Early Life, Family and Training The life of John Toole begins in County Wicklow, near Dublin, Ireland, in 1815. He is the eldest son of Michael O'Toole, a chemistry professor. A sudden, violent shift occurs when one of his father's experiments goes wrong, resulting in an explosion that kills him. At twelve years old, the trajectory of the family changes. John, along with his brother Jeremiah and sister Anne, is sent across the Atlanti…