O'Deaghaidh Family/The Highlands are Finished
The Highlands are Finished
Deaghaidh was now 66 years old. He had been a noble for 47 years and his fame and fortune had grown. His clan had grown too, he now had 32 children and four wives. Not to mention all the other Celts in the land that felt they had no kin and joined the Clan of O’Deaghaidh. The clan had been in a time of splendor and they flourished. Unfortunately for the clan and for Deaghaidh their way of life would drastically be changed forever. The time of Donall Ó Néill was over he had died when Deaghaidh was 64 years of age. A new ruler of Lanston had been chosen and this man was different than Donall Ó Néill. For he had no real desire to help his people or to serve his country. All he wanted to serve was his greed. The man taxed the peasants to the point of starvation. Even the knights of Lanston were taxed heavily. This man’s name was Victor Devonshire. Deaghaidh considered this man dishonorable and refused to swear fealty to him. In which case Devonshire made him pay for his defiance. Devonshire forced the clan Deaghaidh from their lands in Lanston and into the region of Monagle. It was a highland region and during the clan’s stay in Monagle they also took the nickname as Highlanders. Stripped of their lands the Clan of Deaghaidh survived in Monagle for little over a year. When Devonshire asked Deaghaidh for his Fealty again, Deaghaidh refused.
Fortunately for Deaghaidh only a judge can strip him of his title of Nobility. Devonshire sent a small army to finally put an end to Deaghaidh’s defiance and force him to swear fealty. Deaghaidh’s personal guard which was named the Highlanders, decided it would be best to hide Deaghaidh and the rest of he clan in the Highlands of Monagle and to face Devonshire’s men themselves. The Highlanders met with Devonshire’s men and were murdered. Hung by their kilts as a warning to the free. Frustrated by the defiance Devonshire himself rode out to Monagle with a larger unit of men. On the road to Monagle a young man stood alone atop a hill. He was a member of the Deaghaidh clan, his name was Ned Day. Devonshire saw this young man’s kilt and new immediately that he was in the soon to be outlawed clan of Deaghaidh. Devonshire yelled at the young man “The Highlands are finished, your swords and your plaids shall be never again!” Enraged Ned Day charged down the hill towards Devonshire. Ned never made it to Devonshire, he was cut down. Not before he killed a few men of Devonshire’s though. Ned Day did two things this day. He inspired his descendants for generations to come and because of this action, his clan was outlawed. They no longer were aloud to use swords, own kilts, own bagpipes and even play certain songs.
Deaghaidh fell ill shortly after and was bedridden. Deaghaidh’s grandson Conor O’Dea would lead a rebellion against Devonshire and his brutal tyranny. Only a few battles would take place before Devonshire was killed in battle ending his tyrannical rule over Lanston. Deaghaidh would live long enough to see his clan freed by his grandson. Deaghaidh died proud with his grandson Conor by his side. Eventually the clan would regain control over their former lands. Conor would become Chieftain of the O’Deaghaidh clan. He would be the grandfather of Malachy, Erin, Seamus and Amish.
