Treaty of Mellifont facts for kids

The Treaty of Mellifont, also known as the Articles of Mellifont, was an important agreement signed in 1603. It officially ended the Nine Years' War, a long conflict that took place in the Kingdom of Ireland from 1594 to 1603. This treaty was a big step towards peace after many years of fighting.

Ending the War in Ireland

After the English won the Battle of Kinsale, many Irish leaders went back to protect their own lands. The English leader in Ireland, Lord Mountjoy, had done what others before him could not. But Mountjoy knew that as long as Hugh O'Neill was still free, he remained a threat. Many smaller Irish chiefs had already given up, but some important leaders like Rory O'Donnell and Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare stayed loyal to O'Neill.

In the spring of 1603, Lord Mountjoy focused his army on the northern parts of Ireland. He ordered his soldiers to destroy all crops and livestock. This caused a terrible famine, meaning people had very little food.

Mountjoy and the English government had been telling Queen Elizabeth I of England for a long time to make peace. The war was very expensive, costing a lot of money from the Queen's treasury. She had to keep a large army of 20,000 soldiers for several years.

Because of how much the war cost, Queen Elizabeth finally agreed to talk about peace. She allowed Mountjoy to negotiate with O'Neill on fair terms.

Peace Talks Begin

The people who helped Lord Mountjoy with the peace talks were Sir William Godolphin and Sir Garrett Moore. Sir Garrett Moore was a friend of O'Neill. In early March, he found O'Neill near Lough Neagh and convinced him to discuss peace. O'Neill was promised safe travel to the talks.

The negotiations happened at Mellifont, which was near Drogheda in County Louth. This place was Sir Garrett Moore's home. It used to be a monastery but was sold to his family after many monasteries were closed down.

On March 27, 1603, Mountjoy found out that Queen Elizabeth had died in London three days earlier. However, he kept this news a secret from O'Neill and the others until April 5. He did this because he didn't want the new king, King James, to change the peace plans.

What the Treaty Said

On March 30, O'Neill agreed to the terms. The agreement and the pardon he received were seen as very fair at the time:

• O'Neill gave up his traditional Irish title, Uí Néill. In return, he got back his English title, Earl of Tyrone. This meant he could sit in the Irish House of Lords, which was part of the government.
• He kept most of his family's traditional lands. These lands would now be owned under English law, not old Irish law.
• The Earl of Tyrone promised to be loyal to the English Crown. He also promised not to ask for help from other countries. In return, he received a special pardon for his actions during the war.
• The old Irish laws, called Brehon law, were replaced with English law in his lands.
• The earls were no longer allowed to support the traditional Irish poets and storytellers, called bards.
• English would become the official language.
• Catholic schools or colleges could not be built on his land.

These terms were similar to other agreements made between the English Crown and Irish chiefs since 1537. However, it was unusual that O'Neill was not forced to change his religion and become part of the Church of Ireland.

What Happened Next

The Treaty of London, signed in 1604 between England and Spain, also helped. It said that both sides would stop all fighting from April 24, 1603, onwards. It also meant that Spain would not send soldiers, money, or help to the Irish rebels anymore. This was a clear sign to the Irish that no more help would come from Spain.

On June 2, 1603, Mountjoy left Ireland and traveled to London with Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell. They went to meet the new King James.

In 1604, a law called the Act of Oblivion was passed. It said that all "offences against the Crown" before King James became king were forgiven. O'Neill went back to Ulster and seemed to be a loyal subject. Mountjoy, who was now a royal advisor, continued to support the terms of the treaty. He seemed to have grown to like his former enemy. The next English leader in Ireland, Sir George Carey, did not try to limit O'Neill's power.

However, things changed when Sir Arthur Chichester became the new English leader in February 1605. Lord Deputy Chichester saw Irish Catholicism as a big threat after the Gunpowder Plot was discovered in England in October 1605. Even though no Irish people were involved in that plot, he started to persecute Catholics widely. He also ordered the execution of two bishops. He led a campaign to weaken the power of O'Neill and O'Donnell.

When Hugh O'Neill and other rebel chiefs left Ireland in the Flight of the Earls in 1607, hoping to get Spanish help for a new rebellion, Chichester was able to take their lands. This was allowed by law because they had left without permission. This led to the Plantation of Ulster within ten years, where English and Scottish settlers were given these lands.

Some loyal Irish lords were not happy that lands were given back to the former rebel leaders. This was one reason why one of them, Sir Cahir O'Doherty, started O'Doherty's Rebellion. He began it by burning the town of Derry in 1608.