“This Myles the Slasher was the father of Colonel John O’Reilly, of Ballymacadd, in the County Meath, who was elected Knight of the Shire for the County of Cavan, in the parliament held at Dublin on the 7th of May, 1689.  He raised a regiment of dragoons, at his own expense, for the service of James II., and assisted at the siege of Londonderry in 1689.  He had two engagements with Colonel Wolsley, the commander of the garrison of Belturbet, whom he signally defeated.  He fought at the battles of the Boyne and Aughrim, and was included in the articles of capitulation of Limerick, whereby he preserved his property, and was allowed to carry arms.

“Of the eldest son of this Colonel John O’Reilly, who left issue, my friend Myles J. O’Reilly, Esq., is now the senior representative.

“From Colonel John O’Reilly’s youngest son, Thomas O’Reilly, of Beltrasna, was descended Count Alexander O’Reilly, of Spain, who took Algiers! immortalized by Byron.  This Alexander was born near Oldcastle, in the County Meath, in the year 1722.  He was Generalissimo of his Catholic Majesty’s forces, and Inspector-General of the Infantry, etc., etc.  In the year 1786 he employed the Chevalier Thomas O’Gorman to compile for him a history of the House of O’Reilly, for which he paid O’Gorman the sum of L1,137 10.s., the original receipt for which I have in my possession.

“Prom this branch of the O’Reilly family was also descended the illustrious Andrew Count O’Reilly, who died at Vienna in 1832, at the age of 92.  He was General of Cavalry in the Austrian service.  This distinguished man filled in succession all the military grades in the Austrian service, with the exception of that of Field Marshal, and was called by Napoleon ‘le respectable General O’Reilly.’

“The eldest son of Myles J. O’Reilly, Esq., is a young gentleman of great promise and considerable fortune.  His rencontre with Lord Clements (now Earl of Leitrim) has been not long since prominently before the public, and in a manner which does justice to our old party quarrels!  Both are, however, worthy of their high descent; and it is to be hoped that they will soon become good friends, as they are boih young, and remarkable for benevolence and love of fatherland.”

As this has been considered by some persons as a historical novel, although I really never intended it as such, it may be necessary to give the reader a more distinct notion of the period in which the incidents recorded in it took place.  The period then was about that of 1745, when Lord Chesterfield was Governor-General of Ireland.  This nobleman, though an infidel, was a bigot, and a decided anti-Catholic; nor do I think that the temporary relaxation of the penal laws against Catholics was anything else than an apprehension on the part of England that the claims of the Pretender might be supported by the Irish Catholics, who then, so depressed and persecuted, must have naturally felt