Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-02-18
TETuAN OF IRISH LINEAGE.
Charles oDonnsIl. spain's Minister of For
eign Afhirs.

Few persons know that the sternest enc
my Of American interference in Spanish
colonial affairs-the man who dictates to-
Minister Dupuy de LONE at Washington his
bitterly anti-Cuban policy-in short, the
present powerful holder Of the Spanish
portfolioo of foreign affairs Is an Irish chief
tain in his own right and the owner Of a.
name famous in the history Of Ireland.
His grace the Duke Of Tetuan, Spanish
minister of foreign affairs, claims to be-
Lord Of Donegal in Ireland, and rejoicess
In the Milesian patronymic Of Charles
O'Donnell.
Senior Alexandra Ribera, licentiate Of the
University Of Salamanca and now a resi-
dent of New York city, claims kinship
with the Hibernian-S Spanish grandee. In
deed Senior Ribera accompanied the duke
to Vienna as secretary in 1877. Speaking
Of his former chief, he says:
"The Duke of Tetuan was born in 1884
and is therefore SO years of age. In ap-
pearance he is the typical Castilian noble-
man, of stately presence, fine face and Dig
nified manners. Age has somewhat robbed
him of his once soldierly port, and his hair
and mustache are almost white. But his
eyes are as bright as they were 90 years
ago in Vienna, when he laid the founda-
tions Of the present queen Of Spain's SOW
ereignty. The duke is very proud Of his
name and Irish descent, but apart from
this the distinguished services which his
ancestors have rendered to Spain since
their exile from the mother country might
well give him cause for qualification.
In the reign of James /, Mall Gary
O'Donnell was Prince of Tyrconnell, lord
of the mountainous County Donegal and
chief Of his name and race He warred
valiantly against the English, but at.
length was taken prisoner. He died in the
Tower Of London. From the brotheIsof
this chief, Charles Oge o Donnell desceif-
ed the two young exiles, Henry and Jossph
O'Donnell, younger brothers of ldanuss
O'Donnell of Wilford Lodge, County Mayo.
Henry entered the Austrian service and
rose to be baron and major general.
Joseph settled in Spain about 1850 and be-
came lieutenant general There was no
need to ennoble him, as in Spain all the
Irish exiles were recognized as mobiles ready
made. This lieutenant general, Don Jo-
seph, left four sons, all distinguished in
the army of their adopted country. The,
eldest, Don Jose O'Donnell was captain
general of CASTLE, and the youngest, Don
Enrique, was famous lieutenant general,
O'Donnell, count Of Abisbad, regent of
Spain in 1919 and captain general of Anda-
lusia. The second of the four, Don Carlos,
also lieutenant general and a knight Of
st. Ferdinand, died in $780, leaving two
children, of whom the elder, Don Carlos
O'Donnell, was father of the present Duke
of Tetuan, while the second was Field
Marshal Don Leopoldo O'Donnell, first
duke of that name.
The Duke of Tetuan was married in 1868
and has three sons-Don Juan Patricio
O'Donnell, born 1864; Don Carlos Alfonso
O'Eonnell, born 1869, and Don Leopoldo
Patricio O'Donnell, born 1874. One Of
these young men is aid-de-camp to Cen
eral Weyler in Cuba.
The journal of the Royal Irish Society of
Antiquaries, on Oct. 6, 1890, published the
following letter from the Duke of Tetuan:
"My ancestor, Mall Gary O'Donnell,
was the last recognized Prince of Tyrcon-
nell and chief of his name. As his lineal
male representative claim the heirship of
those honors. If am proud of being
Spaniard by birth, I am quite as,proud Of
being an Irishman by descent, and sign
myself Carlos O'Donncll of Tyrconnell'
with as much heartfelt exaltation as do
Tetuan."
The duke is an honorary member of tie
learned Irish body to which he wrote this
letter. 1t is said of him, in circles diplo-
matte, that for years he constantly refused
the embassadorship to England because of
the wrongs which he declared had been
inflicted upon his ancestors by England
and her sovereigns. New York Sun.