Thomas Moore, History of Ireland [Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopaedia, Vol. IV] (London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans ... 1846), p.80ff.

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In the bull of Pope Pius V (1570), depriving Elizabeth of all right to the English crown, and absolving her subjects from their oaths of allegienace, ther was no mention made of Ireland. Gregory XI, suppled the omission; and retaliating upon England her aid to rebels both in France and in the Netherlands, declared Elizabeth to have forfeited the crown as well of Ireland as that of England. This solemn instrument, which, in addition to its other powers, gave to those employed in executing it the priveliges usually enjoyed by crusaders, was attended, in this [80] instance, with but little success; and among the few who combined to carry it into effect were the ever active and enterprising James Fitz-Maurice, and an English adventurer of strange life and fortunes, Thomas Stukely.

One of the earliest speculations of this scheming personage was an expedition, in which he was joined by a number of enterprisers, for the discovery of “certain lands in the far west, towards Terra Florida”; and after this wild project had failed “for want of money”, he contrived to inspire in the lord-deputy, sir Henry Sydney [1], so warm an interest in his favour, that this eminent man recommended him strongly to the queen. With a quicker insight, however, into character than was shown by her minister, Elizabeth refused to extend to him her patronage; and after trying, but also without success, to obtain the stewardship of Wexford, he threw off at once all allegiance to the queen, and commenced a course of aspiring adventure far more akin to the freaks of fiction than to any events known in real life.

Having obtained from the Spanish ambassador some letters of introduction, he repaired immediately to the court of Spain; and finding that Philip’s intended invasion of Ireland was to take place at the end of the spring, he lent all his aid to the project, and gave the monarch most cheering assurances of the zealous support of the Irish chiefs. We have seen that, on the outbreak of James Fitz-Maurice, in the year 1570, he despatched, as his emissary to Spain, Maurice Reagh, the Catholic archbishop of Cashel; and this prelate was now found by Stukely still in that country, enjoying a pension from the Spanish monarch, and waiting the turn of public events. It is clear, however, that though thus [81] situated, the archbishop encouraged but little the scheme of invading Ireland; alleging as his reason that “he did not did not wish to see his country under the power of Philip.” In like manner, when hearing the king boast, on Stukely’s authority, of the glad reception his army would meet from the Irish nobility, the honest archbishop, it is said, quietly warned him “not to be too light of belief.” / From Spain Stukely proceeded to Rome, and there ingratiated himself so quickly with Pope Pius as to command, in a short time, his entire confidence. Entering eagerly into all Stukely’s plans, his holiness lavished upon him a shower of Irish titles,[ftn.2] creating him baron of Ross, viscount Murrogh, earl of Wexford, and marquis of Leinster; and still more effectively to further his object, furnished him with eight hundred men, to be paid by the king of Spain, for his Irish expedition. On his way to Florence he had been admitted to close conference with the duke; and by him, as well as by the other dukes of Italy, was treated as a companion.

Thus furnished for his enterprise, Stukely sailed from Civita-Vecchia with his Italian force, and arrived in the Tagus just as Sebastian, with two Moorish kings, was preparing an expedition into Africa, to dethrone the emperor of Morocco. The young monarch was at first disposed to join in the Irish expedition; and had he fallen, in the cause of her sons, upon the shore of the Green Isle, his name might have lived in the national songs of another land besides his own. But, being in amity now with England, he abandoned, on further reflection, this design, and, on the contrary, insisted that Stukely should, with his Italian troops, accompany him into Africa.

Though assenting with much reluctance to the change, this remarkable man distinguished himself in the events that followed, as well by the wisdom of his counsel as by his prompt and generous bravery. Having [82] endeavoured in vain to cheek the impatient ardour of the young monarch, he stood foremost among his train at the great battle of Alcazar, and, fighting gallantly to the last, closed appropriately his life of adventure by falling on a field which could boast the glory of numbering three kings among the slain. / During these events, James Fitz-Maurice, whose course, as a champion of the Irish cause, [ftn. 3] presents throughout, in its steady singleness of purpose, a direct contrast to that of the versatile Stukely, had for more than two years been personally a suitor for his oppressed countrymen at all the Catholic courts of Europe.[4] Having first tried his fortune in France without any success, though offering to Henry the devoted allegiance of all Ireland, he next applied to Spain, and though with but little more real success, was recommended by the Catholic monarch to Pope Gregory XIII. Among the strangers then at Rome were the titular bishop of Killaloe, the Jesuit Allen, and likewise the celebrated Dr. Sanders, in the capacity of papal legate; and through the aid of these zealous divines Fitz-Maurice succeeded at length in procuring three ships, provided with arms and ammunition, a small supply of money, and a force of about one hundred men, consisting of Catholics of various nations. With only these means, and a banner consecrated by the Pope for the occasion, did these sanguine adventurers set sail on their mission for the relief and enfranchisement of Ireland./ Arriving at Smerwick, a small bay in the county of A. D. Kerry, they raised on their landing a small fort, which 1579 [...].

Notes
1. Such was Sydney’s opinion of Stukely, that, during the height of Shane O’Neill’s rampant career, he advised that the task of managing that restive subject should be committed to Stukely; “I know no man”, he says, “if the queen would have peace with O’Neill, that better could please him, nor no ma, if her highness w ould have war, that more would annoy him.” - Letters and Memorials of State.
2: The titles of Stukely, as given in his passport, are “Thomas Stewkeley, knight, baron of Rosse and Idrone, viscount of Murrowes and Rinshelagh, earl of Gufort and Cathelonsi, marquis of Leinster, general of our most holy father Gregory XIII.”
3: See in Ellis, second series, one of the papal indulgences granted by Gregory XIII. for making war “genendi bellum” against Elizabeth. It is granted to James Geraldino Domino de Kericourthi, and dated from Rome, 25th February, 1577.
4: The intense anxiety with which every movement of Fitz-Maurice was watched, shows, sufficiently, the importance attached to his missions. Sydney prides himself, in one of his letters, on “I the spetial spial he maintains to attend upon James Fitz-Maurice”; and thus reports some of the results of his watchfulness: “It is said he bringeth with hym 4000 shot and dyvers principall gentlemen of Fraunce. It is certeine he is retorned from Rome, where he was prince-lyke entertained.” Sydney Papers.

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