Donal O'Sullivan
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Donal Cam O'Sullivan Bere (1561-1613) was the last independent ruler of the Sullivan sept in the west of Ireland during the early seventeenth century, when the English were attempting to secure their rule over the whole island. He has been referred to as the "Last Prince of Ireland."
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[edit] Early life
When Donal's father was killed in 1563 his son was considered to be too young to inherit, so the clan leadership passed to the chief's brother Owen, who was confirmed with the title Lord of Beare and Bantry. Owen accepted the authority of Queen Elizabeth I of England and was knighted. In 1587 Donal decided he was old enough to claim leadership of the clan, petitioning the English authorities in Dublin with a claim derived from English laws based on male primogeniture. These laws did not recognise age as relevant to inheritance rights. Keen to extend English legal authority over Ireland, the Dublin commission accepted Donal's claim. He now became "the O'Sullivan Beare".
[edit] Nine Years' War
By 1600 Munster was a devatated battlground, as the Gaelic clans lost over half of a million acres of land to settlers from England, following the failure of the Desmond Rebellions.
O'Sullivan initially kept his distance from the wars against English authority, but eventually he joined a confederation of Gaelic chiefs led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone and Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Ulster. Conflict soon broke out in 1594, leading to the so-called Nine Years' War. O'Neill eventually secured support from Philip II of Spain, who sent a force under the command of Don Juan D'Aquilla in 1601. O'Sullivan sent a letter to Philip accepting him as his king. The letter was intercepted by the English. The allied Irish and Spanish forces met the English at the Battle of Kinsale, in 1602 where they were comprehensively defeated.
O'Sullivan nevertheless resolved to continue the struggle by taking control of the castle of Dunboy. In 1603, English forces attacked Dunboy. Following the Siege of Dunboy, the castle fell to the English. The entire company of defenders was killed in combat or executed.[1]
[edit] O'Sullivan's march
Donal himself was absent, having travelled to the north of the island for a conference with Hugh O'Neill. His "treasonous" letter to Philip left him with little hope of a pardon from the English, and he attempted to continue the fight, using guerilla tactics. He was eventually forced to gather up his remaining followers, including women and children, and set off for the north. He fought a long, brilliant, "rearguard action" across Ireland, during which the much larger English force fought him all the way, as did rival Irish leaders.
O'Sullivan marched through Aughrim, raiding villages for food and clashing with local resistence. He was barred entrance to Glinsk castle. On their arrival at the refuge of O'Rourke's castle in Leitrim, only 35 of his original 1,000 followers remained, many having died in battles or from exposure and hunger. Others had settled along the route, where their descendants are known to this date as 'the Beres'.[2]
In Leitrim, O'Sullivan sought to join with other northern chiefs to fight the English and organised a force to this end, but resistance ended when Hugh O'Neil successfully sued for peace and swore an oath of loyalty to the crown. O'Sullivan sought exile, making his escape to Spain by ship.
[edit] Exile
In Spain he was welcomed by King Philip III, his princely status was reconfirmed, and he was commissioned as an imperial general, in addition to his princely title.
He was murdered in 1613 while leaving mass, by a young Englishman who had been disfigured by the prince's son in a duel.
The reputation of the prince was widely known, and it helped to open doors for later soldiers with the princely family name. About 165 years later, one was a general in the American Revolution.
