Though Lord Broghill defeated Lord Muskerry, the Catholic commander in Munster; though Coote, in defiance of Clanricard, penetrated from the northern extremity of Connaught, as far as Athenree and Portumna; though Ireton, after several fruitless attempts, deceived the vigilance of Castlehaven, and established himself on the right bank of the Shannon; and though a party within the walls laboured to represent their parliamentary enemies as the advocates of universal toleration; nothing could shake the constancy of the citizens and the garrison.  They harassed the besiegers by repeated sorties; they repelled every assault; and on one occasion[b] they destroyed the whole corps, which had been landed on “the island.”  Even after the fatal battle of Worcester, to a second summons they returned a spirited refusal.  But in October a reinforcement of three thousand men from England arrived in the camp; a battery was formed of the heavy cannon landed from the shipping in the harbour; and a wide breach in the wall admonished the inhabitants to prepare for an assault.  In this moment of suspense, with the dreadful example of Drogheda and

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1651.  June 11.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1651.  July 15.]

Wexford before their eyes, they met at the town-hall.  It was in vain that O’Neil remonstrated; that the bishops of Limerick and Emly entreated and threatened, Stretch, the mayor, gave[a] the keys to Colonel Fanning, who seized St. John’s gate, turned the cannon on the city, and admitted two hundred of the besiegers.  A treaty was now[b] concluded; and, if the garrison and inhabitants preserved their lives and property, it was by abandoning twenty-two individuals to the mercy of the conqueror.  Of these some made their escape; Terence O’Brien, bishop of Emly, Wallis, a Franciscan friar, Major-General Purcell, Sir Godfrey Galway, Baron, a member of the council, Stretch, the mayor of the city, with Fanning himself, and Higgin, were immolated as an atonement for the obstinate resistance of the besiegers.[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.]