Turlough Lynagh O'Neill

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Turlough Luineach O'Neill
)

Turlough Lynagh O'Neill (drawing in Pacata Hibernia, published in 1896)

Sir Turlough Lynagh O'Neill (

knighted
in 1578.

Birth and ancestry

Turlough was born around 1530 at Seanchaisleán ('Old Castle'), close to the modern town of Newtownstewart. He was the fourth son of Niall Connallagh O'Neill, tanist of Tyrone (1519–1544), and was fostered by the O'Lunaigh family of Munterluney. As tanist, Niall Connallach was designated to succeed his great-uncle Conn Bacach (1519–1559) as The O'Neill. Turlough's mother may have been Niall Connellagh's wife, Rose O'Donnell, the daughter of Manus O'Donnell, The O'Donnell of the neighbouring kingdom of Tyrconnell. Turlough was the grandson of Art Og McConn, The O'Neill (1513–1519), and was a direct descendant of Brian McNiall Roe, The O'Neill and ruler of Tír Eoghain (1238–1260).

1574 drawing of O'Neill

Tanist

Turlough was

Queen Elizabeth I. Shane came to London, but while Lord Dungannon was travelling from Newry to Carlingford he was killed by Turlough, almost certainly on the orders of Shane.[2]

Turlough as O'Neill

Making professions of loyalty to the

Queen of England in the year following Shane's assassination, Turlough sought to strengthen his position by alliance with the O’Donnells, MacDonnells and MacQuillans. In 1570 he killed Turlough MacSweeny in battle at Dún na Long on the Foyle. His conduct giving rise to suspicions, an expedition under The 1st Earl of Essex was sent against him, which met with such doubtful success that in 1575 a treaty was arranged by which O’Neill received extensive grants of lands and permission to employ three hundred Scottish mercenaries.[3] A further treaty in 1578, negotiated by Lady Agnes, confirmed Turlough's vast land holdings in Ulster, granted him a knighthood and the British titles of Earl of Clanconnell and Baron of Clogher
, for life, and allowed him to retain for life the personal army of Scottish mercenaries negotiated three years before.

Sir Henry Sidney
in submission. In the background Sidney seems to be embracing O'Neale as a noble friend.

Still, at the outbreak of rebellion in

Queen of England. Hugh was recognised by Turlough Luineach as captain of Tyrone, and as his Tanist, in 1593. During summer 1595 Hugh seized the last castle still held by Turlough Luineach, razed it, and drove him into the wilderness. He died between 9 and 12 September 1595, and was buried at Ardstraw,[4]
probably at the Franciscan Friary founded by his ancestors.

Turlough Luineach had successfully survived as "The O'Neill" from 1567 until 1595, a turbulent quarter century that saw the most concerted efforts by the English administration to weaken and marginalise his authority in Ulster. He is frequently depicted by contemporary English historians as a weak, drunken buffoon, but his continued survival as the O'Neill through this period speaks of his considerable skill as a ruler and of a sustained policy of successful compromise.

Patron of the Arts

Turlough Luineach has the distinction of being one of the most highly praised rulers by the Gaelic poets and musicians of his time. His father Niall Connallach had been a celebrated patron of the arts and Turlough Luineach avidly followed his example. He sheltered Uilliam Nuinseann when the poet was accused of conspiracy in the Baltinglass rebellion of 1580.

Family

His second wife,

Sir Henry Docwra's forces out of Derry
until his death in 1600. Sir Arthur was then succeeded by his own son, Turlough O'Neill.

See also

References

  1. ^ Encyclopedia of Tudor England, vol. 1, p. 822.
  2. ^ Falls, Cyril. Elizabeth's Irish Wars. Syracuse University Press, 1997. p. 89-90
  3. ^ a b McNeill 1911, p. 109.
  4. ^ Webb, Alfred, " Turlough Luineach O'Neill", A Compendium of Irish Biography, 1878
  5. ^ Alison Cathcart, 'Family, Kinship and Clan Policy in Sixteenth-Century Scottish Gaeldom', Elizabeth Ewen & Janay Nugent, Finding the Family in Medieval and Early Modern Scotland (Ashgate, 2008), p. 135.
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: McNeill, Ronald John (1911). "O'Neill". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 107–111.

Sources

  • Proinsias Ó Conluain "Dutiful Old Knight and Formidable Foe", Dúiche Néill, No. 13, 2000, pgs. 9–48.
  • Hiram Morgan, Tyrone's Rebellion, The Royal Historical Society & The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 1993.
  • H.C.Hamilton, E.G. Atkinson and R.P. Mahaffy (eds) Calendar of State Papers Ireland, 24 Vols, London, 1860–1912.
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