Flight of the Earls
- When
- 1607
- Where
- Rathmullan, Ireland
- Episodes
- 1
On 14 September 1607, Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell departed Rathmullan for Catholic Europe, accompanied by approximately 100 followers. This permanent departure occurred amid political tension with the English Crown and preceded the Crown's declaration of the flight as treasonous.
Episodes
Background and detail
Political Context. The flight occurred during extreme political tension with the English Crown. Lord Deputy Arthur Chichester held an aggressive attitude toward Gaelic lords, and the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 increased the severity of anti-Catholic laws. The earls had previously expressed fear for their lives to Philip III.
The Departure. Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, permanently departed Rathmullan in Ireland on 14 September 1607. They were accompanied by extended families, retinues, and fellow nobility, numbering about 100 people. The group sought support from Catholic Europe, specifically aiming for Spain.
People involved
- Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone · Fleeing Earl
- Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell · Fleeing Earl
- Arthur Chichester · Lord Deputy
Sources
- Flight of the Earls Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-30
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.