An amusing incident occurred in New York when Mayor Daly of Limerick, who had been touring the United States advocating for “liberation of Ireland,” was seen off by a delegation from Clan-na-Gael as he sailed for home on the Majestic. On the same ship, Miss Alice Nielson’s light opera company, including a group of beautiful girls, were sailing to perform at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London.
A crowd of young men came to see off the girls, and one of them waved a large Union Jack in the face of a Clan-na-Gael member. This act was perceived as a deliberate insult, leading to an attack on the flag-waver. Subsequently, a free fight ensued between the Clan-na-Gael supporters and the young admirers of the opera company. The brawl became so fierce that the police were called to intervene, resulting in several arrests.
Yorkshire Evening Post – Friday 22 March 1901
