Redmond O'Hanlon (outlaw)

Although born in impoverished circumstances, Redmond was part of the Derbfine of the last O'Hanlon Chief of the Name, Lord of Airgíalla, and Master of Tandragee Castle.

According to Royal decree, the family's manor was to be passed on to Sir Oghie's heirs under Primogeniture, rather than the Brehon Law policy of Tanistry.

The rest became the property of Sir Oliver St. John, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, who evicted the O'Hanlons from the best land on his estate, which was planted with Scottish and English Protestants.

[2] According to John J. Marshall, "Of the childhood and upbringing of the famous outlaw we have no reliable account, but a very rare pamphlet on the life and death of Redmond O'Hanlon, dated 1st August 1681 and published in Dublin, 1682, states that 'Redmond, son of Loghlin O'Hanlon, was born near Poyntzpass in the County of Armagh in the year 1640,' but some of the later lives say he was born at the foot of Slieve Gullion, and local tradition confirms this.

"[4] According to John J. Marshall, the 17th-century pamphlet continues, "'It was his good fortune to be educated in an English school where he attained to such perfection in that language that it might have proved a great advantage to him in the afterlife.'

Cosgrave's account seems quite probable when he says – 'Redmond once happened to be at the killing of a gentleman in a quarrel, and flying for safety, stayed abroad for a long time, still refusing to come to a trial, till he was outlawed, which put him into his shifts.'

It is likely that O'Hanlon fled to France and there joined the Army where he acquired which he so often turned to good use in his after-career, and also was able to speak French like a native, Gaelic and English being equally at his command.

Like many Irish and Scottish clan chiefs of the same era,[7] O'Hanlon operated an extralegal Watch over the Anglo-Irish landlords and Ulster Scots merchants of Armagh, Tyrone, and Down.

Making a living by cattle raiding and selling protection against theft was considered an honourable way for the Gaelic nobility in both Ireland and Scotland to continue fulfilling their traditional obligations to provide for their families and clansmen.

According to a 1681 pamphlet, "[He was] rather nimble than strong; more subtle than valiant; naturally bold but not cruel, shedding no man's blood out of wantonness or delight, but in his own defence, or by the chance of a shot; he was rapacious, but not covetous; he gathered much money to save himself, and to enrich others; like a bird of prey, he was greedy to devour, but all went through him as fast as he swallowed.

A 1681 pamphlet describes his character: "Necessity first prompted him to evil courses and success hardened him in them; he did not rob to maintain his own prodigality, but to gratify his spies and pensioners: Temperance, Liberality, and Reservedness were the three qualities that preserved him; none but they of the House where he was knew till the next morning where he lay all night; he allowed his followers to stuff themselves with meat and good liquor, but confined himself to milk and water; he thought it better thrift to disperse his money among his Receivers and Intelligencers, than to carry it in a purse, or hide it in a hole; he prolonged his life by a general distrust.

Two of the most notorious Tory-hunting families in the country were the Cootes of Cootehill and the Johnstons of the Fews, planters infamous for their cruelty and ruthlessness in tracking down and murdering priests.

After this threat was carried out against two Killeavy parishioners, Father Murphy arranged for another priest to take his place and began to spend an increasing amount of time plotting vengeance against Redmond O'Hanlon.

To Father Murphy's outrage, however, Ensign John Smith and Lieutenant Henry Baker, who commanded the local British Army garrison, were profiting considerably from their alliance with O'Hanlon and had no desire to curb the Count's activities.

[21] In response, Redmond O'Hanlon retaliated by ordering the mass theft of Henry St John's livestock and the armed robbery of his factors and rent collectors.

The death of his nineteen-year-old son from a chill gained while pursuing the Count only made Henry St. John increasingly brutal toward anyone suspected of aiding Redmond O'Hanlon.

[22] In his letters to The Vatican, Archbishop Oliver Plunkett alleged that tory-hunters like Henry St John spent more time sacking, pillaging, and burning out law-abiding Catholics than actively searching for rapparees and tories.

According to Stephen Dunford, "The practice of Tory hunting gave rise to some brutal rhymes, still chanted by children today: On 9 September 1679, St John was riding at Drumlyn Hill near Knockbridge[24] upon his estate with a manservant and the Reverend Power, Vicar of Tandragee.

Although Stephen Dunford believes that the intention was simply to hold St. John for ransom, Reverend Power was warned that the landlord would be killed if a rescue was attempted.

Power climaxed by demanding that local Protestants prove their racial superiority to the native Irish by rising up and destroying the rapparees and Tories.

Reverend Power also began sending letters to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, and pleaded with him to destroy Redmond O'Hanlon.

Power wrote, "Their chief Redmond O'Hanlon is described as a cunning, dangerous fellow, who, though proclaimed an outlaw along with the rest of his crew and sums of money on their heads, yet he reigns and keeps in subjection so far that is credibly reported, he raises more in a year by contribution than the King's Land, Taxes, and Chimney-Money come to; and thereby is enabled to bribe Clerks and Officers, if not their masters, and makes all to much truckle for him.

"[28] In retaliation for Henry St John's assassination, a proclamation was issued by King Charles' Viceroy, the Duke of Ormond, who ordered that the actions of the Tories were to be visited upon the, "wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters of such of them as shall be out on their keeping, that is not amenable to law and committing them to close prison, until such outlaws shall be either killed or taken."

Power's funeral sermon, Henry St John was buried in his family vault, which lay right in front of the pulpit of Ballymore Parish Church of St. Mark in Tandragee.

[35] In the spring of 1680, the Duke of Ormonde ordered one of his Dublin spies to find, "an army man in the Armagh area with the credentials to carry out a dangerous undercover task.

And I further Authorize the said William Lucas in my Name to give assurance to any of the Tories, that in case they shall assist him in the performance of the said service, that they shall have His Majesty's Gracious Pardon for any Crimes formerly committed by them, Murder only accepted.

[37]In December 1680, Sir Toby Poyntz and his son Charles arranged for Lucas to speak with Art McCall O'Hanlon, the Count's foster brother and trusted bodyguard.

According to the local oral tradition as first recorded in 1926, the Count's headless body was buried in the Roman Catholic cemetery at Ballynaleck, along the road between Tandragee and Scarva.

However, Lieutenant William Lucas continued to hunt down and summarily execute large numbers of real and imagined outlaws and collected bounties for their heads.

My Lord, this day I saw a boy of thirteen years old come to Sir Hans Hamilton, and begged upon his hands and knees that his life be secured for that he was returned a Tory and Art O'Hanlon was in search for him to cut off his head.