Plantations had been going on since Queen Mary 1 became Monarch in England. Her father Henry V111 having brought in the Surrender and Regrant Law. Laois and Offaly were the first counties to have been Planted with settlers from England. Unsuccessful in its experiment. During Elizabeth 1, a more stringent effort was made, which began a continuous outbreak of wars for those effected by losing their lands, through the late 1500’s. 

The Earls of Desmond in Kerry, Ormonde in Kilkenny and Tipperary, O’Rourkes of Breifne, MacGuires of Fermanagh, O’Mahons of Monaghan, MacWilliam Burke of Connacht, O’Sullivan of West Cork, to name but a few. These were the warring factions to fight against the Plantations in Munster and Connacht.

Ulster was next. An effort had been made in 1585, to have a privately funded Plantation here but it failed. In 1594 the Earls of the Ulster had reconciled their differences and raise an army. Such was the wealth that O’Neill of Tyrone had amassed, that he could arm and feed 8,000 men. O’Donnell of Donegal could muster almost as many. The war that broke out would last for nine years and still has repercussions to this day.

An army coming into the north of Ireland in force had a choice of south Armagh or Sligo. Anything else would mean mountainous terrain. Battles at the Blackwater, Yellow Ford and Clontibret, brought success to the Irish Chieftains. Help was on its way from Spain. The problem was the Spaniards landed in Kinsale. The main war was now been fought in the north. The armies of the north marched south to join the Spanish and engage the English armies at Kinsale.

A defeat for the Irish at The Battle of Kinsale, changed Irish History.

The war continued throughout the country over the next year. 

O’Sullivan led his forces back to his stronghold in West Cork, where he was attacked by forces of the Crown. 300 women, children and aged persons were concealed on Dursey Island, but the position was attacked shortly afterwards.

Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare, Prince of Beara, 1st Count of Berehaven and as head of the clan, had the Irish title of “The O’Sullivan Beare”, with 400 soldiers and over 600 men, women and children, left the Beare peninsula, heading north on a journey of 500 kilometres, in an attempt to meet up with O’Neill. The date was the 31st December 1602. 

Fighting a rearguard action through Munster. Encountering English forces and Irish enemies. Raiding villages and farms along the way out of necessity for food. Not that O’Sullivan hadn’t the money to pay for these foods but simply because the countryside was so decimated that people didn’t want to sell what little they had. On through Connacht and finally on the 14th January 1603 arriving at Brian Og O’Rourke’s castle in west Breifne. 15 days of a forced march, with little to eat, in the depths of winter, of the 1000 people that left on this epic journey, 35 remained. Some had died in battles along the way, others from exposure and hunger but a sizeable number just had given up and took shelter or fled from the group.

O’Sullivan Beare’s journey to meet O’Neill was another disappointment. The Treaty of Mellifont was signed a short time later. O’Sullivan sought exile in Spain where he was welcomed by King Philip 111 and lived in relative peacefulness until 1618 when he was murdered as he left mass at Plaza de Santo Domingo in Madrid. The Dublin, Englishman, John Bathe, was responsible for his death, a spy on behalf of the English Crown.

O’Sullivan Beare’s reputation was such that many of his line were army personnel. About 165 years after this walk, a General John Sullivan of New Hampshire, believed to be a descendant of O’Sullivan Beare, served in the American Revolution.

Figures from the Nine Years War account for 100,000 lives being lost on the Irish side, including mercenaries that had joined the armies. War and famine, a scorched earth tactic of warfare had led to hunger and starvation. 30,000 English soldiers lost their lives, through battles and disease.

A horrendous figure when you think that the population was about 1 million. One in Ten. 

Musicians out there will be familiar with the piece of music “The March of O’Sullivan Beare”. A rousing, uplifting, enchanting haunting tribute to a tragedy of life.

Hill walkers can follow the path of “The O’Sullivan Beare” in many parts of the countryside. Respect the hollow ground and spare a thorough for them who went before.