Con O'Donnell


Son of Calvagh, son of Manus, son of Hugh Duv O'Donnell

1557

John (Shane the Proud) O'Neill, the son of Con, the son of Con,
assembled and mustered a very numerous army to proceed into Tirconnell.
They marched without halting until they had, pitched their spacious and
herothronged camp at Carraig Liath (now Caricklea), between the two
rivers, Finn and Mourne. News came to the son of O'Neill that the
Kinel-Connell had sent off their cows and herds into the wilds and
fastnesses of the country for protection; but he declared that not one
cow of them was inaccessible, for that, even though they should pass
with their cattle into Leinster or Munster, he would pursue them until
he should compel them to submit to his authority, so that there should
be but one king in Ulster for the future. As for the Kinel-Connell,
they were thus circumstanced: Manus O'Donnell was in bad health and
infirmity, and had now been for two years incarcerated by his son
Calvagh, who had assumed the government of the country. Moreover, his
brother Hugh, with his adherents, was in opposition to him, and was at
this time along with John O'Neill, his kinsman (John was his mothers
brother). When Calvagh heard that John O'Neill and his forces were
encamped on the frontiers of the territory, he pondered in his mind
what he should do in this great danger which now threatened him; and he
advised with his father, Manus, upon the military movement he ought to
adopt in opposing his enemied, whensoever they should come into the
territory. The advice which O'Donnell, his father, gave him was, as he
had not an army equal to that of the son of O'Neill, not to go forth to
meet him in battle, but to remain protecting his own people, until he
(O'Neill) should come into the territory, and then, if he were able, to
make an attack upon his camp, and throw them into confusion. He thought
that victory could thus be gained, and they agreed upon adopting this
movement. As for John O'Neill and his forces, they marched without
halting form Carraig-liath, across the Finn, close to Raphoe, through
the Lagan; and they halted, and encamped alongside of
Baile-aighidh-chaoin (Balleeghan), near the stream that flows from the
well of Cabhartach, where the army constructed booths and tents.
Calvagh and his son Con, were on that day at a meeting on the summit of
Beinnin with a small party, namely, only 30 horsement and two companys
of gallowglasses of the Mac Sweenys of Fanad. And when Calvagh heard
that John had arrived at that place with his army, he sent two of his
trusty friends to reconnoitre the forces. These two proceeded to the
enemies camp, and mingled with the troops, without being noticed; for,
in consequence of the numbers and variety of the troops who were there,
it was not easy for them to discriminate between one another, even if
it were day, except by recognising their chieftains alone. The two
persons aforesaid proceeded from one fire to another, until they came
to the great central fire, which was at the entrance of the son of
O'Neill tent; and a huge torch, thicker than a mans body, was
constantly flaming at a short distance from the fire, and 60 grim and
redoubtable gallowglassesm with sharp, keen axes, terrible and ready
for action, and 60 stern and terrific Scots, with massive, broad, and
heavy-striking swords in their hands, ready to strike and parry, were
watching and guarding the son of O'Neill. When the time came for the
troops to dine, and food was divided and distributed among them, the
two spies stretched out their hands to the distributor, like the rest;
and that which fell to their share was a ceinn-bheart (hat, helmet)
filled with meal, and a suitable complement of butter. With this
testimony of their adventure they returned to their own people; and
upon the exhibition of it, their entire narrative was believed. Calvagh
commanded his people to arm directly, which they did without delay; the
two battalions formed into one; and Con O'Donnell proceeded on foot
between Walter and Donnell (Mac Sweeny), having given his horse to his
father. They advanced towards the camp, and did not halt until they had
reached the central troops that were guarding the son of O'Neill. They
made a furious and firece attack upon the men in the camp, and both
parties then proceeded to kill, destroy, slaughter, hack, mangle, and
mutilate on another with their polished sharp axes, and with their
well-tempered, keen edged, herobefitting swords; so that men were
wounded, warriors disabled, by this body of men who had come into the
camp. When John O'Neill heard the noise of the heavy troops, and the
clamour of the bands, he was convinced that they were enemies who had
entered the camp, and he passed through the western end of his tent
unobserved. The night was rainy, very heavy showers being followed by
silent dripping, so that the rivers and streams of the country were
flooded. At last the army of the Kinel-Owen were defeated, with
dreadful havoc, by dint of conflict and fighting. As for John O'Neill,
not one of his own party followed him, but two only of the people of
Hugh, the son of Manus O'Donnell. He proceeded on by the shortest ways
and the most lonesome passages, until he had crossed the Deel, the Finn
and the Derg; and it was by swimming that he , with his two companions,
crossed these three rivers. Calvagh remained with his small army for
the rest of the night in the camp in which O'Neill and his army had
passed the beginning of the night in merriment and high spirits; and
they remained until morning drinking the wines of the party whom they
had defeated. On the following day they took with them, and displayed
with pride, many spoils, consisting of arms, dresses, coats of mail,
and horses, so that Con, the son of Calvagh, had for his dividend of
the booty 80 horses, besides the celebrated steed of O'Neills son,
called the Son of the Eagle. Scarcely had so much booty been obtained
at the battle of Cnoc-Buidhbh-Derg, which was gained by Hugh Oge
O'Donnell, the son of Hugh Roe, over O'Neill, as the Kinel-Connell
obtained on that occasion. AFM

1559

Calvagh O'Donnell was taken prisoner by John O'Neill on the 14th day of
May. This capture was effected thus: Caffar, the son of Manus, was at
strife with Calvagh and his son Con. Caffar had his abode at this time
in the Crannog of Loch-Beathach; and Con, the son of Calvagh, assembled
the forces of the country, and laid siege to the Crannog. Calvagh was
at this time at Cill-O'dTomhrair with a few soldiers, besides women and
poets; and some of the Kinel-Connell informed O'Neill that Calvagh was
thus situated, without guard or protection. O'Neill neglected not this
opportunity, but proceeded with the number of forces he had in
readiness, without notice or forewarning, so that they surrounded the
apartment of the monastery in which Calvagh was; and thus they made
prisoners of himself and his wife, the daughter of Mac Gilleain (Mac
Clean), and carried them off into Tyrone. O'Neill detained Calvagh in
close and cruel confinement, and, moreover, cohabitated with his wife,
the daughter of Mac Gilleain, so that she bore children unto him. Were
it not for the advantage taken of the Kinel-Connell on the occasion, it
would not have been an easy matter for the Gaels (Kinel-Owen) to carry
off their chief from them at the time. AFM

1564

Calvagh and Turlough O'Boyle repaired to Dublin to the Lord Justice, to
confer with him. O'Donnell received great honour and respect from him.
O'Donnell returned home, and came into Fermanagh, where he stopped for
some time; and O'Boyle proceeded directly to his own residence, where
Con, the son of Calvagh, had come to meet him. O'Boyle had not been
long at home when Con requested him to go with him to Donegal, to see
if he could take it from Hugh, the son of Hugh Oge, son of Hugh Roe,
who was in it at the time. Hugh at that time, held his residence in the
new tower; and he had sent Egneghan and Con, the two sons of Hugh Boy,
son of Hugh Duv, his brothers sons, into the old castle; and these were
the two who were betraying the castle to Con. Con and O'Boyle came to
the town by night; and the sons of Hugh Boy admitted Con at once, but
they said that they would not permit O'Boyle to come into them with his
people; and O'Boyles people said that they would not suffer their lord
to go from them alone. O'Boyle thereupon, went to the monastery of the
friars to make them a visit. Con O'Donnell and the sons of Hugh Boy
proceeded to demolish the tower in which Hugh, the son of Hugh Duv,
was; and they took no notice of anything until very numerous hosts had
poured into the town and around it in every direction. These are they
who were there: John O'Neill and Hugh, the son of Manus O'Donnell, with
their forces, which were very great and numerous who had come thither,
after having heard that O'Donnell was on his way from Dublin, and that
these other relatives were at strife with each other. Con, the son of
Calvagh, was taken prisoner here on the 14th of May; and marauding
parties of O'Neills army went forth through Tir-Boghaine, and slew the
son of Mac Sweeny and many others along with them. AFM

1574

Con the son of Calvagh, son of Manus O'Donnell, was treacherously taken
prisoner by the Earl of Essex, in the Earls own camp, and sent to
Dublin. AFM

1575


In the autumn of this year, Con, the son of Calvagh O'Donnell, and Con
  the son of Niall Oge O'Neill, who had been in prison in Dublin, made
their escape; and Con O'Donnell remained concealed in the forests and
wilds of his native territory, until the Lord Justice sent him his
pardon. AFM

1581

Great dissentions arose between O'Donnell (Hugh, the son of Manus, son
of Hugh Oge, son of Hugh Roe) and the son of his brother (Con, the son
of Calvagh, son of Manus, son of Hugh Oge), upon which Con went over to
the side of O'Neill (Turlough Luineach, the son of Niall Conallagh, son
of Art), to wage war against his kinsman. He complained of grievances,
and reminded him of the old fueds that had existed some time before
between the Kinel-Connell and the Kinel-Owen, so that he prevailed upon
O'Neill to muster a numerous force to come to his aid against
O'Donnell. Con had 120 horsement, and 3 comanies of gallowglasses of
the descendants of Rory of the Clann-Sweeny Fanad, together with many
Scots, and O'Neill with the largest number he could muster. These
forces made no delay until they had encamped at Cill-Tuathail,
alongside of Raphoe, a town which St Columbkille, and afterwards St
Adamnan, had blessed. When O'Donnell was apprised of this, he
immediately assembled all the forces that he could although he was
ill-prepared and disorganized, for he was subject to the Queen of
England, and his friends were till then at strife with him, so that he
was not prepared for war or hostilities. He could not however, brook
that an extern army should come into his territory without opposing
them, even though he was certain of meeting immediate death. AFM

The courage and high-spiritedness of Con O'Donnell were such that if
O'Neill (turlough) and O'Donnell (Hugh) were on one side, he would
engage with them; but now that he and O'Neill were on the same side, he
was more than a match for O'Donnell. O'Donnell advanced with his forces
vehemently and boldly towards the camp of O'Neill, without waiting or
delaying to draw up his men into any regular order or array. O'Neill
proceeded to reconnoitre them before they came up to him; and he
enquired of the Clann-Sweeny, who were along with him (and especially
of Turlough, the son of Rory), and of Con O'Donnell, what their opinion
was as to the probable result of that days engagement. One of them,
namely, Turlough, the son of Rory, made answer and said, 'If these
people draw breath, drink water, and form in regular order and array,
it is certain that they will defeat us, and would were we even more
numerous than we are; but if they come on without order, and without
taking time to slake their thirst, thou and we shall defeat them.' AFM

They now came on with boisterous vigour, regarding the Kinel-Owen as of
little account; for the Kinel-Connell had been accustomed to defend
their rights successfully against them in every place they contended
until then. But it happened that, when they met together on this
occasion, a furious and desperate battle was fought between them and
the celebrated proverb was verified on this occasion, ie lively is each
kinsman when fighting against the other. O'Donnell and his forces were
at length defeated, and a great many of his people slain. It was in
consequence of the curse of Bishop O'Freel that they suffered this
defeat; for a party of the Kinel-Connell had plundered Kilmacrenan the
day before the battle, and the Bishop had prayed that their expedition
might not be successful. This defeat was given on the 4th of July. AFM

1583

Con, the son of Calvagh, son of Manus, son of Hugh Duv, son of Hugh Roe
O'Donnell, died on the 13th of March. He was an accomplished and truely
hospitable man, a sedate and affable man, the supporting pillar of the
literati and the kerns; a man who had spent much of his wealth in the
purchase of poems and panegyrics; a man by no means the least
illustrious in name and character of the descendants of Niall of the
Nine Hostages; so that after his death Kinel-Connell might have been
likened to a harp without the Ceis (the heavy string or base string), to a
ship without a pilot, or to a field without shelter. AFM