Cahir O'Doherty Cathaoir Ó Dochartaigh | |
|---|---|
| Lord of Inishowen | |
 Contemporary illustration of O'Doherty's severed head on a spike in Dublin | |
| Predecessor | Sir John O'Doherty |
| Other names | Queen's O'Doherty |
| Born | 1587 Ireland |
| Died | 5 July 1608 (aged 21) near Kilmacrennan, County Donegal, Ireland |
Sir Cahir O'Doherty (Irish: Cathaoir Ó Dochartaigh or Caṫaoir Ó Doċartaiġ; 1587[1] – 5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Chief of the Name of Clan O'Doherty and Lord of Inishowen, in what is now County Donegal. O'Doherty was a noted loyalist during Tyrone's Rebellion and became known as the Queen's O'Doherty for his service on the Crown's side during the fighting.[2]
After the war, O'Doherty had ambitions to become a courtier and applied for a position in the household of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, but he increasingly came into dispute with Irish-based officials such as the Viceroy Sir Arthur Chichester and the Governor of Derry Sir George Paulet. In 1608 he launched a rebellion, seizing Derry from Paulet and burning it to the ground. O'Doherty was subsequently killed in a battle at Kilmacrennan, and the rebellion swiftly collapsed.