Con MacShane O'Neill
Encyclopedia
Con MacShane O'Neill (1565–1630) was the son of Shane O'Neill
known as "an Diomas" or "The Proud", an Irish flaith
or Prince of Ulster
, the Lord of Clabbye, nobleman, rebel, and political leader in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Conn was born circa 1560 to the ruling monarch of Ulster at the time. There are conflicting accounts of his mother, those being the Countess Catherine MacLean, final wife of Shane O'Neill, or a daughter of Shane Og Maguire, Prince of Fermanagh, to whom Shane was briefly married to in 1562, or Mary O'Donnell, daughter of Calvagh Prince of Tir Connell. Early in life, he was often held as a pledge for his father and later his brothers good conduct to both the English and to important Irish dynasties. However, by the 1570s, he appears to live in Scotland at the court of the MacLeans.
Conn followed his brothers Hugh Gaveloch and Henry MacShane O'Neill
into a protracted war against their cousins Turlough Lineach O'Neill and Hugh, the Earl of Tyrone in 1583. Collectively, the ten brothers were known as the "Mac Shanes" and waged continual war from 1583 to 1591 for domination of Ulster with the backing of a Scottish army made up of MacLeans and MacDonnells. In 1589, the ruling O'Neill Mor, Sir Turlough Lineach O'Neill, adopted Conn MacShane and declared him Tanist of the O'Neill nation.
Conn opposed his first cousin, Hugh Rua O'Neill, the 2nd Earl of Tyrone
continuously during the 1590s and into the 1600s. He went so far as to travel to England and accuse the Earl of treason in 1590. He and his brother Hugh had a letter of thanks, written by a Spanish Captain who had been shipwrecked and given hospitality by the Earl. The case was tried in front of Elizabeth and for political reasons, the Earl went unpunished. Soon after Conn's brothers Hugh and Brian were caught and executed by the Earl and the MacShanes had to return to Ulster no better off than before. In 1590, Conn was briefly elected The O'Neill Mor. However, he was overthrown and during the 9 Years War, he was arrested and again held captive by his cousin on an island stronghold in Killetragh. As the Earl started to lose the war, Conn escaped and joined the English, fighting with them to defeat of the Earl. Conn was married to Mary O'Donnell, a Princess of the Tirconnell dynasty. It is difficult to determine whether she was a daughter of Manus O'Donnell or his son Sir Hugh O'Donnell, as both have named Mary or Mairéad.
When the Earl fled Ireland in 1607, Conn was rewarded with a large estate known at Clabbye in south-western Ulster for the rest of life. Conn had two sons that wielded some power of their own; Hugh McShane O'Neill
, and Art Og' O'Neill. Hugh was the Chief of the McShane
clan along the western Bann river in Glenconkeyne, and Art Og' inherited Clabbye and was known to have fortified it and held it into the 1640s.
Conn MacShane's family was considered close enough to the Earl's to be considered part of the titled bloodline. In 1640, the 3rd Earl of Tyrone listed the descendants of Conn as the final lineage capable of claiming the title of "Tyrone" should all the lineage of Mathew "Ferdocha" O'Neill be extinguished. To that fact, in 1683, Conn's grandson Cormac MacShane O'Neill traveled to Spain and unsuccessfully petitioned for the title and position as the 8th Earl/Count of Tyrone in the Spanish creation. He was undermined by a young nephew of the 7th Earl/Count. However, upon his death in the early 1790s, the line of Conn MacShane O'Neill back in Ireland reverted using the O'Neill Mor name again, and kept up the traditions of election within the O'Neill family beyond 1888.
Shane O'Neill
Seán Ó Néill, anglicised Shane O'Neill , nicknamed 'Seán an díomais', was an Irish king 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 Ó Néill Mór - Sovereign of the dominant Ó Néill Mór family of Tyrone... and thus head...
known as "an Diomas" or "The Proud", an Irish flaith
Flaith
A flaith or flath , plural flatha, was an hereditary prince, or even princess, in the Gaelic world, with the plural often referring to the social class...
or Prince of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, the Lord of Clabbye, nobleman, rebel, and political leader in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Conn was born circa 1560 to the ruling monarch of Ulster at the time. There are conflicting accounts of his mother, those being the Countess Catherine MacLean, final wife of Shane O'Neill, or a daughter of Shane Og Maguire, Prince of Fermanagh, to whom Shane was briefly married to in 1562, or Mary O'Donnell, daughter of Calvagh Prince of Tir Connell. Early in life, he was often held as a pledge for his father and later his brothers good conduct to both the English and to important Irish dynasties. However, by the 1570s, he appears to live in Scotland at the court of the MacLeans.
Conn followed his brothers Hugh Gaveloch and Henry MacShane O'Neill
Henry MacShane O'Neill
Henry MacShane O'Neill or Anraí MacSéan Ó Néill was an Irish flaith, a son of Shane O'Neill who was known as "an Diomas" or "The Proud". Henry was the leader of the MacShane in the late 1500s and early 1600s, he also fought for control of the O'Neill Clan, helping his father against Hugh...
into a protracted war against their cousins Turlough Lineach O'Neill and Hugh, the Earl of Tyrone in 1583. Collectively, the ten brothers were known as the "Mac Shanes" and waged continual war from 1583 to 1591 for domination of Ulster with the backing of a Scottish army made up of MacLeans and MacDonnells. In 1589, the ruling O'Neill Mor, Sir Turlough Lineach O'Neill, adopted Conn MacShane and declared him Tanist of the O'Neill nation.
Conn opposed his first cousin, Hugh Rua O'Neill, the 2nd Earl of Tyrone
Earl of Tyrone
The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.It was first created as part of the Tudor attempt to establish a uniform social structure in Ireland by converting the Gaelic kings and chiefs into hereditary nobles of the Kingdom of Ireland...
continuously during the 1590s and into the 1600s. He went so far as to travel to England and accuse the Earl of treason in 1590. He and his brother Hugh had a letter of thanks, written by a Spanish Captain who had been shipwrecked and given hospitality by the Earl. The case was tried in front of Elizabeth and for political reasons, the Earl went unpunished. Soon after Conn's brothers Hugh and Brian were caught and executed by the Earl and the MacShanes had to return to Ulster no better off than before. In 1590, Conn was briefly elected The O'Neill Mor. However, he was overthrown and during the 9 Years War, he was arrested and again held captive by his cousin on an island stronghold in Killetragh. As the Earl started to lose the war, Conn escaped and joined the English, fighting with them to defeat of the Earl. Conn was married to Mary O'Donnell, a Princess of the Tirconnell dynasty. It is difficult to determine whether she was a daughter of Manus O'Donnell or his son Sir Hugh O'Donnell, as both have named Mary or Mairéad.
When the Earl fled Ireland in 1607, Conn was rewarded with a large estate known at Clabbye in south-western Ulster for the rest of life. Conn had two sons that wielded some power of their own; Hugh McShane O'Neill
Hugh McShane O'Neill
Hugh "McSeáin" O'Neill genealogies list Hugh as the son of Con MacShane O'Neill, 3rd son of Shane O'Neill and as the 10th son of Shane O'Neill. In both cases he was a grandson of Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone and Gearoid Mór Fitzgerald, 8th Earl of Kildare and of the primary line of the O'Neill...
, and Art Og' O'Neill. Hugh was the Chief of the McShane
McShane
McShane may refer to:People*See: McShane Other uses* McShane Bell Foundry, church bell manufacturer, located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA* McShane's identity, geometric topology...
clan along the western Bann river in Glenconkeyne, and Art Og' inherited Clabbye and was known to have fortified it and held it into the 1640s.
Conn MacShane's family was considered close enough to the Earl's to be considered part of the titled bloodline. In 1640, the 3rd Earl of Tyrone listed the descendants of Conn as the final lineage capable of claiming the title of "Tyrone" should all the lineage of Mathew "Ferdocha" O'Neill be extinguished. To that fact, in 1683, Conn's grandson Cormac MacShane O'Neill traveled to Spain and unsuccessfully petitioned for the title and position as the 8th Earl/Count of Tyrone in the Spanish creation. He was undermined by a young nephew of the 7th Earl/Count. However, upon his death in the early 1790s, the line of Conn MacShane O'Neill back in Ireland reverted using the O'Neill Mor name again, and kept up the traditions of election within the O'Neill family beyond 1888.