Battle of Farsetmore

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Farsetmore
partof=the Clan war between O'Neills and O'Donnells


caption=
result=O'Donnell victory
date=8 May, 1567
place= near Letterkenny, Ulster, northwestern Ireland
combatant1=O'Neills of Tyrone
combatant2=O'Donnells of Tyrconnell
commander1=Shane O'Neill
commander2=Hugh O'Donnell
strength1=c.2000
strength2=c.2000
casualties1=600-1300 killed
casualties2=low

The Battle of Farsetmore was fought near Letterkenny in Donegal, north-western Ireland, on the 8th May 1567, between the O’Neill and O’Donnell clans. Shane O'Neill, chief of the O’Neills of Tyrone, was defeated and the O’Donnells freed themselves from O’Neill overlordship.

Background

Shane O’Neill had, in the previous 20 years, eliminated his rivals within the O’Neills and asserted his authority over neighbouring clans (or "septs") the MacDonnells in Antrim and O’Donnells in Donegal. In 1566, the English Lord Deputy of Ireland, Henry Sidney, gave military support to the O’Donnells against O’Neill, who was regarded as a destabilising and anti-English power in the north of Ireland. O’Neill forced out these English troops, but the new O’Donnell chieftain, Hugh O’Donnell, took the opportunity to assert his independence and raided O’Neill’s lands at Strabane. In response, O’Neill mustered his armed forces and marched into O’Donnell territory.

The battle

O’Neill crossed into Tir Connell (O’Donnell territory) by crossing the River Swilly about a mile north of Letterkenny. O’Donnell attacked him at a place called Farsetmore. Both sides are estimated at about 2000 men and were composed of similar troops, Cavalry, composed of nobles, gallowglass mercenaries and clan levies.

O’Donnell’s horsemen harassed O’Neill as his men were fording the river. Then, the two sides fought hand to hand combat. The O’Donnell horse got the better of O’Neill’s cavalry, precipitating a general retreat on behalf of O’Neill’s force. The O’Donnells pursued them back over the river Swilly– causing many of them to drown.

O’Neill lost between 600 and 1300 men killed. Looking for fresh troops, he turned to the MacDonnells of Antrim for an alliance. However, they had him murdered and sent his head to the English authorities in Dublin.

ources

*G.A. Hayes McCoy, Irish Battles, Belfast 1989.