The Flight Of The Earls part 12 of 12

The small fishing town of Rathmullan witnessed a key event in Irish history - the end of the old Gaelic order. From this spot in 1607 a small ship left for Spain. On board were the chieftains of some of the leading Gaelic families of Ulster, incuding the O'Donnells and the O'Neills. Those chieftains who could not live with the new English order sought refuge with England's main enemy, with the hope either of making a new life for themselves, or of living to fight another day.

Six years after the Battle Of Kinsale the remaining Gaelic chieftains, recognising that English rule over the country was a fact but unable to bring themselves to accept it, or knowing what would happen to them if they gave themselves up, decided to leave Ireland for the continent. O'Donnell and O'Neill, and members of other leading families from Ulster and the northern half of the country, including Maguires and Plunketts, in all over one hundred people, took ship in Rathmullan, ironically the spot where Red Hugh had been captured in a fortaste of what was to come.

Interestingly only one Sweeney left with them, and he was a Sweeney Banagh, with no members of either the Sweeney Fand and Sweeney Doe, whose base was much closer to Rathmullan. This was the so called 'Flight of the Earls'

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