Hugh Oge O'Neill (died 1586), known fully as Hugh Oge McHugh O'Neill, was the son of Hugh O'Neill 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 of eastern

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...

Lord of Edenduffcarrick

In 1574, Hugh's paternal uncle, Sir Brian McPhelim O'Neill, lord of Lower Clandeboy, was executed for treason. Afterwards, Hugh's relation, Neill McBrian Fertagh O'Neill, was appointed lord of Clandeboye on behalf of

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

by The 1st Earl of Essex, later

Earl Marshal of Ireland Marshal of Ireland or Earl Marshal of Ireland is a hereditary title originally awarded to William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke in the Lordship of Ireland, which descended to Baron Morley. The title of Marshal, like that of Baron Morley, has been ...

. This appointment caused internal strife amongst the rival claimants of the Clandeboye O'Neill's. As a result, in 1584,

Sir John Perrot Sir John Perrot (7 November 1528 – 3 November 1592) was a member of the Welsh people, Welsh gentry who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. It was formerly speculated that he ...

Lord Deputy of Ireland 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 ...

, divided the Clandeboye estate into three. Hugh was granted one quarter of the northern Clandeboye estate centered on

Edenduffcarrick Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which was mostly destroyed in 1816 by fire. The castle is situated on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh, 2.7 miles from Randalstown. Built in 1345 by a member o ...

in modern-day south-western

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. His possession of the castle there, also known as Edendougher, was confirmed by

Sir Thomas Norris Sir Thomas Norris (1556–1599) was an English soldier. He sat in the Irish House of Commons, and was made Lord President of Munster in Ireland. His last name is sometimes spelt Norreys. Family He was the fifth of the six sons of Henry Norri ...

in an arbitration with Hugh's first cousin Shane MacBrian O'Neill.

Death

Despite this arrangement, internal disputes continued especially between Hugh and Shane McBrian, who was granted the other three-quarters of the northern Clandeboye estate in 1584. This resulted in the murder of Hugh in 1586 after which his grant was given to his brother, Neill McHugh O'Neill.

References

1586 deaths Clandeboye Assassinations in Ireland {{Ireland-bio-stub