Artificial Intelligence rendering of the Battle Of Farsetmore
Likely more than a 1,000 men lay dead on the shores, or in the tidal waters of the river Swilly near Letterkenny in Donegal. The encounter at the ford of Farsetmore (Fearsaid Súileach), was not a clash between the Gaelic Irish and British colonizers, rather it was a ancient Irish struggle for sumpremacy of Ulster between Shane O'Neill of Tír Eoghain (Tyrone) and Hugh MacManus O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill (Donegal).
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In the previous 20 years, O'Neill fought British Tudor incursions into Ulster through both millitary and diplomatic means. At the same time he engaged in bitter conflicts with rival Ulster clans in his attempt to consolidate power across the province. Much of what we know of O'Neill is not complementary, but was written by either agents of the English Crown or from the Irish perspective in the Annals of the Four Masters. While one might have hoped for a less biased account of O'Neill's life, the Annals was compiled at Donegal Abbey and was likely influenced by the proximity of its O'Donnell patrons.
What we know of the Battle of Farsetmore has been pieced together from multiple sources. O'Neill seems to have crossed into Tír Chonaill as a result of incursions into Tír Eoghain, by O'Donnell, the newly elevated leader of the O'Donnell clan. Unsurprisingly O'Neill responded with a force of some 2,000 and crossed the Swilly on May 7th at low tide. This decision would ultimately lead to his downfall.
O'Donnell had received warning of the impending incursion and sent word out to his suppportes to resist the invading force. The response was slow and O'Donnell had only limited number of men with him as he monitored the advancing enemy from the heights of Ardagarry. Needing to buy time, O'Donnell sent his horseman commanded by his son Hugh. While the younger Hugh harried O'Neill's forces, O'Donnell withdrew to a more defensible bogland position to await arrival of his allies. O'Neill meanwhile made camp at Cluain Aire to protect the Swilly crossingpoint.
On the arrival of Gallowglass reinforcements, O'Donnell advanced on O'Neill's camp and a bitter encounter of some six hours took place. O'Neill's troops fighting from low ground gave way, but their line of retreat had been cut off by the incoming tide and many were slaughtered or drowned. O'Neill managed to escape the slaughter through an alternate upriver ford.
While O'Neill had survived, the loss was devastating, deperately in need of support he attempted to make common cause with the MacDonnells of the Glens of Antrim. These were the acts of a deperate man as O'Neill had waged war against the MacDonnells just two years prior. During that conflict, O'Neill captured the chief of the MacDonnells, Sorley Boy MacDonnell, who he now attempted to trade in return for an alliance. The parties met as Cushendum in Antrim and during a feast he was set upon by his hosts and killed. His head was sent to Dublin Castle and his headless body burried in Cushemdun before ultimate burrial at Glenarm Abbey.
