This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(November 2024) |
Battle of Spancel Hill | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Earl of Thomond's supporters | Sir Donnell O'Brien's supporters | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Connor O'Brien Richard Burke | Sir Donnell O'Brien |
The Battle of Spancel Hill took place in 1559 in County Clare, Ireland close to modern Kilraghtis when a force led by Sir Donnell O'Brien defeated his rival for leadership of the O'Briens Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond and his ally Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde.
Although primarily a battle for local power amongst rival Gaelic factions it had wider ramifications. The defeat was a blow to the current Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex who had strongly supported Thomond and had led Crown troops into the area the previous year to install the Earl in power. [1] By contrast the Irish opponents of Sussex were known to be sympathetic to Sir Donnell and used his victory as evidence of Sussex's incompetence. In turn these two factions were allied with rival power groups at the English Court.[ citation needed ]
Sussex was forced to dispatch a fresh expedition of Royal forces into the area in 1560 to protect Thomond. Eventually a compromise was reached in which Sir Donnell was granted a status independent of Thomond's overlordship which brought peace to the area. [2]
Sir Henry Sidney was an English soldier, politician and Lord Deputy of Ireland.
Shane O'Neill was an Irish chieftain of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster in the mid-16th century. Shane O'Neill's career was marked by his ambition to be the O'Neill—sovereign of the dominant O'Neill family of Tír Eoghain. This brought him into conflict with competing branches of the O'Neill family and with the English government in Ireland, who recognised a rival claim. Shane's support was considered worth gaining by the English even during the lifetime of his father Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone. But rejecting overtures from the 3rd Earl of Sussex, the lord deputy from 1556, Shane refused to help the English against the Scottish settlers on the coast of Antrim, allying himself for a short time instead with the MacDonnells, the most powerful of these settlers. Shane viewed the Scottish settlers as invaders, but decided to stay his hand against them with hopes of using them to strengthen his position with the English. However, tensions quickly boiled over and he declared war on the Scottish MacDonnell's defeating them at the Battle of Glentaisie despite the MacDonnells calling for reinforcements from Scotland. The Scottish MacDonnells would later assassinate Shane O'Neill and collect the bounty on his head.
Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex KG, was Lord Deputy of Ireland during the Tudor period of English history, and a leading courtier during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Baron Inchiquin is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was one of two titles created on 1 July 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who claimed descent from Brian Boru, a High King of Ireland. The English titles were granted under the policy of surrender and regrant, and therefore conditional upon the abandonment of any Irish titles, the adoption of English customs and laws, pledging of allegiance to the Crown, apostasy from the Catholic Church, and conversion to the Church of Ireland. Murrough was made both Earl of Thomond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his nephew Donough O'Brien and Baron Inchiquin, with remainder to his male heirs. Following the death of his cousin, Conor Myles John O' Brien in June 2023, Conor John Anthony O' Brien is currently the 19th Baron Inchiquin
Thomond, also known as the Kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nenagh and its hinterland. The kingdom represented the core homeland of the Dál gCais people, although there were other Gaels in the area such as the Éile and Eóganachta, and even the Norse of Limerick. It existed from the collapse of the Kingdom of Munster in the 12th century as competition between the Ó Briain and the Mac Cárthaigh led to the schism between Thomond and Desmond. It continued to exist outside of the Anglo-Norman-controlled Lordship of Ireland until the 16th century.
The Dalcassians are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál Cas. Their known ancestors are the subject of The Expulsion of the Déisi tale and one branch of their blood-line went on to rule the petty kingdom of Dyfed in Wales during the 4th century; probably in alliance with the Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus.
Tír Eoghain, also known as Tyrone, was a kingdom and later earldom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising parts of present-day County Tyrone, County Armagh, County Londonderry and County Donegal (Raphoe). The kingdom represented the core homeland of the Cenél nEógain people of the Northern Uí Néill and although they ruled, there were smaller groups of other Gaels in the area. One part of the realm to the north-east broke away and expanded, becoming Clandeboye, ruled by a scion branch of the O'Neill dynasty. In one form or another, Tyrone existed for over a millennium. Its main capital was Dungannon, though kings were inaugurated at Tullyhogue Fort.
Brian O'Neill, also known as Brian "of the battle of Down" O'Neill, was the High King of Ireland from 1258 to 1260.
Events from the year 1565 in Ireland.
Juliana FitzMaurice, Lady of Thomond was an Anglo-Norman noblewoman, the daughter of Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of Offaly, and the wife of Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond, a powerful Anglo-Norman baron in Ireland, who was a younger brother of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford. Juliana was married three times; Thomas being her first. She is sometimes referred to as Juliane FitzMaurice.
Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond also spelt Conor and called Groibleach, or the "long-nailed", contended with his uncle Donnell for the Chieftainship of Clan O'Brien from 1535 to 1565. He was confirmed as 3rd Earl of Thomond in 1558 by the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex. O'Brien intrigued with fitz Maurice in 1569 during the 1st Desmond Rebellion and fled to France. He returned and was pardoned in 1571, being restored to his lands at the end of the rebellion in 1573.
Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond and Baron Ibrickan, PC (Ire), was a Protestant Irish nobleman and soldier, and Chief of Clan O'Brien. He fought for Queen Elizabeth during Tyrone's Rebellion and participated in the Siege of Kinsale. He obtained the transfer of County Clare, where most of his lands lay, from the Province of Connacht to that of Munster. He was made president of Munster in 1605.
Sir Daniel O'Brien, 1st Viscount Clare also called Donal was an Irish politician and soldier. He was born a younger son of Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond. He fought against the insurgents at Tyrone's Rebellion, but for the insurgents in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the Irish Confederate Wars. He resisted the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. He joined Charles II of England in exile and was in his eighties made a viscount at the Restoration.
Sir Edward O'Brien, 2nd Baronet was an Irish politician and baronet.
Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond was an Anglo-Norman peer and soldier. He was the second son of Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester and his wife Maud de Lacy, Countess of Gloucester. In 1272 he served a term as Lieutenant of the Duchy of Aquitaine. On 26 January 1276 he was granted the Lordship of Thomond by Edward I of England; he spent the next eight years attempting to conquer it from the O'Brien dynasty, kings of Thomond.
Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond was the second to last King of Thomond.
The O'Brien dynasty was an Irish Clan and noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he established himself as Ard Rí na hÉireann. Brian's descendants thus carried the name Ó Briain, continuing to rule the Kingdom of Munster until the 12th century where their territory had shrunk to the Kingdom of Thomond which they would hold for just under five centuries.
Domhnall mac Conchobair Ó Briain, known in English as Sir Donnell O'Brien was a Gaelic Irish leader from Thomond in the Kingdom of Ireland. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Spancel Hill, against his nephew who was supported by the English government of the Kingdom of Ireland, particularly the Earl of Sussex. Ó Briain was a contender for the title Earl of Thomond from 1553 to 1558 and again from 1563 to 1564.
The Battle of Thomond was fought in Ireland on 14 July 1328 between the forces of William de Burgh and an army led by Brian Bán Ó Briain, Lord of Thomond. It was fought near Thurles in modern County Tipperary and featured powerful Gaelic and Anglo-Irish figures on both sides.