JOURNAL OF THE COUNTY DONEGAL trISTORICAL SOCIETY CAPTAIN MANUS O'DONNELL ("MANUS a' PRICE~') Lecture prepared for delivery in St. Patrick's Hall. Strabane, Co. Tyrone, on Sunday, 20th March,'49 a 'TIHIS month we celebrate the anniversary of one of the most stirring events of '98 History that had its culmination in t.he Town of Lifford exactly 1'50 years . ago. The central figure· of the drama was Captain Manus O'Donnell, United Irishman and felon, whlo has passed .inito legiend ar:.; "Manus 'a Phice." He is not to be confused with another Donegalman of the same name who was Sub-Constable of the Barony of Tirhugh and is mentioned a number of times in the Grand Jury Presentments of 1753-9'8. Captain O'Donnell was born at Goal, Kilmacrenan, in 1758. He was the son oif Eam:on, o.f Derryv;ei,gh, and his wife, Caltriona, who was also an O'Donnell. A strong tradiUon is current, even to the present day, that Caitriona was one of the Inis Saille O'Donnells who are known as "Na DailLg1h Geiart:Ja," Le., the ''True'' or ''Riigih't" O'Donnells. Th:ey tr:ace their direct descent from Manus, 21rst Chiefitain of Ti.I'!chcmaHl (d. 1563), through Sean MacManus Og, who took refuge on In.is same (off Dungloe) after the fall of his island fortress on ~ory, following the unsuccessful Rising of "Sir Cahir O'Doherty in 1608. They have the further distinction of chirstenting the eldest son in each generation "Sean'• and they have thus perpetuated the memory of their illustrious ancestor in nnbr.oken tradition~ WillliJam Har1kin :193 By Rupert S. O'Cochlain, Member of the Council of the Co. Donegal HlstOfical Society. contendis thiat Gai,triona was o:f this stock and Sean Ban MacMcanman says that she came from The Rosses and was related to Bishop O'Donnell, who ruled the Diocese of Raphoe some years pre·vlously. I discussed the ·supposed Inis Saille relationship with a great-greatgrandson of hers and this is what he says:- "The mother of Manus 'a, Phice, so caned, was Caitriona O'Donnell, of Lower Goal, who was the wife of tis father, Ea.mon. His grandmother, the wife of his paternal g1randfather, Brian Dubh. was a Herron f'rom G lenfinn. I have never heard of any of my ancestors marrying a Ross~ womanand more's the pity if they didn't! Eamon, according to the figures on his tomb in Garton, was born in 1694. Brian Dubh is stiU vividly r::- membered in family tradition. He came .from Gafritlon, where a branch of the O'Donnells had lived for a very considerable peri0<i. I have heard that we are of the Inis &1.i.lle Clan and, if th"c:\.t is so, it must be very far back as I never heard,1 1t traced." My informant was present as a lad of twelve on the o_ccasi.on when Harikin tnte1wie1Wied 'Man1Us"s son, Manus Og, in the nineties of last century and obtained from him the material for the article he subsequently incorporated in his "Scenery and Antiquities of Northwest Donegal." This ls the oldest
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