eeds of the most renowned knights and chieftains of this royal house
shall have been obliterated by the merciless chisel of time, the authors
of the Four Masters' Annals will become only brighter among the shining
stars that adorn the literary firmament of old Ireland.

The martyrology of the Irish church can attest the virtues of constancy
and patriotism with which the O'Clerys bore their share of the wrongs of
Erin and of her faithful sons. Whether or not the subjects of our
narrative, the poor emigrant orphans, had any of this royal and noble
blood flowing in their veins, is a thing that we cannot genealogically
vouch. But that they were not degenerate sons of Erin, or faithless to
their allegiance to the glorious old church of their fathers, we trust
this history will amply demonstrate. At all events, the uncle of our
hero, Paul O'Clery, held a very high station in the Irish hierarchy.
Having, with eclat, finished his ecclesiastical and literary primary
studies in the colleges of his native land, he subsequently repaired to
Rome, where he won with distinction the title of "doctor in divinity and
canon law," and carried the first premium from many French, German, and
even Italian competitors. Hence, soon after his return from abroad, on
account of his learning, as well as his tried virtues, he was appointed
the vicar general of the diocese of Kil----, a promotion which, far from
exciting the envy, gained the unanimous approval, of the diocesan
clergy. During the horrors of the general landlord persecution of the
Irish Catholics, (for it is nothing else than a persecution of
Catholics,) the O'Clerys found their name on the roll of the proscribed,
and got notice to quit the homestead of their fathers. The principal
cause for this proscription by the landlord was, that Dr. O'Clery, in
the newspapers, exposed the system of cruel and barbarous extermination
which took place on the extensive estates of Lord Mandemon--a gentleman
who said he thought it far more honorable, as well as profitable, to
have his princely estates in Munster tenanted by fat cattle than by
Irish Papists. His lordship had also the mortification to learn that all
the meat, money, and clothing he had employed for the last five years
could not make one single sincere convert to his rich "law
establishment." When the "praties" were dear, and the crops failed,
there were a few, to be sure, who would profess themselves ready to "ate
the mate" on Friday; but