Rose O'Neill (Irish noblewoman)
Rose O'Neill | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of Tyrconnell | |
| Born | Sixteenth century |
| Noble family | O'Neill dynasty |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Father | Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone |
Rose O'Neill (Irish: Róisín Dubh Ní Néill; fl. 1587–1607) was a Gaelic Irish noblewoman and queen consort of Tyrconnell. She was the daughter of Hugh O'Neill and wife of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, the two leaders of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War. Her marriage to O'Donnell was a deliberate move to unite the O'Neills and the O'Donnells, the two most powerful Irish clans of their day. Their marriage had formally ended by 1598.
She has been the subject of several poems and songs, particularly rebel song "Róisín Dubh", making her somewhat of a nationalist figure for Gaelic Ireland. In poetry, her name is often anglicised Rosaleen.