Hugh Roe O’Donnell (1584 – 1592)
Hugh Castle
Sir John Perrott was lord deputy from 1584 to 1588. He treated the Irish with some consideration, much against the wishes of his Dublin council, many of whom were his bitter enemies. Yet his action was not always straight, as the following narrative will show.
In anticipation of hostilities with Spain, where the Armada was at this time in preparation, he had already secured hostages from many of the Irish chiefs, but none from the O’Donnells, whom he feared more than all. In this strait he bethought him of a treacherous plan to seize either Sir Hugh O’Donnell or his son and heir.
Sir Hugh O’Donnell chief of Tirconnell had a son Hugh, commonly known as Hugh Roc the Red), who was born in 1572, and who was now-1587-in his fifteenth year. Even already at that early age, he was remarked for his great abilities and for his aspiring and ambitious disposition. ” The fame and renown of the above-named youth, Hugh Roe,” say the Four Masters, ” had spread throughout the five provinces of Ireland even before he had come to the age of man- hood, for his wisdom, sagacity, goodly growth, and noble deeds; and the English feared that it he should be permitted to arrive at the age of maturity, he and the earl of Tyrone [Hugh O'Neill his brother-in-law] might combine and conquer the whole island.”
Perrott’s plan for entrapping young Red Hugh was skillfully concocted and well carried out. In the autumn of 1587 he sent a merchant vessel laden with Spanish wines to the coast of Donegal on pretence of traffic. The captain entered Lough Swilly and anchored opposite the castle of Rathmullen, where the boy lived with his foster-father Mac Sweeny. When Mac Sweeny heard of the arrival of tlie ship, he sent to purchase some wine. The messengers were told that no more was left to tell; but that if any gentlemen wished to come on board they were quite welcome to drink as much as they pleased. The bait took. A party of the Mac Sweenys, accompanied by Hugh, unsuspectingly went on board. The captain had pre- viously called in all his men; and while the company were enjoying themselves, their arms were quietly removed, the hatchway door was closed down, and the ship weighed anchor. When the people on shore observed this they were filled with consternation, and flocked to the beach; but they were quite helpless, for they had no boats ready. Neither was it of any avail when Mac Sweeny rushed to the point of shore nearest the ship, and cried out in the anguish of his heart, offering any amount of ransom and hostages. Young Hugh O’Donnell was brought, to Dublin, and safely lodged in Bermingham Tower in the Castle.
This transaction, however, so far from tending to peace, as Permit no doubt intended, did the very reverse; for, as Ireland justly observes, it was ” equally impolitic and dishonorable.” It made bitter enemies of the O’Donnells, who had been hitherto for generations on the side of the government. In young O’Donnell himself more especially, it engendered feelings of exasperation and irreconcilable hatred; and it was one of the causes of the O’Neill war which brought unmeasured woe and disaster to both English and Irish.
