Hugh McShane O'Neill facts for kids

Hugh McShane O'Neill was an important Irish leader and rebel from long ago. He lived in a time called the early modern period. He was connected to a group known as the McShanes of Glenconkeyne and Killetra. These places are now in south County Londonderry, Ireland. People also called his group the "Wild Clan Shanes" or the "McShane-O'Neills."

It's not totally clear who his parents were. Some people say he was a grandson or great-grandson of Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone. This means he was part of the main O'Neill family line, a very powerful clan in Ireland.

Hugh was a strong leader and fighter from the 1580s until about 1615. One of the first things he did that history remembers was a raid. His brothers attacked the lands of Maguire of Fermanagh in 1573. They caused a lot of damage. Hugh was often seen with other sons of Shane "The Proud" O'Neill. These brothers were known across Ireland as "The Mac Shanes." In 1587, Hugh and his brothers Henry MacShane O'Neill and Art "MacShane" brought 3,000 Scottish fighters to Ireland. They got help from their cousin, Lachlan MacLean.

The MacLeans and the MacShanes were very close. Their mother was the daughter of Hector Mor, the leader of the MacLeans. After their father, Shane, was killed in 1567, Hugh and two of his brothers were kept safe with the MacLeans. You can learn more about his family in the O'Neill dynasty article.

What Was the Nine Years' War?

In 1593, Hugh's cousin, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, started a rebellion. He was fighting against Queen Elizabeth I of England. Hugh McShane and some of the McShanes decided to stop their own family arguments. They joined their cousin, the Earl, in his fight. However, some McShanes did not join and were later put in prison by the Earl.

During this war, Hugh led a group of 200 foot soldiers and 50 horsemen. These fighters came from the McShane Clan, from the forests of Killetragh and Glenconkeyn. These forests were known as the wildest and most difficult places to live in Ireland. A historical figure named Carew said that Hugh could gather this fighting force in just 24 hours to fight the English.

Old government papers from Ireland show how strong the rebellious Earl was. They said that the McShane territory was very important to O'Neill. It was a safe place for his cattle, goods, and people. It was also far from the English army. This area also connected the Earl to another powerful group, the Clanaboy O'Neill. However, an English leader, the Lord Lieutenant, wished in 1599 that they had given Glenconkeyn to Shane's sons instead of the Earl. The Earl spent the last months of his rebellion with Hugh and his McShanes. This was in the winter of 1602–03. The Earl lived with the McShane-O'Neills after the Battle of Kinsale. He also stayed there after the English took Dungannon. Finally, in March 1603, the Earl made peace.

Family Fights Among the O'Neills

The O'Neill family had many internal struggles. Earl Hugh often fought against his own cousins more than he fought the English. In 1583 and 1587, the Earl stopped anyone else who wanted to be the Chief. He made sure he was recognized as the heir to Sir Tirlough Linneach, the O'Neill Mor. In 1590, the Earl even hanged his cousin, Hugh "Gaveloch." Hugh "Gaveloch" was the son of Shane O'Neill. He was hanged for planning against the Earl. In 1593, the Earl had another cousin, Phelim McTurlough, killed. Phelim was the Lord of Loughinshollin. The Earl then took control of Loughinshollin himself.

Hugh McShane and his group managed to survive the Earl's rise to power. They had mixed loyalties, sometimes fighting with the Earl against the English, and sometimes not. After the Nine Years' War ended in 1603, Hugh McShane became more powerful than the Earl. He became the new Lord of Killetragh. He also controlled most of the Loughinshollin area. He stayed independent from 1600 to 1606. After the Earl fled Ireland in 1607, Hugh took over as the main lord in the area.

When the Earls left Ireland in what's called the Flight of the Earls, it created a power gap. Hugh McShane and other smaller lords had to deal with the English army. The English army suddenly had a strong presence in Ulster. For a while, Hugh benefited from this new independence. Sir Arthur Chichester issued a warrant for wanted rebels. In 1608, Hugh McShane, his brother Phelim, and Hugh's "wild McShanes" captured Shane Carragh O'Cahan. They found him in Glenconkeyn forest. They handed him over to Chichester. In return, they received a pardon and some land leases for two years.

In 1610, Hugh McShane was part of a group that decided how to divide the Earl of Tyrone's lands. These lands had been taken by the English. Hugh received about 1,000 acres (4 km²) of the Earl's lands near Dungannon. In 1611, he got another 120 acres (0.48 km²) in Tyrone. Hugh's new neighbor and friend was Brian Crossagh. Brian was the Earl's nephew. This friendship would be important for both of them later in life.

Hugh's Later Life

After getting his pardon in 1608, Hugh went back to the forests of Loughinshollin. He tried to keep as much power as he could. This was during the early years of the Ulster Plantation. This was when new settlers came to live in the newly formed County Londonderry. In 1611, he was given 120 acres (0.48 km²) outside his family's old home in Dungannon.

As new settlers moved into the northern areas, the thick forest and Hugh's reputation kept most of them away. By 1615, he had lost his lands in Dungannon. This happened because of a conflict with the Lord Lieutenant. Sir Thomas Phillips tried to control the old Chief from a small fort in Desertmartin. But Hugh's strength with the McShanes was too great for the local Irish forces. He was never captured. He stayed on his former lands. He became known as a "highwayman," controlling the forests and roads of southern Londonderry. He also controlled the GlenShane pass.

In 1615, Hugh was named as a main planner in a rebellion. This was called "the Natives Rebellion." Other people involved were Brian Crossagh, Rory O'Cahan, and Alexander McDonald. They were accused of planning a rebellion against the English and Scottish settlers. They also planned to help the Earl of Tyrone's young son escape from a castle. Unlike the others, Hugh McShane was never caught by the English. He avoided being hanged and died sometime after 1621. He was still in the forest. The last time he was mentioned in history was in 1621. An official inquiry in Derry listed him as a "gentleman." This showed he was still seen as a landowner.

Hugh McShane had a son named Brian McHugh McShane O'Neill. He might have had other sons named Cullough Boy and Owen McHugh McShane O'Neill. Brian was named the chief of the McShane-O'Neills in the 1620s.

Hugh's son Brian was put in prison for raiding in 1627. In the 1641 Rebellion, things changed a lot in Ireland. Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army arrived in 1648. This new Protestant army caused a big reaction. Brian McShane O'Neill joined the King's army and fought for him. However, when King Charles I was defeated, Brian left Ireland. He went to serve King Charles II, who was in exile in Spain. From 1656 to 1660, Captain Brian O'Neill served in an Irish regiment in Spain.

By 1659, fewer people were using the O'Neill surname. There were only five McShane households left in all of County Londonderry. But Captain Brian came back to Ireland. He received a pardon when the Stuart monarchy was restored. Hugh's grandchildren continued to live on the lands Brian settled. These lands were in the Drapers' part of Loughinshollin. This was part of his father's old estate.

The family finally settled permanently on their own lands thanks to Hugh's great-grandson, Owen McShane (Eoghan McShane). In a census from 1740, they had a farm in Moneyneany. This was in the Parish of Ballinascreen. They also had another farm in Carnacose/Carncose, in the Parish of Desertmartin. Both places are near Draperstown. A part of the family still lives and farms these same lands today. During the 1700s and early 1800s, there were laws against Catholics. Because of this, the family sometimes changed their name. They translated the Gaelic name Mac Shane, which means "son of John," to the English "Johnson" or "Johnston." One famous relative, Sir William Johnson, did this. His father had been a MacShane.

Sources

• The Londonderry Plantation 1609–1621, by T. W. Moody, pp. 51, 166
• Plantation in Ulster, by George Hill, pp. 65, 250
• Londerry Lands & Families, by George Hill, p. 425
• Ireland Under the Tudors, by Richard Bagwell, p. 284
• Tyrone's Rebellion, by Hyram Morgan, p. 18
• The History of Ulster, by Ramsey Colles, p. 173
• The Parishes of Kilrea, by J.W. Kernohan, p. 30
• London and the LondonDerry Companies, by Sir T. Phillips, 18 March 1614, pp. 47 & 58
• Life and Time of Aodh O'Neill, by John Mitchel, p. 223
• Calendar of the State Papers of Ireland, 1608–1610, p. 15
• Calendar of the State Papers of Scotland 1657–1667, vol XI, p. 558
• Moneyneena, A Hundred Years, Ballinascreen Historical Society, LondonDerry, June 2002, p. 7 and others
• "The Pedigree of O'Neill, Coat of Arms", Government Office-Republic of Ireland, M.S. No. 168, p. 138