O'Donnell was the eldest son of Sir Hugh O'Donnell, the ruler of Tyrconnell. O'Donnell was a leading contender in the O'Donnell succession dispute of the 1580s which took place while his father was still alive. Amongst the other leading contenders were his half-brother Hugh Roe O'Donnell and his great-uncle Hugh Dubh O'Donnell. Donnell received the backing of the Crown, who felt he had a strong claim to the title although his father had not nominated him as his successor. The government felt that Donnell could command more support locally than his brother as Donnell's mother was a Donegal woman while Hugh Roe was the son of Iníon Dubh, a Scottish woman.[1]
Domhnall grew stronger in the late 1580s, and took control over much of western Tyrconnell. He was also powerful enough to interfere in a succession dispute in neighboring Fermanagh, where he established Hugh Maguire as chief ahead of his rival Connor Roe Maguire.[2] Donnell also drew strength from the support of Sir Turlough O'Neill, whose daughter he married.[3]
Faced with the eclipse of her son Hugh Roe's position, Iníon Dubh acted decisively. She hired large numbers of Redshank mercenaries from her native Scotland to confront her son's rival. Donnell was defeated and killed at the Battle of Doire Leathan on 3 September 1590.[2] Two years later Hugh Roe successfully had himself made O'Donnell.
^There is debate on the identity of her mother. Concannon believes Siobhán was born c. 1569, and that her mother was Iníon Dubh,[vi] who married Sir Hugh around that time. However, Siobhán married Hugh O'Neill in 1574, making that date of birth unlikely. Casway and Walsh believe Siobhán's mother was Sir Hugh's first wife.[vii][viii]
^In a letter dated 31 January 1591, O'Neill references Siobhán's recent death.[viii]
^Her death date has alternately been given as 1639, 26 April 1640, or sometime after 31 March 1642.[viii]
^Sources disagree on Henry's date of death: 1610,[vii] c. 1620,[xxii] or c. 1626.[xi] It is clear that he died sometime before the publication of Philip O'Sullevan's
Historia Catholica in 1621.[viii]
^Some modern news sources have given his birthdate as 30 October 1572.
^The historicity of this person is disputed; Ó Domhnaill, Niall; Na Glúnta Rosannacha (1952), page 87
^Annals of the Four Masters: "1590: ...the son of O'Donnell himself, who, being unable to display prowess or defend himself, was slain at Doire-leathan, on one side of the harbour of Telinn, on the 14th of September."
^ abConcannon, p. 218-219 "Siobhan was probably the eldest of the family, and must have been born not later than 1569." "We know little of Siobhan, who can hardly have been more than one-and- twenty, when she died in 1590."
^ abHill 1873. "Sir Randal Macdonnell was married about the year 1604 to Ellis or Alice O'Neill, the third daughter of Hugh earl of Tyrone. This lady, who was born in 1583, was in her twenty-first year at the time of her marriage, and was younger than either of her sisters, lady Macmahon or Lady Maginnis. She was older than her brother Hugh, the baron of Dungannon."
^Cokayne 1910. "[The 1st Earl of Antrim] m., 1604, Alice, da. of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I], by his 2nd wife, Joanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell."
^Cokayne 1910. "[The 1st Earl of Antrim] m., 1604, Alice, da. of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I], by his 2nd wife, Joanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell."
^Concannon, p. 218 "The inscription on the tomb in San Pietro in Montorio shows that her eldest child, Hugh, was born in 1585."
^Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1867, p. 459: "..he died unmarried on the 23rd of September, 1609, aged twenty-four... and was buried in the church of St. Peter's in Montorio..."
^ abRoyal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 1867, p. 459
^Annals of the Four Masters: "1602:...O'Donnell should take the disease of his death and the sickness of his dissolution; and, after lying seventeen days on the bed, he died, on the 10th of September, in the house which the King of Spain himself had at that town (Simancas)...""
^ abcWebb, Alfred (1878). "Rury O'Donnell". A Compendium of Irish Biography.
^ abSilke 2006 "Hugh Albert O'Donnell, born [to Rory and Bridget] about October 1606, was the only son of this marriage, Mary Stuart O'Donnell being born about a year later."
^Bagwell 1895 "About ninety persons sailed with the earls, among whom were Tyrconnel's son Hugh, aged eleven months..."
^Ulwencreutz, Lars (2013), Ulwencreutz's The Royal Families in Europe V, Lulu.com, p. 136, ISBN978-1-304-58135-8 "Hugh O'Donnell, 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell (1606-1642) Prince and Lord of Tryconnell".
^Casway 2009. Casway gives her birthdate as c. 1575
^Concannon, p. 218 "O'Clery tells us that Nuala was already married to Niall Garbh in 1592. This will place her birth-year with some degree of probability about 1577 — not later."
^Annals of the Four Masters: "1608: Niall Garv O'Donnell, with his brothers Hugh Boy and Donnell, and his son, Naghtan, were taken prisoners about the festival of St. John in this year."
^According to the English officials who wrote the Calendar of State Papers, Hugh Roe personally killed Niall Garve's four-year-old son (also his own nephew)
^Concannon, p. 218 "Manus may have been born about 1579 or 1580. He was old enough to play a man's part in the battle in which he met his death at the hands of Niall Garbh (A.D. 1600)"Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh names the sons in the order of their birth: Hugh Roe, Ruairi, Manus and Cathbar.
^O'Donnell, Eunan; Reflection on the Flight of the Earls; Donegal Annual, Bliainiris Dhún na nGall, Journal of the County Donegal Historical Society, No. 58 (2006); pp. 31-44. Gráinne is known only as a sister of the Earl (i.e., Rory), with no additional information.