Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-01-07
Was Fortress of Gen. PheIim
O'Neill In Sixteenth
Century.
American Owners Came From
Dungannon Thirty Years
Ago.
WERE BORN WITHIN ITS SIGHT

Francis O'Neill, a wooden manu-
faeturer of Philadelphia, who has
just returned from a trip through
the Emerald Isle, announced the
purchase of the ancient Castle
O'Neill in County Tyrone, near Dun
cannon, by himself and his brothers,
Peter, John and Joseph O'Neill. BY
the purchase the lands taken from
the Irish centuries ago are coming
back to their descendants. The
castle was the fortress of Gen.
Phelim o'Neill. The purchase OF the
historic castle by these Phila-
delphians recalls one of the hardest
yet one of the saddest fights for
separation from British rule the
Irish perhaps ever made in the his
tory of their numerous struggles,
and which is known as the "Insur-
recticn of I641." In each stage OF
this memorable contest Gen. Phelim
O'Neill, cousin of Gen. Owen Roe
O'Neill, who fought with him,
and nephew of Hugh Roe O'Neill,
Prince of Tyrone, looms up prom
inently. The castle fortress, now
the property of the O'Neill brothers,
lineal descendants of the dauntless
Phelim, bore the brunt of many a
while the prosecuted of the locality
found shelter within it's sturdy walls
during the insurrection and the Bit
ter days that followed it. 1t was
in this castle the Irish Generals de-
cided upon the uprising and selected
Phel'm O'Neill Lord General of the
Ulster army, and it was here the
council of war was held that select
ed owen Roe O'Neill President of
Ulster, and also General of the
forces, because of his military ex-
perience on the continent, where he
had gone when an infant with his
exiled uncle. Hugh Roe O'NeiIl. and
Red Hugh O'Donnell, Prince of Tyr
connell.
Owen Roe achieved a grand vic
tory after persistent fighting when
he routed the Scotch army of Gen.
Monroe at Benburb, though his own
army numbered one-third less. He
nexf moved to Munster and drove
the invaders from the lands of Lord
and this was followed
by crushing defeat he admins
tered to Essex in his march toward
Unfortunately Owen
Roe. the greatest General in the
revolt. met his death, and Phelim
O'Neill assumed command of
wing of the army and after marching
from Munster he moved to the cas-
tie and from there to Donegal,
where he captured Ballyshannon,
held by the British forces. From
this point there was bitter fighting
until the castle of Phelim was
reached. The structure withstood
the repeated assaults of the invaders
and OF the cannon which was
brought to bear upon 1t, with the
exception of the rear portion of IL,
which was well battered down, but
afterward rebuilt and remained in
tact for long period.
Phelim was holding the strong
British forces in check while Bishop
who commanded one OF
the wornout divisions, made a
heroic stand at Clogher, In Donegal,
but lost The fight and also lost his 4
head. for the British cut it off at
Omagh, In the County Tyrone. After
the fight at the castle, Phelim
O'Ncill was also captured. He was
taken a prisoner to Dublin, where
he was tried for treason and. SEN
fenced TO death. On the scaffold
Phellnr -O'Neill was offered his life
Il he would say that King Charles T.
was responsible for the insurrection
He spurned the offer and decapita
lion followed. His lands were d,
,lared confiscated and handed ov
10 some OF the Generals whom
had defeated. That was their n
Tor fighting for the suppression
.he insurrection.
Their descendants have ow
he land continuously until 1t
purchased by the O'Neill BROTH
A coincidence In connection with
sale of the property. which is knq
rs Rougham Park on account OF
great beauty, is that II was
,hased on the anniversary of
ieatt oil Owen Roe O'Nein.
brothers were born at Dunganf
within sight of the old castle,
anne TO Philadelphia more
.hirty years ago. Prosperity
20 them as merchants and mani
.urers, and they propose TO sta
or their days IN
country, excepting when thd
Ireland, and then they will
helf stay In Rougham Park