Shane O'Neill (son Of Hugh)

Colonel Shane O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone (; ; also anglicised ''John O'Neill''; 18 October 1599 – 29 January 1641) was an Irish-born nobleman, soldier and member of the Spanish nobility who primarily lived and served in Continental Europe. He fought in the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) and the Reapers' War.

Shane was born during the Irish Nine Years' War, the son of Irish confederate leader Hugh O'Neill. Shane and his extended family permanently left Ireland in 1607 due to hostility from the English government. Shane grew up in the Spanish Netherlands. By 1610 he was his father's eldest surviving son, and he eventually moved to Spain to serve in the Spanish army. Though James I of England had attainted his father's title (Earl of Tyrone) in 1614, the Spanish court made Shane the third holder of the equivalent Spanish title El Conde de Tyrone.

Shane succeeded his elder half-brother Henry as colonel of the original Irish regiment in Flanders. He was a major supporter of a proposed 1627 Spanish invasion of Ireland. Shane was often in conflict with fellow Irish refugee noble Hugh Albert O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, even though their fathers had been wartime allies. Following military success at the Siege of Fuenterrabía, Shane was appointed a member of the Council of War in 1640. He died in Catalonia at the Battle of Montjuïc the following year, and was succeeded by his son Hugo Eugenio O'Neill as both Earl and colonel of the regiment.

Early life

Nine Years' War in Ireland

Shane O'Neill was born in Dungannon on 18 October 1599. His father was Irish lord Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, Chief of the Name of the O'Neill clan, Tír Eoghain's ruling Gaelic Irish noble family. His mother was Hugh's fourth wife Catherine Magennis, daughter of Sir Hugh Magennis, Baron of Iveagh. The Magennis family were based in Rathfriland. Shane had two younger full-brothers, Brian (born ) and Conn Ruadh (born ). He also had various elder half-siblings on his father's side, including Conn Mac An Iarla, Rose, Alice, Hugh and Henry.

From the 1590s to 1603, Hugh led a confederacy of Irish clans against the Tudor conquest of Ireland. Donough O'Connor Sligo, a loyalist who submitted to the confederacy through intimidation, was made Shane's godfather to further enmesh him into the confederacy. Shane was born during a period when the confederacy had won many victories over the English Crown. Catherine was present at Hugh's camp when she was four months pregnant with Shane.

Flight of the Earls

Hugh was repeatedly antagonised by English officials following his surrender in 1603. Due to increasing hostility from the government, in September 1607 he made a "snap decision" to leave Ireland for continental Europe along with ninety of his followers. On the afternoon of 9 September, Hugh left Garret Moore's house—where Shane had been staying to receive his education alongside Moore's family—taking Shane with him. On 14 September, at the age of eight, Shane left Ireland with his parents during the Flight of the Earls. His brother Conn was left behind in the rush. Shane's father was accompanied on the Flight of the Earls by his wartime ally Rory O'Donnell, patriarch of the comparatively powerful O'Donnell clan of Tyrconnell. The refugees hoped to reached Spain but were turned away by Philip III due to his fears of violating the Anglo-Spanish peace treaty. Thus the refugees spent the winter in the Spanish Netherlands.

In mid-December, the refugees received news that Archduke Albert VII wanted them to leave his states. Shane, along with many of the nobles' children, was left in the Spanish Netherlands whilst his parents proceeded to Rome. He was educated by Franciscans at St Anthony's College, Leuven, in the company of his brother Brian and fellow nobles Hugh Albert O'Donnell (son of Rory O'Donnell) and Hugh O'Donnell (son of Cathbarr O'Donnell).

Dealings with Philip III

Two of Shane's half-brothers died from illnesses in quick succession—Hugh died in Rome in 1609; Henry died in Aranda in 1610. Shane's father Hugh aimed to strengthen Philip III's favour toward Shane, now his eldest surviving son. In 1612, prior to Shane's confirmation, Hugh requested that Philip III be Shane's sponsor. The request was discussed by the Spanish Council of State. Philip III sought to avoid appearing to side with Irish rebels, which could instigate further warfare. The Council of State recommended that instead, the Spanish ambassador in Flanders should act as Shane's sponsor in his own name.

In 1613, Shane went to the court at Brussels as a page to the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia. His father continued to compel the Spanish government to grant Shane special privileges which could be of use to his exiled countrymen. In September 1614, Shane's father sent another petition to Philip III asking him to make Shane a Knight of the Military Order of Santiago. In November, the Infanta wrote in support of Shane. Philip III refused this, stating that other individuals of merit must be attended to first, but that he would consider anything that could be done for Shane.

In 1615, Hugh's chaplain Fr. Chamberlain arrived in Brussels to arrange a marriage between Shane and the daughter of Mancisador (Secretary for War in the Archduke's government). The English representative in Flanders, William Trumbull, warned his government that the marriage would increase the standing of the exiled Irish community. In Trumbull's opinion, "it is high time some underhand means were used to prevent the match". Trumbull was apparently successful; he reported that arguments against the marriage had been put forward, and the marriage did not take place.

Succession as Earl of Tyrone

Shane succeeded as Earl of Tyrone upon his father's death in Rome in July 1616. Though English authorities no longer recognised the title after it had been attainted in 1614, the Spanish court granted Shane the equivalent Spanish title El Conde de Tyrone. Officially Shane was the third of this title.. "John succeeded to his father's Spanish title of Conde de Tyron..."; p. 13. fn. 4. "Spain recognised Great Hugh's title of second Earl of Tyrone translating it by 'Conde de Tyron'; although not recognised in England the title was granted by Spanish Kings to several O'Neills until the end of the seventeenth century. Officially John was the third of this title." . "Spain had recognised Great Hugh's title of second Earl of Tyrone translating it by ''Conde de Tyrone'' and although the title was no longer recognised in England it was granted by Spanish kings to a line of O Neills in rightful succession to the end of the seventeenth century. And so, when his father died in Rome in 1616, John succeeded to the Spanish title as third Conde de Tyrone..." Additionally, Shane was ''de jure'' 6th Baron Dungannon from 1610 to 1614 by patent of the earldom, though not recognised as such by the Irish House of Lords.

Shane became estranged from his mother Catherine due to arguments over the late Earl's will. They disputed over their shares of the late earl's pension as well as the maintenance of his dependents. Hugh's unhappy retainers asked the late earl's secretary to inform Shane that his mother was refusing to give them the money bequeathed to them. The claimants asked for Shane's support and even suggested that Catherine be "enclosed in a convent of nuns". They cautioned Shane to send someone to Rome to deposit his late father's money and valuables in a bank before his mother could.

In August 1617, Shane's 13-year-old brother Brian was found hanged in his room in Brussels with his hands tied behind his back, possibly killed by an English assassin or accidentally killed during a childrens' game. Despite their arguments over Hugh's will, Shane was said to be greatly saddened at Catherine's death in March 1619. On 9 June 1623, the Infanta Isabella wrote to Philip III's successor Philip IV, requesting that he ask James I of England to have Shane restored to his estates.

Career

Old Irish Regiment

Shane's half-brother Henry had been the colonel of the first Irish regiment in the Spanish army, known as the "Old Irish Regiment" () or "Regiment of Tyrone". His death left a vacant colonelcy. The English had previously conspired against the formation of the Irish regiment and had planted spies there during Henry's colonelcy. Archbishop Florence Conry feared that the English would try to fill the vacancy with a colonel sympathetic to the English government. Two weeks after Henry's death, Conry wrote to Philip III, urging him to immediately appoint Henry's cousin Owen Roe O'Neill to the colonelcy. Hugh instead requested that Shane be appointed to the colonelcy. Philip III granted this request, and recommended that Owen Roe should instead be made major of the regiment. Though Owen Roe had failed in his bid to take command, within a few years of Henry's death he was promoted to sergeant-major of the regiment. As Shane was still pursuing his studies, Owen Roe served as acting commander until Shane was old enough to assume leadership. During his tenure, Owen Roe played a key role in making the regiment into a valuable asset to the Spanish military. Shane began his military career in 1615.

The Spanish earldom of Tyrone was conferred on Shane in 1626. Shane started using the title around the same time he assumed command as colonel of the Irish regiment. Like his O'Neill cousins and Irish refugees, Shane had ambitions to return to Ireland with the regiment to take back his lands and restore his family's rank. However, Philip IV prevented Shane from returning to Ireland, as his services were needed in the Low Countries.

Shane used his influence with Pope Urban VIII to have his former tutor Hugh MacCaghwell installed as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in early 1626. MacCaghwell died in September that year, and Shane organised the erection of a monument in the Sant'Isidoro a Capo le Case in Rome.

Proposed Spanish invasion of Ireland

Conflict between Spain and England was revived with the Anglo-Spanish War of 1625 to 1630. Irishmen in Spanish service saw the opportunity to use this conflict to retake Ireland from English control. It is unclear who first proposed the idea of a Spanish invasion of Ireland—possibly Irish Cistercian Paul Ragget. From 1625, two groups of Irish expatriates in the Low Countries (clergymen led by Archbishop Conry and soldiers led by Owen Roe) pressured the Spanish government to support their invasion plans. A proposal to the Infanta was rejected in September 1625. Undaunted, Conry and Owen Roe made their way to Madrid to present their plan to Philip IV.

By this time, Hugh Albert O'Donnell had succeeded his father as Earl of Tyrconnell and had begun a military career. Shane and Hugh Albert were the eldest surviving sons of their fathers, who themselves were the heads of the two most powerful Ulster clans (the O'Neill clan and the O'Donnell clan). Prior to the Nine Years' War, the two clans had been rivals for centuries. Tension was still present during the war, requiring a treaty of equality to be signed by clan leaders.

Conry proposed that Shane and Hugh Albert should equally command the expedition. It was agreed that, to avoid jealousy and tension between the Earls, both Shane and Hugh Albert should be made generals of equal footing "as one will never serve under the other". Hugh Albert had previously expressed a desire to be regarded as Shane's equal. When Hugh Albert had begun his military career, he had requested that his pay be raised to equal Shane's and also claimed: "I do not consider myself inferior in rank, services and obligations to the Counts of Tiron." Though Hugh Albert was seven years younger than Shane, he declared that he was as entitled to the colonelcy of an Irish regiment as Shane. It was proposed that Shane's regiment should be divided in half, and that Hugh Albert should take command of one half. Walloon soldiers would be drafted to supplement additional soldiers.

Conry proposed that the fleet should land at Killybegs in modern-day County Donegal, with Teelin and Derry occupied to provide defensible ports. When the earls got to Ireland, they should write to the dominant Irish noblemen and call for a united Ireland to free itself from English rule. No English or Scottish men, nor any anglicised Irishmen, should be brought on the expedition. As the Dutch had been able to hold out from Spain in the Eighty Years' War, it was considered possible that this invasion plan could work.

A fleet of 11 ships had been prepared at Dunkirk by March 1627, with the fleet anticipated to sail in September 1627. Disagreements remained however, as the Spanish government was reticent to be publicly associated with the invasion. The Infanta, wishing to reduce the repercussions to Spain in the event of failure, suggested that the fleet should not bring their banners, and should sail under the pretenses that they were a disbanded regiment returning home to Ireland. Per this plan, the previously proposed 2,000 Walloon soldiers could not be brought along. The Infanta's plan was disliked by the Irish, who were not willing to reduce the numbers of the invasion fleet.

The two earls also argued over their dual leadership. Shane and Hugh Albert could not abide each other. The authorities in Brussels wished for Shane to be in sole command. while Madrid favoured Hugh Albert (probably because Conry remained there as an advisor).Conry proposed that a marriage should be arranged between Shane and Mary Stuart O'Donnell, Hugh Albert's sister, to remove tensions and unify the noble families. Mary was born in England a few months after the Flight, as her pregnant mother Bridget had been left behind due to time constraints. Mary was a free spirit and a staunch Catholic who disliked her mother's Protestant family; in 1626 she fled from England following her involvement in a prison break. She arrived in Brussels in January 1627 where she met her brother Hugh Albert for the first time and was lauded by Pope Urban VIII as a hero of Catholic Europe. Conry wrote in March 1627, "Let the king of Spain... get the Infanta to treat of bringing about a marriage between the sister of the earl of Tyrconnell, who has lately fled from England and the earl of Tyrone, and let his Majesty give her a dowry, since her brother cannot do so". Shane was then 28; Mary was about 19.

However, Mary was secretly in a relationship with an Irishman named Dudley O'Gallagher, who had accompanied her to the Continent; she rejected the marriage. The Infanta wrote in April 1627: "It was proposed that I should bring about a marriage between the earl of Tyrone and the sister of the earl of Tyrconnell, so as to join them in closer friendship... this marriage has been treated of, but the sister of Tyrconnell has declared that she has no wish whatever to marry Tyrone." Mary anticipated conflict in response to her rejection of the marriage proposal, and so she wrote to the English secretary of state Edward Conway in an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile with English authorities.

It has been suggested that this invasion was the first proposal of an Irish Republic. It was proposed that, if the invasion was successful, an Irish republic should be established rather than a new monarchy. This was to avoid conflict between the earls over who had the right to the throne of Ireland. "The earls should be called Captains General of the said republic and... one could exercise his office on land and the other at sea". This proposal for an early Irish Republic is contained in a document dated 21 December 1626.

Shane was considered a threat to English supremacy in Ireland. A letter from the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Viscount Falkland, dated 27 April 1627, claimed that Shane would be sent to Ireland in July at the head of a Spanish army to have himself crowned King of Ulster by Philip IV. Shane would be appointed governor of Ireland on Spain's behalf, and would have the power to create new noble titles, to attract important allies and gain the cooperation of Irish Catholics. Falkland also claimed that a story was circulating among the Irish that Shane had already received a crown of gold, which he kept on his bedside table in Brussels.

Despite an English expedition on Cádiz in 1625, the Anglo-Spanish conflict did not develop into full-scale war. Philip IV was never optimistic about the invasion's chances and was unwilling to support an independent Ireland whilst Spain was officially at peace with England. Plans for the invasion were abandoned. Philip IV wished "only to preserve what he has" rather than acquiring more territory in Ireland. Conry died in Madrid in 1629. The plan to bond the two Irish noble families was unsuccessful. Around 1629, Mary became pregnant and her relationship with O'Gallagher was exposed. The couple fled to Italy in disgrace.

Madrid

Shane left Brussels for Madrid. Shortly after his arrival in 1630, he submitted two documents to the government: detailed plans for an invasion of Ireland, and a request that the restoration of his family's Irish estates should be included in Anglo-Spanish peace negotiations. Government commissioners felt that circumstances were not yet suitable to grant Shane's requests and advised Philip IV to wait for a more favourable occasion. However, it was recommended that the king should placate Shane by increasing his pay by two hundred crowns per month. The commissioners were concerned that this pay rise could create a dangerous precedent and make the Irish refugees reliant on the king. It was suggested that, to ensure the stability of the O'Neill family, a marriage should be arranged between Shane and some wealthy or noble lady. Shane stayed in Madrid for the next three years.

Shane founded the Irish College of St Patrick at Alcalá de Henares in 1630. Shane's confessor, Limerick man Richard Goold, was professor of theology at the College in 1624.

The college closed after Shane's death due to a lack of financial liquidity. Another Irish College at Alcalá was later founded by Baron Jorge de Paz Silveira, a Portuguese nobleman.

Shane felt slighted and protested when Hugh Albert was given his own Irish regiment in January 1632. In May 1632, Shane was appointed Knight Commander of the military order of Calatrava.

During his time in Madrid in the early 1630s, Shane became acquainted with Mary and Hugh Albert's cousin Isabel O'Donnell (). Isabel was a daughter of Cathal O'Donnell, and held comparable standing with Shane in the Gaelic nobility. The couple had a son out of wedlock named Hugo Eugenio (or Hugh Eugene) O'Neill, who was born in Madrid on 15 November 1633. A few days before Hugo Eugenio was born, Shane returned to his regiment in the Spanish Netherlands. Isabel later became a nun in the Convent of La Concepcion Real de Calatrava; she eventually left the convent due to ill health.

Franco-Spanish War

In January 1635, the French military made efforts to lure Shane and Hugh Albert to work for their own military.
Shane sailed from Flanders in early 1638. By June 1638, he was in A Coruña. There, Shane was joined by Hugh Albert O'Donnell, colonel of a regiment that had also been ordered there. The earls' regiments were the first regiments to be transferred from Flanders. In July, Shane and Hugh Albert received permission to visit the Spanish court and so they went to Madrid. Prior to Shane's arrival at Madrid, Philip IV received a petition from Shane to be given "a house suitable for his position, a carriage and maintenance, as he had received the first time he came to the court with the Duque de Ariscot". The Spanish Council of State recommended that this be given as Shane's stay would be short. However, Philip IV recognised the need to not appear to choose favourites between the houses of O'Neill and Hugh Albert. He wrote: "Examine what can be done with the Count of Tyrconnell considering that both of them are coming to serve in my household; from what my brother has written to me I do not know how the matter may be adjusted evenly.Shane reached Madrid on 25 July 1638, and wrote to the king: "The weather and the journey have prevented the Count of Tyrconnell and myself from arriving, as we had wished, before to-night. We humbly beg Your Catholic Majesty to compensate for this delay by ordering immediately that we should be employed in your royal service which is the life we most desire in this world".

When he returned to court in August, Shane once again argued that his years of service in Flanders warranted greater promotion than he had thus far received. He reminded Philip IV that the O'Neill clan was of royal heritage and deserved to be treated with great honour. However, Shane's promotion was delayed as the court was busy dealing with the Franco-Spanish War of 1635 to 1659. In August, by royal decree, the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell were granted a payment of four thousand escudos for their unpaid service in Flanders, in addition to two thousand escudos from army funds to support their continued service.

In 1638, the Irish regiments commanded by Shane and Hugh Albert were transferred from the Army of Flanders to the Basque Country to bolster forces on the northern coast in the face of an expected French invasion. With 1,200 men, the two Irish regiments comprised roughly 10% of the Peninsular force. A French army of 22,000, led by the Prince of Condé and the Due de la Valette, had begun the Spanish town of Fuenterrabía in July. A small garrison of five companies had been holding out for two months when a relief force of 12,000 Spanish soldiers reached the town in early September. Shane and his forces were among those in the relief force. The French forces were quickly routed. The two Irish regiments distinguished themselves with their involvement in the town's relief, which significantly contributed to a Spanish victory.

Following this, Shane returned to Madrid. In late September 1638, Shane submitted another document to Philip IV asking once more for a "house, carriage and maintenance". Shane explained that he previously did not press his claims as he was staying in Madrid for only a short time—but with Philip IV's permission he returned to Madrid and left his regiment in Navarre, where they will be better accommodated than they were during his last stay. Three months later, the King informed the Council that there was ample evidence of Shane's merits, and it must be decided what favors should be granted to him.

On 24 May 1639, Shane wrote again to Philip IV requesting that he be allowed lead a Spanish army to Ireland. He wrote:

The proposal was rejected; on 4 June, the Council of State recommended to the king that "Tyrone and his Irish followers must be assured that the protection of Your Majesty will not fail them when the occasion is more favourable". Philip IV agreed, adding that "the best of all would be not to answer for the present and to continue delaying the matter".

The Count-Duke of Olivares was highly impressed with the Irish regiments' success at Fuenterrabía, and he sent the regiments to take part in the Siege of Salses in 1640. Shane and Hugh Albert's participation was decisive in the siege's end. Olivares subsequently boosted attempts to attract Irishmen to the Spanish military. Following the Siege of Salses, Shane and Hugh Albert's regiments remained in Catalonia for several months.

In 1640, Shane was appointed a member of the Supreme Council of War. Shane's success at the Siege of Fuenterrabía was the main reason for this appointment. This was the first time that an exiled Irishman had held such a high position in the Spanish government, and represented recognition of the work of Irish emigres done in support of Spain. On 27 April 1640, Shane was present at a banquet at the Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid. On 18 August 1640, Shane granted financial help to an Irish woman, Sicilia O'Quilli, in his capacity as a member of the Council of War. O'Quilli claimed that her father and two uncles had died in service to the king.

Reapers' War

When the Reapers' War began in 1640, Shane and his regiment were sent into Catalonia. He left Madrid by December 1640. The regiment entered Ulldecona on the night of 27 October 1640, acting loutish and unruly. Ulldecona resident and royal supporter Joan Baptista Giner Martorell described the regiment's conduct in a letter asking for protection from the soldiers: "they have caused some disturbances in the town, notably next to my house... they wanted to tear down the doors, and I have turned them away by giving them wine through the windows..."

In 1641, the Shane and his regiment fought at the Battle of Montjuïc where they suffered heavy casualties. On the morning of 29 January 1641, the Catalans made a premature attack and Shane was killed in action near the town of Castelldefels by a musket-ball shot to his chest. He was among the first to be killed, and was reportedly "at the head of his men, both he and they fighting with their accustomed valour". Most of the regiment's soldiers were either killed in battle or taken as prisoners.

By order of Philip IV, Shane's remains were taken to Madrid and buried beside his half-brother Henry in the family vault in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament behind the high altar in the Church of Saint Francis. The contemporary source ''Commentariiu Rinuccinianus'' described Shane and Hugh Albert thus: "Tyrconnell, an accomplished courtier, expert in matters of war, of the greatest courage, but less prudent than Tyrone, a man of singular judgement".

Rory O'Moore, unaware of Shane's death, sought his assistance for the Irish Rebellion of 1641. News of Shane's death took months to reach O'Moore and caused some confusion among the rebellion's organisers. It is clear that Shane was eager to assist in an Irish rebellion, and would have done so in his lifetime were it not for his obligations in Catalonia. Hugh Albert asked permission for to travel to Ireland, intending to take part in the rebellion, but this was refused. He later died in July 1642 in a naval battle off Barcelona.. fn. 46. The earls' deaths in consecutive years were a major blow to Irish expectations that they would lead an Irish rebellion.

Legacy

When Shane wrote his will on 18 September 1640, he mentioned that he had married the daughter of Madama de Buixln.

Per a request in Shane's will, Philip IV legitimised Hugo Eugenio. After Shane's death, Hugo succeeded to the colonelcy of his late father's regiment. He also succeeded his father as the Earl of Tyrone. It was Shane's wish that Gaspar Bernaben, his business agent and friend, should continue to serve and care for Hugo until the boy reached a suitable age, and also that Hugo should learn the Irish language.

Shane also had a daughter named Catalina O'Neill, who was left in Bernaben's care. The identity of Catalina's mother is not stated in Shane's will. Shane wished for Catalina to become a nun, and he also wished for Catalina to inherit the possessions and money left to Hugo in the event of Hugo's death.

In his will, Shane requested that, if Hugo had no sons, for the earldom to pass to:

# Conn O'Neill, son of Cormac MacBaron O'Neill
# Hugh Dubh O'Neill, son of Art Óg O'Neill, son of Art MacBaron O'Neill
# Owen Roe O'Neill, son of Art MacBaron O'Neill
# The closest relative of Shane O'Neill the Proud

The family tradition of the O'Neills of Martinique is that Shane also had a son named Patrick, and that Shane and Patrick both fought with Owen Roe O'Neill in 1642; according to this tradition, Patrick married and settled in Ireland. The Martinique family claims descent from his son Henry, who emigrated at some time during the reign of James II of England.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyrone, Sean Oneill, 3rd Earl Of
Flight of the Earls
1599 births
1641 deaths
17th-century Irish people
People from County Tyrone
Irish expatriates in Spain
Irish soldiers in the Spanish Army
O'Neill dynasty
Knights of Calatrava
Earls of Tyrone
Irish chiefs of the name