Feaghe mac Hugh O'Byrne, Lord of Glenmalure
Feaghe's men find Red Hugh O'Donnell
The family O'Byme has long been famous in the County of Wicklow and never more so than during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when the region was dubbed "Feaghe Mac Hugh's country" from the name of the chief of the Gabhall Raghnall O'Byrnes.
The O'Bymes occupied the lands on the western sides of the mountains, called Ranelagh or Kilconnell. After the arrival of the English the O'Byrnes were compelled to retire to the mountains from where they wrought havoc on the settlers in the district, waiting their opportunity and at the favourable moment, pouncing on the English.
Feaghe Mac Hugh O'Byrne was the son of Hugh Mac Shane O'Byme who
was the chief of Gabhall Raghnall of Glenmalure. Edmund Spenser, in his "View of the State of Ireland"
wrote that Fiach's father "got unto himself a great name thereby amongst the
Irish in whose footing this his sonne continuing .... increased his name and the opinion of his greatness in so much that he is now become a dangerous enemy to deal withall". Feaghe Mac Hugh is first mentioned in a connection with the escape of Red Hugh O'Donnell and Art O'Neill from Dublin Castle in the winter of 1569, at which time he would be about 25 years old. Two years later he combined with Rory Oge O'More in an attack on the Pale. His notoriety quickly spread and in May 1672 he was implicated in the murder of Robert Browne of Mulcranan in County Wexford. He was prosecuted but succeeded in escaping, unlike his brother and two followers who were killed. From his stronghold in the hills he and his followers harassed the English settlers. They plundered Wexford, fired villages in the neighbouring counties of Dublin, Kildare, Carlow and Kilkenny and took Maurice Fitzjames of Ballyshannon (Sheriff of County Kildare) prisoner, cnly releasing him on payment of a sizeable ransom. During the year 1580, Captain Masterson, Seneschal of Wexford, killed a number of the Kavanagh clan. Feaghe Mac Hugh resolved to avenge their deaths. Having become reconciled with some of his old enemies among the native Irish, he invaded Wexford. Shortly afterwards he threw in his lot with Viscount Baltinglass. In 1580, an English force commanded by Lord Grey was defeated at Glenmalure with considerable loss by their combined forces. The new Deputy was determined to dislodge Fiach Mac Hugh and Viscount Baltinglass. However the native Irish continued their guerilla style warfare for a number of years and Feaghe continued to avoid capture.
He was twice married. By his first wife Sadhbh Kavanagh of Garryhill, Co. Carlow. He had three sons, Turlough, Phelim and Redmond, and on daughter. His second wife was Rose, daughter of Feagh O'Toole of Castlekevin.
In 1595 he was declared a traitor. A reward was promised for his capature and the reward would be doubled for his
head. He had the year before engaged in an attack on Sir Piers Fitzjames Fitzgerald near Athy which resulted in the destruction of Fitzgerald and his family. In 1596 he joined into a close alliance with Hugh O'Neill, Earl of
Tyrone. In December his sept was defeated by the English troops after a sharp action adn 1597 was the last of his turbulent life. He was killed by English forces at Fananierin in Glenmalure 8th May 1584. His corpse and head
were dispatched to Dublin where for a time his head was impaled over the gate of Dublin Castle. His son Phelim was then selected in his place as chief of Gabhall Raghnall.
Cora Crampton, West Wicklow Historical Society. First published in An Leabhar Branach 1992
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The O'Bymes occupied the lands on the western sides of the mountains, called Ranelagh or Kilconnell. After the arrival of the English the O'Byrnes were compelled to retire to the mountains from where they wrought havoc on the settlers in the district, waiting their opportunity and at the favourable moment, pouncing on the English.
Feaghe Mac Hugh O'Byrne was the son of Hugh Mac Shane O'Byme who
was the chief of Gabhall Raghnall of Glenmalure. Edmund Spenser, in his "View of the State of Ireland"
wrote that Fiach's father "got unto himself a great name thereby amongst the
Irish in whose footing this his sonne continuing .... increased his name and the opinion of his greatness in so much that he is now become a dangerous enemy to deal withall". Feaghe Mac Hugh is first mentioned in a connection with the escape of Red Hugh O'Donnell and Art O'Neill from Dublin Castle in the winter of 1569, at which time he would be about 25 years old. Two years later he combined with Rory Oge O'More in an attack on the Pale. His notoriety quickly spread and in May 1672 he was implicated in the murder of Robert Browne of Mulcranan in County Wexford. He was prosecuted but succeeded in escaping, unlike his brother and two followers who were killed. From his stronghold in the hills he and his followers harassed the English settlers. They plundered Wexford, fired villages in the neighbouring counties of Dublin, Kildare, Carlow and Kilkenny and took Maurice Fitzjames of Ballyshannon (Sheriff of County Kildare) prisoner, cnly releasing him on payment of a sizeable ransom. During the year 1580, Captain Masterson, Seneschal of Wexford, killed a number of the Kavanagh clan. Feaghe Mac Hugh resolved to avenge their deaths. Having become reconciled with some of his old enemies among the native Irish, he invaded Wexford. Shortly afterwards he threw in his lot with Viscount Baltinglass. In 1580, an English force commanded by Lord Grey was defeated at Glenmalure with considerable loss by their combined forces. The new Deputy was determined to dislodge Fiach Mac Hugh and Viscount Baltinglass. However the native Irish continued their guerilla style warfare for a number of years and Feaghe continued to avoid capture.
He was twice married. By his first wife Sadhbh Kavanagh of Garryhill, Co. Carlow. He had three sons, Turlough, Phelim and Redmond, and on daughter. His second wife was Rose, daughter of Feagh O'Toole of Castlekevin.
In 1595 he was declared a traitor. A reward was promised for his capature and the reward would be doubled for his
head. He had the year before engaged in an attack on Sir Piers Fitzjames Fitzgerald near Athy which resulted in the destruction of Fitzgerald and his family. In 1596 he joined into a close alliance with Hugh O'Neill, Earl of
Tyrone. In December his sept was defeated by the English troops after a sharp action adn 1597 was the last of his turbulent life. He was killed by English forces at Fananierin in Glenmalure 8th May 1584. His corpse and head
were dispatched to Dublin where for a time his head was impaled over the gate of Dublin Castle. His son Phelim was then selected in his place as chief of Gabhall Raghnall.
Cora Crampton, West Wicklow Historical Society. First published in An Leabhar Branach 1992
> Back to Famous Byrnes .> Back to Byrne Histories