Shane Returns to Ireland: His Defeat and Death
Shane was now anxious to be gone as speedily as possible, but certain of the English ministers were inclined to detain him. The agreement made, they said, was that he should return home safely, but when was not specified. Without violation of the words of the safe conduct, he might be forced to remain in England for any length of time they chose. It might well have happened that they should have taken advantage of this quibble, and that Shane should have seen his native land no more, but for the news that came from Ireland in spring. Ulster, it was declared, was in as bad a state of disorder as ever it had been, and young Brian, “the Earl of Tyrone,” as the English called him, had been murdered by the followers of Turlough Lynnach O’Neill, a cousin of his. Things being in this state, it seemed best to send Shane back, and so in May he was sent.
Before leaving London, however, he had been required to sign certain conditions. Afterwards, he declared that, of his own free will, he never would have consented to them, and so did not hold himself bound to observe what he had subscribed. Yet the conditions seem far from dishonourable or derogatory to him. They place him in the position of a tributory prince ; confirming his authority over his sub-chiefs, and making him independent of the Deputy, except for the obligation of attending his ” hostings.” Shane did not linger in Dublin, which he reached on May 26th (1562). As fast as a fleet horse could carry him, he sped back to his native Ulster.
For a while all went well, though Shane complained that the terms made with him had been violated in several particulars. But in the autumn of 1562, Sussex came again as Deputy, and again proved a stirrer-up of strife. He began to send constant complaints to England, accusing Shane of intrigues at home and abroad. Tir Owen, he declared, was too large to be ” in one hand.” It should be divided ; a portion being given to young Hugh, Matthew’s second son, and Shane should be expelled.
The Queen seems to have approved of this scheme, and, as a preliminary step, Sussex endeavoured to get Shane into his hands. He was aware that the Ulster prince had expressed a desire to have an English wife to ” civilise ” him and his people, and, though, no doubt, he had only intended a sarcastic comment on the English views of Celtic Ireland, Sussex chose to take the wish as serious. He wrote to Shane, suggesting that he himself might arrange for him a marriage with Lady Frances Radcliffe, his sister, if, on meeting, he and the lady found that they liked each other.
Shane replied politely, but neither on this nor a subsequent occasion did he appear at the place arranged. This was fortunate for himself, for Sussex was prepared, as he himself confessed when writing to Elizabeth, to seize and hold him prisoner if he had come. Of the intended treachery Shane was probably made aware by his spies, for, as the Lord Lieutenant complained, ” there can be no matter moved that toucheth him, but he knows it before it is concluded, or shortly afterwards.” It must be confessed that the Irishman, though less treacherous, was in this negotiation quite as insincere as was the English official. He was pushing on intrigues against England with the Spanish Ambassador, with the French Court, and with Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland.
Sussex now attacked Shane, but, though aided by many of the lesser Ulster princes, and by the most powerful of the Anglo-Irish nobles, his success was so small, and the cost of the campaign so great, that, in the autumn of 1563, he was forced to make peace; granting to Shane terms even more favourable than those to which he had subscribed in England.
Shane was now triumphant, but it behoved him to be wary. Sussex now attempted to rid himself by treachery of an enemy whom he had been unable to conquer in the field. He despatched to him, through a certain John Smith, a Dublin chemist, a present of poisoned wine. Shane drank the wine, and became extremely ill, but escaped with his life. Elizabeth, on hearing of what had been done, expressed horror, and Smith was imprisoned. He was soon, however, released.
The Ulster chief now allowed himself to be induced by the Earl of Leicester to attack the Antrim Scots, whom he defeated with great loss at Glenshesk, Co. Antrim. Angus and James Macdonnell, the two leaders, perished, and Sorley Boy, their brother, was taken prisoner. For all his abilities, Shane had not advanced beyond the position of an Ulster dynast. He did not see that his true policy would have been to conciliate his neighbours, and gradually to unite all Ireland against the growing power of the English.
