1561 - 1566 AD
1561 AD 125.Shane O Niall / The O Niall the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain King let it be known that 700 farmers had moved up to the Ulster Province from out of The English Pale region to gain his protection, and to make his future intentions well known he drove off the English under Fitz Gerald the Anglo - Norman English Earl of Kildare and Butler the Anglo - Norman English Earl of Ormonde and also made contact with France to supply him with 6,000 troops to support him in Ireland to drive the English out of Ireland altogether, which came to nothing. He had also captured his main opposition in Ulster, Calvagh O Donnell the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel Conaill Chief who had their kingdom and territory in the north - west, and also formed a serious attraction to his wife, Catherine Mac Lean, who after Calvagh / Calbhach O Niall's eventual demise he was to marry, and they were to produce the unfortunate young, 126.Art O Niall, who would die in 1592 AD after escaping from long term incarceration in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre) and his brother, 126.Aed Gavelach O Niall who would be executed in 1590 AD by the English authorities also in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's Half Acre) 125.Shane O Niall / The O Niaill had become "England's Greatest Fear" as he was now in control of all of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Septs in Ulster, and the English Earl of Sussex, who was also the English Lord Lieutenant in Ireland for Elizabeth 1st, decided that he would have to do something about him before he became too strong and attracted other Gaelic Irish Septs to the Irish cause in Ireland. The English Earl of Sussex set out from The English Pale in Dublin with an English Military force and headed north passing through the O Melaghlins / Mac Loughlins Heremonian Dal Cuinn "southern" Ui Niaill kingdom of Midhe / Meath in Northern Leinster and then on up through the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Da Crioch kingdom of Orghialla / Oriel to the north in Co. Louth and then into Co. Armagh in the south - east of Ulster to confront 125.Shane O Niall / The O Niaill head on, but 125.Shane O Niall was too smart for that trap and he kept his Irish forces out of harm's way. A few guerrilla skirmishes were to then be carried out by 125.Shane O Niall's forces along the way, and the English Earl of Sussex was then forced to wander on while continuing to look for him and his followers, and in desperation of getting any result the English Earl of Sussex also besieged other O Niall held territory in Tir Eogain / Tyrone up to Loch Foyle where he confiscated 4,000 head of cattle from the Irish Septs there, and then headed down to Newry in Co. Down in the south - east of Ulster.
Finally, realizing who she was really up against Elizabeth 1st the Welsh Tudor English Queen decided it might be better to offer 125.Shane O Niaill / The O Niaill an opportunity to put his case to her personally, and he accepted her offer and took the risk of travelling over to London taking along his Gaelic Irish entourage with him in all their splendour, including some of the galloglasses who also carried their battle - axes and coats of mail, and continuing the ruse by playing her game, 125.Shane O Niall openly submitted to her overlordship, explaining that he was in fact the real legitimate deal under the Irish Brehon Law as The O Niaill, and he also promised her to clear the east of Ulster Province of the Mac Donnells / Donalds the Scottish galloglass / mercenaries from the Hebrides. She especially detested, the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Uais Mac Donalds / Mac Donnells, who were strong committed Catholics, who had previously crossed over into Ireland and re - settled back into Co. Antrim in Ulster and 125.Shane O Niall, now feeling that his "official" position in Ireland was now recognized by Elizabeth 1st, could take over the territory there also in the north - east with impunity if he so desired, but on her behalf.
Unfortunately for 125.Shane O Niall - the Proud he was to play her game too well, and now feeling more confident than ever he was to decide to take on the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Uais Mac Donnells who had their stronghold in the Dunluce Castle in the north - east of Co. Antrim in the Ulster Province, situated on the high rock on the sea next to the Giant's Causeway at Bushmills in Co. Antrim where it had been constructed and held initially by the original Anglo - Norman Barons, the de Mandevilles who later on had Gaelicized their name to Mac Quillan / Mac Uillin (Descended from a son of Hugh). The Mac Quillans had been previously driven out of there by the Mac Donnells / Donalds who had returned to Ireland as mercenaries / galloglass from the Scottish Isles under Soyle Boye Mac Donald who then had to struggle with the English to hold on to it, and it is now held in trust by the Government, but it is only a ruin. (While in occupation there Rory Mac Quillan had also founded Bonamarghy Friary on the River Marghy at Ballycastle in Co. Antrim where there is also a Mac Donnell tomb, while the Mac Donnell's first residence is west of there in the Dunayne Castle).
125.Shane O Niall's other opposition in the Ulster Province for the overall authority was his kinsmen, the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Cenel Conaill O Donnells who had their kingdom and territory in Tir Conaill / Tyrconnell / Co. Donegal in the north - west of Ulster, where the "aged" Aed Dubh - of Dark Complexion O Donnell / The O Donnell was their King who was a son of Magnus O Donnell, and he had also produced the young standout Aed Ruadh / Red Hugh O Donnell, who was to become their overall leader in the future also as The O Donnell and one of the last real Gaelic Milesian Irish Kings in Ulster, and also his younger brother, Rory O Donnell who were both from his second wife, Fionnuala Mac Donnell, which also connected them firmly to the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Uais Mac Donnells - of Ulster.
1562 AD 125.Shane
O
Niall
/
The
O Niall
acted on his immediate impulses and besieged the
Scottish
- Irish
Heremonian Dal Cuinn Colla Uais Mac Donnells in
Co. Antrim
in the north - east of the Ulster
Province, who were by profession
galloglass / mercenaries
initially descended in the Scottish Highlands from
John Mac Donald the Lord
of the Isles, and were aristocratic warrior sons of the Lord of Islay and
Kintyre and they sent off signals to obtain reinforcements from the
Western Isles of Scotland, and they were to come
into conflict a few miles south
of Ballycastle with 125.Shane O Niall and his
followers able to successfully
defeat them by nightfall, and many of the Mac Donnell leaders were captured along with
13 of their Clann banners
and Elizabeth 1st was more
then overjoyed about this thinking that
the Mac Donnell Gaelic
Scottish Catholic toehold in Ulster
had been brought to an end.
125.Shane O Niaill with a further show of what his real intentions were,
then attacked the
south of
Ireland were
Fitz Gerald the Anglo -
Norman English
Earl of Kildare and
Butler the
Anglo - Norman English Earl of Ormonde
could not stop his new onslaught.
The Catholic Christ Church
Cathedral in
Dublin in the north - east
of
Southern Leinster,
which had been originally
begun by
Strongbow 11 the Anglo -
Norman Baron, and
Laurence O Toole, the first
Irish Catholic
Archbishop of Dublin
from the Heremonian
Ui Laoghaire Ui Lughaidh Cu
Corb
Ui Dunlainge Sept, on the
original site of an ancient Celtic
fort, had also previously been confiscated and taken over by the
Episcopalian Church of England and like
so many others by
this period in time
it too had also fallen into decay, with the massive roof actually
caving in
resulting in
damaging
Strongbow 11's tomb. (Much later on it would be restored to its
original condition at a cost of
250,000 pounds
by Mr.
Roe a
Dublin brewer).
126.Brian O Niall, died this year, who was a brother to 126.Aed Dubh / Black Hugh O Niall who was to become the third English Earl of Dungannon in the Ulster Province, as they were both the sons of 125.Fearadorach / an Fear Dorcha O Niall, whose mother had been the wife of the blacksmith, which had made him also an older illegitimate half - brother to the younger, 125.Shane O Niall / The O Niall as they were also both sons of 124.Conn Bacach O Niall who had been the previous The O Niall and overall leader in Ulster who had been the first to accept the position as the English Earl of Tyrone, which had upset the rest of the O Niail Septs, especially 125.Shane O Niaill.
1563 AD
125.Shane
O Niall
/ The O Niall from the
Heremonian Dal
Cuinn "northern"
Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain who was by now well and truly
"England’s
Greatest Fear" had his first
real defeat when he was this year driven back out of
Co. Armagh
in
the south - east of the
Ulster Province.
Donnell O Sullivan the 26 year old Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil King of Beare Haven and Bantry in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, was killed by his O Sullivan kinsman, Mac Gilli Cuddy, and as his son, Donnell Cam O Sullivan was too young, his uncle, Sir Owen O Sullivan became the new Chief there until 1592 AD, while his other uncle, Philip O Sullivan was elected as the Prince / Tanaiste / heir apparent and given control over Ardea Castle on the River Kenmare, but in the meantime the young Donnell Cam O Sullivan was then taken and educated as usual (as were all the sons of the main Irish Chiefs) in Waterford in Co. Waterford in the south - east of the Munster Province for an English purpose. (This would once again eventually backfire on Elizabeth 1st and her English officials in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre.). The O Sullivans being a Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil Sept in the Munster Province were subject to their overlord in Southern Munster / Desmond The Mac Carthy Mor - the Greater the Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil King, who had his kingdom and territory in Co. Cork.
Dermod Mac Brody,
from the Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil
Sept who was the son of Conor
Mac Brody the son of Dermod Mac Brody the
son of John Mac Brody, who was the Chief Professor
of Ibrackan in Co. Clare, died, and was to be
succeeded by Maolin Mac Brody.
1564 AD
Howth Castle
was constructed this year at
Howth
near
Dublin in
the north - east of Southern
Leinster,
as a further defence against the
Irish Septs
surrounding
The English Pale.
1565 AD
125.Shane
O Niall
/
The O Niall"
from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill
Cenel nEogain Sept now
assumed the overall
Irish leadership of the remaining
Irish
Kings
and besieged
The
English
Pale around
Dublin, with his
Ulster Province forces, of 4,000 foot and 1,000 horse, and for good measure this time also burnt the
English settlement at
Armagh in Co. Armagh in the
south - east of Ulster,
where he had previously suffered his first defeat and in
reponse.Elizabeth
1st the
Welsh Tudor English
Queen offered to appoint him the second English Earl
of
Tyrone
and Baron of
Dungannon, which he refused
stating he was above English titles as
The O Niall
and Elizabeth 1st
had English soldiers "planted" along his frontiers and his subjects were invited
to rebel against him.
Donnell
Mac Carthy /
The Mac Carthy Mor
- the Greater
who had his kingdom and territory in Co. Cork in
Southern Munster had also acknowledged the English Crown
under the surrender and re - grant of the territory of his
particular
Heberian Eoghanacht Chaisil Sept and had then been
appointed the first English Earl of Clan Carthy
and the
O Sullivans
who were now under
Sir
Owen O Sullivan
of Beare and
Bantry who had their territory in Co. Cork
also followed suite, and he was given an English knighthood
and
was subject
now to English Law, and controlled
rents were now introduced on their own Irish people against the
tenets of the
Irish Brehon Law of
Celtic
Irish
Tanistry, which was
a re - division of the land allowed only among the various Irish Septs.
Grace Dieu Abbey the previous home of the St. Augustine Catholic nuns in The English Pale around Dublin in the north - east of the Southern Leinster, was totally destroyed and the materials from there were used to build Turvey House in the north - west of Donabate near Dublin.
The
Irish Catholic
Bishops of Ossory
from now on were only to
have supervisory authority there, as from now on they would be
exiled until 1620 AD, except for
Thomas Strong who would still continue to reside in Ireland
under constant threat of death from 1583 AD until 1584 AD.
1565 - 1576
AD
The Geraldine War against Elizabeth 1st
the Welsh Tudor English Queen was to occur.
The Fitz Geralds the Catholic Anglo - Norman English
Earls of Desmond
held the territory from
Dungarvan to
Co Kerry -
Co
Limerick to
Co. Cork
and were still the most powerful
Anglo - Norman family in the south of
Ireland,
who were as always up against the
Butlers the fully committed Anglo - Norman English Earls of Ormonde, and
as
Elizabeth
1st
also wanted overall control over all of
the
Munster
Province also, the Butlers
began attacking the
Geraldine Fitz Geralds on
their confiscated Desmond Estates in Southern Munster.
1566 AD 125.Shane O Niall / The O Niall the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain King of Ulster was now once again on the move and he burnt the English settlement at Armagh in Co. Armagh situated in the south - east of the Ulster Province again, but later on he was to have another setback when he had to personally flee back to his castle on Loch Neagh in Co. Antrim there in Ulster after he was to be thoroughly defeated this time at Lough Swilly by Aed Dubh / Black Hugh O Donnell from the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Cenel Conaill Sept who was now the Prince / Tanaiste / heir apparent in Tir Conaill / Tyrconnell (The Land of 91.Conall Gulban). This was to occur while he was once again trying to further extend his overall authority in the Ulster Province against the O Donnells who now had their fortress in Donegal Castle in Co. Donegal in the far west of Ulster, as the O Donnells themselves had by now become the main secondary Sept of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill Septs, who controlled the river crossing at Mullaghnashee to the north - west of Bally Shannon. Sir Henry Sidney the Lord Lieutenant in Ireland for Elizabeth 1st the Welsh Tudor English Queen took an English Military force north to the mouth of the River Blackwater to pursue 125.Shane O Niaill / The O Niall who used guerrilla tactics once again against him, but once he was there he was able to capture 125.Shane O Niall's Coney Island stronghold in Lough Neagh, which allowed him to move into the Cenel nEogain kingdom of Tir Eoghan / Tyrone in Central Ulster.
1566 - 1576 AD Theobold Butler was now the Anglo - Norman English 3rd Earl of Cahir and Kilkenny in Co. Kilkenny / Ossory in the south - west of Southern Leinster, where they had their Butler fortress.