Hugh Roe O'Donnell

=== Capture at Rathmullan ===

=== Capture at Rathmullan ===

The English government feared the emergence of a powerful O'Neill-O'Donnell alliance, which would be cemented by O'Donnell's marriage to Rose, would threaten English control over [[Ulster]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Morgan|1y=1993|1pp=128, 135|2a1=McGinty|2y=2013|2p=21}} Though Tyrone professed loyalty to the Crown, he was attracting suspicion from the government due to his growing power. O'Donnell's father had also failed to pay his promised annual rents, and hostages were often kept for policy reasons. Ultimately the government decided that O'Donnell must not be allowed to succeed as clan chief.{{sfnm|1a1=Morgan|1y=1993|2a1=McGettigan|2y=2005|2pp=41–42|1pp=85, 128}}{{efn|[[Hugh Dubh O'Donnell|Hugh McHugh Dubh]] was a prominent contender for clan chief, and the government suggested him as a preferred successor.{{sfn|Morgan|1993|p=128}}}} In May 1587, [[Lord Deputy of Ireland|Lord Deputy]] [[John Perrot]] proposed to [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley|Lord Burghley]] he could capture O'Donnell or his parents by sending a boat with wines.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/calendarofstatep3158grea |title=Calendar of the State Papers Relating to Ireland, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1586 – 1588, July. |publisher=George E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode |year=1877 |editor-last=Hamilton |editor-first=Hans Claude |page=338}}</ref>

The English government feared the emergence of a powerful O'Neill-O'Donnell alliance, which would be cemented by O'Donnell's marriage to Rose, would threaten English control over [[Ulster]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Morgan|1y=1993|1pp=128, 135|2a1=McGinty|2y=2013|2p=21}} Though Tyrone professed loyalty to the Crown, he was attracting suspicion from the government due to his growing power. O'Donnell's father had also failed to pay his promised annual rents, and hostages were often kept for policy reasons. Ultimately the government decided that O'Donnell must not be allowed to succeed as clan chief.{{sfnm|1a1=Morgan|1y=1993|2a1=McGettigan|2y=2005|2pp=41–42|1pp=85, 128}}{{efn|[[Hugh Dubh O'Donnell|Hugh McHugh Dubh]] was a prominent contender for clan chief, and the government suggested him as a preferred successor.{{sfn|Morgan|1993|p=128}}}} In May 1587, [[Lord Deputy of Ireland|Lord Deputy]] [[John Perrot]] proposed to [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley|Lord Burghley]] he could capture O'Donnell or his parents by sending a boat with wines.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/calendarofstatep3158grea |title=Calendar of the State Papers Relating to Ireland, of the Reign of Elizabeth, 1586 – 1588, July. |publisher=George E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode |year=1877 |editor-last=Hamilton |editor-first=Hans Claude |page=338}}</ref>

[[File:John Perrot.png|thumb|Lord Deputy [[John Perrot]] authorised O'Donnell's kidnapping.|alt=A color portrait of a middle-aged man in medieval English costume]]In September, Hugh McManus was summoned to a conference with Perrot.{{sfn|Morgan|2009|loc=2nd paragraph}} Meanwhile the ship ''Matthew'', captained by Dublin merchant Nicholas Barnes,<!-- Modern historians prefer "Nicholas Barnes", not "Nicholas Skipper".--> was dispatched to [[Rathmullan]] on [[Lough Swilly]],{{Sfn|McGettigan|2005|p=42}} where fourteen-year-old<!-- Some sources incorrectly state that O'Donnell was fifteen. Per primary sources (O'Clery O'Clery Murphy 1895, p. 9; O'Sullivan Beare 1903, p. 42.) and his birthdate stated above, he would have been fourteen.--> Hugh Roe O'Donnell was sojourning with his foster-father MacSweeney na dTuath.{{Sfn|Mac Eiteagáin|2004}}{{efn|MacSweeney na dTuath was Hugh Roe's foster-father, but Rathmullan was the stronghold of Clan MacSweeney [[Fanad]], a related but distinct branch of Clan MacSweeney.{{sfn|McGettigan|2005|pp=27, 37–38}}}} The ship was anchored and the crew went on shore under the guise of ordinary merchants selling wine. O'Donnell heard of the merchant ship and arrived with several young companions. Barnes claimed he had no wine left unsold except for what was left on the ship, and invited O'Donnell aboard.{{Sfn|McGettigan|2005|p=42}} Chief Donnell MacSweeney Fanad (O'Donnell's host) was ashamed the young noble had missed out on the wine and unwittingly encouraged him to take a small boat to the ''Matthew''.{{Sfnm|1a1=O'Clery|1a2=O'Clery|1a3=Murphy|1y=1895|1pp=9–11|2a1=Walsh|2y=1939|2p=236|1ps=: primary source|2ps=: secondary source}}

[[File:John Perrot.png|thumb|Lord Deputy [[John Perrot]] authorised O'Donnell's kidnapping.|alt=A color portrait of a middle-aged man in medieval English costume]]In September, Hugh McManus was summoned to a conference with Perrot.{{sfn|Morgan|2009|loc=2nd paragraph}} Meanwhile the ship ''Matthew'', captained by Dublin merchant Nicholas Barnes,<!-- Modern historians prefer "Nicholas Barnes", not "Nicholas Skipper".--> was dispatched to [[Rathmullan]] on [[Lough Swilly]],{{sfnm|1a1=McGettigan|1y=2005|1p=42|2loc=2nd paragraph|2y=2009|2a1=Morgan}} where fourteen-year-old<!-- Some sources incorrectly state that O'Donnell was fifteen. Per primary sources (O'Clery O'Clery Murphy 1895, p. 9; O'Sullivan Beare 1903, p. 42.) and his birthdate stated above, he would have been fourteen.--> Hugh Roe O'Donnell was sojourning with his foster-father MacSweeney na dTuath.{{Sfn|Mac Eiteagáin|2004}}{{efn|MacSweeney na dTuath was Hugh Roe's foster-father, but Rathmullan was the stronghold of Clan MacSweeney [[Fanad]], a related but distinct branch of Clan MacSweeney.{{sfn|McGettigan|2005|pp=27, 37–38}}}} The ship was anchored and the crew went on shore under the guise of ordinary merchants selling wine. O'Donnell heard of the merchant ship and arrived with several young companions. Barnes claimed he had no wine left unsold except for what was left on the ship, and invited O'Donnell aboard.{{Sfn|McGettigan|2005|p=42}} Chief Donnell MacSweeney Fanad (O'Donnell's host) was ashamed the young noble had missed out on the wine and unwittingly encouraged him to take a small boat to the ''Matthew''.{{Sfnm|1a1=O'Clery|1a2=O'Clery|1a3=Murphy|1y=1895|1pp=9–11|2a1=Walsh|2y=1939|2p=236|1ps=: primary source|2ps=: secondary source}}

Chief MacSweeney Fanad, Chief MacSweeney na dTuath and Eoin O'Gallagher accompanied O'Donnell onto the ''Matthew''.{{sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}} Once on board, O'Donnell and his compatriots were conducted into a secured cabin and plied with food and wine. Whilst they were enjoying themselves, the hatches were fastened and their weapons were removed.{{sfn|O'Clery|O'Clery|Murphy|1895|pp=9–11}} MacSweeney Fanad, MacSweeney na dTuath and O'Gallagher were released, each in exchange for giving a young family member as a hostage.{{Sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}}{{Efn|[[Philip O'Sullivan Beare]] stated Chief MacSweeney Fanad, Chief MacSweeney na dTuath and Eoin O'Gallagher had accompanied Hugh Roe onto the ''Matthew'', and were later exchanged for younger hostages once captured.{{sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}} Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh described Hugh Roe's boarding party as "thoughtless forward persons who were with him though they were older in years".{{Sfn|O'Clery|O'Clery|Murphy|1895|pp=9–11}} Sources differ on the identity of Hugh Roe's fellow hostages. Once Perrot arrived in Dublin, he reported they had captured three boys in addition to Hugh Roe: the eldest sons of MacSweeneys na dTuath and Fanad and "the best pledge upon the [O'Gallaghers]".<ref name="source"/> In August 1588, "O'Donnell's four pledges" were recorded imprisoned in Dublin Castle: Hugh Roe, Donnell Gorm, Owny O'Gallagher and Owen MacSweeney.<ref name="1588to1592"/> O'Sullivan Beare, writing in 1621, says MacSweeney Fanad gave his eldest son Donnell Gorm MacSweeney Fanad, O'Gallagher gave his nephew Hugh O'Gallagher, and MacSweeney na dTuath gave "his eldest son" (purportedly a peasant dressed in his son's clothes, who was later dismissed by the Lord Deputy).{{sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}} The ''[[Annals of Loch Cé]]'' (completed in 1590) mention the kidnapping of MacSweeney Fanad's son and Hugh Roe, as well as O'Gallagher's son (not his nephew). MacSweeney na dTuath's son is not mentioned.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100010B.html|pages=499–500|title=Annals of Loch Cé|publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts|translator-last=Hennessy|translator-first=William M.|translator-link=William Maunsell Hennessy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250420034125/https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100010B.html|archive-date=20 April 2025}}</ref>{{sfn|Mac Eiteagáin|2004}}}} Hostages were offered in O'Donnell's stead to no avail.{{sfn|O'Clery|O'Clery|Murphy|1895|pp=9–11}}

Chief MacSweeney Fanad, Chief MacSweeney na dTuath and Eoin O'Gallagher accompanied O'Donnell onto the ''Matthew''.{{sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}} Once on board, O'Donnell and his compatriots were conducted into a secured cabin and plied with food and wine. Whilst they were enjoying themselves, the hatches were fastened and their weapons were removed.{{sfn|O'Clery|O'Clery|Murphy|1895|pp=9–11}} MacSweeney Fanad, MacSweeney na dTuath and O'Gallagher were released, each in exchange for giving a young family member as a hostage.{{Sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}}{{Efn|[[Philip O'Sullivan Beare]] stated Chief MacSweeney Fanad, Chief MacSweeney na dTuath and Eoin O'Gallagher had accompanied Hugh Roe onto the ''Matthew'', and were later exchanged for younger hostages once captured.{{sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}} Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh described Hugh Roe's boarding party as "thoughtless forward persons who were with him though they were older in years".{{Sfn|O'Clery|O'Clery|Murphy|1895|pp=9–11}} Sources differ on the identity of Hugh Roe's fellow hostages. Once Perrot arrived in Dublin, he reported they had captured three boys in addition to Hugh Roe: the eldest sons of MacSweeneys na dTuath and Fanad and "the best pledge upon the [O'Gallaghers]".<ref name="source"/> In August 1588, "O'Donnell's four pledges" were recorded imprisoned in Dublin Castle: Hugh Roe, Donnell Gorm, Owny O'Gallagher and Owen MacSweeney.<ref name="1588to1592"/> O'Sullivan Beare, writing in 1621, says MacSweeney Fanad gave his eldest son Donnell Gorm MacSweeney Fanad, O'Gallagher gave his nephew Hugh O'Gallagher, and MacSweeney na dTuath gave "his eldest son" (purportedly a peasant dressed in his son's clothes, who was later dismissed by the Lord Deputy).{{sfn|O'Sullivan Beare|1903|p=42}} The ''[[Annals of Loch Cé]]'' (completed in 1590) mention the kidnapping of MacSweeney Fanad's son and Hugh Roe, as well as O'Gallagher's son (not his nephew). MacSweeney na dTuath's son is not mentioned.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100010B.html|pages=499–500|title=Annals of Loch Cé|publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts|translator-last=Hennessy|translator-first=William M.|translator-link=William Maunsell Hennessy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250420034125/https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100010B.html|archive-date=20 April 2025}}</ref>{{sfn|Mac Eiteagáin|2004}}}} Hostages were offered in O'Donnell's stead to no avail.{{sfn|O'Clery|O'Clery|Murphy|1895|pp=9–11}}