Date: September 14, 1607
Year: 1607
Title: The Flight of the Earls
Short Description: Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, leave Ireland from Rathmullan in County Donegal, marking a turning point in the history of Gaelic Ireland.
Story:
On September 14, 1607, a small ship slipped away from Rathmullan on the shores of Lough Swilly in County Donegal. On board were Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, and a company of their families, followers, and fellow Gaelic nobles.
Their departure became known as the Flight of the Earls.
For generations, the O’Neills and O’Donnells had been among the most powerful Gaelic families in Ireland. Hugh O’Neill had led the great resistance against English rule during the Nine Years’ War, while the O’Donnells had defended their lands in Donegal. After the Irish defeat at Kinsale in 1601, however, the position of the Gaelic lords became increasingly difficult.
In 1607, the earls decided to leave Ireland, hoping to find support among Catholic powers in Europe and perhaps one day return. Instead, they would never see Ireland again.
Their departure marked the end of an era. The old Gaelic political order in Ulster was effectively broken, and the years that followed brought the Plantation of Ulster and profound changes to the people, language, culture, and landscape of the province.
Today, Rathmullan remains a quiet reminder of that moment. From this small Donegal harbor, a group of men left Ireland believing they might return. They did not know that their departure would come to symbolize the passing of one Ireland and the beginning of another.
