Hugh Roe McMahon

Hugh Roe McMahon (Irish: Aodh Rua Mac Mathúna; died September/October 1590) was an Irish Gaelic nobleman and Lord of Monaghan who reigned over Airgíalla from 1589 until his execution in 1590. He was from the McMahon clan of Oriel.

Family background

He was the younger brother of Ross McMahon,^[1] the Chief of the Name McMahon.^[2] Upon Ross's death, two of his kinsman had claims to the chieftainship: Hugh Roe McMahon was supported by English law (per the surrender and regrant policy) and Brian Mac Aodha Oig McMahon was supported by brehon law. The English Lord Deputy of Ireland, William FitzWilliam, planned to divide Monaghan between the claimants, preventing a potentially bloody succession dispute and also weakening the McMahon clan.^[1]

After Ross's death, Hugh Roe McMahon went to Dublin to claim his inheritance. A few days after arriving there, FitzWilliam had three other claimants summoned.^[1] FitzWilliam proposed dividing Monaghan four ways. McMahon objected violently, but was threatened with a charge of treason and so ultimately accepted.^[3]

Death

Hugh Roe McMahon was sentenced to execution in September 1590.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Duinnshleibhe 1955, p. 42.
2. Duinnshleibhe 1955, p. 40.
3. Duinnshleibhe 1955, p. 43.
4. McGinty, Matthew (2013), The Development and Dynamics of the Relationship between Hugh O’Neill and Red Hugh O’Donnell

Sources

• Duinnshleibhe, Peadar Mac (1955). "The Legal Murder of Aodh Rua McMahon, 1590". Clogher Record. 1 (3): 39–52. doi:10.2307/27695413. ISSN 0412-8079. JSTOR 27695413.

Further reading

• Hill, George (2004). The Fall of Irish Chiefs and Clans and the Plantation of Ulster. Irish Roots Cafe. p. 48. ISBN 9780940134423. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
• McIntyre, Sean (June 2006). In a Short Time There Were None Almost Left: The Success and Failure of the Tudor Conquest in IrelandFailure of the Tudor Conquest in Ireland. University of Rhode Island.
• Morgan, Hiram (February 2009). "THE 1597 CEASEFIRE DOCUMENTS" (PDF). Dúiche Néill: Journal of the O¹Neill country historical society.
• Morgan, Hiram (1993). Tyrone's Rebellion : the outbreak of the Nine Years War in Tudor Ireland. Internet Archive. [London] : Royal Historical Society ; Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK ; Rochester, NY, USA : Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-86193-224-5.
• Ranelagh, John (1994). A Short History of Ireland (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-46944-9.
• The EARL OF TYRONE and SIR HENRY BAGNALL. 1594-03-14.