Aodh Rua o'Donnell was the eldest
son the chief of Tir Chonaill. He was a tall, red-haired boy
and was dearly loved by all his people.
When he was fifteen years of age,
Aodh Rua went to visit his friends who lived near Lough
Swilly. One sunny day a great ship with a cargo of wine
sailed inot the little harbour. Aodh Rua and his young
friends came to watch the sailors unloading the barrels of
wine. The captain of the ship was a very jolly fellow and he
laughed and joked with the boys. To their great delight he
asked them to come on board his ship and be guests. Gladly
they accepted his invitation and went aboard. Down into the
captain's cabin they were taken, where they found a feast
laid out for them. Suddenly, in the middle of all the
merry-making, orders were shouted ; the anchor was lifted and
the ship set sail for Dublin. The clever trick had worked.
Aodh Rua was a prisoner.
When the ship reached Dublin, Aodh
was locked up in a cell in Dublin Castle. Three long years he
spent in this cold, damp prison, far from his friends and his
home in Tir Chonaill. He was badly fed and clothed and was
treated very roughly. Then one cold winter's night Aodh Rua
and two other prisoners made their escape. Through the dark
city streets they dashed and safely made their way to the
mountains. But three hard years in prison had worn down Aodh
Rua's strength. He could go no further. His friends struggled
on, promising to bring back help from Wicklow, but soon after
they left, Aodh Rua was captured again and taken back to
Dublin Castle. This time he was bound with iron chains.
Another lonely year went by. Aodh
Rua longed for freedom and spent the long cold nights
planning another escape. A rope and file were smuggled into
his cell. He cut the heavy chains which bound him, and with
two other prisoners, Art and Anrai O'Neill, he made a second
bid for freedom. It was a bitter night in January. The
soldiers were making merry in the warmth of the great Castle
hall and the prisoners were unguarded. Aodh Rua tied the rope
to the strong iron bars of the window. Slowly, one by one,
the three friends lowered themselves to the ground. They
crept to where a trusted guide was waiting for them and
together they stole through the dark wet sweets of the city.
Suddenly they saw a group of soldiers returning to the castle.
With beating hearts the prisoners scattered and hid in the
door-ways. The soldiers passed by, but Anrai O'Neill had got
lost in the darkness, and, through his comrades searched the
streets, he could not be found. They went on without him.
They left the city and made their
way towards the Wicklow mountains. The night was bitterly
cold. The driving sleet soaked their thin clothes and the icy
winds made them shiver miserably. Art O'Neill collapsed and
had to be carried by Aodh Rua and the guide. Cold and hungry,
they stumbled on through the deep snow, but soon Aodh Rua
could go no further. He and Art took shelter beside a large
rock, while the guide hurried shelter beside a large rock,
while the guide hurried on to Wicklow to bring back help from
a friendly Irish chief.
Some hours later the guide
returned with a little band of helpers. A pitiful sight met
their eyes : Aodh Rua and Art lay stretched on the ground and
covered with snow, their clothes frozen to their bodies. They
were quickly wrapped in blankets and a warming drink was
forced between their cold lips. Aodh Rua slowly began to
revive but Art was beyond all help and soon died. They sadly
buried him on the snow-covered mountain and continued on
thier way.
When they reached the home of the
Wicklow chief, Aodh was put to bed and nursed slowly back to
health. His two big toes were so badly frost-bitten that they
had to be cut off. He was lame fro the rest of his life.
When he had fully recovered he was
given a horse and a guide who knew the country well. Then,
thanking his friends who had saved him, he set out on the
long ride to his home in Tir Chonaill. When he reached
Dungannon he paid a visit to Aodh O'Neill who welcomed him
joyfully. The two Aodhs made plans to unite the men of the
North against the English who had wronged them so much.
There was a great joy in Tir
Chonaill when Aodh Rua returned home after four years in
prison. A huge meeting was called and his father handed over
to him the proud title of "O'Donaill." As chief of
his people Aodh Rua spent the rest of his life fighting for
the freedom of his country.
© 1999 All Rights held by Michael G Keohane BA.
ACSA.