Hugh McManus O'Donnell

Lord of Tyrconnell, Irish Chieftain of the O'Donnells.

Son of Manus O'Donnell and half brother of Calvagh O'Donnell.

1542

An army was led by Manus, with his sons, ie Calvagh and Hugh, into
Lower Connaught. These sons and O'Doherty went on before the army, on a
plundering excursion, as far as Ballymote; and they plundered Mac
Donough, and carried off the spoils to O'Donnell. The chiefs of Lower
Connaught came to O'Donnell, and particularly Mac Donough of Ballymote,
who came in pursuit of his property; and they all paid O'Donnell his
rents on that occasion. AFM

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 Waiter 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

1555 - took his fathers side against Calvagh when he deposed their
father with the help of the MacDonnells.

1557 - enlisted the help of his cousin, Shane O'Neill to oppose
Calvagh, however O'Neills invading army was defeated.

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

1566 - Inaugurated The O'Donnell, due to the death of Calvagh and his
nephew, Conn, still being a prisoner of Shane O'Neill.

Hugh MacManus was now in a position to resume the traditional struggle
with the O'Neills, in which course he had the tacit approval of Sir
Henry Sidney (who had intervened in 1566 to restore Calvagh).

1566

A hosting was made by O'Donnell (Hugh, the son of Manus) into Tyrone,
in the winter of this year; and he committed many depredations. He
returned safe to his house. AFM

1567

John O'Neill mustered a very numerous army to march into Tirconnell against
Hugh O'Donnell, to plunder and ravage the country, as he had done some
time before, when Manus O'Donnell was not able to govern or defend his
principality or country, in consequence of his own infirmity and ill
health, and the strife and contention of his sons. The place where
O'Donnell happened to be with a few forces at this time, with Hugh Oge,
the son of Hugh Roe, and with others of his relations, was
Ard-an-ghaire, on the north side of the estuary which is called
Suileach; and hearing that O'Neill had arrived with his forces, in the
country, he dispatched messengers to summon such of his chieftains as
were in his neighbourhood, and he himself awaited there there; they did
not, however, come fully assembled at his summons. As they were here
waiting, they received no notice of anything until, at break of day,
they percieved just within sight, on the other side of
Fearsad-Suilighe, a powerful body of forces rapidly advancing towards
them, in hosts and squadrons; and they stopped not in their course,
without halting or delaying, until, without halting or delaying, they
had crossed the Fearsad, for the tide was out at the time. When
O'Donnell perceived this, he instantly drew up his little army in order
and array, and dispatched a troop to cavalry, under the command of the
son of O'Donnell (Hugh, the son of Hugh), to engage the vanof the
enemy, in order that he might bring all his infantry across the level
fields into a secure position, where his enemies could not encompass or
surround them. In the engagement which followed between O'Donnells
cavalry and the van of the cavalry of O'Neill, fell, by O'Neills army,
Niall, the son of Donough Cairbreach, son of Hugh Oge, son of Hugh Roe
O'Donnell. Some, however, assert that Niall O'Donnell was slain by his
own people. When the son of O'Donnell (Hugh, the son of Hugh) perceived
the numbers who were opposed to him, and that his lord had retired to a
place of security, he followed him, in order to await the arrival of
relief from his own people. Nor was he long in a depressed state of
mind, when he perceived numbers of his faithful people advancing
towards him, and rejoiced was he at their arrival. And when all had
arrived at one place, they formed no very great force, for they were
only 400 in number. To these chiefs O'Donnell complained of his
distress and injuries; and he protested to them that he would deem it
more pleasing and becomming to fall and to die in the field, than to
endure the contempt and dishonour with which he himself, his tribe, and
his relations, had been treated by the Kinel-Owen, such as his
ancestors had never suffered or endured before; but more especially the
insult and indignity they had offered him on this occasion, by
violently expelling and banishing him from his fortress. All the
chieftains assented to the speech of their prince, and said that all
the remarks and sentiments he had expressed were true, so that they
resolved to attack O'Neill and his army. The resolution here adopted,
of facing the great danger and peril which awaited them, was bold,
daring, obdurate, and irrational; but the love of their protegees and
inheritances prevailed in their heart over the love of body and life,
and they marched back with unanimous courage, in a regularly arrayed
small body, and a venemous phalanx, towards the camp of O'Neill. When
O'Neill perscieved them moving directly towards him, he became
disturbed in spirit, and he said, 'It is very wonderful and amazing to
me that those people should not find it easier to make full concessions
to us, and submit to our awards, than thus come forward to us to be
immediately slaughtered and destroyed.' While he was saying these words
the troops of the Kinel-Connell rushed vehemently and boldly upon the
army of O'Neill; not did O'Neills soldiers refuse to sustain their
onset, for when they had come within sight of them, they began to
accoutre themselves with all possible speed. Fierce and desparate were
the grim and terrible looks each cast at the other from their starlike
eyes; they raised the battle cry aloud, and their united shouting, when
rushing together, was sufficient to strike with dismay and turn to
flight the feeble and the unwarlike. They proceeded and continued to
strike, mangle, slaughter, and cut down one another for a long time, so
that men were soon laid low, heroes wounded, youths slain, and robust
heroes mangles in the slaughter. But However, the Kinel-Owen were at
length defeated by dint of slaughtering and fighting, and forced to
abandon the field of battle, and retreat by the same road they had come
by, though it was not easy for them to pass it at this time, for the
sea had flowed into the Fearsad, which they had crossed in the morning,
so that to cross it would have been impracticable, were it not that the
vehemence of the pursuit, the fierceness, bravery, and resolutness of
the people who were in pursuit of them, to be revenged on them for
their previous insults, enmity, and animosity, compelled them to face
it. They eagerly plunged into the swollen sea, and no one would wait
for a brother or a relation, although it was no escape from danger or
peril for them to have reached the dark, deep ocean estuary which was
before them. This was not an approach to warmth after cold, or to
protection after violence, for a countless number of them was drowned
in the deep full tide, though it would be happy for them all, as they
thought, to be permitted to approach it. Great numbers of O'Neills army
were lost there, both by slaying and drowning. In short, the total
number of O'Neills army that were slain and drowned in that battle was
1300; some books however state that O'Neills loss in this battle was
upwards of 13000 men. As for O'Neill, he escaped from this battle; but
he would rather that he had not, for his reason and senses became
deranged after it. He passed privately, unperceived by any one of his
enemies upwards along the river side towards its source, until he
crossed a ford under the guidance of a party of the O'Gallaghers, some
of O'Donnels own subjects and people; and he travelled on by retired
and solitary ways until he arrived in Tyrone. There were not many
houses or families who had not reason for weeping, and cause for
lamentation. Great an inumerable were the spoils, comprising horses,
arms and armour, that were left behind to the Kinel-Connell on this
occasion. This defeat of fearsad Swilly was given on the 8th day of
May. AFM

After O'Neill had arrived in Tyrone, he did not take ease, nor did he
enjoy sleep, until he had sent messengers to Scotland, to invite James,
the son of Alexander, son of John Cahanagh Mac Donnell to come to his
assistance. It was an omen of destruction of life, and the cause of his
death, that he should invite to his assistance the sons of the man who
had fallen by himself some time before. They came hastily with a great
marine fleet and landed at Bun-abhann-Duine, in Ulster, where they
pitched their rich, many-tented camp. As soon as O'Neill heard of the
arrival of the great host, he did not consider his enmity towards them;
he went under the protection of that fierce and vindictive host without
surety or security, in order that by their assistance he might be able
to wreak his vengance upon the Kinel-Connell. And the reception he got
from them, after having been for some time in their company after
having shewn the causes if their enmity and animosity towards him, was
to mangle him nimbly, and put him unsparingly to the sword, and bereave
him of life. Grievous to the race of Owen, son of Niall, was the death
of him who was there slain, for that O'Neill, ie John, had been their
Conchobhar in provincial dignity, their Lugh Longhanded in heroism, and
their champion in time of danger and prowess. AFM

Out sprung Aspucke, and beat O'Neales man, and then suddenly brought
his band upon them in the tent, where the souldiours, witht their
slaughter-knives, killed the Secretary and Shane O'Neale, mangled him
cruelly, lapped him in an old Irish Shirte, and tumbled him into a pit,
within an old chappell hard by: whose head four dayes after Captaine
Pierce cut off and met therewith the Deputy, who sent it before him
staked on a pole to the castle of Divelin, where it now standeth. Thus
the wretched man ended, who might have lived like a prince, had he not
quenched the sparks of grace that appeared in him, with arrogancy and
contempt against his prince. HISTORY OF IRELAND

1567 - utterly routed Shane O'Neill at Farsetmore, near Letterkenny, with
the loss of 1300 men, compelling O'Neill to seek refuge with the MacDonnells
of Antrim, who in revenge murdered him and thus terminated the career
of one of the most outstanding, though not the most admirable, figures
in Irish history.

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

The town of Turlough Luineach O'Neill, namely Srath-ban (Strabane), was
burned by O'Donnell and great injuries were done to O'Neill. AFM

Turlough Luineach O'Neill was stationed at Strabane, having a great
party of Englishmen along with him; and they were menacing and
threatening to go to plunder Tirconnell, in revenge of the burning of
Strabane some time before. When Hugh O'Donnell heard of this, he
expeditiously assembled his forces to meet them, and proceeded without
delay yo Druim-Lighean, where he encamped, precisely in the month of
June. A troop of O'Neills cavalry occasionallt went to offer skirmish
and battle to O'Donnells cavalry; and as O'Donnells people would not
refuse their challenge, great numbers were slain between them each day.
On one occasion the choisest part of O'Neills cavalry set out with
vigour, fury, contempt, and arrogance, against the Kinel-Connell, and
never halted in their course until they crossed the Finn and
Port-na-dtri-namhad, and advanced to the borders of O'Donnells camp.
O'Donnells people were unprepared at that time for an engagement;
nevertheless, they immediately sent out their squadron of cavalry to
attack them. An obstinate and merciless contest and conflict ensued
between them, which lasted for a long time. In the end, the cavalry of
O'Neill were routed as far as the river Finn, over which they had come;
and they were hotly, and without intermission, pressed in the pursuit,
and so surrounded and environed, that they were not able to make their
way to any ford, so that they were forced to face the river at the
point where they, torrent-like, rushed upon it. On this occasion,
numbers of O'Neills people were both drowned and slain. AFM

1585

A proclamation of Parliament was issued to the men of Ireland,
commanding their chiefs to assemble in Dublin precisely on May-day
(26th April 1585), for the greater part of the people of Irelnad were
at this time obedient to their sovereign; and accordingly, they all at
that summons did meet in Dublin face to face. All these nobles,
including Hugh, assembled in Dublin, and remained there for some time;
but the business of the parliament was not finished this year. They
then departed for their respective homes. AFM

1588

The Earl of Tyrone (Hugh, the son of Ferdorcha, son of Con Bacagh, son
of Con) mustered a very great army to march against O'Neill (Turlough
Luineach). The Earl never halted until he had crossed the Mourne and
the Derg, and ancamped at Carraic-liath. O'Donnell (Hugh, the son of
Manus) came to join the Earl, his son-in-law, with a number of his
forces but, however, he did not come with all of them. Turlough O'Neill
had on the other hand, a great army of unanimously combined forces to
oppose the Earl and O'Donnell. Niall Garv O'Donnell, Hugh the son of the
Dean O'Gallagher (who was then usually styled Hugh, the son of Calvagh
O'Donnell), with all the descendants of Calvagh, and their followers,
joined O'Neill with one accord on this occasion. These were then in
castlefinn. Some of his people were requesting of Hugh [O'Gallagher] to
make a nocturnal attack upon the Earl, who was then preying and
plundering the country between the rivers Finn and Mourne; but, through
pride and magnanimity, he did not deem this honourable, and said that
he would not attack an Earl in the darkness of the night, but that he
would give him a fierce battle in the broad light of day. This he
performed, for on the following day he attacked the Earl, and defeated
him. The Earl left behind great numbers of men, horses, and spoils, on
this occasion. This was on the Ist of May. AFM

1592 - abdicated in favour of his eldest son Hugh Roe O'Donnell.