I have a problem with:

"Thereupon, the indignant judge sentenced them all to be hanged by the neck until dead, and drawn and quartered."

In both versions of the story this sentence was passed. I'm pretty sure we didn't still practice this barbaric form of punishment as late as VR's reign. Besides, part of the point of such was that they not be dead when they have their viscera pulled out before their eyes - they were hanged till nearly dead.

And the rest - what a fanciful load of tripe (although many of teh leading figures in the 20th century IRA, many imprisoned, now are in the British Parliament).

>This was sent to me via email today:
>
>9 FAMOUS IRISHMEN
>The Young Irish Disorders of 1848
>
>
>IRISH HISTORY
>In the young Irish disorders, in Ireland in 1848, the following nine men were captured, tried and convicted of treason against Her Majesty, the Queen, and were sentenced to death: John Mitchell, Morris Leyne, Pat Donahue, Thomas McGee, Charles Duffy, Thomas Meagher, Richard O'Gorman, Terrance McManus, and Michael Ireland.
>
>Before passing sentence, the judge asked if there was anything that anyone wished to say. Meagher, speaking for all, said, "My Lord, this is our first offense, but not our last. If you wish to be easy with us, this once we promise, on our word as gentlemen to try to do better next time. And next time--sure we won't be fools to get caught."
>
>Thereupon, the indignant judge sentenced them all to be hanged by the neck until dead, and drawn and quartered.
>
>Passionate protest from all the world forced Queen Victoria to commute the sentence to transportation and exile for life to the remote, barren wilds of Australia.
>
>In 1874, word reached an astounded Queen Victoria that the Sir Charles Duffy who had been elected Prime Minister of Australia, was the same Charles Duffy who had been transported into exile there 25 years before. On the Queen's demand, the records of the rest of the transported Irishmen were revealed and this is what was discovered:
>
>
>The Queen's Record of the Rest of the Transported Irishmen:
>
>Thomas Francis Meagher: Govenor of Montana
>Terrance McManus: Brigadier General, U.S. Army.
>Patrick Donahue:Brigadier General, U.S. Army.
>Morris Leyne: Attorney General of Australia, in which office...
>Michael Ireland succeeded him as Attorney General of Australia.
>Richard O'Gorman: Governor General of Newfoundland.
>Thomas D'Archy McGee: Member of Parliament, Montreal, Minister of Agriculture and President of Council Dominion of Canada.
>John Mitchell: Prominent New York Politician. This man was father of John Purroy Mitchell, Mayor of New York at the outbreak of world war I.
>
>
>
>And the (probably) real story:
>
>http://www.ninefineirishmen.com/history.asp