Domhnall mac Conchobair Ó Briain, known in English as ''Sir Donnell O'Brien'' (died 1579) was a

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

Irish leader from

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 ...

in the

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...

. He is best known for his victory at the

Battle of Spancel Hill The Battle of Spancel Hill took place in 1559 in County Clare, Ireland close to modern Kilraghtis when a force led by Sir Donnell O'Brien defeated his rival for leadership of the O'Briens Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond and his ally Rich ...

, against his nephew who was supported by the English government of the

, particularly the Earl of Sussex. Ó Briain was a contender for the title

Earl of Thomond Earl of Thomond was an hereditary title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the O'Brien dynasty which is an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster. History and background First creation Under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, K ...

from 1553 to 1558 and again from 1563 to 1564.

Background

Ó Briain was the son of

Conchobhar mac Toirdhealbaig Ó Briain Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond (; ''fl''. 1528 in Ireland, 1528 until his death in 1540 in Ireland, 1540) was the second to last King of Thomond.In Gaelic ''Conchobhair Ó Briain'' Biography Connor was born the eldest surviving son of Toirdhe ...

King of Thomond The kings of Thomond () ruled from the establishment of Thomond during the High Middle Ages, until the Early modern period. Thomond represented the legacy of Brian Bóruma and the High Kings of Ireland of his line who could not hold onto all of ...

and his wife, Anabella Burke. Domhnall's brother was Donough O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Thomond. Domhnall challenged the succession of his nephew

Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond also spelt Conor and called Groibleach, or the "long-nailed", (; 1535–1581) contended with his uncle Domhnall mac Conchobair Ó Briain, Donnell for the Chieftainship of Clan O'Brien dynasty, O'Brien from 15 ...

to the Lordship of the

O'Brien clan The O'Brien dynasty (; ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) was an Irish Clan and noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he established himse ...

. By Gaelic practice Domhnall was inaugurated as Ó Briain, but his attempts to gain Crown recognition of this failed. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to be made an

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...

, but he was given 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 ...

as a sign of royal favour.

Battle of Spancel Hill

Ó Briain refusal to accept the authority of his nephew led the

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...

the

Earl of Sussex Earl of Sussex is a title that has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The early Earls of Arundel (up to 1243) were often also called Earls of Sussex. The fifth creation came in the Pee ...

to bring Crown forces into

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

to support the Earl. Following the departure of Sussex's forces Sir Donnell defeated the Earl and his allies at the

in 1559. The following year Crown forces returned again to support the Earl. Fighting continued in the area until a compromise agreement was reached in which the Earl would be confirmed in the succession, but Ó Briain would be given independent status.Brady 1994, p.99.

Family

Ó Briain married a daughter of his uncle

Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond Murrough O'Brien, 1st Baron of Inchiquin, 1st Earl of Thomond () (died 7 November 1551) was an Irish peer, Chief of Clan O'Brien, and the last King of Thomond. Biography Murrough was a lineal descendant of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and ...

References

Bibliography

* * Brady, Ciaran (1994). ''The Chief Governors: The Rise and Fall of Reform Government in Tudor Ireland, 1536-1588''. Cambridge University Press. 1579 deaths 16th-century Irish military personnel People of Elizabethan Ireland Irish knights Donnell People from County Clare {{Ireland-bio-stub