Niall Garve O'Donnell Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill | |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms | .svg) |
| Born | c. 1569 Tyrconnell, Ulster, Ireland |
| Died | 1626 (aged 57)[1] Tower of London, London, England |
| Noble family | O'Donnell dynasty (Clann-Dalaigh "Lifford" branch) |
| Spouse(s) | Nuala O'Donnell (m. 1591; sep. 1600) |
| Issue | Naghtan (died 1640) Unnamed child (c. 1596–1600) Manus (died 1646) |
| Father | Conn O'Donnell |
| Mother | Rose O'Neill |
Niall Garve O'Donnell[a] (Irish: Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill;[7] c. 1569 – 1626) was an Irish nobleman and soldier, alternately a rebel against and ally of English rule in Ireland. He is best known for siding with the English against his kinsman Hugh Roe O'Donnell during the Nine Years' War.
Although Niall's paternal grandfather was O'Donnell clan chief and Lord of Tyrconnell, his own father was passed over in favour of his half-uncle Hugh McManus O'Donnell. After a violent succession conflict, Hugh McManus's son Hugh Roe—Niall's younger cousin by two years—succeeded to the lordship in 1592.[5] A long lasting bitterness ensued between the two cousins.
Niall initially fought for Hugh Roe and the Irish confederacy, but in 1600 he entered secret negotiations with leading royal soldier Henry Docwra. The English government hoped to harness Niall's feud against Hugh Roe and promised him the lordship of Tyrconnell for his military assistance. Niall defected in October bringing many followers with him.
Niall's skills in guerrilla warfare emboldened the English troops and allowed Docwra to significantly weaken Irish forces in Ulster. However, Niall's request that the English government not interfere with his promised lordship was incompatible with the Crown's plan for Ireland. After the war ended, Niall was not granted the lands or titles he was promised. In early 1608 Niall instigated fellow spurned loyalist Cahir O'Doherty to launch a rebellion in Derry, but he was quickly implicated and put on trial. Faced with a sympathetic jury that would almost certainly acquit, the government sent Niall to the Tower of London in 1609, where he remained until his death seventeen years later.
The O'Donel baronets of Newport House, County Mayo, were descended from Niall's grandson Rory.
- ^ O'Donovan 1854, p. 2389.
- ^ O'Sullivan Beare 1903, p. 136.
- ^ Newmann, Kate. "Niall Garbh O'Donnell (c.1569 - c.1626)". Dictionary of Ulster Biography. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ O'Neill 2017, p. 33.
- ^ a b Dunlop 1895, p. 443.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "O'Donnell [Ó Domhnaill], Sir Niall Garbh (1568/9–1626?), magnate and soldier". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20558. Retrieved 25 August 2024. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).