Ellis MacDonnell, Countess of Antrim

Alice{{Efn|Her first name is also variously spelled as Aellis, Elice or Ellis}} was born in 1583,{{Efn|Most sources give her a birthdate of {{circa}} 1583,{{Sfn|Hill|1873|p=[https://archive.org/details/historicalacmacd00hill/page/222/ 222]|ps=. "Sir Randal Macdonnell was married about the year 1604 to Ellis or Alice O'Neill, the third daughter of Hugh earl of Tyrone. This lady, who was born in 1583, was in her twenty-first year at the time of her marriage, and was younger than either of her sisters, lady Macmahon or Lady Maginnis. She was older than her brother Hugh, the baron of Dungannon."}}{{Sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=174|ps=. "[The 1st Earl of Antrim] m., 1604, Alice, da. of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I], by his 2nd wife, Joanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell."}}{{sfn|Webb|1878|p=416}} though historian Paul Walsh has demonstrated that a birthdate of {{circa}} 1588 is possible.{{Sfn|Walsh|1930|pp=41–42}}}} the third daughter of Hugh O'Neill and his second wife, Siobhán O'Donnell.{{Efn|Dunlop believes that her mother was Catherine Magennis.{{Sfn|Dunlop|1895|p=196}} Casway and Cokayne believe her mother was Siobhan O'Donnell,{{Sfn|Casway|2016|p=71}}{{Sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=[https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo01coka/page/174/ 174, line 29]|ps=. "He [the 1st Earl of Antrim] m. [married] 1604 Alice, da. [daughter] of Hugh (O'Neill), Earl of Tyrone [I. [Ireland] ] by his 2nd wife, Johanna, da. of Hugh McManus O'Donnell"}} which, based on Alice's birthdate, is more likely, since Alice's father married Magennis in the 1590s.{{Sfn|Walsh|1930|p=20}}{{Sfn|Casway|2016|p=73}}}} Her father was Earl of Tyrone and the leading Gaelic figure in late 16th-century Ireland. He is counted as the second or the third earl.{{Sfn|Cokayne|1896|p=[https://archive.org/details/completepeerage07cokahrish/page/n450/ 449]|ps=. "3. Hugh (O'Neill) Earl of Tyrone ..."}} Her paternal grandfather had been Matthew O'Neill, 1st Baron Dungannon, illegitimate son but recognised successor of Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone. Ellis's mother was a daughter of Sir Hugh O'Donnell, king of Tyrconnell and his first wife whose name is not known.

{{Chart top|width=auto|collapsed=no|align=right|clear=right|Family tree}}

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{{Tree chart|Txt|Txt=Ellis MacDonnell with husband, parents, and selected relatives.{{Efn|This family tree is based on genealogies of the MacDonnels of Antrim{{Sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=[https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo01coka/page/174/ 174–179]|ps=. "Genealogies of the Earls of Antrim"}} and the O'Neills of Tyrone.{{Sfn|Cokayne|1896|p=[https://archive.org/details/completepeerage07cokahrish/page/n449/ 448–470]|ps=."Genealogies of the Earls of Tyrone" }}Also see the lists of children in the text.}}|boxstyle_Txt=border: 0 solid white; text-align: left;}}

{{Tree chart/end}}

{{Tree chart/start}}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | |CnnT1|boxstyle=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em;

|CnnT1=Conn
1st Earl
Tyrone
c. 1480 – 1559|boxstyle_CnnT1=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: wheat;}}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | |!}}

{{Tree chart|AlexM|y|Cathe| | |MttD1|y|JoanM|boxstyle=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em;

|AlexM=Alexander
MacDonnell
c. 1480 –
1538

|Cathe=Catherine

|MttD1=Mathew
1st Baron
Dungannon
1520–1558
Illegitimate, d.v.p.*|boxstyle_MttD1=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: beige;

|JoanM=Joan
Maguire
1558}}

{{Tree chart| |,|-|'| | | | | |,|-|-|^|.| | | | | }}

{{Tree chart|Sorly|y|MryON| |BrnD2| |HghT3|y|SbhMD|boxstyle=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em;

|Sorly=Sorley Boy
MacDonnell
d. 1590

|MryON=Mary
O'Neill

|BrnD2=Brian
2nd Earl
Tyrone
d. 1562
de jure|boxstyle_BrnD2=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: wheat;

|HghT3=Hugh
3rd Earl
Tyrone
c. 1550 – 1616|boxstyle_HghT3=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: wheat;

|SbhMD=Siobhan
O'Donnell
d. 1591}}

{{Tree chart| | |,|^|-|-|.| | | |,|-|-|-|-|'}}

{{Tree chart| |JmsMD| |RndA1|y|Sbjct|boxstyle=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em;

|JmsMD=James
MacDonnell
d. 1601
Dunluce

|RndA1=Randal
1st Earl
Antrim
d. 1636|boxstyle_RndA1=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: lavender;

|Sbjct=Alice
O'Neill
1583–1665|boxstyle_Sbjct=border: 2px solid red; border-radius: 0.5em;}}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | | |,|^|-|-|-|-|-|-|.}}

{{Tree chart| | |CthMs|~|RndA2|~|RseON| |AlxA3|boxstyle=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em;

|CthMs=Catherine
Manners
1603–1649

|RndA2=Randal
1st
Marquess
1609–1682|boxstyle_RndA2=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: lavender;

|RseON=Rose
O'Neill
d. c. 1690

|AlxA3=Alexander
3rd Earl
1615–1699|boxstyle_AlxA3=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: lavender;}}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|-|'| }}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | |RndA4|y|RchSk|boxstyle=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em;

|RndA4=Randal
4th Earl
1680–1721|boxstyle_RndA4=border-width: 1px; border-radius: 0.5em; background: lavender;

|RchSk=Rachel
Skeffington
d. 1739}}

{{Tree chart/end}}

{{Tree chart/start|style=clear: both;}}

{{Tree chart|Leg|Leg=Legend|boxstyle_Leg=border: 0 solid white;}}

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{{Tree chart/start|style=clear: both;}}

{{Tree chart|SbjBx|SbjTx| |Bk1Bx|Bk1Tx| |Bk2Bx|Bk2Tx| |Bk3Bx|Bk3Tx

|SbjBx=XXX|boxstyle_SbjBx=border: 2px solid red; border-radius: 0.5em; color: white;

|SbjTx=Subject of
the article|boxstyle_SbjTx=border: 0 solid white; text-align: left;

|Bk1Bx=XXX|boxstyle_Bk1Bx=background: lavender; border-radius: 0.5em; border-width: 1px; color: lavender;

|Bk1Tx=Earls & marquesses
of Antrim|boxstyle_Bk1Tx=border: 0 solid white; text-align: left;

|Bk2Bx=XXX|boxstyle_Bk2Bx=background: wheat; border-radius: 0.5em; border-width: 1px; color: wheat;

|Bk2Tx=Earl of
Tyrone|boxstyle_Bk2Tx=border: 0 solid white; text-align: left;

|Bk3Bx=XXX|boxstyle_Bk3Bx=background: beige; border-radius: 0.5em; border-width: 1px; color: beige;

|Bk3Tx=Baron
Dungannon|boxstyle_Bk3Tx=border: 0 solid white; text-align: left;}}

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{{Tree chart/start|style=clear: both; font-size: 85%; width: 31em;}}

{{Tree chart|Txt|Txt=d.v.p. = decessit vita patris (predeceased his father).|boxstyle_Txt=border: 0 solid white; text-align: left;}}

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{{Main|Nine Years' War (Ireland)|}}

While she was a child, her father was the leader of the insurgents in Tyrone's Rebellion, also called the Nine Years' War (1594-1603). James MacDonnells, third son of Sorley Boy MacDonnell succeeded his father{{Sfn|Hill|1873|p=[https://archive.org/details/historicalacmacd00hill/page/187/ 187, line 24]|ps=. "Sorley Boy was succeeded by his third son, sir James MacDonnell ..."}} and supported the insurgents. However, he died in 1601 and Randal, the fourth brother and Alice's future husband became the head of the family. In August 1602 he submitted to the Lord Deputy Charles Blunt, 8th Baron Mountjoy, and changed sides. He was rewarded with most of the possessions of his father that should normally have gone to his brother's descendants.

In 1604 Alice married Randal MacDonnell, the fourth son of Sorley Boy MacDonnell, Lord of the Glynns and the Route.{{Sfn|Burke|Burke|1915|p=[https://archive.org/details/b3136410x/page/115/ 115, right column, line 53]|ps=. "His lordship [the 1st earl] m. 1604, Alice, dau. of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and had issue ..."}} Alice was described as "of good cheerful aspect, freckled, not tall but strong, well set, and acquainted with the English tongue".{{Sfn|Webb|1878|p=[https://archive.org/details/acompendiumiris00webbgoog/page/n424/ 416, right column, line 23]|ps=. as quoted}} Her marriage was a dynastic match that brought Tyrone into an alliance with the MacDonnells, the dominant family in northern County Antrim, who also had strong connections in Scotland. Tyrone's other children made similar marriages with leading families across Ulster. Despite being Gaelic and Catholic, Randal was a strong supporter of settling Scottish Protestants in north-eastern Ulster, anticipating the Ulster Plantation.{{Sfn|Bardon|2001|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofulster00jona/page/122/ 122]|ps=. "Sir Randal for his part pleased the king by inviting Lowland Scots to settle on the Route;"}} After the Flight of the Earls in 1607, when her father fled into exile in continental Europe,{{Cite journal |last=Morgan |first=Hiram |date=September 2014 |editor1-last=McGuire |editor1-first=James |editor2-last=Quinn |editor2-first=James |title=O'Neill, Hugh |url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/oneill-hugh-a6962 |journal=Dictionary of Irish Biography |doi=10.3318/dib.006962.v1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926084624/https://www.dib.ie/biography/oneill-hugh-a6962 |archive-date=26 September 2023 |access-date=3 May 2024|url-access=subscription |doi-access=free }} Ellis's husband became the foremost Gaelic aristocrat in Ulster following.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

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Alice and Randal had two sons, both of whom followed their father as earls:

1. Randal MacDonnell, a leading courtier under Charles I known for his involvement in the War of the Three Kingdoms
2. Alexander MacDonnell succeeded to the title in 1683, and is best known as a Catholic leader during the Williamite Wars who had the city gates shut on him at the beginning of the Siege of Derry in 1688

—and six daughters:

1. Ann, married firstly Christopher, Lord Delvin, and secondly William Fleming, Baron of Slane{{Sfn|Lodge|1789|p=[https://archive.org/details/peerageirelando00archgoog/page/n251/ 207, line 12]|ps=. "Daughter Lady Ann, was first married to Christopher, Lord Delvin; and secondly to William Fleming, Baron of Slane ..."}}
2. Mary, married firstly Lucas, 2nd Viscount Dillon, and secondly Oliver, 6th Lord Louth{{Sfn|Lodge|1789|p=[https://archive.org/details/peerageirelando00archgoog/page/n251/ 207, line 15]|ps=. "Lady Mary, first in 1605 to Lucas, the second Viscount Dillon; and secondly to Oliver, the sixth Lord Louth."}}
3. Sarah, married firstly Neile-Oge O'Neill of Killileagh in County Antrim, secondly Charles O'Conor Sligo, and thirdly Donald Macarthy More{{Sfn|Lodge|1789|p=[https://archive.org/details/peerageirelando00archgoog/page/n251/ 207, line 17]|ps=. "Lady Sarah, first to Neile-Oge O'Neill of Killileagh in the county of Antrim, Esq. (son of Neile Mac-Hugh O'Neile, who, in Q.Elizabeth's wars in Ireland, was slain in the service of the Crown) by whom she had Henry O'Neile, born in 1625, and other children; secondly to Sir Charles O'Conor Sligo, Knt., who died at Sligo 14 May 1634, without issue; and thirdly to Donald Mac-Carthy More, Prince of his sept in the Province of Munster."}}
4. Catherine, married Edward Plunkett of Castlecor{{Sfn|Lodge|1789|p=[https://archive.org/details/peerageirelando00archgoog/page/n251/ 207, line 25]|ps=. "Lady Catherine, in 1639, to Edward Plunket, of Scatlecor, Esq. son and heir to Patrick, Lord Dunsany."}}
5. Rose, married Colonel Gordon, commander of a regiment in Robert Munroe's army{{Sfn|Lodge|1789|p=[https://archive.org/details/peerageirelando00archgoog/page/n251/ 207, line 27]|ps=. "Lady Rose, to Colonel Gordon, who commanded a regiment in Major-General Robert Munroe's army in the North."}}
6. Margaret, (died 1623) never married{{Sfn||Burke|Burke|1915|p=[https://archive.org/details/b3136410x/page/115/ 115, right column, line 67]|ps=:. "6. Margaret, d. unm. [died unmarried], 16 March 1623."}}

In 1607 her father Hugh O'Neill left Ireland with the Flight of the Earls. He died in Rome in 1616.{{Sfn||O'Hart|1892|p=[https://archive.org/details/irishpedigrees00unkngoog/page/725/ 725]|ps=. "He died at Bome, blind and worn out, in 1616."}} On 12 December 1620, her husband was created Earl of Antrim{{Sfn|Cokayne|1910|p=[https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo01coka/page/174/ 174]|ps=. "On 28 May 1618 he was cr. Viscount Dunluce, co. Antrim [I.], and on 12 Dec. 1620 he was cr. Earl of Antrim [I.] ..."}} and Alice thereby became countess. Her husband died in 1636.{{Sfn|McDonnell|2004|p=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_0198613857/page/304/ 305, right column, bottom]|ps=. "MacDonnell, Randal, 1st earl of Antrim (d. 1636) ..."}}{{Sfn|Walsh|1930|p=43}} Alice outlived him by almost 30 years. She was still alive in 1663.{{Sfn|Walsh|1930|p=43}} According to Jane Ohlmeyer, Alice died {{Circa|1665}}.{{Sfn|Ohlmeyer|2001|p=359|ps=. "O'Neill, Ellis (Alice), countess of Antrim (d. c. 1665) ..."}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

• {{Cite book|last=Bardon |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Bardon |date=2001 |title=A History of Ulster |edition=new updated |publisher=Blackstaff Press |location=Belfast |isbn=0-85640-703-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofulster00jona/ |url-access=registration}}
• {{Cite book|last1=Burke |first1=Bernard |author1-link=Bernard Burke |last2=Burke |first2=Ashworth Peter |date=1915 |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage and Companionage |edition=77th |publisher=Harrison |location=London |oclc=1155471554 |url=https://archive.org/details/b3136410x/}}
• {{Cite journal |date=2016 |last=Casway |title=Catherine Magennis and the Wives of Hugh O'Neill |journal=Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society |first=Jerrold |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=69–79 |jstor=48568219 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48568219}}
• {{Cite book|last=Cokayne |first=George Edward |author-link=George Edward Cokayne |date=1896 |title=Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant |edition=1st |volume=7 |publisher=George Bell and Sons |location=London |oclc=1180891114 |url=https://archive.org/details/completepeerage07cokahrish/}} – S to T
• {{Cite book|last=Cokayne |first=George Edward |author-link=George Edward Cokayne |editor-last=Gibbs |editor-first=Vicary |editor-link=Vicary Gibbs (St Albans MP) |date=1910 |title=The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant |edition=2nd |volume=1 |publisher=St Catherine Press |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/completepeerageo01coka/}} – Ab-Adam to Basing (for Antrim family tree)
• {{Cite encyclopedia|last=Dunlop |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Dunlop (historian) |editor-last=Lee |editor-first=Sidney |editor-link=Sidney Lee |date=1895 |title=O'Neill, Hugh, third Baron of Dungannon and second Earl of Tyrone 1540?–1616 |encyclopedia=Dictionary of National Biography |volume=XLII |publisher=MacMillan and Co. |location=New York |pages=188–196 |oclc=8544105 |url=https://archive.org/details/DictionaryOfNationalBiographyVolume42_630/page/n200/}}
• {{Cite book|last=Hill |first=Rev. George |date=1873 |title=An Historical Account of the MacDonnells of Antrim |publisher=Archer & Sons |location=Belfast |url=https://archive.org/details/historicalacmacd00hill/}}
• {{Cite book|last=Lodge |first=John |author-link=John Lodge (archivist) |date=1789 |title=The Peerage of Ireland |volume=1 |publisher=James Moore |location=Dublin |url=https://archive.org/details/peerageirelando00archgoog/}} – Blood royal, dukes, earls (for Antrim)
• {{Cite encyclopedia|last=McDonnell |first=Hector |editor-last=Matthew |editor-first=Colin |editor-link=Colin Matthew |editor2-last=Harrison |editor2-first=Brian |editor2-link=Brian Harrison (historian) |date=2004 |title=MacDonnell, Randal, 1st Earl of Antrim (d. 1636) |encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |volume=35 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |pages=305–307 |isbn=0-19-861385-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0198613857/page/305/ |url-access=registration}}
• {{Cite book|last=O'Hart |first=John |author-link=John O'Hart |date=1892 |title=Irish Pedigrees: Or, the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation |edition=5th |volume=1 |publisher=James Duffy & Co. |location=Dublin |oclc=7239210 |url=https://archive.org/details/irishpedigrees00unkngoog/}} – Irish stem
• {{Cite book|last=Ohlmeyer |first=Jane H |date=2001 |orig-year=1993 |title=Civil War and Restoration in the Three Stuart Kingdoms: The Career of Randal MacDonnell, Marquis of Antrim |publisher=Four Courts Press |location=Dublin |isbn=978-0521419789 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YFciAQAAIAAJ}} (Snippet view)
• {{Cite book |url=https://www.seekingmyroots.com/members/files/G004983.pdf |title=THE WILL AND FAMILY OF HUGH O NEILL, EARL OF TYRONE [WITH AN APPENDIX OF GENEALOGIES] |year=1930 |last=Walsh |first=Paul |editor-last=Walsh |editor-first=Paul |location=Dublin |publisher=Sign of the Three Candles |author-link=Paul Walsh (priest)}}
• {{Cite encyclopedia|oclc=122693688|location=Dublin|last=Webb |first=Alfred |author-link=Alfred Webb |url=https://archive.org/details/compendiumofiris00webb |title=A Compendium of Irish Biography |date=1878 |publisher=M. H. Gill & Son |postscript=. "O'Neill, Hugh, Earl of Tyrone". pp. 410–416.}}

{{Refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacDonnell, Ellis}}

Category:1665 deaths

Category:17th-century Irish people

Antrim

Category:Daughters of Irish earls

Category:1583 births