[1] By Ireton O'Neil was also doomed to die,
but the officers who formed the court, in admiration of his gallantry,
sought to save his life. Twice they condemned him in obedience to the
commander-in-chief, who pronounced his spirited defence of Clonmel an
unpardonable crime against the state; but the third time the deputy was
persuaded to leave them to the exercise of their own judgment; and they
pronounced in favour of their brave but unfortunate captive. Ireton himself
did not long survive. When he condemned[c] the bishop of Emly to die, that
prelate had exclaimed, "I appeal to the tribunal of God, and summon thee
to meet me at that bar." By many these words were deemed prophetic; for in
less than a month the
[Footnote 1: See the account of their execution in pp. 100, 101 of the
Descriptio Regni Hiberniae per Antonium Prodinum, Romae, 1721, a work made
up of extracts from the original work of Bruodin, Propugnaculum Catholicae
Veritatis, Pragae, 1669. The extract referred to in this note is taken from
1. iv. c. xv. of the original work.]
[Sidenote a: A.D. 1651. Oct. 23.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1651. Oct. 27.]
[Sidenote c: A.D. 1651. Nov. 25.]
victorious general fell a victim to the pestilential disease which ravaged
the west of Ireland.
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