Cahir O'Doherty Cathaoir Ó Dochartaigh | |
|---|---|
| Lord ofInishowen | |
 Contemporary illustration of O'Doherty's severed head on a spike inDublin | |
| Predecessor | Sir John O'Doherty |
| Other names | Queen's O'Doherty |
| Born | 1587 Ireland |
| Died | 5 July 1608 (aged 21) nearKilmacrennan,County Donegal, Ireland |
Sir Cahir O'Doherty (Irish:Cathaoir Ó Dochartaigh orCaṫaoir Ó Doċartaiġ; 1587[1] – 5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Irishchief of theO'Doherty clan, who in 1608 launcheda failed rebellion against the English crown.[2]
O'Doherty was the eldest son of clan chief John O'Doherty, ruler ofInishowen. O'Doherty and his father initially fought for the Irish confederacy in theNine Years' War. Following his father's death, his clan became embroiled in a succession dispute. O'Doherty, aged 15, defected to the English and became known as theQueen's O'Doherty for his service on the Crown's side.[3] After the war, O'Doherty had ambitions to become acourtier and applied for a position in the household ofHenry Frederick, Prince of Wales, but he increasingly came into dispute with Irish-based officials such as the ViceroySir Arthur Chichester and the Governor of DerrySir George Paulet. In 1608 he launched a rebellion, seizing Derry from Paulet andburning it to the ground. O'Doherty was subsequently killed in abattle at Kilmacrennan, and the rebellion swiftly collapsed.
Cahir was the eldest son of Sir John O'Doherty, O'Doherty clan chief and effective ruler ofInishowen.[1] One of Cahir's younger sisters wasRosa who marriedCathbarr O'Donnell and laterOwen Roe O'Neill.[4] A third was Margaret, who married Oghie O'Hanlon. Cahir was fourteen when his father died and he had to spend the next few years gaining control of his lordship. Cahir's foster father wasPhelim Reagh MacDavitt (Mac Daibhéid).[citation needed]
Cahir was knighted byLord Mountjoy,[1] and for a time he seemed prepared to work amicably with the English authorities: he found a strong supporter in SirHenry Docwra, the first Governor of Derry.[1] His marriage to Mary Preston, daughter of the 4thViscount Gormanston, allied him to some of the leading nobles ofthe Pale, includingThomas FitzWilliam, 1st Viscount FitzWilliam, who in 1608 was required to stand surety for O'Doherty's good behaviour.[citation needed]
O'Doherty andNiall Garve O'Donnell, the main rival ofRed Hugh O'Donnell for the leadership of theO'Donnell dynasty,[5] were the principal Gaelic chieftains whose support theEnglish Crown hoped to gain through a policy of moderation and for a time this policy seemed to be working.[citation needed]
Niall encouraged O'Doherty to rebel against the Crown, though Niall had ulterior motives for doing so. The English government had previously reneged on promises to grant Niall a patent to his clan's lands ofTyrconnell, which encompassed Inishowen. Niall distanced himself from the rebellion, as he clearly hoped to be awarded Inishowen in the event of a failed rebellion.[5]
After theFlight of the Earls and angered by the eviction of his clansmen during the subsequentPlantation of Ulster, in 1608 Sir Cahir sacked and burned the town ofDerry. Cahir's foster father Felim Riabhach McDavitt (Mac Daibhéid) killed Docwra's successor as Governor,Sir George Paulet, with whom Cahir had repeatedly quarrelled. Paulet has been accused of goading O'Doherty into taking up arms by a calculated series of insults under thecode of conduct of anIrish clan chief. Paulet was also said to have physically assaulted O'Doherty.[6] Niall Garve O'Donnell, previously a loyal supporter of the English Crown, was also accused of supporting the rebellion. O'Doherty's precise motives for the rebellion are unclear, and its timing is also something of a puzzle, especially as thePrivy Council of Ireland had just ordered that the Clan's confiscated and planted lands be restored to him. Taking revenge on Paulet was perhaps a sufficient motive in itself.[citation needed]
O'Doherty was shot in the head and killed during theBattle of Kilmacrennan on 5 July[7][1] against a counter-attacking force underLord Powerscourt.[8] O'Doherty was 21 years old.[1] His surviving soldiers retreated and made alast stand during theSiege of Tory Island.
His severed head wasdisplayed on a spike overNewgate Prison inDublin for some time afterwards.[citation needed] Niall Garve O'Donnell and his son Neachtain were arrested and sent to theTower of London, where they died.[5]
According to historian Brian Bonner, "While and where the old traditions were retained in Inis Eoghain, Cathaoir was seen as a mighty one of theGael. He was loved and honoured. His memory was revered and relationship with his line was a privilege which brought dignity and status to the rightful claimant. The passage of time has now dimmed his memory and the English-speaking native community has developed a distorted view of this great son of Inis Eoghain. It is indeed a paradox that the planters' view of the 'villain' who sacked Culmore and burned Derry has been passed on to the descendants of those whom Cathaoir Rua strove to defend and protect."[9]
During the 1990s, theChief Herald of Ireland offered recognition to descendants of the chiefs of some ancient clansas recognised under the English system ofprimogeniture, rather than the originalBrehon Law succession practice oftanistry, calling them theChiefs of the Name. The chieftainship of the Dohertys was claimed by Dr. Ramón Salvador O'Dogherty, who claimed descent from Cahir O'Doherty's brother, Sean.[10]
In July 1990, an O'Dogherty clan gathering was held and Ramon Salvador O'Dogherty was installed as "Chief of the Name" at a ceremony in Belmont House (present-dayShantallow, County Londonderry). O'Dogherty received a traditionalwhite wand of office and a sword which Cahir O'Doherty bore at the time of his death in battle at Kilmacrenan in 1608.[11]
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