Shane O'Neil

It was during the long reign of Elizabeth, that that fierce conflict between the rival Catholic and Protestant churches in Ireland began, which endured, almost without pause, down to the nineteenth century. It was also during her reign, that the system of "planting" Ireland with English colonies was deliberately adopted as the policy of the crown and relentlessly pursued. That stern and self-willed queen, inheriting all the despotic traits of her family, was even more resolute and persistent, if possible, than her father had been, in reducing Ireland to absolute political and religious subjection to English rule. But she was destined to experience many obstacles and to undergo many mortifications before she could attain her end. Nor did she ever attain her end completely.

In spite of the submission of so many of the Anglo-Irish and native lords to Henry, patriotism, a fierce clinging to independence, still survived in Ireland. O'Neil, O'Brien, O'Donnel, and other chiefs of ancient lineage, had sold their birthright for a mess of pottage. But many great chiefs, as well as many lesser chiefs and the mass of the tribesmen, were far from subdued to English rule. There were leading men, too, who were not only dissatisfied, but were eager to lead revolts against the English and their Irish allies. Among them were the valiant young sons of O'Neil and O'Donnel. Especially active in his hostility to the recent changes was Shane O'Neil, one of the most striking figures in Irish history.

His elder half-brother, Matthew, who was an illegitimate son of the newly created Earl of Tyrone, had been declared the earl's heir. Shane was naturally outraged that an illegitimate son should be preferred to him, who was the earl's eldest son born in wedlock. But Shane was not influenced by this feeling alone. He showed the same proud spirit of independence which had so long marked the royal race of O'Neil. He was bitterly angry with his father for humbling himself to the English king, and for stooping to accept from him the earldom of Tyrone.

Shane O'Neil resolved to make a desperate attempt to shake off the English yoke. He went among the native Irish, urging them to resist the foreigners. He caused his half-brother, the illegitimate Matthew, to be killed; and he succeeded in drawing his father, the Earl of Tyrone, away from the English side. He then undertook the task of preventing the English settlers from planting themselves in Ulster, and of frightening the Ulster chiefs into submission to his rule. He tried hard to unite the Irish; while Sussex, the lord-lieutenant, tried as hard to sow dissensions among them. O'Neil sent to the French king for aid, but in vain. Meanwhile Sussex gathered a large force with which to crush the bold young rebel of the North. But Shane, at the head of seven thousand determined Irishmen, was not so easily overcome. After a campaign, from which he derived neither advantage nor glory, Sussex resolved to resort to treachery. He hired a man named Gray, for a piece of land, to assassinate Shane; but Gray failed to carry out the plan. Then Sussex sent Shane some poisoned wine, in the hope that he would drink it, and so die. But this attempt also failed.

At this juncture the Earl of Kildare, who was a cousin of Shane O'Neil, and was also friendly to the English power, brought about a cessation of hostilities. Shane was persuaded to go to London and make his peace with the haughty queen. He was promised liberal and generous treatment. He accordingly repaired, with a retinue of Irish soldiers attired in their native costume of saffron shirts, fur jackets, sandaled shoes, and long, curled hair, to the brilliant court of Elizabeth. The Irish chief was graciously received by the queen, who admired the stalwart forms of Shane and his men, and who was not less politic than despotic in her nature. A treaty was soon made between them. Elizabeth acknowledged Shane O'Neil as "Captain of Tyrone;" but she did not yet award him the earldom, which the recent death of his father had left vacant. She also promised that her troops should be withdrawn from a portion of Ulster. Shane, on his side, agreed to set at liberty the chief O'Donnel, whom he held as a prisoner, and to drive out a certain settlement of Scots, which had recently been made on the north-eastern coast of Ireland.

Shane's promise to exterminate this Scottish settlement in order to please the English queen, was an act of sheer treachery; for the Scottish colonists had stood stoutly by him in all his contests with his English foes. It was at their hands, finally, that his ruin came, as a retribution for his treason to them. He returned to Ulster, and there continued his work of subduing the jealous chiefs who still defied his power. He soon showed that he held lightly his pledges to Elizabeth; but so embroiled, at that time, was England with Scotland and the Continental powers, that Elizabeth was forced to conciliate the bold Irish chief by new concessions. She now recognized him as Earl of Tyrone, and gave him all the power that his father had enjoyed. Shane, although he refused to entrust himself again at the English court, received the queen's envoys with lavish hospitality, and concluded with them a new treaty of peace.

His power in Ulster was now greater than it had ever been. One of the first uses that he made of it was to fulfill his promise to extirpate the Scottish settlers. He let loose his fierce soldiers suddenly upon them, and caused them to be ruthlessly killed or driven out. A period of comparative tranquility ensued, during which Shane ruled in Ulster with a strong hand. He refrained from assailing the English of the Pale. Crops were abundantly grown in the province, and lawlessness was severely punished. Two years thus passed, during which Shane's government was vigorous and successful. But, all the while, the English were at heart jealous of his rule; and Shane was in reality quite as hostile to them. The war broke out anew between Ulster and the Pale. Sir Henry Sidney arrived in Ireland, as lord-deputy (1565), to find the conflict fiercely raging. He at once made common cause with those Ulster chiefs who had always hated, and, when they could, had always resisted Shane O'Neil.

Some of Shane's old friends and allies, moreover, notably O'Donnel, Earl of Tyrconnel, perceiving that Shane's cause was fast losing ground, joined his enemies. The bold Ulster chief was at last brought to bay. In his desperation, Shane turned for help and protection to the remnant of that very Scottish colony upon whom he had, to please the English queen, wreaked such savage cruelties. With a few Ulstermen who remained faithful to him, he recklessly threw himself upon the mercy of the Scots. They received him with apparent good-grace, and offered him a refuge from his foes. But, in reality, the Scots, who had lost fathers, brothers, sons, at the hands of Shane's murderous emissaries, had vengeance in their hearts. One day they invited Shane and his retainers to a feast. Barring the doors of the banqueting-room, they fell upon their captives; and Shane and every one of his followers were killed upon the spot.

Shane O'Neil had committed many crimes. He had caused his half-brother to be murdered, and had won away the wife of his father-in-law. He had caused many savage deeds to be committed. But he lived in a rude age, when such crimes were thought far more lightly of than they are now. On the other hand, Shane struggled valiantly, and to the bitter end, against the subjection of Ulster to the foreign power of England. When he had a chance to govern his province, he governed it wisely and well. For these traits, he is still remembered with honor in Ireland. On his death, Ulster lay helpless before English power; for there was no warrior like Shane to take his place. Turlough O'Neil was, indeed, recognized by Elizabeth as the chief of his clan; but the chiefs who had followed Shane's fortunes became the vassals of the English crown, and Turlough's authority in Ulster was only nominal. He, too, was really a vassal of the haughty English queen.