Eoghan Ó Donnghaile

Eoghan Ó Donnghaile (Owen O'Donnelly) (fl. c. 1690) was an Irish poet.

Eugene O'Curry wrote of Ó Donnghaile in his Manners and Customs , saying that:

"About 1680 a controversy sprang up among some of the bards of Ulster as to what race by ancient right belonged the armorial bearing of Ulster – the Red Hand – belonged. Eoghan Ó Donnghaile took part in the controversy and claimed the Red Hand for the O'Neills of Tyrone."

Robin Flower believed that Ó Donnghaile was a member of the bardic family that had fostered Séan 'an díomais' Ó Néill (Shane O'Neill), and there is a lament for Shane – Ceist ar eolchibh iath Éireann/A question for the learned of Ireland ... – attributed to Ó Donnghaile. Shane's fosterage among the Ó Donnghailes of Ballydonnelly, County Tyrone, led to him being known as Shane Ó Donnghaileach.

Seosamh Ó Dufaigh held that he may be identical with the Eoghan Ó Donnghaile listed on the 1704 registration of clergy for the parish of Armagh, a priest, the author of Comhairle Mhic Clámha, and Mo choin do theacht Fheidhlime ... Ó Dufaigh sees the latter as salutation to his kinsman, Pádraig Ó Donnghaile, aka Feilim Brady, The Bard of Armagh.

Ó Donnghaile is the author of:

• Ceist ar eolchibh iath Éireann/A question for the learned of Ireland ...
• Trom na gartha sa a Leith Chuinn/Sad these shouts, oh Leith Chuinn ..., a lament.
• Tuirseach damh aig eirghe lae/Woeful to me the rising of the day ...
• Is nar an sgelsa teachd da thigh/Bad is the new that came to your house ..., a reply to Dermod mac Lewis Mac an Bhaird.

Ó Donnghaile is ascribed as author of:

• Mo choin do theacht Fheidhlime/Welome to you Feilimidh ...
• Comhairle Mhic Clámha/MacClave's Advice

References

• O'Reilly (1820), A Chronological Account of Nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers, Dublin.
• Eugene O'Curry (1873), Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish, Dublin.
• C. O'Rahilly (1925), Tóruigheach Gruaidhe Griansholus, London.
• Robin Flower (1926), Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the British Museum, volume 11
• Seosamh Ó Dufaigh & B. Rainey (1981), Comhairle Mhic Clamha o Achadh na Muilleann, Lille, pp. 24–42.
• Diarmaid Ó Doibhlin (2000), Tyrone's Gaelic Literary Legacy, pp. 414–417, op.cit.