The great paradox of Irishhistory is that because of it there are more Irishmen and Irishwomen living inthe United States of America, in Canada, in Australia, in New Zealand, in SouthAmerica and in Great Britain, than there are living in the Emerald Isle today.The historian, Lord Macaulay, wrote of the Irish Diaspora, «there wereIrish of great ability, energy, and ambition, but they were to be foundeverywhere except in Ireland: at Versailles, and at St. Ildefonso, in thearmies of Frederick and in the armies of Maria Teresa. One exile became amarshal of France, another became Prime Minister of Spain.
Lecky, in Volume II of hisfamous History of England, gives a fascinating list of Irishmen who attainedranks of dignity and honor in literally every kingdom of Europe:
»Abroad there was hardly aCatholie country where Irish exiles or their children might not be found inposts of dignity and honour. Lord Clare became Marshal of France. Browne, whowas one of the very ablest Austrian generals, and who took a leading part inthe first period of the Seven Years' War, was the son of Irish parents; andMaguire, Lacy, Nugent and O'Donnell were all prominent generals in the Austrianservice during the same war. Another Browne, a cousin of the Austrian Commander,was Field Marshal in the Russian service and Governor of Riga. Peter Lacy, whoalso became a Russian Field Marshal, and who earned a reputation as one of thefinest soldiers of his time, was of Irish birth.... And so on, and so forth.
Surely some of the mostprophetic words concerning Ireland and her people were written by Thomas Davis,the Poet of The Nation, in the concluding lines of his poem The Battle Eve ofthe Brigade, about the «Wild Geese» fighting for Louis of France,under the command of Count Thomond:
«For in far foreignfields, from Dunkirk to Belgrade, Lie the soldiers and chiefs of The IrishBrigade. »