The Papacy, Rome, and an Irish leader
(Vatican Radio) A conference looking at the career of Irish leader Hugh O’Neill opened this Friday morning at the British School here in Rome. Hugh O’Neill led the Irish resistance to the English conquest of Ireland at the time of Queen Elisabeth the first at the end of the 16th century.
The conflict known as the Nine Years War took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603 and was fought mainly in the northern province of Ulster, although there was also conflict in other parts of the country.
The war ended in defeat for O’Neill and other Irish leaders which led to their exile in what was called the Flight of the Earls.
In April 1608, the earls including O’Neill ended up in Rome where they were greeted by Pope Paul V.
So just how did the Holy See view the situation in Ireland at the time?
One of the organisers and speakers at the conference is Dr Hiram Morgan from University College Cork, he explains that, “the problem was that at this time the resistance to Queen Elizabeth was really being led by Spain, and the Popes at this time in fact wanted to disengage from Spanish control and that is one of the major problems. O’Neill was in alliance with the Spaniards…”
Dr Morgan also says that, “at this time the Popes had mistakenly believed that Queen Elizabeth would be replaced by James I but they also thought that James I would become a Catholic …but that certainly didn’t happen”.
Listen to Lydia O'Kane's interview with Dr Hiram Morgan
Hugh O’Neill was already well known in Rome when he arrived because his war had been well publicized and he was well received in the city, but his hopes and plans to return to Ireland to resume his activities came to nothing and he died in the eternal city on July 20 1616
According to the Dr Hiram Morgan, O’Neill was “a great political maneuverer” who gets his comeuppance in the end, adding that the aim of this conference is to draw attention back to this Irishmen as the 400 the anniversary of his death approaches and to bring more recent research to bare about his military and political tactics.
“From Ulster to Rome: A retrospective on the career of Hugh O’Neill, earl of Tyrone 1550 to 1616” runs from the 3rd to 4th June at the British School in Rome.
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