The Kingdom of West Breifne (Irish ''Breifne Ua Ruairc'') or Breifne O'Rourke was a historic kingdom of Ireland that existed from 1256 to 1605, located in the area that is now
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
. It took its present boundaries in 1583 when West Breifne was shired and renamed Leitrim, after the village of
Leitrim, which was an O'Rourke stronghold. The kingdom came into existence after a battle between the ruling O'Rourke clan and the ascendant O'Reillys caused the breakup of the older
Kingdom of Breifne
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
and led to the formation of
East Breifne and West Breifne. The kingdom was ruled by the O'Rourke clan and lasted until the early 17th century, when their lands were confiscated by
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Early history
Formation
In 1172,
Tighearnán Ua Ruairc, the longtime Lord of
Breifne and Conmaice, was betrayed and killed at Tlachtgha during negotiations with
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath. Tighearnán was beheaded, and his head and body was conveyed to the
Anglo-Normans
The Anglo-Normans ( nrf, Anglo-Normaunds, ang, Engel-Norðmandisca) were the medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combination of ethnic Normans, French, Anglo-Saxons, Flemings and Bretons, following the Norman conquest. A sma ...
in Dublin, where it was put on display. The assassination of Tighernán caused a
war of succession
A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim the right of successor to a deceased or deposed monarch. The rivals are typically supported by factions within the royal court. Foreign pow ...
in Breifne and for the next hundred years there would be no long standing King of Breifne, as rival branches of the O'Rourke clan fought for the kingship. This time of turbulence in the kingdom caused a great rift between the various branches of clan O'Rourke, with regular fighting between rival members. The instability and weakness of Breifne, which had already lost much of its territory during the
Norman invasion
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...
, prompted the O'Reilly in the east of the kingdom to launch a campaign against the ruling O'Rourke dynasty. By the late 1230s the O'Reilly had usurped control of Breifne, Cathal O'Reilly ruled as king from the east of the kingdom and Cúchonnacht O'Reilly, Connacht's foremost general and close ally of
King Felim O'Conor, had militarily taken control of western Breifne and expelled the O'Rourke leaders.
The turbulent decades that followed saw the O'Reilly switch allegiance to the Norman
de Burghs and the O'Rourke were once again allied to Connacht. By 1250 the O'Reilly had been pushed back out of western Breifne as Connacht advanced into their eastern homeland. In 1256 the devastating
Battle of Magh Slecht
The Battle of Magh Slécht took place at Magh Slécht in Ireland in 1256. The battle was part of a wider conflict between the O'Rourke rulers of Breifne and their traditional O'Reilly vassals over control of the kingdom. Both sides were assi ...
was fought between Connacht and the O'Rourke clan against the O'Reilly. Despite ending in an O'Rourke victory, they had lost complete control over the eastern half of their kingdom and the immediate chaos that ensued within West Breifne following the war left them without the power to retake it. As a result, Breifne was left permanently divided into
East Breifne (O'Reilly) and West Breifne (O'Rourke).
Conflict with Connacht
![O'Rourke Banqueting Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/O%27Rourke_Banqueting_Hall.png)
After successfully repelling de Burgh and the O'Reilly, the kings of Connacht, Tír Eoghain and Tír Chonaill met at
Caoluisce Castle to agree to form a united front against the Normans in the future. At these talks, which the O'Rourke lords of Breifne were excluded from, it was agreed that the king of Connacht was the rightful ruler of all of Breifne "''from
Kells to
Drumcliff
Drumcliff or Drumcliffe () is a village in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is 8 km (5 miles) north of Sligo, Sligo town on the N15 road (Ireland), N15 road on a low gravel ridge between the mountain of Ben Bulben and Drumcl ...
''". Consequently,
Aedh O'Conor saw Breifne as an integral part of Connacht rather than an independent kingdom and, as heir to the kingship, was determined to rein in its leaders. This put Aedh in direct confrontation with Conchobar O'Ruairc, king of West Breifne, who rebelled against him. According to the
Annals of Connacht
The ''Annals of Connacht'' (), covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin.
The early sections, commenci ...
, the two men "''had been good comrades till now''".
To assert West Breifne's independence, Conchobar made peace with the de Burghs without the permission of the king of Connacht, prompting Aedh O'Conor to launch raids on West Breifne. In 1257, after a brief war, Conchobar submitted to O'Conor and signed a peace treaty offering O'Conor any lands of his choice in Breifne. O'Conor obtained the stone-castle on Cherry Island in
Garadice Lough and put a garrison into it. Later that year, Conchobar violated the terms of the treaty and forced O'Conor's garrison out of the castle before razing it. Due to this act of betrayal, Aedh O'Conor elected Sitric O'Ruairc to replace Conchobar as king of West Breifne, however Sitric was soon killed by Domnall, Conchobar's son, to avenge his father's dispossession. This led to Domnall's arrest and imprisonment and Aedh O'Conor resumed raids on West Breifne.
This sparked a series of conflicts that lasted from 1257 to 1266 whereby Aedh O’Conor attempted to control the politics of West Breifne by instating and supporting his favoured candidates as kings, driving a wedge between the O’Rourkes, with devastating consequences for the unity and stability of the kingdom. Amlaib was chosen to succeed Sitric, however the kingdom was in disarray and, like his predecessor, his authority as king was nominal. His rule marks the first appearance in the annals of the king ruling "''from the mountain westward''" i.e. west of Slieve Anieran on the eastern shore of Lough Allen – a situation that was to be repeated in the 15th century. Art O’Ruairc, son of Cathal Riabach (King of Breifne, 1231–1236), ruled the east in opposition to Amlaib and Connacht.
In 1258, with the war against
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 ...
still ongoing, Conchobar was betrayed and murdered by his own men with the assistance of Matha O'Reilly, king of East Breifne, who had also risen up in rebellion against Aedh O'Conor. After his father's death, Domnall was released from prison and instated as king of West Breifne. However, shortly after his appointment as king, Domnall killed Magrath
Mac Tiernan, chieftain of Tellach-Dunchada, which was a clan that held land within Breifne. As a result of this killing, Domnall was deposed as king by the major clans of West Breifne, including Tellach-Dunchada, who executed Domnall's brother Cathal in retaliation.
After Domnall was deposed, Art O'Ruairc was supported by the major clans as the effective ruler of the entire kingdom, but in 1259, he was taken prisoner by Connacht. Connacht continued to vie for control of Breifne and supported Art bec, Amlaib’s brother, as king in 1260. Evidently a rift emerged between the two as Aedh O'Conor killed Art bec, his own candidate for the kingship, that same year and met with Domnall. After peace between the two kingdoms was agreed, kingship was returned to Domnall. However, this peace was to be short lived, in 1260 the Tellach-Dunchada killed Domnall and in 1261 Art O'Ruairc escaped from imprisonment and was made king by the chieftains of Breifne upon his return. An attempt by Connacht to depose Art O'Ruairc and regain control of Breifne in 1261 failed when their army was defeated at
Drumlahan by the O'Reilly and forced to retreat.
The conflict between Connacht and West Breifne ended in 1266, when Aedh O'Conor, now King of Connacht, launched a successful invasion of the kingdom and deposed Art O'Ruairc, instating Conchobar buide, son of King Amlaíb (1257–1258), as the new king. Aedh O'Conor also took hostages from all the major clans of the kingdom. The O'Rourke rebellion against Connacht's dominance was ultimately a failure, but the O'Reilly of East Breifne had succeeded in theirs and Connacht never regained control of the east.
Conchobar buide reigned with the support of the king of Connacht until his death in 1273. He was succeeded by Tigernan, grandson of Ualgarg Ó Ruairc (King of Breifne, 1210–1231), who died just one year after his inauguration. Following Tigernan’s death, Art O'Ruairc would again become king in 1275 and reigned only for a short time before being killed in battle against the Normans near
Granard
Granard () is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland, and has a traceable history going back to AD 236. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 nation ...
and was succeeded by his son, Amlaib who reigned until 1307, when he was killed in battle against the
MacSamhradhain of Tullyhaw.
Dynastic fracture
![BookofFenagh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/BookofFenagh.jpg)
Domnall Carrach, Conchobar buide’s brother, was inaugurated in 1307 and although he only ruled for four years until his death in 1311, his reign, but particularly that of his son
Ualgarg Mór, marked the beginning of dynasty that would last for the rest of the kingdom’s history. Ualgarg Mór reigned for thirty years from 1316 to 1346 and restored power and prestige to West Breifne and the Ó Ruairc dynasty, which had been in decline for over a century and was under attack from almost all sides. He was inaugurated in 1316 with the support of
King Fedlim of Connacht and fought alongside Fedlim in the
Second Battle of Athenry
The Second Battle of Athenry ( ) took place at Athenry ( gle, Áth na Ríogh) in Ireland on 10 August 1316 during the Bruce campaign in Ireland.
Overview
The collective number of both armies are unknown, and can only be estimated. Martyn bel ...
that year. Following Fedlim's death at Athenry, Connacht descended into chaos as numerous contenders for its kingship emerged. In 1318 Ualgarg Mór forged an alliance with Maelruanaid Mac Diarmata, King of
Moylurg
{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022
Magh Luirg or Magh Luirg an Dagda, Anglicised as Moylurg, was the name of a medieval Irish kingdom located in modern-day County Roscommon, Ireland. It was a sub-kingdom of the kingdom of Connacht from c. 956–1585. ...
, to support Fedlim's son
Toirdelbach as king of Connacht. This was in competition to Domnall O'Conor of
Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair
The Clan Murtagh O'Conor (Irish: ''Clan Muircheartaigh Uí Conchobhair'') were descendants of Irish High-King Toirdelbach Ua Conchobair, through his son, Murtogh Moynagh O'Conor (d.1210), tánaiste of Connacht. They have been defined by Katherine ...
, who were at war with the Ó Ruaircs and were occupying large parts of West Breifne.
Clan Muircheartaigh arrived in West Breifne in the 1280s and by the time of Ualgarg Mór had assimilated into the kingdom. Their chief Aedh Breifnach, as his name would suggest, was born and raised in Breifne and they had found staunch allies in Clan Mac Tiernan of Teallach Dunchadha. They operated from their power base in West Breifne with the ultimate goal of re-establishing themselves as kings of Connacht, but for decades attempted to exercise control over all of Breifne (East and West) and were met with fierce resistance. After decades of conflict, Ualgarg Mór drove Clan Muircheartaigh out of Breifne in 1343. While in Calry, Sligo in 1346, battle unexpectedly erupted during which Ualgarg Mór was killed by Maelruanaid
Mac Donnchada. His dominance over the kingdom and his many children helped establish his line as the rulers of West Breifne for the rest of its history. He was succeeded by his brother Flaithbheartach who ruled for 3 years before being overthrown by Ualgarg Mór's son Aodh bán. Aodh bán killed
Aedh mac Aedh Breifneach, chief of Clan Muircheartaigh and briefly the king of Connacht, in battle in 1350.
Cathal, Aedh mac Aedh Breifneach 's brother, killed Aodh bán in 1352 and re-instated Flaithbheartach as king, Clan Muircheartaigh's influence in West Breifne had returned. However Flaithbheartach died a few months into his reign and another of Ualgarg Mór's sons, Tadgh na gCaor, was made king. Under Tadgh na gCaor's leadership, Clan Muircheartaigh were finally driven out of Breifne in 1370 with the help of the O'Reilly, O'Farrell, Mac Raghnaill and Maguires. They sought refuge in
MacWilliam Burke and never returned to West Breifne. Tadgh na gCaor and his followers settled in Cenel Luacháin, an area in the modern barony of
Carrigallen that included some parishes in western County Cavan. He ruled from there until his death in 1376 and his younger brother Tigernán Mór succeeded him. descendants became the O'Rourke's of Carrigallen.
Tigernán Mór reigned for 42 years from his power base at Dromahair. The later years of his reign were marked by a deepening rift between the various branches of the O'Rourke sept. He died of
natural causes at an old age in his stronghold at Dromahair on
St. Brigid's Day. Art, son of Tadhg na gCaor, and the head of the Carrigallen O'Rourkes raised an army to vie for kingship but it was eventually passed to Tigernán Mór's son Aodh buidhe. Aodh buidhe ruled from his father's castle for a year and half until his unexpected death in 1419 following an anomalously hot
Autumn. His brother Tadhg was chosen to succeed him, but Art proclaimed himself king and was elected by his supporters. The stage had been set for the wars of succession which were to characterise the politics of West Breifne for the next century.
Wars of succession
![Northern Ireland C1500](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Northern_Ireland_C1500.png)
For much of its history, West Breifne saw disputes over kingship, with persistent battles between rival factions. As a result of factions consolidating power in their home regions, three distinct branches of royalty emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries, named after the areas in which they were based. All three branches trace their lineage back to King Ualgarg mór (1316–1346). The O'Rourkes of Dromahair were the main line of kings. The term "O'Rourkes of Dromahair" only came into use after King Tigernán óg (1449–1468), and refers to those based in the capital
Dromahair in the west of the kingdom. The O'Rourkes of
Carrigallen were descendant from , Ualgarg mór's son, who reigned from 1352 to 1376. Due to their strategic location east of
Lough Allen
Lough Allen () is a lake on the River Shannon in northeastern Connacht, Ireland. Most of the lake is in County Leitrim, with a smaller part in County Roscommon. The lake lies to the south of the River Shannon's source, near the Iron Mountains, ...
and the
Iron Mountains, they twice divided the kingdom along east/west lines. The third branch, the O'Rourkes of
Carha, based in the northwest, emerged in the mid 15th century with the crowning of King Donnchadh, great-grandson of Ualgarg mór. The kingship of West Breifne during this volatile period largely depended upon the often capricious support of the other clans within the kingdom and the surrounding area, notably the MacSamhradhain,
Mac Raghnaill
''Mac Raghnaill'' is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of ''Raghnall''". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father.
The name '' R ...
and Tellach-Dunchada.
First 1419–1424
The most significant of the rivalries was between the O'Rourkes of Dromahair, those based in the capital, and the O'Rourkes of Carrigallen. This rivalry would see the kingdom split between "''East Breifne O'Rourke''" (North Leitrim) and "''West Breifne O'Rourke''" (South Leitrim) at least twice. The first from 1419 to 1424, following the death of King Aedh buidhe. Aedh's brother, Tadhg, was chosen to succeed his brother as King, however in southern Leitrim, Art O'Rourke, son of King (1352–1376), was elected king with the support of the Tellach Dunchada, the Mac Raghnaill. At his inauguration, Tadhg had declared himself "''king of all Breifne''" and as a result Eoghan O'Reilly, king of East Breifne, threw his support behind Art O'Rourke and moved soldiers into Carrigallen. Beset with problems back home just months later, the O'Reilly withdrew support for Art and his rebellion collapsed. West Breifne was more or less completely under the control of Tadhg by the end of 1420 and Art was in exile, however it would take until 1424 for Art to finally submit to Tadhg.
Second 1435–1458
The second split occurred after King Tadhg's death in 1435. King Tadhg was to be succeeded by his brother Donnchadh bacagh. However, Art O'Rourke's brother, Lochlainn Ó Ruairc, was declared "King of East Breifne O'Rourke" and the kingdom was again divided. Donnchadh bacagh died in 1445 and his nephew Donnchadh, the first of the Carha line, was elected to take his place and ruled until his death in 1449. He was succeeded by his cousin Tigernan óg. The two kingdoms were in a perpetual state of war that would last for 23 years until 1458, when East Breifne O'Rourke was invaded by the
Maguires of Fermanagh, Lochlainn Ó Ruairc, now 80 years old, was defeated and the kingship of East Breifne O'Rourke was dissolved. Tigernán óg became king of a united West Breifne.
Third 1468–1476
Following the death of King Tigernán óg in 1468, kingship was again in dispute, this time between Domnall, Tigernán óg's brother, and Donnchadh losc, Tigernán óg's uncle. Domnall was supported by the O'Rourkes of Dromahair and
Ruadh O'Donnell, the Lord of
Tír Chonaill
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 ...
. Donnchadh losc received support from the O'Rourkes of Carha as well as the people of Carbury and the Clann-Donough. In 1470, Domnall and O'Donnell led an army to "Cruachan", the traditional inauguration site of kings, in an attempt to inaugurate Domnall, however they were stopped at
Ballyconnell by the
O'Reilly
O'Reilly ( ga, Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred a ...
. This dispute caused infighting within West Breifne and left a deepened rivalry between the O'Rourkes of Dromahair and the O'Rourkes of Carha. The dispute ended in a victory for the O'Rourkes of Carha and their allies, who elected King Feidhlimidh mac Donnchadha in 1476. He ruled from his stronghold of Castle Carha for 24 contentious years.
Fourth 1528–1536
![Creevelea Friary S 2007 08 16](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Creevelea_Friary_S_2007_08_16.jpg)
In 1488, Eóghan, son of Tigernán óg (1449–1468), killed King Feidhlimidh mac Donnchadha's son, also called Eoghan. Following the death of Feidhlimidh mac Donnchadha in 1500, Eóghan became king. After Eóghan's death in 1528, Feidhlimidh, another son of King Feidhlimidh mac Donnchadha, claimed the throne and ruled from Castle Carha, in contention with Brian Ballach, son of Eóghan. In 1536 Brian Ballach laid siege to Caste Carha and demolished it, re-establishing Dromahair's dominion over the entire kingdom. Feidhlimidh was deposed and died that same year as a prisoner of Brian Ballach.
Resolution
The rivalry between these branches ultimately ended in victory for the O’Rourkes of Dromahair and a return to stability in the succession of kings in the 1530s. Following the defeat of Lochlainn Ó Ruairc of Carrigallen in 1458 and the dissolution of his kingdom, the Carrigallen O’Rourkes ceased to rule over Breifne ever again. The O’Rourkes of Carha were wholly crushed by Dromahair in 1536 when Brian Ballach consolidated power over the entire kingdom. These regional conflicts over succession never re-emerged following this due to the changing political landscape in Ireland, as English influence grew in the latter half of the 16th century and the clans united to fight against their encroachments.
Following a period of relative calm, a brief power struggle between the sons of Brian Ballach ensued in the 1560s. Between 1564 and 1566 both Aodh Gallda and Aodh Buidhe were murdered by groups intent on getting Brian na Murtha crowned king. According to the annals, Aodh Gallda was murdered in
Leitrim "''by his own people''". The murder of Aodh Buidhe was carried out by the vassals of Tyrconnell in
Sligo, as
Lord Manus O'Donnell's daughter was Brian na Murtha's mother. Following Aodh Buidhe's death, Brian na Murtha was elected king (or lord) of West Breifne in 1566.
Late History
Presidency of Connaught
![Digital Eye–2015–Parke's Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Digital_Eye%E2%80%932015%E2%80%93Parke%27s_Castle.jpg)
The expansion of English power in Ireland arrived in West Breifne when Brian Ballach entered an agreement with the English in 1542. Under the terms of this agreement the O'Rourke king was to keep his authority and traditional rights over the other clans of West Breifne, the sitting O'Rourke king was also to be granted the
peerage title "''Viscount Dromahaire''" and pay a tribute to the crown, however the terms of this treaty were never realized as the English failed to uphold them.
Lord Deputy John Perrot's unilateral declaration of the legal establishment of County Leitrim in 1565 heralded the first breach of this treaty. After coming to power,
Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc was knighted by the English in 1567, but came into conflict with them due to the pernicious expansion of their authorities in Ireland. In 1569 West Breifne was subsumed into the
Presidency of Connaught, an English government jurisdiction. This governorate was not recognised by the kings and chiefs of Connacht and the first Lord President of Connaught,
Sir Edward Fitton, wielded virtually no power over the area. Gradually, many of the Irish kings began to tentatively work with the English (often through coercion), including Brian na Múrtha, who agreed to submit to the first composition of Connacht in 1576. These later submissions bore no resemblance to those agreed by Brian Ballach. Under the 1576 agreement the king of West Breifne was to answer to the Presidency-appointed
High Sheriff of Leitrim
The High Sheriff of Leitrim was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Leitrim, Ireland from c.1582 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Leitrim County Sheriff. The sheriff h ...
, was denied the authority to rule over the other clans and, most crucially, was not allowed to maintain
gallowglass
The Gallowglass (also spelled galloglass, gallowglas or galloglas; from ga, gallóglaigh meaning foreign warriors) were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland between the mid 13t ...
.
Nicholas Malby, second Lord President of Connaught, and Brian na Múrtha had a strained relationship. Malby disparagingly referred to Brian na Múrtha as "''a nobody....undeserving of his reputation''" and remarked that he was "''the proudest man this day living on the earth''". Upon receiving reports that West Breifne was harbouring
coyners and mercenaries, Malby ordered one of his officers to attack the kingdom in April 1578. They captured Leitrim castle, looted it and killed its occupants. This was the first time Tudor soldiers attacked West Breifne and was more about sending a message to Ó Ruairc that his kingdom was not impervious to English power, than about tackling coyners. Following the attack, Ó Ruairc sent his son
Brian Óg na Samhtach to Dublin to complain on his behalf to
Lord Deputy Henry Sidney of harassment by Malby and the Presidency. With Ó Ruairc humbled, Malby agreed to return Leitrim castle to him.
In turn, lands within Connaught were attacked by Ó Ruairc in 1580, illustrating the weakness of the agreement, which collapsed following Malby's death in 1581. Ó Ruairc now viewed both the Lord President of Connaught and the Lord Deputy of Ireland as hostile and from 1578 onwards he ordered the systematic destruction of several castles across the kingdom, including those at Leitrim, Dromahair and
Ducarrick out of fear that the English would occupy them.
As part of the policy of
surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland (c.1540–1603), "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English l ...
, Ó Ruairc surrendered his lordship on 2 June 1585 at the parliament in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
but was never re-granted lordship of County Leitrim, which took its present boundaries in 1583. He was a signatory of the Second
Composition of Connaught in 1585, but resisted the appointment of a High Sheriff of Leitrim, and refused to pay rent on large tracts of land. He regarded his agreements with the presidency as non-binding and his relationship with England remained tense. As such, West Breifne existed in a state of semi-autonomy, as both its king and the English regularly signed agreements and failed to live up to those agreements.
Brian na Múrtha was particularly weary of the implementation of
English Law over
Brehon Law
Early Irish law, historically referred to as (English: Freeman-ism) or (English: Law of Freemen), also called Brehon law, comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norma ...
in West Breifne as this would disqualify his favoured son, Brian Óg na Samhtach, an illegitimate child by Annably O’Crean, wife of a Sligo merchant, from inheriting his title. Under English Law it would pass to his eldest legitimate son, Tadhg O’Rourke, who was only 8 years old in 1585 and living with his mother Mary Bourke, sister of the
Earl of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde (; ) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, first in 1543 and again in 1800. The former creation became extinct in 1916 while the 1800 creation is extant and held by the Marquess of Sligo since 191 ...
and Brian na Murtha’s estranged lawful wife.
The already bad relations between Brian na Múrtha and the presidency worsened during the rule of Lord President
Sir Richard Bingham
Sir Richard Bingham (1528 – 19 January 1599) was an English soldier and naval commander. He served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was appointed governor of Connacht.
Early life and military career
Bingham ...
. Bingham and Ó Ruairc harboured a deep resentment of one another. Ó Ruairc, who Bingham referred to as a "''proud beggar''" commanded his forces to attack those of the presidency to halt their excursions into West Breifne, which had become commonplace by this stage, and to end Bingham's incessant harassment of his countrymen. During the
Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), Brian na Múrtha assisted at least eighty survivors of the
Spanish Armada shipwreck off the
Sligo coast to depart the country in the winter of 1588. Among the survivors was Captain
Francisco de Cuellar
Francisco de Cuéllar (Valladolid, Spain, 1562) was a Spanish sea captain who sailed with the Spanish Armada in 1588 and was wrecked on the coast of Ireland. He gave a remarkable account of his experiences in the fleet and on the run in Ireland. ...
, who kept a detailed account of the events and was hosted in Ó Ruairc's castle at
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...
. His aid to the Spanish would later be used against him in his trial for high treason.
In peace talks in 1589, following West Breifne’s brief war against the Presidency in April of that year, Ó Ruairc did accept the terms of a crown tribute, but resisted the new composition terms of 1585 and refused to allow the formation of a crown administration in the new
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
. Instead of submitting to the presidency's authority, he sought what effectively amounted to full autonomy from the
Kingdom of Ireland in Dublin. However, in the wake of the Spanish landings in Ireland, and due to West Breifne’s strategic location between Connacht and Ulster and its pre-existing reputation as a rebellious kingdom, Lord Deputy
William Fitzwilliam – who was already aggressively trying to curb the powers of the Gaelic leadership, even those who had sworn loyalty to the crown – commanded Bingham to invade West Breifne. Bingham and his ally
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond and Baron Ibrickan, PC (Ire) (died 1624), was a Protestant Irish nobleman and soldier. He fought for Queen Elizabeth during Tyrone's Rebellion and participated in the Siege of Kinsale. He obtained the tran ...
, invaded the territory in January 1590 and had forced Ó Ruairc to flee by March.
Lords in exile
He was given refuge by Eoghan Óg, Chief of
Mac Suibhne na d’Tuath, and stayed in his castle on the western shores of Tyrconnell for a year.
He travelled to
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
in February 1591 bearing gifts (including four
Irish Wolfhounds), in anticipation of a meeting with
King James VI
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
, seeking to raise an army of mercenaries and retake his kingdom. In consultation with the English ambassador, King James VI denied him audience and was pressured by
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
to arrest him and deliver him to England, citing the agreements made in the
Treaty of Berwick. After much debate and controversy, Ó Ruairc was arrested in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
on 3 April 1591 and delivered into English custody. He was kept at the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
and was put on trial and asked to pledge to the crown, accepting all prior agreements, and to denounce his Catholic faith. In response he refused to recognise the authority of the court or Elizabeth and did not plead mercy. On charges that he failed to show proper "''reverence''" to the Queen when he allegedly dragged a portrait of her through the mud and then tore it apart, he responded that there was "''a great difference between images of your Queen and those of saints''". He was
hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason on 3 November 1591.
![SirRichardBingham](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/SirRichardBingham.jpg)
News of Brian na Múrtha's death was met with shock back in Ireland, the annals describing it as "''one of the mournful stories of the Irish''". Brian Óg na Samhtach O'Rourke, his son and chief lieutenant during the war against Connaught, was also in exile following Bingham’s occupation of West Breifne. The other clans in the kingdom who had fought with Brian na Murtha unconditionally surrendered to Bingham in
Athlone shortly after his exile, leaving Brian Óg with little support. Bingham described O’Rourke and his remaining followers as "''80 beggarly traitors''".
He was however, supported by the
O’Donnells and
Maguires in neighboring Tyrconnell, where he was living in exile and, with the tacit support of Tyrconnell, carrying out guerilla attacks on West Breifne from 1590 to 1592. On 3 April 1592 he wrote to the
Privy Council of Ireland unsuccessfully pleading with them to pardon him of any wrongdoing during the war in 1589, stating "''I did nothing but what my father
advised or commanded me to do''". The Gaelic lords of Ulster;
Hugh O’Donnell,
Hugh Maguire and later
Hugh O’Neill, arguably the most powerful in all of Ireland, were forming something of a makeshift defensive alliance at this time, laying the foundations for the Alliance of Irish Clans which fought in the
Nine Years' War.
They saw Lord Deputy Fitzwilliam’s execution of
Lord MacMahon and the division of his kingdom (modern day
County Monaghan
County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County C ...
) into nine parts – amongst eight "loyal" clans and the
Barony of Farney which was given to the
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
– and now the deputy's occupation of West Breifne, as a step too far. The expansionist forces of Fitzwilliam now extended the entire southern border of their kingdoms from Leitrim to
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
* Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* Cou ...
– the
Tudor Conquest had reached
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 ...
. Throughout 1591 and 1592, Fitzwilliam and Bingham had drawn up plans for the full annexation of West Breifne into the control of the
Kingdom of Ireland, but were forced to abandon these plans and withdraw due to the volatility of the region. This allowed Brian Óg to return to the kingdom and stake his claim as king.
Edmund McGuaran, a prominent Bishop from
Tullyhaw
Tullyhaw ( ga, Teallach Eathach) (which means 'The Territory of Eochaidh', an ancestor of the McGoverns, who lived ) is a Barony in County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The area has been in constant occupation since pre-4000 BC. Locate ...
in Breifne territory was instrumental in the formation of the Irish alliance. He spent much of the 1580s in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
, persuading
King Phillip II of Spain to support the Gaelic kingdoms militarily, framing the conflict between them and England as a defence of Catholicism. O’Neill, O’Donnell and O’Rourke would all pledge their allegiance to the Spanish king in 1595. O’Rourke promised to be "''a most faithful and obedient servant''" of Phillip II. Were it not for England's desperation to see peace return to Ireland following the war, this would have surely seen them executed for treason. McGuaran travelled to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and was made
Archbishop of Armagh,
Primate of All Ireland
The Primacy of Ireland was historically disputed between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin until finally settled by Pope Innocent VI. ''Primate'' is a title of honour denoting ceremonial precedence in the Church, and in ...
in July 1587 before returning to Ireland by 1592.
West Breifne during the Nine Years' War
Gaelic Success 1593–1597
Sir George Bingham, brother of Richard and
High Sheriff of Sligo
The High Sheriff of Sligo was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Sligo, Ireland, from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Sligo County Sheriff. The sheri ...
based in
Ballymote
Ballymote () is a market town in southern County Sligo, approx. 24 km south east of Sligo town in the province of Connacht, which is located in the north-west of Ireland. Ballymote lies in the barony of Corran. A commuter town with a st ...
, and Brian Óg O’Rourke carried out the first acts of what was to become the Nine Years' War. George Bingham led an expedition into West Breifne and seized O’Rourke’s milch cows in lieu of unpaid rent. O’Rourke responded by hiring an army of mercenaries from Tyrconnell, Tyrone and Fermanagh, and set out with 1,100 men to Sligo in May 1593 and "''there was little of that country which he did not plunder''" – razing 13 villages and ransacking Ballymote itself. This was quickly followed by another excursion into Connaught, this time by Hugh Maguire who routed Sir Richard Bingham’s forces near
Tulsk
Tulsk () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, on the N5 national primary road between Strokestown and Bellanagare. It is 19 km north of Roscommon town.
Heritage
Near Tulsk is Cruachan, an Iron Age (Gaelic) royal palace. As recou ...
,
County Roscommon. In the wake of these two consecutive defeats in May and June, Fitzwilliam offered Maguire and O’Rourke a
white peace if Maguire disbanded the army he had assembled. His acceptance of this became the first of a number of ceasefires that characterized the Nine Years' War, where both England and the Irish lords had no intention of making peace but rather used the time to recover and regroup forces.
In September Maguire restarted his campaign and raided Monaghan, but by February 1594 Hugh Maguire, Brian Óg’s primary patron, had lost
Enniskillen
Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 a ...
and was on the brink of defeat. The possibility of Maguire’s collapse, leaving the English on his doorstep, prompted Hugh Roe O’Donnell to intervene and by June 1594 the tide of war had turned again, they had
retaken Enniskillen and soundly defeated the English army at
Bel-Atha-na-mBriosgaidh, forcing them to retreat over the
Arney River
The Arney River is a small river in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, feeding from Lower Lough MacNean and into Upper Lough Erne. It meanders through a wide, flat Glacial Trough between the uplands of Fermanagh, Belmore Mountain and the Cuilc ...
back into Cavan. Brian Óg himself spent 1594 in West Breifne and the northwest of Ireland, writing letters to other lords trying to convince them to join the war against England.
By 1595 O’Donnell was firmly in control of West Breifne. O’Rourke, although allied to him, was completely dependent upon him. The kingdom was devastated after over a decade of intermittent war and O’Rourke was unable to raise soldiers himself and was given little of the spoils of war that O’Donnell and O’Neill had reaped. Many of the clans of West Breifne who had sworn loyalty to the English allied themselves with O’Donnell. The kingdom was frequently used as the route through which the Irish forces would travel to raid Connaught, before being used as a staging ground by O’Donnell to attack
Annaly,
Longford and
Cavan. In June 1595 Sligo castle fell to O’Donnell and Sir George Bingham was killed. By 1596 West Breifne was part of what Richard Bingham termed "''O’Donnell’s Commonwealth''" which, along with Tyrconnell itself, now included Leitrim, Sligo,
Mayo Mayo often refers to:
* Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo"
* Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Mayo may also refer to:
Places
Antarctica
* Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land
Australia
* Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
and Northern Roscommon – all territories that were firmly under Bingham’s control just 3 years prior.
Truce of 1597–1598
Bingham was relieved of his command and replaced by
Sir Conyers Clifford
Sir Conyers Clifford (c. 1566 – 1599) was an English politician and military commander.
Life and career
He was the son of George Clifford, esq., of Bobbing Court in Kent, by his wife Ursula, daughter of Roger Finch. His elder brother, Henry ...
in 1597, by which time O’Donnell had completely pushed the English out of Connacht. Despite early setbacks, by October 1597 the English were back in control of Connacht, due to the changing allegiance of the
O’Conors of Sligo and the
Burkes of Galway who turned on O’Donnell’s allied lords in Connacht and forced them to retreat. This success was a result of Clifford’s conciliatory approach to the Irish lords, favouring negotiation over conflict. In a letter to
William Cecil, Chief Advisor of Queen Elizabeth, Clifford declared that all of Connacht was pacified, save Brian Óg O’Rourke, who Clifford was trying to win over to the English side.
The war had quieted down because of a truce signed between the English and rebel Irish lords in October 1597 that was set to expire in June 1598. In November 1597 Brian Óg, in a letter to Clifford, wrote that he would capitulate if the English were willing to guarantee the return of all of his father’s lands and recognize him, and not his half-brother
Tadhg
Tadhg (, ), (pronunciations given for the name ''Tadgh'' separately from those for the slang/pejorative ''Teague''.) commonly misspelled "Taig" or "Teague", is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic masculine name that was very common when the Goidelic l ...
, as the legitimate heir under English Law and compromise on reduced taxes on those lands. Up until now any English assurances to O’Rourke were meaningless, as he knew they had no power to protect him from O’Donnell were he to switch allegiance. Upon receiving this offer Clifford immediately wrote to Cecil asking him to grant all of these requests. In December, Clifford was granted full authority to make peace with O’Rourke "''as soon as possible''" and "''assure him his lands''". In February 1598, O’Rourke, accompanied by thirty West Breifne nobles, travelled to
Boyle and submitted to Clifford, handing over the letters he had received from Phillip II of Spain as a sign of his allegiance.
O’Rourke’s fourteen demands, all of which were granted by Queen Elizabeth, included the stationing of English soldiers in his territory under his control to protect him from O’Neill and O’Donnell, a pardon for him and all his followers, a guarantee that he could not be charged or arrested by anyone, except on the orders of the Queen herself, and assurance that he would be given a pension to live on should O’Donnell or O’Neill seize his lands in retaliation. For his part, O’Rourke was tasked with delivering pledges of loyalty to the crown from all the major clans of West Breifne within twenty days. The treaty was an immense victory for O’Rourke. In contrast to the situation 3 years earlier, the once desolate kingdom of West Breifne was now more prosperous than anywhere in Connacht, having recovered from the devastation wrought by Bingham and had been relatively untouched by the war in the last four years.
Resumption of Hostilities
![Nine Years War January1600](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Nine_Years_War_January1600.png)
The agreement was not to last and West Breifne switched allegiance back to the Irish Alliance shortly before the expiration of the ceasefire on 7 June 1598. This betrayal of the English was a pragmatic choice as O'Rourke felt Clifford could not deliver on his promises. Firstly, he feared their weakness in the face of Tyrone and Tyrconnell, the latter of which was hosting his brother Tadhg and would surely make him king over Brian Óg in the event of a war.
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...
Adam Loftus had denied Clifford's request to provide O'Rourke with a garrison of 1,200 men. Secondly, in spite of the agreement that had been reached, O'Rourke wrote to Clifford stating he had discovered that
Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormonde, had assured Mary Bourke (Tadhg's mother) that he would support Tadhg's claim as king of West Breifne. Clifford blamed both men for O'Rourke's defection back to the rebels. Brian Óg's fears proved correct as by early 1599, the rebel Irish lords were in complete control of Ulster and Connacht and raiding as far south as historic
Thomond
Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...
, before occupying
Munster and most of
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
the following year. The war was also placing a huge financial burden on England and by the war’s end the English exchequer would near bankruptcy, having spent almost £2 million.
West Breifne’s most famous contribution of the war came at The
Battle of Curlew Pass
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. A substantial English force some 2,000-2,500 strong led by Sir Conyers Clifford were travelling north only to find that O’Rourke and 400 of his men had barricaded the pass and were guarding it on either side. O’Rourkes forces, along with those of Hugh O’Donnell, who did not take part in the battle, decisively defeated the English who were forced to retreat. Losses were minimal for the Irish and estimated to be around 500, but possibly as high as 1,400 for the English. Clifford was left mortally wounded and Brian Óg ordered his head to be cut off and sent to O'Donnell, who in turn sent it to the besieged O'Conors in Sligo as a message that no English help was coming. O'Conor surrendered shortly afterwards. Clifford's body was honourably buried at the monastery in
Lough Key and his "''tragic death….was much lamented''" by the Irish lords, as the man had "''never told them a falsehood''". O’Rourke and O’Donnell were not on good terms at this time. Brian Óg’s rival to the kingship, Tadhg, had married O’Donnell’s sister Mary and was staying with her in Tyrconnell. Coeval correspondence between the English command mentions multiple disagreements between Brian Óg and Hugh Roe. Despite this tension, their alliance persisted for the duration of the war.
Fall of the Alliance 1600–1603
![Castles of Connacht Castletown Leitrim (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Castles_of_Connacht_Castletown_Leitrim_%282%29.jpg)
By late 1600 the tide of war had turned against the Irish Alliance. The English stepped up their campaign, stationing 18,000 soldiers in Ireland on top of the thousands of Irish infantry already at their disposal, and had wrested more Irish lords from O’Neill and O’Donnell, most notably
Niall Garbh, who betrayed the alliance and allowed the forces of
Henry Docwra to land at
Lough Foyle. The new commander of the English forces in Ireland
Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy
Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire, KG (pronounced ''Blunt''; 15633 April 1606) was an English nobleman and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I, and later as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under King James I. ...
, employed a
scorched earth policy which hit the Irish civilian and military population hard.
Clandeboye
Clandeboye or Clannaboy (from Irish ''Clann Aodha Buí'', "family of Hugh the Blond") was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin, Northern Ireland. The entity ...
, the primary breadbasket of the Ulster allies, was invaded and had its crops burnt, livestock slaughtered and villages torched, leading to a
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompani ...
in Ulster which took the lives of 60,000 people in 1602-03. Docwra meanwhile set up a series of fortifications along the
River Foyle, cutting access between Tyrone and Tyrconnell. In the context of West Breifne they plotted to exploit the tension between Tadhg and Brian Óg O’Rourke. In January 1601 Tadhg O’Rourke was given 800 men by O’Donnell to revive the rebellion in Munster, his campaign there was a disaster and he returned to Ulster in the summer having lost 500 men. Upon his return it was announced that the brothers had reconciled.
However, Brian Óg was to travel south with O’Donnell in December to take part in the ill-fated
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 ...
and while Brian Óg was away, Tadhg had defected to the English and claimed kingship of West Breifne for himself with the support of his mother’s family the Burkes of Clanricarde. Hugh Roe left Ireland for Spain following his defeat at Kinsale, leaving
Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell
Rory O'Donnell (; 1575 – 30 July 1608), younger brother of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, was the last King of Tyrconnell and 1st Earl of Tyrconnell.An apparent original of the letters patent of the Earldom were in the possession of Count Maximilian ...
in charge of Tyrconnell. The English plan of bringing Irish lordships onto their side, thus dividing the alliance, had largely succeeded across the island and Brian Óg was forced to return to West Breifne and restate his authority as king by force. After ousting Tadhg, Brian Óg was called upon by Rory O'Donnell to assist him and provide him with soldiers in early 1602 but O'Rourke refused and remained in West Breifne to "''protect his people''". The Alliance of Irish clans that was on the cusp of victory just one year earlier had disintegrated.
By the end of June 1602, Mountjoy was writing triumphant letters to Treasurer
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton (born 13 November 1935) is a retired Anglican bishop who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, having previously been the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
During his time as archbishop the C ...
from Tyrone’s capital
Dungannon. By January 1603 Brian Óg, in a turn of events for the once exiled lord, now harboured the ousted lords Maguire,
O’Sullivan and
Tyrrell within his kingdom. They wished to regroup and join up with the remaining forces of Hugh O’Neill but unbeknownst to them O’Neill had already left for
Mellifont
Mellifont Abbey ( ga, An Mhainistir Mhór, literally 'the Big Monastery'), was a Cistercian abbey located close to Drogheda in County Louth, Ireland. It was the first abbey of the order to be built in Ireland. In 1152, it hosted the Synod o ...
to surrender.
West Breifne was now the only Irish kingdom that had not yet surrendered. Brian Óg continued the revolt knowing that his legitimate, well-connected, loyalist half-brother Tadhg would receive his lands were he to surrender now, but the odds were stacked impossibly against him. At the end of March 1603 the invasion of West Breifne began. A force of 3,000 men led by Tadhg, the now-loyalist Rory O’Donnell and
Henry Folliott, were prevented from crossing the
River Shannon for twelve days by O'Rourke's entrenched forces. Eventually an English garrison broke through their defences and fortified themselves in northern Leitrim at a church in
Black Pig's Dyke
The Black Pig's Dyke ( ga, Claí na Muice Duibhe) or Worm's Ditch ( ga, Claí na Péiste) is a series of discontinuous linear earthworks in southwest Ulster and northeast Connacht, Ireland. Remnants can be found in north County Leitrim, north Co ...
. O'Rourke and forces loyal to him were holed up in their keeps as the countryside of West Breifne was ravaged by attacks. On 25 April 1603 Mountjoy reported that Brian Óg had been toppled, forced into the forests like "''a
wood kerne''". West Breifne's resistance was ultimately broken and Brian Óg fled.
The ousted Brian Óg again sought to strike a deal with the English allowing him to keep his lands but this was flatly refused. Finally, in September 1603, King James I granted Sir Tadhg O’Rourke "''the country or lordship of Breny Ui Ruairc and
Muinter Eoluis''". On 28 January 1604 Brian Óg died of fever in exile in
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
and was buried in the
Friary of Ross Errilly.
Aftermath
Decline
![Baronies of Leitrim](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Baronies_of_Leitrim.jpg)
After defeat in the Nine Years' War, the total implementation of English Law across Ireland was inevitable and the
Gaelic political order collapsed. Many O'Rourke nobles left for mainland Europe and the clans throughout Ireland went into a steady decline culminating in
The Flight of the Earls in 1607. The clans within West Breifne were granted land and assurances of their rights to pass on that land to their eldest son under English law in exchange for pledging loyalty to the crown, circumventing the authority of the ruling O’Rourke dynasty – the same form of divide and rule that was first adopted by the English government in Ireland following their occupation of MacMahon territory in 1590. Each of these clans held only modest estates and could not properly threaten English authority or raise armies and amass wealth through taxation like the larger Gaelic kingdoms could. The O’Rourke’s had been relegated to large landowners within County Leitrim, with no official authority over the other clans and a vastly reduced tax base, land area and population. The kingdom was effectively over.
In late 1605 Sir Tadhg O’Rourke suddenly fell terminally ill and died aged 28, rumours of his poisoning abound – especially given the extraordinary circumstances that would lead to the dispossession of his sons and the subsequent
Plantations of Leitrim. Tadhg had two sons, Brian and Aedh. Brian was to inherit his father’s title and lands but as he was only 6 years old at the time, his father’s cousin,
Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde
Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde (also Richard de Burgh) (; ; ; ; 1572 – 12 November 1635) was an Irish nobleman and politician.
He was the son of Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde. Knighted in 1602 for his exploits as leader of th ...
, was given wardship of the boys on 11 February 1606. Brian and his brother Aedh were to fall victim to the plotting of
Attorney-General for Ireland
The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. With the ...
John Davies, who set about undoing the "''distasteful settlements''" reached with the native Irish lords in the
Treaty of Mellifont
The Treaty of Mellifont ( ga, Conradh na Mainistreach Móire), also known as the Articles of Mellifont, was signed in 1603 and ended the Nine Years' War which took place in the Kingdom of Ireland from 1594 to 1603.
End of war
Following the Engl ...
through legal means.
His opportunity arose when questions over the legitimacy of Brian and Aedh were raised as their mother Mary was twice divorced before her marriage to Tadhg. If these divorces were not recognised by English Law it was possible to revoke the patent of the O’Rourke children. Lord Deputy
Arthur Chichester
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625; known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester), of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 16 ...
was anxious to pacify the wilderness of O’Rourke’s country which was a "''den of outlaws and malefactors''" where "''no Englishmen dwell''". Wealthy speculators were equally as anxious to open Leitrim up to plantations.
With their power over Ireland firmly established, many within the English government and legal system began a covert effort to dispossess the Irish heirs of rebellious lords – such as those who took part in the Nine Years' War – and pass their land on to English and Scottish
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
settlers. Richard Burke protested their machinations arguing that no moves to dispossess Brian should be made until he turns twenty-one.
In November 1616 Brian O’Rourke was ordered to England by James I. As a knight of the English realm James felt O’Rourke should receive an English education in
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
, Burke was to pay for his tuition. In November 1618, while Brian was still in college and still the legal heir, the English government in Ireland led by
Oliver St. John, were surveying and "mapping" Leitrim for plantation. Following an altercation in Oxford on
St. Patrick’s Day 1619, O’Rourke was arrested and charged with battery. He was ordered to pay an unprecedented £250 each to the three claimants. Despite being known personally to James I and despite Burke agreeing to pay the court's recommended settlement of £50 to each claimant followed by another £50 within a year of O’Rourke’s release, the claimants refused and he remained in prison at
Gatehouse
A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mo ...
. Predictably, later that year a jury found that Mary O’Donnell’s divorce of her first husband
Donal O’Cahan was void, therefore her marriage to Tadhg was not recognised and their two sons Brian and Aedh were declared illegitimate.
Plantations of Leitrim
![Carrownoona Townland - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Carrownoona_Townland_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1482559.jpg)
Brian was moved to the Tower of London on unspecified charges and his situation was made worse by renewed tensions between England and Spain, who would go to
war in 1625. The O’Rourke nobles who fled to Spain and were fighting in the
Irish Regiment
The Irish military diaspora refers to the many people of either Irish birth or extraction (see Irish diaspora) who have served in overseas military forces, regardless of rank, duration of service, or success.
Many overseas military units were p ...
as well as West Breifne’s history of aiding the Spanish in Ireland was emphasized by those who benefitted from O’Rourke's downfall and wished to see him remain incarcerated.
Lord Justice William Parsons travelled to London in February 1621 to convince
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, the
king's favourite, to support the foundation of a new agency, the Irish Court of Wards, which would pave the way for new plantations in Ireland. By supporting these plantations Villiers could ensure that he would benefit handsomely. With no "legitimate" heirs and the remaining O’Rourke nobles in Leitrim disassociating themselves from Brian in exchange for security of their own lands, the plantations officially began in August 1621. Within a few weeks County Leitrim’s approximately 400,000 acres had been divided. Half of the county (50 grants) was given to Protestant British settlers and the other half (151 grants) to the natives in a complete restructuring of the land.
Brian’s brother Aedh was also placed in the spotlight. Aedh was living with his mother and her fifth husband in County Mayo, but also intermittently in Leitrim. In June 1624
Lord Deputy Henry Cary encouraged Aedh to travel to
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
to discuss the legal situation regarding his inheritance. Although he had been officially declared illegitimate by England, Cary feared that in the event of an invasion by Spain and a rebellion by Aedh O’Rourke, he would be "''exceedingly followed by the Irish''". Conscious of his brother’s situation he initially declined.
He arrived in Dublin in May 1626 and impressed both Cary and the Privy Council. Cary sent him, along with his cousin Con O’Donnell, heir of Tyrconnell, to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, confident that they could be convinced to relinquish their claims. At
Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...
, Aedh refused to give up his claim to his father’s lands in the
barony of Dromahair, County Leitrim, which had already been settled by British plantation owners, and was jailed. He would’ve met the same fate as his brother were it not for his cousin
Mary Stuart O'Donnell
Mary Stuart O'Donnell (Irish language, Irish: ''Máire Stíobhartach Ní Dhomhnaill''; 1607 - in or after 1639) was an Irish noblewoman.
Biography
Mary was the daughter of Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell and Brighid Nic Gearailt, Bridget ...
, a dissident Irish Catholic living in England who orchestrated his escape. With her help Aedh fled to
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
and joined the Spanish army.
Brian meanwhile continued to languish in prison, writing to
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
and other English officials, petitioning them for a speedy trial so he could face his accusers, secure his freedom and recover his land. Ignorant of what had transpired in Leitrim in his absence, he also wrote to Chief Minister George Villiers, who had been given 4,500 acres of O’Rourke’s estate, pleading for a trial which he never received. He died in the Tower of London in December 1641, having spent 22 of his 42-year life in prison.
The last legacy of the Dromahair O’Rourke lords during the plantations was the land allocated to their widows. Mary O’Donnell, mother of Brian and Aedh and widow of King Tadhg (1603–1605) was granted 1,600 acres and Mary Maguire, widow of King Brian Óg (1591–1603) was granted 700. Tiernan, grandson of King Feidhlimidh (1528–1536) the last of the Carha line, was granted land in the Barony of Rosclogher in 1622 and in 1629 Shane Óg, descendant of the Carrigallen O'Rourkes, received 1,800 acres in Carrigallen. Three other natives of former West Breifne; Elizabeth Duff, Catherine Glanchy and Mary Crofton were granted 4,000 acres between them. The largest landowner was Scottish noble
Frederick Hamilton, who founded Manorhamilton on the banks of the Owenbeg River. He received 6,500 acres but would later grow this to over 18,000 acres.
Many stately homes and large castles such as Parke's Castle, Manorhamilton Castle and
Lough Rynn Castle
Lough Rynn Castle ( Irish: ''Caisleán Loch na Reanna'') is a luxury castle hotel on the shores of Lough Rynn in Gortletteragh County Leitrim, Ireland situated on the historic grounds of the medieval castle and estate of the Mac Raghnaill family o ...
were built by British Protestant settlers during the plantations. By 1641, 63.5% of County Leitrim was owned by Protestants and 31.1% was owned by Catholics, with 5.3% not surveyed. Following the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland from 1649 to 1653 and the subsequent
Down Survey
The Down Survey was a cadastral survey of Ireland, carried out by English scientist, William Petty, in 1655 and 1656.
The survey was apparently called the "Down Survey" by Petty, either because the results were set down in maps or because the s ...
of 1656–1658, a nationwide survey which measured the land which was to be forfeited by the native Irish, the land held by settlers would increase even further. By 1670 the land held by Catholics in Leitrim had fallen to 8%, with 86.3% held by Protestants and 5.6% not surveyed.
Clans of West Breifne
A topographical poem written by John Ó Dubhagain and Giolla na naomh Ó Huidhrin in the 14th century outlines the major clans that inhabited the Breifne region (both East and West) at that time. Other sources that document the clans within Breifne are ''Onomasticon Goedelicum'', compiled by Edmund Hogan in 1910 and the multitude of references to various clans and their locations that exist in the
Irish annals. This list documents those clans that inhabited West Breifne, which was colloquially referred to as Breifne O'Rourke as they were the overlords of the kingdom, but numerous other clans that held distinct territories were also present.
![Mac Raghnaill Castle 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Mac_Raghnaill_Castle_3.JPG)
For most of its history West Breifne's territory contained the Cavan baronies of Tullyhaw and Tullyhunco, as well as a small portion of County Sligo. Therefore, the clans in these areas were part of the kingdom, but their territories are no longer contained within County Leitrim, which is roughly based on the boundaries West Breifne had when the county was created in 1583.
County Leitrim
* Ua/Ó Ruairc (
O'Rourke
O'Rourke ( ga, Ó Ruairc) is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Leitrim. The family were the historic rulers of Breifne and later West Breifne until the 17th century. The O'Rourke Clan Chieftain is at odds with ...
, Rourke, Rorke, Roark, Rork) hereditary kings of West Breifne, descendants of
Uí Briúin Bréifne
*
Mac Raghnaill
''Mac Raghnaill'' is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of ''Raghnall''". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father.
The name '' R ...
(
Reynolds, MacReynolds, ''many other variants'') chiefs of Muintir Eolais – modern day baronies of Leitrim and Mohill
* Mac Conshámha (
McKenny,
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
, Keany) originate in Innismagrath in the
barony of Dromahair
* Mac Cagadháin (MacCogan, McEgan) based at
Glenfarne (''Clann Fearmaighe'') in Dromahair
* Mac Dorchadha (MacDarcy, Darcy) chiefs of Cineal Luachain, based in the barony of Mohill.
* Mac Flannchadha (
MacClancy, Clancy) chiefs of Dartraidhe, whose territory corresponds to the barony of Rosclogher (not to be confused with
Dartraighe
Dartraighe (older spelling: Dartraige), anglicised as ''Dartree'', ''Dartry'' or ''Dartrey'', was an Irish territory or tuath in medieval Ireland which stretched north to Clones and south to the Dromore River. It was later incorporated into Co ...
, County Monaghan)
* Ó Maoilmiadhaigh (
Mulvey) chiefs of Tellach Cerbhalláin (''Moynish'') in the barony of Leitrim
* Mac Fionnbhair (
Gaynor, MacGinver, Finvar, Finnevar) mostly based in County Longford but held lands in southern Leitrim
* Mac Maoilliosa (Mallison, Mellows, Mellowes) chiefs of Magh Breacraighe, a border region between Leitrim and Longford
* Mac Fergus (
Ferguson) originate in
Rossinver
Rossinver or Rosinver () is a small village in north County Leitrim, Ireland. The village is home to a retired monastery of the same name and is at the southern shore of Lough Melvin, home to two rare species of trout – the '' Gillaroo'' ...
*
Ó Curnín (Courneen, Corneen, Coorneen, Curne,
Curran), bards to the O'Rourkes
County Cavan
* Mac Tighearnain (
McKiernan Clan,
McTiernan, MacTiernan,
McKiernan) chiefs of Teallach Dunchadha – modern day Tullyhunco
* Mac Samhradhain (
MacGuaran, McGurran, McGurn,
McGovern McGovern may refer to the following:
* McGovern (name), surname of Irish origin
* McGovern Institute for Brain Research
People:
* Jack Michael McGovern current clan Chief b.1989 inherited by right of birth.
* Alison McGovern (b. 1980), British L ...
) chiefs of Teallach Eachdhach – modern day
Tullyhaw
Tullyhaw ( ga, Teallach Eathach) (which means 'The Territory of Eochaidh', an ancestor of the McGoverns, who lived ) is a Barony in County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The area has been in constant occupation since pre-4000 BC. Locate ...
County Sligo
* Ó Finn (
O'Finn, Finn), joint chiefs of
Cálraighe, based at Drumlease, County Leitrim and Calry, County Sligo
* Ó Cearbhaill (
O'Carroll
O'Carroll ( ga, Ó Cearbhaill), also known as simply Carroll, Carrol or Carrell, is a Gaelic Irish clan which is the most prominent sept of the Ciannachta (also known as Clan Cian). Their genealogies claim that they are kindred with the Eógan ...
, Carroll, Carrell), joint chiefs of
Cálraighe
Kings (Lords) of Breifne O'Rourke
The following is a list of the kings of West Breifne, an Irish kingdom situated in modern
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
.
''Dromahair'' in ''italics'' denotes post Ualgarg mor kings who ruled from the capital Dromahair before the term "O'Rourkes of Dromahair" was in use.
Notes
References
Bibliography
* Rowe, John Gabriel. ''The Romance of Irish History''. London, 2013
* Casway, Jerrold. ''The Last Lords of Leitrim: The Sons of Teige O'Rourke''. Breifne Journal Vol. VII, 1988.
* Falls, Cyril. ''Elizabeth's Irish Wars''. Constable, 1996.
* Gallogy, Dan. ''Brian Oge O'Rourke and the Nine Years War''. Breifne Journal Vol. II, 1963
* Mac Cuarta, Brian. ''Plantations of Leitrim 1621-41''
* Perceval-Maxwell, M. ''Outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641'' McGill-Queen's University Press, 1994
* Welch, Robert Anthony. ''The Cold of May Day Monday: An Approach to Irish Literary History'' Oxford University Press, 2014
* Wager, John A. & Schmid, Susan Walter. ''Encyclopedia of Tudor England, Vol. 1'' ABC-CLIO, 2012
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