Archaeologists claim to have found Red Hugh's remains in Spain 400 years after his death
Spanish archaeologists believe they've found the final resting place of one of Ireland's most famous rebels, more than 400 years after he was buried in a chapel in the city of Valladolid.
The find has been described as “very significant” by Dr Hiram Morgan from UCC's School of History, who is acknowledged as one of the world's leading experts on Red Hugh O’Donnell, one of the great tragic heroes of Irish history.
He said the Spanish have information which led them to pinpoint the remains of the chapel which they are currently excavating at a site in the city of Valladolid, the country's former capital which is north-west of Madrid.
They have already discovered several bones on the site and it's believed it's only a question of time before they confirm some belong to Red Hugh, who famously fought against the English before being forced to flee to Spain after the ill-fated 1601 Battle of Kinsale.
While the bones will have to be identified through DNA, the search will be made easier because of frostbite.
“When he escaped from Dublin Castle in January 1592, he hid out in the Dublin/Wicklow Mountains with a companion, Art O'Neill. Both got frostbite, which killed O'Neill. When O'Donnell got back to Donegal a month or so later he had to have two of his big toes removed,” Dr Morgan said.
He said he is very confident that the Spanish are very close to discovering and confirming the remains of O'Donnell.
A lot of famous people were buried in the chapel. It is also believed that some of the remains of Christopher Columbus were buried there, but Dr Morgan said most of them were later removed and re-interred in the city of Seville.
Getting DNA to prove a match to Red Hugh could even involve asking Donegal crooner Daniel O'Donnell to help out.
“They could test him for instance as he would still have the same type of DNA as Red Hugh. There is also a Spanish Duke called Hugo O'Donnell who is still alive and his would also be similar,” Dr Morgan said.
He added that a companion of Red Hugh O'Donnell, Mick MacWilliam-Burke, also escaped to Spain around the same time and it is believed he is also buried in the remains of the Valladolid chapel.
A week-long excavation of Constitution Street in Valladolid in northwest Spain has revealed the walls of what is believed to be the Chapel of Marvels where [Red Hugh] O’Donnell was buried in September 1602. https://t.co/3ixrOOWhEd
— Matthew Whitten (@AdmiralWhitten) May 26, 2020
When O'Donnell's bones are DNA matched then pathology will be able to finally put to bed the story of whether he died after being administered poison by an English spy.
Awaiting an audience with Spanish King Philip III, Red Hugh died in the Castle of Simancas in September 1602 and was buried with full honours by the Spanish in nearby Valladolid.
“There were allegations that he was poisoned, but the most reliable sources point to it being natural causes. He had been sick with a fever for 17 days during which time he coughed up a tapeworm. It is quite likely he got the tapeworm when he was on the run from the English some years earlier,” Dr Morgan said.
Red Hugh along with his father-in-law, Hugh O'Neill, fought a nine-year war against the English. Initially, both men's forces made significant gains against the English.
“However, they failed to join up with the Spanish expeditionary force and lost the Battle of Kinsale. After that O'Donnell left from Castletownsend to seek further Spanish assistance,” Dr Morgan said.
