O’Neill, Owen Roe (1590?-1649), was an Irish patriot and soldier. He commanded Irish forces in an uprising against the English in the 1640’s.
In 1641, the Irish rebelled against local English colonists. At first, the Irish forces were victorious, but they were badly defeated at the Battle of Glenmaquin in 1642. Soon afterward, O’Neill arrived in Ireland with arms and 200 veteran soldiers. He drilled and trained the Irish forces and routed a combined English and Scottish army at the Battle of Benburb in 1646. However, quarrels and disputes among the Irish leaders ruined O’Neill’s efforts to follow up his advantage. Such problems also prevented O’Neill from freeing all of Ireland from English rule.
O’Neill was born in Ulster, but he left Ireland at the age of 16. He joined the Spanish army and rose to the rank of colonel.
