Page 192 - Demo

192 Stephen Dunford: The Journey of The IrIsh
The protracted war which occurred in the next decade almost obliterated all traces of
the plantation.
Towards the close of the sixteenth century the influence and wealth of England was at its most powerful and dominant. The defeat in 1588 of the great Spanish invasion force known to us as ‘The Spanish Armada’ made her the absolute mistress of the seas, and in turn, ena- bled her to found rich colonies in the New World and elsewhere. With the aid of powerful and unscrupulous Viceroys and their equally ruthless underlings, the Crown judged the time was now ripe for the completion of the conquest of Ireland and the establishment of “the Queen’s supremacy in things spiritual as well as temporal.” Nor did they anticipate much se- rious opposition: Munster was planted and under the control of its President, the notorious Sir Thomas Norris, Leinster was submissive, and Connacht forcibly overawed and ruthlessly controlled by the strong garrisons of its President, the massacring Sir Richard Bingham- the outcome of Bingham’s bloody tenure is known as “The Composition of Connaught.” It was not anticipated that the most determined and dangerous opposition yet encountered by English rule in Ireland was shortly to break out in Ulster.
The leader of this opposition was Hugh O’Neill, the English-reared and educated son of Matthew, disputed grandson and nephew of Conn Bacach and Shane the Proud, respec- tively. Brought up since boyhood as an Englishman and imbued with English manners and ways, he had even fought with the forces of the Crown against the Munster Geraldines, it was felt by the monarchy that once back in Ireland, Hugh would be a faithful instrument and promoter of English interests and influence and rule Ulster for the Crown.
So it came to pass that Hugh, once referred to as being ‘strong of body, valiant, of a subtle and profound wit’ became Earl of Tyrone in 1585, and later was elected ‘O’Neill’ by his own people in succession to Turlough Lynagh. But Ulster was in a far from peaceful or contented state at this time and in spite of his upbringing, Hugh was still an O’Neill and his sympathies were with his own people, most of whom were forced to live under oppressive English rule. He was, as one chronicler recorded ‘the son of Matthew who had inherited the spirit of Shane.’
Hugh, however, was a shrewd diplomat and sharp military tactician, and by nature he was more prudent and much less of a hot-head than Shane. Moreover, because of his Eng- lish education and military training he had the advantage of knowing the English mind, the English ways and English foibles, and consequently he recognized that lengthy and careful
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