Bernardo O'Higgins (1778–1842) was born in Chile -- not Ireland.  However, his father, Ambrosio O'Higgins (a Spanish colonial Viceroy) was originally from County Sligo.  Bernardo was the illegitimate son of Ambrosio O'Higgins and a Chilean mother.  I’m more inclined to say that Ambrosio O'Higgins was Bernardo’s illegitimate father, but …

I won’t bore you with Bernardo’s life story.  You’ll get plenty of results if you google “Bernardo O'Higgins.”  But the following are sufficient for a start:

http://irishamerica.com/2006/10/ohiggins-the-liberator-returns-to-t...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_O%27Higgins

www.latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/thehistoryofchile/a/10bernard...

http://www.irlandeses.org/0610_206to215.pdf

I visited Chile in 2008. The main thoroughfare of the Chilean capital, Santiago, is Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins. (General Liberator Bernardo O'Higgins Avenue).  I visited the Altar de la Patria, Bernard’s interment site in downtown Santiago (see photographs below).