Hugh Ruadh O'Donnell had been over four years eating out his heart in prison in Dublin Castle. He was a man grown now, twenty years of age, and he longed for freedom and revenge. ' On Christmas night, 1591, " it seemed to the Son of the Virgin full time that he should escape," and he and his fellow-prisoner, Art O'Neill, son of Shane, let themselves down by a rope from a window of the Castle. Outside, a servant had been awaiting ... Read More

On July 6th, 1553, Edward VI died, and Mary, his half-sister, succeeded him. The new Queen was an ardent upholder of Catholicity, and detested the Reformed doctrines.The Catholic was church restored. The accession of a Catholic sovereign caused the greatest rejoicings in the Irish towns. In the Celtic parts of the country the Catholic religion had never been much interfered with, so the change of Sovereign 'in England excited little interest.   Mary at once proceeded to restore the official position of the Catholic Church ... Read More