Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Annals of the Four Masters (Author: [unknown])

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Annal M1589

M1589.0

THE AGE OF CHRIST, 1589. The Age of Christ, one thousand five hundred eighty-nine.

M1589.1

MAGUIRE (Cuconnaught, the son of Cuconnaught, namely, the Coarb, son of Cuconnaught, son of Brian, son of Philip, son of Thomas), died on the 17th of June. He was truly a lord in his munificence towards churches, ollaves, soldiers, and servants; and a learned and studious adept in Latin and Irish. After the death of Maguire (Cuconnaught), Conor Roe, the son of Conor Maguire, thought that the lordship of the country should be his, by reason of his seniority; while the other party thought that Hugh, son of the deceased Maguire, should be lord after his father; so that they were thus in opposition to each other. Hugh sent messengers to his relative, Donnell, the son of Hugh, son of Manus O'Donnell (although they had previously quarrelled), to request of him to come to his aid and assistance, as it had been usual with his ancestors to aid the descendants of Philip, the son of Thomas Maguire. There was not at this time any one of the Kinel-Connell from whom he Hugh expected more assistance than from this Donnell, for he was a mighty champion, and a general in battle; and it was never heard that he had at any time turned his back on his enemies. The words of the messengers were treated with indifference by Donnell, for he immediately mustered all the forces under his command, and

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sent back his messengers to Hugh, to desire him to meet him precisely at Sciath-Ghabhra with all possible expedition. He then proceeded, without dallying or delaying, through the territory of Lurg, and along the margin of Lough Erne, until he arrived at the aforesaid place. Conor Roe and the chiefs of the upper part of Fermanagh had gone on the day before to the same place, and there left a token (namely, one slipper) that the name of lord should be conferred on him on the day following. Hugh arrived at that particular place appointed, and found Donnell O'Donnell there before him. When Donnell received intelligence that it was Conor that had left the token which we have before mentioned, he said that it should not profit him, for that Hugh should be installed in the place of his father; upon which Hugh was immediately nominated chief by Donnell O'Donnell and the chieftains of his country.

M1589.2

Mac Mahon (Rossa, the son of Art, son of Brian of the Early Rising, son of Redmond, son of Glasny) died; upon which Brian, the son of Hugh Oge, son of Hugh, son of John Boy, Lord of Dartry-Oriel, and Ever, son of Cu-Uladh,

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Lord of Farney, and the brother of the deceased, i.e. Hugh Roe, were contending with each other about the lordship of the territory.

M1589.3

Elenora, the daughter of the Earl of Desmond (i.e. of James, the son of John, son of Thomas, son of James, son of Garrett), who had been the wife of O'Rourke, and afterwards of the son of the Earl of Desmond (i.e. of Edward, the son of James, son of Pierce Roe, son of James, son of Edmond), died.

M1589.4

The Countess of the county of Clare, Una, the daughter of Turlough, son of Murtough, son of Donnell, son of Teige, son of Turlough, son of Murrough na-Raithnighe, and wife of the Earl of Thomond, i.e. of Conor, son of Donough, son of Conor, son of Turlough, son of Teige O'Brien, died at Clare-more.

M1589.5

Donnell Mag Congail, Bishop of Raphoe, died on the 29th of September.

M1589.6

Turlough, the son of Teige, son of Conor, son of Turlough, son of Teige O'Brien of Bel-atha-an-chomraic, died; and his death was the cause of great lamentation.

M1589.7

Teige-an-Duna, the son of Donough, son of Murtough, son of Donough, son of Murtough, son of Ballagh, the senior of the Mac Mahons of Tuath-na-Fearna (i.e. of Corca-Bhaiscinn), and of Sliocht-an-Bhallaigh, died. There lived not in his neighbourhood in his time so brave a man.

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1589.8

Cormac, the son of Teige, son of Dermot, son of Cormac Mac Carthy of Magh-Laithimh, died.

M1589.9

Manus, the son of Con, son of Calvagh, son of Manus, son of Hugh Duv O'Donnell, was slain near the River Finn, on the 20th of September, by John, the son of Manus Oge, son of Manus, son of Hugh Duv O'Donnell.

M1589.10

Donnell, son of Owen of the Lake Mac Sweeny, Constable of Muskerry, died. The deceased was a man who had good tillage, and kept a house of hospitality, and was praiseworthy in the eyes of the English and Irish.

M1589.11

The Lower Burkes from Tirawly westwards, after having refused to remain under the jurisdiction of the Governor, Sir Richard Bingham, went on their defence. Master Brown proceeded, by order of the Governor, at the head of a large party of English and Irish soldiers, westwards over Bealach-an-Diothruibh against these Burkes. The Burkes made an attack upon them; and at the time that Master Brown came to a close fight, his soldiers were routed, and himself beheaded, as were also Donnell O'Daly, a gentleman who had the command of a party of the soldiers; and Redmond Oge, son of Redmond, son of John Burke of Ben, together with a great number of the soldiers. The vigour and fury of the Burkes were increased by this defeat; and they became more violent in their insurrection after it. The descendants of Oliver, the son of John Burke of Tirawley, went in alliance with them, as did the O'Dowdas of Tireragh of the Moy; all the Clann-Donnell Galloglagh; Murrough of the Battle-axes, the son of Teige, son of Murrough O'Flaherty, together with all the O'Flahertys and the Joyces; so that there was not one man worthy of note, from the western point of Erris to Traigh-Eothuile, to Machaire-Luighne, to Corran, and to Machaire-Chonnacht, who did not unite on this occasion

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against the Governor. These plunderers continued to ravage the province of Connaught, by day and night, during the spring. It was at this time that two sons of Murrough of the Battle-axes O'Flaherty, Teige and Urun, and the son of Murrough's brother, i.e. Donnell, the son of Rory O'Flaherty, went upon a predatory excursion along the borders of Conmaicne and Machaire-Riabhach, precisely on Easter night. They had two or three hundred horse-boys on this excursion. They proceeded to take much booty and spoils throughout the country early in the morning of Easter Sunday. The people of the country came from every quarter in pursuit of them. On the night before a company or two of soldiers had come, privately and unperceived, to protect the country; and these, upon hearing the loud report of the ordnance, and the clamour of the armed troops on the following day, retired to a narrow pass, which could not be easily shunned or avoided, and there lay in ambush for the Irish host. They saw Teige O'Flaherty approaching in front of the host, and his people in close ranks about him. The soldiers discharged showers of balls at the van of the Irish host, and slew by this volley Teige O'Flaherty, Urun O'Flaherty, and Teige Oge, the son of Teige O'Flaherty, together with a great number of their followers who were about them, of the chiefs of Joyce's country, and the Clann-Donough. Such of the Irish host as were not killed by the first volley went away without panic or fear, and were not further pursued. Three days after the killing of Teige, Edmond, another son of Murrough of the Battle-axes O'Flaherty, who was in prison in Galway, was hanged; and, were it not that these sons of Murrough of the Battle-axes O'Flaherty fell in the act of plunder and insurrection against the Sovereign of England, their death after this manner would have been a great cause of lamentation.

M1589.12

Dermot Oge, the son of Dermot, son of Denis, son of Dermot, son of Conor, Bishop of Limerick, son of Murrough-an-Dana O'Dea, died, and was buried in his own town of Disert-Tola, in the cantred of Kinel-Fearmaic, in the upper part of Dal-Cais.

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