112 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 42. only irritated their hostility. They made alliance with the O'Donnells who were O'NeiTs hereditary enemies. James M'Connell and his two brothers, near kinsmen of the House of Argyle, crossed over with two thousand followers to settle in Tyrconnell, while to the Callogh O'Donnell, the chief of the clan, the Earl of Argyle him- self gave his half-sister for a wife. With this formidable support the O'Donnells threat- ened to eclipse their ancient rivals, when there rose up from among the O'Neils one of those remarkable men who in their own persons sum up and represent the energy, intellect, power, and character of the nation to which they belong. In the partial settlement of Ireland which had been brought about by Henry the Eighth, the O'Neils, among the other noble families, surrendered their lands to the Crown to receive them again under the usual feudal tenure ; and Con O'Neil the Lame had received from Henry for himself and his heirs the title of Earl of Tyrone. For himself and his heirs but who the heirs of Con O'Neil might be was not so easy to decide. His son Shan in explaining his father's character to Elizabeth said that he was ' a gentleman/ the interpretation of the word being that ' he never denied any child that was sworn to him, and that he had plenty of them.' l The favourite of the family was the offspring of an intrigue with a certain Alyson Kelly, the wife of a blacksmith at Dundalk. This child, a boy named Matthew, grew to Shau O'Neil to Elizabeth, February 8, 1561 : Irish MSS, Rolh Home.
