Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 41.djvu/347

 was reported to O'Bryen, who declared emphatically ‘from the time in which the enemy appeared to the hour at which the action ended, Sir Richard Onslow was his own captain.’ From 1801 to 1803 O'Bryen commanded the Kent in the Mediterranean. In May 1803 he was invalided. He had no further service; was promoted to be rear-admiral on 9 Nov. 1805, and died on 18 Dec. 1808. 

O'BYRNE, FIAGH (1544?–1597), in Irish Ficha mac Aodha na Broin, chief of the sept of the O'Byrnes of Wicklow, called Gabhal-Raghnaill, born about 1544, was the lineal descendant of Cathaeir Mor, king of Ireland in the second century. He was a man of great ambition and considerable ability, but, as Spenser remarked, he derived his importance chiefly from the wild and inaccessible nature of his country and its proximity to the metropolis. After the death in 1580 of Dunlaing, son of Edmund, the last inaugurated O'Byrne, he was generally recognised as chief of the O'Byrnes; but his authority was always more or less disputed by members of the senior branch, and it is probable that their jealousy of him ultimately led to his ruin. He is first mentioned in connection with the escape of Sir Edmund Butler from Dublin Castle in September 1569, at which time he was apparently about twenty-five years of age. Two years later, in April 1571, he combined with Rory Oge O'More [q. v.] in an attack on the Pale. But he first became notorious owing to his implication in the murder, in May 1572, of Robert Browne of Mulcranan in co. Wexford. For his share in this outrage he was prosecuted by Captain Francis Agard, seneschal of Wicklow, and, though he himself managed to escape, his brother and two of his principal followers were killed. Owing, however, to the unsettled state of the country, the lord-deputy, Sir William Fitzwilliam, was afraid to pursue an extreme course with him, and, with the assistance of Agard and the Earl of Kildare, he was in good hope of inducing Fiagh to surrender the real murderers of Browne as ‘the price of his own redemption.’ But his purpose was frustrated by the officious zeal of the seneschal of Wexford, Nicholas White, ‘and his frindes thundring abroade (in advauncement of their owne credit) the Q[ueen's] Indignacon and resolucon never to pardon any the partakers of Brownes murther.’ Fitzwilliam was unable to retrieve White's blunder, and Fiagh, being confined to his own territory, revenged himself by plundering the farmers in Wexford and the Pale. On 26 Aug. he invaded Wexford with three or four hundred followers, and having fired a number of villages, including that of Nicholas Devereux of Dunbrody, and having defeated the seneschal who tried to intercept him, he retired in safety with his plunder to his fastness in Glenmalure. In February 1573 government granted him a pardon. Later in the year his sister married Rory Oge O'More; and Fiagh, as he was returning from the wedding in Leix through Kildare, was attacked by the sheriff of that county, Maurice Fitzjames of Ballyshannon; but the sheriff, ‘being traitorously forsaken of his men, was taken prisoner and ledd away into the glennes of Cowlranyll.’ At first Fiagh refused to surrender him unless ‘he would condescend to pay 800l. ransom and be sworn never to seek revenge for his taking,’ but he ultimately consented ‘for a consideration’ to give him up to Captain Agard.

For several subsequent years Fiagh ceased to cause the government any trouble. After the death of his brother-in-law Rory Oge, in July 1578, some anxiety was felt lest he should be tempted to revenge his death; but, by the good offices of Sir Henry Harington, he was induced to submit formally to Sir William Drury in Christ Church, Dublin, on 21 Sept. In professing his wish to live as became a loyal subject, he complained, not without some show of reason, that he had been driven into rebellious courses by the violence of his neighbours, who had killed his uncle and were seeking his own destruction. A few days later he renewed his submission at Castledermot. ‘Ffeagh m'Hughe,’ wrote Drury to Burghley at the time, ‘[is] the most doubted man of Leinster after the death of Rorie Oge.’

For some time Fiagh faithfully observed his promise; but in April 1580 Captain Masterson, seneschal of Wexford, killed a number of the Kavanaghs, some of whom were near allied to him, and Fiagh swore to be revenged. Having become reconciled to his ancient enemy, Gerald Owen O'Byrne, ‘by theire solempe oathe, by theire baghall’ (i.e. crozier), he invaded Wexford, ‘the most syvell and englishe country of all the Realme,’ and utterly wasted it. He disclaimed any other motive for his conduct than personal hostility to Masterson; but, feeling probably that such excuse would not serve him at Dublin, he declined to justify himself before the council, and shortly afterwards threw in his lot with Viscount Baltinglas. In August he defeated, in a memorable encounter in Glenmalure, a strong force under the command of the deputy, Arthur,