With his accession to the throne, an Irish prophecy is seemingly fulfilled which promises independence from Elizabethan and English rule.

In response, the Queen's Lord Lieutenant abducts him and imprisons him in Dublin Castle as a hostage for the Clan's good behavior.

The O'Donnell lords see this occurrence as the opportunity to strike back at the foreigners by force, but Hugh convinces them the right plan is to band together with the other clans of the island, and bargain for their freedom from a position of strength.

As he prepares for battle, O'Donnell also courts the beautiful Kathleen McSweeney, to further augment the clans of Ireland.

[2] It is generally believed that O'Neill had an equal, if not more important, role in the establishment of the Irish confederacy.