Donnell Oge O'Donnell 1258 When Brian O'Neill heard of the death of Godfrey O'Donnell, he again sent messengers to the Kinel-Connell, to demand hostages and submission from them. Hereupon the Kinel-Connell held council, to deliberate on what they should do, and as to which of their own petty chiefs they would yield submission and obedience, as they had no certain lord since Godfrey died. Whilst they were engaged in such speeches, they saw approaching Donnell Oge, the son of Donnell More O'Donnell, a valiant youth, then 18 years of age, who had arrived from Scotland, and the Kinel-Connell immediately conferred the chieftainship upon him. This they lawfully did, as he was their own legitimate and worthy lord. When the Kinel-Connell told him of the message which the emissaries of O'Neill had brought them, he deemed it extravagant and exobitant. It was on this occasion he repeated the celebrated proverb, in the Albanian Gaelic, in which he conferred with the emissaries, namely, 'That every man should have his own world.' Similar to the coming of Tuathal Teachtmhar over the sea from Scotland, after the expiration of the royal race of Ireland by the Attacots (plebian tribes of the Firbolgs, who murdered the monarch Fiacha Finola, and all the kings and nobles of the royal Milesian blood in the 2nd century. The Queen of Ireland, who was then pregnant, fled from the general massacre into Scotland, where she brought forth a son, named Tuathal, who afterwards returned to Ireland, conquered the plebians, and restored the Milesian chieftains to their territories), was this coming of Donnell Oge, to consolidate themonarchy, to cement territories, and to defend his own country against foreigners, from the day on which he was installed in the lordship until the day of his death. AFM 1259 Donnell Oge assembled a very numerous army and marched into Tyrone. Hugh Boy O'Neill came with another army to meet him, and all the country was burned by them. They went from thence into Oriel, and hostages were given up to them in every place through which they passed, until their return. AFM 1260 A depredation was committed by Mac Maurice on O'Donnell. A party of O'Donnells men overtook them at Beannan Breacmhoighe (Breachmhagh, in the parish of Conwal, in the barony of Raphoe), and burned and killed some of them. AFM A great depredation was committed on Fitzmaurice by O'Donnell, who plundered the whole of the country. AFM A predatory incursion was made by O'Donnell, against the Kinel-Owen, after the battle of Down; and the greater part of Kinel-Owen was plundered and burned by him on that occasion. AFM 1261 A great victory was gained by O'Donnell over Niall Culanagh O'Neill in a battle, in which many of the chiefs of Kinel-Owen, under the conduct of Mac Cawell, Chief of Kinel-Farry, and many other chiefs not mentioned here, were killed or taken prisoners. AFM 1262 An army was led by Donnell Oge first to Fermanagh, and thence into the Rough Third of Connaught, and to Granard in Teffia (now Granard, a small market town in the county of Lonford, 4 miles north of Edgeworthstown); and every territory through which he passed granted him his demands and gave him hostages; and he returned home in triumph. AFM 1263 Donn O'Breslen was slain by Donnell Oge, in the bishop's court at Raphoe. AFM An army was led by Donnell into Connaught, and joined Hugh O'Conor at the Curlieu mountains. They proceeded from thence to Croghan, thence across the River Suck, and thence into Clanrickard; and they separated from O'Donnell; and O'Donnell proceeded across the Rivers Sruthair (Blackriver) and Rodhba (River Robe), through Tirawley, and afterwards across the Moy, and obtained his full demands from all. AFM 1265 The castle of Sligo was demolished by Hugh O'Conor and O'Donnell. The castle of Beannada (Banada in the barony of Leyny and county of Sligo) and the castle of Rath-ard-Creeva were also burned and destroyed by them. AFM 1270 Sligo was burned by O'Donnell and the Kinel-Connell. AFM 1272 Donnell Oge collected the vessels and boats upon Lough Erne and proceeded thence to Lough Oughter. The goods and valuables ~f the surrounding country (which were upon the islands of that lake) were seized on and carried off by him; and he acquired control and sway in every place in the neighbourhood on this expedition. AFM 1273 Donnell Oge assembled a considerable army, composed of the nobles of Tirconnel and Connaught, with whom he marched into Tyrone, and ravaged the country. AFM 1275 The Kinel-Owen came into Tirconnell, and desolated a great part of the country. Donnell Oge assembled his people to oppose them, and pursued them to the breast of Slieve Truim (short distance to the south of the village of Newtown-Stewart, in the barony of Strabane, and county of Tyrone), where they were defeated; and they left slaughtered men, many horses, accoutrements, arms, and armours behind them to the Kinel-Connell on this expedition. AFM 1276 Hugh Muimhneach (illegitimate) son of Felim, who was the son of Cathal Crovderg O'Conor, came from Munster into Connaught, and went thence to O'Donnell. O'Donnell and all his forces went with him to Echenach (Aughanagh, barony of Tirerrill, county of Sligo), and there parted from him, Hugh remaining in Connaught. AFM 1277 The castle of Roscommon was pulled down by Hugh Muimhneach, aided by the Connacians and Donnell Oge O'Donnell. AFM 1280 Donnell Oge ransomed Melaghlin, son of Manus O'Conor, and they received 400 cows and 20 horses for him. AFM 1281 The battle of Diesert-da-chrioch (now Desertcreaght, townland and parish in the north of the barony of Dungannon, in the county of Tyrone) was fought by the Kinel-Connell and the Kinel-Owen, between Hugh Boy, son of Sonnell Oge, son of Hugh Meth, son of Hugh, who was usually called Macaemh Toinleasc, assisted by the English of Ulster, on the one side; and Donnell Oge O'Donnell, Lord of Tirconnell, Fermanagh, Oriel, and the greater part of the Irish of Ulster, of Connaught, excepting a small portion, and of the entire of Breifny, on the other. In this battle the Kinel-Connell were defeated; and Donnell Oge O'Donnell, the most illustrious man of the Irish of his time for hospitality, prowess, splendour, and nobility, and the greatest commander in the west of Europe, was slain; and he was interred in the monastery of Derry, having obtained the palm in every goodness up to that time. The most distinguished of those who fell along with him were Owen, son of Melaghlin, son of Donnell More O'Donnell; Cormac, son of the Ferleighin (Lector) O'Donnell, Chief of Fanad; Cormac, son of Cormac O'Donnell; Andiles, son of Murtough O'Donnell.