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1586 AD Fitz Gerald the Earl of Desmond was officially declared a traitor by the English Queen, Elizabeth 1st and the main part of his Munster Province lands were confiscated to the English Crown, and Edmund Spenser the Secretary to Lord Grey the English Lord Deputy in Ireland was granted 3,028 acres from his estate at Doneraile and the Fitz Gerald's Kilcolman Castle in Co. Cork. The Munster Province was then Planted with Episcopalian English settlers south of the River Shannon but not Co. Clare in the north - west, and they continued to use Gaelic place names. Sir Edward Denny was given Tralee - Traig Li - The Shore of the River Lee - Li, which in ancient times was named after the son of Dedad - Li Mhic Dedad, and he then took it upon himself to destroy the Dominican Priory of Holy Cross there at Tralee in Co. Kerry in the south - west of Munster and the Dominicans monks from there were then forced to go into hiding for 47 years until 1633 AD.

The Provinces of Munster, Leinster and Connacht had by this time been basically subdued by the English Government but not so in the Ulster Province where both of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Northern Ui Niaill Septs, the Cenel Conaill O Donnells in Tir Conaill - Tyrconnell in north - west Ulster and the Cenel nEogain O Nialls in Tir Eoghan - Tyrone in Northern Ulster still held sway.

Sir John Perrot the English appointed Lord Lieutenant in Ireland was worried by the friendship, which now existed between Hugh - hAed "Dubh" O Donnell - "The O Donnell," the son of Manus O Donnell, and Hugh "Dubh" O Niall, the son of Ferdoragh O Niall, the English appointed 2nd Earl of Tyrone in Northern Ulster who had previously been taken and reared in England for an English purpose. Hugh "Dubh" O Niall had since married "The O Donnell's" daughter, Siobhan and had come to realise what the English under Elizabeth 1st was really doing in Ireland to the Irish people and was now working towards uniting the Septs of the Northern Ui Niaill and the rest of Ireland under one leader and driving the English out of Ireland altogether. Sir John Perrot had also since taken strong measures to ensure that "The O Donnell" complied with his instructions by requesting that he should send his youngest son, Rory O Donnell to Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre) to be held as a hostage there to ensure that he did as he was commanded by the English Government. Under Irish Brehon Law hostages were taken by the Irish Chiefs to ensure good faith between the Families and they were treated as their own in their households and were given pledges in return. On the other hand the English always treated the hostages badly putting them in Dublin Castle prison where they did with them as they liked while giving no pledges in return or if they did they never kept their word. Hugh "Dubh" O Niall the 2nd English Earl of Tyrone had informed the English Council in Dublin that because of this it was impossible to find “volunteers” to act as “hostages” because they were treated so badly. Meanwhile Black Hugh "Dubh" O Niall the English appointed 2nd Earl of Tyrone had also formed an alliance with Fiach mac Hugh O Byrne - "The O Byrne" the Heremonian Cu Corb Ui Dunlainge Chief of Southern Leinster who had his stronghold at Ballinacor in the Wicklow Mountains in Co. Wicklow in the south - east of the Leinster Province in the vale of Glenmalure just to the south of Dublin. (The English had long learnt to their sorrow not to go there.)

1587 AD Hugh "Dubh" O Donnell - "The O Donnell" the son of Manus, was by now failing both mentally and physically and the Northern Ui Niaill Cenel Conaill Sept was to be split over who was to be his successor or heir - apparent known as the Tannist. Under the Irish Brehon Law, "The O Donnells" aged uncle, Hugh mac Hugh "Dubh" - of Dark Complexion O Donnell had already been chosen within 4 generations to replace him should he die or become incapacitated but there was also the prospects of another much younger rising star. "The O Donnell" had an older son from his first wife, Donnell O Donnell but he was not entertained as a very responsible prospect for the position but as the "The O Donnell" had married again his second wife Fionnuala Mac Donnell - Ineen "Dubh" had produced both the young Rory demanded by Sir John Perrot as a hostage and his older brother, the 14 year old Hugh "Roe" - of Red Complexion O Donnell. Both his father and mother wanted the position of Tannist to go to him eventually, although at the moment he was still very young he was considered the best prospect under the Irish Brehon Law, which allowed for the leader of each of the the Families - Septs to be chosen from anyone within four generations.

Hugh "Dubh" O Niall the 2nd English Earl of Tyrone, whose first wife had died, had since married Siobhan O Donnell, the daughter of Hugh "Dubh" O Donnell - "The O Donnell," who was also the older half - sister to the two youngsters, Hugh "Roe" O Donnell and Rory O Donnell and it was his intention also to betroth one of his own daughters from his first marriage to the young heir - apparent Hugh "Roe" O Donnell also to create a greater bond between the two Heremonian Dal Cuinn Northern Ui Niaill Families. Meanwhile the actual head of the O Nialls in the Ulster Province was Turlough “Luineach” O Niall who had been supported to the position by the English and was therefore considered only to be an English agent who was also a drunkard and in poor health and there was also to still be great rivalry among the rest of the O Nialls also as to who would eventually become his successor and included among these was his kinsman, the previously mentioned Hugh "Dubh" O Niall the 2nd Earl of Tyrone.

Autumn: Sir John Perrot the English Lord Deputy in Ireland devised a scheme to forcibly take hostages from "The O Donnell" from out of his territory in Tyrconnell - Co. Donegal in the west of the Ulster Province and to ensure its success he had to first physically remove "The O Donnell" himself from the scene in Co. Donegal so he had called him down to Dublin to explain why he had not sent his young son, Rory to Dublin Castle (The the Devil's 1/2 acre) to be held as a hostage. In the meantime he also sent John Bermingham, a Dublin merchant on board the Matthew under its skipper, Nicholas Barnes, to the village of Rathmullan on Loch Swilly in Co. Donegal on a nefarious mission to gain hostages from the Northern Cenel Conaill Sept by force. On arriving into Loch Swilly they purported to have brought wines over from Spain to trade with the Northern Ui Niaill Cenel Conaill, and Donnell Mac Sweeney “Fanad,” who held Rathmullan Castle there, then sent word down to Donegal town via his son, Donnell “Gorm” Mac Sweeney to the residence of the O Donnells to advise them of the arrival of a supply of wine. At first they could not understand why the wine ship had not gone directly to Donegal town itself or even to Killybegs, which was close by. As the young Hugh "Roe" O Donnell had been in fosterage with both Eogan mac Sweeney “Doe” and Mac Sweeney “Fanad” it was agreed that it should be he who would go and purchase the necessary wine accompanied by his friends, Donnell “Gorm” Mac Sweeney and Eogan O Gallagher, the son of Toole Gallagher. On arriving at Rathmullan the young trio were enticed aboard the ship by the English to sample the various wines and then kidnapped and taken as prisoners to Dublin Castle, which would then also ensure the removal of his young influence on his father, "The O Donnell." Sir John Perrot thought it would then be easy to coerce "The O Donnell" with his son out of the way and at their mercy and they locked him up in the Dublin Castle with his two young friends. When Sir Lucas Dillon came to see him there, who was also a friend of Sir John Perrot and a member of the Great Council, he could see that he had been brutally beaten as his left eye was swollen shut and his face was covered in bruises. To ensure further compliance, on the outside of the Dublin Castle there were many Irish heads impaled and left rotting on the spikes as a warning to any of the Irish looking on including the young, Red Hugh O Donnell or anyone who might think of attempting a rescue attempt.

Back in Northern Ulster, another Hugh O Donnell, the son of Calvagh O Donnell, seeking his opportunity also, had already formed an alliance with Turlough “Luineach” O Niall - "The O Niall" and they attacked the aged Hugh "Dubh" O Donnell - "The O Donnell," the son of Manus, and his ally Hugh O Niall who they were able to defeat. Feeling that he was now in the running to become "The O Donnell" in the future himself Calvagh went off to Mongalvin where he boasted once too often of what he had just done and was removed from the scene altogether when he was killed in a drunken brawl. Meanwhile the Hugh mac Hugh "Dubh" O Donnell - "The O Donnell’s" aged uncle, who was the original proposed Tannist, and his own nephew, Niall “Garbh” the Rough O Donnell were also at each other’s throats over the same issue, while Donnell O Donnell the older half - brother of Hugh and Rory was also gathering together all of his supporters waiting for the right moment to stake his claim to the future position of "The O Donnell." While all of this infighting was going on within the Heremonian Dal Cuinn Northern Ui Niaill Ui Conaill Ui Domnaill Sept in the Ulster Province, English soldiers under their commander, Willis had taken the opportunity offered by all this disunity to sack the Donegal Friary where they killed Teague O Boyle the monk in charge there and they manned it with an English garrison and began using it as their stronghold to raid the surrounding Donegal countryside taking hostages and chattels including cattle from the Irish Septs there.

Mid - May: Hugh "Dubh" O Donnell - "The O Donnell," the son of Manus, and his second wife, Fionnuala - Ineen "Dubh" arrived in Dublin and along with Hugh "Dubh" O Niall the 2nd Earl of Tyrone they went to see their son, Hugh "Roe" O Donnell now 15 year old who was locked away securely in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre.) Hugh "Dubh" O Niall had already offered Sir John Perrot 1,000 pounds to let the young Hugh "Roe" O Donnell escape from the castle but it was to no avail as he was too frightened of the consequences from his half - sister, Elizabeth 1st. Hugh "Dubh" O Niall then decided to await the arrival of Lord Fitz William who was to replace Sir John Perrot as the English Lord Deputy in Ireland as he knew he was more needy and greedy, as he had been in Ireland before, and together they informed the young Hugh "Roe" O Donnell that they would leave no stone unturned to get him back home to Co. Donegal. On the day Sir John Perrot was to leave Ireland Turlough “Luineach” O Niall - "The O Niall" was there in his usual role to see him off.

Meanwhile down in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, Donnell "Cam" O Sullivan had made a claim under English Law to regain his father’s title as the Lord of Beare Haven and Bantry in the the south - west of Co. Cork, which he had lost as a minor and which had by now lasted for two years and as his uncle, now Sir Owen Sullivan, by that time had also been involved in the Desmond Rebellion of the Fitz Geralds and was now out of favour with the English Government. By this time also in the eyes of the English, Donnell “Cam” O Sullivan too had been especially groomed to be another of their agents in Ireland for an English purpose also, so his title was eventually given back him. (The Irish during this period in order to receive a decent education or become priests were still forced to go to France and to Spain by shipping aboard the smuggling boats out of Bantry Bay in Co. Cork in Southern Munster.) This was the territory of the O Sullivan "Beare" who had his stronghold at Dunboy Castle at Beare, which was situated two and a half miles south west of Castletownbeare.

This year the de Bathes built Athcarne Castle at Duleek in Co. Meath in the north - east of the Leinster Province against the Irish Septs there and the Rathfarnam Castle was built in Dublin in The English Pale, for the same purpose, which is now in the hands of the Jesuit's today.

+On to 1588 AD

Situated on the western bank of the Hunter River, midway between Muswellbrook & 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