Background

Gibbons was a native of Barnaderg

Barnaderg

Barnaderg is a village northeast of Tuam in eastern County Galway, Ireland.Barnaderg Castle was a 16th century stronghold of the O'Kelly clan.In June 2008, a new €1.5m extension was opened at Barnaderg National School, which has 87 pupils...

 and became the leader of the Whiteboy movement in the area. He was noted for his speed, which caused him to be popularly called 'Thunderbolt', and in relation to his many escapes from arrest.

Tiaquin and transportation

On the same night as a Whiteboy meeting at Tyquin, Athenry

Athenry

Athenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...

, a local 'Big House' was fired, and Gibbons was obliged to go on the run. He was forced to seek refuge in Connemara

Connemara

Connemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...

, but was eventually arrested. He was subsequently sentenced to be executed, but his sister entreated Mr. Bodkin of Annagh to intercede (Finnerty states that Bodkin was "vested with the power of king's prerogative and that meant that he could reprieve a condemned man from the gallows.") While Bodkin's intercession did not result in Gibbons's release, his sentence was reduced to transportation to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Later life

Some years later, Gibbons's was working near the governor's mansion when he saw an Australian Aborigine make off into the bush, having seized the governor's only child. After an epic chase, Thunderbolt succeeded in rescuing the child. According to Finerty "Thunderbolt's release was secured as a result, and with a well-lined wallet, he sailed for the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

where he was joined and greeted by comrades and exiles in general to enter on a career of success until his death when he died a wealthy man."