The siege of Donegal took place in August 1601 during the Nine Years' War in Ireland, when a

Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

army led by

Hugh Roe O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell ( Irish: ''Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill''), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell (30 October 1572 – 10 September 1602), was a sixteenth-century leader of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. He became Chief of the Name of Clan O'Donne ...

laid siege to the town of Donegal.McGurk p.113-16 The garrison of the town was a mixture of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

troops and allied Gaelic troops led by

Niall Garve O'Donnell Niall Garve O'Donnell ( ga, Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill; 1569 – 1626) was an Irish chieftain, alternately an ally of and rebel against English rule in Ireland. He is best known for siding with the English against his kinsman Hugh Roe O'Donnel ...

. Heavy fighting took place during the month-long siege in which

Donegal Abbey Donegal Abbey (Irish: ''Mainistir Dhún na nGall'') is a ruined Franciscan Priory in Donegal in Ireland. It was constructed by the O'Donnell dynasty in the fifteenth century. It is sometimes referred to as Donegal Friary. It was built in 1474 on ...

was destroyed by an accidental gunpowder explosion. Having suffered several repulses, Hugh Roe O'Donnell abandoned the siege and moved his army southwards to Munster to take part in the

Battle of Kinsale The siege of Kinsale, or Battle of Kinsale ( ga, Léigear/Cath Chionn tSáile), was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland, commencing in October 1601, near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and at the climax of t ...

. In his absence, Crown forces were able to use Donegal as a base to capture the strategic town of

Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. Location B ...

Conn O'Donnell Conn O'Donnell (died 13 March 1583) was a member of the O'Donnell dynasty of Donegal. At various points in his turbulent career, Conn either opposed or allied himself with the English Crown, Shane O'Neill or Turlough Luineach O'Neill, as the si ...

was killed during the siege, while fighting for the Crown.

References

Bibliography

* McGurk, John. ''Sir Henry Docwra, 1564-1631: Derry's Second Founder''. Four Courts Press, 2006. 1601 in Ireland Donegal Donegal (town) Donegal {{battle-stub