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Lfight of the Earls commenorations [News]

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  • 06-02-2007 9:15pm
    #1
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭


    Govt to announce Flight of the Earls commemorations
    06/02/2007 - 19:09:15

    Ceremonies to mark the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls will be announced in coming days, it emerged tonight.

    Last year the Government set up a cross-departmental committee to decide how to mark the watershed event in Ireland’s history.

    In September 1607, Hugh O’Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Rory O’Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell and 90 of their followers fled to Europe.

    Their armies had been defeated by the English and they feared arrest.

    The exodus led to the demise of the ancient Gaelic aristocracy in Ireland and paved the way for the Plantation of Ulster.

    There are currently exhibitions dedicated to the Flight of the Earls in Cos Donegal and Derry.

    A Government spokeswoman confirmed that a programme of commemorative events will be announced next week.

    What do the flights of the Earls mean to us now?

    I watched that first of two of that prog that was on BBC1 the other day, seems a bit like the Earls were very haphazard, asking or help constantly that never came, marching all the Cork to save the people that we're supposed to be saving you, and losing the battles doing deal and then getting shafted by English Lords and then leaving and looking for the Spanish to look after you again.


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    #2
    Shutuplaura
    Registered Users Posts: 463 ✭✭Shutuplaura


    The flight of the earls was a pretty important event from what I know. I always thought that they left because they feared being arrested for treason so I don't think it was a case of them abandoning their followers lightly.


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    #3
    csk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 459 ✭✭csk


    I don't think it's fair to paint them as haphazard. IIRC it was not the Earls plan for the Spanish to land at Kinsale.

    The early years of the Nine Years War were marked by a number of victories for the Earls and in fact they had far better troops than the English although they probably were at fault for not pressing home that advantage. The margin of victory was very slim and the English Governemnt was almost bankrupted by the War.

    I don't know really what relevance they have today other than it is usually taken as the symbolic end of Gaelic Ireland. I'm not sure how true that is really, I believe it may be disputed by some historians.


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    #4
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    similar to 1916 a commenmoration of of a loss, and next is the famine :)


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    #5
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    "one of the most poignant and romantic episodes in Irish history".
    sez the bertie


    huh?

    so i watched the second program on this and the exodus and trying find a place to stay wasn't very succesful either???


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