Sir Eoin McToole O'Gallagher (died 1595) was a

Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaeli ...

political advisor during the

Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female ...

. He was head of the O'Gallagher family and the chief advisor to 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 ...

who ruled

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 ...

. He was the son of Tuathal Balbh O'Gallagher (a previous renowned chief of his name). He came to prominence during the rule of Sir Hugh O'Donnell. His good relationship with the Crown is shown by his being awarded an annual

pension A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a " defined benefit plan", wh ...

in 1574 and a

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1581. He married

Siobhán Maguire Siobhán Maguire, Baroness Dungannon (also anglicised Joan Maguire; died 1600) was a Gaelic Irish noblewoman, perhaps best known as the biological mother of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. She held a prominent political role, and was considered "h ...

, the widow of

Matthew O'Neill, 1st Baron Dungannon Matthew O'Neill, 1st Baron Dungannon (alias ''Matthew Kelly'', alias ''Feardorcha Ó Néill''; –1558), was an Irish aristocrat. He was accepted by Conn O'Neill as his natural son. Matthew was challenged by his half-brother Shane O'Neill over ...

who had been assassinated in

1558 __NOTOC__ Year 1558 ( MDLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 7 – French troops, led by Francis, Duke of Guise, take Calais, the last continental possession o ...

, and therefore became stepfather to

Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the English Crown in resistance to the Tudor conquest of Ir ...

and his brothers Cormac and

Art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

. In 1574, O'Gallagher was described as Sir Hugh O'Donnell's "trusty counselor" in the State Papers. During the long O'Donnell succession dispute in the 1580s and 1590s, O'Gallagher backed

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 ...

, who eventually triumphed and was acknowledged by the Crown. O'Gallagher was in favour with the English administration and received a knighthood. He was attached to

Iníon Dubh Lady Fiona MacDonald (), better known by her nickname Iníon Dubh ( ''in-NEEN DOO''; "Black-Haired Daughter"), was a Scottish aristocrat and queen consort of Tyrconnell from 1569 to 1592. The mother of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, she was a significant ...

in an alliance. In 1588, O'Gallagher went to

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 ...

William FitzWilliam on a promise of safe conduct, but he was imprisoned instead. He was imprisoned with Lord of Inishowen Sean O'Doherty because FitzWilliam believed that they possessed treasure taken from the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...

. His wife Siobhán and his stepson Hugh lobbied for his release, but he remained captive until 1594. O'Gallagher died shortly after his release 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 ...

in 1595. Another source states that he died during his imprisonment.

References

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:OGallagher, Eoin 16th-century Irish people People of Elizabethan Ireland Irish knights Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown People from County Donegal