Simon Egan. The MacSweeny lordship of Fanad in the later fifteenth century. by History Hub

Recording of a paper by Simon Egan (University College Cork) at the 2014 Tudor and Stuart Ireland Conference.

About the paper: The MacSweeny lordship of Fanad in the later fifteenth century

In the summer of 1460 Aedh Ruadh O'Donnell and his constable of galloglass, Maolmuire MacSweeny of Fanad, escaped from a four year period of captivity at Henry O'Neill's castle at Dungannon. Moving swiftly both men made their way westward to the lordship of Tyrconnell. Here, Aedh Ruadh was able to raise local military support from Maolmuire's kinsmen in Fanad which allowed him to depose his cousin, Turlough Cairbreach O'Donnell. Following his seizure of power Aedh Ruadh rewarded Maolmuire's service by acknowledging him as the rightful lord of Fanad.

Under the leadership of Aedh Ruadh, the O'Donnells of Tyrconnell would emerge as one of the most powerful factions within the northern Irish Sea world over the next forty years. MacSweeny support had been essential to Aedh Ruadh's initial seizure of power but they would continue to play a central role in wider O'Donnell expansion. Famous for their role as fearsome galloglass, the Clan Sweeny formed the core of O'Donnell's armies. However, the MacSweenys were also prominent seafarers and Fanad was in effect a maritime lordship. There is further evidence, contained in Gaelic Irish sources, that the MacSweenys controlled small but formidable fleets which O'Donnell used to transport troops and launch amphibious assaults on specific coastal targets.

With these issues in mind and using a broad base of sources, this paper explores the role of the MacSweenys, both by land and by sea, in wider O'Donnell expansion during the later fifteenth century.

The 2014 Tudor and Stuart Ireland conference was generously supported by UCD School of History and Archives, UCD Research, Marsh's Library, Graduate Studies at NUI Maynooth, and the Department of History at NUI Maynooth.

Recorded for podcasting by Real Smart Media (https://soundcloud.com/real-smart-media) for History Hub.