Mitchel died at Dromolane, his parents house in Newry, on March 20, 1875. His last letter, published on St. Patrick's Day, 17 March 1875, expressed his gratitude to the voters of Tipperary for supporting him in exposing the ‘fraudulent’ system of Irish representation in Parliament. An election petition had been lodged. Observing that voters in Tipperary had known that Mitchel was ineligible, the courts awarded the seat to Mitchel's Conservative opponent. At Mitchel's funeral in Newry, his friend John Martin collapsed, and died a week later.