Flight of the Earls: The Crossroads of Irish History
RATHMULLEN, County Donegal - The event known as the Flight of the Earls took place at Rathmullan in the year 1607. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England most of the Irish leaders had been defeated and either submitted to English rule or had their lands taken and given to English “planters.”
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By 1601 only the northern part of the country, under the leadership of Hugh O'Neill and Red Hugh O'Donnell, still held out against the crown. Here the old Gaelic order of poets, brehons and chroniclers was intact.
The departure of the Irish chieftans from Lough Swilly in 1607 marked the end of the Gaelic order and old Irish rule. This event has become known as “the Flight of the Earls,” and now local authorities on both sides of the border are preparing to mark the 400th anniversary.
Derry SDLP assembly member Pat Ramsey said this event was “a crossroads in Irish history. I would encourage anyone interested in this period of history to become involved in the commemorations for the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls.”
Newry school teacher Dr. John McCavitt has spent the last 20 years researching and designing a website to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls which takes place in September 2007. The website is located at: www.theflightoftheearls.net.
As historical societies throughout Ireland prepare special commemoration events for the anniversary, the website provides an invaluable opportunity to learn about the major events of the period.
The site offers an overview of the key personalities and events, covering developments that both preceded and resulted from the Flight of the Earls. It also includes a series of maps which illustrate the roller coaster journey undertaken by the earls through Ireland and subsequently from France to Rome.
The Flight of the Earls took place in 1607, when Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone and Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell boarded a ship on Lough Swilly bound for the continent never to return. It is often considered a pivotal moment in Irish history, witnessing the demise of Gaelic Ireland, the onset of protestant ascendancy and penal days for Irish Catholics.
An event shrouded in controversy, the flight is typically characterized as mysterious, enigmatic to the point of defying explanation. Even the term, “the Flight of the Earls,” which conjures up notions of a tragic, perilous escape tinged with romance and despair, has been the subject of dispute.
Overall, the story of the Flight of the Earls is a tale of epic proportions, an enthralling and momentous episode in the history of Ireland that has lost none of its drama and appeal in the passage of time.
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The Flight of the Earls Heritage Centre is located in an old battery fort located in the village of Rathmullan overlooking Lough Swilly in County Donegal. It features an exhibition which illustrates the life and times of the Earls and the aftermath of their flight. For more information, visit: www.flightoftheearls.com.
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