Hugh Maguire
Encyclopedia
Aodh Mag Uidhir, anglicised as Hugh Maguire (died 1600) was the Lord of Fermanagh in Ireland
during the reign of Elizabeth I and leader of the ancient Maguire clan; he died fighting crown authority during the Nine Years War.
of Ulster
, a terrain difficult of access as it was covered with forest, lakes and rivers. The crown authorities made sporadic attempts to subdue the clan, and in 1586 Maguire surrendered to the English
and was pardoned in return for an agreement to pay 500 beeves to the crown, of which 200 were appropriated by the lord deputy, Sir John Perrot
as his perquisite for proposing to make Maguire a captain of the country; this proposal was not carried through, even though Maguire had lodged three pledges for his loyalty in Dublin Castle
.
In 1587 Maguire, along with Art O'Neill's forces, attacked and plundered a party of Scots
which had invaded Down
; on their return towards the river Erne
, Maguire attacked O'Neill's men and killed and wounded many of them. In 1588 he was in league with Sir Brian O'Rourke
, the Burkes and the Spanish
following the wreckage of the Spanish Armada
on the north and west coasts of Ireland. Thereafter, he was implicated in the plot of Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, to murder Con MacShane O'Neill
, who petitioned the lord deputy, Sir William Fitzwilliam
for protection.
which he considered impregnable. He retorted to Fitzwilliam's demand that he allow the queen's writ to run in his country: "Your sheriff shall be welcome but let me know his eric [ie. honour price] that if my people should cut his head off I may levy it upon the country". His argument was that he had already paid 300 beeves to Fitzwilliam to keep the sheriff out. Nevertheless, Captain Willis was made sheriff in command of 100 men, and disaffected members of the clan were encouraged to defy him. In the end, Maguire himself drove the sheriff and his men into a church and besieged them there in 1590; Tyrone intervened and saved the besieged force from death, and then Fitzwilliam invaded the country, proclaimed Maguire a traitor and took Enniskillen
.
Encouraged by the Catholic
archbishop of Armagh
, Edmund Magauran, but opposed by Tyrone, Maguire invaded Connacht
straight away and met with the army of Sir Richard Bingham, president of the province, on mid-summer eve. The battle of Sciath na Feart took place at Tulsk, in a fog so dense that the sides only realised their proximity when their cavalries were almost upon one another. Bingham's men fled to their camp, and Maguire pursued but was repulsed and in his turn pursued. The Irish lost Magauran; the English lost William Clifford
. Maguire retired into his country with considerable spoil.
At the end of 1593, Maguire was wounded in an attempt to prevent Sir Henry Bagnal and Tyrone from crossing the Erne. In June of the following year he besieged Enniskillen with Hugh Roe O'Donnell
, Lord of Tyrconnell. Bingham sought to relieve the garrison, but Maguire intercepted him at the Arney river and defeated him in the Battle of the Biscuits (Beal atha na mBriosgaidh). In the following year he devastated Cavan
and was again proclaimed a traitor by the English.
in 1595, a significant early defeat for the English, and commanded the cavalry at Mullaghbrack
in 1596. He sent in his submission to the government later in the year. In 1598 he held a command at the Battle of the Yellow Ford
, at which Bagnal was slain and the English army annihilated. In 1599 he helped raid Thomond
and took Inchiquin castle. In early 1600 he commanded Tyrone's cavalry in the Leinster
and Munster
campaigns. On 18 February he was intercepted within a mile of Cork by Sir Warham St Leger. Maguire slew his opponent, but died within a few hours of the encounter from wounds he had received; his foster father, his priest and all the commanders of his regiment were also killed.
Maguire's death was a blow to the rebel cause. He had educated and advanced notions of cavalry warfare; so too did St Leger, and their meeting was as much one of minds as of force.
by the Crown, he departed Ireland for the continent with Tyrone during the Flight of the Earls
in 1607, dying at Genoa in August 1608. Almost all of Fermanagh was confiscated by the crown after this and planted, largely by Scots settlers and border reivers
(see Plantation of Ulster
).
Maguire's bard, O'Hussey, composed a stark and chilling ode upon his patron's death. The Annals of the Four Masters
(c. 1630) eulogised him: "He was the bulwark of valour and prowess, the shield of protection and shelter, the tower of support and defence, and the pillar of the hospitality and achievements of the Oirghialla and of almost all the Irish of his time".
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during the reign of Elizabeth I and leader of the ancient Maguire clan; he died fighting crown authority during the Nine Years War.
Early career
Maguire's country was in the southern part of the provinceProvinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...
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...
, a terrain difficult of access as it was covered with forest, lakes and rivers. The crown authorities made sporadic attempts to subdue the clan, and in 1586 Maguire surrendered to the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was pardoned in return for an agreement to pay 500 beeves to the crown, of which 200 were appropriated by the lord deputy, Sir John Perrot
John Perrot
Sir John Perrot served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England during the Tudor conquest of Ireland...
as his perquisite for proposing to make Maguire a captain of the country; this proposal was not carried through, even though Maguire had lodged three pledges for his loyalty in Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
.
In 1587 Maguire, along with Art O'Neill's forces, attacked and plundered a party of Scots
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
which had invaded Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
; on their return towards the river Erne
River Erne
The River Erne , in the northwest of Ireland, rises in Beaghy Lough, two miles south of Stradone in County Cavan and flows 64 miles through Lough Gowna, Lough Oughter and Upper and Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, to the sea at Ballyshannon, County Donegal...
, Maguire attacked O'Neill's men and killed and wounded many of them. In 1588 he was in league with Sir Brian O'Rourke
Brian O'Rourke
Lord Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc , hereditary lord of West Bréifne in Ireland during the later stages of the Tudor conquest of that country, was proclaimed by the English to be a rebel and became the first man extradited within Britain for crimes alleged to have been committed in Ireland.-Early life:Ó...
, the Burkes and the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
following the wreckage of the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
on the north and west coasts of Ireland. Thereafter, he was implicated in the plot of Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, to murder Con MacShane O'Neill
Con MacShane O'Neill
Con MacShane O'Neill 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...
, who petitioned the lord deputy, Sir William Fitzwilliam
William Fitzwilliam
William FitzWilliam may refer to:*William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton , English courtier*William FitzWilliam , Lord Deputy of Ireland...
for protection.
Lord of Fermanagh
In 1589 Maguire succeeded his father, Cu Chonnacht Mag Uidhir, on the latter's death, and inherited lands in Fermanagh with a retreat in the islands of Lough ErneLough Erne
Lough Erne, sometimes Loch Erne , is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne. The river begins by flowing north, and then curves west into the Atlantic. The southern lake is further up the river and so is named Upper...
which he considered impregnable. He retorted to Fitzwilliam's demand that he allow the queen's writ to run in his country: "Your sheriff shall be welcome but let me know his eric [ie. honour price] that if my people should cut his head off I may levy it upon the country". His argument was that he had already paid 300 beeves to Fitzwilliam to keep the sheriff out. Nevertheless, Captain Willis was made sheriff in command of 100 men, and disaffected members of the clan were encouraged to defy him. In the end, Maguire himself drove the sheriff and his men into a church and besieged them there in 1590; Tyrone intervened and saved the besieged force from death, and then Fitzwilliam invaded the country, proclaimed Maguire a traitor and took Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
.
Encouraged by the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
archbishop of Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
, Edmund Magauran, but opposed by Tyrone, Maguire invaded Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. 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...
straight away and met with the army of Sir Richard Bingham, president of the province, on mid-summer eve. The battle of Sciath na Feart took place at Tulsk, in a fog so dense that the sides only realised their proximity when their cavalries were almost upon one another. Bingham's men fled to their camp, and Maguire pursued but was repulsed and in his turn pursued. The Irish lost Magauran; the English lost William Clifford
William Clifford
William Clifford was an English cricketer of the mid-19th century who played for Kent...
. Maguire retired into his country with considerable spoil.
At the end of 1593, Maguire was wounded in an attempt to prevent Sir Henry Bagnal and Tyrone from crossing the Erne. In June of the following year he besieged Enniskillen with Hugh Roe O'Donnell
Hugh Roe O'Donnell
Aodh Rua Ó Dónaill, anglicised as either Hugh Roe O'Donnell or Red Hugh O'Donnell , was An Ó Domhnaill and Rí of Tir Chonaill . He led the Irish forces against the English conquest of Ireland from 1593 and helped to lead the Nine Years' War from 1595 to 1603...
, Lord of Tyrconnell. Bingham sought to relieve the garrison, but Maguire intercepted him at the Arney river and defeated him in the Battle of the Biscuits (Beal atha na mBriosgaidh). In the following year he devastated Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
and was again proclaimed a traitor by the English.
Nine Years War
During the Nine Years War (Ireland) (1595–1603), Maguire participated in the Battle of ClontibretBattle of Clontibret
The Battle of Clontibret was fought in County Monaghan in March 1595 during the Nine Years War, between the crown forces of England's Queen Elizabeth and the Irish army of Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone...
in 1595, a significant early defeat for the English, and commanded the cavalry at Mullaghbrack
Mullaghbrack
Mullaghbrack or Mullaghbrac is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is on the road between Markethill and Hamiltonsbawn, just north of Gosford Forest Park. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 75.-History:...
in 1596. He sent in his submission to the government later in the year. In 1598 he held a command at the Battle of the Yellow Ford
Battle of the Yellow Ford
The Battle of the Yellow Ford was fought in western County Armagh, Ulster, in Ireland, near the river Blackwater on 14 August 1598, during the Nine Years War ....
, at which Bagnal was slain and the English army annihilated. In 1599 he helped raid Thomond
Thomond
Thomond The region of Ireland associated with the name Thomond is County Clare, County Limerick and north County Tipperary; effectively most of north Munster. The name is used by a variety of establishments and organisations located in , or associated with the region...
and took Inchiquin castle. In early 1600 he commanded Tyrone's cavalry in the Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
and Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. 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 purposes...
campaigns. On 18 February he was intercepted within a mile of Cork by Sir Warham St Leger. Maguire slew his opponent, but died within a few hours of the encounter from wounds he had received; his foster father, his priest and all the commanders of his regiment were also killed.
Maguire's death was a blow to the rebel cause. He had educated and advanced notions of cavalry warfare; so too did St Leger, and their meeting was as much one of minds as of force.
Legacy
Maguire married the daughter of Tyrone, but was succeeded by his younger brother, Cuchonnacht. Following the breach of the terms of the Treaty of MellifontTreaty of Mellifont
The Treaty of Mellifont , also known as the Articles of Mellifont was signed in 1603 ending the Nine Years' War which took place in the Kingdom of Ireland from 1594 to 1603.- The end of the war :...
by the Crown, he departed Ireland for the continent with Tyrone during the Flight of the Earls
Flight of the Earls
The Flight of the Earls took place on 14 September 1607, when Hugh Ó Neill of Tír Eóghain, Rory Ó Donnell of Tír Chonaill and about ninety followers left Ireland for mainland Europe.-Background to the exile:...
in 1607, dying at Genoa in August 1608. Almost all of Fermanagh was confiscated by the crown after this and planted, largely by Scots settlers and border reivers
Border Reivers
Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo–Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality...
(see Plantation of Ulster
Plantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
).
Maguire's bard, O'Hussey, composed a stark and chilling ode upon his patron's death. The Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
(c. 1630) eulogised him: "He was the bulwark of valour and prowess, the shield of protection and shelter, the tower of support and defence, and the pillar of the hospitality and achievements of the Oirghialla and of almost all the Irish of his time".