Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone
Hugh O’Neill was born in 1550 in Ulster. When he was a boy, his father was assassinated and Hugh was sent to live in the English Pale, the fortified English area around Dublin. Raised amongst the English, Hugh learned the art of politics and made many friends among the English. In 1568, Hugh O’Neill was created the second Earl of Tyrone, and he returned to Ulster to claim his domain.
Although the English thought they could use him as a buffer between themselves and the wild Irish, they had actually helped create their greatest enemy in Ireland. While continuing to show obedience to the crown, O’Neill secretly raised an army and sponsored minor rebellions. Eventually, he too rebelled and kicked off the Nine Year’s War (also known as Tyrone’s Rebellion)
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex
As a young man, the boisterous, head-strong, Robert Devereux had been a favourite of Queen Elizabeth. In 1599 he offered the Queen his services in suppressing O’Neill’s rebellion. Even though he had little experience as a soldier, the Queen put him in charge of an army of 16,000 men and sent him to Ireland with orders not to return until he had defeated O’Neill. However, upon arriving in Ireland, the Earl of Essex marched his army south, away from O’Neill. Although he won a few minor skirmishes and took a few towns, his army suffered massive attrition due to disease and desertion.
During this time, Queen Elizabeth wrote increasingly stern letters commanding him to attack O’Neill. Eventually, Essex turned his remaining 4,000 men north and began to chase after O’Neill. However, O’Neill was a master of guerrilla strategy and continuously avoided a major engagement, while slowly whittling Essex down.
Hugh O’Neill meets the Earl of Essex in the river
Then, Hugh O’Neill asked for a parley, saying he wished to regain peace with the Queen. Devereux accepted and the two meet in private, in a river, so that their conversation could not be overheard. No one knows what was said in that meeting, but it was enough to convince Essex to abandon his command and return to England.
Truly, Essex had been played the fool. Hugh O’Neill was an old hand at fighting when it suited him and then buying time with peace talks. Essex returned to England and was immediately arrested for treason, having left his army without permission. The repercussions of this crime would eventually lead Essex to plot rebellion and hence to his execution.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth sent a much larger army to Ireland, one that eventually defeated the forces of Hugh O’Neill. But Elizabeth never saw her victory, dying four days after Hugh O’Neill surrendered. Her successor, the Catholic James Stuart, pardoned O’Neill and restored him to his earldom.
Primary Information for this article comes from
A History of Ireland by Peter and Fiona Somerset Fry
The Pirate Queen by Susan Ronald
The Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by S J Connolly
Joseph Allen McCullough - Joseph A. McCullough was born in the town of Greensboro, NC, site of the Battle of Guildford Courthouse. In 1994, he graduated from the ...
Join the Conversation