Ireland History

Above : Tomb Of Baron Howth

Only a few weeks after this (May 1607), an anonymous letter, purporting to give an account of a plot, which was being hatched to seize Dublin Castle and murder the Lord Deputy, was dropped outside the Council Chamber. The writer proved to be Christopher St. Lawrence, Baron Howth, who, on being interrogated by the Deputy, named Rory O’Donnell, Cuconnacht Maguire and several others as amongst the conspirators, but confessed that he had no evidence against Tyrone. Howth’s story entirely lacked corroboration, so that neither Chichester nor the English Privy Council, when it was placed before them, appear to have had much belief in it.

Posted on April 28th, 2008 under The Flight of the Earls. Tags: Baron Howth, Christopher St. Lawrence, Cuconnacht Maguire, Dublin Castle, o'donnell, privy council. Comments: None

Above : Picture Of Hugh O’Neill

In Rome death was soon busy amongst the little band of Irish exiles. In 1608, Rory and Caffir O’Donnell died within three months of each other, and in 1609 Hugh O’Neill’s eldest son followed them. The old chief himself lingered on till 1616, buoyed up almost to the last with the hope that mercifully seems to accompany an exile such as his, that some favourable combination of events might enable him to return to his native land and lay his bones amongst those of his ancestors For some time previous to his death he was blind. On July 20th, 1616 he died, and with pomp and ceremony his body was laid to rest, beside those of Hugh his son, and of the two O’Donnells, in the Church of St. Peter in Montorio, on the Janiculum Hill in Rome.

Posted on April 27th, 2008 under The Flight of the Earls. Tags: Caffir O'Donnell, foe, friend, Hugh O'Neill's, Janiculum Hill, old chief, patriot, Rory, statesman. Comments: None