Exile
When he left Ireland, Cornelius O'Driscoll and other Irish knights helped him and his clan. In Spain O'Sullivan was welcomed by King Philip III. His princely status was reconfirmed, and he received a commission as an imperial general. His cousin, Pilib Ó Súilleabháin Bhéara, was particularly important in this regard and his 1618 disquisition in Latin, A Briefe Relation of Ireland and the diversity of Irish in the same was particularly influential.
In 1618, O'Sullivan was murdered just as he was leaving mass in the Plaza de Santo Domingo in Madrid. The murderer was John Bathe, a young Englishman who had been disfigured in a duel by the prince's nephew, on account of some arguments between Bathe and O'Sullivan; it is also said that the man was a spy on behalf the English Crown.
O'Sullivan enjoyed a wide reputation, which helped to open doors for later soldiers from his line. About 165 years later, one descendant, John Sullivan, served as a general in the American Revolution.
Read more about this topic: Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare
Famous quotes containing the word exile:
“The bond between a man and his profession is similar to that which ties him to his country; it is just as complex, often ambivalent, and in general it is understood completely only when it is broken: by exile or emigration in the case of one’s country, by retirement in the case of a trade or profession.”
—Primo Levi (1919–1987)
“The exile is a singular, whereas refugees tend to be thought of in the mass. Armenian refugees, Jewish refugees, refugees from Franco Spain. But a political leader or artistic figure is an exile. Thomas Mann yesterday, Theodorakis today. Exile is the noble and dignified term, while a refugee is more hapless.... What is implied in these nuances of social standing is the respect we pay to choice. The exile appears to have made a decision, while the refugee is the very image of helplessness.”
—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)
“Public employment contributes neither to advantage nor happiness. It is but honorable exile from one’s family and affairs.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)