Iníon Dubh

Lady Fiona MacDonald , better known by her nickname Iníon Dubh (in-NEEN DOO; "Black-Haired Daughter"), was a Scottish aristocrat and queen consort of Tyrconnell from 1569 to 1592. The mother of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, she was a significant politician in 16th-century Ulster and effectively led Tyrconnell when her husband, Hugh McManus O'Donnell, became prematurely senile.

Iníon Dubh was born into Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg and raised at the Stuart court in Scotland. When her father died in 1565, she and her mother moved to Ireland where in 1569 they both married into prominent Ulster clans. Iníon Dubh supplied her new husband Hugh McManus O'Donnell, Lord of Tyrconnell, with mercenaries from Scotland and pushed the O'Donnell clan into opposition with the English administration. Iníon Dubh bore many children, including Hugh Roe, Rory, Nuala and Cathbarr. She regularly utilised mercenaries to subjugate her family's rivals. In 1593, Protestant Archbishop Miler Magrath described her as "a cruel, bloody woman who has committed sundry murders".

She had significant influence over the reigns of both her husband and son. Historian Emmett O'Byrne has called Iníon Dubh "one of the most remarkable Gaelic woman of the sixteenth century".

Name

Her name in Scottish Gaelic is Fionnghuala Nic Dhomhnaill. She is better known by her nickname Iníon Dubh, pronounced in Ulster Irish and Scots Gaelic as in-NEEN DOO. This literally translates to "Dark Daughter", which refers to her dark hair colour. Spellings of her nickname vary. The phonetic spellings Ineen Dubh, Ineen Doo, or Ineen Duv James died in Ireland on 5 July 1565.

Once Turlough Luineach O'Neill became Lord of Tír Eoghain, he offered an alliance to the MacDonalds. In November 1567, Turlough asked for either Fiona or Agnes' hand in marriage. At the time, marriage into the MacDonald family was particularly coveted due to their military might.

By April 1568, it was decided that Agnes would marry O'Neill, and Fiona would marry Hugh McManus O'Donnell, King of Tyrconnell. Fiona married Hugh McManus in 1569.

Queen consort

Iníon Dubh had a major influence over Hugh McManus's lordship. Her powerful connections ensured a healthy recruitment of Scottish Redshanks from Clan MacDonald to Hugh McManus's armies, and she regularly travelled to Scotland to enlist her kinsmen.

Before their marriage, Hugh McManus had attempted to appease both pro-O'Neill and pro-Crown factions in Tyrconnell by avoiding overt political declarations. This did not satisfy either party. It was ultimately Iníon Dubh's influence that pushed the O'Donnell clan further into opposition with the English.

In May 1580, Hugh McManus and O'Neill sent their wives to Scotland to procure more mercenaries. Iníon Dubh and Agnes's efforts were successful – 2,000 Scots arrived in Lough Foyle that August, eliciting much fear in the English.

Political activity In 1587, her eldest son, tanist Hugh Roe O'Donnell, was kidnapped and imprisoned in Dublin Castle. In his absence, she devoted herself to defending her son's claim to the chieftaincy. Her husband's health worsened in the 1580s, and a violent succession dispute broke out amongst the O'Donnell family over who would succeed him. Increasingly, Iníon Dubh ruled in her husband's name.

Hugh MacEdegany, the son of Hugh McManus's half-brother, MacEdegany was assassinated on Iníon Dubh's orders in May 1588. Iníon Dubh temporarily bought off the remaining claimant, Niall Garbh O'Donnell, with a dynastic marriage to her daughter Nuala. Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell (1575 – 18 July 1608); fled to continental Europe in the Flight of the Earls. He died of a fever in Rome. Manus O'Donnell ( – October 1600); died of injuries sustained in the Battle of Lifford. Cathbarr O'Donnell ( – 15 September 1608); took part in the Flight of the Earls and similarly died in Rome of fever.

Ancestry ahnentafel|ref= (James MacDonald's parents were Alexander Carragh MacDonnell, 5th of Dunnyveg and his wife Catherine.) Alexander Carragh MacDonnell's parents were John Cathanach MacDonald, 4th of Dunnyveg and Cecillia Savage. Catherine's parents were John MacIan MacDonnell Iníon Dubh is portrayed in the historical novel Dark Queen of Donegal by Mary Pat Ferron Canes and JR Foley.