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Chapter Six 199
der Sir Conyers Cliford, then President of Connacht. Cliford’s army was met in the same month, August, among the Curlew Mountains by O’Donnell’s men and heavily defeated- Cliford himself along with fourteen hundred of his men were slain in the encounter since known as ‘The Battle of The Curlews.’
Essex and O’ Neill meet
It is suggested in some quarters that Essex had entered into a secret deal with O’Neill, in which he gave his support to the Irish, and at the time the detail of his private parley with O’Neill became the subject of much speculation in England. Sir Henry Wotton, the Earl’s personal secretary, complained bitterly of the duplicity of interpreters, saying that they were Essex’s worst enemies, and rumours of the earl’s disloyalty abounded. With the reduction of his favour at court, Essex chose to challenge Elizabeth’s authority by breaking house arrest and riding in force through London to gain an audience with her, but was compelled to turn back. He was then declared a traitor, sufering the death penalty in February 1601 upon conviction on charges of treason after a speedy trial.