Humane Society's medal in the same year for 'jumping off the Metal Bridge' to save a life.

His involvement in the Invincibles and the Phoenix Park Murders remains unclear. He worked with Joe Brady and was named by informers as a member of the IRB's Dublin Directory in 1882, while another informer named him as a member of the Invincibles and claimed that he gave orders to Brady. He was questioned at Dublin Castle, but when a warrant was issued for his arrest on 25 January 1883, he and Kate had fled to New York.

Boland found work as an engineer with De Castro & Donner, a sugar-refining company in Brooklyn. He also became involved in Clan na Gael and got to know John Devoy very well. He may have secretly returned to Ireland in 1883 as he is reputed to have taken part in IRB meetings that are believed to have led to the formation of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). According to his grandson Kevin Boland, he was in attendance, as a member of the already established General Council, at the historic meeting in Hayes' Hotel.

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