Randal MacDonnell, 4th Earl of Antrim (1680–1721) was an
Irish aristocrat
The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...
.
[Ohlmeyer p.34-35]
Early life
His parents were
Alexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim
Alexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim PC (Ire) (1615 – June 1699) was a Catholic peer and military commander in Ireland. He fought together with his brother Randal on the losing side in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1653); and then, ...
and Helena Burke. He had a young sister named Mary. Through his grandmother
Ellis MacDonnell, Countess of Antrim he was descended from her father
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the English Crown in resistance to the Tudor conquest of Ir ...
and was, therefore, part of the extended
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty ( Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically one of the most prominent family of the N ...
which had been the dominant family in
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 ...
until the
.
Randal's father was a leading Catholic, and supporter of
James II in the
Williamite War
The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobite supporters of James II and those of his successor, William III, it resulted in a Williamite victory. It is generally viewed as a related conflic ...
, unsuccessfully leading a force to capture
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
in 1688. He was thereby regarded by James II's victorious opponent
William III William III or William the Third may refer to:
Kings
* William III of Sicily ()
* William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702)
* William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1817–1890)
N ...
to have forfeited the Earldom in 1689. However, the title was restored in 1697. Randal succeeded to the Earldom following his father's death in 1699. Like his father, he was suspected of
Jacobite leanings.
He was succeeded by his son
Alexander
Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here ar ...
in 1721.
References
Bibliography
* Ohlmeyer, Jane. ''Civil War and Restoration in the Three Kingdoms. The Career of Randall MacDonnell, Marquis of Antrim, 1609-1683''. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
External links
Genealogy of Randal Mac Donnell, 4th Earl of Antrim, on The Peerage website
Irish soldiers in the army of James II of England
18th-century Irish people
1680 births
1721 deaths
Military personnel from County Antrim
Earls of Antrim
{{Ireland-earl-stub