While she was a child, her father was the leader of the insurgents in
Tyrone's Rebellion, also called the
Nine Years' War (1594-1603). James MacDonnells, third son of Sorley Boy MacDonnell succeeded his father[11] and supported the insurgents. However, he died in 1601 and Randal, the fourth brother and Alice's future husband became the head of the family. In August 1602 he submitted to the Lord Deputy
Charles Blunt, 8th Baron Mountjoy, and changed sides. He was rewarded with most of the possessions of his father that should normally have gone to his brother's descendants.
Marriage and children
In 1604 Alice married
Randal MacDonnell, the fourth son of
Sorley Boy MacDonnell, Lord of the
Glynns and the
Route.[12] Alice was described as "of good cheerful aspect, freckled, not tall but strong, well set, and acquainted with the English tongue".[13] Her marriage was a
dynastic match that brought Tyrone into an alliance with the
MacDonnells, the dominant family in northern
County Antrim, who also had strong connections in Scotland. Tyrone's other children made similar marriages with leading families across
Ulster. Despite being Gaelic and Catholic, Randal was a strong supporter of settling Scottish Protestants in north-eastern Ulster, anticipating the
Ulster Plantation.[14] After the
Flight of the Earls in 1607, when her father fled into exile in continental Europe, Ellis's husband became the foremost Gaelic aristocrat in Ulster following.
Alice and Randal had two sons, both of whom followed their father as earls:
Alexander MacDonnell succeeded to the title in 1683, and is best known as a Catholic leader during the
Williamite Wars who had the city gates shut on him at the beginning of the
Siege of Derry in 1688
—and six daughters:
Ann, married firstly Christopher, Lord Delvin, and secondly William Fleming, Baron of Slane[15]
Mary, married firstly Lucas, 2nd Viscount Dillon, and secondly Oliver, 6th Lord Louth[16]
Sarah, married firstly Neile-Oge O'Neill of Killileagh in County Antrim, secondly Charles O'Conor Sligo, and thirdly Donald Macarthy More[17]
Catherine, married Edward Plunkett of Castlecor[18]
Rose, married Colonel Gordon, commander of a regiment in Robert Munroe's army[19]
In 1607 her father Hugh O'Neill left Ireland with the
Flight of the Earls. He died in Rome in 1616.[21] On 12 December 1620 her husband was created
Earl of Antrim[22] and Alice thereby became countess. Her husband died in 1636.[23] Ellis outlived him by almost 30 years, dying in 1665.[24]
References
Notes
^Her first name is also variously spelled as Aellis, Elice or Alice
^Most sources give her a birthdate of
c. 1583,[1][2] though
Walsh has demonstrated that a birthdate of
c. 1588 is possible.[3]
^Dunlop believes that her mother was
Catherine Magennis.[4] Casway and Cokayne believe her mother was Siobhan O'Donnell,[5][6] which, based on Alice's birthdate, is more likely, since Alice's father married Magennis in the 1590s.[3][7]
^This family tree is based on genealogies of the MacDonnels of Antrim[9] and the O'Neills of Tyrone.[10]Also see the lists of children in the text.
Citations
^Hill 1873, p.
222. "Sir Randal Macdonnell was married about the year 1604 to Ellis or Alice O'Neill, the third daughter of Hugh earl of Tyrone. This lady, who was born in 1583, was in her twenty-first year at the time of her marriage, and was younger than either of her sisters, lady Macmahon or Lady Maginnis. She was older than her brother Hugh, the baron of Dungannon."
^Cokayne 1910, p. 174. "[The 1st Earl of Antrim] m., 1604, Alice, da. of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I], by his 2nd wife, Joanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell."
^Cokayne 1910, p.
174, line 29. "He [the 1st Earl of Antrim] m. [married] 1604 Alice, da. [daughter] of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I. [Ireland] ] by his 2nd wife, Johanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell"
^Bardon 2001, p.
122. "Sir Randal for his part pleased the king by inviting Lowland Scots to settle on the Route;"
^Lodge 1789, p.
207, line 12. "Daughter Lady Ann, was first married to Christopher, Lord Delvin; and secondly to William Fleming, Baron of Slane ..."
^Lodge 1789, p.
207, line 15. "Lady Mary, first in 1605 to Lucas, the second Viscount Dillon; and secondly to Oliver, the sixth Lord Louth."
^Lodge 1789, p.
207, line 17. "Lady Sarah, first to Neile-Oge O'Neill of Killileagh in the county of Antrim, Esq. (son of Neile Mac-Hugh O'Neile, who, in Q.Elizabeth's wars in Ireland, was slain in the service of the Crown) by whom she had Henry O'Neile, born in 1625, and other children; secondly to Sir Charles O'Conor Sligo, Knt., who died at Sligo 14 May 1634, without issue; and thirdly to Donald Mac-Carthy More, Prince of his sept in the Province of Munster."
^Lodge 1789, p.
207, line 25. "Lady Catherine, in 1639, to Edward Plunket, of Scatlecor, Esq. son and heir to Patrick, Lord Dunsany."
^Lodge 1789, p.
207, line 27. "Lady Rose, to Colonel Gordon, who commanded a regiment in Major-General Robert Munroe's army in the North."