Described by Henry IV of France as “the third great soldier of his age”, Hugh O’Neill’s aim was to undo the Tudor conquest of Ireland, but it ultimately ended in failure, writes Seán Beattie.

 

Hugh O’Neill (1550-1616) was the son of Joan Maguire and Matthew Feardorcha O’Neill. Born circa 1550, he was raised largely in the Pale. His father was assassinated in 1558.
He was an enigmatic figure in the history of rebellion in Ireland, and by the end of the sixteenth century, he posed the single greatest threat to the authority of Elizabeth I of England. His aim was to undo the Tudor conquest of Ireland. He played many different roles in his lifetime as soldier, politician and statesman. On the international stage, he won the admiration of Henry IV of France, who described him as “the third great soldier of his age”. His story is dramatic and has been the subject of novels, plays and films since his death.
His career can be seen under a number of different strands: his complex family background which was dominated by internal feuds; his four marriages; his tactical skills as a military leader in some of the most decisive battles fought on Irish soil; his role as peacemaker; and finally, his last days spent in exile in a foreign land. He personified the cultural clash that existed between Ireland and its neighbour. He was driven by a ruthless ambition but in the end, he stands at a crossroads in Irish history, marking two divergent paths, one representing the end of the old Gaelic order and the other, a new regime which ruthlessly pursued a policy of Plantation.

“Surrender and Regrant”
“Surrender and Regrant” was a Tudor policy designed to gain control of the Gaelic lordships. Irish chieftains had no security of tenure and were regarded as enemies of the Crown. At face value, it was a remarkably simple process. Under a new arrangement, the chieftain recognised the King as overlord and surrendered his lands. Chieftains also renounced their Gaelic titles and promised to enforce English law and customs, provide military service and pay rents to the Crown. In return, the King granted the Irish chieftain a new title and a charter for his lands.
It was an unusual arrangement, designed to strengthen the Crown’s control over Ireland’s chiefs. In reality, this did not work out as planned. Inevitably, disputes arose over lands taken over by the King and the policy fell apart. Conflicts over land eventually led to a bitter struggle between the forces of the Crown and Hugh O’Neill and other Irish chieftains. The collapse of the “Surrender and Regrant” policy was one of the causes of a bitter series of military engagements towards the end of the sixteenth century.

Hugh O’Neill’s aims
What were Hugh O’Neill’s objectives? In a list of 22 demands, the following stood out:
1. That the Catholic religion should be preached openly, following the slow demise of the Penal Laws and that there should be no restrictions on bishops, priests, Jesuits and other religious.
2. That all churches, abbeys, and other religious houses, with their tithes and church lands, now in the hands of the English, should be restored to the Catholic church.
3. That the Master of Ordnance should be Irish and that all occupations should be open to Irish people.
4. That O’Neill, O’Donnell and the Earl of Desmond with all their courts, should be allowed to remain in peace on their lands and be able to enjoy all the privileges enjoyed by their predecessors 200 years ago.
5. Priests who had been jailed in England should be released.
6. A Catholic University should be established.
7. All government officials should be Irish rather than English.
8. There should be no conscription into the English army.
9. Irish people should have the right to travel freely to England and other countries and trade between Ireland and other nations should not be restricted.
10. Ireland should have the right to built its own ships and maintain a shipping fleet.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own