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Hugh Boy MacDavitt

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Hugh Boy MacDavitt (Irish:Aodh Buidhe Mac Daibheid) was a Gaelic Irish warrior from Inishowen. He was the brother of Phelim Reagh MacDavitt and the foster brother of Sir Cahir O'Doherty. Cahir had a strong claim to succeed as chief of the O'Doherty's, the dominant clan on Inishowen. Because of this he was captured by Red Hugh O'Donnell, who supported a rival candidate. The MacDavitt brothers succeeded in rescuing him. They had previously sided with the rebels during the Nine Years War, with Hugh Boy making a failed attempt to capture Culmore Fort.[1] They now switched to support the Crown and allied themselves to Sir Henry Docwra, the English Governor of Derry.[2]

On 11 August 1602 MacDavitt was killed during fighting near Omagh. He was later praised by Docwra as "a man whom I found faithful and honest".[3]

References

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  1. ^ Bradley & Dooher p.47
  2. ^ Falls p.272-74
  3. ^ McGurk p.188

Bibliography

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  • Falls, Cyril. Elizabeth's Irish Wars. Constable, 1996.
  • Bradley, Jim & Dooher, John. The fair river valley: Strabane through the ages. Ulster Historical Foundation, 2000.
  • McGurk, John. Sir Henry Docwra, 1564-1631: Derry's Second Founder. Four Courts Press, 2006.