Flight of the Earls Memorial in Rathmullan, Ireland

The English conquest of Ireland, often seen as a traumatic event by nationalists, did not occur overnight. It was a gradual process that took over 400 years, often a tug-of-war back and forth with the native Gaelic rulers. It did not come to a decisive end until the Nine Years' War that concluded in 1603. In the Treaty of Mellifont, the O'Neill clan agreed to submit to English rule in exchange for keeping their titles and land.

However, this state of reconciliation was ultimately not to last. The introduction of English common law soon created friction between different Gaelic nobles. Catholics such as the O'Neills became heavily persecuted by the new Lord Deputy of Ireland, Arthur Chichester. Faced with an increasingly untenable situation both politically and financially, Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell allegedly plotted against the English regime.

When such rumours got out and the government decided to arrest O'Neill, they chose abruptly to flee Ireland altogether. On September 14, 1607, O'Neill and O'Donnell embarked on a ship from the village of Rathmullan in County Donegal. They were accompanied by their families and some noblemen and clergy followers. They initially planned to set sail for Spain, whom they hoped could help them take back Ireland, but were rejected from there.

Instead, they settled in Belgium and later Rome. Most of the party would ultimately never return to Ireland. Their land was confiscated by the British and distributed to Protestants during the Plantations. The "Flight of the Earls" is today regarded as the end of the old Gaelic aristocracy in Ireland.

During its 400th anniversary in 2007, a memorial statue was erected in Rathmullan. It depicts the earls walking a gangplank onto a ship, waving goodbye to their subjects on the shore. In addition, Rathmullan is also home to the Flight of the Earls Heritage Centre, giving a more in-depth story of the flight inside a historic fortress.