Hugh Boy O'Neill
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Hugh Boy O'Neill ( Irish: ''Aed Buide Ó Néill'') was the last ruler of the
Cenél nEógain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history * Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...
to be styled as
king of Ailech The Kings of Ailech were the over-kings of the Medieval Ireland, medieval Irish Provinces of Ireland, province of Ailech in north-western Ireland. It encompassed the territories of the Cenél nEógain and Cenél Conaill. After the battle of Cl ...
and was the eponymous ancestor of the
Clandeboye Clandeboye or Clannaboy ( 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. The entity was relatively late in ...
O'Neill's in
medieval Ireland Ireland in the Middle Ages may refer to: * History of Ireland (400–795), Ireland in the early Middle Ages * History of Ireland (795–1169), Ireland in the high Middle Ages *History of Ireland (1169–1536), Ireland in the late Middle Ages See ...
. The son of Donnell Og O'Neill, he succeeded to the kingship of Ailech after the death of Brian O'Neill at the
battle of Down The Battle of Down, also known as the battle of Drumderg ( Irish: ''Druim Dearg'') took place on or about 14 May 1260 near Downpatrick, in modern-day County Down, Northern Ireland. A Gaelic alliance led by Brian O'Neill (High-King of Ireland) an ...
in 1260. His name in English translates as "Blonde Hugh" on account of his hair colour giving rise to the English alias Hugh the Blond or Hugh the Fair.


Career

In 1259 O'Neill along with
Donnell Óg O'Donnell Donnell Óg O'Donnell (Irish language, Irish: ''Domhnall Óg Ó Domhnaill''; – 1281), was a medieval Irish king of Tyrconnell and member of the O'Donnell dynasty. He was a leading figure in the resistance to Anglo-Norman rule in the north wes ...
,
king of Tyrconnell This article lists the rulers of Tyrconnell ( Irish: ''Tír Ċonaıll''), a medieval Irish kingdom which covered much of what is now County Donegal. Oral history It was founded in the fifth century by a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, Conal ...
, led an expedition into Tyrone where his fathers first-cousin Brian O'Neill was king. They burned the country before passing into
Airgíalla Airgíalla (; Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all indepen ...
and taking the hostages of everywhere they went. He would become king of Tyrone in 1260 after the death Brian at the battle of Down, however his brother Niall Culanach contested the kingship and sized it in 1261, holding it until Hugh Boy expelled him from it in 1262 and killed his main ally, Donnsléibe McCawell. The next year he managed to take the overlordship of the MacMahon's of Airgíalla. O'Neill was assigned as guardian of the marches of the
Earldom of Ulster The Earldom of Ulster was an Anglo-Norman lordship in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages, ruled by the Earls of Ulster and part of the Lordship of Ireland. The Norman knight John de Courcy invaded the Gaelic Irish kingdom of Ulaid ...
, in which he received a fee for. Around 1263, O'Neill married Eleanor, daughter of Miles de Angulo and cousin of
Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster, 2nd Lord of Connaught ( ; – 28 July 1271) also spelt Burke or Bourke, was an Irish peer from the House of Burgh. Biography De Burgh was the second son of Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connaught an ...
. He was also close friends with the keeper of the Crown's lands in north Antrim, Henry de Mandeville. In 1265 O'Neill accompanied de Burgh in an expedition into
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 a document dated 2 October 1269 O'Neill acknowledged de Burgh as his overlord whom he held his title from. In return O'Neill received de Burgh's aid against his O'Neill and O'Donnell rivals. It was stipulated that if O'Neill broke the agreement that he could be stripped of the kingship with it granted or sold to someone else. In the early 1270s O'Neill along with some of his sub-chiefs, including
O'Cahan The O'Cahan ( Irish: ''Ó Catháin'' 'descendants of Cahan') were a powerful sept of the Northern Uí Néill's Cenél nEógain in medieval Ireland. The name is presently anglicized as O'Kane, Kane and Keane. The O'Cahan's originated in Lagga ...
, are mentioned in credits for accompanying the
Justiciar of Ireland The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monar ...
, James de Audley, in some expeditions. Around this time a feud would arise within the Earldom between the de Mandeville's and the
seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
of Ulster, William FitzWarin. O'Neill took the side of Sir Henry and Sir Robert de Mandeville and is noted in 1273 along with his O'Cahan vassals as having burned five towns before FitzWarin routed them. Niall Culanach, now king of
Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...
(a sub-kingdom within Tyrone) saw an opportunity following this and offered his assistance to King
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
to destroy O'Neill and alleged that he had some protection from the authorities in Dublin. O'Neill however later that year received a lenient pardon for his part in the feud, even though it would drag on until 1276 when the de Mandeville's were defeated. At the battle of Desertcreat in 1281, the forces of O'Neill along with those of the new seneschal of Ulster, Thomas de Mandeville, decisively defeated and killed Donnell Óg O'Donnell and many of his sub-chiefs greatly curbing the power of his
Cenél Conaill Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history *Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...
rivals.


Death and succession

O'Neill reigned until his death in 1283 when he killed by Brian McMahon of Airgíalla and Gilla Ísa O'Reilly. O'Neill was succeeded by Donnell O'Neill, son of Brian O'Neill of the battle of Down. His son
Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...
with the backing of Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, would replace Donnell as king of Tyrone in 1291.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ONeill, Hugh Boy Clandeboye 13th-century Irish monarchs O'Neill dynasty 1283 deaths Assassinations in Ireland