Donnell O'Donnell
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sir Donal Dubh O'Donnell ( Irish: ''Sir Domhnall Ó Domhnaill''; died 14 September 1590) was a member of the
O'Donnell dynasty The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...
of
Tyrconnell Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell and Tirconaill, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland. It is associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which was officially named ''County Tirconaill'' between 1922 and 1927. At times it also i ...
in modern-day
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
. He was the eldest son of Sir Hugh McManus O'Donnell, the
Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...
of
Tyrconnell Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell and Tirconaill, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland. It is associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which was officially named ''County Tirconaill'' between 1922 and 1927. At times it also i ...
for much of the reign of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
.


Biography

Sir Donal O'Donnell was the eldest son of Sir Hugh O'Donnell, the ruler of Tyrconnell. Sir Donal was the leading contender in the O'Donnell succession dispute of the 1580s which took place while his father was still alive. His personal authority, with duties similar to a
Tacksman A tacksman (, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society. Tenant and landlord Although a tacksman generally paid a yearly rent for th ...
to a
Scottish clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...
, covered "''that part of Tirconnell from the mountain westwards, i.e. from Barnesmore to the river Drowes'' (i.e. Tirhugh), ''and also all the inhabitants of
Boylagh Boylagh () is a historic barony in County Donegal in Ireland. Patrick Weston Joyce said the name ''Boylagh'' comes from the territory of the O'Boyles. It was created along with Banagh when the former barony of Boylagh and Banagh was split in 179 ...
and Tir Boghaine'' (i.e. Bannagh)". His father's primary domain concentrated on Kilmacrenan and Mongavlin, and his cousin Niall Garbh O'Donnell, with similar duties, held sway over the Clan's traditional stronghold of
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 this ...
and eastwards of there. The '' Four Masters'' described him as "''a mighty champion and great in battle, and it was never heard that at any time he had turned his back on his enemies''" and O'Donovan says he was known "''to lead his father's forces''". Amongst the other leading contenders were his younger half-brother
Hugh Roe O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...
and his great-uncle
Hugh Dubh O'Donnell Hugh McHugh Dubh O'Donnell (; c. 1537-1618) 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, H ...
. Donal received the allegiance of O'Boyle and MacSweeney Banagh, as well as of the English Crown, who felt he had a stronger claim to the Lordship, by primogeniture. The Dublin government felt that Donal could command more support locally than his brother as Donal's mother was an Ulster woman while Hugh Roe was the son of Finola MacDonald, daughter of James MacDonald,
Scottish clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...
of
Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, also known as Clan Donald South, ''Clan Iain Mor, Clan MacDonald of Islay and Kintyre, MacDonalds of the Glens (Antrim)'' and sometimes referred to as ''MacDonnells'', is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. T ...
and
Kintyre Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...
. Historian
Francis Martin O'Donnell Francis Martin O'Donnell GCMM, GCEG, KC*SG, KM, KCHS, KCMCO (born in 1954) is an Irish citizen who has served abroad as an international diplomat in senior representative positions with the United Nations until retirement, and later with ...
has named Donal's mother as "Nuala, a daughter of O'Neill". Shortly after the Armada shipwreck of 1588, Sir Donal O'Donnell was knighted and appointed as
High Sheriff of Donegal The High Sheriff of Donegal was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, from the late 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Irish Free State and replaced by the office of Donega ...
by the
Lord Deputy The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
, Sir William FitzWilliam. FitzWilliam also had Sir Eoin O'Gallagher, an influential supporter of Hugh Roe, arrested and imprisoned. In 1589 a force of
Irish Army The Irish Army () is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. ...
troops were sent into the area under Captain John Connill who assisted Sir Donal against his rivals. Sir Donal grew stronger in the late 1580s, and took control over much of western Tyrconnell. He was also powerful enough to back his own candidate in the succession dispute in neighbouring
Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...
, where he established Hugh Maguire as
Chief of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...
ahead of his rival Connor Roe Maguire. Donal also drew strength from his alliance with Sir Turlough Luineach O'Neill, whose daughter he had married around 1588. Shortly after the Armada shipwreck of 1588, Sir Donal O'Donnell was knighted and appointed as
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
of
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
by the
Lord Deputy The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
, Sir William FitzWilliam. Faced with the attempted overthrow of her husband,
Sir Hugh O'Donnell Hugh McManus O'Donnell ( Irish: ''Sir Aodh mac Maghnusa Ó Domhnaill''; – 7 December 1600) was a Gaelic Irish nobleman, best known as the father of Hugh Roe O'Donnell. He was clan chief of the O'Donnell clan and Lord of Tyrconnell during th ...
, and the eclipse with English backing of her son's claim to the succession, Iníon Dubh hired large numbers of Redshank mercenaries and raised those among Donegal's
Irish clan Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan (or in Irish, plural ) included the chief and his patrilineal relatives; howe ...
s which were still loyal to her husband to confront her son's rival. Sir Donal was defeated and
killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
at the Battle of Doire Leathan, near
Glencolmcille Glencolmcille or Glencolumbkille () is a small district on the Atlantic coast of southwest County Donegal in Ireland. Named after Saint Colm Cille (Columba), it is also a civil parish in the historic barony of Banagh. Glencolmcille is in the ...
, on 14 September 1590. According to the ''
Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...
'', "Seldom before that time had his enemies triumphed over him; and the party by whom he was slain had not been by any means his enemies until they encountered on this occasion; and although this Donnell was not the
rightful heir "Rightful Heir" is the 149th episode of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and the 23rd episode of the sixth season. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet ...
of his father, it would have been no disgrace to Tirconnell to have elected him as its chief, had he been permitted to attain to that dignity. In this conflict were slain along with Donnell the three sons of Owen, son of Mulmurry, son of Donough above mentioned, together with two hundred others, around Donnell."''The Annals of the Four Masters'', 1590


Legacy

After successfully escaping from
Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...
two years later, Hugh Roe successfully had himself made The O'Donnell. Sir Donal O'Donnell was survived by his only son,
Donal Óg O'Donnell Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterp ...
. In a Spanish genealogy of the O'Donnell Dukes of Tetuan, Sir Donal O'Donnell features as a collateral ancestor with the annotation "''en 1589 su padre le concedio el titulo de marques - en 1587 se adhirio al pacto de su padre para librar a su hermano (Red) Hugh''".


Family tree


Notes


References


Citations


Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:ODonnell, Donnell 16th-century Irish people People of Elizabethan Ireland Irish knights Year of birth unknown 1590 deaths People from County Donegal Donnell