Colonel Hugh Albert O'Donnell, 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell ( October 1606 – 1 July 1642), was an Irish-Spanish nobleman who served in the Spanish military. The only son of Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, he was eleven months old when he participated in the Flight of the Earls, leaving Ireland never to return. He was naturalised as a Spanish subject in 1633 and fought in the Thirty Years' War.
After O'Donnell's extended family settled in Catholic Europe, he was raised at St Anthony's College in the Spanish Netherlands. He assumed the name Albert for his confirmation in honour of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, and was a page to Isabella Clara Eugenia. As O'Donnell matured, he took on a leadership role amongst his family of Irish refugees. He began a military career; in 1625 he was made a captain of a company of Spanish cavalry, and in 1632 he was made colonel of the second Irish regiment (tercio) in the Spanish army.
For much of O'Donnell's career, he had a professional rivalry with fellow Irish noble-turned-soldier Shane O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone. O'Donnell was a key supporter of a proposed Spanish invasion of Ireland in 1627, but the invasion plans fell apart. His duties to Spain also prevented him from participating in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. He died in July 1642 when his ship, the Magdalena, was attacked and sunk by French forces off the coast of Catalonia.
In addition to the earldom, O'Donnell held the title Baron of Donegal from birth. Both titles were attainted in 1614 but he continued to use them throughout his life. O'Donnell was a nephew of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, the last undisputed chief of the O'Donnell clan.
Family background The only son of Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, and his wife Bridget FitzGerald, Hugh O'Donnell was born around October 1606,; ; and both state that Hugh Albert was eleven months old at the time of the Flight of the Earls, which took place on 14 September 1607. either at Kildare Castle or in his mother's home at Maynooth. His paternal grandparents were Hugh McManus O'Donnell, a Gaelic Irish chieftain in Ulster, and Scottish noblewoman Fiona "Iníon Dubh" MacDonald. His maternal grandparents were Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare, an Irish peer of Hiberno-Norman descent, and English noblewoman Frances Howard.
O'Donnell's paternal family were the O'Donnell clan of Tyrconnell, who claimed descent, via Conall Gulban of the Cenél Conaill, from High King Niall of the Nine Hostages. Rory's branch of the O'Donnell clan had ruled Tyrconnell since 1566. Rory fought against the English Crown during the Nine Years' War (1593–1603). He surrendered in 1603 and managed to secure favour with King James VI and I, though he was required to renounce his Gaelic titles. On 7 October [O.S. 27 September] 1603, Rory was created Baron of Donegal. "[Rory] was created created 27 September 1603, Baron of Donegal, and EARL OF TYRCONNELL, and to his heirs male, with remainder to his brother Geoffry alias Caffrie O'Donnell, and his heirs male with the title of Baron of Donegal to his heir apparent." and 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, with the title Baron of Donegal to his heirs apparent. Thus, O'Donnell became Baron of Donegal upon his birth.
O'Donnell was fostered by the O'Gallagher family in his youth. Specifically, his foster-parents were his wet nurse Caecilia O'Gallagher and her husband Hugh, who were clients of the O'Donnell clan. The O'Gallaghers fostered O'Donnell for at least a year prior to the Flight of the Earls.
Upbringing and education
Flight of the Earls
On 14 September 1607, due to increasing hostility from the government, Rory and his wartime ally Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, fled from Ireland along with about ninety of their followers. O'Donnell, aged about eleven months, accompanied his father on the flight. He was accompanied by Caecilia and two criadas. Additionally, O'Donnell's uncle Cathbarr and aunt Rosa were on the flight, with their two-year-old son also named Hugh O'Donnell. In the haste to depart, O'Donnell's mother Bridget was left behind in Maynooth. Bridget was pregnant at the time; a few months after the flight, she gave birth to O'Donnell's younger sister Mary Stuart O'Donnell.
The refugees hoped to reach Spain, but were turned away due to Philip III's fears of violating the Treaty of London. Thus the refugees spent the winter in Leuven in the Spanish Netherlands. Arrangements were made for the lodging and safe-keeping of O'Donnell, his cousin Hugh, and the O'Gallaghers' son. The O'Gallaghers had "lost all their possessions to come [to Flanders]", and they maintained O'Donnell for "a full year and six months" at their own expense.
Fosterage in Leuven Rory was clearly concerned for his son's safety, as he gave Fr. Donagh Mooney (Superior of the Irish Franciscans in Leuven) a commission to exercise supervision over young O'Donnell. Dr. Fienus (First Professor of Medicine at the College) suggested nurse Anna ny Madden as a replacement for Caecilia. With Rory's approval, Anna ny Madden supplanted Caecilia; . in February 1608, and O'Donnell was given to the Convent of the Dames Blanches in Leuven. This was after Rory and Tyrone left Leuven to continue their journey to Rome. O'Donnell's cousin Hugh, and Tyrone's sons Shane and Brian were also left in Leuven.
The O'Gallaghers were devastated by this development, reminding officials that they were O'Donnell's legal fosterers. They condemned Madden for her "slovenness and unpleasantness", and accused her for only caring about the well-being of her own child and her spouse Dennis O'Kelly. Hugh O'Gallagher questioned how a stranger could teach O'Donnell the Irish language ("his mother tongue") and he asserted that Caecilia should remain with O'Donnell at the convent as his rightful nurse. The O'Gallaghers bemoaned that they had "no other consolation except this child, or means of support, or income", and lamented to Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and sovereign of the Netherlands, that they "had nothing to eat except what your Highness with your wanted kindness is pleased to grant". These desperate solicitations and pleas only alienated their correspondents.
O'Donnell became 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell after his father's death in Rome from a fever on 28 July 1608. His uncle Cathbarr similarly died of fever in September. Following Rory and Cathbarr's deaths, Tyrone unsuccessfully petitioned for Nuala (Rory's sister) and Rosa to be relocated back to the Spanish Netherlands to allow them to look after the O'Donnell cousins. For the next two years, Rosa and Nuala repeatedly petitioned the Spanish government to allow them to reunite with their nephews in Flanders.
In December 1608, O'Donnell was placed under the care of nuns and received into the monastery. On 25 January 1610, the Prioress of the Dames Blanches asked Albert VII for O'Donnell's pension to be increased. This request was granted. The Prioress wrote to Lodewijk Verreycken on 20 February, referencing complaints made to Isabella Clara Eugenia about the way O'Donnell, his cousin Hugh and Caecilia's son were dressed: "Sir, we are very much surprised at certain complaints which have been made to Her Highness, that we do not dress these young Princes as their state demands. As we dress them in ermine and velvet, it seems to us that this should be quite satisfactory". Around this time, both O'Donnell cousins suffered from a serious illness, which required one of them to be operated on. Fr. Hugh MacCaughwell and Colonel Henry O'Neill attempted to have the O'Gallaghers reinstated as O'Donnell's foster-parents, but this was blocked by the nuns.
St Anthony's College
The two boys remained in the care of their nurses at the convent until 8 October 1610, when O'Donnell and his cousin Hugh (along with Shane and Brian) were ordered by Albert VII to be given over to MacCaughwell, who was the Franciscan superior of St Anthony's College. On 12 October, MacCaughwell reported that the nuns refused to hand the children over. The nuns complained that the Irish College was "the most unhealthy in Leuven", and they wrote that the four-year-old O'Donnell screamed and bled from the nose when told that he had to leave them. On 15 October, peremptory orders were sent to forthwith send O'Donnell to St. Anthony's College. The four young nobles (O'Donnell, cousin Hugh, Shane and Brian) were raised and educated at the college. O'Donnell received a monthly grant of 1000 crowns from the government.
On 26 August 1610, Philip III finally granted Nuala permission to go to Leuven. She arrived in the Lowlands in mid-December 1611. On 20 June 1612, ambassador Castro informed Philip III that he could not dissuade Rosa and that she too was travelling to the Low Countries. After Nuala and Rosa were reunited with their nephews, they settled at Leuven and oversaw the upbringing of the O'Donnell cousins.
Around 1614, Nuala secretly met with English ambassador William Trumbull. Nuala pledged her loyalty to King James and offered to withdraw O'Donnell from Flanders, if James would pardon the refugees and return Tyrconnell's lands to O'Donnell. Trumbull gave no guarantee of the king's favour and suggested Nuala and O'Donnell travel to England to plead the king in person. Unfortunately for Nuala, she could not be granted safe passage back to the British Isles, thus her proposals were in vain. Trumbull apparently attempted to bring O'Donnell back to Ireland, to be educated in the English manner, but this was blocked by Nuala. During this time, the Crown was sending the sons of Gaelic Irish lords to Dublin or England to be re-educated as English gentlemen. The title Earl of Tyrconnell was attainted by the Irish Parliament on 7 November [O.S. 28 October] 1614.
At the royal court
From 1615, O'Donnell and his cousin Hugh were in the receipt of a modest pension from Albert VII. As both boys were called Hugh,. O'Donnell assumed the name Albert for his confirmation, in honour of Albert VII, who was O'Donnell's sponsor at his confirmation. Hugh Albert O'Donnell was attached to the court of the Infanta Isabella as a page, and it was during this time that his portrait was painted, by either Peter Paul Rubens or his workshop. This portrait is the only authentic and contemporary portrait of the last regnant O'Donnell dynasty of Tyrconnell.
O'Donnell had probably already left the college by the start of 1617. He petitioned Albert VII for an increase in pension, asking that it should be made the same as his late father's pension. An increase of fifty crowns monthly was granted on 24 August 1618. He also petitioned Isabella that he might be transferred to the service of the Prince in Spain, but by May 1619 this had not been granted. Albert VII brought this matter to Philip III but it was ignored. In autumn 1621, O'Donnell was enrolled as a student at St Anthony's College.
Philip III died in March 1621 and was succeeded by his son Philip IV. O'Donnell once again petitioned for a further increase in his pension so that his pay would be equal to Shane's pay. On 8 November 1622, Albert VII recommended to the king that O'Donnell's monthly pension should be increased by 50 crowns, also in view of the services of O'Donnell's late father. O'Donnell was thereafter attached to Albert VII's court at Brussels. In 1623, O'Donnell wrote: "...I do not consider myself inferior in rank, services and obligations to the Counts of Tiron... and only His Majesty is powerful enough to overshadow my house and no one lower than a king in Ireland, Scotland or England..."
Career
Rise in influence