(From the MS. Annals of the Four Masters, translated by Mr O'DONOVAN.)
A.D. 1537. In this year died O'Donnell (Hugh, son of Hugh Roe, who was
son of Niall Garve, who was son of Torlogh of the Wine), Lord of
Tyrconnell, Inishowen, Kinel-Moen,[A] Fermanagh, and Lower Connaught; a
man to whom rents and tributes had been paid by the people of other
territories over which he had acquired dominion and jurisdiction, such as
Moylorg, Machaire-Chonnacht, Clann-Conway, Costello, Gallen, Tirawly, and
Conmaicne-Cuile, to the west, and Oireacht-ui-Chathain (the patrimony of
O'Kane), the Route, and Clannaboy, to the east; for of all these there
was not one territory that had not given him pledges for the payment of
his tribute of protection. It was this man who had compelled the four
lords who ruled Tyrone in his lifetime, to give him new charters of
Inishowen, Kinel-Moen, and Fermanagh, by way of confirmations of the
ancient charters which his ancestors had held in proof of their right to
govern these countries; and this he had done, in order that he might
peaceably enjoy jurisdiction over them, and have authority to summon
their forces into the field when he wanted them. Neither in all this is
there anything to be wondered at, for never had victory been seen with
his enemies--never had he retreated one foot from any army, whether small
or numerous; he had been distinguished as an abolisher of evil customs,
and a restrainer of evil deeds, a destroyer and banisher of rebels and
plunderers, and a rigid enforcer of the Irish laws and ordinances after
the strictest and most upright manner; he was a man in whose reign the
seasons had been favourable, so that both sea and land had been profusely
productive while he continued on the throne;[B] a man who had
established every person in his country in his rightful hereditary
possessions, to the end that no one of them might bear enmity to another;
a man who had not suffered the power of the English to come into his
country, for he had formed a league of peace and amity with the King of
England so soon as he saw that the Irish would not yield the superiority
to any one chief or lord among themselves, but that friends and blood
relations fiercely contended against one another; and a man who had
carefully protected from harm or violation the Termon-lands (or
sanctuaries) belonging to the friars, churchmen, poets, and ollaves.
This O'Donnell (Hugh, son of Hugh Roe) died on the 5th of July, in the
year of salvation 1537, being Wednesday, in the monastery of Donegall,
having first taken upon him the habit of St Francis, having bewailed his
crimes and iniquities, and done penance for his sins and transgressions.
He was buried in the same monastery, with all the honour and solemnity
which were his due; and Magnus O'Donnell was nominated to succeed him in
his place by the successors of St Columbkille [viz. the Abbots of
Kilmacrenan, Raphoe, and Derry], with the permission and by the advice of
the nobles of Tyrconnell, both lay and ecclesiastical.
[A] Now the barony of Raphoe.
[B] Cormac, in his instructions to his son Carbry, tells him that "when a
worthy prince reigns, the great God sends favourable seasons." It is
worthy of remark that, among the oriental nations, the same notion
prevails to the present day; and the poets of the East frequently express
their anticipations of favourable weather and abundant harvests upon the
accession of a peaceable monarch to the throne.