Biography of Shane O'Neill 1530-1567
In or before 1530 [his father] Conn O'Neill 1st Earl Tyrone (age 50) and Alice Fitzgerald Countess Tyrone were married. She the daughter of Gerald Fitzgerald 8th Earl of Kildare and Alice Fitzeustace Countess Kildare.
Around 1530 Shane O'Neill was born to Conn O'Neill 1st Earl Tyrone (age 50). His mother is unclear; either Alice Fitzgerald Countess Tyrone or Sorcha O'Neill, daughter of Hugh Oge O'Neill, chief of the O'Neills of Clandeboye.
Chronicle of Greyfriars. 1542. And this year came in the Earl of Desmond and the great O'Neill (age 62), and was created Earl of Tyrone and his son (age 12) Baron of Dungannon.
In 1542 [his father] Conn O'Neill 1st Earl Tyrone (age 62) was created 1st Earl Tyrone. Alice Fitzgerald Countess Tyrone by marriage Countess Tyrone.
In 1559 [his father] Conn O'Neill 1st Earl Tyrone (age 79) died.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 04 Jan 1562. The iiij day of January cam to the c[ourt the] yerle of Kyldare (age 37), and browth the grett O'Nelle (age 32) of Yrland, for he had the charge of hym [to bring] hym to the quen.
Note. P. 274. The great O'Neill of Ireland. This person, whom our Diarist in the next page takes the liberty to call "the wild Irishman," was John or Shane O'Neill, eldest son of Connac O'Neill, created earl of Tyrone by Henry VIII. in 1542. After a career the turbulence of which fully justifies Machyn's epithet, he was slain in the year 1567, by Alexander Oge MacConnell.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 14 Jan 1562. The xiiij day of January cam rydyng in-to [Cheap-] syd (blank) John Onelle (age 32), the wyld Yrys-man, and [went] and dynyd at the sant John('s) hed at master Daneell['s the] goldsmyth; the wyche was the sune of the erle of (Tyrone).
Henry Machyn's Diary. 14 Feb 1562. The xiiij day of Feybruary dyd rune at the rynge John Onelle (age 32) beyond sant James in the feld.
On 02 Jun 1567 Shane O'Neill (age 37) was assassinated at Castle Cara.