339 



The foregoing memorandum, however, shows that this 

 volume was written originally for Sir Edmund, son of Richard, 

 Butler, commonly called Mac Richard ; and that on his de- 

 feat by Thomas, eighth Earl of Desmond, who, as we have 

 already seen, was beheaded in 1467, it passed into the hands 

 of the Desmond family. 



In the book of Pedigrees of the O'Clerys, an unpublished 

 work, of which the autograph MS., in the original Irish, is 

 in the Library of this Academy, the following account of 

 Thomas, eighth Earl of Desmond is given (p. 247) : 



" The fate of Thomas, son of James, Earl of Desmond, 

 i. e. the ninth [eighth] Earl. Thus did it happen unto him, 

 viz. John Tipto [Tiptoft] Earl of Worcester, came into Ireland 

 as Lord Justice, called by proclamation of the English of 

 Ireland to the great Council at Drogheda. And bad was the 

 counsel there agreed upon, viz. to behead Thomas, son of 

 James, the Earl, without impeachment of crime, right, or 

 law, but merely from envy and hatred ; the man of best mien 

 and form, wisdom, and intelligence of either English or Irish 

 of his time. No praise bestowed upon him could be too 

 high. The sorrow and affliction of that death was felt 

 equally by the English and the Irish. This Thomas the 

 Earl invariably overthrew and put down his enemies and op- 

 ponents on every occasion whenever he fought with them. 

 Great indeed was the battle in which he overthrew the But- 

 lers, on the Suir, and innumerable were the hosts of them 

 that were slain and drowned on that occasion. He likewise 

 gave several overthrows besides, that are not here enume- 

 rated. A Lord intellectual and learned in Latin, English, 

 and ancient Irish writings, was that Thomas. It was he 

 that gave the great overthrow to the Mac Carthys at Reidh- 

 an-Eich-bhuidhe. The 5ih day of February the Earl was 

 beheaded, and 42 years was his age at that time. At Tralee 

 was he buried, 1467."* 



* This is a strictly literal translation of the original Irish See Grace's 



