Sir Cahir O’ Doherty
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Sir Cahir O'Doherty ( or ; 1587 – 5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Irish
chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...
of the O'Doherty clan, who in 1608 launched a failed rebellion against the English crown. O'Doherty was the eldest son of clan chief John O'Doherty, ruler of
Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...
. O'Doherty and his father initially fought for the Irish confederacy in 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 ...
. Following his father's death, his clan became embroiled in a succession dispute. O'Doherty, aged 15, defected to the English and became known as the Queen's O'Doherty for his service on the Crown's side. After the war, O'Doherty had ambitions to become a
courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...
and applied for a position in the household of
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, (19 February 1594 – 6 November 1612), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King James VI and I and Anne of Denmark, Queen Anne. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley; and Fr ...
, but he increasingly came into dispute with Irish-based officials such as the Viceroy
Sir 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 ...
and the Governor of Derry Sir George Paulet. In 1608 he launched a rebellion, seizing Derry from Paulet and burning it to the ground. O'Doherty was subsequently killed in a battle at Kilmacrennan, and the rebellion swiftly collapsed.


Early life

Cahir was the eldest son of Sir John O'Doherty, O'Doherty clan chief and effective ruler of
Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...
. One of Cahir's younger sisters was
Rosa Rosa or De Rosa may refer to: Plants and animals * ''Rosa'' (plant), the genus of roses * Rosa (sea otter), a sea otter that has become popular on the internet * Rosa (cow), a Spanish-born cow People * Rosa (given name) * Rosa (surname) * San ...
who married
Cathbarr O'Donnell Cathbarr O'Donnell (; – 15 September 1608) was an Irish nobleman and member of the O'Donnell dynasty of Tyrconnell. The youngest brother of Red Hugh O'Donnell, Cathbarr fought in the Nine Years' War. He married Rosa O'Doherty, sister of Cahi ...
and later
Owen Roe O'Neill Owen Roe O'Neill ( Irish: ''Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill;'' – 6 November 1649) was a Gaelic Irish soldier and one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster. O'Neill left Ireland at a young age and spent most of his life as a mercenary ...
. A third was Margaret, who married Oghie O'Hanlon. Cahir was fourteen when his father died and he had to spend the next few years gaining control of his lordship. Cahir's foster father was
Phelim Reagh MacDavitt Phelim Reagh MacDavitt or Phelim Reagh MacDevitt (Irish: ''Feidhlimidh Riabhach Mac Dhaibheid'', or Brindled Felim - probably a reference to a white streak or streaks in his hair) was a Gaelic Irish warrior and landowner notable for his partici ...
(Mac Daibhéid). Cahir was knighted by
Lord Mountjoy The titles of Baron Mountjoy and Viscount Mountjoy have been created several times for members of various families, including the Blounts and their descendants and the Stewarts of Ramelton and their descendants. The first creation was for Walter ...
, and for a time he seemed prepared to work amicably with the English authorities: he found a strong supporter in Sir
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, the first Governor of Derry. His marriage to Mary Preston, daughter of the 4th
Viscount Gormanston Viscount Gormanston is a noble title, created in 1478, held by the Anglo-Irish Preston family since the Middle Ages. The oldest vicomital title in the British Isles, Lord Gormanston is accorded the style of Premier Viscount of Ireland. Desc ...
, allied him to some of the leading nobles of
the Pale The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...
, including
Thomas FitzWilliam, 1st Viscount FitzWilliam Thomas FitzWilliam, 1st Viscount Fitzwilliam (1581–1650) was an Irish nobleman of the Stuart period. He was born to wealth and privilege, and acquired a peerage, but due to his loyalty to the English Crown, he suffered considerable hardship duri ...
, who in 1608 was required to stand surety for O'Doherty's good behaviour. O'Doherty and
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 ...
, the main rival of
Red Hugh 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 ...
for the leadership of the
O'Donnell dynasty The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...
, were the principal Gaelic chieftains whose support the
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hoped to gain through a policy of moderation and for a time this policy seemed to be working.


O'Doherty's Rebellion

Niall encouraged O'Doherty to rebel against the Crown, though Niall had ulterior motives for doing so. The English government had previously reneged on promises to grant Niall a patent to his clan's lands 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 ...
, which encompassed Inishowen. Niall distanced himself from the rebellion, as he clearly hoped to be awarded Inishowen in the event of a failed rebellion. After the
Flight of the Earls On 14 September ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 4 September1607, Irish earls Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, permanently departed Rathmullan in Ireland for mainland Europe, accompanied by their fa ...
and angered by the eviction of his clansmen during the subsequent
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
, in 1608 Sir Cahir sacked and burned the town of
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 ...
. Cahir's foster father Felim Riabhach McDavitt (Mac Daibhéid) killed Docwra's successor as Governor, Sir George Paulet, with whom Cahir had repeatedly quarrelled. Paulet has been accused of goading O'Doherty into taking up arms by a calculated series of insults under the
code of conduct A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the social norm, norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. Companies' codes of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is comm ...
of an Irish clan chief. Paulet was also said to have physically assaulted O'Doherty. Niall Garve O'Donnell, previously a loyal supporter of the English Crown, was also accused of supporting the rebellion. O'Doherty's precise motives for the rebellion are unclear, and its timing is also something of a puzzle, especially as the
Privy Council of Ireland His or Her Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland, commonly called the Privy Council of Ireland, Irish Privy Council, or in earlier centuries the Irish Council, was the institution within the Dublin Castle administration which exercised formal executi ...
had just ordered that the Clan's confiscated and planted lands be restored to him. Taking revenge on Paulet was perhaps a sufficient motive in itself. O'Doherty was shot in the head and killed during the
Battle of Kilmacrennan The Battle of Kilmacrennan was a skirmish fought near Kilmacrennan, County Donegal in 1608 during O'Doherty's Rebellion. Sir Cahir O'Doherty was a traditional supporter of the Crown whose treatment at the hands of local officials had led him to ...
on 5 July against a counter-attacking force under Lord Powerscourt. O'Doherty was 21 years old. His surviving soldiers retreated and made a
last stand A last stand, or final stand, is a military situation in which a body of troops holds a defensive position in the face of overwhelming and virtually insurmountable odds. Troops may make a last stand due to a sense of duty; because they are d ...
during the Siege of Tory Island.


Legacy

His severed head was displayed on a spike over
Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...
in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
for some time afterwards. Niall Garve O'Donnell and his son Neachtain were arrested and sent to the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
, where they died. According to historian Brian Bonner, "While and where the old traditions were retained in Inis Eoghain, Cathaoir was seen as a mighty one of the
Gael 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 Gaelic ...
. He was loved and honoured. His memory was revered and relationship with his line was a privilege which brought dignity and status to the rightful claimant. The passage of time has now dimmed his memory and the English-speaking native community has developed a distorted view of this great son of Inis Eoghain. It is indeed a paradox that the planters' view of the 'villain' who sacked Culmore and burned Derry has been passed on to the descendants of those whom Cathaoir Rua strove to defend and protect." During the 1990s, the
Chief Herald of Ireland The Genealogical Office is an office of the Government of Ireland containing genealogical records. It includes the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland (), the authority in Ireland for heraldry. The Chief Herald authorises the granting of arm ...
offered recognition to descendants of the chiefs of some ancient clans ''as recognised under the English system of
primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn Legitimacy (family law), legitimate child to inheritance, inherit all or most of their parent's estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some childre ...
'', rather than the original
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 ...
succession practice of
tanistry 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 ...
, calling them the
Chiefs of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...
. The chieftainship of the Dohertys was claimed by Dr. Ramón Salvador O'Dogherty, who claimed descent from Cahir O'Doherty's brother, Sean. In July 1990, an O'Dogherty clan gathering was held and Ramon Salvador O'Dogherty was installed as "
Chief of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...
" at a ceremony in Belmont House (present-day Shantallow, County Londonderry). O'Dogherty received a traditional
white wand The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration, or Wand of Sovereignty, in the Irish language variously called the slat na ríghe (rod of kingship) and slat tighearnais (rod of lordship), was the primary symbol of a Gaelic king or lord's legitima ...
of office and a sword which Cahir O'Doherty bore at the time of his death in battle at Kilmacrenan in 1608.


References


Bibliography and further reading

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External links


O'Doherty Coat of ArmsO'Dochartaigh (Doherty) Clann
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odoherty, Cahir 1587 births 1608 deaths 16th-century Irish people 17th-century Irish people 17th-century rebels Irish lords Irish rebels People from County Donegal People of O'Doherty's rebellion Irish military personnel killed in action