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Earl of Tyrone facts for kids

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The Earl of Tyrone is a special title that was created three times in Ireland. It's like being a duke or a count, but in the Irish system of nobles.

The first time this title was made, it was part of a plan by the English King Henry VIII. He wanted to change how Ireland was ruled. Before, Irish clans had their own leaders chosen by their families, following old Irish laws called brehon law. These leaders were powerful and often independent. The English king wanted to make them nobles who followed his rules, holding their land by his permission, and passing it down to their children in a clear, English way. This was a big change from the old Irish customs.

The title was created again in 1673 for Richard Power. He was an important Anglo-Norman noble and politician. He also got a lot of land in County Waterford. He was given another title too: Viscount Decies. But these titles ended when his youngest son, the third Earl, died in 1704 because the titles could only be passed down to male family members.

The title was created one last time in 1746 for Marcus Beresford. He was related to the last Earl Power through marriage. His son later became the Marquess of Waterford in 1789. Since then, the Earl of Tyrone title has been a smaller, secondary title that goes along with the Marquess of Waterford title.

First Earls of Tyrone (1542)

The first Earl of Tyrone was Conn Bacach O'Neill. He was the leader of the O'Neill clan in a part of Ireland called Tyrone. In 1542, he traveled to Greenwich in England and agreed to follow King Henry VIII. He gave up his old Irish title, "The O'Neill," and his independent rule. In return, King Henry made him the Earl of Tyrone. The plan was for this title to go to his son, Matthew O'Neill, who was also given the title Baron of Dungannon. This meant Matthew would have a seat in the Irish parliament. This way of changing Irish chiefs into English nobles was called "surrender and regrant" and other Irish leaders also tried it.

This plan caused problems because Conn had older, legitimate sons, like Shane O'Neill, who was only about 12 at the time. When Shane grew up, he became very powerful. He forced his father out of Ulster and became "The O'Neill" himself, following the old Irish traditions. There was a lot of fighting within the O'Neill family. Shane won, Matthew was killed, and Conn was permanently driven out of Tyrone. Conn died in 1559 in the English-controlled part of Ireland.

Under English law, Matthew's oldest son, Brian O'Neill, should have become the Earl. But in reality, he was still called Lord Dungannon. Queen Elizabeth I tried to make a deal with Shane to recognize him as Earl, since he was the real ruler of Tyrone and the oldest legitimate son. But they couldn't agree. Brian was killed in 1562 by his cousin Turlough O'Neill. Shane himself died in 1567. After that, the English generally supported Brian's younger brother, Hugh O'Neill, to become the Earl.

Hugh O'Neill was recognized as the Earl of Tyrone in 1585. He became the undisputed leader of the O'Neills. However, he often disagreed with the English government. Like many powerful lords, he fought against the English in a big conflict called the Nine Years' War. He was declared a rebel, but eventually he made peace with the Crown in 1603.

Even after the peace treaty, Hugh O'Neill, his brother-in-law, and some followers left Ireland in 1607. This event is known as the Flight of the Earls. They hoped Spain would send an army to help them. Because they left, Hugh was found to have acted against the Crown, and his Earldom was officially taken away in 1614.

Even though his title was taken away by English law, Earl Hugh and his sons continued to call themselves Earl of Tyrone, especially in Spain, where the Pope and the King of Spain still recognized them. This continued until the last of his direct male family members died in 1692.

Who Were the First Earls?

Here are the main people who held or claimed the title in this first creation:

The Barony of Dungannon

The title of Baron of Dungannon was created for Matthew O'Neill. It was meant to be held by the person who was next in line to be the Earl of Tyrone. So, it was like a special title for the Earl's oldest son or grandson.

When Matthew died, his son Brian became Baron Dungannon. Later, Hugh O'Neill was called Baron of Dungannon until he officially became Earl of Tyrone in 1585. His son, also named Hugh, then became Baron Dungannon.

However, because the younger Hugh O'Neill was found to have acted against the Crown along with his father in 1608, the title of Baron Dungannon was also taken away and no longer exists. Young Hugh died in Rome in 1609.

O'Neill Leaders in Exile

Even after their titles were taken away in England, Earl Hugh and his family continued to lead the O'Neills from other countries, especially Spain. They were still recognized as "Conde de Tyrone" (Count of Tyrone) by the Spanish kings.

  • Hugh O'Neill (around 1550–1616), the Earl whose title was taken away.
  • Henry O'Neill (around 1586–1610), Hugh's son. He was a colonel in the Spanish army.
  • Shane O'Neill (1599–1641), another of Hugh's sons. He became Earl of Tyrone after his father and brother. He was a important figure in Madrid and died fighting in Barcelona.
  • Hugo Eugenio O'Neill, Shane's son, died young.
  • Conn O'Neill (died before 1660), a cousin, was named as the next heir in Shane O'Neill's will if Hugo Eugenio had no children.

By 1660, the Earldom of Tyrone was officially gone by English rules. But in Spain and by Irish traditions, other O'Neill family members continued to use the title until 1692. After that, the leadership of the O'Neills and the claim to the title went to the oldest member of Prince Shane O'Neill's family line.

Second Earls of Tyrone (1673)

This title was created again in 1673 for Richard Power. He was also given the titles Viscount Decies and Baron Power.

This line of the Earldom ended in 1704 because James Power had no male heirs. The Barony of Power also ended because the next person in line had been declared an outlaw.

Third Earls of Tyrone (1746)

The title was created for the third and final time in 1746 for Marcus Beresford. He had married Catherine, the daughter of James Power, the last Earl from the second creation.

For information on the Earls after this, you can look at the article about the Marquess of Waterford.

See also

  • Count of Tyrone
  • Combe Martin A village in England that has a traditional festival called "The Hunting of the Earl of Rone" (which means Tyrone).
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