below is part of the introduction to the book - the name as far as I can make out is "The Irish Rebellion" and I think that the author is a man called Edward Hay. It needs to be read slowly > THE IRISH REBELLION > INTRODUCTION > > I would not obtrude myself on public attention were I not earnestly > solicited by numerous and respectable friends who have ... prevailed to give > a genuine account of the transactions in the county of Wexford, during the > insurrection, in the year 1798; in order to counteract the baleful effects > of the partial details and hateful misrepresentations, which have > contributed so much to revive and continue those loathsome prejudices that > have for generations, disturbed and distracted Ireland. It is conceived, > that a fair and impartial account, by dissipating error, may operate as a > balm to heal the wounds of animosity; for let the candid reader be of what > political principles he may, I am confident he must be sensible, that no > adherant of either of the contending parties in this unhappy country, can > in justification feel himself authorised to assert, that his own party was > perfectly in the right, and the other egregiously in the wrong; and yet > there are partisans to be found on either side endeavouring to maintain that > this is actually the case. But if these zealots could be induced calmly to > listen to the melancholy tales of enormity that can unfortunately be told of > both parties, they might be prevailed upon to relax a little in their > prejudices. If the spirit of intolerance and retaliation be still held up, > no kind of social intercourse or harmony can exist in Ireland. With such a > view, therefore, of establishing concord, by showing what has happened, that > it will be of universal advantage to forget the past, and to cultivate > general amity in future, I have undertaken the arduous task of endeavouring > to reconcile; pointing out errors by a genuine relation of facts, and I hope > may prevail upon neighbours of all descriptions to cherish the blessings of > union and mutual benevolence, which cannot fail of banishing from their > breasts every rankling idea, and must prevent the possibility of their ever > again becoming the easy tools of political speculation, which unfortunately > hitherto encouraged hatred and variance, and ended in the miserable debility > and depression of all. > Did I know any other person willing and able to give a more circumstantial > account of what has fatally happened in the county of Wexford,(which is the > only part of Ireland I at present undertake to treat of) I would cheerfully > resign my documents into his hands; but as I have been most peculiarly > circumstanced, as an eye witness to many important transactions, the > information cannot be so well handed over, and might not be produced with > such god effect second-hand. I conceive it therefore necessary to give some > account of myself, as mostof my readers could not possibly be sensible of > the many opportnites I had of being perfectly informed of the state of the > country, which certainly did not fall into the lot of many other persons. > My family have been established in Ireland since the reign of Henry the II; > as my ancestor came over with Strongbow and was allotted a Knights share of > lands in the southern part of the county of Wexford, which his descendants > possessed until the revolution in Ireland about the middle of the > seventeenth century, when there was but one estate left in the whole county > left unalienated by Cromwell. My ancestor had not the good fortune to be > the person left undisturbed; but he acquired a property in another part of > the county, where his descendants have ever since resided. Born of catholic > parents and being reared in the principles of that religion, occasioned my > banishment at an early age for some years from my native country, as my > parents wished to procure for me a collegiate education in a foreign land, > to which the rank and respectability of my family entitled me, but which the > laws of my country denied me at home. After having pursued a course of > study for several years in France and Germany, I returned to my native soil, > fully sensible of my civil degradation as a catholic, and I therefore sought > all the legal and constitutional means in my power in the pursuit of > Catholic emancipation. > > > >