Conn O'Neill (Irish: Conn Ó Néill; c. 1572–1601), known as Conn Mac An Iarla[1][2] ("son of the Earl"), was an Irish soldier of noble ancestry. The eldest son of Gaelic lord Hugh O'Neill, he fought for his father in the Nine Years' War. Historian Paul Walsh described Conn as a "capable soldier".[3]
Conn O'Neill Conn Ó Néill | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Conn Mac An Iarla |
| Born | Between 1569–1574 |
| Died | c. December 1601 Tír Eoghain, Ulster, Ireland |
| Noble family | O'Neill dynasty |
| Father | Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone |
| Mother | Daughter of Brian McPhelim O'Neill |
Early life
editConn was the oldest son of Gaelic Irish lord Hugh O'Neill, and his first wife, who was a daughter of Brian McPhelim O'Neill of Clandeboye.[4][5] Conn's mother was possibly named Katherine[6][7] or Feodora.[8] He had at least one full-sister, who married Sir Ross McMahon around 1579.[9][10] Hugh also had another daughter, possibly a full-sibling of Conn, named Rose.[a]
When his grandfather Brian was incriminated in a violent conflict with English colonists, his father Hugh withdrew any association with Brian by annulling the marriage on grounds of consanguinity.[4] The case was judged in Hugh's favour by the Archbishop, Official and Registrar of Armagh. The children of this marriage were therefore shut out from Hugh’s noble lineage,[9] and Conn was considered illegitimate by English society.[9][5] The eldest son of Hugh's subsequent marriage, Hugh (c. 1585–1609),[11][12] was considered his heir.[2]
The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland suggests O'Neill's birthdate was c. 1577,[13] however by this time his father Hugh had already remarried to his second wife Siobhán O'Donnell. Conn's birthdate was prior to his father's annulment, meaning he was born sometime between 1569 and 1574.[4]
Career
editAt the start of the Nine Years' War Hugh sent Conn on a raid into Monaghan.[2] When Hugh went into open rebellion in early 1595, Conn was one of his most "efficient" captains.[5] That year he took possession of Fort Monaghan.[14]
In 1599, O'Neill commanded 300 men.[15] He organised a riverside conference with the English on 7 September 1599.[16] He was wounded near Kilmallock in 1600.[3][15] In 1601, he was at the head of 20 cavaliers and 100 foot soldiers.[15] On 9 December, it was reported that "Con, Tyrone's base son, is lately dead in [Tír Eoghain]".[3]
Legacy
editConn's son, Feardorcha, took part in the Flight of the Earls, leaving Ireland for mainland Europe.[14][3][17]
References
editNotes
editCitations
edit- ^ Morgan 1993, pp. 69–70.
- ^ a b c Morgan, Hiram (September 2014). "O'Neill, Hugh". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006962.v1. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Walsh 1930, p. 30.
- ^ a b c Casway 2016, pp. 70–71.
- ^ a b c Walsh 1930, p. 29.
- ^ Canny 2004, p. 839.
- ^ Neary, Marina J. (2010). "Hugh O'Neill: a Provocateur of Fate". Bewildering Stories. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ Gibson 2013. "Hugh O’Neill [d.1616] m Feodora O’Neill"
- ^ a b c Casway 2016, p. 71.
- ^ Walsh 1930, p. 33.
- ^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. p. 3006
- ^ Casway 2016.
- ^ Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1867, pp. 458–459.
- ^ a b Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1867, pp. 458, 461.
- ^ a b c Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1867, p. 458.
- ^ Brewer & Bullen 1869, p. 324.
- ^ Hegarty 2010.
Sources
edit- Brewer, J. S.; Bullen, W., eds. (1869). Calendar of Carew Manuscripts in the Lambeth Library. Vol III: 1599-1600. (6 vols, 1867–73). London: Longman & Co., et al.
- Canny, Nicholas (2004). "O'Neill, Hugh [Aodh O'Neill], second earl of Tyrone (1583–1616)". In Matthew, Colin; Harrison, Brian (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 41. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 837–845. ISBN 0-19-861391-1.
- Casway, Jerrold (2016). "Catherine Magennis and the Wives of Hugh O'Neill". Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society. 26 (1): 69–79. JSTOR 48568219.
- Gibson, Joyce, ed. (August 2013). IRELAND IN TUDOR TIMES (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- Hegarty, Roddy (2010). Imeacht Na nIarlí: The Flight of the Earls: 1607 - 2007 (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2024.
- Morgan, Hiram (1993). Tyrone's Rebellion: The outbreak of the Nine Years' War in Tudor Ireland. London: The Boydell Press. ISBN 0-85115-683-5.
- Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (1867). "PROCEEDINGS AND PAPERS". Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 5: 459.
- Walsh, Paul (1930). Walsh, Paul (ed.). The Will and Family of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone [with an Appendix of Genealogies] (PDF). Dublin: Sign of the Three Candles. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 May 2024.