Search for rebel’s burial site hits a brick wall
The hunt for the remains of Red Hugh O’Donnell, the 16th-century Irish chieftain who led a rebellion that nearly drove Queen Elizabeth I’s troops out of Ireland, has struck a thick stone wall – belonging to a Spanish bank.
Hopes of finding O’Donnell’s final resting place were raised last May when archaeologists confirmed that they had found traces of the chapel where he was buried in 1602.
O’Donnell, the ruler of a kingdom that is now County Donegal, was known as Red Hugh for the colour of his hair. He died near the northern Spanish city of Valladolid while on a mission to secure help against the English.
For centuries, the location of the Chapel of Marvels, where Christopher Columbus was also initially buried, remained a mystery. Interest was revived by Brendan Rohan, a retired Irish soldier trying to find the grave of his national hero.
Archaeologists had so far unearthed 20 skeletons, but they all pre-dated O’Donnell, said Juan
Manuel Guimerans, the city hall’s culture director. To explore further would require digging inside the bank walls.
O’Donnell was just 29 when he died. His skeleton could be identified by a distinctive mark – he lost both big toes to frostbite.
‘‘We believe the main part of the chapel, and hence the part where Red Hugh would most likely have been buried, lies under the bank,’’ he said. ‘‘We are in talks with representatives of Santander bank to see if we can reach an agreement to continue the excavation.’’