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Gaelscoil Ui Neill, Co. Tyrone

What happened to Conn o'Néill?

26ú Feabhra 2020

Did you know that Hugh O'Neill's son, Conn, was left behind in all the confusion when the Earls fled from Rathmullan in 1607.  The English soon found him and sent him to Eton, then to the Tower of London.  At the age of about 16 he wrote to his father saying that life was better in the Tower of London than in Eton (Sir Walter Raileigh was also in the tower at the same time).  This letter is the last known record of Conn and it is not known if he was released, escaped or was executed...….

This was just one of the fascinating story-lines the children followed on their trip to Ranfurly House.  Peter and Frances regaled them with wonderful stories and ideas about the Hill of the O'Neill and the children ended the tour with a poetry workshop, trying to capture at least one aspect of the thousands of years of history of the place in words.  The children will work on these poems back in school and, perhaps, some of them may be included in an anthology that is being produced to celebrate the Hill, thus becoming part of the history of the place themselves!!!