by C R Dempsey
Uaithne shook his head in disbelief.
“Fiach would not do this to me. He is like my father.”
The light of the fire illuminated Redmond at the head of a body of men, striding purposefully towards their campfire. Seamus pointed at them.
“Do you believe me now? Redmond is coming to arrest you, not refill your drinks. Get on your horses now and ride away.”
One of Uaithne’s men got up to stop Redmond and ask what he was doing, only to receive the butt of an axe to the face.
“Have you enough proof now? Better to ride and ask questions later. You can thank me one day.”
Uaithne looked at Redmond, and how he brushed aside Uaithne’s men to get to him.
“Goodbye. What will you do?”
“Go. Worry about yourself.”
Uaithne fled, and some of his men escaped with him. He reached his horses to witness Seamus being placed under house arrest.
* * *
Fiach needed someone else besides Turlough to offer the English in exchange for Rose. He chose Maurice FitzGerald, whose crimes retold and embellished by Fiach, increased his value to Russell. After some persuasion, the Lord Deputy accepted. It broke Fiach’s heart, but with a little more persuasion he arranged the switch. He feared it was a trap and sent Redmond to the Wicklow lowlands to perform the exchange at a carefully chosen point, the residence of an O’Byrne relative who had remained neutral. Russell kept his forces away, and it all went off without a hitch. Rose was escorted back into the Wicklow mountains, and when Redmond was sure that he was not being followed, he led Rose to Fiach. It was a tearful reunion in a camp shorn of any confederates. Turlough’s arrest had destroyed their fragile alliances.
Rose wept as she showed her husband her injuries from being tortured. Fiach cried but could not match her physical scars. They both swore that they would rebuild what had been destroyed, and they retired to the house Fiach had occupied so they could convalesce.
* * *
Weeks later, Fiach summoned Seamus and Hugh Boye to his tent. The weeks had been filled with silence and frustration on both sides. Fiach sent the guards away, but Seamus was impatient, for he grew tired of Fiach.
“Well? What is to be done with us? We are tired of pacing around a tent or being unwilling participants in your mournful procession around the Wicklow mountains. Release us now so we can return to the O’Donnell.”
The exhausted creases on Fiach’s face became inflamed.
“I should have you killed for the insolence you showed me.”
“You don’t frighten me, Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne. I feel sorry for you now. If you were going to kill me for insolence, you should have done it. Your hesitation just showed weakness and allowed the O’Tooles to consolidate their positions. Your only hope now is if the northern lords allow you a pardon, but they will not do that if you kill their envoy and don’t hand over Hugh Boye. Release us now so we can return to the north.”
Fiach turned to him, almost tearfully. He had the remains of a letter in his hand, which he scrunched upon reading its contents.
“I brought you here today, for we have been friends for years. The letter is from my most reliable spy in Dublin Castle. Everything he has told me in the past has turned out to be true, and he has been by far my most dependable source. He told me that Turlough and Maurice FitzGerald have now been executed.”
Seamus’s anger subsided.
“I am sorry for your loss. He was a credit to the Irish Catholic cause everywhere,” said Hugh Boye.
“Accept my condolences also,” said Seamus.
“That is not the worst news.”
Seamus became concerned for his old friend and placed his hand on Fiach’s forearm, hoping it would console him.
“My son absorbed every torture they performed on him, declined every bribe. He refused the option of assassinating me or give me up. I killed my own son, for I thought him a traitor,” Fiach bellowed as the tears streamed down his eyes.
Seamus did not know what to do, but he wrapped his arms around Fiach’s shoulder as his distraught compatriot slumped to a seat with his head to the wall, crying.
Eventually, Fiach’s tears dried, and he sat at the table with Seamus and Hugh Boye.
“Your only hope is with the lords of the north. Let me go, and I can get you help. Make me stay, and we’ll all die together.”
“Go, go!” and Fiach waved them to the door. “I now know why you saved Uaithne. I will have word sent to him of your journey.”
“Thank you. I will return with help.”
They clenched hands, and then Seamus and Hugh Boye went to pack their things.
Sean O’Toole and the survivors from the northern missions to Wicklow waited for Seamus outside his tent.
“It is good to have you back, Seamus,” said Sean.
“It is good to be a free man again. I would request that you stay to help Fiach rebuild, but I would fear for your life. What do you say to a return up north with me?”
“It would do my clan better as your right-hand man in the arm of the O’Donnell than getting stabbed in a petty squabble in the Wicklow mountains. Let’s go while we still have the benefit of the dark.”
The O’Byrne scouts led them to a safe spot in the lowlands of Leinster. Waiting for them in a cluster of giant boulders at the edge of the foothills was Uaithne, a band of men on horseback and an abundance of spare horses.
Uaithne smiled at the sight of Seamus.
“I wished to put an axe to your head that night, for I feared a drunken fool accosted me. It was only after I made my mistake that I realised what you did. I owe you my life, and my first down payment will be to escort you back to Tirconnell safely.”
“You have a heavy burden on your shoulders now that Turlough is dead. The rebellion rests with you.”
Uaithne’s face visibly drained.
“I had not heard of my half-brother’s death. It is indeed a tragedy to which I will dedicate my life to getting revenge.”
“You will be the scourge of Leinster. Now let us depart, for the journey is long.”
30
A sort of homecoming
Uaithne was true to his word and escorted the party to the borders of Tirconnell.
“The O’Donnell will not forget the favour you have done him today. I will make sure that he hears of it and sees you as being one of his most important allies in all of Leinster,” said Seamus as he put his hands on Uaithne’s shoulders.
“I do it all to avenge my brother and half brother and to free the traditional O’More land from the English settlers.”
“Red Hugh will soon sweep down through Connacht and into Leinster. Be sure to be aware of his movements, for there will be plenty of advantage to be gained when he comes.”
“I will return home and begin preparing for that day.”
They embraced, and Seamus and his entourage rode towards Tirconnell.
* * *
Seamus and Hugh Boye made straight for Donegal Castle. The banners from the towers told him the O’Donnell was in residence there. Sean O’Toole, in the meantime, brought the men back to the camp. When Seamus revealed who his esteemed guest was, they were immediately ushered to the O’Donnell’s private rooms.
Red Hugh rushed to embrace him, much to Seamus’s surprise. He had never met Hugh Boye MacDavitt before, so Seamus introduced the two men.
“I have heard so much about you. Your reputation precedes you! I will draw up what forces are around the town tomorrow morning so you can inspect them. Then you can assess my fighting capabilities, and you can tell me what I need to do to field an army worthy of gracing the best battlefields on the continent.”
“It would be my honour, lord,” replied Hugh Boye, but he looked dubiously at Seamus as if to ask him to step in.
“Unfortunately, we have had a long and dangerous ride, lord,” interjected Seamus. “He would be happy to inspect the men tomorrow, but he also needs to sort out his past and those men who may hold the past ag
ainst him.”
Red Hugh looked confused, but Eoghan McToole O’Gallagher, Red Hugh’s only adviser in the room, whispered in his ear. Red Hugh nodded and instructed Eoghan to leave the room to carry out his instructions.
The awkward silence that followed Eoghan leaving the room was interrupted by Hugh Boye pulling a letter from his pocket. Seamus knew nothing of this letter.
“I received this while I was in the Netherlands before I arranged passage to Ireland,” and he handed the letter to Red Hugh.
Red Hugh read it and put it in his pocket, much to Hugh Boye’s irritation.
“We’ll see to that later. Let us take one day at a time. Today, let us fix the past.”
Eoghan ushered Niall Garbh O’Donnell into the room.
“My lord,” said Niall Garbh before frowning when he saw Hugh Boye.
“Eoghan has told me what happened between you in the past,” said Red Hugh, “and he also told me how sorry he was for killing your relative in a duel. Isn’t that right, Hugh Boye?”
Hugh Boye did not respond until Seamus nudged him.
“It is, lord, a regret.”
“Under Brehon law, the death can be compensated through payment. Hugh Boye would like to offer you…” And Eoghan whispered in his ear. “The equivalent of fifty cattle.”
“Fifty cattle!” said Niall Garbh, not disguising his disgust.
“Eoghan, please would you take Niall Garbh aside and make sure he is happy,” said Red Hugh.
Eoghan and Niall Garbh went to one corner of the room for a heated negotiation, and Hugh Boye took Seamus by the arm for his own mediation.
“They can name any price they wish, and I cannot meet it. Whatever wealth I have is hidden near some beach in Wicklow.”
“I will sort it,” said Seamus. “What was in the letter?”
“An invitation from Hugh O’Neill to marshal his army.”
“Is that why you came?”
“That is the arrangement I had before I came.”
“It will be difficult, but leave it to me.”
Eoghan and Niall Garbh returned, with faces that expressed agreement over a tough compromise. The former whispered the result in Red Hugh’s ear, who looked displeased but did not argue the result.
“We have agreed that Hugh Boye will pay two hundred cattle in compensation.”
It was Seamus’s turn to whisper in Red Hugh’s ear. Red Hugh called Eoghan over again, and after some deliberation, he concluded.
“We have decided that I will pay the two hundred cattle, and Hugh Boye will pay off his debt by working for me.”
Niall Garbh looked delighted with his bargain, alongside Red Hugh. Seamus had to signal to Hugh Boye not to protest.
“Thank you for resolving that, lord, but may we now retire so we can be fresh for the morning?” replied Hugh Boye, hiding his urgent desire to leave.
“Yes, and Eoghan will take you to the accommodation I have arranged for you. Something that fits a man of your stature.”
Eoghan arranged for Hugh Boye to stay with him.
31
Connacht opens up
Time did not give Seamus long to rest, for Red Hugh was determined to sow division and unrest throughout Connacht to persuade the Gaelic lords to side with him. Mostly, he appealed to devotion to one faith, some for their wish for the return of the supremacy of Brehon law, the offer of support to become the head of their clan, and if all else failed, he lured them with money. To prepare for Red Hugh’s plan, Hugh Boye was put to the fields to work off his debt. Red Hugh gave him the support of the survivors from the Spanish Armada to assist him in his preparations. Hugh Boye did what he could with those in the army who aspired to be soldiers that could stand alongside those that graced the fields on the continent and ignored the rest. Seamus still stood with those who followed the traditional way of fighting and wished to perfect the art of the ambush.
The ease with which the seeds took root was primarily because of the excessive repression of the chief commissioner of Connacht, Sir Richard Bingham. Sir Richard had been successful. He implemented the composition of Connacht, crushed the dominant clans of O’Brien, Burke, MacWilliam Burke and O’Rourke, and made the province self-sufficient. However, he treated Connacht as if it were his fiefdom, doling out jobs to his relatives and siphoning off as much money as he thought he could get away with. The local lords made continuous protests to the Irish Privy Council, asking for restitution for the lands that were confiscated or stolen, and murdered clan members. As long as the money kept rolling in, the Irish Privy Council ignored any protestations. However, as Lord Deputy Russell came under more and more pressure; he requisitioned the experienced soldiers and replaced them with raw recruits.
* * *
George Bingham, son of Sir Richard Bingham, was stationed in Sligo Castle, the most northerly castle held by the English. It was of great strategic importance for the confluence of rivers in the area and hampered Red Hugh’s access into Connacht. George shared his father’s disdain for the native Irish, even though he commanded a mixed force of raw recruits from the Pale and men from the lords of Connacht. He gained infamy in Connacht for conducting the amphibious raids on Tirconnell and the islands off it. Two monasteries dedicated to St Colmcille were desecrated and looted. The effect it had on the O’Donnell was to draw him away from Clontibret. However, it left a bitter taste with Bingham’s native Irish troops. Even though they fought for the Crown, they held St Colmcille in higher esteem.
George, a slender man, more brave than intelligent, called his captains together. He gave them a small share of the spoils which belittled their efforts, and when they protested, he berated them and threatened to hang them as traitors. One of his captains, Ulick Óg Burke, was determined to get his revenge and seized his opportunity by murdering George when he was poorly attended. Ulick declared for the O’Neill and the O’Donnell, albeit with the proviso that they give him support against his uncle, the Earl of Clanricarde. Word was sent north to Donegal and Dungannon, where Red Hugh was in conference with O’Neill and Maguire. Red Hugh immediately left for Donegal town, rallied his forces and took Sligo Castle.
He took up residence there, and over the summer, the disgruntled lords of Connacht who had not already taken up residence in Tirconnell declared their allegiance to him. Red Hugh sent Ineen Dubh to Scotland and the many islands to recruit mercenaries. She was again successful, and her connections still carried significant weight. Six hundred Redshanks landed near Lough Foyle, and Red Hugh, Seamus and Hugh Boye set off to Tirconnell to inspect, train and organise the new men. However, this was only part of the success of Ineen Dubh’s mission. Another three thousand Redshanks landed on an island off the Ards Peninsula. For some unbeknown reason, put down to error or folly, they were a long way from the safety of Lough Foyle or the Scottish colonies of Antrim. The English detected them as they made their way towards Ireland, since they were attempting to open diplomatic negotiations with the King of Scotland and use sea patrols to cut off the rebels’ supply of mercenaries. These new Scottish mercenaries had little stomach for a fight. After a brief skirmish with the English and no sign of O’Donnell or O’Neill’s forces, they set sail back to Scotland. English diplomatic efforts bore more fruit as James VI of Scotland banned the export of weapons to Ireland, and Scottish mercenaries were never to be seen in such numbers again.
Despite this setback, Red Hugh was ready to invade Connacht. He rallied his men and his newly recruited Scottish mercenaries and targeted the castles in northern Connacht that had not pledged to him. While some of his forces besieged castles, the rest marauded around Connacht, stripping their enemies’ assets and sending all chattels back to Tirconnell. O’Donnell’s men roamed freely from the top to the bottom of Connacht. Chief commissioner Bingham gathered his forces to counter the threat of O’Donnell. O’Donnell evaded direct battles, extricating himself from anything bigger than a skirmish. Bingham then settled in to besiege Sligo Castle.
* * *
De
spite the success he enjoyed, Seamus was forlorn. Sure, his men had done well. They were on the way to being wealthy men, for experienced men knew how to exploit the scenarios of war. But with Shea Óg gone, he had lost contact with Captain Williamson. While that was good for him in a professional capacity, he could no longer be deemed a traitor; he knew nothing of what happened to his wife and presumed she was dead. He vowed to avenge her and took enthusiastically to Red Hugh’s cause. He was positioned in western Fermanagh, ready to strike at Bingham’s rear should he be required. He sat, as instructed, and waited for the forces of Maguire. Then one fateful morning, he heard the cry: “the Maguire is coming!”
It had been over a year since he had met Hugh Maguire, and Seamus did not know what to expect.
“Seamus,” Hugh shouted as he embraced him. “It has been too long! I should never have hired you out to Red Hugh, for he always covets my best men. At least I protected Eunan from his clutches.”
Out from the entourage came Eunan, wearing a mask of seriousness, the only face he could show to both Seamus and Hugh at the same time. His blood boiled, but he controlled himself for the time being. Seamus and Eunan shook hands and muttered a greeting at each other, hoping that Hugh would not notice the resentment between them.
“You both look like you were greeting Governor Bingham,” said Hugh Maguire. “We cannot have such animosity between two such important men. Seamus, your protégé has done so well in his service to me. He could only have done better if you were there to guide him. When are you going to come back to the fold? The Maguires have a great need for men of your talents.”
“Thank you for such kind words, but as you said, it would be very difficult to persuade the O’Donnell to part with me.”
“No matter. We shall see what happens. The tides of war are so unpredictable. Anyway, we are here to see if Red Hugh needs us, so we’ll pitch camp and wait. I’ll leave yourself and Eunan to get reacquainted.”
Hugh left along with his men, leaving Seamus and Eunan, but Sean O’Toole and Óisin stayed, just in case it got violent. Tension drove Seamus to break the silence.