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1600 AD The Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlough O Kennedys, who still at this time had their territory at Lackeen in Co. Tipperary in the north - east of the Munster Province / Ormond, also joined in to support Hugh "Dubh" O Niall's attempt to finally rid Ireland of the continuing English oppression and religious repression of Elizabeth 1st. (In the later part of the Century also, they were to lose all, for their decision once again, to continue to stand up and be counted, when up against the terror that was Oliver Cromwell, who would by then be the English Commonwealth Lord Protector and finish up in Co. Wexford in Southern Leinster.)

Hugh “Dubh” O Donnell the aged, previous "The O Donnell" himself, and the father of Donnell O Donnell, the young Hugh "Roe" O Donnell who was now "The O Donnell" in his own right, Fionnuala, the wife of Niall “Garbh” O Donnell, and the younger Rory O Donnell, died, who had been the son of Manus O Donnell, a son of the previous Hugh “Dubh” O Donnell who had died in 1537 AD, who was also a brother to Hugh mac Hugh “Dubh” O Donnell (The aged Tannist) who would himself die in 1618 AD.

The Gaelic Irish Chiefs, who were still surviving at this time, were continuing to try and uphold the sanctity and traditions of the Irish Brehon Law, against the imposition of English Law, and were therefore in heavy conflict with Elizabeth 1st's English Government authorities, who had their stronghold in Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre), from were they were always trying to widen out the area they controlled beyond The Pale surrounding Dublin. Even though they were by now thoroughly oppressed by the continual Confiscations, Plantations, Persecutions and Deaths, the Irish Septs still continued to follow their Irish Brehon Law, their Irish poetry, their Irish history, and especially their Irish language.

Due to his submission during the Anglo - Irish Fitz Gerald Desmond Wars, O Connor "Kerry," the Irish Chief of Iraghticonnor in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province, had handed over his Carrigafoyle Castle, which was situated on the left bank of the River Shannon near it’s mouth, after his men were defeated there, and to try and survive he had then sided with the English. Now seeing a light at the end of the tunnel for the Irish cause he had now also joined up with Hugh "Roe" O Donnell / "The O Donnell," and would also fight alongside of him at the coming final Battle of Kinsale against the English forces of Elizabeth 1st in Co. Cork in Southern Munster.

The Irish and the Anglo - Irish Catholics in the Munster Province, rebelled again against the English Government's further repression there, and the English Episcopalian Planters, who had been put in there on the Confiscated Irish lands were in real trouble, although their numbers had been increased dramatically over the previous 30 years under the oppressive policies of Elizabeth 1st. Sir George Carew, her English appointed President in Munster, had pretensions of securing vast Estates there for himself, and to this end he was to ensure that the "Irish Rebels" on this occasion there were to be thoroughly defeated. Despite this particular regression, the immense success of the other surviving Irish Chiefs, in the Ulster Province, under Hugh "Dubh" O Niall / "The O Niall" from Co. Tyrone in Central Southern Ulster. and the young, Hugh "Roe" O Donnell / "The O Donnell" from Co. Donegal in the north - west of Ulster, was still encouraging to the Irish Septs also, in the Munster Province, along with the promises of Philip 111 of Spain to assist them to eventually bring an end to the ongoing English ethnic and religious onslaught.

Hugh "Roe" O Donnell / "The O Donnell," besieged Co. Clare in the south - west of the Munster Province again, to try and send another message to Donough O Brien the appointed English 4th Earl of Thomond, who was supported there by English Militia, and also to the Dal gCais Septs there, and on this occasion he was to reach as far as Loop Head, and then was able to return north to his own territory in Co. Donegal in west of the Ulster Province in ten days. Unfortunately, the Dalcassian people in Co. Clare, who were now under Donough O Brien's control, had no real Irish leader to uphold their rights, or their Gaelic Milesian culture.

Hugh "Dubh" O Niall / "The O Niall," was now known in Europe as the "Prince of Ireland," but he was also starting to have problems with some of his "Northern" Ui Niaill kinsmen, especially, Niall "Garb" - the Rough O Donnell, who was married to Fionnuala, the older half - sister to Hugh "Roe" O Donnell, who had become jealous of his rising success, and the position he now held in the eyes of all of the "Northern" Ui Niaill Septs. Because of his personal envy, he too had gone over to the English side, and taken over the Ross Nowlagh Friary in Tyrconnell in Co. Donegal in the north - west of the Ulster Province, were he now fortified it for an English purpose, and it was then up his young brother - in - law, Hugh "Roe" O Donnell to drive him out, which was a further distraction from their real problems with the English. After he was to be finally removed, the friars there were able to return and re - construct the building from amongst the ruins, which became important in Irish History, as this was to be the friary were the "4 Masters" later on, under Michael O Clery from Ballyshannon, were to write the "4 Masters - Annals of Ulster" in 1626 AD, which was to outline the History of Ireland, and the genealogies of the Irish people from 2242 B.C. up to 1626 A.D.

Hugh "Dubh" O Niall / "The O Niall," although reared as a minor by the English for an English purpose, to do the bidding of Elizabeth 1st in Ireland, was now preaching a "Holy War" against her and her religious repression in Ireland, and he went to the south into the adjacent Co. Westmeath in the north - west of Northern Leinster to also besiege the Heberian Cianacht O Carrolls, the Lords of Ely who were trapped on the very edge of The English Pale surrounding Dublin, hoping to also persuade them to see the light and to now stand up for Ireland. From there he went on down further into the Munster Province to see James Fitz Gerald the Anglo - Irish Earl of Desmond, who was now totally committed to the Irish Catholic cause, and bypassed James Butler the English Earl of Ormonde, who had also been taken as a minor to England and reared for an English purpose who was a committed English Royalist. Despite this, on the way he was to set fire to his stronghold at Kilkenny in Co. Kilkenny / Ossory in the south - west of Southern Leinster just to let him know were he stood in his eyes, and from there proceeded onto Co. Cork in Southern Munster to obtain submissions from the Irish Septs there, to further enhance his position as a possible overall commander and High King of Ireland. He then returned, via the Bog of Allen in the centre of Ireland, through the thick growth of willows, birch, hazel, pine, oak, elm and ash forests, that made it almost impossible for the English Military Forces to traverse, and where the deer and the giant Irish wolves were still very numerous. His own home territory in the Ulster Province was also still very dense at this time, and following this route, he returned to his stronghold in Co. Tyrone in Central Southern Ulster, and barricaded up the Gap of the North, which overlooked the south of there, and he then waited there in anticipation, for the imminent arrival of the support from the Spanish King, Phillip 111.

Charles Blount / Lord Mountjoy who was now Elizabeth 1st's appointed English Lord Deputy in Ireland, immediately offered 4,000 pounds for Hugh "Dubh" O Niall / "The O Niall" alive, or 2,000 pounds for his head, and following on from her instructions of "Slash and Burn" destroyed the territory of the Irian O Mores in Co. Laois in the mid - west of Southern Leinster near the The English Pale. With the assistance of Sir George Carew, the English appointed President in Munster, he also began to further carry out Elizabeth's 1st's "Scorched Earth" policy, reducing the whole of the Munster Province to dust, while carrying out terrible savage raids, especially in Co. Kerry.

May 22nd: Edmond Fitz Gerald / Fitz Gibbon, the White Knight and English appointed Earl of Kerry, had submitted to Sir George Carew, and had also refused permission for his kinsman, James Fitz Thomas Fitz Gerald the Anglo - Irish Sugan 16th Earl of Desmond to enter the town of Dingle in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province, so in retaliation James Fitz Gerald destroyed the town also. Listowel Castle on the River Feale in Co. Kerry in the south - west of Munster, was to be the last fortress of James Fitz Thomas Fitz Gerald the Sugan 16th Earl of Desmond, to fall to the English commander, Sir Charles Wilmot who then massacred the whole Irish and Anglo - Irish garrison there.

There where by now no Irish people left at all in Co. Galway in Southern Connacht, due to the ongoing War, and the terrible famine that was by now occurring, but the O Reillys the Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn Ui Briuin of East Breifne in Southern Ulster, who were kinsmen to the O Rourkes in West Breifne in Co. Leitrim, were still holding onto their territory in Co. Cavan. Despite all of the constant ethnic and religious repression, there were still at this time, Irish primary school teachers, carrying out their "hedge schools," for the Irish children, although they were always on the run in fear of their lives from the English Militias, and somehow the Irish were still in there hanging onto the majority of their land at this time. The bark of the mighty Oak Trees, that had been so treasured by the Druids and the Irish Septs in the west of Ireland, was now in great demand by the English, to be used for tanning purposes, and also the Irish Horses for their conformation and physical strength.

+On to 17th Century 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.

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