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O'Dowling1
M, #42326, b. about 1530, d. 1 January 1577/78
Vital Facts
| Birth | O'Dowling was born about 1530. Note: (ESTIMATE: ONLY.) |
| Death | He died on 1 January 1577/78, in Mullaghmast, Ballitore, Kildare, Ireland. Note: One of 40 chiefs of Seven Septs of Laois, one of up to 400 people massacred by English troops under command of Sir Francis Cosby.1 |
Events - Chronological (including alternatives)
TIMELINE
Between 28 June 1491 and 28 January 1546/47 | EnglandG Henry VIII is King and triggers centuries of religious persecution to obtain a divorce in England
G, on between 28 June 1491 and 28 January 1546/47.
1530
Birth
About 1530
O'Dowling was born about 1530. Note: (ESTIMATE: ONLY.)
1577/78
Occupation
Before 1 January 1577/78 | Laois, IrelandG Chieftain of Dowling Sept of Laois.
1577/78
Residence
Before 1 January 1577/78 | Laois, IrelandG 1577/78~48
TIMELINE
1 January 1577/78 | Mullaghmast, Ballitore, Kildare, Ireland
Rath of Mullaghmast Massacre where the Seven Septs of Laois, including O’Dowlings were lured by parley to slaughter by English in Mullaghmast, Ballitore, Kildare, Ireland, on 1 January 1577/78.
Events - Death & Burial
1577/78~48
Death
1 January 1577/78 | Mullaghmast, Ballitore, Kildare, Ireland
O'Dowling died on 1 January 1577/78, in Mullaghmast, Ballitore, Kildare, Ireland. Note: One of 40 chiefs of Seven Septs of Laois, one of up to 400 people massacred by English troops under command of Sir Francis Cosby.
Cause: Reportedly massacre included deaths by musket shot, hacling by sword, trampling under cavalry and burning at stakes
Facts - Non-Chronological
Reference Number
In the Dowling One-Name Study O'Dowling has the reference number 42326.
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MASSACRE: SUMMARY EXECUTION OF IRISH GENTRY AT MULLAGHMAST
Timeline: 1 January 1578
It was in 1556 that the imperialist English renamed the midland county of Laois to Queen’s County after the Tudor Queen Mary. Removing its identity was just one strategy to dominate and possibly remove the native Irish left with a choice of eradication or war!
Leading up to 1578 the English were persistently installing their gentry into Laois coupled with the tactic of plantation to reduce native resistance to English Tudor rule. While the English represented an immense acquisitive power compared to the disparate communities of Ireland this invasion was fought in the only way a small power can, by targeted retaliation and guerrilla actions. This was a problem that English lords were pressured to resolve by any means possible, with the probable exception of fair treatment. The Englishmen, allocated Laois as their area to dominate on behalf of the Crown, were Sir Henry Sidney and, his henchman, Sir Francis Cosby. Cosby, a soldier, was also aided and abetted by fellow colonist Robert Hartpole.
Towards the end of 1576 family leaders of the Seven Septs of Laois, specifically, and other families were invited to the ancient Rath of Mullaghmast in Kildare on the 1st January 1577.
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The Rath of Mullaghmast (ráth of Mullach-Maistean), Ballintore, County Kildare, Ireland (53.010000,-6.852220)
The possibly Iron Age fort is on a chain of low hills overlooking Laos countryside to the west and the plains of Kildare to the east.
As mentioned in the Annals, in 82CE, O’Toole, a chieftain of land called Omurethy ruled over the borderland between Kildare and Laois from Mullaghmast. He apparently waged war on his own son-in-law Eochy the King of Leinster for leaving O’Toole’s daughter to marry her sister. O’Toole went on a rampage destroying palaces and fortresses in Naas Mullaghcrelan and Mullaghmast.
This historic site also saw a The Battle of Mullaghmast fought in the 2nd century when Con of the Hundred Battles, King of Ireland, sought to enforce his right to a Cow Tribute against the son of the King of Leinster. Also in the 3rd century, in 241CE, King of Ireland Cormac MacArt burnt the palace of Mullaghmast to revenge a massacre by the son of the King of Leinster.
In 727 Mullaghmast was the site of a pitched battle between the Dowling and Kinsella septs, The Dowling sept faired worst in this battle.
Following the Battle of Clontarf, on 23 April 1014, where the Irish were victorious over the Danes, Irish armies camped at Mullaghmast on the return home to Munster.
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Sir Francis Cosby, the ‘enforcer’ granted considerable lands in Laois, had a reputation of ruthlessness to maintain. He was violent, bloody, corrupt in his dealings with the Irish. He had secured lands in Laois, he was not entitled to, over a 30 year period by hook or by crook - all with the knowledge and agreement of the English Queen Elizabeth I! It appears clear in his dealings that he did not consider the Irish as worthy of mutual respect. He and Sir Henry Sidney were, in all likelihood, committed to genocide a trait that would dominate English oppression in Ireland for centuries.
Cosby wanted more land. In 1562 the Queen had even granted him the old Franciscan House in Stradbally as a reward for his enthusiastic suppression of the natives. The English monarchy was not only aware but complicit in the strategy against the Irish.
There were many skirmishes and small battles between the trained and paid English troops under Cosby’s command with local Irish. Particularly the active O’Connor family and the Sept of O’Moore. This was expensive and embarrassing for the English Queen who ordered Sir Henry Sidney to stop at nothing to fulfil her orders to “cleanse” the region of “disordered persons”. Clearly this is how the Irish were viewed and it amounted to free licence to dispose of them.
Cosby, allocated significant numbers of the Queen’s troops and cavalry and invaluable help of now Lord Deputy Henry Sidney, they devised a ruse to destroy the septs. Captain Lee suggest and ruse of a peace gathering to discuss terms and the plot is agreed and planned. The English ‘gentlemen’ then befriended members of the O’Dempsey family to deliver the invitations. Add a hint of serious business with an offensive/defensive alliance with them, a tone of peace, a promise of a feast, a plan for festivities… and the trap was set.
Many years later it is alleged that Deavils, the Grehams, the Piggotts, the Bowens, the Hartpoles, the Hovendons and the FitzGeralds may have also had a hand in the plan for this coming parley.
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A sept (from sliocht - progeny or seed, or from saeptum - enclosure or fold) is a division of a family. A sept is similar but not the same as clan, which is more formally centralised and hierarchical. Whereas a sept is more inclined to links to family line and, in Ireland, can include the female line. In a well-organised clan system, such as in Scotland, a sept may be part of a clan with an overall chief. In Ireland, branches of a family called a sept may not have been part of any larger structure.
A sept was a significant family providing some element of community cohesion but not necessarily military in function. The Seven Septs of Laois were: O’Devoy (O’Deevy), O’Doran, O’Dowling, McEvoy, O’Kelly, O’Lalor and O’Moore. At this time, the O’Moore appears to have had the largest military capability of the Seven but other Septs may have had greater capacity in other matters.
Clann in Irish means children.
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Throughout the latter part of 1577 the Septs would have probably consulted about their options in responding to the invitation to Mullaghmast. They may well have discussed the balance between the complete absence of trust for Cosby and Sidney and the need to remain in dialogue to reduce greater English incursions and retaliation. Not knowing what was to come they almost certainly felt ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’.
The delegates from the midland counties set out for the Rath of Mullaghmast, including the chiefs, women and children, as all were welcome! The septs included the Seven Septs of Laois, Offaly septs the O’Nolans and O’Connors and also the O’Dunne’s, O’Malloys and O’More. They would have been greeting each other on the way and joining a convoy of 100 to 400 people. They didn’t count themselves, why would they need to? They were all gradually converging on the Rath.
Henry O’Lalor, who was highly suspicious of this invitation held back unsure to ride straight into the unknown.
After the ride south to Mullaghmast the septs were as hungry as their chiefs were suspicious and hoping for the promised banquet.
The O’Dowling’s probably knew the site from old but now, at New Year’s Day 1577, there was just a raised rounded rampart enclosure, still high earthen walls with some fallen stones and gaps on either side letting the cattle through to graze within. There was some woodland around the outside and an atmosphere of ancient history.
The entourage came to a halt inside the Rath as the stragglers caught up with the main body of the septs.
Where were the O’Dempsey’s?
Why are there no tables or food?
What are these pyres of firewood for?
Then they could hear horses… the hosts arriving? No, these horses were galloping at full tilt! Out of the woods and landscape - stepped battalions of foot soldiers armed with muskets 4 lines deep, between them cavalry charging through surrounding the septs on all sides. The cavalrymen shout as they brandish their swords thundering towards the septs who are now in no doubt they have been trapped like lambs to the slaughter.
The septs were mostly unarmed, no doubt as an expression of good faith. The muskets crack with jets of smoke and people drop. Soldiers in helmets and leather were fast to reload in the face of no return-fire and so many musket balls were flying through the air. Air which is filling with smoke and smell of black powder. Parents pull their children close, some recognising their plight drop to their knees in futile prayer.
The septs split in all directions to escape the mounted soldiers who left their lines to trample the civilians, cut, hack and thrust. Foot soldiers advance and tie people to the pyres and set light to them, throwing more people into the flames as they find them.
Henry O’Lalor, bringing up the rear reached close to the old gate as English soldiers were circling to close off the Irish exit route as the septs were now in the Rath. Henry saw the chaotic carnage from the old gate and was stunned, frozen in shock. Some soldiers spotted him and made chase only stopping to fire their muskets. He warned the last few in the convoy, who had not yet entered the Rath, to flee for their lives. Henry drew his sword and defended the retreat of a handful of civilians that tried to escape and some did so. He turned as one soldier fired a musket injuring his horse.
Henry rode as fast as the wounded horse could carry him to his castle home at Dysart. The horse collapsed and died near Brackna Woods, giving to the area a name which it still bears - The Bleeding Horse.
Back at the Rath, the killing went on relentlessly until it appeared all the Irish were dead. Officers dismounted and walked the carnage to see that there were no living Irish including, in particular, the chiefs of the septs.
One figure says 400 unarmed men, women and children were killed. The militarily strong O’Moore’s lost 180 of their sept. Captain Lee, now appalled himself at the level of slaughter, reports “400 dead” in a stinging letter of condemnation to Queen Elizabeth. Lee would gain no protection from the Queen for his criticism of Sidney and Cosby and, later, would be executed himself for supporting the Irish in Hugh O’Neill’s rebellion.
Perhaps the O’Lalor was recognised as the English proceed to attack O’Lalor’s castle in Dysart. Captain Cosby, in charge of the siege, orders O’Lalor’s wife hung on the postern gate with her only child hung next to her by her long hair.
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Aftermath
The massacre continued with a ‘scorched-earth’ policy to attack all the other native chieftain castles, tower houses and homes, no stronghold of any family was safe. Properties were burned, families murdered of any age or gender, our Dowlings today will probably be descended from the few orphans left of these attacks.
Sir Henry Sidney, no doubt, pleased with himself on a job well-done left the cleaning-up to Cosby and returned to Dublin and sent a message to the Queen that the two counties were secure. The lesson for all Ireland was that the English colonisation was steaming full ahead with no moral compass or brake, no consideration or respect for the native occupiers.
Rory Og O’Moore (Ruairí Óg Ó Mórdha), the sept Chieftain of the O’Moores, did not to attend the “Parley” having sent delegates, including Morris O’More, in his place. Already responsible for some of the harassing of the planted English, he probably felt too well-known to be safe. Outraged by news of the massacre he united remaining and displaced families and continued resistance against the colonisation of their lands in Laois. He was now the effective chief of all retaliation attacks across Laois and Offaly and while he lived, none of Cosby’s men were safe. Guerrilla fighters developed a rallying cry of, “Remember Mullaghmast”.
By the end of 1577 Irish resistance has burned the towns of Naas and Carlow to the ground.
Niall MacLaoiseach O’More, one of Rory O’More’s lieutenants was set to hunting down the O’Dempsey’s that colluded with the English. Before long the O’Dempsey’s were cornered and put to death for their part.
The massacre had started a feud, Ouney, son of Rory O’Moore, slew Alexander and Francis Cosby, son and grandson of Sir Francis Cosby and routed their troops with great slaughter at Stradbally Bridge on 19 May 1597.
Two hundred and fifty years later, on 1st October 1843 Daniel O’Connell held a great meeting at Mullaghmast with over 2,000 attendees. In his speech he urged the crowd to remember the 400 Roman Catholics that had been murdered there.
The descendants of the Cosby family still reside in Laois on the same ground with a four-century tradition of military and civil service to the British Crown.
Notes: The date of the massacre is uncertain but has traditionally been handed down as occurring on the New Year’s Day of 1578. The English, in various documents, both played down and exaggerated the numbers of dead which may have been confused by quoting the total dead with the number of chieftains dead. The military exercise of mass killing by error or planning took no notice of the strong Irish tradition of hospitality. Certainly, mass killing of native Irish by the English continued pretty much until the English gentry realised, they would have no servants or people to work their newly acquired lands.
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Sources:
• Annals of the Four Masters. The Four Masters (page 1693) by O'Donovan, part sourced from: page 456, History of The Queen's County compiled from the papers of the late V. Rev. John Canon O'Hanlon PP MRIA by Rev. E O'Leary PP MRIA and Rev. Matthew Taylor - Vol.II. History of the Territory from 1556 to 1900. Published by Sealy, Bryers & Walker, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1914. Reprint: 1981 Roberts Books Limited, St. Kieran Street, Kilkenny, Ireland ISBN: 0 907561 01 2.
• Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by S J Connolly - Oxford University Press 1998 - ISBN 0-19-866240-8
• https://gript.ie/on-this-day-1st-january-1577-massacre-at-mullaghmast-2/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Mullaghmast
• https://imgv2-2-f.scribdassets.com/img/document/69219/original/886a8dda6a/1577095841?v=1
1. Annals of the Four Masters: 1577. A horrible and abominable act of treachery was committed by the English of Leinster and Meath upon that part of the people of Offaly and Leix that remained in confederacy with them, and under their protection. It was effected thus: they were all summoned to shew themselves, with the greatest number they could be able to bring with them, at the great ráth of Mullach-Maistean; and on their arrival at that place they were surrounded on every side by four lines of soldiers and cavalry, who proceeded to shoot and slaughter them without mercy, so that not a single individual escaped, by flight or force.
In the year 1705, there was an old gentleman of the name of Cullen, in the County Kildare, who often discoursed with one Dwyer and one Dowling, actually living at Mullaghmast when this horrid murder was committed, which was about the sixteenth year (recté, nineteenth) of Queen Elizabeth's reign; and the account he gives of it is, that those who were chiefly concerned in this horrid murder were the Deavils, the Grehams, the Cosbys, the Piggotts, the Bowens, the Hartpoles, the Hovendons, the Dempsys, and the FitzGeralds. The last five of these were, at that time, Roman Catholics, by whom the poor people murdered at Mullaghmast were chiefly invited there, in pretence that said people should enter into an alliance offensive and defensive with them. But their reception was to put them all to death, except one O'More, who was the only person that escaped. Notwithstanding what is said that one O'More only had escaped the massacre, yet the common tradition of the country is, that many more had escaped through the means of one Henry Lalor, who, remarking that none of those returned who had entered the fort before him, desired his companions to make off as fast as they could, in case they did not see him come back. Said Lalor, as he was entering the fort, saw the carcasses of his slaughtered companions; then drew his sword, and fought his way back to those that survived, along with whom he made his escape to Dysart, his family's ancestral home.
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Banner-Diary-01-01-Mullaghmast-01
Reconstructed from picture shared by @lorraineelizab6 on Twitter

Map-IRL-Kildare-Mullaghmast-01
Current Google satellite image of Mullaghmast (2021)
| Relationship to the site collator Brian Thomas Dowling: | No direct relationship yet found to Brian Thomas Dowling |
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- [S2975] SOURCE: (Full),
Source Combined Fields: O'Hart, John, -, -. Irish Pedigrees: The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation. -: James Duffy & Co Ltd, 1892.,
Repository: Brian Thomas Dowling (1955-),
Citation Detail: Volume II, Page 888: "The Forty Nine' Officers; Inrolement of the Adjudications, (referring to the Arrears of the Commissioned Officers who served Charles II, or Charles I, in the Wars of Ireland, before the 5th June 1649), in favour of the 1649AD Officers (formerly denominated "The '49 Lots"). Preserved in the Office of the Chief Remembrancer of the Exchequer, Dublin.,
Citation Text: Names include: Roger Dowley, Patrick Dowling, Dowling, Roger Dowly, Teige Dowly

Book-OHart-John-Irish-Pedigrees
Irish Pedigrees by John O'Hart in two volumes. Hardcover 5th edition published in 1989 by Genealogical Publishing Co.

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- [S4284] SOURCE: (Full): -,
Source Combined Fields: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII,
Repository: Internet Site: Wikipedia,
Citation Detail: Entry for TIMELINE EVENT:- Henry VIII is King and triggers centuries of religious persecution to obtain a divorce; Location: England, From: 28 June 1491 to 28 January 1547,
Citation Text: Collated by Brian Thomas Dowling (1955-) for the Dowling One-Name Study on 25 January 2022; Internet Page titled: DOWLING ONE NAME STUDY - Timeline - list; via Service: Generic Service; at https://www.dowling.one-name.net/up/timeline-list.htm;(via ORA),