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We often find romantic
images about our Irish and Scotch Chieftains appearing, likened to
some braveheart character fighting for justice and freedom with two
wolfhounds beside him - the reality could not have been further from the
truth. These were barbaric times were the value of life was extremely low,
like many of the Irish, Scotch and English power brokers in Ireland,
barbarism was the chosen method of dealing with opposition or differing
opinions. Shane was no different in this respect - he initiated his
own brother and nephew's death, fought with and against his father, all in
pursuit of his ambitions. He became extremely rich, owned vast lands,
herds of cattle and many castles including Dundrum. He was reputed to have
been cruel in his relationships and spared no mercy to his enemies, there
are accounts of him keeping his mistress the Countess of Argyle chained in
a cellar because she annoyed him, this is the context of our past and we should never liken them to the mythical figures
so often sought by imagination and associations with our roots.
Shane O'Neill was born in around 1530
to Sorcha O'Neill who was the daughter of Hugh, chief of the Clanaboy
O'Neill's, his mother died shortly after his birth and Shane was given
over to the O'Donnelly family who raised him into his early teenage years.
Facts or accounts of his early youth
is very sketchy in details but we find him coming to prominence through his rebellion
against his father Conn and the infighting of the family and their allies
in quest of power and titles in Ireland. Shane at one time or another,
fought the English, Irish and Scottish to defend what he saw as his right
- he had felt completely betrayed by his father and took great exception
to his acceptance of an English title and also to his choice of heir to the
O'Neill crown, though he fought against him, he also fought with him on
occasions when it suited their mutual objectives. Shane's sense of right and his
willingness to take on all that opposed that gained him respect amongst
not only his allies but also his foes. He was a fierce opponent as a soldier, barbaric and
ruthless in battle, he led his army from the front and engaged in
many bloody duels against other Chieftains to assert his power.
His father
had allied with the English crown to put down a rebellion in the south of
Ireland and in return received the title Baron of Dungannon, First
Earl of Tyrone - to accept such from the English did not go down too well
with Shane nor his supporters but what enraged him more was the fact that
his younger brother Mathew, an illegitimate son had been
chosen to be raised and educated at the English court and declared heir to
the O'Neill crown over Shane. These facts more than anything marked the path of
Shane's life of conflict and rebellion both with his father and with
anyone who stood in the way of what he seen as his rightful place. On his
father's death, Mathew became the Baron of Dungannon and heir to the
O'Neill crown, in 1558 he was murdered under instruction from Shane
which led to the title being passed to Mathew's eldest son Brian who
subsequently met the same fate as his father. In 1562 the title past
to Mathew's youngest son Hugh who had been taken to England by Sir Henry
Sidney in 1559, he had stayed at the English court and was educated there,
protected from the effects and possible murder in the factional fighting
that was occurring in Ulster as Shane established his supremacy.
After his father's death Shane
crowned himself King of Ulster and demanded his father's title, Earl of
Tyrone from the English, they refused and mounted a campaign to
unseat him which failed. Shane was already recognised in Ireland as the
Gaelic Lord in Ulster and was almost untouchable in his power base -
the English needed his powerful allegiance as he was perceived as the main threat to
their power in Ireland. The crown and Shane finally agreed to
meet and bury their differences after the death of Brian.
Shane went to the English court on January 5th 1562 and left in April, he was
reputed to have got on well with the Queen and gained some favours and
guarantees which would eventually led to the English crown
officially, if reluctantly recognising him as the Chieftain of Tyrone. The
two powers embarked on an uneasy and doomed alliance - meanwhile and
behind the scenes, the Earl of Sussex who detested Shane, having been
defeated twice in battle by him, had been stirring discontent and
re-arranging clan allegiances against him back in Ireland. On his
return Ulster was back into factional fighting and Shane forced into another campaign to re-assert his authority, during this period the English under
Sussex seized their chance to once again try and unseat him. The challenge
resulted in a third defeat for the Earl of Sussex at the hands of
Shane and subsequently led to his resignation.
Elizabeth was becoming
more pre-occupied with France than Ireland and entered into an agreement with
Shane which resulted in a year or so of peaceful allegiance between the
two. During this time Shane turned his sights on the MacDonnell's whom he
seen as the only real threat to his power base, this campaign went on for
nearly three years and saw many battles and massacres - it also led to the
breakdown of any agreements between Shane and the crown. The English
played the two cards, one with Sorley Boy MacDonnell and the other with
Shane - it is fair to say that that the English had over many years
tried everything to get rid of Shane O'Neill including attempts to poison
him with gifts of wine - to which he was extremely partial, he had even
been lured by the promise of a safe passage to Dublin and marriage to the
sister of the Earl of Sussex whom he had met at court and was
attracted too - this had been another ploy by the then Lord Deputy to
capture him.
Shane sealed his own
fate in turning against the English, although he had some spectacular
victories such as the 'Battle of the Redcoats' his allies where
declining and enemies who were once against each other where to allying
against him, eventually after
his defeat at the hands of the O'Donnell's in Donegal, was left very weaken
and forced to make a stark
decision for his own survival - to either submit to English demands or make his peace and
allegiances with the Scottish McDonnell and negotiate with them for
rule in Ireland. He chose the latter and returned to Ulster and the north
Antrim Glens - here a
banquet and meeting had been arranged by the McDonnell's to discuss and seal a new era for the two
clans. He was subsequently murdered and his head sent to Dublin, there are
two accounts of how this came about - one refers to his body being exhumed
by English soldiers a few days after its burial and the head cut off and
taken to Dublin. The other, to an agent who was under the pay of the Lord Deputy
and attending the same banquet - while enjoying the drinking and merriment, he was
murdered and his head taken to Dublin and displayed on a pike
outside Dublin Castle, the agent is reputed to have received one thousand
marks from the crown treasury for the act - given by Sir Henry
Sidney. |
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