Three centuries have passed since Joseph O’Donnell, originally from County Mayo, Ireland, migrated to Spain, initiating a lasting Spanish lineage that continues to exist today. Joseph O’Donnell was a direct lineage of Manus, the 21st leader of the O’Donnell tribe, and the grandfather of the most well-known O’Donnell, Red Hugh, who met his end in Spain in 1602.
Today, Hugo O’Donnell, the 74-year-old seventh Duke of Tetuán and Spanish Grandee, represents both sides of this illustrious family. The largest-ever reunion of Spanish-Irish groups convened at the University of Valladolid, preceding the symbolic funeral of Red Hugh O’Donnell. This event was a tribute to the royal burial accorded to this Irish chieftain by King Phillip III of Spain.
Red Hugh absconded from Ireland early in 1602 following the defeat of the Irish and their Spanish allies at Kinsale’s battle. His hopes to coax the Spanish king into dispatching another army to Ireland were dashed when he endured a serious illness and breathed his last at Simancas Castle in September of that same year.
King Phillip III awarded him a royal burial, and he was interred in the Franciscan Chapel of the Wonders’ premises. The endeavour to locate his remains four years ago, during the peak of the global Covid-19 pandemic, captured worldwide attention. Despite not definitively locating his remains, the city has wholeheartedly honoured the Irish prince who received a funeral fitting for a king from the Spanish ruler.
The Spanish O’Donnells are a family that comprises the former Spanish prime minister, Leopoldo O’Donnell, the inaugural Duke of Tetuán, ministers of the Spanish crown, and many generals and admirals. Leopoldo O’Donnell also lends his name to a street and a metro station in Madrid as well as one in the Spanish outpost of Melilla in Morocco.
Hugo O’Donnell assumed the O’Donnell family reins last year, though there seems to be uncertainty whether he can assume the honorific title, The O’Donnell. Carlos Burgos, chairman of the Hispano-Irish Association, gifted him with a statue of his most renowned forefather, Red Hugh, at an event graced by Frank Smyth, Irish Ambassador to Spain, Valladolid’s Deputy Mayor Irene Carvajal, and Spanish navy captain Enrique Guardia.
The former naval commander of Spain and a distinguished naval historian, Hugo O’Donnell, hails from a lineage that has retained strong ties with Ireland since the 12th century. Mr O’Donnell speaks fondly of his family heritage and the pride he has to continue the legacy of his Irish origins.
His son, Carlos, who holds the Marquess of Altamira title, also expresses the same sentiment and intends to honour his family’s name by upholding the relationship between Spain and Ireland.
Mr Smyth, the Irish Ambassador to Spain, highlights the devotion of Valladolid’s people to Red Hugh’s remembrance, reflecting their deep bond with Ireland that resonates nationwide. He compares Red Hugh’s plight to individuals fleeing persecution today.
The surge in interest in the historical ties shared by Ireland and Spain has coincided with upcoming events in Valladolid. Among these is a three-day festival scheduled to take place in Grange, Co Sligo, which will commemorate the 24 Spanish Armada ships that foundered off the Irish coast in 1588. Upcoming publications from historian Michael Barry will delve further into the connection between the armada and Ireland.
Eddie Crawford, the chairman of the Red Hugh O’Donnell Association, revealed ambitious plans to link the birthplace of Red Hugh, the town of Lifford in Donegal, with Simancas in Spain, where he breathed his last.