Niall Mor O’Neill.—Niall Mdr O’Neill succeeded his father, Aodh Reamhar, as ” King of Ulster” in 1364. After a short contest with another member of his family he directed his efforts against the English and defeated them at Downpatrick, their leader, Talbot, being slain (1375).

Above: Map of Downpatrick

 The never-ending struggle with the rival O’Donnells next occupied him. In 1380 he, with other northern and some midland chiefs, visited Mortimer, the Lord Lieutenant, but soon afterwards he captured and destroyed Carrickfergus, and steadily pressed the English southwards until they were finally driven from beyond the passes of the Mourne Mountains.*

Through these he followed them to the walls of Dundalk, where he defeated them in 1392. When Richard II first visited Ireland in 1394 Niall M6r paid him personal homage.

But this entailed no surrender of his own territorial rights, and English power extended no further north than Dundalk. Niall M6r died (1397) as ” Monarch of Ulster,” lord of all the clans from Lough Foyle to Dundalk Bay, and from Belfast Lough to the Shannon.

The vigorous O’Donnells on his flank alone disputed the sovereignty of O’Neill over all the north. The remnants of De Courcey’s ” Earldom of Ulster ” disappear, and the only trace of it left is in two titles—one borne by the O’Neills of Tir Eoghain, and the other by a member of the royal family of England.
“O’Connor Donn” and “O’Connor Ruadh.”—O’Neill’s power about this time began to extend even over some of the Connacht clans, and O’Rourke, O’Reilly and O’Farrell began to look to the great northern chief as their head and protector.

 No Connacht leader appeared to dispute his authority. The rivalries of the O’Connor family had culminated in 1385, when, on the death of Rory O’Connor, King of Connacht, the lands of the ” Siol Murray ” were partitioned between his nephew—Turlough Og—and the grandson of Felim of Athenry— Turlough Ruadh.

The O’Connors were, thenceforth, divided into the two families of ” O’Connor Donn,” from Turlough Og, and ” O’Connor Ruadh ” from Turlough Ruadh. Their dissensions, however, did not cease ; they both claimed to be ” King of Connacht ” and head of ” the Irish of Connacht,” as the Burkes or Mac Williams were heads of the ” English of Connacht.”

But their influence had vanished ; there was no acknowledged leader for the clans of Connacht, and those beyond the Shannon began to look to the north for protection in times of danger.