Siobhán O'Neill, Countess of Tyrone[1] (née O'Donnell; Irish: Siobhán Ní Domhnaill; died January 1591), sometimes anglicised Joanna, Joan, or Judith,[2] was a sixteenth-century Irish Gaelic noblewoman of the O'Donnell clan. She was the second wife of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, bearing him most of his children.
Siobhán O'Donnell Siobhán Ní Domhnaill | |
|---|---|
| Countess of Tyrone | |
| Born | Sixteenth century |
| Died | January 1591 |
| Noble family | O'Donnell dynasty |
| Spouse(s) | Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (m. 1574) |
| Issue | Numerous, including Alice, Hugh and Henry |
| Father | Hugh McManus O'Donnell |
| Mother | Nuala O'Neill |
Family background
editShe was the daughter of Irish chief Sir Hugh McManus O'Donnell, Lord of Tyrconnell.[3] Her mother's name is unknown.[4] Her mother was Sir Hugh's first wife.[1] Her mother was not Sir Hugh's second wife Iníon Dubh.[5][6][1] Historian Francis Martin O'Donnell has named Sir Hugh's first wife as "Nuala, a daughter of O’Neill".[7]
Historian Helena Concannon believes Siobhán was born c. 1569,[8] and that her mother was Iníon Dubh,[9] whom her father married in 1569.[2][10][11] However, Siobhán's marriage in 1574 makes that date of birth extremely unlikely.[12][1][4]
Siobhán's most prominent full-sibling was Donal O'Donnell. He attempted to depose his father, and in September 1590's Battle of Doire Leathan, Donal was killed by Scottish Redshanks led by his step-mother Iníon Dubh.[13][14] Siobhan's younger half-siblings included chiefs Hugh Roe O'Donnell[15] and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell.[16]
Marriage
editFrom the late-1560s to early-1570s, Hugh O'Neill (then 3rd Baron Dungannon) allied with many neighbouring clans to strength his political position.[3] Siobhán married O'Neill in June 1574.[17][1][5] Walter Devereaux, the 1st Earl of Essex, announced their marriage on 14 June.[2] O'Neill had annulled his first marriage earlier the same year, on the grounds of consanguinity.[18] This was in order to cut ties with his first father-in-law, who had been arrested for treason.[19]
In 1579,[20] O'Neill became frustrated with his failure to seize the title of The O'Neill from clan chief Turlough Luineach O'Neill. He repudiated his marriage to Siobhán, and planned to wed one of Turlough's daughters, in a ploy to become Turlough's tanist. His plan failed and Hugh reconciled with Siobhán.[3]
The O'Neill-O'Donnell clan alliance would develop further by 1587, when Siobhán's younger half-brother Hugh Roe was betrothed to Rose, O'Neill's daughter[21][10][15] (born from either an earlier marriage[22][23] or a concubine[24]).
Death
editIn a letter dated 31 January 1591, O'Neill informed Lord Burghley of Siobhán's recent death.[25][26] He remarried to Anglo-Irish noblewoman Mabel Bagenal on 3 August 1591.[27]
Children
editSiobhán and Hugh had two sons and multiple daughters:
- Margaret (fl. c. 1596) who married Richard Butler, 3rd Viscount Mountgarret[28][29] sometime before 8 October 1596[30]—possibly in October 1595.[31]
- Sarah (fl. 1595–1602),[a] who married Sir Arthur Magennis, 1st Viscount Iveagh[33] sometime before 4 March 1595[34] - possibly in 1590.[35] Through Sarah, Siobhán is an ancestor to the Anglo-Irish Wellesley family.[36][37]
- Mary (fl. 1608), who married Brian McHugh Og MacMahon.[38][39] According to historian George Hill, she is the same woman who married Sir Ross McMahon.[40][41]
- Alice[b] (1583[43] – c. 1665[44]) who married Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim.[45] She was younger than her sisters Sarah and Mary, and older than her brother Hugh.[43]
- Hugh, 4th Baron Dungannon (c. 1585 – September 1609); he died in Rome and was buried in San Pietro in Montorio.[46][47][48]
- Henry (c. 1586[49][48] – 1610); he became a colonel of an Irish regiment in the Archduke's army.[50][28]
Family tree
edit|
Issue of Hugh McManus O'Donnell (Aodh mac Maghnusa Ó Domhnaill; c. 1520 - 1600), son of King of Tyrconnell Manus O'Donnell (Maghnas Ó Domhnaill), and Judith O'Neill (Siobhán Ó Néill). First marriage: Nuala O'Neill[i]
Second marriage, 1569: Fiona MacDonald (Fionnghuala Nic Dhomhnaill, also known as Iníon Dubh), daughter of James MacDonald, 6th of Dunnyveg and Agnes Campbell.
|
Notes
edit- ^ Her death date has alternately been given as 1639, 26 April 1640, or sometime after 31 March 1642.[32]
- ^ Dunlop believes that her mother was Catherine Magennis.[28] More recently, Casway and Cokayne believe her mother was Siobhan O'Donnell,[1][42] which, based on Alice's birthdate, is more likely.
References
editCitations
edit- ^ O'Donnell 2018. Francis Martin O'Donnell names Sir Hugh's first wife as "Nuala, a daughter of O’Neill".
- ^ a b Walsh 1922, p. 362.
- ^ Ó Domhnaill 1952, p. 87. The historicity of this person is disputed.
- ^ a b c O'Donnell 2020, p. 7.
- ^ O'Donnell 2006, p. 37
- ^ a b O'Donnell 2020, p. 7. Francis Martin O'Donnell believes that Margaret was the widow of Teigue O'Rourke.
- ^ O'Donnell 2006, p. 38.
- ^ Walsh 1922, p. 361–362. Walsh believed that the sister married to Teigue O'Rourke was neither Mary nor Margaret.
- ^ a b O'Donnell 2006, p. 38. Gráinne and Meadhb are known only as sisters of the Earl (i.e. Rory), with no additional information.
- ^ a b c d e f Casway 2016, p. 71.
- ^ a b c Walsh 1930, p. 17.
- ^ a b c Morgan, Hiram (September 2014). "O'Neill, Hugh". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006962.v1. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b Walsh 1922, pp. 358–359.
- ^ a b Walsh 1930, pp. 17–18. Cite error: The named reference "FOOTNOTEWalsh193017–18" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ McGettigan 2005, p. 36.
- ^ O'Donnell, Francis Martin (15 November 2018). "The O'Donnells of Tyrconnell – A Hidden Legacy (Maunsel Irish Research Series)". Academica Press. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Concannon 1920, p. 218-219. "Siobhan was probably the eldest of the family, and must have been born not later than 1569." "We know little of Siobhan, who can hardly have been more than one-and- twenty, when she died in 1590."
- ^ Concannon 1920.
- ^ a b Morgan 1993, p. 124.
- ^ Walsh 1922, p. 362.
- ^ Canny 2004, p. 511-512.
- ^ O'Byrne, Emmett (October 2009). "MacDonnell (Nic Dhomhnaill), Fiona (Fionnghuala) ('Iníon Dubh')". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006337.v1.
- ^ Annals of the Four Masters
- ^ a b Morgan, Hiram (October 2009). "O'Donnell, 'Red' Hugh (Ó Domhnaill, Aodh Ruadh)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006343.v1.
- ^ Webb, Alfred (1878). "Rury O'Donnell". A Compendium of Irish Biography.
- ^ Canny 2004, pp. 511–512.
- ^ Canny 2004.
- ^ Casway 2016, pp. 70–71.
- ^ Canny 2004, p. 839.
- ^ Walsh 1930, p. 36.
- ^ Casway 2016, p. 78.
- ^ Morgan 1993, p. 96.
- ^ McGettigan 2005, p. 55.
- ^ Walsh 1930, p. 26.
- ^ Walsh 1922, p. 360.
- ^ O'Byrne, Emmett; Clarke, Aidan; Barry, Judy (October 2009). "Bagenal (O'Neill), Mabel". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.006953.v1. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Dunlop 1895, p. 196.
- ^ Walsh 1930, pp. 35–36.
- ^ Matthew, H. C. G. (Henry Colin Gray); Harrison, Brian; British Academy (2004). Oxford dictionary of national biography : in association with the British Academy : from the earliest times to the year 2000. Internet Archive. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-19-861411-1. "Shortly before 8 October 1596 he married Margaret O'Neill, daughter of Hugh O'Neill, earl of Tyrone, with whom he had three sons and six daughters."
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ Edwards, David (October 2009). "Butler, Richard". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.001283.v1. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ Walsh 1930, p. 39.
- ^ Dunlop 1895, p. 196; Casway 2016, pp. 71, 73, 78.
- ^ Walsh 1930, pp. 38–39.
- ^ Guinness, Henry S. (1932). "Magennis of Iveagh". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 2 (1): 97. ISSN 0035-9106.
- ^ Humphrys, Mark (21 May 2011). "The Queen's Irish ancestors". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ Humphrys, Mark. "The Queen's Irish ancestry". humphrysfamilytree.com. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ Casway 2016, pp. 71, 78.
- ^ Walsh 1930, p. 40.
- ^ Walsh 1930, p. 33.
- ^ Hill, George (1877). An historical account of the plantation in Ulster at the commencement of the seventeenth century, 1608-1620. Belfast: McCaw, Stevenson and Orr. p. 41.
- ^ Cokayne 1910, p. 174. "[The 1st Earl of Antrim] m., 1604, Alice, da. of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I], by his 2nd wife, Joanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell."
- ^ a b Hill 1873, p. 222.
- ^ Ohlmeyer 2001, p. 359. "O'Neill, Ellis (Alice), countess of Antrim (d. c. 1665) ..."
- ^ Casway 2016, pp. 71, 78; Cokayne 1910, p. 174; Hill 1873, p. 222.
- ^ Casway 2016, p. 71–72.
- ^ Concannon 1920, p. 218. "The inscription on the tomb in San Pietro in Montorio shows that her eldest child, Hugh, was born in 1585."
- ^ a b Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. p. 3006
- ^ Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1867, p. 459.
- ^ Walsh, Micheline (April 1957). The O'Neills in Spain (PDF). pp. 7–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2024.
Sources
edit- Canny, Nicholas (2004). "O'Neill, Hugh [Aodh O'Neill], second earl of Tyrone (1583–1616)". In Matthew, Colin; Harrison, Brian (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 41. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 837–845. ISBN 0-19-861391-1.
- Casway, Jerrold (2016). "Catherine Magennis and the Wives of Hugh O'Neill". Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society. 26 (1): 69–79. JSTOR 48568219.
- Cokayne, George Edward (1910). Gibbs, Vicary (ed.). The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. Vol. I (2nd ed.). London: St Catherine Press. OCLC 228661424. – Ab-Adam to Basing
- Concannon, Helena (1920). "'The Woman of the Piercing Wail' (The Lady Nuala O'Donnell)". The Irish Ecclesiastical Record. 16. Dublin: John F. Fowler.
- Dunlop, Robert (1895). "O'Neill, Hugh, third Baron of Dungannon and second Earl of Tyrone 1540?–1616". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. XLII. New York: MacMillan and Co. pp. 188–196. OCLC 8544105.
- McGettigan, Darren (2005). Red Hugh O'Donnell and the Nine Years War. Dublin: Four Courts Press. ISBN 978-1-84682-485-2.
- Morgan, Hiram (1993). Tyrone's Rebellion: The outbreak of the Nine Years' War in Tudor Ireland. London: The Boydell Press. ISBN 0-86193-224-2.
- Hill, George (1873). An historical account of the Macdonnells of Antrim: including notices of some other septs Irish and Scotch. Belfast: Archer & Sons.
- Ohlmeyer, Jane H (2001) [1993]. Civil War and Restoration in the Three Stuart Kingdoms: The Career of Randal MacDonnell, Marquis of Antrim. Dublin: Four Courts Press. ISBN 978-0521419789. (Snippet view)
- Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (1867). "PROCEEDINGS AND PAPERS". Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 5: 459.
- Walsh, Paul (1922). "Hugh Roe O'Donnell's Sisters". The Irish Ecclesiastical Record. XIX. Dublin: 358–364.
- Walsh, Paul (1930). Walsh, Paul (ed.). THE WILL AND FAMILY OF HUGH O NEILL, EARL OF TYRONE [WITH AN APPENDIX OF GENEALOGIES]. Dublin: Sign of the Three Candles.
- Walsh, Micheline (1974). "The Will of John O'Neill, Third Earl of Tyrone". Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society. 7 (2): 320–325. doi:10.2307/29740847. JSTOR 29740847.