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258 Stephen Dunford: The Journey of The IrIsh
mona fame, Count General Daniel O’ Mahony from Kerry, was Spanish Ambassador to Austria: the O’Mahony maxim was “one campaign at Court is worth three against the enemy.” Another one of the aforementioned Lacys, Guillermo, proved himself as a distin- guished Spanish General and diplomat who later became the Spanish Ambassador to both Russia and Sweden. Another Irishman, Field Marshal, Alexander O’Reilly became Com- mander of the Spanish army, and, later, Lieutenant-General of Louisiana and Governor of Cadiz. In the early part of the nineteenth century, one of the most noted nobles and soldiers of Spain, a man who had on more than one occasion been its Prime Minister, Leopald O’ Donnell, Duke of Tetuan, had as his progenitors, the once powerful chieftains of Donegal, the O’Donnells. In fact, at one time, Irish exiles in Spain were so highly thought of that the Spanish Government astutely passed a law which granted immediate citizenship to any Irish person settling in Spain.
But, by far the most eminent and noted body of Irishmen and Irish soldiers ever formed on the Continent of Europe, has to be the Irish Brigade in the service of France. It was first formed in 1692 when thousands of Irish soldiers joined the army of France after the treaty of Limerick was concluded on 3 October, 1691, ending the Williamite War. From its incep- tion, and for a period of over a hundred years, a period during which, as already alluded to, some 500,000 Irish died in the service of France, the brigade was constantly augmented by new recruits from Ireland. In the aftermath of the campaign, a campaign which saw huge battles and losses at Derry, the Boyne, Athlone, Aughrim, Galway, and Limerick, and follow- ing the embarkation for France , Ireland was left weak and vulnerable, almost defenceless, at the mercy of the English, with most of its population being either young or old.
Time was very quick to show how little trust could be placed in the Treaty, and with the Irish army almost completely negated, and very little opposition to contend with, the Williamite Forces refused to ratify the Treaty. It was said that of England at the time, when she had the Irish people in her power, she hastened to break faith with them. Following the departure of the fighting men thousands of women and children, mostly the families and spouses of the departed soldiers were rounded up, and, has happened in earlier days, they were transported as slaves to the sugar plantations of the West Indies, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, where, even today, traces of their culture can still be detected in the language, music, and pastimes of these countries.
In a short time, the Irish Brigade became known, and popularly and commonly referred
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