The Battle of Knockavoe (''Cnoc-Buidhbh'') was fought in 1522 between the
O'Donnell
The O'Donnell dynasty ( ga, Ó Dónaill or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell, Ulster, in medieval Ireland. Naming conventions
Or ...
s, led by
Hugh Dubh O'Donnell
Hugh Dubh O'Donnell (; died 1618) was a member of the O'Donnell dynasty of Tyrconnell in modern-day County Donegal. He was the younger brother of Manus O'Donnell, the ruler of Tyrconnell between 1537 and 1555. When his brother died, Hugh Dubh unsu ...
and
Manus O'Donnell
Manus O'Donnell (Irish: ''Maghnas Ó Domhnaill'' or ''Manus Ó Domhnaill'', died 1564) was an Irish lord and son of Sir Hugh Dubh O'Donnell. He was an important member of the O'Donnell dynasty based in County Donegal in Ulster.
Early life
Hug ...
, both sons of Sir Hugh Dubh O'Donnell, against the O'Neills, in which the O'Neills and their supporters were surprised and routed. Knockavoe was not a lost
pitched battle
A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...
, rather it was in fact the result of a nighttime surprise attack on the O'Neill camp by the O'Donnells.
Knockavoe is the hill just behind Strabane in
County Tyrone
County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...
Earl of Tyrone
The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.
It was first created as part of the Tudor attempt to establish a uniform social structure in Ireland by converting the Gaelic kings and chiefs into hereditary nobles of t ...
, in 1542) was determined to bring the O'Donnells under his rule and made a great gathering, determined to march into
Tyrconnell
Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Cou ...
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
, together with English contingents, and brought into O'Neill's army itself were the Scoto-Irish MacDonnells of Antrim, Bissetts, MacSheehys and others. The forces laid siege to and took
Ballyshannon Castle
Ballyshannon Castle was a castle at Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. The castle was a stronghold of the O’Donnell's. No visual remains of the castle exist above ground.
History
Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill built Ballyshannon Castle in 1423 t ...
, and later devastated a large part of Tyrconnell.
Battle
While encamped at Knockavoe, on the outskirts of Strabane, Conn O'Neill's forces were surprised at night by Hugh Dubh O'Donnell and Manus O'Donnell. Hugh and Manus led their small force quietly up to the campsite and launched a surprise attack before the sentinels were aware of how matters stood, with the two forces fighting furiously in pitch darkness in the midst of the camp. After a long and fearful struggle, in which men found it hard to distinguish friend from foe, the completely unprepared O'Neills and their supporters were routed with a loss of 900 men; and O'Donnell took possession of the camp, with an immense quantity of booty.
The full account of the battle is contained in ''
The Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...
'' as follows:—
Notes:
''Cnoc-Buidhbh'', or the Hill of Bove Derg, is the old Gaelic name for Knockavoe.
''Loch Monann'' was a lake that later burst out and formed Strabane Glen.
''Druim-Lighean'' refers to Drumboy Hill, just beyond
Lifford
Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding th ...
, on the
Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
Road.
Aftermath
The battle was one of the bloodiest ever fought between the O'Donnells and O'Neills, did not end the quarrel. Lord Kildare, who was Conn Bacach O'Neill's first cousin, tried to make peace; but in spite of his efforts the war continued for many years afterwards.
The only long-term result of Knockavoe did not involve the O'Donnells and O'Neills, but rather the MacDonnells and Bissetts. The last Mac Eoin Bissett, Lord of the
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
History of Ireland
The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 33,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of homo sapiens to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Quaterna ...