Early life
Family background
Hugh Roe O'Donnell was born 20 OctoberEducation and fosterage
TheRise to prominence
Hugh Roe saw his first military action in 1584, with his father's chief advisor Eoin O'Gallagher, against ClanImprisonment and escape
Capture at Rathmullan
The English government feared that the emergence of a powerful O'Neill-O'Donnell alliance, which would be cemented by Hugh Roe's marriage to Rose, would threaten English control over Ulster. Though Tyrone professed loyalty to the Crown, he was attracting suspicion from the government due to his growing power. Hugh Roe's familial links to various Scottish Highland clans were also a cause for concern; English officials often pejoratively referred to him as "Scottish". Additionally Hugh Roe's father had failed to pay annual rents promised to the government, and at the time the English government kept hostages for policy reasons. Ultimately the government decided that Hugh Roe must not be allowed to succeed as O'Donnell clan chief, and so theImprisonment
Hugh Roe arrived in Dublin on 25 September; QueenChaos in Tyrconnell
Hugh MacManus became prematurely senile, and Hugh Roe's imprisonment exacerbated a long-running succession dispute which had consumed Tyrconnell since October 1580. The dispute was bloody; three of Conn's sons were violently killed in the conflict. Iníon Dubh effectively took over Tyrconnell and ruled in her husband's name. She pushed successfully for Hugh Roe to become her husband's successor by spreading the Aodh Eangach prophecy and by directing her Redshanks to kill any challengers. Hugh MacEdegany, an illegitimate son of Calvagh O'Donnell, was the first major challenger. He was assassinated on Iníon Dubh's orders during a visit to her residence, Mongavlin Castle, in May 1588, leaving Niall Garve as head of the "MacCalvagh" branch.First escape attempt
After three years and three months in captivity, Hugh Roe made his first escape attempt in January 1591, in the company of fellow Ulster hostages Donnell Gorm MacSweeney Fanad and Hugh O'Gallagher. It is possible that the escape was incentivised by news of Donal's death. Before Hugh Roe and his companions were put in their cells one night, they escaped through a nearby window and climbed down a rope onto the drawbridge. They jammed a block of timber into the door, preventing the guards from pursuing them. By the time the guards noticed Hugh Roe's absence and gave chase, the fugitives had already escaped past the open city gates. Hugh Roe's shoes fell apart and he was left behind by his companions in the thick woods beyond Three Rock Mountain. He sent word to Castlekevin in County Wicklow, the territory of Chief Felim O'Toole, who had visited him in Dublin Castle. O'Toole wanted to assist Hugh Roe but faced pressure from his clan, who feared the consequences of aiding a high profile fugitive. O'Toole's sister Rose quickly planned for her husbandSecond escape attempt
Around January 1592, Hugh Roe made a successful escape attempt with his fellow prisoners Henry MacShane O'Neill and Art MacShane O'Neill. After years of lobbying and bribery, Tyrone had finally succeeded in bribing officials to help facilitate Hugh Roe's escape. FitzWilliam, considered one of Tudor Ireland's most corrupt Lord Deputies, was most likely the recipient of this bribe, though this has never been conclusively proven. A 17th-century account by Donegal priests alleged that Tyrone successfully bribed FitzWilliam with £1,000 (equivalent to £287,000 in March 2024). In summer 1590,Accession as clan chief
Return to Ulster
For a few days after his rescue, Hugh Roe was tended to in a hidden cabin in Glenmalure. Hugh Roe and O'Byrne swore oaths to mutually assist each other if they came under English attack, and Hugh Roe promised to make Tyrone and Chief Hugh Maguire ofAttack on English occupation
Tyrconnell had suffered much repression and turmoil in Hugh Roe's absence. Not long before his return, Willis and Connill's forces raided Donegal in the dead of night and occupied Donegal Abbey as aInauguration
Rise in power
Immediately after his inauguration, Hugh Roe O'Donnell and Tyrone mounted raids against Turlough Luineach, who had provided assistance to O'Donnell's rivals such as Niall Garve. O'Donnell desired revenge and sought to assist his new ally Tyrone, whose alliance with O'Donnell was primarily founded on using the latter's military power to take control of Tír Eoghain. In June 1592, O'Donnell renewed his clan's interest in northInitial rebellion
Conference of bishops
Maguire's revolt
Captain Willis was appointed by FitzWilliam as Sheriff of Fermanagh against Maguire's will. In early April 1593, Willis entered Fermanagh with at least 100 men and began violently pillaging and raiding. This exacerbated resentment towards the Crown, and after Willis' first offensive, O'Donnell met with MacGauran, Maguire, Brian Oge O'Rourke and Tibbot na Long Bourke, 1st Viscount Mayo, Theobald, Richard and John Bourke at Enniskillen Castle on 28 April N.S. 8 May">Old Style and New Style dates">N.S. 8 May MacGauran advised that the noblemen sign a letter addressed to Philip II which emphasised their oppression and which requested urgent reinforcements from the Spanish army. Archbishop O'Hely was tasked with delivering the confederates' messages: two letters from O'Donnell, one letter from MacGauran, and the 28 April letter signed by the confederates.Secret rebellion
Catholic bishops began to spread the Aodh Eangach prophecy to advance the Irish rebellion. Maguire and O'Rourke continued to rebel by attacking English forces. O'Donnell aided the growing rebellion by sending MacSweeneyOpen rebellion
Expansion into Connacht
Peace talks
Negotiations with the Crown
Relations with Spain
In May, three Spanish ships arrived at Tyrconnell with the aim of encouraging the confederates and assessing Ireland's military situation. Spanish captain Alonso Cobos arrived inRenewal of hostilities
Clifford's presidency
Battle of the Yellow Ford
Government commissioners abandoned negotiations by spring 1598, recognising that O'Donnell and Tyrone were intentionally impeding theBattle of Curlew Pass
Quarrels with Tyrone
By the late 1590s, O'Donnell's relationship with his father-in-law was coming under strain,. not least because of the breakdown of O'Donnell's marriage to Rose. It was reported in April 1597 that O'Donnell had recently renewed his alliance with Tyrone, and that "their league of friendship is more apparently confirmed... by O'Donnell's receiving of the earl's base daughter" in marriage. By 1598, it was reported O'Donnell had divorced Rose, most likely against Tyrone's wishes. She remarried to Tyrone's principal vassal Donnell Ballagh O'Cahan by 1599. O'Donnell reportedly divorced Rose due to her "barronness", though the historian Morwenna Donnelly has questioned this truthfulness of this explanation, considering that O'Donnell did not immediately remarry to ensure an heir. The confederacy leaders argued over the division of money and munitions sent from Spain. Tyrone typically demanded the superior portion; when munitions arrived in 1596, Tyrone took twenty firkins of gunpowder compared to O'Donnell receiving fifteen. This came to a head in mid-1599, when O'Donnell debated over the division of a delivery brought by Barrionuevo. O'Donnell felt he was owed more resources in view of his recent victories, as well as his riskier approach to warfare. According to a spy's report, "Tyrone and O'Donnell fell into some contention about receiving of the said munition and treasure, Tyrone challenging the disposal of the whole, as chief and general of the common service, and O'Donnell claiming as great a right in it as he, as he affirmed, as deeply engaged therein as he. In the end the assembly there (by mediation of an Irish bishop from Rome with them) overruled the disposition of the whole for Tyrone". A treaty of equality was established between the two men, which decreed that "one had no pre-eminence over the other and that in walking and travelling together whichever was the elder should be on the right hand". Tyrone refused to fight Essex's dwindling forces; instead the two men parleyed on 7 September 1599 and a six-week truce was organised. O'Donnell was furious at Tyrone's decision to negotiate with Essex, as he wanted to avoid any association with English officials in favour of soliciting aid from the Spanish. He declared that he would travel into Connacht, but Tyrone forbid him on account of the truce. O'Donnell admitted that he would burn the entire Pale if not for Tyrone preventing him. Essex left Ireland on 24 September and was shortly afterwards removed from his post. His downfall briefly put the confederacy in a strong position. In February 1600,Forced from Tyrconnell
Defection of Niall Garve
In May 1600, English commander Henry Docwra established an English garrison inBattle of Lifford
O'Donnell tried in vain to retake Lifford from Niall Garve, with minor skirmishes occurring around the castle. He lost about 20 men on 17 October 1600. He attacked again on 24 October, but Niall Garve retaliated by leading a cavalry charge of mixed Irish and English forces out to battle. During the battle, Niall Garve speared O'Donnell's brother Manus in the shoulder. Manus was taken to Donegal where he died from his wounds. O'Donnell's father Hugh MacManus died a few weeks afterwards, apparently from grief. They were buried beside each other at Donegal Abbey, as was customary for the ruling O'Donnell branch. Docwra was pleased that the outcome of the battle had exacerbated the feud between O'Donnell and Niall Garve: "I think there needeth no better hostages for his fidelity, for he hath slain with his own hands (in fight and open view of our men that saw him) O'Donnell's second brother... His love and credit with the people is little inferior to O'Donnell's and may easily be more, if he be backed and strengthened by Her Majesty..." By December 1600, O'Donnell had put a price of £300 on Niall Garve's head. It appears Niall Garve made later efforts to rejoin the confederacy, but his murder of Manus made this near-impossible.. His defection allowed Docwra to mobilise the Crown's forces beyond Lough Foyle into Tyrconnell,Political alliances collapse
O'Donnell made further plans to cement his alliances beyond Ulster. In November 1600, he schemed to marry Joan FitzGerald (step-daughter to O'Connor Sligo and sister of the loyalist 1st Earl of Desmond). A servant met with Joan inSiege of Donegal
Siege of Kinsale
Travel to Spain
Meeting with Philip III
The defeated confederates gathered atCancelled naval expedition
O'Donnell returned to A Coruña on 16 February Old Style and New Style dates">N.S. 26 February">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S. 26 February by which time he received news of Juan del Águila's surrender, which was not unexpected. O'Donnell wrote to the King two days later, begging him to focus his attention on sending the discussed naval expedition to Ireland. Although O'Donnell would have been content with a small-scale expedition sent to Tyrconnell, Philip III wanted to send a large fleet—three times the size of the 4th Armada—to ensure military success and restore his damaged reputation. Due to the time it would take to assemble a force of this size, O'Donnell was left anxiously waiting in Spain. Meanwhile, the confederacy disintegrated as English forces travelled across Ulster destroying crops and livestock. In June 1602 Tyrone burned Dungannon and retreated into Glenconkeyne">Burning of Dungannon">burned Dungannon and retreated into Glenconkeyne. O'Donnell kept in contact with Ireland during this time—he wrote to one confederate "if there is anything bad it may be concealed from the Spaniard, but not from me". Throughout 1602 O'Donnell was placated with promises that the Spanish fleet was being gradually assembled. He insistently asked to return to court to discuss the military situation. In March, O'Donnell was alarmed by the Duke of Lerma's suggestion that O'Donnell could be sent back to Ireland with only one ship and 50,000 ducats. On 10 JuneDeath and burial
Cause of death
A now-debunked popular legend claims that O'Donnell was poisoned by James "Spanish" Blake, James Blake, a Galway merchant hired as a spy for the government. Blake approached Lord President Carew with an offer to travel to Spain to assassinate O'Donnell. In a ciphered letter dated 28 May 1602, Carew informed Mountjoy that "''James Blake''...took a solemn oath to do service...and is gone into ''Spain'' with a determination (bound with many oaths) to ''kill O'Donnell''". O'Donnell was aware that Blake was a security threat. Despite Blake's oath to Carew, on 19 August Old Style and New Style dates">N.S. 29 August">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S. 29 Augustat Valladolid he outlined a detailed plan to the Duke of Lerma for a Spanish expedition aimed at retaking Galway from English control. Given Blake's apparent pro-Spanish sentiments, historians Frederick M. Jones and Micheline Kerney Walsh have questioned whether he was truly an English spy, and speculate that Blake was a Spanish agent who proposed the mission as a means of securing safe passage to Spain. Another ciphered letter was sent from Carew to Mountjoy on 9 October: "O'Donnell is dead... he is ''poisoned'' by ''James Blake'', of whom your lordship hath been formerly acquainted... He never told the ''President'' in what ''manner'' he would ''kill'' him, but did assure him it ''should'' be effected". After O'Donnell's death, Blake was arrested in Valladolid on suspicion of being an English spy. Despite two months of interrogation he was never suspected of poisoning O'Donnell. None of O'Donnell's companions (nor his physicians) suspected foul play; at the time, his companions credited his anguish over the diplomatic situation with causing his early death. There is no evidence that Blake was successful in his promised assassination; when Carew heard of O'Donnell's death, he would have naturally assumed that Blake was responsible. Historians dismiss the theory that O'Donnell was poisoned. It is more likely he died of illness. Prior to his death he vomited a worm ten measures long, "a thing unheard of by the doctors and regarded by them as extraordinary". It was also reported that "a kind of snake or serpent was found within him". This could indicate aEnd of the Nine Years' War
With O'Donnell's death, Spanish plans to send further assistance to the confederacy were abandoned. At this time the Spanish court was dominated by the Duke of Lerma who sought peace with England. The Spanish Council of State ignored O'Donnell's request to withhold notice of his death, believing that the confederates "should be undeceived, so that they may be able to make the best terms ith the Englishthey can, bad as the consequences may be". Mountjoy sent Rory news of O'Donnell's death and stated that "the war was at an end by his death". Rory convened a council of his advisors. The faction advocating for peace prevailed, though some of Hugh Roe O'Donnell's supporters still refused to believe he was dead. In December, Rory surrendered to Mountjoy atLegacy
Succession
Following their surrender, Tyrone and Rory were confirmed in their titles and core estates by KingHistoriography
''Beatha Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill''
Hugh Roe O'Donnell was highly praised by seventeenth-century Irish chroniclers, such as Philip O'Sullivan Beare and the Four Masters, as well as inGaelic Revival
The dramatic content of O'Donnell's short life, which includes his escape from prison and his early overseas death, has "enabled much mythologising of his life and character". He is considered an archetypal hero whose personal struggles against Tudor England served as an allegory to represent Ireland's incarceration, escape from British rule in Ireland, British rule and spirit of resistance. Seventeenth-century annalists and eighteenth-century Catholic authors in Ireland typically admired O'Donnell over Tyrone. During the nineteenth-century Gaelic revival, O'Donnell was embraced as a Celtic national hero, to the exclusion of Tyrone, whose "Machiavellian" nature and partially-English cultural identity were viewed as incompatible withModern reappraisal
James MacGeoghegan rehabilitated Tyrone's reputation in the eighteenth century. Twentieth-century historians, such as John Mitchel, Seán Ó Faoláin and Hiram Morgan, restored Tyrone to the status he was formerly afforded by contemporary English commentators, and gave him more prominence as the Irish confederacy's leader. In most modern depictions of the Nine Years' War, O'Donnell is portrayed as the junior partner and thus his reputation has been overshadowed by Tyrone's. The Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill Guild was formed in 1977 to seek O'Donnell's cause for canonization as a saint of the Catholic Church. The historian James Kelly states that, in opposition to the image of O'Donnell as a Catholic martyr, "it can be argued [that] O'Donnell was first and foremost a traditional Gaelic chieftain intent on affirming the regional authority of his clan and the dynastic aspirations of his immediate family... it was the threat posed by the expanding presence of the English Crown that constituted the major threat to Red Hugh's ambitions". Morgan considers O'Donnell to be "too Catholic and too violent for today's Ireland", and also calls O'Donnell "a Counter-Reformation, counter-reformation Irish dynast living in the world of The Prince, Machiavelli's ''Prince'' rather than the Táin Bó Cúailnge, cattle-raid of Cooley".Commemoration
Ballyshannon Castle, Hugh Roe O'Donnell's key residence, was demolished in 1720.Search for remains
The Convent of St. Francis was later secularised and O'Donnell's body was disinterred; its current location is unknown. The Chapel of Wonders was sold and destroyed in 1836 during a wave of monastic expropriations, and its exact location was lost. In 2019, Donegal man and retired soldier Brendan Rohan visited Valladolid and persuaded city authorities to conduct a dig for O'Donnell's grave. The following year, a week-long excavation of Valladolid's Constitution Street revealed the walls of what was believed to be the Chapel of Wonders underneath a four-storey building. On 22 May 2020, archaeologists began a dig inside the chapel's remains. A number of modern descendants of O'Donnell's kin were "lined up for DNA tests" to confirm O'Donnell's identity if his remains were found. There was call for repatriation of O'Donnell's remains if discovered, even though O'Donnell himself asked to be buried in the Convent of St. Francis in his will. It was hoped his skeleton would be easy to identify due to his two missing big toes. However many of the skeletons discovered were in a state of decay and did not have any existing feet. Eventually twenty skeletons were discovered during the dig, though DNA testing showed they were from an earlier period. The site has been used for burials for hundreds of years, making O'Donnell's discovery near-impossible. In March 2021, archaeologists believed the Chapel of Wonders extended further beneath the dig site, and went into negotiations to resume the excavation. The search ended in October 2021. By September 2022, McCavitt had come across an inscription on an early 17th-century tombstone about O'Donnell. According to McCavitt, if O'Donnell's burial place still exists, it would have been marked by such a gravestone. As of 2024, O'Donnell's grave has not been discovered, though the media attention garnered by the dig has promoted Ireland–Spain relations, Hispano-Irish relations. The dig was spearheaded by the local Hispanic-Irish Association. As of October 2023, the investigation is not closed. If discovered intact, O'Donnell's remains may provide insight into his health, nutrition and diet. Tests may also determine his specific cause of death.Character
Personality
Described as "fiery and flamboyant", Hugh Roe O'Donnell was a highly charismatic individual. 17th-century sources opined on his great powers of command, and stated that the look of amiability on his face captivated onlookers. He also had an aggressive and bellicose personality and could not always control his impulses. As Edward Alfred D'Alton put it, "the ordinary Irish chief... boasted much, and talked much, and did little, and... heedlessly rushed into war without estimating his difficulties or his resources". In his youth, a bardic poet claimed that O'Donnell was arrogant and in need of maturity. Thomas Lee warned the government that because of O'Donnell's youth, he could become radicalised by his imprisonment. Indeed, O'Donnell's four years in prison instilled within him a profound anti-English stance which shaped his aggressive military approach. The bardic poet Maolmuire mac Con Uladh Mic an Bhaird addressed a composition to O'Donnell in 1590, urging O'Donnell to "show fortitude in his adversity", but also indicating that the period in prison would lead O'Donnell to cultivate the discipline and solemnity "appropriate to kingship". Particularly because he had not committed any offence, O'Donnell saw his imprisonment as unjust and villainising. His distrust of English people affected the 1596 peace talks, and is why he was more committed to an alliance with Spain than Tyrone was. O'Donnell's insolence was remarked on by English officials, who described him as the "firebrand of all the rebels". McGettigan notes that O'Donnell was "only anti-English on a political level", as he willingly purchased English goods and firearms for his own purposes. Jane Ohlmeyer describes O'Donnell as "a wily negotiator, an effective and pragmatic power broker, and a brave soldier".Personal relationships
Morwenna Donnelly notes that it is unusual that O'Donnell had no further marriages after his divorce from Rose. Excluding his rejected proposal to Joan FitzGerald, he appeared uninterested in securing an heir. Despite his desirable status as a prominent and powerful lord, O'Donnell had no known mistresses or illegitimate children. This is in stark contrast to Tyrone, who had four wives, many concubines and various children. Donnelly suggests that O'Donnell remained single because he coveted Donnell Gorm's wife, Honora MacSweeney na dTuath (daughter of O'Donnell's foster-father). Another explanation for O'Donnell's celibacy comes from the Franciscan Donagh O'Mooney, who stated that O'Donnell sought to join the Franciscan clergy if he survived the war. O'Mooney also stated that O'Donnell was "not married", possibly in keeping with Clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church, clerical celibacy. As the war progressed, O'Donnell came under the influence of Franciscan Archbishop Conroy.Partnership with Tyrone
Historians have debated on whether O'Donnell or his father-in-law held a more influential position within the confederacy in its early years. Many of Tyrone's contemporaries who knew Tyrone, such as John Perrot, considered O'Donnell to be the junior partner in the confederacy. In 1596, O'Donnell described Tyrone as his senior. In 1596, a list of the confederates drawn up by Alonso Cobos' secretary was altered to place Tyrone's name above O'Donnell's. By 1599, O'Donnell saw his partnership with Tyrone as one of two equals, as evident from their treaty of equality. O'Donnell and Tyrone had contrasting temperaments, which often caused disputes over military tactics. In contrast to Tyrone, who was known for bribing or elaborately bluffing his way out of trouble, O'Donnell was uncompromising and preferred military solutions over negotiations. Tyrone attempted to restrain O'Donnell from openly attacking English forces in the early stages of the war. O'Donnell's absence from the Battle of Beleek (per Tyrone's request) suggests that Tyrone had a level of control over his son-in-law. English Privy Councillor Geoffrey Fenton stated that Tyrone could "command and rule" O'Donnell at will. That being said, Canny and Silke suggest that Tyrone's failure to manage O'Donnell led to the former's decision to reluctantly go into open rebellion. By 1596, the pair had developed a sophisticated double-act as O'Donnell played the "bad cop" to Tyrone's "good cop" during their negotiations with the government. They used the absence of one of them to delay and stall further negotiations. Spanish emissaries noted that the pair "acted like one man and were respected by the rest". Throughout the war the two leaders got on remarkably well, and O'Donnell probably learned the virtue of patience from his father-in-law. Their partnership was under heavy strain by the war's end, and it is possible that their differences in temperament led to the disastrous failure at Kinsale. O'Donnell warned against Tyrone violating their agreements after his death: "in case the Earl O'Neill (though I know and believe he will not do so) should wish to violate the agreement and settlements arranged and made between him and me and our heirs, I hereby beg his Majesty to uphold my brother [Rory] in his rights and to retain him in his service". The age difference between the two men may have been a source of conflict; Tyrone was O'Donnell's senior by 22 years. Unlike Tyrone, who was raised in the Pale and had received generous assistance from the government during his early years in Ulster, O'Donnell had a traditional Gaelic upbringing and associated the government with his time in captivity.Generalship
Physical appearance
There are no surviving portraits or visual representations of Hugh Roe O'Donnell made in his lifetime. Donagh O'Mooney described him as "above middle height, strong, handsome, well-built and of pleasing appearance". He presumably had red hair, "Roe, i.e., Ruadh, from the colour of his complexion or hair."; as adjectives such as ''ruadh'' (Irish for ''red'') were commonly employed in Irish names to refer to hair colour. This epithet would have differentiated him from kinsmen also named "Hugh O'Donnell". After losing his big toes to frostbite, Hugh Roe O'Donnell would have hobbled around or travelled on horseback for the rest of his life. If discovered intact, O'Donnell's skeleton would reveal his stature and height, and technology might allow researchers to recreate his facial features. Although O'Donnell was fiercely patriotic, he had no aversion to foreign dress. He was described in 1601 as wearing English clothing and even going to mass in a "fine English gown". Historian Francis Martin O'Donnell suggests that Hugh Roe O'Donnell dressed in Spanish clothing, as his grandfather Manus was known for preferring continental fashion over traditional Gaelic clothing.Ancestry
In popular culture
Poetry
* In his 1861 poem ''Eirinn a' Gul'' ("Ireland Weeping"), Scottish Gaelic poet William Livingston (poet), William Livingston laments the loss of the heroism displayed by O'Donnell, Tyrone and Maguire. * James Clarence Mangan's poem ''Ceann Salla'' dramatises O'Donnell's last words on his deathbed. * Thomas MacGreevy's 20th-century poem ''Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill'' describes a search for O'Donnell's grave.Music
* ''Róisín Dubh (song), Róisín Dubh'', which is one of Ireland's most popular political songs, is addressed in O'Donnell's voice to his wifeNovels
Novels based on O'Donnell's life (particularly centred on his escape from Dublin Castle) include: * ''O'Donel of Destiny'' (1939) by Mary Kiely * ''Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal'' (1957) by Robert T Reilly * ''Red Hugh: The Kidnap of Hugh O'Donnell'' (1999) by Deborah LissonFilm
* Hugh O'Donnell was portrayed by English actor Peter McEnery in the 1966 The Walt Disney Company, Disney adventure film ''The Fighting Prince of Donegal'', which was based on Robert T Reilly's 1957 book ''Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal''.Theatre
* On 15 August 1902 in Kilkenny, Captain Otway Cuffe staged a single performance of a masque (titled ''Hugh Roe O'Donnell'') recounting O'Donnell's kidnapping, escape and inauguration. The masque was authored by Standish James O'Grady, produced by Francis Joseph Bigger, and performed by the Neophytes, a north Belfast theatre troupe. It was well-received and formed part of the Gaelic revival movement. * O'Donnell is a major character in Brian Friel's 1989 play ''Making History (play), Making History'', which focuses on Tyrone reckoning with his own legacy. According to historian Jane Ohlmeyer, "Friel portrayed the youthful Red Hugh as fiery, headstrong, quick-witted, passionate, committed to Catholicism, and to the preservation of the values, language, and culture of the Gaelic world into which he had been born and reared." In its original production by Field Day Theatre Company, Field Day, O'Donnell was played by Peter Gowen.Other
* Several Gaelic sports clubs in County Donegal are named after Red Hugh O'Donnell, such as Aodh Ruadh CLG inNotes
References
Citations
Primary sources
* * * * * * * * * *Secondary sources
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Further reading
Primary sources
* * ''Calendar of the State Papers relating to Ireland''. Full scans at Internet Archive: iarchive:calendarofstatep3158grea/page/n9/mode/2up, 1586 – 1588, July; iarchive:calendarofstatep04greauoft/page/n7/mode/2up, 1588, August – 1592, September; iarchive:calendarofstatep5159grea/page/n9/mode/2up, 1592, October – 1596, June; iarchive:calendarireland06greauoft/page/n5/mode/2up, 1596, July – 1597, December; iarchive:1895calendarofstatep07greauoft/page/n5/mode/2up, 1598, January – 1599, March; iarchive:calendarireland08greauoft/page/n5/mode/2up, 1599, April – 1600, February; iarchive:1903calendarofstatep09greauoft/page/n5/mode/2up, 1600, March – October; iarchive:1905calendarofstatep10greauoft/page/n5/mode/2up, 1 November, 1600 – 31 July, 1601; iarchive:1912calendarofstatep11greauoft/page/n3/mode/2up, 1601-3 * * * * *Secondary sources
* * * * * * * * * * * *See also
* O'Donnell dynasty * Irish kings *External links