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Colonel Henry O'Neill (Spanish: Enrique O'Neill;[1] c. 1586 – 25 August 1610) was an Irish-born soldier and nobleman who primarily served in Continental Europe. In 1600 he was relocated to Spain to strengthen relations between his father, the Earl of Tyrone, and the Spanish government. He served for many years in the Low Countries, before dying in Spain of illness aged 23.
Henry O'Neill | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1586 Ulster, Ireland |
| Died | 25 August 1610 (aged 23) Aranda, Spain |
| Father | Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone |
| Mother | Siobhán O'Donnell |
Henry O'Neill was born c. 1586,[2][3][4] the second son of Gaelic lord Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and his second wife Siobhán O'Donnell. He was descended from the O'Neill and O'Donnell clans of Tír Eoghain and Tyrconnell respectively.[4] Henry had several older sisters, Sarah, Mary[5] and Alice,[6] as well as an older brother Hugh O'Neill, 4th Baron Dungannon.[7][8] Tyrone noted that Hugh and Henry were in fosterage in August 1594.[9]
Henry's father Tyrone, leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War, sought military assistance from Spain.[10] In April 1600, Tyrone stimulated the Irish-Spanish alliance by sending Henry, then aged 13, to Spain.[10][11][4] Tyrone had wanted his Spanish footman Pedro Blanco to accompany Henry, but King Philip III refused as Blanco was of greater use in Ireland.[12][13] Henry was escorted to Spain by one of Philip's most trusted commanders, Don Martín de la Cerda. He was relocated to Salamanca for his education, and was given an allowance of two hundred ducats per month. Henry settled permanently in Spain.[4]
In 1601, Henry took the Franciscan habit, causing much concern amongst the Spanish Council of State,[14] and leading to weeks of discussion.[11] Mateo de Oviedo, Spanish Franciscan and future Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, was ordered by Philip III to go to Salamanca and deal with Henry. Henry eventually gave up his ambitions to become a friar.[14]
In January 1602, Hugh Roe O'Donnell (O'Donnell clan chief, and a half-brother of Henry's mother) arrived in Spain seeking military reinforcements from Philip III.[15] O'Donnell asked to see Henry, and so Henry was summoned to meet his uncle at Zamora; O'Donnell spent less than a week in Zamora before heading to A Coruña. At this time, Henry was nearing the end of his studies at the University of Salamanca. He obtained his degree in Arts in July 1602.[11]
In 1603, Henry was "much esteemed and well received amongst the Spaniards",[1] and he was made a colonel of an Irish regiment in Archduke Albert VII's army.[16][1] Spain was then at war with the Dutch Republic and Henry's regiment was sent to the Low Countries. Towards the end of 1605 he arrived in Brussels, where he served under commander Ambrogio Spinola.[17]
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During his 1606 campaign, Henry and his regiment saw action in Flanders and Germany. In early 1607, peace negotiations led to a cessation of hostilities.[18] In September, many of Henry's family, including his father Tyrone and older brother Dungannon, fled Ireland for the Continent in what is known as the Flight of the Earls.[10][7] The following month, whilst his regiment was quartered in the Bruges district, Henry met many of his kith and kin on their journey through Flanders.[18]
On 13th August 1609, Henry was given permission to travel to Spain "on personal business and on business of his father". He was joined by Eugenio O'Neill, his first cousin, and Captain John Bath, captain of the Flight of the Earls.[19]
Henry's older brother Hugh died in Rome in September 1609.[7][8] Hugh's title had been attainted, thus Henry did not succeed him as Baron Dungannon.[3]
During his preparations to return to Flanders, Henry became ill.[19] Expecting death, Henry sent a petition to Philip III begging him not to fill the vacant colonelcy of his regiment without the consent of his father Tyrone. Both Henry and Archbishop of Tuam Florence Conry feared that the English would try to replace Henry with a colonel sympathetic to the English government.[20]
Henry died on 25 August 1610, aged 23, in the Spanish town of Aranda.[21][22][23] On the 28th, Philip III informed the Spanish ambassador at Rome of Henry's death, praising Henry for his service to Spain.[21]
Two weeks after Henry's death, Conry wrote to Philip III, urging him to immediately appoint Eugenio O'Neill to the colonelcy. Tyrone requested that his own son Shane be appointed to the colonelcy. This request was granted by Philip III.[20]
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