Phelim Reagh MacDavitt or Phelim Reagh MacDevitt (Irish: ''Feidhlimidh Riabhach Mac Dhaibheid'', or Brindled Felim - probably a reference to a white streak or streaks in his hair) was a

Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaeli ...

warrior and landowner notable for his participation in the

Nine Years War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between France and the Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial possessions in the Americas, India, and West Africa. Relat ...

and later in O'Doherty's Rebellion in 1608. After playing a leading part in the

Burning of Derry The Burning of Derry took place on 19 April 1608 during O'Doherty's Rebellion when Sir Cahir O'Doherty led a force of rebels to storm Derry in Ulster. He launched his rebellion with an attack on the garrison town of Derry, which was taken tha ...

, he was captured and executed following the

Battle of Kilmacrennan The Battle of Kilmacrennan was a skirmish fought near Kilmacrennan, County Donegal in 1608 during O'Doherty's Rebellion. Sir Cahir O'Doherty was a traditional supporter of the Crown whose treatment at the hands of local officials had led him to ...

Tyrone's Rebellion

The MacDavitts were from

Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...

, in northern Donegal, directly north of the English bastion of

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

. They were foster brothers (some sources say foster fathers) of

Cahir O'Doherty Sir Cahir O'Doherty ( or ; 1587 – 5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Irish chief of the O'Doherty clan, who in 1608 launched a failed rebellion against the English crown. O'Doherty was the eldest son of clan chief John O'Doherty, ruler of ...

, who had the strongest claim to succeed as Chief of Clan O'Doherty. When

Red Hugh O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...

kidnapped Cahir during the

, Phelim Reagh and his brother

Hugh Boy MacDavitt Hugh Boy MacDavitt (Irish:''Aodh Buidhe Mac Daibheid'') was a Gaelic Irish warrior from Inishowen. He was the brother of Phelim Reagh MacDavitt and the foster brother of Sir Cahir O'Doherty. Cahir had a strong claim to succeed as chief of the O'D ...

changed sides, having previously supported O'Donnell and the rising of the

Irish clan Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan (or in Irish, plural ) included the chief and his patrilineal relatives; howe ...

s against the

House of Tudor The House of Tudor ( ) was an English and Welsh dynasty that held the throne of Kingdom of England, England from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd, a Welsh noble family, and Catherine of Valois. The Tudor monarchs ruled ...

and the

Reformation in Ireland The Reformation in Ireland was a movement for the reform of religious life and institutions that was introduced into Ireland by the English Crown at the behest of King Henry VIII of England. His desire for an annulment of his marriage was known ...

. They now rescued Cahir from captivity and had him proclaimed as

Chief of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...

of Clan O'Doherty and

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

by Henry Docwra, English governor of Derry. Both Cahir and his foster brothers served with distinction on the Crown's side during the war. They were disappointed when the

Treaty of Mellifont The Treaty of Mellifont (), also known as the Articles of Mellifont, was signed in 1603, ending the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War which took place in Ireland from 1593 to 1603. End of war Following the English victory in the Battl ...

1603 restored lands to the rebels that had been promised to them. Both Cahir O'Doherty and Phelim Reagh had problems with local government officials in the years after the war, once the more friendly Docwra had been replaced, and both felt they were being pushed into rebellion by their treatment. This came to a head when O'Doherty was ordered to hand over Phelim Reagh because he was wanted for arrest over allegations that had been made. O'Doherty reluctantly turned him over, but applied for his release. Eventually his lobbying was successful, and Reagh was freed just in time for him to take part in the rebellion.

O'Doherty's Rebellion

Burning of Derry

O'Doherty planned to begin the rebellion by seizing the garrison town of

. MacDavitt helped lead the initial attack and capture of the Upper Fort of Derry. He was on hand when the city's Governor George Paulet (who was intensely disliked by both Protestant planters and local

Gaels The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celts, Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Goidelic languages, Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising ...

) was killed. Derry was then burned to the ground.Bardon p.102-03

Kilmacrennan

MacDavitt was at the decisive battle fought near

Kilmacrennan Kilmacrennan ( or ), also Kilmacrenan, is a village, townland and civil parish in County Donegal, Ireland. The village population was 888, as of the 2022 census. The village's population has increased steadily over the last decade with many n ...

where O'Doherty was killed and the rebels suffered a heavy defeat. After the battle, MacDavitt was cornered by a group of soldiers. He put up fierce resistance and was wounded and captured. MacDavitt was the most senior rebel to be executed. He was taken to

Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this ...

, found guilty of

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

by a civilian court, and sentenced to be

hanged, drawn and quartered To be hanged, drawn and quartered was a method of torture, torturous capital punishment used principally to execute men convicted of High treason in the United Kingdom, high treason in medieval and early modern Britain and Ireland. The convi ...

. His and O'Doherty's severed heads were exhibited on spikes on the walls of Dublin's

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

, a common display at the time as this prison was the main prison of Dublin, the centre of English authority in Ireland and the Irish counterpart of the prison of the same name in London. The participation of Phelim Reagh MacDavitt and others of the MacDavitts in the attack and destruction of Derry led to them becoming known as the "burn-Derrys".

References

Bibliography

* Bardon, Jonathan. ''The Plantation of Ulster''. Gill & MacMillan, 2012. * Falls, Cyril. ''Elizabeth's Irish Wars''. Constable, 1996. * McCavitt, John. ''The Flight of the Earls''. Gill & MacMillan, 2002. * McGurk, John. ''Sir Henry Docwra, 1564-1631: Derry's Second Founder''. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:MacDavitt, Phelim Reagh 17th-century Irish people Irish soldiers People of O'Doherty's rebellion People of Elizabethan Ireland People from County Donegal

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

People executed by Stuart Ireland 1608 deaths Executed people from County Donegal