Donnell O'Donnell

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

1590

Donnell attempted to depose his father, after he had grown weak and
feeble from age, and after his other son had been imprisoned in Dublin;
so that Donnell brought under his power and jurisdiction that part of
Tirconnell from the mountain westwards, ie from Bearnas to the river
Drowes; and also the people of Boylagh and Tir-Boghaine (O'Boyles and
Mac Sweenys of Banagh). It was a cause of great anguish and sickness of
mind to Ineenduv, the daughter of james Mac Donnell, that Donnell
should make such an attempt, lest he might attain the chieftainship of
Tirconnell in preference to her son, Hugh Poe, who was confined in
Dublin, and who she hoped would become chief, whatever time God might
permit him to return from his captivity; and she, therefore, assembled
all the Kinel-Connell who were obedient to her husband, namely,
O'Doherty, with his forces; Mac Sweeny-na-dTuath (Owen Oge), with his
forces; and Mac Sweeny Fanad, with his forces; with a great number of
Scots along with them. After Donnell O'Donnell had received
intelligence that this muster had been made to oppose him, he assembeld
his forces to meet them. The place where the son of O'Donnell happened
to be stationed along with these chieftains was Doire-leathan at the
extremity of Tir-Boghaine, to the west of Gleann Choluim Cille. The
other party did not halt until they came to them to that place; and a
battle ensued between them, which was fiercely fought on both sides.
The Scots discharged a shower of arrows from their elastic bows, by
which they pierced and wounded great numbers and, among the rest, the
son of O'Donnell himself, who, unable to display prowess or defend
himself, was slain at Doire-leathan, on one side of the harbour of
Telinn, on the 14th of September. Seldom before that time had his
enemies triumphed over him; and the party by whom he was slain had not
been by any means his enemies until they encountered on this occasion;
and although this Donnell was not the rightful heir of his father, it
would have been no disgrace to Tirconnell to have elected him as its
chief, had he been permitted to attain that dignity. AFM