Manus O’Donnell’s Columba
Archived: 18 October 2026
In 1532 Gerald FitzGerald, ninth earl of Kildare, regained the deputyship, yet royal authority remained dependent on alliances with Anglo-Irish and Gaelic lords. Campaigning in Ulster, disputed in date between 1531 and 1532, devastated Tír Eógain through burning, plunder and cattle seizure. In Ely, Kildare supported his son-in-law Ferganainm Ó Carroll during the Birr succession struggle, where he was seriously wounded by gunfire. Feuds continued across Ossory, Connacht and the north-west, occasionally violating sanctuary. Amid violence, Manus Ó Domhnaill compiled Betha Colaim Chille at Lifford, affirming Catholic learning, Irish vernacular culture, dynastic prestige and Colum Cille’s regional importance, lasting significance.