The wild geese of the Antrim MacDonnells
"Wild Geese" were the Irish exiles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Many were of the ancient ruling families of Ireland who fled to various European nations as their land was being confiscated. They raised armies of young Irish soldiers, to assist the nations of Europe in the hopes that they would be able to bring about the defeat of England and thus regain their lands and power. This book focuses on the descendants of Sorley Boy MacDonnell, d. 1590, and his wife, Mary O'Neill, daughter of Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Antrim. Several of their descendants fled to Europe. Part 1 deals with his grandson, Captain Sorley MacDonnell, d. 1632, who joined the O'Neill Regiment in the Spanish Netherlands. Part 2 treats the family of Captain Sorley's nephews, Randell, d. 1711, and Daniel, 1656-1734. Randell's wife was Hannah Roche of the Norman Irish family. This branch fled to France between 1688 and 1745. Part 3 covers the period 1720-1820 in Spain. Alexander, 3rd Earl of Antrim (1615-1696), had an illegitmate son, Daniel MacDonnell, (his mother was Honora MacDonnell) who became the progenitor of the MacDonnells in Spain
Print Book, English, ©1996
Irish Academic Press, Dublin, ©1996