Siobhán O'Donnell explained
Siobhán O'Neill, Countess of Tyrone (née O'Donnell; Irish: Siobhán Ní Domhnaill; died January 1591), sometimes anglicised Joanna, Joan, or Judith, was a sixteenth-century Irish Gaelic noblewoman of the O'Donnell clan. She is known for being the second wife of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, bearing him most of his children.
Family background
She was the daughter of Irish chief Sir Hugh McManus O'Donnell, Lord of Tyrconnell.[1] Her mother was Sir Hugh's first wife, who historian Francis Martin O'Donnell has named as "Nuala, a daughter of O’Neill".[2]
Historian Helena Concannon believes Siobhán was born 1569, and that her mother was Sir Hugh's second wife Iníon Dubh, whom he married not later than 1569.[3] However, Siobhán's marriage in 1574 makes that date of birth extremely unlikely.
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.[4] Siobhan's younger half-siblings included chiefs Red Hugh O'Donnell[5] and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell.[6]
Marriage
From the late-1560s to early-1570s, Hugh O'Neill, Baron Dungannon, allied with many neighbouring clans to strength his political position.[1] Siobhán married O'Neill in June 1574. Walter Devereaux, the 1st Earl of Essex, announced their marriage on 14 June. O'Neill had annulled his first marriage earlier the same year, on the grounds of consanguinity. This was in order to cut ties with his first father-in-law, who had been arrested for treason.
In 1579, 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.
Death
In a letter dated 31 January 1591, O'Neill references Siobhán's recent death. He remarried to Anglo-Irish noblewoman Mabel Bagenal on 3 August 1591.[7]
Children
Siobhán and Hugh had two sons and multiple daughters:
Notes and references
Sources
- Encyclopedia: O'Neill, Hugh [Aodh O'Neill], second earl of Tyrone (1583–1616) ]. . . New York . Canny . Nicholas . 2004 . Nicholas Canny . Matthew . Colin . 41 . 837–845 . 0-19-861391-1 . Colin Matthew . Harrison . Brian . Brian Harrison (historian) . registration.
- 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 . 48568219.
- Book: Cokayne, George Edward . George Edward Cokayne . The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant . 1910 . St Catherine Press . Gibbs . Vicary . Vicary Gibbs (St Albans MP) . 2nd . I . London . 228661424. – Ab-Adam to Basing
- Concannon . Helena . Helena Concannon . 1920 . 'The Woman of the Piercing Wail' (The Lady Nuala O'Donnell) . . Dublin . John F. Fowler . 16.
- Encyclopedia: O'Neill, Hugh, third Baron of Dungannon and second Earl of Tyrone 1540?–1616 . . . New York . Dunlop . Robert . 1895 . Robert Dunlop (historian) . Lee . Sidney . Sidney Lee . XLII . 188–196 . 8544105.
- Book: Hill, George . An historical account of the Macdonnells of Antrim: including notices of some other septs Irish and Scotch . Archer & Sons . Belfast . 1873 . 222.
- Book: Ohlmeyer, Jane H . Jane Ohlmeyer . Civil War and Restoration in the Three Stuart Kingdoms: The Career of Randal MacDonnell, Marquis of Antrim . 2001 . Four Courts Press . 978-0521419789 . Dublin . 1993. (Snippet view)
- . 1867 . PROCEEDINGS AND PAPERS . Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland . 5 . 459.
- Book: Walsh, Paul . Paul Walsh (priest) . THE WILL AND FAMILY OF HUGH O NEILL, EARL OF TYRONE [WITH AN APPENDIX OF GENEALOGIES] ]. Sign of the Three Candles . 1930 . Walsh . Paul . Dublin.
Notes and References
- Morgan . Hiram . September 2014 . O'Neill, Hugh . . 10.3318/dib.006962.v1 . 3 May 2024.
- Web site: O'Donnell . Francis Martin . Francis Martin O'Donnell . 15 November 2018 . The O’Donnells of Tyrconnell – A Hidden Legacy (Maunsel Irish Research Series) . 20 June 2024 . Academica Press.
- O'Byrne . Emmett . Emmett O'Byrne . October 2009 . MacDonnell (Nic Dhomhnaill), Fiona (Fionnghuala) ('Iníon Dubh') . . 10.3318/dib.006337.v1.
- Annals of the Four Masters
- Morgan . Hiram . Hiram Morgan . October 2009 . O'Donnell, 'Red' Hugh (Ó Domhnaill, Aodh Ruadh) . . 10.3318/dib.006343.v1 .
- Webb . Alfred . 1878 . Rury O'Donnell . A Compendium of Irish Biography.
- O'Byrne . Emmett . Clarke . Aidan . Barry . Judy . October 2009 . Bagenal (O'Neill), Mabel . . 10.3318/dib.006953.v1 . 3 May 2024.
- Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.
- Guinness . Henry S. . 1932 . Magennis of Iveagh . The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland . 2 . 1 . 97 . 0035-9106.
- Book: Hill, George . An historical account of the plantation in Ulster at the commencement of the seventeenth century, 1608-1620 . McCaw, Stevenson and Orr . Belfast . 1877 . 41.