While there is no documented record of Red Hugh O’Donnell, an Irish chieftain, ever visiting Valladolid in Spain, the local inhabitants proudly regard him as part of their heritage. An elaborate mock funeral dedicated to this Irish nobleman, who perished in Simancas Castle in 1602 at the young age of 29 while waiting for an audience with King Philip III, attracted a large crowd in the city on a Friday.
Interestingly, the city undertook an excavation in 2020 to find the remains of Red Hugh during the lockdown prompted by the global coronavirus pandemic. Although the archaeologists did not discovered a corpse, they developed a deep connection with this Irish chieftain, who was forced to leave his homeland following a devastating defeat at the Battle of Kinsale in the same year, an event which signalled the downfall of Gaelic Ireland.
In the 17th century, Valladolid was the capital of Spain, a historical fact lost on many modern Spaniards, as pointed out by Carlos Burgos, the chair of the Hispano-Irish Society, who was behind the idea of the mock funeral.
Contrary to the Annals of the Four Masters, it is suggested that the Spanish king was heartbroken by Red Hugh’s premature demise, deciding to give him a burial suitable for a monarch. The record details an elaborate parade featuring a hearse, royal officers, council members, and guards bearing bright torches of wax.
The local administration has gone to great lengths to mimic this funeral procession, complete with a horse-drawn carriage and professional actors donning attire reminiscent of the Spanish colonial period. Over the years, this tribute has grown into a yearly event, with the most recent edition being the grandest so far.
The procession was led by former Irish Defence Forces member, Jim O’Hagan from Derry, who is a piper. Another ex-solder, Eddie Crawford, who is also the chair of the Red Hugh O’Donnell Association, hoisted the Tricolour as he marched through the city. Additionally, the city hall was illuminated in the hues of the Irish national flag. The faux funeral began at twilight, featuring an Érin go Bragh flag and an old Spanish flag, the red, serrated Cross of Burgundy, draped over Red Hugh’s fake coffin.
Red Hugh’s final will and testament, recited in both Spanish and English, marked the start of the ceremony. The testament read: “In the name of the Divine, amen. May all to whom this testament is presented, be aware that I, Lord O’Donnell of Ireland, laying ailing, bequeath my last will as thus stated.”
Throngs of onlookers, in excess of five rows deep queued at the entrance of the Royal Palace in Valladolid, fervently awaiting the departure of the casket. The procession featured women donned in costumes from the period and dogs, representative of the Irish wolfhound. The illuminated torches held by the pallbearers encompassed the hearse.
The funeral procession made its way precisely from the Royal Palace to where the Ancient Franciscan monastery formerly resided. Located within was the Wonders Chapel, Red Hugh’s final resting place and briefly, Christopher Columbus’. A plaque, inscribed in both English and Spanish, now marks the location.
Addressing the masses gathered at Red Hugh’s interment site was Jesús Julio Carnero, the mayor of Valladolid, along with Frank Smyth, the Irish Ambassador to Spain.
Earlier in the day, Mr Smyth was among the attendees of the grandest assemblage of Irish-Spanish associations ever, held at the University of Valladolid. The occasion concluded with the bestowal of a statue of Red Hugh to Hugo O’Donnell, the present head of the O’Donnell clan and the Duke of Tetuán.
The O’Donnell lineage, having resided in Spain for over 300 years, still maintains its ties with Ireland. It includes previous prime ministers, ministers of the crown, generals and admirals dedicated to the Spanish state. Hugo O’Donnell, formerly a navy commandor, is currently a naval historian.