OWEN ROE O'NEILL (C. 1590-1649), one of the most celebrated of the O'Neills, the subject of the well-known ballad "The Lament for Owen Roe," was the son of Art O'Neill, a younger brother of Hugh, 2nd earl of Tyrone. Having served with dis tinction in the Spanish army he was immediately recognized on his return to Ireland as the leading representative of the O'Neills. Phelim resigned the northern command in his favour, and escorted him from Lough Swilly to Charlemont. But jealousy between the kinsmen was complicated by differences between Owen Roe and the Catholic council which met at Kilkenny in 1642. Owen Roe's real aim was the complete independence of Ireland, while the Anglo-Norman Catholics represented by the council desired to se cure religious liberty and an Irish constitution under the English crown. In 1646 a cessation of hostilities was arranged between Ormonde and the Catholics ; and O'Neill, furnished with supplies by the papal nuncio, Rinuccini, turned against the Scottish parlia mentary army under General Monro. On June 5, 1646, O'Neill routed Monro at Benburb, on the Blackwater ; but, being sum moned to the south by Rinuccini, he had to leave Monro un molested at Carrickfergus. For the next two years confusion reigned, O'Neill supporting the party led by Rinuccini, though continuing to profess loyalty to Ormonde as the king of Eng land's representative. Isolated by the departure of the papal
nuncio from Ireland in 1649, he made overtures to Ormonde, and to Monk, who had superseded Monro in command of the parlia mentarians in the north. O'Neill's chief need was supplies, and failing to obtain them from Monk he turned once more to Ormonde and the Catholic confederates, with whom he prepared to co-operate more earnestly when Cromwell's arrival in Ireland in August 1649 brought the Catholic party face to face with serious danger. Before anything was accomplished by this com bination, however, Owen Roe died on Nov. 6, The alliance between Owen Roe and Ormonde had been opposed by Phelim O'Neill, who after his kinsman's death expected to be restored to his former command. In this he was disappointed; but he continued to fight against the parliamentarians till 1652, when a reward was offered for his apprehension. Betrayed by a kinsman while hiding in Tyrone, he was tried for high treason, and executed on March Io, 1653. Phelim married a daughter of the marquis of Huntly, by whom he had a son Gordon O'Neill, who was member of parliament for Tyrone in 1689 ; fought for the king at the siege of Derry and at the battles of Aughrim and the Boyne ; and afterwards commanded an Irish regiment in the French service, and died in