Rose O'Neill (;

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1587–1607) was a

Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaeli ...

noblewoman and queen consort of

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 ...

. She was the daughter of Hugh O'Neill and wife of

Hugh Roe O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...

, the two leaders of the Irish confederacy during the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

. Her marriage to O'Donnell was a deliberate move to unite the

O'Neills O'Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd. is an Irish sporting goods manufacturer established in 1918. It is the largest manufacturer of sportswear in Ireland, with production plants located in Dublin and Strabane. O'Neills has a long r ...

and the O'Donnells, the two most powerful

Irish clans Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan (or in Irish, plural ) included the chief and his Patrilineality, patrilineal ...

of their day. Their marriage had formally ended by 1598. She has been the subject of several poems and songs, particularly rebel song " Róisín Dubh", making her somewhat of a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

figure for

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 ...

. In poetry, her name is often

anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

Rosaleen Rosaleen is an Irish female first name. It is an Anglicized version of the Irish name Róisín, the diminutive of "rose" in the Irish language; it therefore means "little rose". It has use in Ireland since the 16th century, possibly popularised ...

Family background

Rose was born into the

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 ...

, specifically the MacBaron branch, in the sixteenth century, probably before 1574. The O'Neills were the most powerful Gaelic Irish clan of their time, but by the mid-to-late sixteenth century, they had fallen into internal conflict due to a succession dispute. The clan split into many

septs A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...

: the MacShanes, the MacBarons and the followers of

Turlough Luineach O'Neill Sir Turlough Lynagh O'Neill (also known as Turlough Luineach) ( Irish: ''An Ridire Toirdhealbhach Luineach mac Néill Chonnalaigh Ó Néill''; – September 1595) was an Irish Gaelic lord of Tír Eoghain in early modern Ireland. He was inau ...

. It is possible this conflict influenced her upbringing.

Parentage

Rose's 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 ...

, was the son of Feardorcha "Matthew" O'Neill, 1st Baron Dungannon, and his wife

Siobhán Maguire Siobhán Maguire, Baroness Dungannon (also anglicised Joan Maguire; died 1600) was a Gaelic Irish noblewoman, perhaps best known as the biological mother of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. She held a prominent political role, and was considered "h ...

. The identity of Rose's mother is unclear, as Tyrone is known to have four wives and various mistresses. Historian

Robert Dunlop Stephen Robert Dunlop (25 November 1960 – 15 May 2008) was a Northern Irish motorcycle racer. He was the younger brother of fellow road racer Joey Dunlop and the father of racers William Dunlop and Michael Dunlop. Like his brother, Dunlop ...

believed that Rose's mother was Catherine Magennis—however, since Rose was betrothed to

in the late 1580s, and Magennis married Tyrone in the 1590s, this is unlikely. According to brother-in-law

Niall Garve O'Donnell Niall Garve O'Donnell (;. – 1626) was an Irish nobleman and soldier who claimed the lordship of Tyrconnell, alternately a rebel against and ally of English rule in Ireland. He is best known for siding with the English against his kinsman ...

, Rose was not a daughter of Tyrone's second wife

Siobhán O'Donnell Siobhán O'Donnell, Countess of Tyrone ('; died January 1591), sometimes anglicised Joanna, Joan, or Judith, was a sixteenth-century Irish noblewoman of the O'Donnell clan. She was the second wife of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and bore him mos ...

. Historian Hiram Morgan presumes that Rose came from Tyrone's annulled first marriage to a daughter of

Brian McPhelim O'Neill Sir Brian McPhelim Bacagh O'Neill (died 1574) was Chief of the Name of Clan O'Neill List of rulers of Clandeboye#Lords of Lower Clandeboye, 1556—1600, Lower Clandeboye, an Irish clan in north-eastern Ireland during the Tudor conquest of Ireland ...

(possibly named Katherine or Feodora). Historians Morwenna Donnelly and Jerrold Casway confirm that this is possible. Historian Darren McGettigan agrees that Rose was a full-sibling of Conn Mac An Iarla, Tyrone's son by the daughter of Brian McPhelim. If so, Rose would be seen by the English as illegitimate. Indeed, loyalist Niall Garve O'Donnell described her as "illegitimate" in a 1606 deposition. This could make Rose's birthdate sometime between the earliest date for Tyrone's first marriage, , and its annulment in 1574. It has also been suggested that Rose was a child of a concubine of Tyrone, which would make her illegitimate under both English law and Gaelic

brehon law Early Irish law, also called Brehon law (from the old Irish word breithim meaning judge), comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwe ...

. However, Rose's status as the daughter of a powerful and ascendant Irish lord might have led Hugh Roe O'Donnell and Gaelic society to overlook any issues relating to her legitimacy.

Marriages

Hugh Roe O'Donnell

By 1587, Rose was formally betrothed to

tanist Tanistry is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist (; ; ) is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of Ireland, Scotland and Mann, to succeed to ...

and son to the O'Donnell clan chief. Hugh Roe O'Donnell was 14 at the time—it is likely Rose was around the same age. The O'Donnell clan,

's ruling noble family, were one of the strongest Irish clans in

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 ...

, and thus were typically rivals to the O'Neills. This dynastic marriage would further cement a growing alliance between two clans who had traditionally been mortal enemies for centuries. To this end, Tyrone had married Siobhan O'Donnell, Hugh Roe's elder half-sister, in June 1574.To prevent the impending alliance of the two powerful Ulster clans, Hugh Roe O'Donnell was kidnapped on the orders of

Lord Deputy 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 ...

John Perrot Sir John Perrot (7 November 1528 – 3 November 1592) was a member of the 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 was an ille ...

in September 1587. O'Donnell eventually escaped with the help of Tyrone's bribery and returned to Tyrconnell in February 1592. In December, the Earl's

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, ...

O'Hagan and

brehon Brehon (, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative, and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called " Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in importance to the ...

William McCrodan escorted Rose to O'Donnell's house in Tyrconnell for the marriage ceremony. The couple were formally married around Christmas 1592 at O'Donnell's house. Donnelly suggests that O'Donnell was not eager to marry Rose, as it took ten months after his return to actually marry her. Tyrone may have pressured O'Donnell into sealing the marriage alliance. According to McGettigan, the marriage started out as a success with Rose having some measure of influence over O'Donnell. In a poem addressed to O'Donnell, the bardic poet Maolmuire mac Con Uladh Mic an Bhaird appealed to Rose, stating: However, by 1595 the couple were facing difficulties as Rose had not borne O'Donnell children. That year, with her father's consent, Rose and O'Donnell separated. In order to increase his influence in southern

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

, O'Donnell had hopes of a marriage alliance with Lady Margaret Burke, daughter of the

Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde ( ; died 1601), styled Lord Dunkellin ( ) until 1582, was an Irish peer who was the son of Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde and Margaret O'Brien. Birth and origins Ulick wa ...

, who had refused to join the war. However the government became aware of O'Donnell's plan to reportedly "rob argaretfrom her parents by surprise or force", and in December, she was placed in protective custody. Additionally, Clanricarde stated that he would "rather see argaret'sburial than her marriage to 'Donnellwere he a good subject". Tyrone sent his trusted secretary

Henry Hovenden Henry Hovenden (died 24 September 1610) was an Anglo-Irish secretary and lawyer. He was foster-brother and chief advisor to Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone during the Irish Nine Years' War. Historian John Marshall described Hovenden as O'Neill's " ...

to Tyrconnell to advise O'Donnell, and O'Donnell eventually took Rose back. Hiram Morgan believes that O'Donnell's choice to remain in a barren marriage is symbolic of his dependence on Tyrone. The ''Calendar of State Papers'' makes reference to "some breach between Tirone and O Donnell about Tirone's daughter" on 2 April 1596. The following year, there was a rumour that Rose was to marry the

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

. Two weeks later, on 6 April 1597, it was reported that O'Donnell had recently renewed his alliance with Tyrone, and that "their league of friendship is more apparently confirmed, for the satisfying of their followers and dependants, by O'Donnell's receiving of the earl's base daughter" in marriage. By 1598, it was reported O'Donnell had divorced Rose. The divorce was most likely against Tyrone's wishes. Her marriage to O'Donnell did not result in any children. According to ''The Description of Ireland'' (1598), the separation was due to Rose's "barrenness". Donnelly considers this explanation suspicious—as O'Cahan would not have married such a "stigmatised" woman, and O'Donnell did not immediately remarry to secure an heir—and suggests that the separation occurred for another, private reason.

Donnell Ballagh O'Cahan

Donnell Ballagh O'Cahan, Tyrone's principal vassal, succeeded to the O'Cahan chieftainship in April 1598. To reaffirm their alliance, O'Cahan married Rose shortly after his succession. This required O'Cahan to leave his wife Mary (Hugh Roe O'Donnell's sister), who he had been married to since about June 1593. The Irish confederacy was severely weakened following a harsh defeat at the

Siege of Kinsale The siege of Kinsale (), also known as the battle of Kinsale, was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland, commencing in October 1601, near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and at the climax of the Nine Years' War� ...

. Subsequently English forces destroyed crops and livestock across Ulster, particularly in O'Cahan's lands, leading to near-famine conditions. With defeat inevitable, O'Cahan offered his submission in June 1602. Tyrone demanded that O'Cahan meet with him. O'Cahan was possibly fearful of maintaining an association with Tyrone, and thus Rose was sent to meet her father on behalf of her husband. O'Cahan officially surrendered and withdrew from Tyrone on 27 July 1602. A condition of the surrender was that he would retain his land as an independent chieftain. O'Cahan's surrender drastically weakened Tyrone's power and created animosity between the two men. Following the end of the Nine Years' War, a land rights dispute emerged between Tyrone and O'Cahan. The government sided with O'Cahan and provided funds for his lawsuit, intentionally using his hostility towards Tyrone to orchestrate the latter's undoing. Rose's marriage was also utilised to separate Tyrone and O'Cahan. It seems O'Cahan was never divorced from Mary which created enmity between him and Tyrone. George Montgomery, the new Protestant

Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...

, encouraged O'Cahan to leave Rose and return to his first wife, writing to Lord Deputy

Arthur Chichester Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625), known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester, of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1605 ...

on 4 March 1607: "the breach between 'Cahanand his landlord he Earl of Tyronewill be the greater by means of he Earl'sdaughter, his reputed wife, whom he has resolved to leave, having a former wife lawfully married to him." O'Cahan repudiated his marriage to Rose in March 1607 and remarried to another woman. Tyrone had asked for her dowry back in the event of a divorce,. fn. 2. but O'Cahan retained it. It is possible that the couple had children, as after O'Cahan was arrested in 1608, Chichester suggested placing O'Cahan's eldest son with the Provost of

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

. Sources do not mention Rose after 1607.

In poetry

According to G. F. Dalton, Rose O'Neill's "misfortunes and her high birth attracted the attention of ballad-makers" who saw her as a symbol for collapsing Gaelic Irish society. She is typically called Róisín Dubh (Dark Rose) in poetry, on account of her dark hair.

James Clarence Mangan James Clarence Mangan, born James Mangan (; 1 May 1803 – 20 June 1849), was an Irish poetry, Irish poet. He freely translated works from German, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Irish, with his translations of Goethe gaining special interest. St ...

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

and Sean-nós song " Róisín Dubh", one of the most popular

Irish rebel songs In the music of Ireland, Irish rebel songs are folk songs which are primarily about the various rebellions against British Crown rule. Songs about prior rebellions are a popular topic of choice among musicians which supported Irish nationalis ...

ever written, is based on a fragmentation of an older existing love song to Rose. It is addressed in Hugh Roe's voice to Rose, and is believed to have its origins in the rebel encampments during the Nine Years' War. One source attributes it to a

ian poet under the reign of Red Hugh. Music scholar Donal O'Sullivan believes there is no evidence to suggest the original song was composed in the Elizabethan era. Although "Róisín Dubh" is superficially a love song, it has been described as a patriotic poem that hides its nationalism via allegory. In a time when

nationalistic Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, Id ...

expression was outlawed in Ireland, the poem was a way to covertly express nationalistic beliefs. Hugh Roe's love for Rose is symbolic for his love for Ireland, and his resolve to raise Ireland again to the position she held before the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. In this way, Rose O'Neill has become a nationalist symbol for

. Rose O'Neill has also been alluded to by English poets. She is referenced in

Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (; – 13 January 1599 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English poet best known for ''The Faerie Queene'', an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the House of Tudor, Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is re ...

's poem ''

The Faerie Queene ''The Faerie Queene'' is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books IIII were first published in 1590, then republished in 1596 together with books IVVI. ''The Faerie Queene'' is notable for its form: at over 36,000 lines and over 4,000 sta ...

''. Sir Aubrey de Vere wrote two poems about her: "Little Black Rose" and "Róisín Dubh or the Bleeding Heart".

Family background

Parentage

Marriages

Hugh Roe O'Donnell

Donnell Ballagh O'Cahan

In poetry

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading