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1558 AD Mary 1st the Welsh Spanish English Queen together with her husband Phillip 11 the King of Spain made an attack on France where they were defeated and she lost the English held French territory at Calais and shortly after this she was to die suddenly and the things went from bad to worse for Ireland. Her half - sister Elizabeth 1st Tudor the 25 year old daughter of Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn who he had beheaded, and although he had then declared her illegitimate and illegal she would now be the Welsh Queen of England until 1603 AD. She re - established the Ascendancy of the Episcopalian Church of England / Ireland in Ireland, which the Irish simply ignored, and during her reign she too was always backed up by those who lived in fear of having to return their confiscated land holdings to their rightful owners, both in England and Ireland. Coupled with outright oppression based on both ethnicity and sectarianism she was to bring about 6 individual Irish Rebellions against her in Ireland, known as the Elizabethan Wars. A couple of the positive results of this was that it created the fast Irish light horsemen / marchi who were also to gain a better knowledge of their own countryside and was to also bind the Irish population much closer together, whether Irish or Anglo - Irish. She was to use only English public servants to try and govern Ireland together with an English Military force and also put immense pressure on those who held to their Catholic faith kept strong by the Jesuit and the Franciscan friars who she came to detest for their resistance. (If history has taught one lesson it is that if you want to make anything stronger in relation to humans just persecute them.) (It was during her reign that the system of the Counties was also to be introduced into Ireland.)

Conor O Brien, the nephew of Donnell O Brian, and the son of the late Donough "The Fat" O Brien who had previously been the appointed English 2nd Earl of Thomond, was now created the English 3rd Earl of Thomond who from now on only acted as an agent of England and he was even given English Militia to protect him and he took no further part in the struggle by his own Irish people to oust the English ethnic and religious oppression in Ireland.

Elizabeth 1st had sent the English Earl of Essex to Ireland to increase the pressure on the Irish Septs and he arrived with an English Militia into Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province were he secured the Ui mBriain castles at Bunratty, Clare and Clonroad in Ennis as Donnell O Brian the Dalcassian nominated leader as the Prince of Thomond / Northern Munster also offered no resistance against him and went instead for his own protection to the north - west to the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Colla da Crioch Chief, "The Maguire" at Belcoo in Co. Fermanagh in the south - west of the Ulster Province. (Later on Donnell O Brian, although the future nominated leader of the Dal gCais, was to also be eventually knighted as Sir Donnell O Brien for his services to the English cause). This would leave the Dalcassians in Co. Clare totally leaderless as they had recognised him as the Tannist (heir apparent) to be the future King of Thomond / Northern Munster but he too was to completely sell out on his own Irish people, his Heberian Dal gCais ancestors and Ireland as a whole to become another survivor. After 1,500 years the Irish Heberian Dal gCais Kingdom of Thomond / Northern Munster was done away with, which had originated from 85.Cormac "Cas" the second son of 84.Ailill / Oilioll "Oluimm the Heberian 1st King of Munster. (Sir Donnell O Brien was to found the English Episcopalian O Briens at Ennistymon in Co. Clare).

The Dalcassian Septs were now in a desperate situation and rebellion broke out when the 2 sons of Murrough O Brian, the two brothers Donough and Teague O Brian called for assistance from their Anglo - Irish kinsman, Fitz Gerald the Earl of Desmond who had his stronghold at the old Carrigafoyle Castle, which previously had belonged to the O Connor's at Bally Longford in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province.

Donnell Mac Carthy / "The Mac Carthy Mor" was also created the 1st English Earl of Glencar / Clan Carty by Queen Elizabeth 1st the Welsh English Queen and he was a Heberian Eoghanacht descended from 85.Eoghan “Mor,” the oldest son of 84.Ailill - Oilioll "Oluimm" the 1st King of Munster, a brother to 85.Cormac "Cass."

Ferdoragh O Niall, died, who was an illegitimate son of Conn “Bacach” O Niall "The O Niall" the English appointed 1st Earl of Tyrone in the Ulster Province as his mother had been the smith’s wife. He in turn had produced Brian O Niall who was to die in 1562 AD and Black Hugh " of Dark Complexion O Niall who was to become the 1st English appointed Earl of Dungannon there and the 2nd English appointed Earl of Tyrone who would nevertheless, despite his strong English upbringing for an English purpose would eventually ally with the young Red Hugh O Donnell to try and drive the English out of Ireland after finding his real Irish heritage and becoming "The O Niall" in his own right.

1559 AD Conor O Brien now the English appointed 3rd Earl of Thomond in Co. Clare supported by his English Militia attacked Donough O Brian, the son of Murrough O Brian at his Inchiquin Castle near Corofin in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province, but his kinsman the Anglo - Irish Fitz Gerald the Earl of Desmond arrived in time to save him so Connor went to get Mac William / Burke the Anglo - Irish Earl of Clan Rickarde to join in with him. Together they went into battle against Donough and Teague O Brian at Spancilhill near Clooney - Quin above the town of Ennis were they were defeated and many of their Dalcassians supporters on both sides were to die in the battle, which once again only suited the English purpose.

Not long after this Conor O Brien the English appointed 3rd Earl of Thomond supported by his English Militia decided to raid the country outside of Co. Clare, but quickly returned on learning that Donnell O Brian had returned from the protection of "The Maguire" in Ulster Province and was now supported by Donough and Teague O Brian from Inchiquin Castle who had begun to carry out raids throughout Co. Clare itself. They attacked the Mac Namara’s Heberian Dal gCais Ui Caisin Clan Cuilen Rossroe Castle at Six Mile Bridge were Conor O Brien the English appointed 3rd Earl was residing and they burned the town there and killed over 100 of his men. Although they had by now been fairly successful they also found themselves under attack from all sides and in desperation crossed the River Fergus were they obtained galloglasses / mercenaries from the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Muscraige O Sheehys and Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn "Northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain Mac Sweeneys. Conor O Brien the English appointed 3rd Earl of Thomond supported by English artillery bombarded the Ballyalla Castle and the Heberian Dal gCais Septs in Co. Clare became further split between these two Dalcassian forces. Conor O Brien was able to hold onto the town of Ennis and the lands to the east as far as the River Shannon, which was still in Mac Namara territory. Donough and Teague O Brian, the sons of Murrough "The Tannist" O Brian held onto the west of Co. Clare and all of this internal confusion once again only contributed further to the English purpose of divide and conquer.

The Ulster Irish Chiefs who were regarded as the "Mere Irish" included the young Shane O Niall the Proud who was to become "The O Niall" from the "Northern" Ui Niaill Cenel nEogain who refused to speak English and became a champion to the Irish Septs in the north against Elizabeth 1st's continual ethnic and religious oppression spurning all English titles and was to also become "England's Greatest Fear." He was the younger son of Conn “Bacach” O Niall the English nominated 1st Earl of Tyrone whose father had been Conn “Mor” O Niall and whose brother Art O Niall was to be the father of Turlough "Luineach” O Niall who was also to become "The O Niall" with the assistance of the English. Shane O Niall the Proud was to be the last Irish Chieftain from his particular Sept who had his fortress south of the River Laggan at Newtownbreda in Co. Down on the Co. Antrim border in the Ulster Province. His father, Conn “Bacach” O Niall had died and there had been some confusion as to the rights of his older brother, Ferdoragh O Niall who it was believed was actually his son from the smith’s wife. Shane O Niall the Proud had assumed his father's title as "The O Niall" and destroyed the Castle at Newry in Co. Down, but was being impeded in his attempts to drive out the English Military forces there in Ulster by Sir Henry Sidney the English appointed Lord Deputy in Ireland, Another Irian Chief Owen Rory O More had also defeated the English Earl of Essex in a battle at Cloneagh in Co. Laois in the mid - west of Southern Leinster. Shane O Niall the Proud also came up against the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Colla Uais Mac Donnells in the north - east of Co. Antrim in Ulster and the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Cenel Conaill O Donnells from Tyrconnell in Co. Donegal in the west of Ulster where the aged Hugh "Dubh" O Donnell "The O Donnell," the son of Manus, was to marry Fionnuala Mac Donnell and produce the young Red Hugh O Donnell the last real Gaelic Milesian Ulster Irish Chieftain and his younger brother, Rory O Donnell.

This year, the English Bagenals / Bagnalls settled in at Bagenalstown / Muine Bheag in Co. Carlow on the Barrow River in Southern Leinster near the boundary of Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster where they would eventually play a big part in the Irish Catholic cause in the future.

During this period Peter Lombard who was the Catholic Primate of Ireland lived in security in Rome, while the Catholic Bishop of Derry continued to do his committed religious duty and ride around the Ulster Province despite the constant threat to his life from the English.

1560 AD Elizabeth 1st the Welsh English Queen of England had English Acts of Religious Supremacy and Uniformity over the Catholic religion of the people of Ireland passed and further moves were begun to extend the English Episcopalian influence throughout Ireland and it was decreed that all Catholic Bishops and clergy were to leave Ireland under pain of death, despite this hundreds remained to minister to the Irish Septs and the Anglo - Irish.

The Dunluce Castle, which is now only a ruin was on the high rock on the sea next to the Giant's Causeway at Bushmills in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province were it was held by the original Anglo - Norman de Mandevilles who later on changed their name to the Irish Mac Uillins / Mac Quillans (Descended from a son of Hugh) who were to be eventually driven out by the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Colla Uais Mac Donnells under Soyle Boye Mac Donnell who was then to struggle with the English to hold on to it, and it is now held by the Government in trust. Rory Mac Quillan had founded Bonamarghy Friary on the River Marghy at Bally Castle in Co. Antrim where there is a Mac Donnell tomb and the Mac Donnell's first residence is west of there in Dunayne Castle.

The Quin Abbey in Co. Clare was suppressed by the English Militia under the orders of Elizabeth 1st the Welsh English Queen and the friars driven out and it was converted into a English Military barracks and it was soon to be burnt by Donough O Brian and would be repaired once again later on by the Mac Namaras.

+On to 1561 AD - 1566 AD

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook and Denman the doorway to the Heart of Australia's "Horse Capital" in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales., Australia.

John & Sue Markham

RAINBOW FARMS 603 Roxburgh Road., Muswellbrook., 2333.

02 65 479 100 - Fax: 02 65 479 102 E - Mail: www.rainbowfarms@bigpond.com