Hugh MacManus O’Donnell, Chief of Tyrconnell (current county of Donegal, Ireland), was an old ally of the O’Neill Clan (Clann Ó Néill) during the disputes against his stepbrother for the domination of the O’Donnell Clan (Clann Domhnaill). He accepted an alliance with the English in exchange for the British help to seize the power of the lands of their old allies, and he finally did after the Battle of Farsetmore in 1567.
In 1587, the alleged bastard child of Enrique VIII and English Lord Deputy Sir John Perrot, kidnapped the children from the leaders of the O’Neill Clan (Art and Henry O’Neill) and O’Donnell Clan (“Red” Hugh O’Donnell) to avoid the union of both clans in a permanent alliance. They were recluded in the Dublin Castle from where they finally managed to escape 5 years after. Hugh O’Donnell lost his toes because of the cold and Art O’Neill died during the flight.
When he came back, Hugh O’Donnell was named the leader of the clan as his father had abdicated. He became “Red” Hugh O’Donnell Chief of Turconnell in 1592, when he was just 20 years old.
He started a rebellion against England from his castle. This rebellion was named The Nine Years’ War (it lasted until 1603).
The first battles were favourable to him until a point where he managed to expel the English Crown Deputy from Ireland. The support from his ally Hugh O’Neill was decisive (there were some Spanish soldiers amongst his troops): both clans were united for the freedom of their homeland. They won the Clontibret battle commanded by Henry Bagenal and, in 1598, another important triumph of the Irish on the banks of the Blackwater river, in Yellow Ford (Cath Bhéal an Átha Buí); English and Irish army counted up to 5000 men each.
These victories didn’t stop the English ambition at all. In fact, because of them, they were even more determined to conquer Ireland; they sent another expedition much more numerous and better equipped in 1600.
When “Red” Hugh received the news of the approach of the great English army and realised that his cousin, Nial Garve, had betrayed him (the English had promised him the lordship of “Red” Hugh) and was planning on dethroning him, he decided to ask for foreign help to the most powerful military power that there was at that moment: the Spanish army that, funnily enough, had been immersed in conflict with the British since 1585.
When Philip III received the support request, he realised that it could mean an important strategic opportunity, so he sent a fleet of 33 ships in September 1601 with the tercios of Juan del Águila and Francisco de Toledo. The fleet, commanded by Admiral Diego Brochero, departed from the port of La Coruna with instructions to take the port and city of Cork.
The Spanish fleet was divided in three parts after a storm. One of them, with the majority of the logistic support and provisions, came back to La Coruna; another one went to Baltimore, and the majority of the tercio of Juan de Águila (about 3000 men) took shelter in the port of Kinsale.
Juan del Águila planned then the defence of the city and fortified the banks of the river Brandon facing the imminent arrival of the English troops that were aware of the arrival of the Spaniards; and even though they could destroy some of the fortified posts of the river on January 10th, the English could not take the city.
The tercio of Juan del Águila held the siege of the city for months until a new contingent was sent from Spain on December 11th and the O’Neill and O’Donnell’s Irish troops arrived with more than 5000 men. They met in the village of Banndan, near the River Bandom, to help the Spanish troops in Kinsale.
Legend has it that the lords of Ireland were entrusted with the relic of the Lignum Crucis, preserved in the abbey of Holy Corss, before marching on to battle in December 1601.
On December 24, 1601, The Spanish-Irish alliance, commanded by Richard Tyrrell, Hugh O’Neill and “Red” Hugh O’Donnell, went to meet the English troops, but due to a series of misfortunes and bad organisation, the alliance was split and tried to break through the siege of the city by different flanks.
They arrived at the site of Kinsale in January. O’Neill was the first to peek into the fence and lured the English cavalry of Charles Blount and Godolphin into a nearby swamp hoping to reduce its effectiveness. He bore with them for a couple hours but he needed support to maintain the position, and Juan del Águila did not come to his aid. The Irish were defeated with 1200 casualties, 90 of which were Spaniards that belonged to the brigade of Ocampo.
This defeat cause the flight of the majority of the Irish troops that were commanded by O’Donnell and could not arrive in time to reinforce the position at the swamp.
The Spaniards, commanded by Alonso de Ocampo, continued fighting until they arrived to the English siege with just 50 men. It was defended by the Count of Mountjoy and went through it arriving at Kinsale.
Juan de Águila surrendered on January 12th because he had no support from the Irish and, although some reinforcements were about to come from Spain commanded by Martín de Vallecina (they arrived on January 14th but it was already too late.). The English provided both Spaniards and Irish with ships and food so that they could go home.
De Águila arrived in La Coruna accompanied by O’Donnell, O’Neill and some Irish nobles. This episode is known in Irish History as The Flight of the Earls. They were received with honours by the governor of Galicia and the Archbishop of Santiago. He founded the first Irish school in Santiado de Compostela as well as a military hospital in La Coruna sponsored by Juan del Águila himself, who invested a lot of his money to aid those soldiers wounded back in the combats that had taken place in Ireland.
“Red” Hugh spent more than a year in Galicia. He lived in La Coruna accompanied by his entourage. There is a legend that says that he went up the Torre de Hércules everyday because Milé, son of Breogan, saw Ireland from that tower (which had been built by his father) and so went there with his ships to conquer it 2000 years ago.
“Red” Hugh did not follow the steps of the other Irish nobles that came back to Ireland to pay homage to the English King and thus regain their homeland. He sent several letters to the court of Philip III asking for support to reconquer Ireland, but he never got an answer. Presumably, at this time, the king and his cabinet were trying to reduce fronts and no longer wished to open any of them (the peace between Spain and England was signed in 1604, just two years after). Seeing that his persuasive letters were not successful, he decided to go himself to the Court, which was en Valladolid, to see the King in person. “Red” Hugh contracted an infection during his stay in Simancas and died just 16 days after he got it. The castle where he was staying was just 10 kilometres away from the residence of King Philip III. Some sources claim that he was poisoned by an English spy named James Blake.
Irish writers turned him into a hero, being “Red” the Gaelic gentleman par excellence: noble, courageous, patriotic… something like the Spanish El Cid, but from Ireland.
His remains were transferred to Valladolid and buried in the San Francisco Convent, where Christopher Columbus had died. With his death, one of the most important chapters in the Irish struggle for independence ended as well, written with fire and sword.