Tipperary was assigned to Burke as the scene of his revolutionary labours in Ireland.  He arrived in Clonmel early in February, where he was arrested on suspicion, but was immediately discharged—­his worn appearance and physical infirmity giving strong corroboration of his assertion, that he had come to Ireland for the benefit of his health.  On the night of the insurrection he placed himself at the head of the Fenian party that assembled in the neighbourhood of Tipperary, but he quickly saw the folly of attempting a revolution with the scanty band of unarmed men that rallied round him.  On the evening of the 6th his followers were attacked by a detachment of soldiers at Ballyhurst Fort, about three miles from Tipperary; Burke saw the uselessness of resistance, and advised his followers to disperse—­an injunction which they appear to have obeyed.  Burke himself was thrown from his horse and captured.  He was conveyed to the jail of Tipperary, and was brought to trial in the Greenstreet court-house, in Dublin, on the 24th of April following.  He was convicted of high treason, and sentenced to death in the usual form.  The following speech delivered by him after conviction is well worthy of a place in the Irish heart:—­

“My lords—­It is not my intention to occupy much of your time in answering the question—­what I have to say why sentence should not be passed upon me?  But I may, with your permission, review a little of the evidence that has been brought against me.  The first evidence that I would speak of is that of Sub-Inspector Kelly, who had a conversation with me in Clonmel.  He states that he asked me either how was my friend, or what about my friend, Mr. Stephens, and that I made answer and said, that he was the most idolised man that ever had been, or that ever would be in America.  Here, standing on the brink of my grave, and in the presence of the Almighty and ever-living God, I brand that as being the foulest perjury that ever man gave utterance to.  In any conversation that occurred the name of Stephens was not mentioned.  I shall pass from that, and then touch on the evidence of Brett.  He states that I assisted in distributing the bread to the parties in the fort, and that I stood with him in the waggon or cart.  This is also false.  I was not in the fort at the time; I was not there when the bread was distributed.  I came in afterwards.  Both of these assertions have been made and submitted to the men in whose hands my life rested, as evidence made on oath by these men—­made solely and purely for the purpose of giving my body to an untimely grave.  There are many points, my lords, that have been sworn to here to prove my complicity in a great many acts it has been alleged I took part in.  It is not my desire now, my lords, to give utterance to one word against the verdict which has been pronounced upon me.  But fully conscious of my honour as a man, which has never been impugned, fully conscious that I can go into my grave with a name and character