The Wild Goose

The Wild Goose: A Collection of Ocean Waifs was a hand-written newspaper created in late 1867 by Fenian prisoners aboard Hougoumont, the last ship to transport convicts to Australia.

The title refers to the Wild Geese: the Irish soldiers who had left to serve in continental European armies since the 16th century.

In addition to the diaries of Denis Cashman and the journals of Casey and Thomas McCarthy Fennell, the journey of Hougoumont was well recorded.

That magnanimous government in the kindly exuberance of their feelings, have placed a large portion of that immense tract of country called Australia at our disposal.

Generously defraying all expenses incurred on our way to it, and providing retreats for us there to secure us from the inclemency of the seasons…O'Reilly penned several poems for the paper, including The Flying Dutchman and The Old School Clock.