Donegal Succession
Archived: 19 October 2026
Abstract
In 1505, Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill died at Donegal after forty-four years as lord of Tír Chonaill and was buried in its Franciscan friary. His son, Aodh Dubh, secured succession through a campaign in Tír Eógain, taking Castlederg, before inauguration at Kilmacrenan. Feuds killed military and local leaders, while drowning claimed travellers on Finn Lough. Persistent rain ruined crops, particularly in Fermanagh, and plague affected Anglo-Irish nobles. Churchmen experienced both institutional continuity and violence. Meanwhile, Gerald FitzGerald received the Garter and Piers Butler became seneschal of Tipperary, illustrating Ireland’s plural, alliance-based political order during a year of contested regional authority.