John Patrick Prendergast

From The Cabinet of Irish Literature, Volume 4, edited by T. P. O'Connor

Mr. Prendergast was born in Dublin in 1807, and was educated at Reading, England, under the Rev. Dr. Valpy. He graduated at Trinity College, Dublin, and was called to the bar in 1830. In conjunction with the Very Rev. Dr. Russell, the president of Maynooth College, he was appointed by Lord Romilly to select state papers relating to Ireland from the Carte Collection of Papers in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Mr. Prendergast was afterwards engaged in cataloguing the state papers (Ireland) of James I. He is the author of The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland, a second edition of which appeared in 1870. This is a very remarkable product of industry, informed by zeal. It is the first work that has thrown full light on a dark period in Irish history. In its pages we have an account of that terrible tragedy in Irish history--the displacement of the old Irish and Anglo-Irish families by the retainers of Cromwell; and the story is told with great dramatic skill. Every student of Irish history--and especially of the history of the Irish land--should make himself familiar with this excellent book. Mr. Prendergast is at present engaged on a new work on "The Scandinavians." He is an honorary member of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain.

See also:-

The Clearing of Galway (an extract from The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland)

The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland (list of contents for the First Edition of the book)