Sean O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone

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Sean O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone. Sean left Ireland with his father Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell during the Flight of the Earls and to the European contintent in 1607. The family moved around and eventually settled with his father in Rome.

Once old enough, he moved to what is now Belgium, where he took up service to the Spanish crown in the Irish regiment there. While there he, like his other O'Neill cousins, constantly planned the return of his father and the restoration of the Gaelic order in Ulster. When his father died in Rome under Papal protection, Sean assumed the title of Earl and it was blessed by the Infanta Isabella of Spain, the Royal Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and his title was established as Spanish a creation (Conde, or Count). The title of 2nd Earl granted by the Kingdom of Ireland to his father had been attainted on his flight in 1607.

Sean married at least twice and had two known sons: Hugh Eugene and Patrick. Both sons returned with Sean's cousin, Owen Roe, to Ireland and fought in the Irish Confederate war 1641-1648.

[edit] Sources

O'Neill, the Ancient and Royal Family