Battle of Farsetmore facts for kids

The Battle of Farsetmore was a major fight in Ireland on May 8, 1567. It happened near Letterkenny in County Donegal, in the northwest of the country. The battle was between two powerful Irish families, the O'Neills and the O'Donnells.

Shane O'Neill, who was the leader of the O'Neills from Tír Eoghain, was defeated. He lost to Aodh mac Maghnusa Ó Domhnaill (also known as Hugh O'Donnell) and his O'Donnell forces. This victory helped the O'Donnells become independent from Shane O'Neill's attempts to rule all of Ulster.

Shane O'Neill was very proud and powerful. He once told Queen Elizabeth's messenger: "If Elizabeth, your mistress, is Queen of England, I am O'Neill, King of Ulster. I have gained that kingdom by my sword, and by the sword I will preserve it." This shows he saw himself as a king, not just an Earl under English rule.

Why the Battle Happened

For about 20 years, Shane O'Neill had been growing his power. He had defeated his rivals within his own O'Neill family. He also made other nearby families, like the MacDonnells and O'Donnells, follow his rule.

In 1566, the English government, led by Henry Sidney, supported the O'Donnells. They saw Shane O'Neill as a problem because he was against English rule in Ireland. Shane O'Neill managed to push out the English troops. However, the new O'Donnell leader, Hugh O'Donnell, used this chance to become independent. He attacked Shane O'Neill's lands. In response, Shane O'Neill gathered his army and marched into O'Donnell territory.

The Battle Begins

Shane O'Neill's army entered O'Donnell land by crossing the River Swilly. They crossed at a place called an Fearsaid mhór, which is now known as Porterfields. This spot is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) east of the modern town of Letterkenny.

Hugh O'Donnell knew Shane O'Neill was coming. He sent messages to all his people to get ready. The two armies were not equal in size at first. Shane O'Neill's army had about 2,000 men. These included cavalry (horsemen), Gallowglass (fierce warriors), and Kearn (lightly armed soldiers). He also had a few English soldiers who had joined him. These English soldiers helped with modern weapons.

O'Donnell's first group was much smaller. He had only about 40 foot soldiers and 80 horsemen, which was his personal guard.

How the Battle Unfolded

O'Donnell's horsemen immediately attacked Shane O'Neill's men after they crossed the river. This gave O'Donnell a short time to move his small force to a better spot. He chose Magherennan, which is near the entrance to the Letterkenny Rugby club today. Once O'Donnell was in position, his cavalry pulled back. There, O'Donnell waited for more of his soldiers to arrive.

While O'Donnell waited, Shane O'Neill set up his camp. He camped in Cluain Aire, next to the river, to protect the crossing point. Finally, O'Donnell's main troops arrived. They included 400 Gallowglass warriors from the MacSweeney families. With these strong fighters, O'Donnell's army was now almost equal in strength to O'Neill's.

O'Donnell's army then began to move towards O'Neill's camp. When Shane O'Neill first saw them attacking, he said:

"It is very wonderful and amazing to me that those people should not find it easier to make full concessions to us, and submit to our awards, than thus come forward to us to be immediately slaughtered and destroyed."

This quote suggests Shane O'Neill was surprised by the O'Donnells' courage. The O'Donnell army had used higher ground to hide their advance. By the time Shane O'Neill saw them, it was too late for him to get his own Gallowglass warriors into a proper battle line. It was also too late for his horsemen to get ready.

Shane O'Neill's army was completely caught off guard. This was similar to how O'Neill himself had surprised the MacDonnell army in 1565. Even though they were surprised, O'Neill's Gallowglass fought well at first. The battle lasted "for a long time."

Eventually, the O'Neill Gallowglass were cut down. Shane's army then panicked and ran away. The O'Donnells kept up their fierce attack. The fleeing O'Neill soldiers were pushed back towards the river crossing. They tried to cross the Swilly River again. However, the tide was coming in, making the water fast and dangerous. Many of them drowned in the strong currents.

Aftermath of the Battle

Shane O'Neill's army suffered heavy losses. His enemies estimated that 1,400 of his men were killed. English records suggest a more likely number of 680 dead. No prisoners were mentioned. Many of Shane O'Neill's most important commanders and advisors were killed in the chaos.

Shane O'Neill himself managed to escape the battle. A group of Gallaghers helped him. They guided him to a safe ford (river crossing) and then escorted him back to his own territory.

Many of the Donnelleys, who were Shane's close supporters, fought to the very end. They suffered greatly at Farsetmore. With his army destroyed and abandoned by his main leaders, Shane O'Neill needed new fighters. He looked for a group of mercenary soldiers. These were the MacDonalds of Dunnyveg, who had been hired to fight against him earlier.

Shane O'Neill went to their camp with a small group of his remaining men. During their talks, a fight broke out, and Shane O'Neill was killed. This happened in Cushendun. Even though it was planned by an English official named William Piers, people often remember it as revenge for Shane's earlier actions against the MacDonalds.

Shane O'Neill was buried in a place called CrossSkern Church. Later, his body was dug up, and his head was sent to Dublin.

Sources

• G.A. Hayes McCoy, Irish Battles, (Belfast 1989).
• Tomás Ó Brógáin, 'The battue of the Swilly (Farsetmore), 8 May 1567', History Ireland, Vol.XIX Issue 3 (May/June 2011), pp. 16–18.