Tyrone's Rebellion

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During the long, drawn out process of the Tudor conquest of Ireland; THE NINE YEARS' WAR 1594 -1603 (Irish: Cogadh na Naoi mBliana) (sometimes called Tyrone's Rebellion) was a struggle between the forces of Gaelic Irish chieftains Hugh O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill and their allies, against a final push by the English to complete their rule of authority over the whole island of Ireland. The war was fought in all parts of the country, but mainly in the northern province of Ulster. It ended in defeat for the Irish chieftains, which led to their exile in the Flight of the Earls to Spain from Rathmullan, Co Donegal, on September 14th 1607; and to the subsequent Plantation of Ulster with people from England and the Scottish Borders.

Ireland c. 1600

Issues leading up to Tyrone's open rebellion in 1595

1534 - 1535 - the Kildare Rebellion in which Thomas FitzGerald,10th Earl of Kildare publicly renounced his allegiance to his cousin King Henry VIII of England, Lord of Ireland

In 1539, Manus O'Donnell and Conn O'Neill led a raiding party into the English Pale around Dublin.

1569 - 1573 The First Desmond Rebellion led by James FitzMaurice FitzGerald

1571 - Queen Elizabeth I authorizes scheme for the Plantation of the Ards Peninsula, Ulster by Thomas Smith

1579 - 1583 The Second Desmond Rebellion led by Gerald FitzGerald 15th Earl of Desmond

1582 - Ulick Burke, one time Irish patriot, succeeds to his father's title as 3rd Earl of Clanricarde and declares his allegiance to the English Crown.

1591 - William FitzWilliam begins the policy of breaking up the hegemony of Gaelic lordship in Ulster by establishing an English sheriff in each of their territories.

1592 - Hugh Roe O'Donnell drives the English sheriff, Captain Humphrey Willis out of Tir Chónaill (County Donegal).

1593 - Hugh Maguire, supported by Cormac MacBaron O'Neill, combine to resist the establishment of Captain Humphrey Willis as Sheriff in Fermanagh.

The Nine Year's War

1594 - The Siege of Enniskillen - a Gaelic Irish force under Hugh Maguire and :Cormac MacBaron O'Neill lay siege to the English garrison at Enniskillen.

7th August 1594 The English, led by Sir Henry Duke and Sir Edward Herbert (Sheriff of Cavan) to supply and reinforce Captain Dowdall's garrison holding the fort at Enniskillen, were met by an Irish attack led by Hugh Maguire and Sir Cormac O'Neill at a ford on the Arney River, resulting in the Battle of the Ford of the Biscuits from which the English retreated in disorder.

O'Neill abandons all pretence of support for the English and joins the Irish rebellion

1595 - The English fort on the River Blackwater comes under siege. The Cockpit of Ulster - War Along the River Blackwater 1593-1603.

1595 - The Battle of Clontibret was fought in County Monaghan, May 1595 between the forces of Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Sir Henry Bagenal

1595 - Sir Hugh O'Neill Hugh Roe O'Donnell open negotiation with Spain for military aid in Ireland, bringing Ireland into the arena of the Anglo-Spanish conflict.

1597 - Sir John Chichester, Governor of Carrickfergus executed by Randal MacDonnell

1597 - The Dublin gunpowder disaster precipitated the rebuilding of Dublin

November 1597 - The Battle of Carickfergus between the English garrison at Carrickfergus led by Sir John Chichester and the clan of MacDonnell led by James MacSorley MacDonnell with support Hugh O'Neill resulted in a defeat for the English and the death of Chichester.

August 15, 1598 - Sir Hugh O'Neill Earl of Tyrone, with Hugh Roe O'Donnell & Hugh Maguire, lead an Irish force to victory over Sir Henry Bagenal and the English at The Battle of Yellow Ford (The Battle of Blackwater)

1599 - Robert Devereux Earl of Essex arrives in Ireland with fresh troops, establishes garrisons throughout Munster and south Leitrim; successfully besieging Cahir Castle.

August 15th 1599 - an English force under Sir Conyers Clifford moves north with fifteen hundred foot and a hundred horse from Connaught into Ulster in order to create a diversion as Sir Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex marches north to divide the forces of Sir Hugh O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone in Ulster. Clifford in ambushed and routed by Hugh Roe O'Donnell in the Battle of Curlew Pass.

November 1599 - A cessation of arms agreement between the Irish leader Hugh O'Neill and Essex who returns to England. Sir Hugh O'Neill sues for peace, his terms rejected by Robert Cecil.

September - October 1600 - The Battle of Moyry Pass between Hugh O'Neill and Mountjoy.

1600 - 1603 - Henry Docwra brings a fresh army into Derry with the object of capturing North-West Ulster and bringing the fighting there to an end. He succeeded in cutting O'Neill off from his allies in the North.

1600 - Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare turned his back on the English, giving his allegiance to Hugh O'Neill

October 1600 - the Battle of Lifford in which the forces of Hugh Roe O'Donnell who held the town were forced to retreat when the town was fired by the combined forces of Niall Garve O'Donnell, Sir John Bolles and Art O'Neill

1601 - Sir George Carew Lord President of Munster has retaken most of the principal castles in Munster and divided the Irish forces, negotiating a treaty with Florence MacCarthy and wearing down the forces of James FitzThomas Fitzgerald

1601 - The siege of Donegal by a force led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell against a the Donegal garrison, Irish troops and Gaelic forces loyal to the English led by Niall Garve O'Donnell.

6th December 1601 - The naval Battle of Castlehaven off the coast of County Cork between the English and the Spanish.

December 24, 1601 - The Battle of Kinsale fought between the invading Spanish commander Juan del Águila, the English general Charles Blount (Baron Mountjoy) and the Irish leader Hugh O'Neill

January 2, 1602 - The Spanish forces in Ireland surrendered to the English at Kinsale

5th to 18th June 1602 The seige of Dunboy Castle

1602 - The Burning of Dungannon - with the approach of Mountjoy's forces, Hugh O'Neill destroys his stronghold at Dungannon, Donegal and withdraws inland.

1602 - The March of the O'Sullivan Beare, 500 km north from the tip of Beara Peninsula at Dursey in County Cork, to Blacklion in the Breifne area of County Leitrim.

March 1603 - The Treaty of Mellifont is signed ending the Nine Years of War in Ireland

Postscript

4th September 1607 - Flight of the Earls - Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (Aodh Mór Ó Néill) and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell (Rudhraighe Ó Domhnaill)

1608 - O'Doherty's rebellion and the Burning of Derry

Sources

• Docwra's Derry; A Narration of Events in North-West Ulster by Henry Docwra 1614 ed: John O'Donovan 1849 ed: William Kelly 2003
• Elizabethan Ulster pdf by Lord Ernest Hamilton pub: London 1919
• Mahony : West Cork and the Elizabethan Wars 1565-1603
• Wikipedia Nine Years' War (Ireland)
• Youtube : Tyrone Rebellion

Those involved during Tyrone's Rebellion in Ireland -

Sir Henry Bagenal Marshal of Ireland

Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare (Domhnall Cam Ó Súileabháin Bhéara)

Charles Blount 8th Baron Mountjoy, 1st Earl of Devonshire

Sir Basil Brooke

Calisthenes Brooke

Sir Thomas Burgh 3rd Baron Burgh

Ulick Burke (Uilleag Mac An Larla) de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde

Thomas Butler 10th Earl of Ormonde

Sir George Carew President of Munster, 1st Earl of Totnes

Sir Arthur Chichester 1st Baron Chichester of Belfast

Sir John Chichester Governor of Carrickfergus

Robert Cecil

Sir Conyers Clifford

Juan del Águila Don Juan del Águila

Sir Robert Devereux Lord Deputy of Ireland, 2nd Earl of Essex

Sir Henry Docwra

James FitzThomas Fitzgerald

Sir William FitzWilliam Lord Deputy 1571–1575 & 1588–1594

Finghin MacCarthy Reagh Florence Mac Carthy

Hugh Boy MacDavitt (Aodh buidhe Mac Daibhéid)

Phelim Reagh MacDavitt (Feidhlimidh Riabhach Mac Dhaibheid)

Sir James MacDonnell (Sir James of Dunluce)

Randal MacDonnell

Hugh Maguire (Aodh Mag Uidhir)

Sir John Norreys Lord of Rycote

Nuala O'Donnell (Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill)

Feagh Mac Hugh O'Byrne (Fiach Mac Aodha Ó Broin)

Donogh O'Brien (Donnchadh mac Conchobhair Ó Briain) 4th Earl of Thomond

Sir Cahir O'Doherty Cathaoir Ó Dochartaigh

Rosa O'Doherty (Rosa O'Donnell; Rosa O'Neill)

Hugh Roe O'Donnell (Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill)

Niall Garve O'Donnell (Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill)

Rory O'Donnell (Rudhraighe Ó Domhnaill) 1st Earl of Tyrconnell

Art MacBaron O'Neill

Sir Arthur O'Neill

Brian Riabhach O'More

Sir Cormac MacBaron O'Neill

Sir Hugh O'Neill (Aodh Mór Ó Néill), 2nd Earl of Tyrone

Owen Roe O'Neill (Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill)

Brian Oge O'Rourke (Brian Óg na Samhthach Ó Ruairc)

Sir Owen O'Sullivan

Donal O'Sullivan Beare (Domhnall Cam Ó Súileabháin Bhéara)

Sir Alexander Radcliffe

Sir Walter Raleigh

William Russell 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

William St Leger

Edmund Spenser

Richard Tyrrell

Captain Humphrey Willis

Thomas Maria Wingfield