Earl of Tyrone - Earls of Tyrone, First Creation (1542)

Earls of Tyrone, First Creation (1542)

The king or chief of the O'Neills of Tyrone, Conn Bacach O'Neill, went to Greenwich and submitted to Henry VIII of England and of Ireland in 1542; he renounced his chieftainship, the style of "The O'Neill" and his independence. In exchange, he was created Earl of Tyrone, which was by the charter to descend to his illegitimate son Matthew or Ferdoragh O'Neill, who was also created Baron of Dungannon, which was always to be held by the heir to the Earldom; this was a substantive title, which gave Ferdoragh a seat in the Irish House of Lords, not a courtesy title. This adaptive process, known as "surrender and regrant", was taken up by other Irish clan chiefs.

This passed over Conn's legitimate sons; the eldest, Shane O'Neill, was only about twelve at the time. When he grew up, Shane (who is remembered as an Diomais, "the Proud") claimed to be The O'Neill (in Irish: Uí Neíll), and there was civil strife among the Cenell Eoghain; Shane was victorious, Ferdoragh was killed, Conn was driven out of Tyrone, and died in the Irish Pale, the area of Ireland directly governed by the English.

In English law, Ferdoragh's eldest son, Brien O'Neill, then succeeded to the Earldom; in practice he continued to be called Lord Dungannon. Queen Elizabeth, newly come to the throne, proposed to recognize Shane as Earl, since he actually ruled Tyrone and was the eldest legitimate son; but the negotiations collapsed. Brien was killed in 1562, while still young and unmarried, by his cousin Turlough O'Neill, the tanist of his uncle Shane (and a grandson of the brother of Conn Bacagh, the first Earl). Shane died in 1568, whereupon the English generally supported Brien's younger brother Hugh O'Neill against Turlough, who, as effective leader of the clan, was perceived to be the greater threat to English control of Ireland. In 1585, Hugh was recognized as Earl of Tyrone; in 1593, Turlough surrendered to him the position of "The O'Neill".

Hugh O'Neill's career as unquestioned leader of the O'Neills became a series of quarrels with the English government: like many great feudal lords, he rebelled in the Nine Years' War, was proclaimed a traitor, and ultimately submitted to the Crown at the Treaty of Mellifont in 1603. Despite the Anglo-Spanish peace treaty of 1604, in 1607 O'Neill, his brother-in-law the Earl of Tyrconnell, and several of their followers fled to Europe, expecting the Spanish to invade Ireland with an army. He was attainted the year after this Flight of the Earls, and the attainder was confirmed by the Parliament of Ireland in 1614; at which point the Earldom became forfeit under the common law.

Notwithstanding this attaintment, Earl Hugh, followed by his sons, continued to claim to be Earl of Tyrone, until the last legitimate son died unmarried, some time between 1641 and 1660. (It is not entirely clear which of his sons were legitimate: he was married four times, not always legally divorced, and it is not clear who were the parents of Conn O'Neill, chief of the O'Neills around 1650.) At this point the Irish title became extinct, as well as forfeit, but the descendants of Earl Hugh's illegitimate brothers acted as The O'Neill, and called themselves Earl of Tyrone by Spanish grant, for the rest of the century.

Heirs who did not live to succeed are indented.

• Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone(c. 1484–1559)
  • Matthew O'Neill, 1st Baron Dungannon (c. 1520–1550)
• Brien O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, 2nd Baron Dungannon (c. 1540–1562)
• Hugh O'Neill 3rd Baron Dungannon, 2nd or 3rd Earl of Tyrone. (c. 1550–1616) attainted 1608, attainder confirmed by Irish Parliament 1614.
  • Hugh O'Neill, Baron Dungannon (c. 1586–1609) attainted 1608.