Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, Northern Africa, Western Asia, around the Persian Gulf and northern parts of South Asia.
Sir Henry Sidney was an English soldier, politician and Lord Deputy of Ireland.
Sir Turlough Lynagh O'Neill was an Irish Gaelic lord of Tír Eoghain in early modern Ireland. He was inaugurated upon Shane O’Neill’s death, becoming The O'Neill. From 1567 to 1595, Sir Turlough Luineach O'Neill was leader of the O'Neill clan, the most powerful family in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. He was knighted in 1578.
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 Thomas Radclyffe, 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.
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton was a Scottish nobleman. He played a leading role in the murders of Queen Mary's confidant, David Rizzio, and king consort Henry Darnley. He was one of the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of James VI and I. He was in some ways the most successful of the four since he won the civil war that had been dragging on with the supporters of the exiled Mary, Queen of Scots. However, he came to an unfortunate end, executed by means of the Maiden, a predecessor of the guillotine.
Barnabe Rich was an English author and soldier, and a distant relative of Lord Chancellor Rich.
Clandeboye or Clannaboy was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin. The entity was relatively late in appearance and is associated partly with the Gaelic resurgence of the High Middle Ages. The O'Neill Clandeboy who reigned in the territory descended from Hugh Boy O'Neill, a king of Tyrone. His descendants took advantage of the demise of the Earldom of Ulster during the latter 14th century and seized vast portions of territory. Clandeboye's main seats of power were Shane's Castle and Castle Reagh.
Arnold Bronckhorst, or Bronckorst or Van Bronckhorst was a Flemish or Dutch painter who was court painter to James VI of Scotland.
Events from the year 1581 in Ireland.
Lady Agnes Campbell was a Scottish noblewoman and queen consort of Tír Eoghain. She was the mother of Iníon Dubh.
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.
George Best (1555–1584) was a member of the second and third Martin Frobisher voyages in positions of importance; as Frobisher's lieutenant on the second and as captain of the Anne Francis on the third. In 1578 he published A True Discourse of the Late Voyages of Discoverie.
Sir Nicholas Malby (1530?–1584) was an English soldier active in Ireland, Lord President of Connaught from 1579 to 1581.
Henry MacShane O'Neill was an Irish flaith (nobleman) and a son of Shane O'Neill. He was the leader of the MacShanes in the late 16th century and early 17th century, and sought control of the O'Neill Clan, fighting with his brother Art against Hugh O'Neill.
Irish warpipes are an Irish analogue of the Scottish great Highland bagpipe. "Warpipes" is originally an English term. The first use of the Gaelic term in Ireland was recorded in a poem by Seán Ó Neachtain, in which the bagpipes are referred to as píb mhór.
John Derricke was the author and artist of The Image of Irelande, with a Discoverie of Woodkarne, a 1581 book describing the Irish campaigns of Lord Deputy Henry Sidney.
Athlone Pursuivant of Arms was a junior officer of arms in Ireland, founded 1552 during the reign of Edward VI, King of England and King of Ireland, and was named for the town of Athlone, which is partly in Co. Roscommon . The other heraldic offices of Ireland being Ireland King of Arms, 1392-1485, the Ulster King of Arms (Ulster) from 1552, the Dublin Herald (Leinster) and the Cork Herald (Munster). Accordingly, an officer was named for each of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. From 1943 the Ulster King of Arms was merged with the Norroy King of Arms as the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms with jurisdiction for Northern Ireland. Heraldic matters in the Republic of Ireland are now handled by the office of the Chief Herald of Ireland.
John Seton, Lord Barns was a Scottish diplomat, courtier and judge.
Sir Turlough McHenry O'Neill is known for having been killed together with his father, Henry, fighting for the crown in O'Doherty's Rebellion and for being the father of Sir Phelim O'Neill, who started the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
Cornelius de Vos or de Vois or Devosse, was a Dutch or Flemish mine entrepreneur and mineral prospector working in England and Scotland. He was said to have been a "picture-maker" or portrait artist. De Vos is known for gold mining in Scotland and founding saltworks at Newhaven near Edinburgh.
The Image of Irelande: title page showing the inscription of donation.
Plate 1. A soldier holding a battle-axe hands a spear to an Irish chieftain in full dress, with a page holding the chieftain's horse.
Plate 2. An armed company of the kerne, carrying halberds and pikes and led by a piper, attack and burn a farmhouse and drive off the horses and cattle.
Plate 3. The most famous plate of the set shows the chief of the Mac Sweynes seated at an informal picnic while booleying, and being entertained by a bard and a harper.
Plate 4. The Irish chieftain receives the priest's blessing before departing to fight the English, who are shown in full armour.
Plate 5. The English soldiers return in triumph, carrying severed Irish heads (the one on the right said to be Maighréad Maol O'Byrne, wife of Rory Óg O'More) and leading a captive by a halter.
Plate 6. Sir Henry Sidney, Lord-Deputy, accompanied by an armed force, sets out from Dublin Castle for a progress through Ireland.
Plate 7. The English army is drawn up for battle, while Sidney himself parleys with a messenger from the Irish.
Plate 8. Sidney and the English army on the march with standards and trumpets.
Plate 9. The English army puts the Irish army to flight. The piper is cut down with his pipes beside him.
Plate 10. Sir Henry Sidney returns in triumph to Dublin Castle and is received by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen.
Plate 11. Ruaidhrí Óg Ó Mórdha wearing the traditional Irish mantle in the forest, with his hunting dog.
Plate 12. Turlough Lynagh O'Neil and another kneel to Sidney in submission. In the background Sidney seems to be embracing O'Neill as a noble friend.
