ce"> Battle
of Glenmalure.
The latter defeat
was at the hands of
FiachMcHugh
O'Byrne, who led many attacks against the English and assisted in the escapes
of many of the hostages held by the English to guarantee the loyalty of the
Irish clans.
One such hostage was
Red Hugh O'Donnell, who escaped from
Dublin Castle
on the night of 6 January 1592 in the
company of Art O'Neill.
The two
men crossed the mountains in blizzard conditions, making for Fiach McHugh
O'Byrne's stronghold at Glenmalure.
Art
O'Neill died from
exposure
during the journey and Red Hugh had
several toes amputated due to
frostbite.
A cross and a plaque to the north of
Conavalla
mountain mark the place where Art
O'Neill perished and an annual walk is now held following in the two men's
footsteps.
The O'Byrnes' and
O'Tooles' dominance finally came to an end with the
Act of Succession
of 1652 when their land was
confiscated by theEnglish Commonwealth.
